Electronic device and method for providing frame structure in fronthaul interface

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a method performed by a radio unit (RU) may include a step of receiving a control plane (C-plane) message including frame structure information from a distributed unit (DU) over a fronthaul interface. The frame structure information may include information indicating a size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information. The method may include a step of identifying a subcarrier spacing (SCS) based on the parameter set information. When the parameter set information is a specified value, the SCS may be 480 kHz (kHz). When the parameter set information is a different specified value, the SCS may be 960 kHz.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fronthaul interface, and more particularly, to an electronic device and method for providing a frame structure in a fronthaul interface. Background Art

[0002] As the transmission capacity in wireless communication systems increases, functional division of base stations is being applied. According to the functional division, a base station can be divided into a distributed unit (DU) and a radio unit (RU). A fronthaul interface is defined for communication between the DU and the RU.

[0003] To help understand the present disclosure, the above information may be provided as related technology. No argument or determination is made as to whether any of the above descriptions can be applied as prior art related to the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to an embodiment, a method performed by a radio unit (RU) may include receiving a control plane (C-plane) message including frame structure information from a distributed unit (DU) via a fronthaul interface. The frame structure information may include information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information. The method may include identifying a subcarrier spacing (SCS) based on the parameter set information. In the case where the parameter set information may be a specified value, the SCS is 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information may be another specified value, the SCS is 960kHz.

[0005] According to an embodiment, a method performed by a distributed unit (DU) may include generating frame structure information including information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information indicating a subcarrier spacing (SCS). The method may include sending a control plane (C-plane) message including the frame structure information to a radio unit (RU) through a fronthaul interface. In the case where the parameter set information is a specified value, the SCS may be 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information is another specified value, the SCS may be 960kHz.

[0006] According to an embodiment, the electronic device of the radio unit (RU) may include at least one transceiver and at least one processor coupled to the at least one transceiver. At least one processor may be configured to control at least one transceiver to receive a control plane (C-plane) message including frame structure information from a distributed unit (DU) through a fronthaul interface. The frame structure information may include information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information. At least one processor may be configured to identify a subcarrier spacing (SCS) based on the parameter set information. In the case where the parameter set information may be a specified value, the SCS is 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information may be another specified value, the SCS is 960kHz.

[0007] According to an embodiment, the electronic device of the distributed unit (DU) may include at least one transceiver and at least one processor coupled to the at least one transceiver. At least one processor may be configured to generate frame structure information including information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information indicating a subcarrier spacing (SCS). At least one processor may be configured to control at least one transceiver to send a control plane (C-plane) message including frame structure information to a radio unit (RU) through a fronthaul interface. In the case where the parameter set information may be a specified value, the SCS is 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information may be another specified value, the SCS is 960kHz. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 A wireless communication system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0009] Figure 2a A fronthaul interface according to an embodiment is shown.

[0010] Figure 2b A fronthaul interface of an open (O) radio access network (RAN) according to an embodiment is shown.

[0011] Figure 3a A functional configuration of a distributed unit (DU) according to an embodiment is shown.

[0012] Figure 3b A functional configuration of a radio unit (RU) according to an embodiment is shown.

[0013] Figure 4 An example of functional division between DU and RU according to an embodiment is shown.

[0014] Figure 5a An example of control plane (C-plane) messages according to an embodiment is shown.

[0015] Figure 5b An example of section extension information according to an embodiment is shown.

[0016] Figure 6 A signaling example of supporting subcarrier spacing (SCS) between a DU and a RU through a management plane (M-plane) message and a C-plane message according to an embodiment is shown.

[0017] Figure 7 An operation flow of an RU for supporting SCS through M-plane messages and C-plane messages according to an embodiment is shown.

[0018] Figure 8 A signaling example of supporting SCS through C-plane messages between DU and RU according to an embodiment is shown.

[0019] Fig. 9 An operation flow of an RU for supporting SCS through C-plane messages according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The terms used in this disclosure are only used to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of another embodiment. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, singular expressions may include plural expressions. The terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as the meanings generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art described in this disclosure. Among the terms used in this disclosure, the terms defined in general dictionaries may be interpreted as meanings identical or similar to the contextual meanings of the relevant technology, and unless clearly defined in this disclosure, are not interpreted as ideal or overly formal meanings. In some cases, even the terms defined in this disclosure may not be interpreted as excluding embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] In various embodiments of the present disclosure described below, a hardware method will be described as an example. However, since various embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques using hardware and software, various embodiments of the present disclosure do not exclude software-based methods.

[0022] For convenience of explanation, the following description uses terms referring to combinations (e.g., combinations, grouping, combinations, aggregations, associations, integrations, and unifications), terms referring to signals (e.g., packets, messages, signals, information, and signaling), terms referring to resources (e.g., segments, symbols, time slots, subframes, radio frames, subcarriers, resource elements (REs), resource blocks (RBs), bandwidth parts (BWPs), and opportunities), terms used in computing states (e.g., steps, operations, and processes), terms referring to data (e.g., packets, messages, user flows, information, bits, symbols, and codewords), terms referring to channels, terms referring to network entities (distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), central unit (CU), CU control plane (CP), CU user plane (UP), open radio access network (O-RAN) DU (O-DU), O-RAN RU (O-RU), O-RAN CU (O-CU), O-RAN CU-CP (O-CU-UP), O-RAN CU-CP (O-CU-CP)), terms referring to parts of a device, etc. are all examples. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms to be described below, and another term with an equivalent technical meaning may be used. In addition, terms such as "... unit", "... device", "... module", and "... component" used below may represent at least one shape structure or a unit that may represent a processing function.

[0023] In addition, in the present disclosure, the term "greater than" or "less than" can be used to determine whether a specific condition is satisfied or achieved, but this is merely a description of an expression example and does not exclude the description of "greater than or equal to" or "less than or equal to". The condition described as "greater than or equal to" can be replaced by "greater than", the condition described as "less than or equal to" can be replaced by "less than", and the condition described as "greater than or equal to and less than" can be replaced by "greater than and less than or equal to". In addition, "A to B" hereinafter refers to at least one element of A (including A) to B (including B). In the following, "C" and / or "D" refers to at least one of "C" or "D", i.e. {"C", "D", "C" and "D"}.

[0024] The present disclosure describes various embodiments using terms used in some communication standards (e.g., 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Scalable Radio Access Network (xRAN), and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)), but this is just an explanatory example. Various embodiments of the present disclosure can be easily modified and applied to another communication system.

[0025] The present disclosure provides an electronic device and method for providing a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of a frame structure on a fronthaul interface.

[0026] In addition, the present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for providing SCS for a high frequency band on a fronthaul interface.

[0027] In addition, the present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for providing SCS for a high frequency band through a management plane message and a control plane message on a fronthaul interface.

[0028] In addition, the present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for providing SCS for a high frequency band through a control plane message on a fronthaul interface.

[0029] The electronic device and method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure implement wireless communication in a high frequency band by providing an additional subcarrier spacing (SCS) on a fronthaul interface.

[0030] Effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and any other effects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs based on the following description.

[0031] Figure 1 A wireless communication system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 The base station 110 and the terminal 120 are illustrated as a part of a node using a wireless channel in a wireless communication system. Figure 1 Only one base station is shown, but the wireless communication system may also include another base station that is the same as or similar to the base station 110 .

[0033] The base station 110 is a network infrastructure for providing wireless access to the terminal 120. The base station 110 has a coverage range defined based on the distance at which a signal can be transmitted. In addition to a base station, the base station 110 may also be referred to as an "access point (AP)", "eNodeB (eNB)", "fifth generation node", "next generation node B (gNB)", "radio point", "transmission / reception point (TRP)" or another term having a technically equivalent meaning thereto.

[0034] The terminal 120 is a device used by a user and can perform communication with the base station 110 through a wireless channel. The link from the base station 110 to the terminal 120 is called a downlink (DL), and the link from the terminal 120 to the base station 110 is called an uplink (UL). Figure 1Although not shown in the figure, the terminal 120 and another terminal can communicate with each other through a wireless channel. At this time, the link between the terminal 120 and another terminal (device-to-device link (D2D)) is called a side link, and the side link can be used interchangeably with the PC5 interface. In some other embodiments, the terminal 120 can operate without user participation. According to an embodiment, the terminal 120, which is a device for performing machine type communication (MTC), may not be carried by the user. In addition, according to an embodiment, the terminal 120 may be a narrowband (NB) Internet of Things (IoT) device.

[0035] In addition to the terminal, the terminal 120 may also be referred to as "user equipment (UE)", "user premises equipment (CPE)", "mobile station", "user station", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal", "electronic device" or "user device" or another term with equivalent technical meaning.

[0036] The base station 110 may perform beamforming with the terminal 120. The base station 110 and the terminal 120 may transmit and receive wireless signals of a relatively low frequency band (e.g., frequency range 1 (FR 1) of NR). In addition, the base station 110 and the terminal 120 may transmit and receive wireless signals of a relatively high frequency band (e.g., FR 2 (or FR 2-1) of NR), a millimeter wave (mmWave) band (e.g., 28 GHz, 30 GHz, 38 GHz, or 60 GHz). In order to improve the channel gain, the terminal 120 and the base station 110 may perform beamforming. Here, beamforming may include transmit beamforming and receive beamforming. The base station 110 and the terminal 120 may assign directivity to signal transmission or signal reception. To this end, the base station 110 and the terminal 120 may select a service beam through a beam search or a beam management process. After selecting the service beam, subsequent communications may be performed through resources that are in a quasi co-location (QCL) relationship with the resources that transmit the service beam.

[0037] If a large-scale characteristic of a channel over which symbols are transmitted on a first antenna port can be inferred from a channel over which symbols are transmitted on a second antenna port, then it can be assessed that the first antenna port and the second antenna port are in a QCL relationship. For example, the large-scale characteristic may include at least one of delay spread, Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average gain, average delay, and spatial receiver parameters.

[0038] exist Figure 1In the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is described that both the base station 110 and the terminal 120 perform beamforming, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not necessarily limited to this. In some embodiments, the terminal may perform or not perform beamforming. In addition, the base station may perform or not perform beamforming. That is, only one of the base station and the terminal may perform beamforming, or both the base station and the terminal may not perform beamforming.

