Method and apparatus for radio jammer detection

Abstract

A solution for radio jammer detection is disclosed. The solution includes determining M subcarriers to be blanked in a time-frequency resource grid and outputting the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid by performing at least one of the following operations: a first determination (200) of the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid based on a probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on a channel quality of subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, a second determination (202) of which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are blanked taking into account the channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to communications. Background Art

[0002] For example, malicious activity may cause performance and integrity issues for a communication system. An example of such malicious activity is radio jamming, which may be performed by one or more radio jammers that intentionally inject interference into a communication system with the goal of degrading the performance of the system. Therefore, providing a solution to the radio jamming problem may help maintain the performance of the communication system. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Some embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0004] One or more examples of implementations are set forth in more detail in the drawings and the description that follows. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0005] In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured to determine and output M subcarriers to be blanked in a time-frequency resource grid by performing at least one of the following operations: a first determination of the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid based on a probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on a channel quality of subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, and a second determination of which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are blanked taking into account the channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid.

[0006] In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured to determine a probability of detection for a given type of jamming attack, and to determine a number M of subcarriers for which the probability of detection is greater than a given threshold.

[0007] In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured to select a key performance indicator of a wireless communication network, and determine a number M of subcarriers for which the key performance indicator is greater than a given threshold.

[0008] In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured to select a key performance indicator of a wireless communication network, calculate the key performance indicator for different configurations of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups, calculate a coherence time of a channel utilizing blanking, determine blanking probabilities for different configurations of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups, and select a configuration of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups having a highest blanking probability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Some embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1A An example of a wireless communication system in which embodiments may be applied is shown;

[0011] Figure 1B An example of a wireless communication system in which embodiments may be applied is shown;

[0012] Figure 2 is a flow chart according to one embodiment;

[0013] Figure 3 Subcarriers with different channel qualities are shown;

[0014] Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 is a flow chart according to some embodiments; and

[0015] Fig. 9 An apparatus according to one embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The following embodiments are examples. Although the specification may refer to "an", "one" or "some" embodiments in several places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference refers to the same embodiment(s) or that the feature applies to only a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. In addition, the words "comprising" and "including" should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist only of those features that have been mentioned, and these embodiments may also include features / structures not specifically mentioned.

[0017] In the following, different exemplary embodiments will be described using a radio access architecture based on Advanced Long Term Evolution (Advanced LTE, i.e., LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G) as an example of an access architecture to which the embodiments may be applied, however, the embodiments are not limited to such an architecture. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, by appropriately adjusting the parameters and processes, the embodiments may also be applied to other kinds of communication networks with appropriate components. Some examples of other options suitable for the system are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or WiFi), 6G, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0018] Figure 1A An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted, showing only some elements and functional entities, which are all logical units, the implementation of which may differ from what is shown. Figure 1A The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the system typically also includes Figure 1A Other functions and structures than those shown.

[0019] However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solution to other communication systems having the necessary characteristics.

[0020] Figure 1A Devices 100 and 102 are shown. Devices 100 and 102 may be, for example, user equipment or user terminals. Devices 100 and 102 are configured to be in wireless connection with a node or access point 104 on one or more communication channels. Node 104 is also connected to a core network 106. In one example, node 104 may be an access node AN, such as (e / g)NodeB, serving a device in a cell. In one example, node 104 may be a non-3GPP access node. The physical link from the device to the (e / g)NodeB is referred to as an uplink or reverse link, while the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the device is referred to as a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB or its functions may be implemented using any node, host, server, or access point entity suitable for such a purpose.

[0021] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB, in which case the (e / g)NodeBs may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. An (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, an access point, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. The (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. From the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB, a connection to an antenna unit is provided, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to the device. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is further connected to a core network 106 (CN or next generation core NGC).

[0022] The device (also referred to as a subscriber unit, user device, user equipment (UE), user terminal, terminal device, etc.) shows a type of device to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, and therefore any features of the device described herein can be implemented with a corresponding device (such as a relay node). An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) towards a base station.

[0023] The device generally refers to a device (e.g., portable or non-portable computing device) including a wireless mobile communication device that operates with or without a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handhelds, devices using wireless modems (alarm or measurement devices, etc.), laptops and / or touch screen computers, tablets, game consoles, notebook computers, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that the device can also be an almost exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to the network. The device can also be a device with the ability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data over a network without the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction, for example, for smart grids and connected vehicles. The device can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, the device may include a user-portable device (such as a watch, headphones, or glasses) with a radio component, and the calculation is performed in the cloud. The device (or in some embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more of the user device functions.

[0024] The various techniques described in this article can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems of cooperating computing elements that control physical entities). CPS can enable the implementation and development of a large number of interconnected information and communication technology (ICT) devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems in which the physical systems involved have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by people or animals.

[0025] Additionally, although the apparatus is depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented. Figure 1A Not all are shown).

