Communication device

Abstract

The communication device that constitutes the first base station provided on the fronthaul has: a control unit that determines a parameter used in the determination of the reception timing of data to be performed in an intermediate device provided on the fronthaul; and a transmission unit that transmits the parameter to the intermediate device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device corresponding to a fronthaul interface. Background Art

[0002] For the purpose of promoting the openness and intelligence of the radio access network (RAN) in the 5G era, the O-RAN Alliance has been established. Currently, a large number of operators / suppliers have joined and are having discussions.

[0003] In O-RAN, various architectures have been discussed. As one of them, an "open fronthaul (FH) interface" for realizing the interconnection between the baseband processing unit and the radio unit of different suppliers has been discussed.

[0004] Specifically, in O-RAN, as a functional group for performing layer 2 functions, baseband signal processing, and radio signal processing, the O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) and the O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU) have been defined and discussed as an interface between the O-DU and the O-RU.

[0005] The O-DU is a logical node that mainly hosts the Radio Link Control layer (RLC), the Medium Access Control layer (MAC), and the PHY-High layer based on lower layer functions. The O-RU is a logical node that mainly hosts the PHY-Low layer and RF processing based on the segmentation of lower layer functions.

[0006] In O-RAN, since there is a function sharing point of the O-DU / O-RU in the physical (PHY) layer, strict timing accuracy is required. Therefore, FH delay management has been carried out. As this method, a transmission window and a reception window (Non-Patent Document 1) have been used.

[0007] In addition, in the current O-RAN FH standard, it is premised on a cell deployment method where one O-RU configures one cell. On the other hand, there is also a cell deployment method where one cell is configured by multiple O-RUs, and an extension of the standard for this content has been studied. Specifically, the configuration using a device that bundles O-RUs (FHM: Fronthaul Multiplexing) (FHM configuration) and the configuration that continuously connects O-RUs (cascade configuration) have been studied. These are collectively referred to as Shared Cell. In addition, in the following description, FHM and the intervening O-RUs (cascade O-RUs) are collectively referred to as intermediate devices (temporary name).

[0008] Prior Art Documents

[0009] Non-Patent Documents

[0010] Non-Patent Document 1: "ORAN-WG4.CUS.0-v02.00", O-RAN Fronthaul Working Group, Control, User and Synchronization Plane Specification, O-RAN Alliance, August 2019 Summary of the Invention

[0011] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0012] However, in the configuration of the Shared Cell as described above, the FH delays such as O-DU to intermediate device, intermediate device to intermediate device, and intermediate device to O-RU vary depending on the installation position of the intermediate device.

[0013] However, there is no mechanism to determine whether the installation position of the intermediate device is appropriate, and it is difficult to optimize the FH including the intermediate device.

[0014] The present invention has been completed in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a communication device that can determine whether the installation position of an intermediate device is appropriate even when a Shared Cell configuration in a fronthaul (FH) interface is applied.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication device that constitutes a first base station provided on a fronthaul. The communication device includes: a control unit that determines a parameter used in determining the reception timing of data performed in an intermediate device provided on the fronthaul; and a transmission unit that transmits the parameter to the intermediate device.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication device that constitutes an intermediate device provided on a fronthaul. The communication device includes: a control unit that executes control for determining a reception timing of data in the intermediate device; and a reception unit that receives parameters used in the determination of the reception timing from a first base station provided on the fronthaul. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a wireless communication system 10 according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an internal structure example of a gNB 100 adopting a fronthaul (FH) interface according to an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3A is a diagram showing a structural example of a fronthaul (no intermediate device) according to an embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3B is a diagram showing a structural example of a fronthaul (with an intermediate device, FHM configuration) according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3C is a diagram showing a structural example of a fronthaul (with an intermediate device, cascade configuration) according to an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 is a diagram showing various signals in a fronthaul between an O-DU 110 and an O-RU 120 according to an embodiment.

[0023] Figure 5 is a functional block configuration diagram of an O-DU 110 according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 is a functional block configuration diagram of an intermediate device 130 according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of fronthaul delay management in UL according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of fronthaul delay management in DL according to an embodiment.

[0027] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a counter according to an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 10 is a diagram showing a wireless communication method according to an embodiment.

[0029] Figure 11It is a diagram showing a delay management example of the fronthaul in the UL related to Modification Example 1.

[0030] Figure 12 It is a diagram showing a delay management example of the fronthaul in the DL related to Modification Example 1.

[0031] Figure 13 It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of the O-DU 110 and the intermediate device 130. Detailed implementation

[0032] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described based on the drawings. In addition, the same or similar reference numerals are given to the same functions and structures, and their descriptions are appropriately omitted.

[0033] [Embodiment]

[0034] (1) Overall schematic structure of the wireless communication system

[0035] Figure 1 It is an overall schematic structure diagram of the wireless communication system 10 according to this embodiment. In the embodiment, the wireless communication system 10 is a wireless communication system based on 5G New Radio (NR), including a Next Generation-Radio Access Network 20 (hereinafter referred to as NG-RAN 20), and a User Equipment 200 (hereinafter, referred to as UE 200).

[0036] NG-RAN 20 includes a radio base station 100 (hereinafter referred to as gNB 100). In addition, the specific structure of the wireless communication system 10 including the number of gNBs and UEs is not limited to Figure 1 the example shown.

[0037] NG-RAN 20 actually includes a plurality of NG-RAN nodes, specifically, includes a plurality of gNBs (or ng-eNBs), and is connected to a 4G-based core network (Evolved Packet Core, not shown) or a 5G-based core network (5GC, not shown). In addition, NG-RAN 20 and 5GC can be simply expressed as "network".

[0038] The gNB 100 is a 5G-based radio base station that performs 5G-based radio communication with the UE 200. The gNB 100 and the UE 200 can support Massive MIMO that generates beams with higher directivity by controlling radio signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements, carrier aggregation (CA) that bundles multiple component carriers (CCs), and dual connectivity (DC) that enables simultaneous communication between the UE and two NG-RAN Nodes, etc.

[0039] In addition, in the embodiment, the gNB 100 adopts the fronthaul (FH) interface specified by O-RAN.