[0039] In the present disclosure, a beam refers to a spatial stream of a signal in a wireless channel, which may be formed by one or more antennas (or antenna elements), and this formation process may be referred to as beamforming. Beamforming may include at least one of analog beamforming or digital beamforming (e.g., precoding). Reference signals sent based on beamforming may include, for example, a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH), and a sounding reference signal (SRS). In addition, as a configuration of each reference signal, an IE such as a CSI-RS resource or an SRS resource may be used, and the configuration may include information associated with the beam. The information associated with the beam may refer to whether the corresponding configuration (e.g., a CSI-RS resource) uses the same spatial domain filter as another configuration (e.g., another CSI-RS resource in the same CSI-RS resource set), or uses a different spatial domain filter, or with which reference signal quasi co-location (QCL), and if it is QCL, which type is used (e.g., QCL type A, B, C, and D).

[0040] In the related art, in a communication system in which the cell radius of a base station is relatively large, each base station is installed so that each base station includes the functions of a digital processing unit (or distributed unit (DU)) and a radio frequency (RF) processing unit (or radio unit (RU)). However, as higher frequency bands are used in fourth generation (4G) and / or subsequent communication systems (e.g., 5G) and the cell coverage of base stations is reduced, the number of base stations covering a specific area increases. The installation cost burden of operators installing base stations has also increased. In order to minimize the installation cost of a base station, a structure is proposed in which the DU and RU of a base station are separated, one or more RUs are connected to one DU via a wired network, and one or more RUs are arranged geographically dispersed to cover a specific area. In the following, it will be described through Figure 2a to Figure 2b Describe the deployment structure and extension examples of base stations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 2a The fronthaul interface according to the embodiment is shown. Different from the backhaul between the base station and the core network, the fronthaul refers to the connection between the entities between the wireless LAN and the base station. Figure 2aAn example of a forward haul structure between DU 210 and RU 220 is shown, but this is only for ease of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to a forward haul structure between one DU and multiple RUs. For example, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a forward haul structure between one DU and two RUs. In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a forward haul structure between one DU and three RUs.

[0042] Reference Figure 2a , the base station 110 may include a DU 210 and a RU 220. A fronthaul 215 between the DU 210 and the RU 220 may be operated through an Fx interface. For example, for the operation of the fronthaul 215, an interface such as an enhanced common radio interface (eCPRI) and a radio over Ethernet (ROE) may be used.

[0043] With the development of communication technology, mobile data traffic has increased, and therefore, the bandwidth requirements required for fronthaul between digital units and radio units have increased significantly. In deployments such as centralized / cloud radio access networks (C-RAN), DU can be implemented to perform the functions of packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY), and RU can be implemented to perform the functions of the PHY layer in addition to the radio frequency (RF) function.

[0044] DU 210 may be responsible for higher layer functions of the wireless network. For example, DU 210 may perform the functions of the MAC layer and part of the PHY layer. Here, the part of the PHY layer that is performed at a higher level among the functions of the PHY layer may include, for example, channel coding (or channel decoding), scrambling (or descrambling), modulation (or demodulation), layer mapping (or layer demapping). According to an embodiment, in the case where DU 210 complies with the O-RAN standard, it may be referred to as O-RAN DU (O-DU). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, DU 210 may be represented by a first network entity (e.g., gNB) that is replaced with a base station as needed.

[0045] The RU 220 may be responsible for lower layer functions of the wireless network. For example, the RU 220 may perform part of the PHY layer and the RF function. Here, among the functions of the PHY layer, part of the PHY layer performed at a level relatively lower than the DU 210 may include, for example, iFFT conversion (or FFT conversion), CP insertion (CP removal), and digital beamforming. Figure 4An example of this specific functional division is described in detail in . RU 220 may be referred to as an "access unit (AU)", "access point (AP)", "transmit / receive point (TRP)", "remote radio head (RRH)", "radio unit (RU)" or another term having a technically equivalent meaning thereto. According to an embodiment, in the case where RU 220 complies with the O-RAN standard, it may be referred to as an O-RAN RU (O-RU). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, RU 220 may be represented by a second network entity (e.g., gNB) that is replaced with a base station as needed.

[0046] exist Figure 2a 210 and RU 220, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. The base station according to the embodiment may be implemented as a distributed deployment according to a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), the centralized unit being configured to perform upper layer functions of the access network (e.g., packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio resource control (RRC)), and the distributed unit being configured to perform lower layer functions. At this time, the distributed unit (DU) may include Figure 1 The digital unit (DU) and radio unit (RU) of the 5G network. Between the core (e.g., 5G core (5GC) or next generation core (NGC)) network and the radio network (RAN), the base station can be implemented in a structure where the CU, DU, and RU are arranged in sequence. The interface between the CU and the distributed unit (DU) can be called the F1 interface.

[0047] The centralized unit (CU) can perform functions of a higher layer than the DU by connecting to one or more DUs. For example, the CU can be responsible for the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and the DU and RU can be responsible for the lower layer functions. The DU can perform partial functions (high PHY) of the radio link control (RLC) layer, the media access control (MAC) layer, and the physical (PHY) layer, and the RU can be responsible for the remaining functions (low PHY) of the PHY layer. In addition, as an example, according to the distributed deployment implementation of the base station, the digital unit (DU) can be included in the distributed unit (DU). In the following, unless otherwise defined, it is described as the operation of the digital unit (DU) and the RU, but the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to a base station deployment including a CU or a deployment in which the DU is directly connected to the core network (i.e., the CU and the DU are integrated and implemented as a base station as one entity (e.g., an NG-RAN node)).

[0048] Figure 2b A fronthaul interface of an open (O) radio access network (RAN) according to an embodiment is shown. As a base station 110 according to a distributed deployment, an eNB or a gNB is shown.

[0049] Reference Figure 2b , the base station 110 may include an O-DU 251 and O-RUs 253-1 to 253-n. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the operation and function of the O-RU 253-1 may be understood as a description of each of the other O-RUs (e.g., O-RU 253-n).

[0050] The O-DU 251 is a logical node that, in addition to the functions specifically assigned to the O-RU 253-1, also includes the following functions according to Figure 4 The O-DU 251 may control the operations of the O-RUs 253-1 to 253-n. The O-DU 251 may be referred to as a lower layer partition (LLS) central unit (CU). The O-RU 253-1 is a central unit including a plurality of sub-units, each of which is configured to perform operations of the O-RUs 253-1 to 253-n. Figure 4 A logical node that is a subset of the functionality of a base station (e.g., eNB and gNB). The real-time aspects of control plane (C-plane) communication and user plane (U-plane) communication with the O-RU 253-1 can be controlled by the O-DU 251.

[0051] O-DU 251 can communicate with O-RU 253-1 through an LLS interface. The LLS interface corresponds to a fronthaul interface. The LLS interface refers to a logical interface between O-DU 251 and O-RU 253-1 using lower layer functional division (i.e., based on functional division within PHY). The LLS-C between O-DU 251 and O-RU 253-1 provides a C-plane through an LLS interface. The LLS-U between O-DU 251 and O-RU253-1 provides a U-plane through an LLS interface.

[0052] exist Figure 2b In order to explain O-RAN, the entities of the base station 110 are referred to and described as O-DU and O-RU. However, this name does not constitute a limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. Of course, in Figures 3a to 9 In the described embodiment, the operations of DU 210 may be performed by O-DU 251. The description of DU 210 may be applicable to O-DU 251. Figures 3a to 9 In the described embodiment, of course, the operations of RU 220 may be performed by O-RU 253-1. The description of RU 220 may be applicable to O-DU 253-1.

[0053] Figure 3a A functional configuration of a distributed unit (DU) according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 3a The configuration illustrated in the example can be understood as a part of a base station Figure 2a DU 210 (or Figure 2b The terms used below, such as "...unit", "...device", etc., may refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software.

[0054] Reference Figure 3a , the DU 210 includes a transceiver 310 , a memory 320 , and a processor 330 .

[0055] The transceiver 310 may perform functions for sending and receiving signals in a wired communication environment. The transceiver 310 may include a wired interface for controlling direct connection between devices through a transmission medium (e.g., copper wire and optical fiber). For example, the transceiver 310 may send an electrical signal to another device through a copper wire, or may perform conversion between an electrical signal and an optical signal. The DU 210 may communicate with a radio unit (RU) through the transceiver 310. The DU 210 may be connected to a distributed core network or CU through the transceiver 310.

[0056] The transceiver 310 may also perform functions for sending and receiving signals in a wireless communication environment. For example, the transceiver 310 may perform a conversion function between a baseband signal and a bit string according to the physical layer standard of the system. For example, when sending data, the transceiver 310 generates complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit string. In addition, when receiving data, the transceiver 310 recovers the received bit string by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal. In addition, the transceiver 310 may include multiple transmit / receive paths. In addition, according to an embodiment, the transceiver 310 may be connected to a core network or other nodes (e.g., an integrated access backhaul (IAB)).

[0057] The transceiver 310 may send and receive signals. For example, the transceiver 310 may send a management plane (M-plane) message. For example, the transceiver 310 may send a synchronization plane (S-plane) message. For example, the transceiver 310 may send a control plane (C-plane) message. For example, the transceiver 310 may send a user plane (U-plane) message. For example, the transceiver 310 may receive a user plane message. Figure 3a Only the transceiver 310 is shown in FIG. 2 , but according to another implementation example, the DU 210 may include two or more transceivers.

[0058] The transceiver 310 transmits and receives signals as described above. Therefore, all or part of the transceiver 310 may be referred to as a "communication unit", "transmission unit", "reception unit" or "transmission / reception unit". In addition, in the following description, transmission and reception performed through a wireless channel are used to indicate the processing performed by the transceiver 310 as described above.

[0059] although Figure 3a Although not shown in the figure, the transceiver 310 may also include a backhaul transceiver connected to the core network or another base station. The backhaul transceiver provides an interface for communicating with other nodes in the network. In other words, the backhaul transceiver converts a bit string sent from the base station to another node such as another access node, another base station, an upper node, a core network, etc. into a physical signal, and converts a physical signal received from other nodes into a bit string.