[0026] 5G or NR (New Radio) supports the use of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than Long Term Evolution LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites that collaborate with smaller base stations and employ multiple radio technologies, depending on service requirements, use cases and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a variety of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of sharing data and various forms of machine type applications (such as (massive) machine type communications (mMTC)), including vehicle safety, different sensors and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, for example, below 6 GHz or above 24 GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and be integrable with existing legacy radio access technologies such as LTE. Integration with LTE can be implemented, at least in the early stages, as a system in which macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells by aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as below 6GHz - cmWave, above 6GHz or 24GHz - cmWave and mmWave). One of the concepts considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnets (network instances) can be created in the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.

[0027] The current architecture in LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, leading to local bursting and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to be performed at the data source. This approach requires the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store and process content close to cellular subscribers to speed up response time. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlet, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0028] The communication system can also communicate with other networks 112, such as a public switched telephone network, a VoIP network, the Internet, or a private network, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network can also be capable of supporting the use of cloud services, for example, at least a portion of the core network operation can be provided as a cloud service (this is in the Figure 1A The communication system may also include a central control entity that provides facilities for networks of different operators to cooperate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0029] Edge cloud technology can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN). The use of edge cloud technology can mean that access node operations will be performed at least partially in a server, host or node that is operatively coupled to a remote radio head or base station including the radio portion. Node operations can also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloudRAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed at or near the remote antenna site (in the distributed unit DU 108) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 110).

[0030] It should also be understood that the allocation of tasks between core network operations and base station operations may be different from that of LTE, or even non-existent. Some other technological advances that may be used are big data and all-IP, which may change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio NR) networks are designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and the base station or nodeB (gNB). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0031] 5G can also make use of satellite communications 116 to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are to provide service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on board, or to ensure service availability for critical communications and future railway / maritime / aeronautical communications. Satellite communications can make use of geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, as well as low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, in particular mega-constellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano) satellites are deployed). Each satellite in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities that create ground cells. Ground cells can be created by ground relay nodes or gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0032] It is clear to a person skilled in the art that the depicted system is only an example of a part of a radio access system, and in practice the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, which may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a home (e / g)NodeB. In addition, in a geographical area of ​​the radio communication system, multiple different kinds of radio cells and multiple radio cells may be provided. The radio cells may be macro cells (or umbrella cells), which are large cells with a diameter of typically tens of kilometers, or smaller cells such as micro, femto or pico cells. Figure 1A The (e / g)NodeB can provide any kind of these cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network comprising several cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells, and thus multiple (e / g)NodeBs are required to provide such a network structure.

[0033] In order to meet the need to improve the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB is introduced. Usually, in addition to the home (e / g) NodeB (H(e / g) NodeB), the network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB also includes a home NodeB gateway or HNB-GW (not shown in Figure 1). The HNB gateway (HNB-GW), which is usually installed in the operator's network, can aggregate services from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0034] Radio jamming by malicious devices is a security attack that can threaten the performance of communication systems, such as the above reference Figure 1A The system described. A radio jammer is a malicious device whose purpose is to deliberately inject interference. It does not necessarily transmit some information. The purpose of a radio jammer can be to achieve a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. There are different types of radio jammers. Basic radio jammers transmit power over some narrowband or broadband. More advanced radio jammers can be reactive. It can remain silent when the channel(s) are inactive, and when it detects a transmission on the channel(s), it can start transmitting. Reactive radio jammers can even utilize the format of standardized packets (compliant with the standard used on that radio band or channel) in the jamming signal.

[0035] refer to Figure 1B, a CU 110 is shown communicating with an access point or network node 104, 122. The network node 122 can be similar to the node 104 discussed in more detail above. For example, a CU / DU split can be used, or the CU and DU can be located in the same physical and / or logical device. For example, where a CU / DU split is used, CU-DU communication can be implemented via an F1 interface. As described above, an alternative architecture can also be used in which one of the nodes 104, 122 implements the role of CU 110 on a master-slave principle, so that the node with the CU role is the master node of other nodes (e.g., DU) in the system or network. In this case, communication between different network elements can be implemented via an Xn interface.

[0036] CU 110 may control nodes 104, 122, and nodes 104, 112 may provide services within a geographically restricted area 120. Such an area may be, for example, a plant or factory area. Figure 1B In the example of , the UE 100, 102 is served by the network node 104 in the area of ​​the radio cell 124. At this point, it should be emphasized that although only two UEs and two nodes are shown, more than two of the above devices may exist, for example, depending on the system implementation and the required service level. It should also be noted that the dotted lines between the UE 100 and the node 122 and the UE 100, 102 may depict possible additional or alternative communication links (e.g. (multiple) multi-connection scenarios or cell changes or side chain communications).

