Method for determining RLC entity re-establishment during SRNS relocation

A method for determining the re-establishment of a Radio Link Control (RLC) entity in a wireless communications device undergoing a Serving Radio Network Subsystem (SRNS) relocation procedure with a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), the wireless communications device supporting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer having:

• a CELL_DCH state in which the wireless device is allocated a dedicated channel for uplink communications with the UTRAN;
• a CELL_FACH state in which no dedicated channel is provided for uplink communications with the UTRAN;
• a CELL_PCH state in which no uplink communications is possible with the UTRAN, and in which the position of the wireless device is known on a cell level;
• and
• a URA_PCH state in which no uplink communications is possible with the UTRAN, and in which the position of the wireless device is known on a UTRAN Registration Area (URA) level;
• the method comprising:
• receiving, by the RRC layer, a reconfiguration procedure from the UTRAN that initiates a SRNS relocation procedure for the wireless device;
• transmitting, from the wireless device, confirmation information to the UTRAN in response to the reconfiguration procedure;
• receiving, by the RRC layer, acknowledgement that the UTRAN successfully received the confirmation information;
• in response to the acknowledgement, transitioning, at the RRC layer, into the CELL_PCH state or the URA_PCH state;
• and
• subsequent to transitioning into the CELL_PCH state or the URA_PCH state, transitioning, at the RRC layer, to the CELL_DCH state or the CELL_FACH state, and re-establishing a RLC entity supported by the wireless device to effect the SRNS relocation procedure in response to the acknowledgement.