[0060] The memory 320 stores data such as basic programs, application programs, setting information, etc. for the operation of the DU 210. The memory 320 may be referred to as a storage unit. The memory 320 may be configured with a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, or a combination of a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory. In addition, the memory 320 provides data stored according to a request of the processor 330.

[0061] The processor 330 controls the overall operation of the DU 210. The processor 380 may be referred to as a control unit. For example, the processor 330 sends and receives signals through the transceiver 310 (or through a backhaul communication unit). In addition, the processor 330 records and reads data in the memory 320. In addition, the processor 330 may perform the functions of the protocol stack required by the communication standard. Although Figure 3a Only the processor 330 is shown in FIG. 2 , but according to another implementation example, the DU 210 may include two or more processors.

[0062] Figure 3a The configuration of the DU 210 shown in FIG. 2 is only an example, and examples of DUs that implement embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Figure 3a In some embodiments, some configurations may be added, deleted or modified.

[0063] Figure 3b A functional configuration of a radio unit (RU) according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 3b The configuration illustrated in the example can be understood as a part of a base station Figure 2b RU 220 or Figure 2b The terms such as "...unit" and "...means" used hereinafter may refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software.

[0064] Reference Figure 3b , RU 220 includes an RF transceiver 360 , a fronthaul transceiver 365 , a memory 370 , and a processor 380 .

[0065] The RF transceiver 360 performs the function of transmitting and receiving signals through a wireless channel. For example, the RF transceiver 360 transmits the baseband signal through an antenna after up-converting the baseband signal into an RF band signal, and down-converts the RF band signal received through the antenna into a baseband signal. For example, the RF transceiver 360 may include a transmission filter, a reception filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a DAC, an ADC, etc.

[0066] The RF transceiver 360 may include multiple transmit / receive paths. In addition, the RF transceiver 360 may include an antenna unit. The RF transceiver 360 may include at least one antenna array configured with multiple antenna elements. In terms of hardware, the RF transceiver 360 may be configured with digital circuits and analog circuits (e.g., radio frequency integrated circuits (RFIC)). Here, the digital circuits and analog circuits may be implemented as one package. In addition, the RF transceiver 360 may include multiple RF chains. The RF transceiver 360 may perform beamforming. The RF transceiver 360 may apply beamforming weights to the signals to be sent / received so as to give directions according to the settings of the processor 380. According to an embodiment, the RF transceiver 360 may include a radio frequency (RF) block (or RF unit).

[0067] According to an embodiment, the RF transceiver 360 may send and receive signals on a wireless access network. For example, the RF transceiver 360 may send a downlink signal. The downlink signal may include a synchronization signal (SS), a reference signal (RS) (e.g., a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a demodulation (DM)-RS), system information (e.g., MIB, SIB, remaining system information (RMSI), other system information (OSI)), a configuration message, control information, or downlink data, etc. In addition, for example, the RF transceiver 360 may receive an uplink signal. The uplink signal may include a random access-related signal (e.g., a random access preamble (RAP)) (or message 1 (Msg1), message 3 (Msg3)), a reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS), DM-RS), or a power headroom report (PHR), etc. Figure 3b Only the RF transceiver 360 is shown in FIG. 2 , but according to another implementation example, the RU 220 may include two or more RF transceivers.

[0068] The fronthaul transceiver 365 may send and receive signals. According to an embodiment, the fronthaul transceiver 365 may send and receive signals on the fronthaul interface. For example, the fronthaul transceiver 365 may receive a management plane (M plane) message. For example, the fronthaul transceiver 365 may receive a synchronization plane (S plane) message. For example, the fronthaul transceiver 365 may receive a control plane (C plane) message. For example, the fronthaul transceiver 365 may send a user plane (U plane) message. For example, the fronthaul transceiver 365 may receive a user plane message. Figure 3b Only the fronthaul transceiver 365 is shown in FIG. 2 , but according to another implementation example, the RU 220 may include two or more fronthaul transceivers.

[0069] As described above, the RF transceiver 360 and the fronthaul transceiver 365 transmit and receive signals. Therefore, all or part of the RF transceiver 360 and the fronthaul transceiver 365 may be referred to as a "communication unit", "transmission unit", "reception unit" or "transmission / reception unit". In addition, in the following description, transmission and reception performed through a wireless channel are used to indicate the processing performed by the RF transceiver 360 as described above. In the following description, transmission and reception performed through a wireless channel are used to indicate the processing performed by the RF transceiver 360 as described above.

[0070] The memory 370 stores data such as basic programs, application programs, setting information, etc. for the operation of the RU 220. The memory 370 may be referred to as a storage unit. The memory 370 may be configured with a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, or a combination of a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory. In addition, the memory 370 provides data stored according to a request of the processor 380. According to an embodiment, the memory 370 may include a memory for conditions, commands, or setting values ​​related to the SRS transmission method.

[0071] The processor 380 controls the overall operation of the RU 220. The processor 380 may be referred to as a control unit. For example, the processor 380 sends and receives signals through the RF transceiver 360 or the fronthaul transceiver 365. In addition, the processor 380 records and reads data in the memory 370. In addition, the processor 380 may perform the functions of the protocol stack required by the communication standard. Although Figure 3b Only the processor 380 is shown in the figure, but according to another implementation example, the RU 220 may include two or more processors. The processor 380, which is an instruction set or code stored in the memory 370, may be an instruction / code or a storage space storing the instruction / code at least temporarily residing in the processor 380, or may be a part of the configuration processor 380 of the circuit. In addition, the processor 380 may include various modules for performing communication. The processor 380 may control the RU 220 to perform operations according to the embodiments to be described below.

[0072] Figure 3b The configuration of the RU 220 shown in FIG. 1 is only an example, and examples of the RU for performing the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Figure 3b In some embodiments, some configurations may be added, deleted or modified.

[0073] Figure 4 An example of functional division between DU and RU according to an embodiment is shown. With the development of wireless communication technology (for example, the introduction of the fifth generation (5G) communication system or the new radio (NR) communication system), the frequency band used has further increased. Since the cell radius of the base station is very small, the number of RUs that need to be further installed increases accordingly. In addition, in the 5G communication system, as the amount of data transmitted has increased significantly by more than 10 times, the transmission capacity of the wired network transmitted to the fronthaul has also increased significantly. Due to the above factors, the installation cost of the wired network in the 5G communication system may increase significantly. Therefore, in order to reduce the transmission capacity of the wired network and reduce the installation cost of the wired network, "functional division" can be used to reduce the transmission capacity of the fronthaul by transferring part of the functions of the DU's modem to the RU.

[0074] In order to reduce the burden on DU, the functions of RU, which is only responsible for existing RF functions, can be extended to some functions of the physical layer. As RU performs higher-layer functions, the throughput of RU increases, thereby improving the transmission bandwidth of fronthaul while reducing the delay time requirement constraints caused by response processing. At the same time, as RU performs higher-layer functions, the virtualization gain decreases, and the size, weight, and cost of RU increase. Considering the trade-offs of the above advantages and disadvantages, it is necessary to achieve the optimal functional division.

[0075] Reference Figure 4 , showing the functional division in the physical layer that is less than or equal to the MAC layer. In the case where the downlink (DL) sends a signal to the terminal through the wireless network, the base station can sequentially perform channel coding / scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, antenna mapping, RE mapping, digital beamforming (e.g., precoding), iFFT conversion / CP insertion, and RF conversion. In the case where the uplink (UL) receives a signal from the terminal through the wireless network, the base station can sequentially perform RF conversion, FFT conversion / CP removal, digital beamforming (pre-combination), RE demapping, channel estimation, layer demapping, demodulation, decoding / descrambling. The division of uplink functions and downlink functions can be defined in various types according to the above-mentioned necessity trade-offs between suppliers, standard discussions, etc.

[0076] In the first functional division 405, the RU performs the RF function and the DU performs the PHY function. As an example, the first functional division, that is, the PHY function in the RU is not basically implemented, can be referred to as option 8. In the second functional division 410, the RU performs iFFT conversion / CP insertion in the DL of the PHY function and performs FFT conversion / CP removal in the UL, while the DU performs the remaining PHY functions. For example, the second functional division 410 can be referred to as option 7-1. In the third functional division 420a, the RU performs iFFT conversion / CP insertion in the DL of the PHY function, performs FFT conversion / CP removal and digital beamforming in the UL, and the DU performs the remaining PHY functions. For example, the third functional division 420a can be referred to as option 7-2x category A. In the fourth functional division 420b, the RU performs digital beamforming in both DL and UL, and the DU performs upper layer PHY functions after digital beamforming. For example, the fourth functional division 420b can be referred to as option 7-2x category B. In the fifth functional division 425, the RU performs RE mapping (or RE demapping) in both DL and UL, and the DU performs upper layer PHY functions after RE mapping (or RE demapping). For example, the fifth functional division 425 can be referred to as option 7-2. In the sixth functional division 430, the RU performs modulation (or demodulation) in both DL and UL, and the DU performs subsequent upper layer PHY functions after modulation (or demodulation). For example, the sixth functional division 430 can be referred to as option 7-3. In the seventh functional division 440, the RU performs encoding / scrambling (or decoding / descrambling) in both DL and UL, and the DU performs subsequent upper layer PHY functions after modulation (or demodulation). For example, the seventh functional division 440 can be referred to as option 6.

[0077] According to an embodiment, in the case where a large amount of signal processing is expected, such as FR 1MMU, it may be necessary to perform functional division in a relatively high layer (e.g., the fourth functional division 420b) to reduce the fronthaul capacity. In addition, since functional division at an excessively high layer (e.g., the sixth functional division 430) can complicate the control interface and cause an implementation burden on the RU by including multiple PHY processing blocks in the RU, it may be necessary to perform appropriate functional division according to the deployment and implementation methods of the DU and RU.

[0078] According to an embodiment, in the case where precoding of data received from the DU may not be processed (i.e., in the case where the precoding capability of the RU is limited), the third functional division 420a or its lower functional division (e.g., the second functional division 410) may be applied. On the contrary, in the case where there is a capability to process precoding of data received from the DU, the fourth functional division 420b or its higher functional division (e.g., the sixth functional division 430) may be applied.

