RAN conditions and cell composite load indicators

Abstract

The apparatus of the management service equipment includes a processing circuit. In order to configure the management service equipment to measure multiple key performance indicators (KPIs) in a 5G network having multiple network functions (NFs), the processing circuit uses a data analysis function of the management service equipment to retrieve multiple performance measurement values ​​associated with a cell of a radio access network (RAN) within the 5G network. The data analysis function of the management service equipment is used to generate a KPI among the multiple KPIs associated with the cell based on the multiple performance measurement values. The KPI is encoded for transmission to a service application executed on a user equipment (UE) active within the cell of the RAN or executed within a cloud architecture.

Description

[0001] Priority claim

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 716,443, filed on August 9, 2018, entitled “RAN CONDITION AND CELL COMPOSITE LOAD KPIS,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Aspects relate to wireless communications. Some aspects relate to wireless networks, including 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) networks, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks, 3GPP LTE-A (LTE Advanced) networks, and fifth generation (5G) networks, wherein the fifth generation (5G) networks include 5G New Radio (NR) (or 5G-NR) networks and 5G-LTE networks. Other aspects relate to systems and methods for providing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as radio access network (RAN) conditions and cell composite load indicators in 5G networks. Background Art

[0004] Mobile communications have evolved significantly from early voice systems to today's highly complex integrated communications platforms. The use of 3GPP LTE systems has increased with the increase in different types of devices communicating with various network devices. The penetration of mobile devices (user equipment or UE) in modern society continues to drive the demand for a variety of networked devices in many different environments. The fifth generation (5G) wireless system is about to be launched and is expected to enable higher speeds, connectivity, and availability. The next generation 5G network (or NR network) is expected to improve throughput, coverage, and robustness, and reduce latency as well as operating and capital expenses. 5G-NR networks will continue to develop based on 3GPP LTE-Advanced and other potential new radio access technologies (RATs), enriching people's lives with seamless wireless connectivity solutions to provide fast and rich content and services. Since current cellular network frequencies are saturated, higher frequencies such as millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies can benefit from their high bandwidth.

[0005] Potential LTE operation in unlicensed spectrum includes (and is not limited to) LTE operation in unlicensed spectrum via Dual Connectivity (DC) or DC-based LAA and standalone LTE systems, whereby LTE-based technologies operate only in unlicensed spectrum without having an "anchor" in licensed spectrum known as MulteFire. MulteFire combines the performance advantages of LTE technology with the simplicity of Wi-Fi-like deployments.

[0006] In future releases and 5G systems, it is expected that LTE systems will have further enhanced operations in both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Such enhanced operations may include techniques for providing KPIs such as RAN conditions and cell composite load indicators in 5G networks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numbers may describe similar components in different views. Like numbers with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various aspects described in this document by way of example and not by way of limitation.

[0008] Figure 1A An architecture of a network according to some aspects is shown.

[0009] Figure 1B and Figure 1C A non-roaming 5G system architecture is shown according to some aspects.

[0010] Figure 2 Components of an example 5G-NR architecture with Control Unit Control Plane (CU-CP)-Control Unit User Plane (CU-UP) separation are shown in accordance with some aspects.

[0011] Figure 3 The generation of data analytics KPIs by a data analytics function within a management system of a 5G network according to some aspects is shown.

[0012] Figure 4 A use case of a RAN Condition KPI for use in conjunction with external navigation assistance in accordance with some aspects is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 A block diagram of a communication device, such as an evolved Node B (eNB), a new generation Node B (gNB), an access point (AP), a wireless station (STA), a mobile station (MS), or a user equipment (UE), is shown according to some aspects. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The following description and accompanying drawings sufficiently illustrate various aspects to enable those skilled in the art to practice these aspects. Other aspects may incorporate structural changes, logical changes, electrical changes, process changes, and other changes. Portions and features of some aspects may be included in or replace portions and features of other aspects. Aspects set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents in those claims.

[0015] Figure 1AThe architecture of a network according to some aspects is shown. Network 140A is shown to include user equipment (UE) 101 and UE 102, which are shown as smart phones (e.g., handheld touch screen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing devices, such as personal data assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptops, desktop computers, wireless phones, drones, or any other computing device including wired and / or wireless communication interfaces. UE 101 and UE 102 may be collectively referred to as UE 101 herein, and UE 101 may be used to perform one or more of the technologies disclosed herein.

[0016] Any radio links described herein (eg, as used in network 140A or any other illustrated network) may operate according to any exemplary radio communication technology and / or standard.

[0017] LTE and LTE-Advanced are wireless communication standards for high-speed data for UEs such as mobile phones. In LTE-Advanced and various wireless systems, carrier aggregation is a technique whereby multiple carrier signals operating at different frequencies can be used to carry communications for a single UE, thereby increasing the bandwidth available to a single device. In some aspects, carrier aggregation can be used when one or more component carriers operate at unlicensed frequencies.

[0018] The aspects described herein may be used in the context of any spectrum management scheme, including, for example, dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (such as Licensed Shared Access (LSA) at 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz and other frequencies, and Spectrum Access System (SAS) at 3.55-3.7 GHz and other frequencies).

[0019] The aspects described herein may also be applied to different single carrier or OFDM families (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter bank based multi-carrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.) by assigning OFDM carrier data bit vectors to corresponding symbol resources, and in particular to 3GPP NR (New Radio).

[0020] In some aspects, any one of UE 101 and UE 102 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) UE or a cellular IoT (CIoT) UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-lived UE connections. In some aspects, any one of UE 101 and UE 102 may include a narrowband (NB) IoT UE (e.g., such as an enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) UE and a further enhanced (FeNB-IoT) UE). The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communication (MTC) to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), proximity-based services (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, a sensor network, or an IoT network. The M2M or MTC data exchange may be a machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network includes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure) that utilize short-lived connections. The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity to the IoT network.