[0040] (2) Structure of the fronthaul (Fronthaul: forward backhaul)

[0041] Figure 2 An example of the internal structure of the gNB 100 adopting the fronthaul (FH) interface is shown. As Figure 2 shown, the gNB 100 includes an O-DU 110 (O-RAN Distributed Unit) and an O-RU 120 (O-RAN Radio Unit). The O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120 are functionally split within the physical (PHY) layer specified by 3GPP.

[0042] The O-DU 110 can also be referred to as the O-RAN distributed unit. The O-DU 110 is a logical node that mainly hosts the radio link control layer (RLC), the media access control layer (MAC), and the PHY-High layer based on lower layer functions. Here, the O-DU 110 is arranged closer to the NG-RAN 20 side relative to the O-RU 120. Hereinafter, the side closer to the NG-RAN 20 may be referred to as the RAN side.

[0043] The O-RU 120 can also be referred to as the O-RAN radio unit. The O-RU 120 is a logical node that mainly hosts the PHY-Low layer and RF processing based on the split of lower layer functions. Here, the O-RU is arranged farther from the NG-RAN 20 side relative to the O-DU 110. Hereinafter, the side farther from the NG-RAN 20 may be referred to as the air side.

[0044] The PHY-High layer is the part of the PHY processing in the O-DU 110 side for forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling, modulation / demodulation, etc. of the fronthaul interface.

[0045] The PHY-Low layer is the part of PHY processing in the O-RU 120 side, including Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) / iFFT, digital beamforming, extraction of Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), filtering, etc., and the fronthaul interface.

[0046] O-CU is short for O-RAN Control Unit, which is a logical node that hosts Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and other control functions.

[0047] In addition, the fronthaul (FH) can be interpreted as the line between the baseband processing unit of a radio base station (base station device) and the radio device, and optical fibers, etc. can be used.

[0048] (3) Shared Cell configuration

[0049] As described above, in O-RAN, there is also a cell deployment method of configuring one cell through multiple O-RUs. The configurations using a device (FHM: Fronthaul Multiplexing) that bundles O-RUs and the configuration of continuously connecting O-RUs (cascade configuration) are being studied. These are collectively referred to as Shared Cell.

[0050] Figures 3A to 3C Shows a structural example of the fronthaul. Figure 3A Is an example of configuring one cell through 1 O-RU. In contrast, Figure 3B and Figure 3C Show examples of Shared Cell configurations.

[0051] Specifically, Figure 3B Shows a structural example using the FHM 130. In addition, Figure 3C Shows an example of cascade connection with the O-RU 130A interposed between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120.

[0052] In Figure 3BIn this case, the FHM 130 combines two FH signals from each O-RU 120 and then sends them to the O-DU 110. In this case, the O-DU 110 is an example of a first base station located closer to the RAN side than the FHM 130, and the O-RU 120 is an example of a second base station located closer to the air side than the FHM 130.

[0053] In addition, in Figure 3C this case, the O-RU 130A combines the signal received by the O-RU 130A (O-RU(1)) itself in the radio section with the FH signal received from the O-RU 120 (O-RU(2)) and then sends it to the O-DU 110. In this case, the O-DU 110 is an example of a first base station located closer to the RAN side than the FHM 130, and the O-RU 120 (O-RU(2)) is an example of a second base station located closer to the air side than the FHM 130.

[0054] In addition, in the following description, the FHM 130 and the O-RU 130A are collectively referred to as the intermediate device 130. However, the name of the intermediate device can also be called by other names. The intermediate device 130 is located closer to the air side than the O-DU 110 that constitutes the first base station and closer to the RAN side than the O-RU 120 that constitutes the second base station.

[0055] As a feature of this Shared Cell configuration, for the downlink (DL), the intermediate device 130 forwards the DL signal received from the O-DU 110 (the first base station) to the O-RU 120 (the second base station). In addition, in the case of cascaded connection of O-RUs, the intermediate device 130 can send its own DL signal.

[0056] In addition, for the uplink (UL), the intermediate device 130 combines the UL signals received from the O-RU 120 (the second base station) and forwards them to the O-DU 110 (the first base station). In addition, in the case of cascaded connection of O-RUs, the radio signals received by the O-RU itself are also combined.

[0057] With this feature, the O-DU 110 can perform signal processing as if it were connected to one O-RU.

[0058] (4) Various signals between the O-DU and the O-RU

[0059] Figure 4 Shows various signals in the fronthaul (FH) between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120. As Figure 4As shown, signals in multiple planes are transmitted and received between O-DU 110 and O-RU 120.

[0060] Specifically, signals in the U / C / M / S-plane are transmitted and received. The C-Plane is a protocol for forwarding control signals, the U-Plane is a protocol for forwarding user data. In addition, the S-Plane is a protocol for implementing synchronization between devices. The M-Plane is a management plane for processing maintenance and monitoring signals.

[0061] More specifically, the U-Plane signals include the (DL) signals sent by O-RU 120 to the radio section, the (UL) signals received through the radio section, and are interacted through digital IQ signals. Additionally, it should be noted that in addition to the so-called U-Plane signals (data such as User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)), from the FH perspective, the C-Plane (RRC, Non-Access Stratum (NAS), etc.) defined in 3GPP also all become part of the U-Plane.

[0062] The C-Plane signals include various control signals required for the transmission and reception of U-Plane signals (signals for notifying information related to radio resource mapping and beamforming of the corresponding U-Plane). Additionally, it should be noted that these are signals completely different from the C-Plane (RRC, NAS, etc.) defined in 3GPP.

[0063] The M-Plane signals include signals required for the management of O-DU 110 / O-RU 120. For example, they are signals for notifying various hardware (HW) capabilities of O-RU 120 from O-RU 120, or for notifying various setting values from O-DU 110 to O-RU 120.

[0064] The S-Plane signals are signals required for synchronization control between O-DU 110 / O-RU 120.

[0065] (5) Functional block structure of the wireless communication system

[0066] Next, the functional block structure of the wireless communication system 10 will be described. Specifically, the functional block structures of O-DU 110 and the intermediate device 130 will be described.

[0067] (5.1) O-DU 110

[0068] Figure 5 This is the functional block structure diagram of the O-DU 110. As Figure 5 shown, the O-DU 110 includes a communication unit 111, an acquisition unit 113, a notification unit 115, and a control unit 117.

[0069] The communication unit 111 performs communication with the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130. Specifically, the communication unit 111 is connected to the FH line and can transmit and receive Figure 4 the signals of various planes described above.