[0079] Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments in the present disclosure will be described based on the third functional partition 420a (which may be referred to as Category A (CAT-A)) or the fourth functional partition 420b (which may be referred to as Category B (CAT-B)) for performing beamforming processing in the RU. The O-RAN standard distinguishes the types of O-RUs according to whether the precoding function is located at the interface of the O-DU or the interface of the O-RU. An O-RU that does not perform precoding (i.e., low complexity) may be referred to as a CAT-A O-RU. An O-RU that performs precoding may be referred to as a CAT-B O-RU.

[0080] In the following, upper layer PHY refers to the physical layer processing processed in the DU of the fronthaul interface. For example, the upper layer PHY may include FEC encoding / decoding, scrambling, and modulation / demodulation. In the following, lower layer PHY refers to the physical layer processing processed by the RU of the fronthaul interface. For example, the lower layer PHY may include FFT / iFFT, digital beamforming, and physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering. However, the above standards do not exclude embodiments divided by other functions. Figures 5a to 9 The functional configuration, signaling, or operation may be applied not only to the third functional partition 420a or the fourth functional partition 420b, but also to another functional partition.

[0081] The embodiments of the present disclosure exemplarily describe when a DU (e.g., Figure 2a DU 210) and RU (e.g. Figure 2a When transmitting messages between RU 220 of the wireless router, eCPRI and O-RAN are used as the standards for the fronthaul interface. The Ethernet payload of the message may include an eCPRI header, an O-RAN header, and additional fields. The following will use the standard terms of eCPRI or O-RAN to describe various embodiments of the present disclosure, but other expressions with equivalent meanings to the terms may also be used to replace the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0082] In the transmission protocol of the fronthaul, Ethernet and eCPRI that are easy to share with the network can be used. The eCPRI header and the O-RAN header can be included in the Ethernet payload. The eCPRI header can be located at the front end of the Ethernet payload. The content of the eCPRI header is as follows.

[0083] 1)ecpriVersion (4 bits): This parameter indicates the eCPRI protocol version.

[0084] 2) ecpriReserved (3 bits): This parameter is reserved for further use of eCPRI.

[0085] 3) ecpriConcatenation (1 bit): This parameter indicates when eCPRI cascading is used.

[0086] 4) ecpriMessage (1 byte): This parameter indicates the type of service carried by the message type. For example, this parameter indicates an IQ data message, a real-time control data message, or a transport network delay measurement message.

[0087] 5) ecpriPayload (2 bytes): This parameter indicates the byte size of the payload portion of the eCPRI message.

[0088] 6) ecpriRtcid / ecpriPcid (2 bytes): This parameter is the eAxC (Extended Antenna Carrier (eAxC)) identifier (eAxC-ID) and is used to identify a specific data stream associated with each C-plane (ecpriRtid) message or U-plane (ecpriPcid) message.

[0089] 7) ecpriSeqid (2 bytes): This parameter provides unique message identification and ordering at two levels. The first octet of this parameter is a sequence ID that identifies the order of messages in the eAxC message stream, and the sequence ID is used to ensure that all messages are received and to reorder out-of-order messages. The second octet of this parameter is the subsequence ID. The subsequence ID is used to ensure and enable reordering when radio transmission level (eCPRI or IEEE-1914.3) fragmentation occurs.

[0090] The eAxC identifier (ID) includes a band and sector identifier ("BandSector_ID"), a component carrier identifier ("CC_ID"), a spatial stream identifier ("RU_Port_ID"), and a distributed unit identifier ("DU_Port_ID"). The bit allocation of the eAxC ID can be distinguished as follows.

[0091] 1) DU_port ID: DU_port ID is used to distinguish processing units in O-DU (e.g., other baseband cards). It is expected that O-DU will allocate bits for DU_port ID, and O-RU will attach the same value to UL U-plane (U-Plan) messages that convey the same sectionId data.

[0092] 2) BandSector_ID: aggregated cell identifier (distinguishing the frequency bands and sectors supported by the O-RU).

[0093] 3) CC_ID: CC_ID distinguishes the carrier components supported by the O-RU.

[0094] 4) RU_port ID: The RU_port ID specifies a logical flow such as a data layer or a spatial stream and a logical flow such as a signal channel that requires a special antenna allocation (eg, a separate parameter set (eg, PRACH) or SRS).

[0095] The fronthaul application protocol may include a control plane (C-plane), a user plane (U-plane), a synchronization plane (S-plane), and a management plane (M-plane).

[0096] The control plane can be configured to provide scheduling information and beamforming information through control messages. The control plane refers to real-time control between DU and RU. The user plane may include IQ sample data transmitted between DU and RU. The user plane may include the user's downlink data (IQ data or SSB / RS), uplink data (IQ information or SRS / RS) or PRACH data. The weight vector of the above beamforming information can be multiplied with the user's data. The synchronization plane generally refers to the traffic between DU and RU for a synchronization controller (e.g., IEEE master controller). The synchronization plane may be related to timing and synchronization. The management plane refers to non-real-time control between DU and RU. The management plane may be related to initial setup, non-real-time reset, or reset, and non-real-time reporting.

[0097] The messages of the control plane, i.e., C-plane messages, can be encapsulated based on a two-layer header method. The first layer can be configured with an eCPRI common header or an IEEE 1914.3 common header including a field for indicating the message type. The second layer is an application layer including fields required for control and synchronization. In the application layer, a segment defines the characteristics of U-plane data transmitted or received in a beam with one mode ID. The segment types supported in the C-plane are as follows.

[0098] The segment type may indicate the usage of the control message sent from the control plane. For example, the usage of each segment type is as follows.

[0099] 1) sectionType = 0: used to indicate unused resource blocks or symbols for DL ​​or UL.

[0100] 2) sectionType=1: used for most DL / UL radio channels. Here, "most" indicates channels that do not require time or frequency offsets, such as channels required by hybrid parameter set channels.

[0101] 3)sectionType=2: reserved for future use.

[0102] 4) sectionType = 3: PRACH and mixed parameter set channels. Channels that require time or frequency offset or different from the nominal SCS value.

[0103] 5)sectionType=4: reserved for future use.

[0104] 6) sectionType = 5: UE scheduling information. Send UE scheduling information so that the RU can calculate the real-time BF weight (O-RAN optional BF method).

[0105] 7) sectionType = 6: UE specific channel information transmission. UE channel information is sent periodically so that the RU can calculate the real-time BF weight (O-RAN optional BF method).

[0106] 8)sectionType=7: used for LAA support.

[0107] 9)sectionType=8: used for ACK / NACK feedback.

[0108] 3GPP's New Radio (NR) standard is the most recent fifth-generation data transmission method that supports various parameter sets according to frequency range (FR). That is, the supported parameter sets may vary according to the frequency band of the operating frequency. The parameter set indicates the subcarrier spacing (SCS) and symbol length in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system.

[0109] Due to the characteristics of OFDM, as the SCS increases, the length of the symbol becomes shorter. Conversely, as the SCS decreases, the length of the symbol becomes longer. The SCS is inversely proportional to the length of the symbol. The length of the symbol affects the length of the cyclic prefix (CP). The CP is inserted in front of the symbol to reduce the inter-symbol interference (ISI) caused by the time delay of the reflected wave. One time slot in the NR system can include 14 symbols. Each symbol can include a CP.

[0110] As the operating frequency increases, the straightness of the signal becomes stronger, so the delay caused by multipath decreases. Therefore, for OFDM systems with high operating frequencies, a relatively short symbol length is sufficient. In addition, the oscillator that generates the carrier frequency generates phase noise that causes the phase to fluctuate when generating high frequencies. Since the phase noise generates jitter on the time axis, a relatively short time unit is required to compensate for the jitter. Therefore, a large SCS and a short length of OFDM symbols are required at high frequencies.

[0111] FR 1 of 3GPP NR indicates a range from 410 megahertz (MHz) to 7125MHz. FR 2 of 3GPP NR indicates a range from 24250 megahertz (MHz) to 52600MHz. Recently, the 3GPP NR standard has been completed through Release 17, and the standardization of Release 18 is under discussion. 3GPP has agreed to support an additional frequency range from 52.6 gigahertz (GHz) to 71GHz (e.g., Frequency Range (FR) 2-2 of 3GPP NR). In addition, as an ultra-high frequency band, the terahertz band after millimeter wave (mmWave) is under discussion. The terahertz band is a frequency band range from 0.1THz (terahertz) to 1THz, and is intended to transmit large amounts of data over a short distance through visual communication.

[0112] The following parameter sets are supported in Release 17 of the current 3GPP NR standard.

[0113]

Table 1

[0114] μ <![CDATA[Δf=2 μ ·15[kHz]]]> Cyclic prefix 0 15 normal 1 30 normal 2 60 Normal, Extended 3 120 normal 4 240 normal 5 480 normal 6 960 normal

[0115] "μ" indicates a parameter set value. "Δf" indicates an SCS. "Cyclic prefix" indicates whether a cyclic prefix (CP) is a normal CP or an extended CP.

[0116] 15kHz (kilohertz) and 30kHz are supported in FR 1. 60kHz, 120kHz and 240kHz are supported in FR 2 (or FR 2-1). However, as an exception, the transmission of the synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block of FR 2 (or FR 2-1) uses 120kHz or 240kHz. However, another transmission (e.g., physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) and physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)) uses 60kHz or 120kHz.

[0117] According to the recently introduced FR 2-2, 480kHz and 960kHz are additionally supported as SCS starting from 3GPP Release 17. Therefore, according to the recent confirmation of support for ultra-high frequency band standards, the demand for more diverse hybrid parameter set services has increased. However, the current O-RAN standard still mentions that the maximum value of SCS is only 240kHz. Therefore, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a method for supporting additional SCS (e.g., 480kHz, 960kHz) on the O-RAN standard.

