# US 9,521,662 B2 · Uplink synchronization management in wireless networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,662 B2 - Document ID: US9521662B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/245,837 - Filed: 2014-04-04 - Published: 2014-08-07 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2006-09-27 - Assignees: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Applicants: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Inventors: Pierre Bertrand; Shantanu Kangude - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521662B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04W 56/0005: {synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks} - H04W 72/542: using measured or perceived quality - H04W 72/543: based on requested quality, e.g. QoS - H04W 74/04: Scheduled access (hybrid access H04W74/02) - H04W 72/12: Wireless traffic scheduling - H04W 74/0875: {with assigned priorities based access} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract In at least some embodiments, a wireless networking system is provided. The wireless networking system includes a base-station and a plurality of user devices in communication with the base-station. The base-station selectively assigns each user device to one of a first group and a second group. Also, the base-station selectively assigns each user device to an uplink synchronized state and an uplink non-synchronized state. The base-station allocates a unique reduced identifier to each user device in the uplink synchronized state, but does not allocate unique reduced identifiers to user devices in the non-synchronized state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wireless networking system, comprising: a base-station; a plurality of user devices in communication with the base-station; wherein the base-station selectively assigns each user device to one of an uplink synchronized state and an uplink non-synchronized state; and wherein the base-station allocates a unique reduced identifier to each user device in the uplink synchronized state for requesting resources in a contention-free manner, but does not allocate unique reduced identifiers to user devices in the non-synchronized state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein a number of bits used for each unique reduced identifier is less than 16-bits. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein a one-to-one mapping exists between each reduced identifier and a physical resource of a contention-free scheduling request channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein the base-station assigns user devices requesting time-critical communications to an uplink synchronized state and assigns all other user devices to an uplink non-synchronized state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein each user device provides a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement to the base-station and wherein the base-station assigns each user device to one of the uplink synchronized state and the uplink non-synchronized state based on the QoS requirement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein the base-station provides uplink scheduling grants to user devices in the uplink synchronized state in response to new resource requests using a contention-free scheduling request channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein the base station maintains synchronization for each user device with a scheduling grant based on ongoing uplink transmissions via a communication channel shared by user devices. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein a given user device switches from the uplink non-synchronized state to the uplink synchronized state based on requests received via a non-synchronized random access (NSRA) channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein the base-station broadcasts a synchronization time-out period to the user devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein the base-station explicitly allocates a unique reduced identifier to each user device entering the uplink synchronized state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wireless networking system of claim 1 wherein the base-station implicitly allocates a unique reduced identifier to each user device entering the uplink synchronized state. ### Claim 12 A wireless networking system, comprising: a base-station; a plurality of user devices in communication with the base-station; wherein the base-station selectively assigns each user device to one of an uplink synchronized state and an uplink non-synchronized state; wherein the base-station allocates a unique reduced identifier to each user device in the uplink synchronized state for requesting resources in a contention-free manner, but does not allocate unique reduced identifiers to user devices in the non-synchronized state; and wherein a number of bits used for each unique reduced identifier is selected based on a maximum number of uplink synchronized user devices to be supported by the base-station. ### Claim 13 A method, comprising: receiving uplink resource requests from a plurality of user devices of a wireless network, each of the resource requests indicating a priority level; assigning the user devices to one of an uplink synchronized state and an uplink non-synchronized state based on the priority levels; managing uplink synchronization states of the user devices based on timers that track an amount of time that passes since at least one of a preceding uplink transmission and a preceding received timing adjustment command and based on scheduling requests received via a non-synchronized random access (NSRA) channel; and allocating a unique reduced identifier to each user device of the uplink synchronized state for requesting resources in a contention-free manner, but not to user devices of the uplink non-synchronized state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising selecting a size of the uplink synchronized and uplink non-synchronized states to reduce a number of bits used for the unique reduced identifiers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a one-to-one mapping between each reduced identifier and a physical resource of a scheduling request channel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising providing uplink scheduling grants to uplink synchronized user devices in response to new resource requests received via a contention-free scheduling request channel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising reassigning user devices from the non-synchronized state to the synchronized state based on requests received via the NSRA channel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising broadcasting a synchronization time-out period to the user devices. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein a number of bits used for each unique reduced identifier is less than 16-bits. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein user devices requesting time-critical communications are assigned to an uplink synchronized state and all other user devices are assigned to an uplink non-synchronized state. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein each user device provides a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement and wherein each user device is assigned to one of the uplink synchronized state and the uplink non-synchronized state based on the QoS requirement. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein synchronization for each user device with a scheduling grant is maintained based on ongoing uplink transmissions via a communication channel shared by user devices. ### Claim 23 A method, comprising: receiving uplink resource requests from a plurality of user devices of a wireless network, each of the resource requests indicating a priority level; assigning the user devices to one of an uplink synchronized state and an uplink non-synchronized state based on the priority levels; managing uplink synchronization states of the user devices based on timers that track an amount of time that passes since at least one of a preceding uplink transmission and a preceding received timing adjustment command and based on scheduling requests received via a non-synchronized random access (NSRA) channel; and allocating a unique reduced identifier to each user device of the uplink synchronized state for requesting resources in a contention-free manner, but not to user devices of the uplink non-synchronized state, wherein a number of bits used for each unique reduced identifier is selected based on a maximum number of uplink synchronized user devices to be supported.