[0070] The acquisition unit 113 acquires various parameters. For example, the acquisition unit 113 can acquire the following parameters for the UL signal.

[0071] The parameters may include parameters (Ta4_min, Ta4_max) that define the reception window (Reception window (UL)) of the O-DU 110. The parameters (Ta4_min, Ta4_max) can be interpreted as the measurement results from the reception in the O-RU antenna to the reception in the O-DU port (R4). The parameters (Ta4_min, Ta4_max) can be measured by the delay measurement message (Measured Transport Method).

[0072] The parameters may include parameters (Ta3_min, Ta3_max) that define the transmission window (Transmission window (UL)) of the O-RU 120. The parameters (Ta3_min, Ta3_max) can be interpreted as the measurement results from the reception in the O-RU antenna to the output in the O-RU port (R3). The parameters (Ta3_min, Ta3_max) are an example of the capability information of the O-RU 120. The parameters (Ta3_min, Ta3_max) can be received from the O-RU 120.

[0073] The parameters may include a parameter (T34_min) that represents the difference between Ta4_min and Ta3_min. The parameters may also include a parameter (T34_max) that represents the difference between Ta4_max and Ta3_max.

[0074] For the parameter, a parameter indicating the processing time of the intermediate device 130 (e.g., T_Comb) can be obtained. The parameter (e.g., T_Comb) can be received from the intermediate device 130. The processing time within the intermediate device 130 can be interpreted as the time within the intermediate device 130 required to combine the FH signals received from the plurality of O-RUs 120. The processing time can be the time obtained by adding a certain margin, etc. to the time required for the combination itself. The processing time can be called by other names, such as operation time, internal delay, processing delay, combination time, etc.

[0075] For the parameter, a parameter indicating the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and the O-DU 110 (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH1_max) can be obtained. The parameter (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH1_max) can be measured or calculated by the O-DU 110 based on the UL signal. Hereinafter, the FH between the intermediate device 130 and the O-DU 110 is referred to as FH1.

[0076] For the parameter, a parameter indicating the delay time between the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130 (e.g., T_FH2_min, T_FH2_max) can be obtained. The parameter (e.g., T_FH2_min, T_FH2_max) can be measured or calculated by the intermediate device 130 based on the UL signal. The parameter (e.g., T_FH2_min, T_FH2_max) can be received from the intermediate device 130. Hereinafter, the FH between the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130 is referred to as FH2.

[0077] The acquisition unit 113 can acquire the following parameters for the DL signal.

[0078] The parameter can include parameters (Ta1_min, Ta1_max) defining the transmission window (Transmission window (DL)) of the O-DU 110. The parameters (Ta1_min, Ta1_max) can be interpreted as the measurement results from the output in the O-DU port (R1) to the wireless transmission. The parameters (Ta1_min, Ta1_max) can be measured by the delay measurement message (MeasuredTransport Method).

[0079] The parameters may include parameters (Ta2_min, Ta2_max) for defining the reception window (Reception window (DL)) of the O-RU 120. The parameters (Ta2_min, Ta2_max) may be interpreted as the measurement results from the reception at the O-RU port (R2) until the wireless transmission. The parameters (Ta2_min, Ta2_max) are an example of the capability information of the O-RU 120. The parameters (Ta2_min, Ta2_max) can be received from the O-RU 120.

[0080] The parameters may include a parameter (T12_min) representing the difference between Ta1_min and Ta2_min. The parameters may include a parameter (T12_max) representing the difference between Ta1_max and Ta2_max.

[0081] For the parameters, a parameter (e.g., T_Copy) representing the processing time of the intermediate device 130 can be obtained. The parameter (e.g., T_Copy) can be received from the intermediate device 130. The processing time in the intermediate device 130 can be interpreted as the time inside the intermediate device 130 required to copy the FH signal transmitted to multiple O-RUs 120 in the intermediate device 130. The processing time can be the time obtained by adding a certain margin, etc. to the time required for the copying itself. The processing time can be called by other names, such as operation time, internal delay, processing delay, copy time, etc.

[0082] For the parameters, a parameter (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH1_max) representing the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and the O-DU 110 can be obtained. The parameters (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH1_max) can be measured or calculated by the intermediate device 130 based on the DL signal. The parameters (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH1_max) can be received from the intermediate device 130.

[0083] For the parameters, a parameter (e.g., T_FH2_min, T_FH2_max) representing the delay time between the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130 can be obtained. The parameters (e.g., T_FH2_min, T_FH2_max) can be measured or calculated by the O-RU 120 based on the DL signal. The parameters (e.g., T_FH2_min, T_FH2_max) can be received from the O-RU 120.

[0084] In addition, min, max can represent the minimum and maximum values of the propagation delay. Furthermore, the propagation delay can also be called by other names, such as transmission delay, transmission time, delay time, forwarding delay, delay, etc.

[0085] The notification unit 115 notifies each piece of information. For example, the notification unit 115 notifies the intermediate device 130 of parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130. As described below, the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) are determined according to the processing time (e.g., T_Comb, T_Copy) within the intermediate device 130. In the embodiment, the notification unit 115 constitutes a transmission unit that sends parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) to the intermediate device 130.

[0086] The control unit 117 controls the values of various parameters used on the FH. In particular, in the embodiment, the control unit 117 controls the values related to the propagation delay between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120 (including the case where the intermediate device 130 is involved).

[0087] For example, for the UL signal, the control unit 117 can determine the reception window (Ta4_min, Ta4_max) applied to the O-DU 110 itself according to the propagation delay (T34_min, T34_max) between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120. Similarly, for the DL signal, the control unit 117 can determine the transmission window (Ta1_min, Ta1_max) applied to the O-DU 110 itself according to the DL propagation delay (T12_min, T12_max) between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120.

[0088] In the embodiment, the control unit 117 constitutes a control unit that determines parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130. The control unit 117 can determine the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) according to the processing time (e.g., T_Comb, T_Copy) within the intermediate device 130. The control unit 117 can determine the parameters according to the capability information of the O-RU 120. The control unit 117 can determine the parameters according to the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and the O-DU 110. The control unit 117 can determine the parameters according to the delay time between the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130.

[0089] For example, as Figure 7 shown, the control unit 117 can determine the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) for the UL signal according to the following mathematical formula.