[0118] Figure 5a An example 500 of a control plane (C-plane) message according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 5a, "section Type = 3" (sectionType = 3) for PRACH and hybrid parameter set channel is shown. However, the segment type indication "3" is only one embodiment, and the segment extension type information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure does not exclude another segment type. According to another embodiment, the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to "section Type = 0" (sectionType = 0).

[0119] Reference Figure 5a , the C-plane message may include transport header (e.g., eCPRI header or IEEE 1914.3) information. The transport header may include "ecpriVersion", "ecpriReserved", "ecpriConcatenation", "ecpriMessage", "ecpriPayload", "ecpriRtcid / ecpriPcid", and "ecpriSeqid" as described above.

[0120] The C-plane message may include common header information. The common header information may include "dataDirection" indicating the data transmission direction of the base station (e.g., gNB), "payloadVersion" indicating the effective payload protocol version of the IE in the application layer, and "filterindex" indicating the index of the channel filter between the IQ data and the air interface used in both DL and UL.

[0121] The common header information may include information for indicating the location of the time resource to which the message can be applied. The location of the time resource may be indicated by a frame, a subframe, a time slot, or a symbol. The common header information may include a "frameId" indicating a frame number, a "subframeId" indicating a subframe number, a "slotId" indicating a time slot number, and a "startSymbolId" indicating a symbol number. The frame is determined based on a 256 modulo operation. The unit of the subframe is 1 millisecond (ms) and is included in a 10 millisecond frame. The time slot number is numbered in the subframe, and the maximum size may be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 depending on the parameter set.

[0122] The common header information may include a "numberOfsections" indicating the number of data segments included in the C-plane message. The common header information may include a "sectionType" that determines the characteristics of the U-plane data. The common header information may include a "timeoffset" that defines the offset from the start of the time slot to the start of the cyclic prefix (CP) as the number of samples (e.g., Ts=1 / 30.72 megahertz (MHz)). The common header information may include a "frameStructure" that defines the fast Fourier transform (FFT) / inverse FFT (iFFT) size and SCS. The common header information may include a "cpLength" that defines the CP length as the number of samples (e.g., Ts=1 / 30.72 megahertz (MHz)).

[0123] The C-plane message may include segment information. The segment information may include a "sectionId" representing a segment identifier. In the case of using the coupling of the C-plane and the U-plane through "sectionId", "sectionId" identifies a single data segment described by the data segment description in the C-plane message. The purpose of "sectionId" is to map the U-plane data segment to the corresponding C-plane message (and segment type) associated with the data. The segment information may include "rb" indicating whether to use each RB or each other RB, "symInc" indicating a symbol number increment command, "startPrbc" indicating the starting PRB number of the data segment description, "numPrbc" indicating the number of consecutive PRBs for each data segment description, "reMask" defining the RE mask in the PRB, "numSymbol" defining the number of physical random access channel (PRACH) repetitions or the number of symbols to which segment control is applied, "ef" indicating an extension flag, and "beamId" defining the beam mode to be applied to the U-plane data. The segment information may include "freqOffset", which defines the frequency offset of the carrier center frequency before additional filtering (e.g., in the case of PRACH) and FFT processing (e.g., in the case of UL), in units of half the SCS.

[0124] exist Figure 5a In the common header information, "frameStructure" included in the common header information defines the frame structure. "frameStructure" can indicate the FFT / iFFT size and SCS. For example, for the frame structure, the following table can be referred to.

[0125]

Table 2

[0126]

[0127] The first part of the "frameStructure" (e.g., the most significant bits (MSB) 4 bits) can indicate the "FFT Size" parameter. The "FFT Size" parameter defines the FFT / iFFT size used for all IQ data processing related to the C-plane message. The second part of the "frameStructure" (e.g., the least significant bits (LSB) 4 bits) can indicate the "μ" parameter. Considering the LTE standard (e.g., TS 36.211) and the NR standard (e.g., TS38.211), the "μ" parameter defines the number of time slots and SCS per 1 millisecond (ms). The "μ" parameter can be extended to apply to PRACH processing. At the same time, the provided "FFT Size" parameter is intended to facilitate calculation rather than strictly indicate the time-frequency conversion method of the RU.

[0128] For the "FFT Size" parameter, you can refer to the following table.

[0129]

Table 3

[0130] IE "FFT_size" value FFT / iFFT Size 0000b Retain (no FFT / iFFT processing) 0001b...0110b reserve 0111b 128 1000b 256 1001b 512 1010b 1024 1011b 2048 1100b 4096 1101b 1536 1110,1111b reserve

[0131] As described above, according to the introduction of FR 2-2, 480kHz and 960kHz are additionally supported as SCSs starting from 3GPP Release 17. In order to support various parameter sets of RU, DU can send a C-plane message to RU to indicate additional SCSs. For backward compatibility, the values ​​indicating 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz and 240kHz in the existing standards can be used equally. According to an embodiment, for the "μ" parameter, reference can be made to the following table.

[0132]

Table 4

[0133]

[0134] In addition to 15kHz, NR PRACH can also support 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, 240kHz, 480kHz, 960kHz, 1.25kHz and 5kHz. PRACH used in narrowband (Nb) Internet of Everything (IoT) can support 3.75kHz. LTE PRACH can support 15kHz, 7.5kHz and 1.25kHz. LTE PRACH can support 1.25kHz and 7.5kHz.

[0135] Table 4 includes support for 480kHz and 960kHz as SCS reflected in the current 3GPP Release 17 standard. However, according to the development of terahertz technology and the update of the 3GPP standard, in addition to 480kHz and 960kHz, additional SCS (e.g., 1920kHz, 3840kHz) may be supported. The additional SCS may be supported in FR 2-2, or may be supported as a frequency range defined by a future release (e.g., Release 18, 19, ...) (e.g., FR 2-3 (e.g., 71GHz to 100GHz) or FR 3 (e.g., greater than 100GHz)). For other SCSs, refer to the following table.

[0136]

Table 5

[0137]

[0138] Other parameter set values ​​(e.g., value #i) can indicate a new SCS (e.g., newSCS#i), a newly defined number of slots (e.g., Nslot#0), and a newly defined slot length (e.g., NewSlotLength#i) (i=0, 1, 2, 3, 4). For example, value #0, value #1, value #2, value #3, and value #4 can indicate 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the "μ" parameter, respectively.

[0139] Table 5 illustrates the value of the "μ" parameter for indicating five additional SCSs, but Table 5 only illustrates a mapping table according to SCS extension, and the description of Table 5 is not to be construed as a limiting embodiment. According to another embodiment, at least a portion of the value of the "μ" parameter shown in Table 5 may be omitted and processed as "reserved".

[0140] At the same time, according to another embodiment, the "μ" parameter of the C-plane message can adaptively use the mapping table according to the above Table 4 and the existing mapping table based on the supported frequency band. Based on the supported frequency band, using the existing mapping table can also be understood as an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the existing mapping table, refer to the following table.

[0141]

Table 6

[0142]

[0143] Figure 5b An example 550 of segment extension information according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 5b, the segment extension information for the hybrid parameter set information is shown. The C-plane message may include segment information and segment extension information. Here, the segment type of the segment information may be "5" or "6". That is, the C-plane message may be used for UE scheduling information (segment type = 5 (sectionType = 5)) or may be used for the transmission of UE-specific channel information (segment type = 6 (sectionType = 6)).

[0144] Reference Figure 5b , the section extension information may include an "extType" providing the extension type providing additional parameters. The section extension information may include an "ef" indicating whether there is another extension or whether the current extension field is the last extension. The section extension information may include an "extLen" providing the section extension length in units of 32-bit (or 4-byte) words.

[0145] The segment extension information may include "frameStructure" for indicating the frame structure. "frameStructure" defines the FFT / iFFT size and SCS. The segment extension information may include "cpLength". "cpLength" defines the CP length as the number of samples (e.g., Ts=1 / 30.72 megahertz (MHz)). The segment extension information may include "freqOffset". "freqOffset" defines the frequency offset of the carrier center frequency before additional filtering (e.g., in the case of PRACH) and FFT processing (in the case of UL), in units of half the SCS. At the same time, when the segment extension information is applied to segment type 6 ("sectionType=6"), the values ​​of "FFT size" and "cpLength" in frameStructure may be set to 0.

[0146] According to an embodiment, Tables 2 to 6 may be used for the frame structure indicated by the segment extension information. To support additional SCSs (eg, 480 kHz, 960 kHz), the frame structure may indicate the SCS, the number of slots per 1 ms subframe, and the slot length based on Tables 4 to 6.

[0147] exist Figure 5a to Figure 5b In the present invention, the frame structure for providing new SCS (for example, 480kHz and 960kHz) is described by the segment information of the C-plane message or the segment extension information of the C-plane message. Figures 6 to 9 In this article, the signaling between DU and RU, the specific operation of DU, the specific operation of RU and the signaling of DU will be described to identify SCS through the above frame structure.

[0148] Figure 6FIG. 4 shows an example of signaling between a DU and a RU supporting subcarrier spacing (SCS) through management plane messages and C-plane messages according to an embodiment. Figure 2a According to an embodiment, the DU 210 may include an O-DU 251. Figure 2a According to an embodiment, the RU 220 may include an O-RU 253.

[0149] Reference Figure 6 , in operation S601, the DU 210 may identify a frequency band. The DU 210 may identify a frequency band used for a radio access network (RAN) in the RU 220. According to an embodiment, the frequency band may be used to indicate whether an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz are available. For example, if the frequency band is related to a terahertz frequency, an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz may be used in the RAN. If the frequency band is not related to a terahertz frequency, an SCS corresponding to 480 kHz and an SCS corresponding to 960 kHz are not available in the RAN. For another example, if the frequency band is included in FR 1 or FR 2-1 of the NR standard, an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz are not available in the RAN. On the contrary, if the frequency band is included in FR 2-2 of the NR standard, an SCS of a frequency band of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz are available in the RAN.