[0021] In some aspects, either of UE 101 and UE 102 may comprise an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE or a further enhanced MTC (FeMTC) UE.

[0022] UE 101 and UE 102 may be configured to connect (e.g., be communicatively coupled) to a radio access network (RAN) 110. RAN 110 may be, for example, an evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN), a next generation RAN (NGRAN), or some other type of RAN. UE 101 and UE 102 utilize connection 103 and connection 104, respectively, each of which includes a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below); in this example, connection 103 and connection 104 are shown as air interfaces to achieve communicatively coupling, and may be consistent with a cellular communication protocol, such as a global system for mobile communications (GSM) protocol, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, a push-to-talk (PTT) protocol, a cellular PTT (POC) protocol, a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) protocol, a 3GPP long term evolution (LTE) protocol, a fifth generation (5G) protocol, a new radio (NR) protocol, etc.

[0023] In one aspect, UE 101 and UE 102 may also directly exchange communication data via the ProSe interface 105. The ProSe interface 105 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interface comprising one or more logical channels including, but not limited to, a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), and a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0024] UE 102 is shown configured to access access point (AP) 106 via connection 107. Connection 107 may include a local wireless connection such as, for example, a connection compliant with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, according to which AP 106 may include wireless fidelity. In this example, AP 106 is shown connected to the Internet and not to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below).

[0025] The RAN 110 may include one or more access nodes that enable the connection 103 and the connection 104. These access nodes (ANs) may be referred to as base stations (BSs), Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next generation Node Bs (gNBs), RAN nodes, etc., and may include ground sites (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite sites that cover a certain geographic area (e.g., a cell). In some aspects, the communication nodes 111 and 112 may be transmission / reception points (TRPs), and in the case where the communication nodes 111 and 112 are Node Bs (e.g., eNBs or gNBs), one or more TRPs may function within the communication cells of the Node Bs. The RAN 110 may include one or more RAN nodes (e.g., macro RAN nodes 111) for providing macro cells, and one or more RAN nodes (e.g., low power (LP) RAN nodes 112) for providing femto cells or pico cells (e.g., cells with smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth than macro cells).

[0026] Either of the RAN node 111 and the RAN node 112 may terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for the UE 101 and the UE 102. In some aspects, either of the RAN node 111 and the RAN node 112 may perform various logical functions of the RAN 110, including but not limited to radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management, and data packet scheduling and mobility management. In one example, either of the node 111 and / or the node 112 may be a new generation Node B (gNB), an evolved Node B (eNB), or another type of RAN node.

[0027] RAN 110 is shown as being communicatively coupled to a core network (CN) 120 via an S1 interface 113. In some aspects, CN 120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a next generation packet core (NPC) network, or some other type of CN (e.g., as described in reference to Figure 1B - as shown in FIG. 1I ). In this regard, the S1 interface 113 is divided into two parts: an S1-U interface 114, which carries traffic data between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and the serving gateway (S-GW) 122; and an S1-Mobility Management Entity (MME) interface 115, which is a signaling interface between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and the MME 121.

[0028] In this regard, CN 120 includes MME 121, S-GW 122, Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) 123, and Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 124. MME 121 may be similar in function to the control plane of a conventional Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN). MME 121 may manage mobility aspects in access, such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. HSS 124 may include a database for network users, which includes subscription-related information for supporting network entities in handling communication sessions. Depending on the number of mobile subscribers, the capacity of the devices, the organization of the network, etc., CN 120 may include one or more HSS 124. For example, HSS 124 may provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / addressing resolution, location dependencies, etc.

[0029] The S-GW 122 may terminate the S1 interface 113 towards the RAN 110 and route data packets between the RAN 110 and the CN 120. In addition, the S-GW 122 may be a local mobility anchor for inter-RAN node handovers and may also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities of the S-GW 122 may include lawful interception, charging, and some policy enforcement.

[0030] The P-GW 123 may terminate the SGi interface toward the PDN. The P-GW 123 may route data packets between the EPC network 120 and external networks such as a network including an application server 184 (alternatively referred to as an application function (AF)) via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125. The P-GW 123 may also transmit data to other external networks 131A, which may include the Internet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IPS) network, and other networks. Generally, the application server 184 may be an element that provides an application that uses IP bearer resources with a core network (e.g., a UMTS packet service (PS) domain, a LTE PS data service, etc.). In this regard, the P-GW 123 is shown as being communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the IP interface 125. The application server 184 may also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for the UE 101 and UE 102 via the CN 120.

[0031] The P-GW 123 may also be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 126 is a policy and charging control element of the CN 120. In a non-roaming scenario, in some aspects, there may be a single PCRF in the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with the UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with local traffic breakout, there may be two PCRFs associated with the UE's IP-CAN session: a domestic PCRF (H-PCRF) in the HPLMN and a visited PCRF (V-PCRF) in the visited public land mobile network (VPLMN). The PCRF 126 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the P-GW 123.

[0032] In some aspects, the communication network 140A may be an IoT network. One of the current enablers of IoT is Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT).

[0033] The NG system architecture may include a RAN 110 and a 5G network core (5GC) 120. The NG-RAN 110 may include multiple nodes, such as gNBs and NG-eNBs. The core network 120 (e.g., a 5G core network or 5GC) may include an access and mobility function (AMF) and / or a user plane function (UPF). The AMF and UPF may be communicatively coupled to the gNB and NG-eNB via an NG interface. More specifically, in some aspects, the gNB and NG-eNB may be connected to the AMF via an NG-C interface and to the UPF via an NG-U interface. The gNB and NG-eNB may be coupled to each other via an Xn interface.

