Fronthaul interface for advanced split-radio access network (ran) systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023231671-A1
Application number	US-202318185744-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 17, 2023
Priority date	Feb 5, 2020
Publication date	Jul 20, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a distributed unit (DU) is configured to do the following in connection with wirelessly transmitting user data to a UE using less than all of a plurality of radio units (RUs): include, in one or more user-plane messages for that UE that are communicated to the RUs, common header fields that contain a RU mask field for storing a bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions. Each bit position is associated with a respective one of the RUs. Each RU is configured to: use the respective RU mask field included in any user-plane messages received by that RU in order to determine if the received user-plane message is intended for that RU and use the received message if the received message is intended for that RU and discard the received message if the received message is not intended for that RU.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a distributed unit (DU) configured to implement at least some functions for a wireless interface; and a plurality of radio units (RUs) to wirelessly transmit and receive radio frequency signals to and from user equipment (UE) using the wireless interface, each of the RUs associated with a respective set of antennas and remotely located from the DU; wherein each RU is communicatively coupled to the DU; and wherein the DU is configured to do the following in connection with wirelessly transmitting user data to a UE using less than all of the RUs:
include, in one or more user-plane messages for that UE that are communicated to the RUs,
common header fields that contain a RU mask field for storing a bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions, wherein each bit position is associated with a respective one of the RUs;
wherein each RU is configured to:
use the respective RU mask field included in any user-plane messages received by that RU in order to determine if the received user-plane message is intended for that RU;
use the received user-plane message to wirelessly transmit the user data to that UE using that RU, if the respective RU mask field indicates that the received user-plane message is intended for that RU; and
discard the received user-plane message, if the respective RU mask field indicates that the received user-plane message is not intended for that RU.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to simultaneously wirelessly transmit respective user data to multiple UEs using the same physical resource blocks, wherein the respective user data simultaneously wirelessly transmitted to the multiple UEs using the same physical resource blocks is wirelessly transmitted from respective subsets of the RUs.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein none of the subsets of the RUs contain the same RU.

4 . The system of claim 1 , each RU is communicatively coupled to the DU over a fronthaul, and wherein the DU and the RUs are configured to communicate over the fronthaul using an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) fronthaul interface.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more user-plane messages include a predetermined section extension.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the system is configured so that the predetermined section extension includes fields for storing different beamforming information for each RU used to wirelessly transmit user-data to an associated UE.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to communicate the user-plane messages in connection with fully simulcasting user data to a UE, wherein the user data is wirelessly transmitted from all the RUs to said UE.

8 . A method for use in a system comprising:
a distributed unit (DU) configured to implement at least some functions for a wireless interface; and a plurality of radio units (RUs) to wirelessly transmit and receive radio frequency signals to and from user equipment (UE) using the wireless interface, each of the RUs associated with a respective set of antennas and remotely located from the DU; wherein each RU is communicatively coupled to the DU and wherein the method comprises: in connection with wirelessly transmitting user data to a UE using less than all of the RUs:
including, in one or more user-plane messages for that UE that are communicated from the DU to the RUs, common header fields that contain a RU mask field for storing a bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions, wherein each bit position is associated with a respective one of the RUs;
using, by each RU, the respective RU mask field included in any user-plane messages received by that RU in order to determine if the received user-plane message is intended for that RU;
using the received user-plane message to wirelessly transmit the user data to that UE using that RU, if the respective RU mask field indicates that the received user-plane message is intended for that RU; and
discarding the received user-plane message, if the respective RU mask field indicates that the received user-plane message is not intended for that RU.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises simultaneously wirelessly transmitting respective user data to multiple UEs using the same physical resource blocks, wherein the respective user data simultaneously wirelessly transmitted to the multiple UEs using the same physical resource blocks is wirelessly transmitted from respective subsets of the RUs.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein none of the subsets of the RUs contain the same RU.

11 . The method of claim 8 , each RU is communicatively coupled to the DU over a fronthaul, and wherein the DU and the RUs are configured to communicate over the fronthaul using an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) fronthaul interface.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more user-plane messages include a predetermined section extension.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises including, in the predetermined section extension, fields for storing different beamforming information for each RU used to wirelessly transmit user-data to an associated UE.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the system is configured to communicate the user-plane messages in connection with fully simulcasting user data to a UE, wherein the user data is wirelessly transmitted from all the RUs to said UE.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Raghothaman Balaji B
• Armao Calogero
• Salahuddeen Irfaan Ahamed

Classifications

• H04W28/0289

  Congestion control (load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W92/20

  between access points · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04W28/16 Primary

  Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service] · CPC title