[0150] According to another embodiment, the frequency band may be used to indicate a parameter set according to a frequency range, rather than simply indicating whether to use an SCS corresponding to 480kHz and an SCS of 960kHz. DU 210 may identify the frequency range of the identified frequency band. Depending on the frequency range, the available parameter set may change. For example, a first frequency range of the frequency band may be associated with a first set of parameter sets. The first set may include 15kHz, 30kHz, and 60kHz. The first frequency range may correspond to FR1 of the NR standard. In addition, for example, a second frequency range of the frequency band may be associated with a second set of parameter sets. The second set may include 60kHz, 120kHz, and 240kHz. The second frequency range may correspond to FR 2-1 of the NR standard. In addition, for example, a third frequency range of the frequency band may be associated with a third set of parameter sets. The third set may include 120kHz, 480kHz, and 960kHz. The third frequency range may correspond to FR 2-2 of the NR standard.

[0151] In operation S603, DU 210 may send a management plane message (hereinafter referred to as an M-plane message) to RU 220. DU 210 may generate an M-plane message based on the identified frequency band. According to an embodiment, DU 210 may generate an M-plane message based on the identified frequency band to indicate whether at least one SCS (e.g., 480kHz, 960kHz) designated to the RU is available. The M-plane message may include information about the frequency band. The M-plane message may include information indicating whether at least one designated SCS (e.g., 480kHz, 960kHz) is available. For example, the first value of the information may indicate that 480kHz and 960kHz are supported. The second value of the information may indicate that 480kHz and 960kHz are not supported. According to an embodiment, the M-plane message may send a set of SCSs that can be supported to the RU through the optional multi-vendor function of the O-RAN standard. For example, the "frequencyBand" information may be added as an "optional multi-vendor" item. For example, when the value of the "frequencyBand" information is 0, the "frequencyBand" information may indicate the current set of frequency band parameters. In case that a value of the 'frequencyBand' information is 1, the 'frequencyBand' information may indicate a high frequency band (eg, a terahertz frequency band) parameter set.

[0152] According to other embodiments, DU 210 may generate an M-plane message based on the identified frequency band to directly indicate the set of SCSs available to the RU, rather than indicating whether a specific SCS is used. According to an embodiment, the M-plane message may include information about the frequency band. The information about the frequency band may include the number of frequency bands or an index related to the frequency range to which the frequency band belongs. For example, multiple frequency ranges may be mapped to multiple indexes, respectively. The index of the M-plane message may be used to indicate the set of SCSs available to the RU. In addition, according to another embodiment, the M-plane message may include information for directly indicating the set of available SCSs. For example, multiple sets may be mapped to multiple indexes, respectively. The index of the M-plane message may be used to directly indicate the set of SCSs available to the RU.

[0153] In operation S605, the RU 220 may identify a support type. The support type refers to a set of SCSs available in the RU 220. According to an embodiment, the support type may indicate whether SCSs of 480kHz and 960kHz are available. A set of SCSs according to a first type may include 480kHz and 960kHz. A set of SCSs according to a second type different from the first type may not include 480kHz and 960kHz. According to another embodiment, the support type may indicate an SCS defined according to a frequency range (FR). For example, a first set of parameter sets may include 15kHz, 30kHz, and 60kHz. A second set of parameter sets may include 60kHz, 120kHz, and 240kHz. A third set may include 120kHz, 480kHz, and 960kHz.

[0154] In operation S607 , the DU 210 may transmit a C-plane message (hereinafter referred to as a C-plane message) to the RU 220 . The RU 220 may receive the C-plane message from the DU 210 .

[0155] In some embodiments, RU 220 may obtain segment information of a C-plane message. According to an embodiment, the segment information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure. According to an embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be "0". According to another embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be "3". The segment information including the frame structure may refer to Figure 5a Description.

[0156] In some embodiments, RU 220 may obtain segment extension information of a C-plane message. The segment extension information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure according to an embodiment. According to an embodiment, the type of the segment extension information (i.e., ExtType) may be "15". At this time, the segment type of the segment information coupled with the segment extension information may be "5" or "6". The segment extension information including the frame structure may refer to Figure 5b Description.

[0157] In operation S609, the RU 220 may identify the SCS value. The frame structure according to the embodiment may indicate the FFT / iFFT size and the SCS value to be used. In order to obtain the SCS value to be used from the bits of the frame structure, the RU may use a mapping table in which the relationship between the bits and the SCS values ​​is defined. The RU may obtain the SCS value to be used based on the mapping table. The mapping table may be identified based on the M-plane message of operation S603.

[0158] According to an embodiment, the RU may identify the mapping tables in Table 4 to Table 6 based on the setting values ​​included in the M-plane message. For example, if the index of the M-plane message indicates that the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are available, the RU may identify the SCS value based on Table 4. If the index of the M-plane message indicates that the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are not available, the RU may identify the SCS value based on Table 6. For another example, if the index of the M-plane message indicates a first value (e.g., Normal(0)), the RU may identify the SCS value based on Table 6. The first value may indicate that the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are not available. If the index of the M-plane message indicates a second value (e.g., TerahertzAvailable(1)), the RU may identify the SCS value based on Table 4. The second value may indicate that the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are available, and a new SCS (e.g., newSCS#i) different from the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz is not available. If the index of the M-plane message indicates a third value (eg, NewFrequencyAvailable(2)), the RU may identify the SCS value based on Table 5. The third value may indicate that the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are available, and the SCS of 480 kHz, the SCS of 960 kHz, and a new SCS (eg, newSCS#i) are available.

[0159] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment, the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are described as examples, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. An SCS different from the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz (e.g., 1920 kHz or 3840 kHz) may also be used in a frequency range (e.g., FR 2-2, FR 2-3 (e.g., 71 GHz to 100 GHz) or FR 3 (e.g., greater than 100 GHz)) or a frequency band additionally defined by the same technical principle.

[0160] Figure 7 FIG. 4 shows an operation flow of an RU for supporting SCS through M-plane messages and C-plane messages according to an embodiment. Figure 2a According to an embodiment, the RU 220 may include an O-RU 253.

[0161] Reference Figure 7 In operation S701, the RU may receive a management plane message (hereinafter referred to as an M-plane message). The M-plane message may include information about a frequency band. The information about the frequency band may be used to indicate whether to use at least one designated SCS (eg, 480 kHz, 960 kHz).

[0162] In operation S703, the RU may receive a control plane message (hereinafter referred to as a C-plane message). The C-plane message may include information for indicating an SCS value. The information for indicating an SCS value may be referred to as parameter set information. The RU may obtain bits corresponding to the parameter set information based on the C-plane message. These bits may indicate a specific SCS value.

[0163] According to an embodiment, the segment information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure. For example, the segment type of the C-plane message may be "0" (a segment type used to indicate an idle period or a protection period from a DU to a RU). In addition, for example, the segment type of the C-plane message may be "3" (a segment type used for a PRACH and a hybrid parameter set channel). The frame structure of the segment information may be used to indicate the FFT / iFFT size and the SCS. For example, the LSB 4 bits of the frame structure may indicate the SCS.

[0164] According to another embodiment, the segment extension information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure. The type of the segment extension information may be "15" (a segment extension type for beamforming based on UE ID). The segment type of the C-plane message may be "5" (a segment type for UE scheduling information) or "6" (a segment type for sending channel information for a specific UE ID). The segment extension information may be used to indicate the frame structure, FFT / iFFT size, and SCS. For example, the LSB 4 bits of the frame structure may indicate the SCS.

[0165] In operation S705, the RU may identify whether an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz are available. The RU may identify whether a frequency band supports an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz. The RU may identify whether an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz are available based on an M-plane message and a C-plane message. For example, a frequency band as a frequency band of an additional frequency range may be a high frequency band compared to a predefined frequency band. For example, the additional frequency range may correspond to FR 2-2 of 3GPP NR. FR2-2 of 3GPP NR supports an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz. For another example, the additional frequency range may correspond to a future frequency range of 3GPP NR (e.g., FR 2-3 (e.g., 71 GHz to 100 GHz), or FR 3 (e.g., greater than 100 GHz)).

[0166] The RU may identify the type based on the M-plane message. The type refers to the characteristics of the table used to interpret the bits related to the SCS. The type depends on whether the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz are available. If the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz are available, the RU may perform operation S707. If the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz are not available, the RU may perform operation S709.

[0167] In operation S707, if the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz are available, the RU may identify the SCS value based on the first type. The RU may obtain the SCS value corresponding to the bit related to the SCS based on the table corresponding to the first type. According to an embodiment, the RU may obtain information about the frame structure of the C-plane message. Based on Table 4, the RU may identify the SCS value corresponding to the LSB 4 bits of the information about the frame structure.

[0168] In operation S709, if the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz are not available, the RU may identify the SCS value based on the second type. The RU may obtain the SCS value corresponding to the bit related to the SCS based on the table corresponding to the second type. According to an embodiment, the RU may obtain information about the frame structure of the C-plane message. Based on Table 6, the RU may identify the SCS value corresponding to the LSB 4 bits of the information about the frame structure.

[0169] exist Figure 7 In FIG. 4 , two types are shown depending on whether the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are used, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, in addition to Table 4 and Table 6, when an additional SCS is defined, Table 5 may be used.

[0170] exist Figure 6 to Figure 7 In the example, the DU can first negotiate with the RU a set of possible parameter sets, i.e., possible SCSs, through information about the frequency band of the M-plane message. Afterwards, the DU can provide the RU with the SCS of the new frequency band by sending the frame structure using the C-plane message. Figures 8 to 9 In the following, a method for providing SCS of a new frequency band to RU through C-plane message without changing the M-plane will be described.

[0171] Figure 8 FIG. 4 shows an example of signaling between a DU and a RU supporting SCS through a C-plane message according to an embodiment. Figure 2a According to an embodiment, the DU 210 may include an O-DU 251. Figure 2a According to an embodiment, the RU 220 may include an O-RU 253.

[0172] In operation S801, the RU 220 may receive a control plane message (hereinafter referred to as a C-plane message) from the DU 210. The RU 220 may receive the C-plane message from the DU 210.

[0173] In some embodiments, RU 220 may obtain segment information of a C-plane message. According to an embodiment, the segment information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure. According to an embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be "0". According to another embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be "3". The segment information including the frame structure may refer to Figure 5a Description.