[0034] In some aspects, the NG system architecture may use reference points between various nodes as provided by 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 23.501 (e.g., V15.4.0, 2018-12). In some aspects, each of the gNB and NG-eNB may be implemented as a base station, a mobile edge server, a small cell, a home eNB, etc. In some aspects, in the 5G architecture, the gNB may be a master node (MN) and the NG-eNB may be a secondary node (SN).

[0035] Figure 1B A non-roaming 5G system architecture is shown according to some aspects. Figure 1B , which shows a 5G system architecture 140B in a reference point representation. More specifically, the UE 102 can communicate with the RAN 110 and one or more other 5G core (5GC) network entities. The 5G system architecture 140B includes multiple network functions (NFs), such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) 132, a session management function (SMF) 136, a policy control function (PCF) 148, an application function (AF) 150, a user plane function (UPF) 134, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 142, an authentication server function (AUSF) 144, and a unified data management (UDM) / home subscriber server (HSS) 146. The UPF 134 can provide a connection to a data network (DN) 152, which can include, for example, operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. The AMF 132 can be used to manage access control and mobility, and can also include a network slice selection function. The SMF 136 can be configured to set up and manage various sessions according to network policies. UPF 134 may be deployed in one or more configurations depending on the desired service type. PCF 148 may be configured to provide a policy framework using network slicing, mobility management, and roaming (similar to PCRF in 4G communication systems). UDM may be configured to store subscriber profiles and data (similar to HSS in 4G communication systems).

[0036] In some aspects, the 5G system architecture 140B includes an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 168B and multiple IP multimedia core network subsystem entities, such as a call session control function (CSCF). More specifically, the IMS 168B includes a CSCF, which can act as a proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 162BE, a service CSCF (S-CSCF) 164B, an emergency CSCF (E-CSCF) ( Figure 1BThe P-CSCF 162B may be configured as the first contact point for the UE 102 within the IM subsystem (IMS) 168B. The S-CSCF 164B may be configured to handle session states in the network, and the E-CSCF may be configured to handle certain aspects of emergency sessions, such as routing emergency requests to the correct emergency center or PSAP. The I-CSCF 166B may be configured to act as a contact point within the operator's network for all IMS connections directed to subscribers of the network operator or roaming subscribers currently located within the service area of ​​the network operator. In some aspects, the I-CSCF 166B may be connected to another IP multimedia network 170E, such as an IMS operated by a different network operator.

[0037] In some aspects, UDM / HSS 146 may be coupled to an application server 160E, which may include a telephony application server (TAS) or another application server (AS). AS 160B may be coupled to IMS 168B via S-CSCF 164B or I-CSCF 166B.

[0038] Reference point representation shows that there may be interactions between corresponding NF services. For example, Figure 1B The following reference points are shown: N1 (between UE 102 and AMF 132), N2 (between RAN 110 and AMF 132), N3 (between RAN 110 and UPF 134), N4 (between SMF 136 and UPF 134), N5 (between PCF 148 and AF 150, not shown), N6 (between UPF 134 and DN 152), N7 (between SMF 136 and PCF 148, not shown), N8 (between UDM 146 and AMF 132, not shown), N9 (between two UPFs 134, not shown), N10 (between UDM 146 and SMF 136, not shown), N11 (between AMF 132 and SMF 136, not shown), N12 (between AUSF 144 and AMF 132, not shown), N13 (between AUSF 144 and UDM 146, not shown), N14 (between two AMFs 132, not shown), N15 (between PCF 148 and AMF 132 if it is a non-roaming scenario; between PCF 148 and visited network and AMF 132 if it is a roaming scenario, not shown), N16 (between two SMFs, not shown), and N22 (between AMF 132 and NSSF 142, not shown). Other reference point representations not shown in FIG. 1E may also be used.

[0039] Figure 1C A 5G system architecture 140C and a service-based representation are shown. Figure 1B In addition to the network entities shown in , the system architecture 140C may also include a network open function (NEF) 154 and a network repository function (NRF) 156. In some aspects, the 5G system architecture may be service-based, and the interactions between network functions may be represented by corresponding point-to-point reference points Ni or as service-based interfaces.

[0040] In some aspects, such as Figure 1C As shown, a service-based representation may be used to represent network functions within a control plane that enables other authorized network functions to access its services. In this regard, the 5G system architecture 140C may include the following service-based interfaces: Namf 158H (a service-based interface shown by AMF 132), Nsmf 158I (a service-based interface shown by SMF 136), Nnef 158B (a service-based interface shown by NEF 154), Npcf 158D (a service-based interface shown by PCF 148), Nudm 158E (a service-based interface shown by UDM 146), Naf158F (a service-based interface shown by AF 150), Nnrf 158C (a service-based interface shown by NRF 156), Nnssf 158A (a service-based interface shown by NSSF 142), and Nausf 158G (a service-based interface shown by AUSF 144). You can also use Figure 1C Other service-based interfaces not shown (e.g., Nudr, N5g-eir, and Nudsf).

[0041] Figure 2 Components of an example 5G-NR architecture 200 with control plane (CP)-user plane (UP) separation are shown in accordance with some aspects. Figure 2 , the 5G-NR architecture 200 may include a 5G core 212 and an NG-RAN 214. The NG-RAN 214 may include one or more gNBs, such as gNB 128A and gNB 128B (which may be the same as gNB 128). In some aspects, the 5GC 212 and the NG-RAN 214 may be respectively connected to Figure 1B The 5GC 120 and NG-RAN 110 are similar or identical. In some aspects, the network elements of the NG-RAN 214 can be divided into a central unit and a distributed unit, and different central units and distributed units or components of the central unit and the distributed unit can be configured to perform different protocol functions.