[0037] like Figure 1B As shown in the example of , the radio jammer 126 transmits a radio jamming signal 128 outside the restricted area 120. The radio jamming signal 128 may cause the performance of the communication system to degrade. For example, the level of service provided may be reduced, or the service may be completely stopped. According to one embodiment, the radio jammer 126 is a reactive radio jammer. The radio jammer may also be within the restricted area 120.

[0038] At this point, it should be noted that radio jamming can be different from general interference caused by other devices of the system, for example. For example, a legitimate device (e.g., UE or network node, such as AP or DU) may generate interference related to standard rules (such as timing, power and / or scheduling). However, a radio jammer is a malicious device that deliberately attacks the system, and its activities may be extremely dangerous: smart jamming attacks can cause network paralysis even with very small jamming activities. It should be understood that the purpose of radio jamming can be to perform radio jamming, which is difficult to detect and mitigate. Therefore, a radio jammer may not follow any standard timing, power and / or scheduling rules. Therefore, it may be necessary to provide a solution for reducing (multiple) problems caused by a radio jammer. In particular, such a solution can be beneficial to private cellular networks (e.g., private 5G networks), but the same solution can be applicable to different types of wireless communication networks and systems. Therefore, a radio jammer detection solution is proposed, which can be used in a wireless communication network to detect the presence of radio jamming.

[0039] In one embodiment, reference Figure 1A and Figure 1B The wireless network described is a cellular network. The cellular network may be a private cellular network, where the same blanked subcarrier index data is shared between multiple network elements of the private cellular network. The proposed solution may be particularly suitable for private 5G network scenarios, where a given set of network nodes communicate with a given number of UE devices and the CU coordinates the activities of all these network nodes. For example, the solution may be applied to any Industry 4.0 scenario, where vertical players decide to deploy their own 5G private networks in their factories and / or production sites.

[0040] Disabling scrambler attacks can be categorized into two tasks, i.e., detecting scrambler attacks and mitigating the effects of attacks.

[0041] It is very important to detect the presence of a jammer when it is active. It can be noted that just detecting some network degradation does not necessarily indicate the presence of a jammer, as some degradation may also occur due to fading or some legitimate cellular interference. Therefore, jammer detection is a challenging task. However, when a jammer is detected, it is important to characterize its activity as much as possible.

[0042] After the scrambler is detected, the selected mitigation technique needs to be applied to limit the scrambler. There are various methods known in the art for mitigating scramblers, such as direct sequence spread spectrum by signal spreading and despreading; frequency hopping spread spectrum by frequency hopping carriers on the system band; beamforming by applying weights at the antenna to steer the beam in the appropriate direction; power control by increasing the transmission power; link adaptation using more robust QAM constellation size and coding schemes; and pseudo physical resource block (PRB) transmission by transmitting pseudo packets on unused PRBs to hide legitimate transmissions, etc.

[0043] As mentioned earlier, detecting jamming attacks is a challenging task, primarily because it involves distinguishing these malicious behaviors from legitimate adverse radio conditions (such as cellular interference, fading) that cause poor performance of communication systems.

[0044] An advanced method of detecting a jammer in a wireless communication system utilizing multi-carrier modulation (such as OFDM) is to utilize the blanking of some subcarriers in each OFDM symbol. If the blanked subcarriers are varied, the jammer can detect which subcarriers are blanked in each OFDM symbol, but cannot predict in advance which subcarriers will be blanked in the following OFDM symbol. Even if the jammer is reactive, when it starts transmitting (e.g., over the entire signal band), it will transmit on these blanked subcarriers, the receiver can observe the generated interference, and the jammer can be detected very easily (because its signal needs to be distinguished from thermal noise by activating some basic coordination between neighboring base stations).

[0045] On the other hand, blanking subcarriers represents a waste of resources. Therefore, the choice of which subcarriers to blank has an impact on system capacity and signal quality.

[0046] Figure 2 A flow chart according to an embodiment is shown. The flow chart shows an example of the operation of an apparatus of a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be a network node or (e / g)NodeB, a part of a network node or (e / g)NodeB, or a mobile terminal or a part of a mobile terminal, or any other apparatus capable of performing the following steps.

[0047] The apparatus is configured to determine M subcarriers to be blanked in a time-frequency resource grid by performing at least one of the following two operations:

[0048] A first determination 200 of the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid is made based on the probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on the channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid.

[0049] A second determination 202 is made as to which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are blanked taking into account the channel qualities of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid.

[0050] In one embodiment, when the M subcarriers are determined, the apparatus may be configured to output 204 the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid.

[0051] If only the first determination is performed, the apparatus may be configured to pseudo-randomly select which M sub-carriers are blanked.

[0052] If only the second determination is performed, the apparatus may be configured to select the number M of subcarriers to be blanked pseudo-randomly or as a fixed number.

[0053] In one embodiment, the device is configured to initiate reception of a transmission from a second device of the wireless communication network on the above-mentioned time-frequency resource grid, perform interference measurement on the above-mentioned one or more blanked subcarriers to obtain interference measurement data of the above-mentioned one or more blanked subcarriers; and output the interference measurement data for detecting the presence of radio interference.