[0090] TH_min = Ta3_min + T_FH2_min

[0091] TH_max = Ta4_max - T_FH1_max - T_Comb

[0092] Among them, Ta3_min is an example of the capability information of O-RU 120. T_FH2_min is the minimum value of the delay time between O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130. Ta4_max is the sum of Ta3_max and T34_max. Ta3_max is an example of the capability information of O-RU 120. T34_max is the maximum value of the propagation delay related to the UL signal between O-DU 110 and O-RU 120. T_FH1_max is the maximum value of the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and O-DU 110. T_Comb is the processing time of the intermediate device 130.

[0093] As Figure 7 shown, it can be considered that the parameters (TH_min, TH_max) are the parameters that define the reception window of the intermediate device 130 related to the UL signal. It can also be considered that the parameters (TH_min, TH_max) are the thresholds for determining the reception timing of the UL signal.

[0094] In addition, regarding TH_min, Ta3_min can be used without considering T_FH2_min (i.e., TH_min = Ta3_min).

[0095] In addition, the formulas for calculating TH_min and TH_max are not limited to the above formulas. The formulas for calculating TH_min and TH_max can be replaced within the range that satisfies the Figure 7 relationship shown. In this case, in the formulas for calculating TH_min and TH_max, the minimum value of the propagation delay (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH2_min) can be not considered. In other words, the minimum value of the delay time (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH2_min) can be set to zero.

[0096] Similarly, as Figure 8 shown, the control unit 117 can determine the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) for the DL signal according to the following formulas.

[0097] TH_min = Ta1_max - T_FH1_min (= T2a_max + T_FH2_min + T_copy)

[0098] TH_max = Ta1_min - T_FH1_max (= T2a_min + T_FH2_max + T_copy)

[0099] Among them, Ta1_max is the sum of Ta2_max and T12_min. Ta2_max is an example of the capability information of O-RU 120. T12_min is the minimum value of the propagation delay related to the DL signal between O-DU 110 and O-RU 120 (i.e., T_FH1_min + T_Copy + T_FH2_min). T_FH1_min is the minimum value of the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and O-DU 110. Ta1_min is the sum of Ta2_min and T12_max. Ta2_min is an example of the capability information of O-RU 120. T12_max is the maximum value of the propagation delay related to the DL signal between O-DU 110 and O-RU 120 (i.e., T_FH1_max + T_Copy + T_FH2_max). FH2_max is the maximum value of the delay time between O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130. T_Copy is the processing time of the intermediate device 130.

[0100] As Figure 8 shown, it can be considered that the parameters (TH_min, TH_max) are the parameters that define the reception window of the intermediate device 130 related to the UL signal. It can also be considered that the parameters (TH_min, TH_max) are the thresholds for determining the reception timing of the DL signal.

[0101] In addition, regarding TH_max, Ta1_max can be used without considering T_FH1_min (i.e., TH_min = Ta3_min).

[0102] In addition, the formulas for calculating TH_min and TH_max are not limited to the above formulas. The formulas for calculating TH_min and TH_max can be replaced within the range that satisfies Figure 8 the relationship shown. In this case, in the formulas for calculating TH_min and TH_max, the minimum value of the propagation delay (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH2_min) can be not considered. In other words, the minimum value of the propagation delay (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH2_min) can be set to zero.

[0103] (5.2) Intermediate device 130

[0104] Figure 6 is the functional block structure diagram of the intermediate device 130. As Figure 6 shown, the intermediate device 130 is provided on the FH and has a communication unit 131, a notification unit 133, an acquisition unit 135, and a control unit 137.

[0105] The communication unit 131 performs communication with the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120. Specifically, the communication unit 131 is connected to the FH line and can transmit and receive Figure 4 signals of various planes shown.

[0106] The notification unit 133 notifies each piece of information. For example, the notification unit 133 notifies the O-DU 110 of parameters (e.g., T_Comb, T_Copy) indicating the processing time of the intermediate device 130.

[0107] The acquisition unit 135 acquires various parameters. For example, the acquisition unit 135 acquires parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130. In the embodiment, the acquisition unit 135 constitutes a reception unit that receives parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) from the O-DU 110.

[0108] The control unit 137 constitutes a control unit that executes control for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130. Specifically, the control unit 137 executes control for determining the reception timing of data based on the parameters (TH_min, TH_max) received from the O-DU 110. For example, the control unit 137 can determine whether data is received at a timing earlier than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_min) based on the parameter (TH_min) received from the O-DU 110. The control unit 137 can determine whether data is received at a timing later than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_max) based on the parameter (TH_max) received from the O-DU 110.

[0109] Here, the control unit 137 may have Figure 9 the counters (Performance counter(s)) shown. For example, the control unit 137 may have a counter (e.g., Rx_on_time_for_shared_cell) that counts the number of times data is received at an appropriate timing. The appropriate timing is later than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_min) and earlier than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_max). The control unit 137 may have a counter (Rx_early_for_shared_cell) that counts the number of times data is received at a timing earlier than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_min). The control unit 137 may also have a counter (Rx_late_for_shared_cell) that counts the number of times data is received at a timing later than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_max).

[0110] However, Figure 9The name and meaning of the shown counter can be arbitrary. For example, the names (Rx_on_time, Rx_early, Rx_late, etc.) of the counters (Performance counter(s)) defined in ORAN-WG4.CUS.0-v02.00 can be used. The counted value obtained in this way is used to determine whether the setting position of the intermediate device 130 is appropriate. For example, a communication carrier can change the setting position of the intermediate device 130 according to the counted value.

[0111] In addition, when the intermediate device 130 also functions as an O-RAN, the intermediate device 130 can have both a counter used as the intermediate device 130 and a counter used as an O-RAN. The counter used as an O-RAN can be a counter (Performance counter(s)) defined in ORAN-WG4.CUS.0-v02.00.

[0112] (6) Operation of the wireless communication system

[0113] Next, the operation of the wireless communication system 10 will be described. Specifically, the operation between the O-DU 110 to the O-RU 120 (including the intermediate device 130) that constitute the gNB 100 will be described.

[0114] As Figure 10 shown, in step S10, the O-DU 110 receives parameters (e.g., T_Comb, T_Copy) representing the processing time of the intermediate device 130 from the intermediate device 130. The O-DU 110 may also receive parameters (e.g., T_FH1_min, T_FH1_max) representing the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and the O-DU 110.