[0042] In some aspects, the gNB 128B may include or be divided into one or more of a gNB central unit (gNB-CU) 202 and a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) 204, 206. Additionally, the gNB 128B may include or be divided into one or more of a gNB-CU-control plane (gNB-CU-CP) 208 and a gNB-CU-user plane (gNB-CU-UP) 210. The gNB-CU 202 is a logical node configured to host the radio resource control layer (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and packet data convergence protocol layer (PDCP) protocols of a gNB or RRC, and the PDCP protocol of an E-UTRA-NR gNB (en-gNB) that controls the operation of one or more gNB-DUs. A gNB-DU (e.g., 204 or 206) is a logical node that is configured to host the radio link control layer (RLC), medium access control layer (MAC), and physical layer (PHY) of a gNB 128A, gNB 128B, or en-gNB, and whose operation is at least partially controlled by the gNB-CU 202. In some aspects, one gNB-DU (e.g., 204) may support one or more cells.

[0043] The gNB-CU 202 includes a gNB-CU-control plane (gNB-CU-CP) entity 208 and a gNB-CU-user plane entity 210. The gNB-CU-CP 208 is a logical node configured to host the control plane portion of the RRC and PDCP protocols for the gNB-CU 202 of an en-gNB or gNB. The gNB-CU-UP 210 is a logical (or physical) node configured to host the user plane portion of the PDCP protocol for the gNB-CU 202 of an en-gNB, and the user plane portion of the PDCP protocol and the SDAP protocol for the gNB-CU 202 of a gNB.

[0044] The gNB-CU 202 and gNB-DUs 204, 206 may communicate via an F1 interface, and the gNB 128A may communicate with the gNB-CU 202 via an Xn-C interface. The gNB-CU-CP 208 and the gNB-CU-UP 210 may communicate via an E1 interface. Additionally, the gNB-CU-CP 208 and the gNB-DUs 204, 206 may communicate via an F1-C interface, and the gNB-DUs 204, 206 and the gNB-CU-UP 210 may communicate via an F1-U interface.

[0045] In some aspects, the gNB-CU 202 terminates the F1 interface with the gNB-DUs 204, 206, and in other aspects, the gNB-DUs 204, 206 terminate the F1 interface with the gNB-CU 202. In some aspects, the gNB-CU-CP 208 terminates the E1 interface with the gNB-CU-UP 210 and the F1-C interface with the gNB-DUs 204, 206. In some aspects, the gNB-CU-UP 210 terminates the E1 interface with the gNB-CU-CP 208 and the F1-U interface with the gNB-DUs 204, 206.

[0046] In some aspects, the F1 interface is a point-to-point interface between endpoints and supports the exchange of signaling information between endpoints and the transmission of data to the respective endpoints. The F1 interface may support the separation of the control plane and the user plane and the separation of the radio network layer and the transport network layer. In some aspects, the E1 interface is a point-to-point interface between the gNB-CU-CP and the gNB-CU-UP and supports the exchange of signaling information between endpoints. The E1 interface may separate the radio network layer and the transport network layer, and in some aspects, the E1 interface may be a control interface not used for user data forwarding.

[0047] In certain aspects, for EN-DC, the S1-U interface and the X2 interface (e.g., X2-C interface) of the gNB consisting of the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU may terminate at the gNB-CU.

[0048] In some aspects, a gNB 128B supporting CP / UP separation includes a single CU-CP entity 208, multiple CU-UP entities 210, and multiple DU entities 204, ..., 206, where all entities are configured for network slicing operations. Figure 2 As shown, each DU entity 204, ..., 206 may have a single connection established with the CU-CP 208 via an F1-C interface. Each DU entity 204, ..., 206 may be connected to multiple CU-UP entities 210 using the F1-U interface. The CU-CP entity 208 may be connected to multiple CU-UP entities 210 via an E1 interface. Each DU entity 204, ..., 206 may be connected to one or more UEs, and the CU-UP entity 210 may be connected to a user plane function (UPF) and a 5G core 212.

[0049] In some aspects, applications for 5G networks may be configured to support autonomous driving, which may require ultra-low latency and high reliability communications, since problems in the RAN (e.g., such as high latency communications) may have the potential to cause property damage and bodily injury. When an automated navigation application (e.g., a navigation service application executing on a user's equipment) first sets a route to a desired destination, the automated navigation application may use information from the network (such as KPIs) to proactively assist the vehicle operator in avoiding driving into areas that may be experiencing (or are experiencing) RAN problems (e.g., as indicated or inferred from KPIs transmitted by the network (such as a network management service)).

[0050] In some aspects, 5G services (e.g., enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), or massive machine type communications (mMTC)) may be characterized by high-speed high data volume, low-speed ultra-low latency, and low-frequency transmission of low data volume from a large number of emerging smart devices, respectively. In order to support a wide range of QoS levels, the 5G network may be automatically tuned (e.g., using one or more KPIs as discussed herein) to maintain optimal performance. With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, RAN conditions and cell composite load KPIs may be collected as discussed herein, and the RAN conditions and cell composite load KPIs may be analyzed to determine the state and traffic pattern of the 5G network (e.g., one or more neighboring cells associated with a navigation route) based on the time and location (when and where) of collecting the KPIs, thereby enabling an analysis application to predict potential problems, and plan solutions in advance and solve problems (e.g., navigation-related problems) before they occur. The technology disclosed herein discusses the use of RAN condition KPIs and cell composite load KPIs (e.g., by an analysis application) to assist automatic navigation (or other applications or services) and 5G network optimization.

[0051] In some aspects, existing 3GPP technical specifications (TS) (e.g., TS 28.552) may be supplemented to define E2E latency measurements and these existing 3GPP technical specifications may also include clarifications on how these measurements are counted and which network functions (NFs) are involved in supporting E2E measurements and determining one or more KPIs based on such measurements.