[0054] In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to detect the presence of radio jammers based on the outputted interference measurement data.

[0055] For example, the above method can be applied to Figure 1A and Figure 1B About Figure 2 The apparatus in question may be, for example, a network node 104, a UE 100, or a UE 102, or some other similar network device. Similarly, a second apparatus may refer to a network node 104, a UE 100, or a UE 102. For example, if the apparatus is a network node 104, the second apparatus may be a UE 100 or a UE 102. For example, if the apparatus is a UE 100 or a UE 102, the second apparatus may be a network node 104.

[0056] For example, the time-frequency resource grid may refer to a radio symbol or multiple radio symbols, such as (multiple) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbols, which are used as examples in this article. However, the proposed solution may be applicable to other types of systems (e.g., systems utilizing OFDM modulation) other than systems based solely on radio symbols. Therefore, the different examples and embodiments described with radio symbols or OFDM symbols may be applicable to systems utilizing different types of time-frequency resource allocations. Thus, for example, the blanking of one or more subcarriers may be (multiple) blanking subcarriers of a radio symbol (such as an OFDM symbol).

[0057] In one embodiment, the channel quality of the subcarriers is considered when selecting the number and position of the subcarriers to be blanked. Figure 3 Let's consider an example. Let's assume that the devices in the above system communicate using OFDM modulation, where an OFDM symbol includes a given number of subcarriers. Note that the system can utilize modulation and (multiple) different radio symbols other than OFDM modulation and (multiple) OFDM symbols. However, for simplicity reasons, OFDM symbols are used as examples throughout the description. For example, the examples and embodiments provided can be applied to systems that utilize some other type of radio symbols other than OFDM symbols. According to one embodiment, the radio symbols discussed herein refer to OFDM symbols.

[0058] like Figure 3 1 , there are subcarriers with different channel qualities. A subcarrier (300) with a poor signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) is shown with a dark fill. A subcarrier (302) with a medium SINR is shown with a light fill. A subcarrier (304) with a good SINR is shown with a white fill. A portion of the subcarrier(s) in the OFDM symbol is blanked (306). The blanked subcarrier is shown with a hash fill (306) with a white background.

[0059] The non-blanked subcarriers 300, 302, 304 may refer to data subcarriers used to transmit user plane and / or control plane data in the system.

[0060] In one embodiment, blanking can be designed so that subcarriers with bad channels (i.e., Figure 3 More blanking occurs for dark subcarriers (300) in the figure, while less blanking occurs for subcarriers with good channels (ie, white subcarriers (304) in the figure). The number of blanked subcarriers may depend in part on the channel quality of the subcarriers.

[0061] This provides the advantage of avoiding too much damage to the communication system channel quality.

[0062] In one embodiment, the channel quality is measured using a key performance indicator KPI of the communication system.

[0063] Blanking needs to be not easily predicted by reactive jammers. In one embodiment, in static scenarios, blanking should not be applied only to bad channels, because in this way, smart jammers can easily track the subbands where blanking occurs and focus the attack on other subbands. In one embodiment, the coherence time of the channel is taken into account. Therefore, as in Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 5 , some subcarriers with good or medium quality are blanked.

[0064] The interference generated by the radio jammer can be observed by the receiver and the radio jammer can be detected. The detection can also include distinguishing the radio jammer signal from thermal noise and legitimate radio jammers.

[0065] Interference measurements and interference measurement data should be broadly understood in the sense that such measurements may be, for example, standard power or signal strength measurements, but they are performed on blanked subcarriers. Thus, the purpose of these interference measurements may be to detect and measure radio disturbances, and thus (multiple) of these measurements may be understood as (multiple) radio interference measurements. For example, an example of an interference measurement value in this context may be an interference power value (IPV) that may be measured by a network node 104, 122 or a UE 100, 102.

[0066] The number of subcarriers to be blanked may be determined in various ways. In one embodiment, the blanked subcarriers may be selected as a subcarrier group. For example, the subcarrier group may include a PRB, a group of adjacent PRBs, or a group of non-adjacent PRBs.

[0067] Figure 4 A flow chart according to an embodiment is shown. The flow chart shows an example of the operation of an apparatus of a wireless communication network using a Missed Detection MD probability mode when determining the number of subcarriers. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be a network node or (e / g)NodeB, a part of a network node or (e / g)NodeB, or a mobile terminal or a part of a mobile terminal, or any other apparatus capable of performing the following steps.

[0068] In step 400, the apparatus is configured to select an attack type to be detected. For example, the attack type may be a broadband Gaussian scrambler that generates a received power spectral density greater than ηdBm / Hz. Such a scrambler generates a signal over a bandwidth B represented by a Gaussian random process, i.e., each random variable extracted from the process has a Gaussian distribution with a statistical power greater than η·B dBm.