[0115] In step S11, the O-DU 110 receives parameters (e.g., T3a_min, T3a_max, T2a_min, T2a_max) representing the capability information of the O-RU 120. The O-DU 110 may receive parameters (e.g., T_FH2_min, T_FH2_max) representing the delay time between the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130.

[0116] In step S12, the O-DU 110 determines parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130. The O-DU 110 can determine the parameters according to the processing time of the intermediate device 130. The O-DU 110 can also determine the parameters according to the capability information of the O-RU 120. The O-DU 110 can determine the parameters according to the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and the O-DU 110. The O-DU 110 can also determine the parameters according to the delay time between the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130.

[0117] In step S13, the O-DU 110 sends the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) determined in step S12 to the intermediate device 130.

[0118] In step S14, the intermediate device 130 determines the reception timing of data according to the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) received in step S13. For example, as described in Figure 9 , the intermediate device 130 can count the number of times data is received at an appropriate timing. The intermediate device 130 can count the number of times data is received at a timing earlier than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_min). The intermediate device 130 can also count the number of times data is received at a timing later than the timing defined by the parameter (TH_max).

[0119] (7) Function and effect

[0120] In the embodiment, the O-DU 110 can determine parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130 and send the determined parameters to the intermediate device 130. According to this structure, the reception timing of data can be appropriately determined in the intermediate device 130. Furthermore, it is possible to determine whether the installation position of the intermediate device 130 is appropriate.

[0121] In the embodiment, the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max) can be determined according to the processing time of the intermediate device 130. According to this structure, appropriate parameters can be set as the parameters for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130.

[0122] In the embodiment, for the parameters (e.g., TH_min, TH_max), they can be determined according to the capability information of the O-RU 120, or can be determined according to the delay time between the intermediate device 130 and the O-DU 110, or can be determined by the O-DU 110 according to the delay time between the O-RU 120 and the intermediate device 130. According to this structure, more appropriate parameters can be set.

[0123] In an embodiment, by introducing a new mechanism for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130 (for example, Figure 9 the counter shown), it is possible to determine whether the installation position of the intermediate device 130 is appropriate.

[0124] [Modification Example 1]

[0125] A modification example 1 of the embodiment will be described below. The differences from the embodiment will be mainly described below.

[0126] In the embodiment, the case where one O-RU 120 is provided on the air side of the intermediate device 130 is illustrated. In contrast, in modification example 1, the case where two or more O-RUs 120 are provided on the air side of the intermediate device 130 will be described. For the DL signal, it can be considered in the same way as the UL signal, so the UL signal will be taken as an example for description here.

[0127] As Figure 11 shown, O-RU 120X and O-RU 120Y are provided on the air side of the intermediate device 130. Here, the FH between the O-DU 110 and the intermediate device 130 is called FH1, the FH between the intermediate device 130 and the O-RU 120X is called FH2-1, and the FH between the intermediate device 130 and the O-RU 120Y is called FH2-2. In Figure 11 an example, the propagation delay of FH2-1 is greater than the propagation delay of FH2-2.

[0128] In such a case, similar to the embodiment, the O-DU 110 determines parameters (for example, TH_min, TH_max) for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device 130.

[0129] Here, the O-DU 110 may determine TH_min based on the O-RU 120Y with a smaller propagation delay. The O-DU110 may also determine TH_max based on the O-RU 120X with a larger propagation delay. Therefore, TH_min and TH_max can be expressed by the following equations.

[0130] TH_min = Ta3_min(O-RU 120Y) + T_FH2-2_min

[0131] TH_max = Ta4_max - T_FH1_max - T_Comb

[0132] Here, Ta4_max is the sum of Ta3_max (O-RU 120X) and T34_max (O-RU 120X). T34_max (O-RU 120X) is the sum of T_FH2-1max, T_Comb (O-RU 120X), and T_FH1_max.

[0133] In addition, regarding the case where three or more O-RUs 120 are provided on the air side of the intermediate device 130, the idea of Modification Example 1 can also be applied. That is, TH_min is determined based on the O-RU 120 with the minimum propagation delay, and TH_max is determined based on the O-RU 120 with the maximum propagation delay.

[0134] [Modification Example 2]

[0135] The following describes Modification Example 2 of the embodiment. The following mainly describes the differences from the embodiment.

[0136] In the embodiment, the case where one intermediate device 130 is provided between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120 is illustrated. In contrast, in Modification Example 2, the case where two or more intermediate devices 130 are provided in series between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120 is illustrated. For the DL signal, it can be considered in the same way as the UL signal, so the UL signal is taken as an example for description here.

[0137] As Figure 12 shown, an intermediate device 130P and an intermediate device 130Q are provided in series between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120. Here, the FH between the O-DU 110 and the intermediate device 130P is called FH1, the FH between the intermediate device 130P and the intermediate device 130Q is called FH2, and the FH between the intermediate device 130Q and the O-RU120X is called FH3.

[0138] In this case, the O-DU 110 determines parameters (TH_min and TH_max) for the intermediate device 130P and the intermediate device 130Q, respectively. The parameters used in the intermediate device 130P are called TH(p)_min and TH(p)_max, and the parameters used in the intermediate device 130Q are called TH(q)_min and TH(q)_max. For example, these parameters can be represented by the following mathematical expressions shown Figure 12 as follows.

[0139] TH(p)_min = Ta3_min + T_FH3_min + T_Comb (intermediate device 130Q) + T_FH2_min

[0140] TH(p)_max = Ta4_max - T_FH1_max - T_Comb(Intermediate device 130P)

[0141] TH(q)_min = Ta3_min + T_FH3_min

[0142] TH(p)_max = Ta4_max - T_FH1_max - T_Comb(Intermediate device 130P) - T_FH2_max - T_Comb(Intermediate device 130Q)

[0143] In addition, for the case where three or more intermediate devices 130 are provided between the O-DU 110 and the O-RU 120, the idea of Modification 2 can also be applied.

[0144] [Other embodiments]

[0145] As described above, the content of the present invention has been described along with the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions and can be variously modified and improved, which is obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0146] For example, in the above-described embodiment, TH_min and TH_max are used as the names of the parameters for determining the reception timing in the intermediate device 130. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, TH_min can be referred to as the start timing of the reception window of the intermediate device 130, or can be referred to as the parameter defining the start timing. Similarly, TH_max can be referred to as the end timing of the reception window of the intermediate device 130, or can be referred to as the parameter defining the end timing. Regarding the term such as the reception window of the intermediate device 130, when two or more O-RA130s are provided on the air side of the intermediate device 130, it can be referred to as the waiting time of the intermediate device 130.