[0174] In some embodiments, RU 220 may obtain segment extension information of a C-plane message. The segment extension information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure according to an embodiment. According to an embodiment, the type of the segment extension information (i.e., ExtType) may be "15". At this time, the segment type of the segment information coupled with the segment extension information may be "5" or "6". The segment extension information including the frame structure may refer to Figure 5b Description.

[0175] In operation S803, the RU 220 may identify a frequency band. Depending on the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU, whether the SCS corresponding to the value of the parameter set information is supported may change. Therefore, when the value of the parameter set information is greater than or equal to the reference value, there may be a case where the frequency band does not support the SCS corresponding to the value of the parameter set information.

[0176] In the case where the value of the parameter set information is less than the reference value (e.g., "5" in Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6), the RU can identify the SCS value corresponding to the parameter set information. At this time, the RU can identify the SCS value corresponding to the parameter set information based on any mapping table in the stored mapping tables (e.g., Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6). However, in the case where the value of the parameter set information is greater than or equal to the reference value, the RU can identify whether the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz in the frequency band are available. That is, the frequency band can be used to indicate whether the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz are available.

[0177] In operation S805, RU 220 may identify an SCS value. RU 220 may identify whether an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz are available based on a frequency band. If the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are available, RU 220 may identify an SCS value corresponding to the parameter set information based on a mapping table (e.g., Table 5 and Table 6) defining the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz. If the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are not available, RU 220 may use a preset SCS value or a default SCS. Here, the preset SCS value refers to a value set by the M-plane. The default SCS refers to a value predefined within the frequency range of the frequency band.

[0178] As mentioned above, in Figure 8 In the present invention, by changing only the frame structure IE of segment type 3 (or segment type 0) or segment extension type 15 without changing the M plane, the SCS of the additional frequency band (or the frequency band of the additional frequency range) can be supported without negotiation in the M plane. The RU that can support the additional frequency band can identify the value of the parameter set information indicating the SCS that can be supported only in the additional frequency band. However, the RU that cannot support the additional frequency band may not be able to identify the parameter set information indicating the SCS that can be supported only in the additional frequency band. Therefore, the RU can discard or ignore the received parameter set information. Afterwards, the RU can send or receive signals on the wireless access network using the SCS value corresponding to the previously set parameter set or the default SCS value.

[0179] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 shows an operation flow of an RU for supporting SCS through C-plane messages according to an embodiment. Figure 2a According to an embodiment, the RU 220 may include an O-RU 253.

[0180] Reference Fig. 9 In operation S901, the RU may receive a control plane message (hereinafter referred to as a C-plane message). The C-plane message may include information for indicating an SCS value. The information for indicating an SCS value may be referred to as parameter set information. The RU may obtain a bit corresponding to the parameter set information based on the C-plane message.

[0181] According to an embodiment, the segment information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure. For example, the segment type of the C-plane message may be "0" (a segment type used to indicate an idle period or a protection period from a DU to a RU) or "3" (a segment type used for a PRACH and a hybrid parameter set channel). The frame structure of the segment information may be used to indicate the FFT / iFFT size and the SCS. For example, the LSB 4 bits of the frame structure may indicate the SCS.

[0182] According to another embodiment, the segment extension information of the C-plane message may include a frame structure. The type of the segment extension information may be "15" (a segment extension type for beamforming based on UE ID). The segment type of the C-plane message may be "5" (a segment type for UE scheduling information) or "6" (a segment type for sending channel information for a specific UE ID). The segment extension information may be used to indicate the frame structure, FFT / iFFT size, and SCS. For example, the LSB 4 bits of the frame structure may indicate the SCS.

[0183] In operation S903, the RU may identify the value of the parameter set information. For example, the RU may identify the value indicated by the 4 bits of the parameter set information. The value of the parameter set information may be greater than or equal to the reference value (e.g., "5" in Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6). Depending on the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU, whether the SCS corresponding to the value of the parameter set information is supported may change. Therefore, in the case where the value of the parameter set information is greater than or equal to the reference value, there may be a situation where the frequency band does not support the SCS corresponding to the value of the parameter set information. In order to prevent this situation, operation S905 may be performed.

[0184] In operation S905, the RU may identify whether an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz are available. The RU may identify whether the frequency band can support an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz. If the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are available, the RU may perform operation S907. For example, the frequency band as a frequency band of an additional frequency range may be a high frequency band compared to the predefined frequency band. For example, the additional frequency range may correspond to FR 2-2 of 3GPP NR. FR2-2 of 3GPP NR supports an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz. Meanwhile, if the SCS of 480 kHz and the SCS of 960 kHz are not available, the RU may terminate the operation. The RU may use a preset SCS value or a default SCS. Here, the preset SCS value refers to a value set by the M plane. The default SCS refers to a value predefined according to the frequency range of the frequency band.

[0185] In operation S907, the RU may identify an SCS value. The RU may identify an SCS value corresponding to a value of the parameter set information. For example, the RU may identify an SCS value corresponding to a value of the parameter set information based on a mapping table of Table 4.

[0186] exist Figures 8 to 9 In, with Figure 6 to Figure 7Different, a method for providing additional SCS through C-plane message without changing the M-plane is described. RUs that support additional defined frequency bands (e.g., in FR 2-2 of 3GPP NR) or additional frequency ranges (e.g., FR 2-2, FR 2-3 (e.g., 71 GHz to 100 GHz), or FR 3 (e.g., greater than 100 GHz)) can identify the SCS from a bit (e.g., the LSB 4 bits of the frame structure) of the C-plane message of the DU. However, RUs that do not support the additional defined frequency bands can recognize that the value corresponding to the bit corresponds to "reserved", can ignore the C-plane message, or can use the SCS according to a specified rule.

[0187] exist Fig. 9 In the example, after the value of the parameter set information is identified, it is shown whether the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz are available, that is, operation S905 is always performed. However, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the value of the parameter set information is less than the specified reference value (for example, "5" in Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6), it can also be understood that operation S905 is not performed. This is because, according to backward compatibility, regardless of the mapping table, a parameter set information value less than the specified reference value provides the same SCS.

[0188] When the SCS in the OFDM system changes, the length of the symbol period also changes. According to the NR standard, a time slot may include 14 symbols. Therefore, when the SCS changes, the length of the time slot also changes. Here, for an SCS of 15kHz or less, the symbol period may be determined based on 15kHz. The common header information of the C-plane message may include "startSymbolId". "startSymbolId" indicates the symbol number in the time slot of the earliest symbol to which the C-plane message information applies. The common header information of the U-plane message may include "startSymbolId" and "slotId". "startSymbolId" indicates the symbol number in the time slot of the earliest symbol to which the U-plane message information applies. "slotId" indicates the time slot number in a 1ms subframe. The above parameters "startSymbolId" and "slotId" may be determined based on the SCS. For example, the same position in the time domain may have the same frame number (e.g., frameId) and the same subframe number (e.g., subframeId). However, according to the SCS, positions in the time domain may correspond to slot numbers (eg, "slotId") different from each other and symbol numbers (eg, "startSymbolId") different from each other.

[0189] As the parameter set increases, the maximum number of time slots (Nslot) that can be included in a 1ms subframe can be 64. For example, the 'slotId' field can be configured with 6 bits. The value range of the 'slotId' field of the C-plane message or the U-plane message is from '00 0000b' to '11 1111b'. The 'slotId' field may include a bit string indicating a value from 0 to 63. Each of all values ​​in the 'slotId' field may be used to indicate one of the possible time slot numbers without reserving information.

[0190] For a given frequency range (e.g., FR 1, FR 2-1, or FR 2-2), the highest possible parameter set (i.e., maximum SCS) supported by the RU can be used as a common reference for each component carrier at the start of the timeslot identified by "slotId". The UL and DL of the same component carrier need to use the same reference parameter set for slotId. The symbol period and time position can be calculated based on the μ value (the SCS of the frame structure of the message field or the SCS configured through the M plane) and the slotId field of the C plane message or the U plane message. Therefore, according to an embodiment, timeslot indexing can be performed by using a hybrid parameter set in the frequency band of FR 2-2 based on the SCS of 960kHz.

[0191] According to an embodiment, a method performed by a radio unit (RU) may include receiving a control plane (C-plane) message including frame structure information from a distributed unit (DU) via a fronthaul interface. The frame structure information may include information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information. The method may include identifying a subcarrier spacing (SCS) based on the parameter set information. In the case where the parameter set information may be a specified value, the SCS is 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information may be another specified value, the SCS is 960kHz.

[0192] According to an embodiment, the method may further include receiving a management plane (M-plane) message including frequency band-related information from the DU through a fronthaul interface. The frequency band-related information may be used to identify an available type in the type of SCS set. The type of SCS set may include a first type including 480kHz960kHz and a second type not including 480kHz and 960kHz.

[0193] According to an embodiment, the identified SCS may correspond to a value of parameter set information based on a table conforming to the identified type.

[0194] According to an embodiment, in the case where the parameter set information has a specified value or other specified value, the identification of the SCS may include identifying the frequency band. The identification of the SCS may include identifying whether the frequency band supports 480kHz and 960kHz. The identification of the SCS may include: if the frequency band supports 480kHz and 960kHz, then identifying the SCS corresponding to the parameter set information based on a table including 480kHz and 960kHz. The identification of the SCS may include: if the frequency band does not support 480kHz and 960kHz, then identifying the SCS as a setting value. The setting value may be an SCS value set before receiving the C-plane message, or an SCS value defined as a default value.

[0195] According to an embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 3 for PRACH and hybrid parameter set channels, and the frame structure information may be included in the segment information of the C-plane message. Alternatively, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 5 for user equipment (UE) scheduling information or segment type 6 for sending UE channel information, and the frame structure information may be included in the segment extension information of the C-plane message.

[0196] According to an embodiment, a method performed by a distributed unit (DU) may include generating frame structure information including information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT), and parameter set information indicating a subcarrier spacing (SCS). The method may include sending a control plane (C-plane) message including the frame structure information to a radio unit (RU) via a fronthaul interface. In the case where the parameter set information is a specified value, the SCS may be 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information is another specified value, the SCS may be 960kHz.