[0069] In step 402, the apparatus is configured to select a minimum expected probability of detection of the selected attack and set it as a threshold γ. In one embodiment, the threshold may depend on the service or application. For example, in life-critical applications, the threshold may be higher than in non-life-critical applications. For example, it may be selected by an operator or owner of a restricted area.

[0070] In step 404, the apparatus is configured to set the number M of subcarriers to be blanked equal to one.

[0071] In step 406, the apparatus is configured to calculate the detection probability P of the selected attack type using the M blanked subcarriers. D .

[0072] In step 408, the apparatus is configured to calculate the detection probability P D Compare with the threshold. If the threshold is not reached, that is, P D <γ, the apparatus is configured to set M=M+1 in step 410 and return to step 406 .

[0073] Otherwise, in step 412, the apparatus is configured to select M as the number of subcarriers to be blanked.

[0074] Figure 4 The method can be performed offline to take into account the statistics of the channel but not the actual channel.

[0075] In one embodiment, the calculations in step 406 can be performed in various ways. In one embodiment, simulations with different combinations can be performed and stored in a table or database from which they can be retrieved.

[0076] In one embodiment, P can be calculated analytically for different disturbance types. D .

[0077] Figure 5 A flow chart according to an embodiment is shown. The flow chart shows an example of the operation of an apparatus of a wireless communication network using a key performance indicator KPI. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be a network node or (e / g)NodeB, a part of a network node or (e / g)NodeB, or a mobile terminal or a part of a mobile terminal, or any other apparatus capable of performing the following steps.

[0078] In step 500, the apparatus is configured to select a KPI, such as overall spectral efficiency, average channel amplitude, or average SINR.

[0079] In step 502, the apparatus is configured to select a minimum desired KPI value and set it as a threshold δ. In one embodiment, the threshold may depend on the service or application. For example, it may be selected by an operator or owner of a restricted area.

[0080] In step 504, the apparatus is configured to set the number M of subcarriers to be blanked equal to S-1, where S is the total number of available subcarriers.

[0081] In step 506, the apparatus is configured to calculate all the factors for blanking M subcarriers from among the S subcarriers. The selected KPI value for each combination.

[0082] In step 508, the apparatus is configured to compare the calculated KPI values ​​with a threshold. If any of the calculated KPIs do not reach the threshold, i.e., if And i = 1, ..., K, so that KPI i <δ, the apparatus is configured to set M=M−1 in step 510 and return to step 506 .

[0083] Otherwise, in step 512, the apparatus is configured to select M as the number of subcarriers to be blanked.

[0084] The selection of which subcarriers to be blanked may be determined in a variety of ways.

[0085] Figure 6 A flow chart according to an embodiment is shown. The flow chart shows an example of the operation of an apparatus of a wireless communication network using a key performance indicator KPI. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be a network node or (e / g)NodeB, a part of a network node or (e / g)NodeB, or a mobile terminal or a part of a mobile terminal, or any other apparatus capable of performing the following steps.

[0086] In step 600, the apparatus is configured to select a KPI, such as overall spectral efficiency, average channel amplitude, or average SINR.

[0087] In step 602, the apparatus is configured to calculate all the factors for blanking M subcarriers from among S subcarriers. The selected KPI values ​​for each combination are: where S is the total number of available subcarriers.

[0088] In step 604, the apparatus is configured to calculate the coherence time T of the channel on which blanking is to be utilized. COH .

[0089] In step 606, the apparatus is configured to select a function for calculating the blanking probability, wherein the function makes Some examples of possible functions are given below.

[0090] In step 608, the apparatus is configured to determine blanking probabilities for different configurations of the M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups.

[0091] In step 610, the apparatus is configured to select a configuration of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups having the highest blanking probability.

[0092] Figure 7A flow chart according to an embodiment is shown. The flow chart shows an example of the operation of an apparatus of a wireless communication network using a combination of pseudo-random selection and key performance indicators KPIs. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be a network node or (e / g)NodeB, a part of a network node or (e / g)NodeB, or a mobile terminal or a part of a mobile terminal, or any other apparatus capable of performing the following steps.

[0093] In step 700, the apparatus is configured to select a portion of M subcarriers or a subcarrier group using a pseudo-random algorithm. In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to select a subcarrier set in In the collection = {1, ..., S} pseudo-randomly selected, and M0 <M。

[0094] In step 702, the apparatus is configured to select a KPI, such as overall spectral efficiency, average channel amplitude, or average SINR.

[0095] In step 704, the apparatus is configured to calculate all the M-M0 subcarriers blanked from S-M0. A set of combinations such that for each combination k i,j ∈{1,…,S}\M0,i=1,…,K.

[0096] The apparatus is then configured to calculate the selected KPI values ​​for all K combinations.

[0097] In step 706, the apparatus is configured to calculate the coherence time T of the channel on which blanking is to be utilized. COH .