[0147] In the above-described embodiment, TH_min and TH_max are notified from the O-DU 110 to the intermediate device 130 as the parameters for determining the reception timing. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, for information known to the intermediate device 130 (e.g., max-T_Comb), it may not be notified. For example, when taking TH_max as an example, in the case where "Ta4_max - T_FH1_max" has already been notified to the intermediate device 130, by omitting the notification of "max-T_Comb", the signaling amount from the O-DU110 to the intermediate device 130 can be reduced.

[0148] In the above-described embodiment, as Figure 3B and Figure 3CAs shown, as the intermediate device 130, an example of applying FHM or O-RU (cascade connection) is separately illustrated. However, on the same FH, FHM and O-RU based on cascade connection can also be compositely configured.

[0149] In the above-described embodiment, the configuration of the FH according to the O-RAN standard has been described. However, the FH does not necessarily have to be based on the O-RAN standard. For example, at least a part of the O-DU 110, O-RU 120, and intermediate device 130 can be based on the FH standard defined in 3GPP.

[0150] In the description of the above embodiment, the block diagrams ( Figure 5 , 6 ) show blocks in terms of functions. These functional blocks (structural parts) are implemented by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. In addition, there is no particular limitation on the implementation method of each functional block. That is, each functional block can be implemented using a single device physically or logically combined, or two or more physically or logically separated devices can be directly or indirectly (e.g., using wired, wireless, etc.) connected and these multiple devices can be used for implementation. The functional block can also be implemented by combining software with the above single device or the above multiple devices.

[0151] Functionally, it has judgment, decision-making, determination, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, solution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, regarded as, broadcasting, notification, communication, forwarding, configuration, reconfiguration, allocation (allocating, mapping), assignment, etc., but is not limited to these. For example, a functional block (structural part) that enables transmission to function is called a transmitting unit or a transmitter. In short, as described above, there is no particular limitation on the implementation method.

[0152] In addition, the above O-DU 110 and intermediate device 130 (this device) can also function as a computer that processes the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of this device. As Figure 13As shown, the device can also be configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0153] In addition, in the following description, the term "device" can be replaced with "circuit", "equipment (device)", "unit", etc. The hardware structure of the device can be configured to include one or more of the devices shown, or can be configured not to include some of the devices.

[0154] Each functional block of the device (refer to Figure 5 , 6 ) is implemented by any hardware element of the computer device or a combination of such hardware elements.

[0155] In addition, each function in the device is implemented by the following method: a predetermined software (program) is read into hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, so that the processor 1001 performs operations and controls at least one of the communication of the communication device 1004 or the reading and writing of data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0156] The processor 1001, for example, operates an operating system to control the entire computer. The processor 1001 can also be composed of a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, registers, etc.

[0157] In addition, the processor 1001 reads a program (program code), a software module, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and performs various processes accordingly. As the program, a program that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiments is used. In addition, regarding the above various processes, although it is described that the above various processes are executed by one processor 1001, the above various processes can also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 can also be installed on one or more chips. In addition, the program can also be sent from a network via a telecommunication line.

[0158] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium, and can be constituted by at least one of, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 can also be referred to as a register, a cache, a main memory (main storage device), etc. The memory 1002 is capable of storing a program (program code), a software module, etc. that can execute the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0159] The storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and can be constituted by at least one of, for example, an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a floppy disk, a magneto-optical disc (e.g., a compact disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc, a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive (Key drive)), a Floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic stripe, etc. The storage 1003 can also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned recording medium can be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate media including at least one of the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0160] The communication device 1004 is a hardware (transceiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network. For example, it can also be referred to as a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc.

[0161] The communication device 1004 can be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. in order to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD).

[0162] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from the outside (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that performs output to the outside (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.). In addition, the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 can also be integrally formed (e.g., a touch panel).

[0163] In addition, devices such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 are connected via a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 can be constituted by a single bus, or can be constituted by different buses for each device pair.

[0164] In addition, the device can be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., and part or all of the functional blocks can also be implemented by this hardware. For example, the processor 1001 can also be installed using at least one of these hardware components.

[0165] In addition, the notification of information is not limited to the forms / embodiments described in this disclosure, and other methods can also be used. For example, the notification of information can be implemented through physical layer signaling (e.g., downlink control information (DCI), uplink control information (UCI)), high layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, medium access control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (master information block (MIB), system information block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. In addition, RRC signaling can also be referred to as an RRC message. For example, it can also be an RRC connection setup message, an RRC connection reconfiguration message, etc.

[0166] Each form / embodiment described in the present disclosure can also be applied to at least one of Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, the 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), Future Radio Access (FRA), New Radio (NR), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA 2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth (registered trademark), systems using other appropriate systems, and next-generation systems extended therefrom. In addition, multiple systems (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A and 5G, etc.) can be combined and applied.

[0167] For the processing procedures, timings, flows, etc. of each form / embodiment described in the present disclosure, the order can be changed without contradiction. For example, for the methods described in the present disclosure, the illustrated order indicates the elements of various steps, but is not limited to the specific order indicated.

[0168] Specific actions performed by the base station in the present disclosure may be performed by its upper node according to circumstances. In a network composed of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is obvious that various actions performed for communicating with a terminal can be performed by at least one of the base station and other network nodes other than the base station (for example, MME or S-GW is considered, but not limited to these). In the above, the case where there is one other network node other than the base station is illustrated, but the other network nodes may also be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, MME and S-GW).

[0169] Information, signals (such as information) can be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer). It can also be input or output via multiple network nodes.

[0170] The input or output information can be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory), or can be managed using a management table. The input or output information can be rewritten, updated, or appended. The output information can also be deleted. The input information can also be sent to other devices.

[0171] The determination can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), can also be made by a Boolean value (true or false), and can also be made by a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0172] Each form / embodiment described in the present disclosure can be used alone, can be used in combination, or can be switched according to the execution. In addition, the notification of predetermined information is not limited to being performed explicitly (e.g., notification of "it is X"), and can also be performed implicitly (e.g., without notification of the predetermined information).