[0197] According to an embodiment, the method may further include sending a management plane (M-plane) message including frequency band-related information to the RU through a fronthaul interface. The frequency band-related information may be related to available types in the types of SCS sets. The types of SCS sets may include: a first type including 480kHz and 960kHz and a second type not including 480kHz and 960kHz.

[0198] According to an embodiment, the SCS may correspond to a value of parameter set information based on a table conforming to the type.

[0199] According to an embodiment, the parameter set information may have a specified value or other specified value. In the case where the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU supports the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz, the SCS in the RU may correspond to the parameter set information. In the case where the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU supports the SCS of 480kHz and the SCS of 960kHz, the SCS in the RU may correspond to the set value. The set value may be an SCS value set before receiving the C-plane message, or an SCS value defined as a default value.

[0200] According to an embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 3 for PRACH and hybrid parameter set channels, and the frame structure information is included in the segment information of the C-plane message. Alternatively, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 5 for user equipment (UE) scheduling information or segment type 6 for sending UE channel information, and the frame structure information is included in the segment extension information of the C-plane message.

[0201] According to an embodiment, the electronic device of the radio unit (RU) may include at least one transceiver and at least one processor coupled to the at least one transceiver. At least one processor may be configured to control at least one transceiver to receive a control plane (C-plane) message including frame structure information from a distributed unit (DU) through a fronthaul interface. The frame structure information may include information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information. At least one processor may be configured to identify a subcarrier spacing (SCS) based on the parameter set information. In the case where the parameter set information may be a specified value, the SCS is 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information may be another specified value, the SCS is 960kHz.

[0202] According to an embodiment, at least one processor may be further configured to control at least one transceiver to receive a management plane (M-plane) message including frequency band-related information from the DU through a fronthaul interface. The frequency band-related information may be used to identify an available type in the type of the SCS set. The type of the SCS set may include a first type including 480kHz and 960kHz and a second type not including 480kHz and 960kHz.

[0203] According to an embodiment, the identified SCS may correspond to a value of parameter set information based on a table conforming to the identified type.

[0204] According to an embodiment, in order to identify the SCS, at least one processor may be configured to: identify the frequency band when the parameter set information has a specified value or other specified value. In order to identify the SCS, at least one processor may be configured to identify whether the frequency band supports 480kHz and 960kHz. In order to identify the SCS, at least one processor may be configured to: identify the SCS corresponding to the parameter set information based on a table including 480kHz and 960kHz when the frequency band supports 480kHz and 960kHz. In order to identify the SCS, at least one processor may be configured to identify the SCS as a setting value when the frequency band does not support 480kHz and 960kHz. The setting value may be an SCS value set before receiving the C-plane message, or an SCS value defined as a default value.

[0205] According to an embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 3 for PRACH and hybrid parameter set channels, and the frame structure information may be included in the segment information of the C-plane message. Alternatively, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 5 for user equipment (UE) scheduling information or segment type 6 for sending UE channel information, and the frame structure information may be included in the segment extension information of the C-plane message.

[0206] According to an embodiment, the electronic device of the distributed unit (DU) may include at least one transceiver and at least one processor coupled to the at least one transceiver. At least one processor may be configured to generate frame structure information, the frame structure information including information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or an inverse FFT (iFFT) and parameter set information indicating a subcarrier spacing (SCS). At least one processor may be configured to control at least one transceiver to send a control plane (C-plane) message including frame structure information to a radio unit (RU) via a fronthaul interface. In the case where the parameter set information may be a specified value, the SCS is 480 kilohertz (kHz). In the case where the parameter set information may be another specified value, the SCS is 960kHz.

[0207] According to an embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to send a management plane (M-plane) message including frequency band-related information to the RU through a fronthaul interface. The frequency band-related information may be related to an available type in the type of the SCS set. The type of the SCS set may include a first type including 480kHz and 960kHz and a second type not including 480kHz and 960kHz.

[0208] According to an embodiment, the SCS may correspond to a value of parameter set information based on a table that conforms to the type. According to an embodiment, the parameter set information may have a specified value or other specified value. In the case where the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU supports an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz, the SCS in the RU may correspond to the parameter set information. In the case where the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU supports an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz, the SCS in the RU may correspond to a set value. The set value may be an SCS value set before receiving a C-plane message, or an SCS value defined as a default value.

[0209] According to an embodiment, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 3 for PRACH and hybrid parameter set channels, and the frame structure information is included in the segment information of the C-plane message. Alternatively, the segment type of the C-plane message may be segment type 5 for user equipment (UE) scheduling information or segment type 6 for sending UE channel information, and the frame structure information is included in the segment extension information of the C-plane message.

[0210] The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0211] In the case of being implemented as software, a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured to be executed by one or more processors in an electronic device. One or more programs include instructions for causing the electronic device to execute the method according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure.

[0212] Such a program (software module, software) may be stored in a random access memory, a non-volatile memory including flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk storage device, a compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), an optical storage device (digital versatile disk (DVD) or other format), or a magnetic tape. Alternatively, it may be stored in a memory configured with a combination of some or all of them. In addition, multiple configuration memories may be included.

[0213] In addition, the program can be stored in a connectable storage device that can be accessed through a communication network (e.g., the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof). Such a storage device can be connected to the device that performs the embodiments of the present disclosure through an external port. In addition, a separate storage device on the communication network can also be connected to the device that performs the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0214] In the above specific embodiments of the present disclosure, the components included in the present disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural, depending on the specific embodiments presented. However, for ease of explanation, singular or plural expressions are appropriately selected according to the presented situation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components, and even components expressed in the plural may be configured as singular, or components expressed in the singular may be configured as plural.

[0215] While specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method performed by a radio unit RU, the method comprising: Receiving a control plane C-plane message including frame structure information from a distributed unit DU through a fronthaul interface, wherein the frame structure information includes information indicating a size of a fast Fourier transform FFT or an inverse FFTiFFT and parameter set information; and identifying a subcarrier spacing SCS based on the parameter set information, and in: In the case where the parameter set information is a specified value, the SCS is 480 kHz, and In the case where the parameter set information is another specified value, the SCS is 960 kHz.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a management plane M-plane message including frequency band related information from the DU via the fronthaul interface, wherein the information related to the frequency band is used to identify available types in the types of SCS sets, and The types of the SCS set include a first type and a second type, wherein the first type includes 480kHz and 960kHz, and the second type does not include 480kHz and 960kHz.

3. The method according to claim 2, in, The identified SCS corresponds to a value of parameter set information based on a table conforming to the identified type.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The identification of the SCS includes: identifying a frequency band if the parameter set information has the specified value or the other specified value, Identify whether the frequency band supports 480kHz and 960kHz; In a case where the frequency band supports 480 kHz and 960 kHz, identifying the SCS corresponding to the parameter set information based on a table including 480 kHz and 960 kHz; and In the case where the frequency band does not support 480kHz and 960kHz, the SCS is recognized as a setting value, and The set value is an SCS value set before receiving the C-plane message or an SCS value defined as a default value.

5. The method according to claim 1, in, The segment type of the C-plane message is segment type 3 for PRACH and hybrid parameter set channels, and the frame structure information is included in the segment information of the C-plane message, or The segment type of the C-plane message is segment type 5 for user equipment UE scheduling information or segment type 6 for sending UE channel information, and the frame structure information is included in segment extension information of the C-plane message.

6. A method performed by a distributed unit DU, the method comprising: Generate frame structure information including information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform FFT or an inverse FFT and parameter set information indicating a subcarrier spacing SCS; as well as sending a control plane C-plane message including said frame structure information to the radio unit RU via the fronthaul interface, and in: In the case where the parameter set information is a specified value, the SCS is 480 kHz, and In the case where the parameter set information is another specified value, the SCS is 960 kHz.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: Sending a management plane M-plane message including information related to the frequency band to the RU via the fronthaul interface, The information related to the frequency band is related to an available type in the type of the SCS set, and The types of the SCS set include a first type and a second type, wherein the first type includes 480kHz and 960kHz, and the second type does not include 480kHz and 960kHz.

8. The method according to claim 7, in, The SCS corresponds to a value of the parameter set information based on a table conforming to the type.

9. The method according to claim 6, in, the parameter set information has the specified value or the other specified value, Wherein, in the case where the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU supports an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz, the SCS in the RU corresponds to the parameter set information, Wherein, in the case where the frequency band of the operating frequency in the RU supports an SCS of 480 kHz and an SCS of 960 kHz, the SCS in the RU corresponds to a set value, and The set value is an SCS value set before receiving the C-plane message or an SCS value defined as a default value.

10. The method according to claim 6, in, The segment type of the C-plane message is segment type 3 for PRACH and hybrid parameter set channels, and the frame structure information is included in the segment information of the C-plane message, or The segment type of the C-plane message is segment type 5 for user equipment UE scheduling information or segment type 6 for sending UE channel information, and the frame structure information is included in segment extension information of the C-plane message.

11. An electronic device of a radio unit RU, comprising: at least one transceiver; as well as at least one processor coupled to the at least one transceiver, and Wherein, the at least one processor is configured to: Controlling the at least one transceiver to receive a control plane C-plane message including frame structure information from a distributed unit DU through a fronthaul interface, wherein the frame structure information includes information indicating a size of a fast Fourier transform FFT or an inverse FFTiFFT and parameter set information; and identifying a subcarrier spacing SCS based on the parameter set information, and in: In the case where the parameter set information is a specified value, the SCS is 480 kHz, and In the case where the parameter set information is another specified value, the SCS is 960 kHz.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to perform one of the methods of claims 2 to 5.

13. An electronic device of a distributed unit DU, the electronic device comprising: at least one transceiver; as well as at least one processor coupled to the at least one transceiver, and Wherein, the at least one processor is configured to: Generate frame structure information, the frame structure information including information indicating the size of a fast Fourier transform FFT or an inverse FFT and parameter set information indicating a subcarrier spacing SCS; and controlling the at least one transceiver to send a control plane C-plane message including the frame structure information to a radio unit RU via a fronthaul interface, and in: In the case where the parameter set information is a specified value, the SCS is 480 kHz, and In the case where the parameter set information is another specified value, the SCS is 960 kHz.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to perform one of the methods of claims 7 to 10.

Images