M-stack Limited

Research in Motion Corporation

Blackberry Corporation

Nicola M Funnell

David W Pedlar

Andrew John Farnsworth

Robert J Harrison

Gjalt Gerrit De Jong

Gideon Roberts

Richard George

Andy Farnsworth

Richard John George

Gjalt Gerritt De Jong

Chin Ying Cheung

Gjalt De Jong

The details of an apparatus and method of handling simultaneous universal terrestrial radio access network radio resource control procedures which change the security configuration in a universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment are disclosed herein. According to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a user equipment apparatus having a message handler, a sequential processor, a command store, and a security configuration change detector, wherein said message handler is coupled to said command store, is coupled to said sequential processor, and is coupled to said security configuration change detector to save, process, and detect configuration changes in commands respectively, and to determine if there is an existing command at the user equipment, such that the user equipment appears to the UTRAN as though it were processing commands simultaneously. According to another aspect, there is provided a method of processing simultaneous commands at a user equipment having a security configuration, including the steps of: determining if there is an existing command at the user equipment; upon reception of a received command: suspending the existing command processing; determining if commands contain a security configuration change; and either rejecting the received command; or saving the received command prior to resuming the existing command; such that the user equipment appears to the UTRAN to be processing commands simultaneously.

Apparatus and method of handling simultaneous universal terrestrial radio access network radio resource control procedures which change the security configuration in a universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment

Mobile user equipment for use in a cellular communications environment performs an improved cell selection on transitions out of a connected mode state. The transitions might be from one connected mode state to another or from a connected mode state to idle mode. The improvement in cell selection lies in assembling the list of candidate cells prior to cell selection. In the prior art, the list of candidate cells would usually be restricted to the serving cell or active cells supporting communication between the equipment and the network prior to transition. In embodiments of the invention, the list might comprise cells which are not the serving cell or which are outside the active set, for example a network-preferred cell or cells neighboring the serving cell or cells of the active set.

Cell selection in mobile communications

The details of an apparatus and method are disclosed for setting the Uplink RRC message sequence number for a new integrity protection configuration to be applied for signalling radio bearer RB, on completion of a UTRAN MOBILITY INFORMATION procedure. The sequence number is set to a value such that the next RRC message to be sent on uplink RBwill use the new integrity protection configuration.

Method and apparatus for setting an integrity protection uplink application time for signalling bearer RBO in a universal mobile telecommunications system

Apparatus and a method for handling discard of a service data unit in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment. Strategies for the radio resource control entity to handle discard of a service data unit by the radio link control entity are presented.

Apparatus and method for operating a communications device in a mobile communications network

The details of an apparatus and method for determining uplink ciphering activation time in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment are disclosed herein. The ciphering activation time is determined for radio bearers other than RBby measuring the data rate on each target radio bearer during the time that it takes for a polling or RRC message sent from the user equipment UE to be acknowledged by the network UTRAN. For RB, the uplink ciphering activation time is determined by taking into account the size of the RRC response message and the data already queued on RBfor transmission.

Apparatus and method for determining uplink ciphering activation time in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment

Apparatus and a method for ciphering messages in mobile telecommunications system user equipment are disclosed. The apparatus is arranged to receive ciphering configuration parameters in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer; forward ciphering configuration parameters to a Radio Link Control (RLC) or Medium Access Control (MAC) layer; and, in response to subsequent receipt of a message from the network, which message indicates that the user equipment device is to start ciphering, configuring the user equipment device to start ciphering using the ciphering configuration parameters in the RLC/MAC layer.

Apparatus and method for applying ciphering in universal mobile telecommunications system

Apparatus and method for handling system information in mobile telecommunications system user equipment, wherein updates are applied in a defined order. In particular, in 3G UMTS systems, when System Information Block (SIB) SIB 11 and SIB 12 are received with information elements relating to cell information list (e.g. 'intra-frequency cell info list', 'inter-frequency cell info list' and &#x201c;Inter-RAT cell info list&#x201d;) then the system information associated with the system information block information element in SIB 11 is applied before the system information associated with the system information block information element in SIB 12.

Apparatus and method for handling system information in mobile telecommunications system user equipment

Apparatus and a method for ciphering messages in mobile telecommunications system user equipment and network are disclosed. The apparatus is arranged to store a plurality of current ciphering configurations and/or a plurality of old (previously applied) ciphering configurations and/or a plurality of new (future) ciphering configurations. Thus different ciphering configuration may be applied at different times and for different radio bearers.

Apparatus and method for applying ciphering in a universal mobile telecommunications system

The details of an apparatus and method for determining uplink ciphering activation time in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment are disclosed herein. The ciphering activation time is determined for radio bearers other than RB2 by measuring the data rate on each target radio bearer during the time that it takes for a polling or RRC message sent from the user equipment UE to be acknowledged by the network UTRAN. For RB2, the uplink ciphering activation time is determined by taking into account the size of the RRC response message and the data already queued on RB2 for transmission.

Mobile user equipment for use in a cellular communications environment performs an improved cell selection on transitions out of a connected mode state. The transitions might be from one connected mode state to another or from a connected mode state to idle mode. The improvement in cell selection lies in assembling the list of candidate cells prior to cell selection. In the prior art, the list of candidate cells would usually be restricted to the serving cell or active cells supporting communication between the equipment and the network prior to transition. In embodiments of the invention, the list might comprise cells which are not the serving cell or which are outside the active set, for example a network-preferred cell or cells neighbouring the serving cell or cells of the active set.

Apparatus, and an associated method, for routing data in a communication device defined in terms of a protocol stack. The protocol stack includes an upper logical layer, a lower logical layer, and a mid stack layer. A determiner determines the configuration of the radio bearer by which the data is to be communicated. If a determination is made that the radio bearer is configured such that it does not require its application to the mid stack layers, a data bypasser causes the data to bypass the mid stack layer. If, conversely, the data is to be applied to the mid stack layer, the data is caused to be routed therethrough.

Apparatus, and an associated method, for routing data through logical layers of a communication device

Apparatus and a method for deriving a power measurement summation for use in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment are disclosed. Conversion from a logarithm scale to a linear scale for summation and back again is avoided. The technique obviates the need for a mathematical processor to convert power measurements in a logarithmic scale (e.g. decibels dB, or dBw) into a linear scale (e.g. mW) to sum the power measurements or a ratio. The summed power component is calculated using data stored in the device (e.g. look up tables) without any need for conversion of the scale used.

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Warwickshire, United Kingdom

Nicola M Funnell