[0098] In step 708, the apparatus is configured to select a function for calculating the blanking probability, wherein the function makes Some examples of possible functions are given below.

[0099] In step 710, the apparatus is configured to determine blanking probabilities for different configurations of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups.

[0100] In step 712, the apparatus is configured to select a configuration of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups having the highest blanking probability.

[0101] In one embodiment, if Figure 6 and Figure 7If the procedures are performed by the gNB, informing the mobile terminal that an arbitrary set of subcarriers will be blanked may increase the control overhead. However, these procedures can also be implemented considering physical resource blocks (PRBs) or other similar subcarrier groupings instead of individual subcarriers.

[0102] exist Figure 6 and Figure 7 The selection of which subcarriers will be blanked during the process involves an exhaustive search among all possible K combinations. However, depending on the scenario and system parameters, this can have a high complexity. Therefore, in one embodiment, some heuristics can be applied, and instead of an exhaustive search, a limited number of combinations K′<<K can be evaluated, where the K′ combinations can be selected with a given criterion, for example:

[0103] -Completely random;

[0104] - Random but non-overlapping, i.e. different combinations must include different subcarriers;

[0105] - Random but with partial overlap, ie different combinations may include a maximum number of overlapping subcarriers.

[0106] There are various alternatives for selecting the function for calculating the blanking probability in steps 606 and 708. The probability function can be defined as a function that takes the KPI value and the coherence time as input and outputs a probability value associated with a particular combination of subcarriers, such that the sum of the probabilities of all combinations is equal to 1.

[0107] The KPI-based function can be defined as

[0108]

[0109] Among them, KPI i is the KPI value calculated when blanking combination i.

[0110] Based on KPI and coherence time T COH The function can be obtained by first calculating the coherence time T COH The equivalent number of OFDM time slots To define, where T slot is the OFDM time slot duration. Next, the KPI values ​​can be sorted in ascending order: KPI1 < ... <KPI K The blanking probability function is

[0111]

[0112] Another one is based on KPI and coherence time T COH The function can be obtained by first calculating the coherence time T COHThe equivalent number of OFDM time slots To define, where T slot is the OFDM time slot duration. Next, the KPI values ​​can be sorted in ascending order: KPI1 < ... <KPI K The blanking probability function is

[0113]

[0114] In the above embodiment, the number of subcarriers M to be blanked is first determined, and then it is determined which M subcarriers of the S available subcarriers are blanked. However, other simpler heuristic algorithms can also be used to jointly select the number and index of subcarriers to be blanked, with lower performance but also lower complexity.

[0115] Figure 8 Another embodiment according to the greedy heuristic is shown, in which it is proposed to search for each decreasing value of M in K' random combinations. The flowchart shows an example of the operation of an apparatus of a wireless communication network using a combination of pseudo-random selection and key performance indicators KPI. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be a network node or (e / g)NodeB, a part of a network node or (e / g)NodeB, or a mobile terminal or a part of a mobile terminal, or any other apparatus capable of performing the following steps.

[0116] In step 800, the apparatus is configured to select a KPI, such as overall spectral efficiency, average channel amplitude, or average SINR.

[0117] In step 802, the apparatus is configured to select a minimum desired KPI value and set it as a threshold value δ.

[0118] In step 804, the apparatus is configured to set M=S-1.

[0119] In step 806 , the apparatus is configured to set k=1.

[0120] In step 808, the apparatus is configured to select a random blanking pattern having M blanked subcarriers.

[0121] In step 810, the apparatus is configured to calculate a KPI value for the blanking mode.

[0122] In step 812, the apparatus is configured to determine whether the calculated KPI exceeds a threshold value δ. If so, in step 814, M subcarriers corresponding to the selected combination are selected for blanking, and the process ends.

[0123] Otherwise, in step 816, the apparatus is configured to set k=k+1.

[0124] In step 818 , the apparatus is configured to determine whether k≦K′. If so, the process continues in step 808 .

[0125] Otherwise, in step 820, the apparatus is configured to set M=M-1.

[0126] In step 822, the apparatus is configured to determine whether M ≥ 1. In this case, the process continues in step 806, otherwise the process ends.

[0127] Fig. 9 An apparatus according to some embodiments is shown. Fig. 9 A device 900 is provided, which includes a control circuit system 910 (such as at least one processor) and at least one memory 930, which memory 930 includes computer program code (software) 932, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) 932 are configured to cause the corresponding device 900 to perform any one of the above-mentioned embodiments together with the at least one processor.

[0128] The memory 930 may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The memory 930 may include a database 934 for storing data.

[0129] The apparatus 900 may also include a radio interface 920, which includes hardware and / or software for implementing a communication connection according to one or more communication protocols. For example, the radio interface 920 may provide the apparatus with a communication capability to access a radio access network. The radio interface 920 may include standard well-known components such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, (de)modulators, encoder / decoder circuitry, and one or more antennas. The radio interface 920 may provide access to the F1 and / or Xn interfaces, and / or provide uplink and / or downlink communication capabilities.