[0173] For software, regardless of whether it is called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or by other names, it should be broadly interpreted as referring to commands, command sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, processes, functions, etc.

[0174] In addition, software, commands, information, etc. can be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, when software is sent from a web page, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technologies (coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), etc.) and wireless technologies (infrared, microwave, etc.), at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of the transmission medium.

[0175] The information, signals, etc. described in the present disclosure can also be represented using any one of various different technologies. For example, the data, commands, instructions, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be involved in the above description as a whole can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic wave, magnetic field or magnetic particles, optical field or photons, or any combination of these.

[0176] In addition, terms described in this disclosure and terms required to understand this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may also be a signal (signaling). In addition, a signal may also be a message. In addition, a component carrier (CC) may be referred to as a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0177] Terms such as "system" and "network" used in this disclosure may be used interchangeably.

[0178] In addition, information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented by absolute values, may be represented by relative values with respect to a predetermined value, or may also be represented by corresponding other information. For example, radio resources may also be indicated by an index.

[0179] The names used for the above parameters are non - restrictive in any aspect. Furthermore, mathematical expressions using these parameters are sometimes different from the content explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by appropriate names, and thus the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are non - restrictive in any aspect.

[0180] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "radio base station", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNodeB (eNB)", "gNodeB (gNB)", "access point", "transmission point", "reception point", "transmission / reception point", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", "component carrier", etc. may be used interchangeably. Sometimes, a base station is also referred to as a macro cell, a small cell, a femto cell, a pico cell, etc.

[0181] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., 3) cells (also referred to as sectors). When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (Remote Radio Head (RRH))).

[0182] Terms such as "cell" or "sector" refer to a part or the whole of the coverage area of at least one of a base station and a base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage range.

[0183] In the present disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)", "user terminal", "User Equipment (UE)", and "terminal" can be used interchangeably.

[0184] For a mobile station, those skilled in the art sometimes also refer to it using the following terms: subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, radio unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other appropriate terms.

[0185] At least one of the base station and the mobile station can also be referred to as a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. In addition, at least one of the base station and the mobile station can be a device mounted on a moving body, the moving body itself, etc. The moving body can be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), a moving body that moves in an unmanned manner (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (humanoid or non-humanoid). In addition, at least one of the base station and the mobile station also includes a device that does not necessarily move during a communication operation. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device such as a sensor.

[0186] In addition, the base station in the present disclosure can also be replaced by a mobile station (user terminal, the same hereinafter). For example, regarding a structure in which communication between a base station and a mobile station is replaced by communication between multiple mobile stations (e.g., it can also be referred to as D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) system, etc.), various forms / embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied. In this case, it can also be configured such that the mobile station has the functions of the base station. In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced by terms corresponding to inter-terminal communication (e.g., "side"). For example, an uplink channel, a downlink channel, etc. can also be replaced by a side channel.

[0187] Similarly, the mobile station in the present disclosure can be replaced by a base station. In this case, it can be configured such that the base station has the functions of the mobile station.

[0188] A radio frame can be composed of one or more frames in the time domain. In the time domain, each of the one or more frames can be referred to as a subframe.

[0189] A subframe can be composed of one or more time slots in the time domain. The subframe can have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) independent of the numerology.

[0190] The numerology can be communication parameters applied to at least one of transmission and reception of a certain signal or channel. For example, the numerology can represent at least one of subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering processing performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, specific windowing processing performed by the transceiver in the time domain, etc.

[0191] A time slot can be composed of one or more symbols (such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC - FDMA) symbols, etc.) in the time domain. The time slot can be a time unit based on the numerology.

[0192] A time slot can contain multiple mini - slots. Each mini - slot can be composed of one or more symbols in the time domain. In addition, the mini - slot can also be called a sub - slot. The mini - slot can be composed of a smaller number of symbols than the time slot. The PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than the mini - slot can be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. The PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using the mini - slot can be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0193] The radio frame, subframe, time slot, mini - slot, and symbol all represent time units when transmitting signals. The radio frame, subframe, time slot, mini - slot, and symbol can respectively use corresponding other names.

[0194] For example, 1 subframe can be called a transmission time interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes can also be called a TTI, 1 time slot or 1 mini - slot can also be called a TTI. That is, at least one of the subframe and TTI can be the subframe (1 ms) in the existing LTE, or a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1 - 13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. In addition, the unit representing the TTI can be not the subframe, but the time slot, mini - slot, etc.

[0195] Here, the TTI refers to, for example, the minimum time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, the base station performs scheduling to allocate radio resources (such as the bandwidth and transmission power that can be used in each user terminal) to each user terminal in units of TTI. Additionally, the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0196] The TTI can be the transmission time unit for data packets (transport blocks), code blocks, codewords, etc. after channel coding, or can also be the processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. Additionally, when a TTI is given, the actual time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) to which the transport block, code block, codeword, etc. are mapped can be shorter than this TTI.

[0197] Additionally, when 1 time slot or 1 mini time slot is referred to as a TTI, one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more time slots or one or more mini time slots) can constitute the minimum time unit for scheduling. Furthermore, the number of time slots (mini time slots) constituting this minimum time unit for scheduling can be controlled.

[0198] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms is also referred to as a normal TTI (TTI in LTE Rel.8 - 12), normal TTI, long TTI, normal subframe, long subframe, time slot, etc. A TTI shorter than the normal TTI can be called a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, mini time slot, sub - time slot, time slot, etc.

[0199] Additionally, for a long TTI (e.g., normal TTI, subframe, etc.), it can be replaced with a TTI having a time length exceeding 1 ms, and for a short TTI (e.g., shortened TTI, etc.), it can be replaced with a TTI having a length less than that of the long TTI and having a length of 1 ms or more.

[0200] A resource block (RB) is the resource allocation unit in the time domain and frequency domain. In the frequency domain, it can contain one or more consecutive subcarriers. The number of subcarriers contained in an RB can be the same regardless of the parameter set, for example, it can be 12. The number of subcarriers contained in an RB can also be determined according to the parameter set.

[0201] Furthermore, the time domain of an RB can contain one or more symbols and can be the length of 1 time slot, 1 mini time slot, 1 subframe, or 1 TTI. 1 TTI, 1 subframe, etc. can each be composed of one or more resource blocks.