[0052] An example of a 5G NF is shown in FIG. 1F. Referring again to FIG. 1F, in some aspects, the 5G network 140F may include a management system (or management service) 190, which is configured to provide management capabilities within the 5G network 140F. These management capabilities may be accessed by a management service consumer via a service interface (e.g., 196), which may be composed of separately specified management service components. In this regard, the management system 190 may be configured to communicate with each NF and other network entities (e.g., including network entities within the dashed area in FIG. 1F) within the network 140F, except for the UE 101, via the service interface 196. In some aspects, the management system 190 may be configured based on 3GPP TS 28.533 (v16.0.0).

[0053] In some aspects, management system 190 may include management functions (MFs) 192, ..., 194. In some aspects, at least one MF (e.g., MF 192) may be configured as a service producer that performs one or more E2E performance measurement functions. In some aspects, at least another MF (e.g., MF 193) may be configured as a data analysis function (DAF) 193. In some aspects, service producers (e.g., 198) and DAF 193 may be implemented in at least one NF within 5G network 140F.

[0054] In some aspects, the DAF 193 may be configured to receive performance measurements, alarm information, and / or configuration information and determine one or more data analytics KPIs associated with the 5G network 140F. Exemplary KPIs that may be determined by the DAF 193 include a RAN condition KPI and a cell composite load KPI, which may include an uplink cell composite load KPI within a downlink cell composite load KPI.

[0055] In some aspects, the following measurement definition template (described in more detail in 3GPP TS 32.404 V15.0.0) may be used in conjunction with the data analytics KPI determination of DAF 193:

[0056] Measurement Name

[0057] (a) Description, (b) Collection Methods - Contains the form in which the measurement data is obtained, including: CC (cumulative counter); GAUGE (dynamic variable), which is used when the measured data may vary up and down during the measurement period; DER (discrete event registration), when data related to a specific event is captured, registering every nth event, where n can be 1 or greater; SI (status check); TF (transparent forwarding); and OM (object mapping).

[0058] (c) Conditions - contains the conditions that caused the measurement result data to be updated, (d) Measurement result (measurement value, units). This subclause contains a description of the expected result value (e.g., a single integer value). If the measurement is related to "external" technology, this subclause should also give a brief reference to other standards bodies, (e) Measurement type. This subclause contains the short form of the measurement name specified in the header, which is used to identify the measurement type in the result file.

[0059] (f) Measurement object class. This subclause describes the class of the object being measured (e.g., UtranCell, RncFunction, SgsnFunction). (g) Switching technology. This subclause contains the switching domain to which the measurement applies, i.e., circuit switched and / or packet switched, (h) Generation. The generation determines whether it involves GSM, UMTS, EPS, 5GS, combined (GSM+UMTS+EPS+5GS) or IMS measurements, (i) Purpose. This optional clause aims to describe who will use the measurement value.

[0060] Figure 3 The generation of data analytics KPIs by a data analytics function within a management system of a 5G network according to some aspects is shown. Figure 3 , diagram 300 shows the generation of a data analysis KPI 304. More specifically, the data analysis function 193 within the management system 190 receives management and data 302, which can be used to perform KPI calculations 199 to generate data analysis KPIs 304. The data analysis KPIs 304 may include RAN condition KPIs and cell composite load KPIs, as well as other KPIs indicating network conditions and states of one or more entities within the 5G network 140F. In some aspects, the management data 302 may include performance measurements (e.g., number of handover failures, number of RRC connection setup failures, number of RACH failures, packet loss rate, etc.), alarm information (e.g., alarms or notifications generated in conjunction with cell overload, network traffic throughput falling below a threshold, number of network failures reaching a threshold, or other system or configuration alarms), and configuration information related to the conditions of one or more NR cells within the 5G network. In some aspects, the management data 302 may be generated by one or more NFs associated with the 5G network 140F and transmitted to the data analysis function 193 or made available (e.g., stored in a network storage device) for retrieval by the data analysis function 193.

[0061] In some aspects, the data analysis KPI 304 is transmitted to an analysis application 306, which can be a management function within the management system 190, a network function within the 5G network 140F, or a standalone application, such as a service application executed on a network device in an edge cloud or a public cloud. In some aspects, the data analysis function 193 can generate a RAN condition KPI, which can be described using the following sub-sections a)-j) of the template above:

[0062] RAN Condition KPI .

[0063] a) This KPI indicates the condition of an NR cell that can be used to assist applications such as autonomous navigation, b) This KPI describes the condition of an NR cell, c) This KPI is generated by analysis of performance measurements and alerts related to the condition of the NR cell. In some aspects, the value of the KPI is an integer to represent the RAN condition of the cell and may include the following values: 0: indicating a healthy / normally operating cell; 1: a decommissioned cell; 2: capacity limitations (e.g., an overloaded cell); and 3: capability limitations (e.g., the cell does not support latency requirements). In some aspects, the above integer values ​​can be extended to represent additional conditions, d) RanCondition. e) The specific performance measurement used to derive this KPI is implementation dependent, f) 5GS. g) Condition, h) Integer, i) N / A. j) This KPI can be used to assist applications in performing autonomous driving aspects of autonomous navigation, such as in conjunction with Figure 4 discussed.

[0064] Figure 4 A use case 400 of a RAN condition KPI used in conjunction with external navigation assistance according to some aspects is shown. A primary application of 5G networks is to support autonomous driving that may use ultra-low latency and high reliability, since problems in the RAN may have the potential to cause property damage and bodily harm. When an autonomous navigation application first sets up a navigation route for the car to reach a destination, it may be configured to avoid directing the car into areas that may experience RAN problems in advance. For example, if a cell is overloaded with user traffic, is experiencing a power outage, or is unable to support latency requirements, the cell may be removed from the planned navigation route.