[0130] The device 900 may include a user interface 940 including, for example, at least one keypad, a microphone, a touch display, a display, a speaker, etc. The user interface 940 may be used for controlling the corresponding device by a user of the device.

[0131] In one embodiment, the apparatus 900 may be a network element that performs the above method or is included therein. For example, the apparatus 900 may be a network node 122, 104 or a UE 100 or a UE 102 or is included therein.

[0132] According to one embodiment, reference Fig. 9, the control circuit system 910 can be configured to determine the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid based on the probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on the channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, determine which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are to be blanked taking into account the channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, and output the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid.

[0133] In one embodiment, at least some of the functions of the apparatus 900 may be shared between two or more physically separate devices to form an operational entity. Thus, the apparatus 900 may be viewed as depicting an operational entity comprising one or more physically separate devices for performing at least some of the above processes. Thus, the apparatus 900 utilizing such a shared architecture may include a remote control unit (RCU), such as a host computer or a server computer, which is operably coupled (e.g., via a wireless or wired network) to a remote radio head (RRH), such as a transmission point (TRP), which is located in a base station or network node 104. In one embodiment, at least some of the above processes may be performed by the RCU. In one embodiment, the execution of at least some of the above processes may be shared between the RRH and the RCU. For example, CU / DU splitting may utilize such a shared architecture.

[0134] In one embodiment, the RCU can generate a virtual network through which the RCU can communicate with the RRH. Generally, a virtual network can involve the process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity (virtual network). Network virtualization can involve platform virtualization, which is often combined with resource virtualization. Network virtualization can be classified as an external virtual network, which combines many networks or parts of networks into a server computer or host computer (i.e., RCU). External network virtualization is intended to optimize network sharing. Another type is an internal virtual network, which provides network-like functionality for software containers on a single system.

[0135] In one embodiment, the virtual network may provide a flexible allocation of operations between the RRH and the RCU.In practice, any digital signal processing task may be performed in either the RRH or the RCU, and the boundaries of transferring responsibilities between the RRH and the RCU may be chosen according to the implementation.

[0136] According to one aspect, a system including a plurality of apparatuses 900 is provided.

[0137] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" refers to all of the following: (a) hardware circuit implementations only, such as implementations in analog and / or digital circuitry only, and (b) combinations of circuits and software (and / or firmware), such as (as applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) processors, or (ii) portions of processor(s) / software, software, and (multiple) memories including (multiple) digital signal processors, which work together to cause the device to perform various functions, and (c) circuits that require software or firmware to operate even if the software or firmware is not physically present, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" would also cover implementations of only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to the particular element, the term "circuitry" would also cover a baseband integrated circuit or application processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a sensor, cellular network device, or another network device.

[0138] In one embodiment, in combination with FIG. 1 to FIG. Figure 8 At least some of the described processes may be performed by an apparatus including corresponding components for performing at least some of the above processes. Some example components for performing the processes may include at least one of the following: a detector, a processor (including dual-core and multi-core processors), a digital signal processor, a controller, a receiver, a transmitter, an encoder, a decoder, a memory, a RAM, a ROM, software, firmware, a display, a user interface, a display circuit system, a user interface circuit system, a user interface software, a display software, a circuit, an antenna, an antenna circuit system, and a circuit system. In one embodiment, at least one processor, a memory, and a computer program code form a processing component, or include one or more computer program code portions, which are used to perform one or more operations according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0139] According to yet another embodiment, the apparatus for executing any embodiment includes a circuit system including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. When activated, the circuit system causes the apparatus to perform at least some of the functions according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0140] According to another embodiment, the device for executing the embodiment includes a component for determining M subcarriers to be blanked in a time-frequency resource grid and outputting the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid by performing at least one of the following operations: a first determination of the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid based on the probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on the channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, and a second determination of which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are blanked taking into account the channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid.

[0141] The techniques and methods described herein may be implemented by various means. For example, these techniques may be implemented by hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the (multiple) devices of the embodiments may be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital data processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, the implementation may be performed by a module (e.g., a process, a function, etc.) of at least one chipset that performs the functions described herein. The software code may be stored in a memory unit and executed by a processor. The memory unit may be implemented inside or outside the processor. In the latter case, as is known in the art, the memory unit may be communicatively coupled to the processor by various means. In addition, the components of the system described herein may be rearranged and / or supplemented by additional components to facilitate the implementation of the various aspects described therein, etc., and they are not limited to the precise configurations set forth in the given figures, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0142] The described embodiments may also be performed in the form of a computer process defined by a computer program or a portion thereof. The embodiments of the above method may be implemented by executing at least a portion of a computer program including corresponding instructions. The computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and may be stored in a carrier, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the computer program may be stored on a computer program distribution medium readable by a computer or processor. The computer program medium may be, for example, but not limited to, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution package. For example, the computer program medium may be a non-transient medium. The coding of the software for executing the illustrated and described embodiments is fully within the scope of those of ordinary skill in the art. In one embodiment, the computer readable medium includes the above-mentioned computer program.