[0202] In addition, one or more RBs may be referred to as Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), Sub-Carrier Groups (SCGs), Resource Element Groups (REGs), PRB pairs, RB pairs, etc.

[0203] Furthermore, a resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, 1 RE may be a radio resource area of 1 sub-carrier and 1 symbol.

[0204] A Bandwidth Part (BWP) (which may also be referred to as partial bandwidth, etc.) represents a subset of consecutive common resource blocks used for a certain parameter set in a certain carrier. Here, the common RBs can be determined by the indices of the RBs based on the common reference point of the carrier. PRBs are defined within a certain BWP and numbered within that BWP.

[0205] A BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL (DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be set for a UE within one carrier.

[0206] At least one of the set BWPs may be active, and it may not be assumed that the UE transceives a predetermined signal / channel outside the active BWP. In addition, terms such as "cell" and "carrier" in the present disclosure may be replaced with "BWP".

[0207] The structures of the above-mentioned radio frames, sub-frames, time slots, mini time slots, symbols, etc. are merely illustrative. For example, the number of sub-frames included in a radio frame, the number of time slots per sub-frame or radio frame, the number of mini time slots included in a time slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a time slot or mini time slot, the number of sub-carriers included in an RB, and the number of symbols, symbol length, Cyclic Prefix (CP) length, etc. within a TTI may be changed in various ways.

[0208] Terms such as "connected" and "coupled", or any variations of these terms, are intended to represent all direct or indirect connections or couplings between two or more elements, and may include cases where there is one or more intermediate elements between the two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements can be a physical coupling or connection, a logical coupling or connection, or a combination of these. For example, "Access" can be used to replace "connected". In the context of the present disclosure, for two elements, it can be considered that they are "connected" or "coupled" to each other by using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and as some non-limiting and non-inclusive examples, by using electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the wireless frequency domain, microwave region, and optical (including both visible and invisible) regions, etc.

[0209] The reference signal can be abbreviated as Reference Signal (RS), or can be called a Pilot according to the applied standard.

[0210] The description "in accordance with" used in the present disclosure does not mean "only in accordance with" unless otherwise explicitly stated. In other words, the meaning of the description "in accordance with" is both "only in accordance with" and "at least in accordance with".

[0211] The "unit" in the structure of each of the above devices can be replaced with "section", "circuit", "device", etc.

[0212] Any reference to elements using terms such as "first" and "second" used in the present disclosure does not entirely limit the quantity and order of these elements. These terms are used in the present disclosure as a simple method for distinguishing between two or more elements. Therefore, the reference to the first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be adopted here, or that the first element must precede the second element in any form.

[0213] When the terms "include", "including", and their variations are used in the present disclosure, these terms mean inclusive in the same way as the term "comprising". And the term "or" used in the present disclosure does not mean exclusive or.

[0214] In the present disclosure, for example, when articles are added through translation such as a, an, and the in English, the present disclosure also includes cases where the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0215] The terms "determining" and "deciding" as used in this disclosure sometimes also cover a variety of actions. For example, "determining" and "deciding" may include treating a matter that has been judged, calculated, computed, processed, derived, investigated, looked up (e.g., looked up in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertained as a matter that has been "determined" or "decided". In addition, "determining" and "deciding" may include treating a matter that has been received (e.g., receiving information), transmitted (e.g., transmitting information), input, output, accessed (e.g., accessing data in a memory), etc. as a matter that has been "determined" or "decided". Further, "determining" and "deciding" may include treating a matter that has been resolved, selected, chosen, established, compared, etc. as a matter that has been "determined" or "decided". That is, "determining" and "deciding" may include a matter that has "determined" or "decided" any action. In addition, "determining (deciding)" may also be replaced by "assuming", "expecting", "considering", etc.

[0216] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may also mean "A and B are different from each other". Additionally, this term may also mean "A and B are each different from C". Terms such as "separating" and "combining" are also interpreted in the same way as "different".

[0217] As described above, this disclosure has been explained in detail. However, for those skilled in the art, it should be clear that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in this disclosure. This disclosure can be implemented in the form of modifications and changes without departing from the gist and scope of this disclosure determined by the claims. Therefore, the purpose of the description of this disclosure is to illustrate and has no restrictive meaning for this disclosure.

[0218] Reference Signs Description:

[0219] 10 Wireless communication system

[0220] 20 NG-RAN

[0221] 100 gNB

[0222] 110 O-DU

[0223] 111 Communication unit

[0224] 113 Acquisition unit

[0225] 115 Parameter control unit

[0226] 117 Parameter notification unit

[0227] 120 O-RU

[0228] 130 Intermediate device (FHM)

[0229] 130A O-RU

[0230] 131 Communication unit

[0231] 133 Processing time notification unit

[0232] 135 Parameter acquisition unit

[0233] 137 Parameter setting unit

[0234] 200 UE

[0235] 1001 Processor

[0236] 1002 Memory

[0237] 1003 Storage

[0238] 1004 Communication device

[0239] 1005 Input device

[0240] 1006 Output device

[0241] 1007 Bus

Claims

1. A communication device, which constitutes an O-DU (O-RAN Distributed Unit) provided on the fronthaul of an O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) based open wireless access network. Wherein, The communication device has: A control unit that determines a parameter used in the determination of the reception timing of data performed in an intermediate device provided on the fronthaul; and A transmission unit that transmits the parameter to the intermediate device.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, Wherein, The control unit determines the parameter set for the intermediate device according to the processing time within the intermediate device.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, Wherein, The control unit determines the parameter according to the capability information of a second base station provided on the fronthaul.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, Wherein, The control unit determines the parameter according to at least any one of the delay time between the intermediate device and the communication device and the delay time between a second base station provided on the fronthaul and the intermediate device.

5. The communication device according to claim 2, Wherein, The control unit determines the parameter according to at least any one of the delay time between the intermediate device and the communication device and the delay time between a second base station provided on the fronthaul and the intermediate device.

6. A communication device, which constitutes an intermediate device provided on the fronthaul of an O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) based open wireless access network. Wherein, The communication device has: A control unit that executes control for determining the reception timing of data in the intermediate device; and A reception unit that receives a parameter used in the determination of the reception timing from an O-DU (O-RAN Distributed Unit) provided on the fronthaul.

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