[0065] In some aspects and in conjunction with autonomous driving, RAN condition KPIs for each cell (e.g., each of cells 406-424) may be collected and made available to assist an autonomous vehicle at location 402A in reaching destination 402B and controlling autonomous navigation from location 402A to location 402B. Based on the cell identifiers received with the RAN condition KPIs, the application learns about neighbor relationships between cells 406-424. Based on the cell in which the car is located, the autonomous driving application (or navigation application) learns about the RAN conditions of neighboring cells along the planned route and may change the route accordingly, as RAN conditions may change along the way as the car is traveling.

[0066] For example, Figure 4 The vehicle is shown traveling from location 402A in cell 406 to location 402B in cell 422. It may be detected (e.g., via a received RAN condition KPI) that cell 416 is overloaded with user traffic, is experiencing a power outage, or is unable to support the latency requirements of the traveling vehicle. As a result, the automated navigation application plans a navigation route to bypass and pass through cells 414 and 420. In some aspects, the data analysis function 193 may generate a cell composite load KPI, which may include an uplink (UL) cell composite load KPI and / or a downlink (DL) cell composite load KPI, which may be described using the following sub-sections a)-j) of the template described above:

[0067] UL cell composite load KPI .

[0068] a) This KPI is intended for analyzing traffic trends in 5G networks, b) This KPI describes the DL composite load of the NR cell, c) This KPI is generated by analysis of management data such as performance measurements, alarms and configuration information (e.g., PRB utilization, average number of active UEs, IP / data throughput in UL, resource utilization, etc.), d) ulCellCompositeLoad. e) The specific performance measurement used to derive this KPI is implementation dependent, f) 5GS. g) Conditional, h) Integer, i) N / A. j) This KPI can be used to understand the status and traffic patterns of the 5G network.

[0069] DL cell composite load KPI

[0070] a) This KPI is intended for analyzing traffic trends in 5G networks, b) This KPI describes the DL composite load of the NR cell, c) This KPI is generated by analysis of management data such as performance measurements, alarms and configuration information (e.g., PRB utilization, average number of active UEs, IP / data throughput in DL, resource utilization, etc.), d) dlCellCompositeLoad. e) The specific performance measurement used to derive this KPI is implementation dependent, f) 5GS. g) Conditional, h) Integer, i) N / A. j) This KPI can be used to understand the status and traffic patterns of the 5G network.

[0071] In some aspects, with the advancement of AI and big data, cell composite load KPIs can be collected and analyzed to understand the status and traffic patterns of 5G networks based on the time and location of when and where the KPIs were collected, enabling analytical applications to predict potential problems and plan solutions in advance to resolve them before they occur.

[0072] A service producer supported by one or more processors is configured to obtain management data, analyze the management data, generate a management data analysis KPI, and / or report the management data analysis KPI. The management data includes performance measurements, alarm information, and / or configuration information. The management data analysis KPI is a RAN condition KPI indicating the RAN condition of the cell. The RAN condition KPI is generated by management data, which includes but is not limited to performance measurements, alarms, and / or configuration data related to the condition of the cell. The RAN condition KPI includes but is not limited to the following values: 0: healthy cell; 1: decommissioned cell; 2: capacity limitation (e.g., overloaded cell); and 3: capability limitation (e.g., the cell does not support delay requirements). The uplink cell composite load KPI is generated by management data (e.g., PRB utilization, average active UE, IP throughput in uplink, resource utilization, etc.). The downlink cell composite load KPI is generated by management data (e.g., PRB utilization, average number of active UEs, IP throughput in downlink, resource utilization, etc.). The downlink cell composite load KPI and the uplink cell composite load KPI may be used by analytical applications to predict potential problems and plan solutions in advance to resolve the problems before they occur.

[0073] An analysis application acting as a service consumer supported by one or more processors is configured to receive an analysis KPI, analyze the analysis KPI, and perform actions to mitigate the problem handled by the application. The analysis application is aware of neighbor relationships between cells. Based on the cell in which the car is located, the analysis application learns the RAN conditions of the neighboring cells and can change the route based on the RAN conditions determined based on the received KPI. The analysis application can be configured to avoid cells with RAN conditions that are out of service, capacity limitations (e.g., overload), or capability limitations (e.g., latency requirements are not supported). The analysis application can be configured to analyze the uplink cell composite load KPI and the downlink cell composite load KPI to understand the state and traffic pattern of the 5G network based on the time and location of when and where the KPIs are collected. The analysis application can be configured to generate predictions of potential problems and plan solutions in advance to solve the problem before it occurs (e.g., dynamically changing the navigation route of the autonomous vehicle based on the received KPI associated with the conditions of one or more cells that the planned navigation route is passing through).

[0074] Figure 5 A block diagram of a communication device, such as an evolved Node B (eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), an access point (AP), a wireless station (STA), a mobile station (MS), or a user equipment (UE), is shown according to some aspects and for performing one or more of the techniques disclosed herein. In alternative aspects, the communication device 500 can operate as a standalone device or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other communication devices.

[0075] A circuit (e.g., a processing circuit) is a collection of circuits implemented in a tangible entity of the device 500, the tangible entity including hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic components, etc.). Circuit component relationships can change flexibly over time. A circuit includes components that can perform specified operations when operated (alone or in combination). In one example, the hardware of the circuit can be invariably designed to perform a specific operation (e.g., hard-wired). In one example, the hardware of the circuit can include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) to encode instructions for a specific operation, and the physical components include machine-readable media that are physically modified (e.g., magnetically, electrically, removably placed invariant aggregate particles, etc.).

[0076] When the physical components are connected, the basic electrical characteristics of the hardware components change, such as from an insulator to a conductor, or vice versa. The instruction enables embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or a loading mechanism) to create a circuit component in hardware via a variable connection to perform certain portions of a specific operation during operation. Thus, in one example, the machine-readable medium element is part of a circuit, or is communicatively coupled to other components of the circuit when the device is operating. In one example, any of the physical components may be used in more than one component of more than one circuit. For example, during operation, an execution unit may be used in a first circuit of a first circuit system at one point in time, and reused by a second circuit in the first circuit system at a different time, or reused by a third circuit in the second circuit system. The following are additional examples of these components relative to device 500.