[0143] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the examples according to the accompanying drawings, it is clear that the present invention is not limited thereto but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that with the advancement of technology, the concepts of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. In addition, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments can, but need not, be combined with other embodiments in various ways.

Claims

1. An apparatus of a wireless communication network, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus of the wireless communication network to determine M subcarriers to be blanked in a time-frequency resource grid by performing at least one of the following operations, and output the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid: a first determination (200) of the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid based on a probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on a channel quality of subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, a second determination (202) of which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are blanked taking into account the channel qualities of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: Blanking M subcarriers, wherein a first subcarrier of the M subcarriers that is blanked has a first channel quality, and a second subcarrier of the M subcarriers that is blanked has a second channel quality; initiating reception of a transmission from a second device of the wireless communication network on the time-frequency resource grid; causing interference measurement to be performed on the one or more blanked subcarriers to obtain interference measurement data regarding the one or more blanked subcarriers; as well as The interference measurement data is output for use in detecting the presence of radio jammers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: If only the first determination is performed, which M subcarriers are blanked are pseudo-randomly selected.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: If only the second determination is performed, the number M of subcarriers to be blanked is selected pseudo-randomly, or is selected as a fixed number.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: Determine the probability of detection for a given type of scrambling attack, The number M of subcarriers for which the detection probability is greater than a given threshold is determined.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: selecting a key performance indicator of the wireless communication network, The number M of subcarriers for which the key performance indicator is greater than a given threshold is determined.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: selecting a key performance indicator of the wireless communication network, calculating the key performance indicators for different configurations of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups, Calculate the coherence time of a channel using blanking, determining blanking probabilities for the different configurations of M blanking subcarriers or subcarrier groups based on the calculated key performance indicators and the coherence time, The configuration of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups having the highest blanking probability is selected.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: Selecting the M subcarriers or a portion of the subcarrier group using a pseudo-random algorithm, The remaining portion of the M subcarriers or subcarrier groups are selected using the determined blanking probabilities.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: The number and index of the subcarriers to be blanked are jointly determined.

9. A method for an apparatus for a wireless communication network, comprising: Determine M subcarriers to be blanked in a time-frequency resource grid by performing at least one of the following operations, and output the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid: a first determination (200) of the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid based on a probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on a channel quality of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, a second determination (202) of which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are blanked taking into account the channel qualities of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, The method further comprises: Blanking M subcarriers, wherein a first subcarrier of the M subcarriers that is blanked has a first channel quality, and a second subcarrier of the M subcarriers that is blanked has a second channel quality; initiating reception of a transmission from a second device of the wireless communication network on the time-frequency resource grid; causing interference measurement to be performed on the one or more blanked subcarriers to obtain interference measurement data regarding the one or more blanked subcarriers; and The interference measurement data is output for use in detecting the presence of radio jammers.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: If only the first determination is performed, which M subcarriers are blanked are pseudo-randomly selected.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: If only the second determination is performed, the number M of subcarriers to be blanked is selected pseudo-randomly, or is selected as a fixed number.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising: Determine the probability of detection for a given type of scrambling attack, The number M of subcarriers for which the detection probability is greater than a given threshold is determined.

13. The method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising: selecting a key performance indicator of the wireless communication network, The number M of subcarriers for which the key performance indicator is greater than a given threshold is determined.

14. The method according to claim 9 or 11, further comprising: selecting a key performance indicator of the wireless communication network, calculating the key performance indicators for different configurations of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups, Calculate the coherence time of a channel using blanking, determining blanking probabilities for the different configurations of M blanking subcarriers or subcarrier groups based on the calculated key performance indicators and the coherence time, The configuration of M blanked subcarriers or subcarrier groups having the highest blanking probability is selected.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions for causing an apparatus of a wireless communication network to at least: Determine M subcarriers to be blanked in a time-frequency resource grid by performing at least one of the following operations, and output the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid: determining (200) the number M of subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid based on a probability of detecting a jammer attack or based on a channel quality of subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid, determining (202) which M subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid are blanked taking into account the channel qualities of the subcarriers in the time-frequency resource grid; outputting the M subcarriers to be blanked in the time-frequency resource grid, wherein the subcarriers have different channel qualities, The instructions further cause the device to: Blanking M subcarriers, wherein a first subcarrier of the M subcarriers that is blanked has a first channel quality, and a second subcarrier of the M subcarriers that is blanked has a second channel quality; initiating reception of a transmission from a second device of the wireless communication network on the time-frequency resource grid; causing interference measurement to be performed on the one or more blanked subcarriers to obtain interference measurement data regarding the one or more blanked subcarriers; and The interference measurement data is output for use in detecting the presence of radio jammers.

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