[0077] In some aspects, the device 500 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other devices. In a networked deployment, the communication device 500 may operate as a server communication device, a client communication device, or both in a server-client network environment. In one example, the communication device 500 may act as a peer communication device in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The communication device 500 may be a UE, an eNB, a PC, a tablet, a STB, a PDA, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a Web device, a network router, a switch or a bridge, or any communication device capable of executing instructions (in sequence or otherwise) that specify the actions to be taken by the communication device. In addition, although only one communication device is shown, the term "communication device" should also be deemed to include any collection of communication devices that individually or collectively execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more methods discussed herein (such as cloud computing software as a service (SaaS)) and other computer cluster configurations.

[0078] Examples as described herein may include a logical component or multiple components, modules or mechanisms, or may operate on a logical component or multiple components, modules or mechanisms. A module is a tangible entity (e.g., hardware) that can perform a specified operation and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. In one example, a circuit may be arranged as a module in a specified manner (e.g., internally or relative to an external entity such as other circuits). In one example, all or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., independent computer systems, client computer systems, or server computer systems) or one or more hardware processors may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, application parts, or applications) to operate to perform a specified operation of the module. In one example, the software may reside on a communication device readable medium. In one example, the software, when executed by the underlying hardware of the module, causes the hardware to perform the specified operation. Therefore, the term "module" should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, i.e., a physical structure, a specific configuration (e.g., hard wiring) or a temporary (e.g., transient) configuration (e.g., programming) to operate in a specified manner or perform a part or all of any operation described herein. Considering an example where a module is temporarily configured, each module does not need to be instantiated at any one time. For example, if a module includes a general hardware processor configured using software, the general hardware processor can be configured as corresponding different modules at different times. The software can configure the hardware processor accordingly, for example, to constitute a specific module at one time instance and to constitute a different module at a different time instance.

[0079] The communication device (e.g., UE) 500 may include a hardware processor 502 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 504, a static memory 506, and a mass storage device 507 (e.g., a hard drive, a tape drive, a flash memory, other block or storage devices), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnection link (e.g., a bus) 508.

[0080] The communication device 500 may also include a display device 510, a mixed digital and alphanumeric input device 512 (e.g., a keyboard) and a user interface (UI) navigation device 514 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display device 510, the input device 512 and the UI navigation device 514 may be a touch screen display. The communication device 500 may additionally include a signal generating device 518 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 520, and one or more sensors 521, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer or another sensor. The communication device 500 may include an output controller 528, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB)) connection, a parallel connection, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection, to communicate with one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.) or control the one or more peripheral devices.

[0081] The storage device 507 may include a communication device-readable medium 522 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 524 (e.g., software) embodied or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functionality described herein. In some aspects, the processor 502, the main memory 504, the static memory 506, and / or the registers of the mass storage 507 may (in whole or at least in part) be or include a device-readable medium 522 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 524 embodied or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functionality described herein. In one example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 502, the main memory 504, the static memory 506, or the mass storage 516 constitutes the device-readable medium 522.

[0082] As used herein, the term "device-readable medium" may be interchangeable with "computer-readable medium" or "machine-readable medium." Although the communication device-readable medium 522 is shown as a single medium, the term "communication device-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 524. The term "communication device-readable medium" includes the terms "machine-readable medium" or "computer-readable medium" and may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions (e.g., instructions 524) for execution by the communication device 500 and causing the communication device 500 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of communication device-readable media may include solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of communication device readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)), and flash memory devices; disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; random access memory (RAM); and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. In some examples, the communication device readable medium may include non-transitory communication device readable media. In some examples, the communication device readable medium may include communication device readable media that is not a transient propagation signal.

[0083] The instructions 524 may also be transmitted or received over the communication network 526 using any of a plurality of transmission protocols using a transmission medium via the network interface device 520. In one example, the network interface device 520 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial cable, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 526. In one example, the network interface device 520 may include multiple antennas to communicate wirelessly using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), MIMO, or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technology. In some examples, the network interface device 520 may communicate wirelessly using multi-user MIMO technology.

[0084] The term "transmission medium" should be deemed to include any intangible medium that can store, encode or carry instructions for execution by the communication device 500, and includes a digital or analog communication signal or another intangible medium to facilitate communication of such software. In this regard, in the context of the present disclosure, a transmission medium is a device-readable medium.

[0085] The communication device readable medium may be provided by a storage device or other device capable of hosting data in a non-transient format. In one example, the information stored or otherwise provided on the communication device readable medium may represent instructions, such as the instructions themselves or the format from which the instructions can be derived. The format from which the instructions can be derived may include source code, encoded instructions (e.g., in compressed or encrypted form), encapsulated instructions (e.g., divided into multiple packets), etc. The information representing the instructions in the communication device readable medium may be processed by the processing circuit into instructions to implement any operation discussed herein. For example, deriving instructions from the information (e.g., processed by the processing circuit) may include: (e.g., from source code, object code, etc.) compiling, interpreting, loading, organizing (e.g., dynamically or statically linking), encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting, packaging, unpacking, or otherwise manipulating the information into instructions.

[0086] In one example, the derivation of instructions may include (e.g., by processing circuitry) the assembly, compilation, or interpretation of the information to create instructions from some intermediate or pre-processed format provided by a machine-readable medium. The information, when provided in multiple parts, may be combined, unpacked, and modified to create instructions. For example, the information may be located in multiple compressed source code packages (or object code or binary executable code, etc.) on one or more remote servers. The source code packages may be encrypted when transmitted over the network and decrypted, decompressed, assembled (e.g., linked) as necessary, and compiled or interpreted at the local machine (e.g., compiled or interpreted into a library, a stand-alone executable file, etc.), and executed by the local machine.

[0087] Although one aspect has been described with reference to specific exemplary aspects, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made to these aspects without departing from the broader scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings should be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Therefore, this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the various aspects is limited solely by the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A device for wireless communication, comprising: One or more processors, wherein in order to configure a management service equipment for measuring a plurality of key performance indicators KPIs in a cellular network having a plurality of network functions NF, the one or more processors are configured to cause the management service equipment to: retrieving a plurality of performance measurements associated with cells of a radio access network RAN ​​within the cellular network; generating a KPI of the plurality of KPIs associated with the cell based on the plurality of performance measurement values, wherein the plurality of performance measurement values ​​are related to one or more of: a number of handover failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval, a number of radio resource control RRC connection setup failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval, and a number of random access channel RACH procedure failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval; and encoding the KPI for transmission, The KPI is used to predict potential RAN problems in advance and generate navigation information for avoiding driving to areas that will experience the potential RAN problems.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to cause the management service equipment to: The plurality of performance measurements are retrieved from at least one NF of the plurality of NFs.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The generated KPI is a RAN condition KPI associated with a condition of RAN delay of the cell.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to cause the management service equipment to: retrieving alarm information or configuration information associated with a communication condition of the cell; as well as The KPI of the plurality of KPIs associated with the cell is generated further based on the alarm information or the configuration information.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein: The alarm information is a cell overload alarm, the cell overload alarm indicating that the cell is associated with more than a threshold number of active user equipment (UE) devices.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The RAN condition KPI is an integer indicating at least one of the following communication conditions of the cell: a normal cell, a deserving cell, a capacity limitation indicating an overloaded cell, and a capability limitation indicating that the cell does not support a delay requirement.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising transceiver circuitry coupled to the one or more processors and one or more antennas coupled to the transceiver circuitry, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the management service equipment to: decoding navigation information received from an autonomous driving navigation application, the navigation information indicating a planned navigation route through the cell and at least one neighboring cell; determining the KPI in response to the received navigation information; as well as The KPI is encoded for transmission to the autonomous driving navigation application, and the autonomous driving navigation application is configured to modify the planned navigation route based on the KPI.

8. A non-transitory memory medium for operating a network node, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by one or more processors of the network node to: retrieving a plurality of performance measurements associated with a cell of a radio access network RAN ​​within a cellular network; A key performance indicator KPI associated with the cell is generated based on the plurality of performance measurements, wherein: The plurality of performance measurement values ​​include one or more of the following: a number of handover failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval, a number of radio resource control RRC connection setup failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval, and a number of random access channel RACH procedure failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval; as well as encoding the KPI for transmission, The KPI is used to predict potential RAN problems in advance and generate navigation information for avoiding driving to areas that will experience the potential RAN problems.

9. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to: The plurality of performance measurements are retrieved from at least one NF of the plurality of NFs.

10. The non-transitory memory medium according to claim 8, wherein: The generated KPI is a RAN condition KPI associated with a condition of RAN delay of the cell.

11. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to: retrieving alarm information or configuration information associated with a communication condition of the cell; and The KPI of the plurality of KPIs associated with the cell is generated further based on the alarm information or the configuration information.

12. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein: The alarm information is a cell overload alarm, the cell overload alarm indicating that the cell is associated with more than a threshold number of active user equipment (UE) devices.

13. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 8, wherein the RAN condition KPI is an integer indicating at least one of the following communication conditions of the cell: a normal cell, a decommissioned cell, a capacity limitation indicating an overloaded cell, and a capability limitation indicating that the cell does not support a delay requirement.

14. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to: decoding navigation information received from an autonomous driving navigation application, the navigation information indicating a planned navigation route through the cell and at least one neighboring cell; determining the KPI in response to the received navigation information; as well as The KPI is encoded for transmission to the autonomous driving navigation application, and the autonomous driving navigation application is configured to modify the planned navigation route based on the KPI.

15. A method for operating a network node, comprising: Through the network nodes: retrieving a plurality of performance measurements associated with a cell of a radio access network RAN ​​within a cellular network; generating a key performance indicator KPI associated with the cell based on the multiple performance measurement values, wherein the multiple performance measurement values ​​include one or more of the following items: a number of handover failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval, a number of radio resource control RRC connection setup failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval, and a number of random access channel RACH procedure failures experienced in the cell in a predetermined duration time interval; and encoding the KPI for transmission, The KPI is used to predict potential RAN problems in advance and generate navigation information for avoiding driving to areas that will experience the potential RAN problems.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: The plurality of performance measurements are retrieved from at least one NF of the plurality of NFs.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The generated KPI is a RAN condition KPI associated with a condition of RAN delay of the cell.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: retrieving alarm information or configuration information associated with a communication condition of the cell; as well as The KPI of the plurality of KPIs associated with the cell is generated further based on the alarm information or the configuration information.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The alarm information is a cell overload alarm, the cell overload alarm indicating that the cell is associated with more than a threshold number of active user equipment (UE) devices.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the RAN condition KPI is an integer indicating at least one of the following communication conditions of the cell: a normal cell, a deserving cell, a capacity limitation indicating an overloaded cell, and a capability limitation indicating that the cell does not support a delay requirement.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising: decoding navigation information received from an autonomous driving navigation application, the navigation information indicating a planned navigation route through the cell and at least one neighboring cell; determining the KPI in response to the received navigation information; as well as The KPI is encoded for transmission to the autonomous driving navigation application, and the autonomous driving navigation application is configured to modify the planned navigation route based on the KPI.

22. A computer program product for operating a network node, wherein the computer program product comprises program instructions executable by one or more processors of the network node to implement the method according to any one of claims 15-21.

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