Enhanced energy efficiency information for network energy savings

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for enhanced energy efficiency information for network energy conservation and distribution and reception thereof. For example, a method may include identifying a plurality of own cell capabilities, the plurality of own cell capabilities includes an own cell capability that carries additional load without additional energy consumption, an own cell capability that carries additional load with additional energy consumption, and an own cell capability that reduces load with energy saving gain. The method may also include indicating energy costs of additional loads and energy savings of removed loads to neighboring radio access network nodes or operation and maintenance functions based on own cell capabilities. The method may also include receiving loading of cell traffic or offloading of cell traffic based on the indication of the energy cost of the additional load and the energy savings of the removed load.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to communications including mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or may relate to communications including other communication systems, including subsequent generations of the same or similar standards. For example, certain example embodiments may generally relate to enhanced energy efficiency information and its distribution and reception for network energy conservation. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to the next generation of radio systems and network architectures. 5G systems are primarily built on 5G New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRA radio. Starting with Release 18 (Rel-18), 5G is referred to as 5G Advanced. It is estimated that NR provides bit rates of approximately 10-20 Gbit / s or higher and can support at least service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robust low latency connectivity and large-scale networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more prevalent, the need for networks that can meet the demands for lower power consumption, low data rates, and long battery life will continue to grow. The Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) represents the RAN of 5G, which can provide both NR and LTE (and Advanced LTE) radio access. Note that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functionality to user equipment (i.e., similar to a Node B (NB) in UTRAN, or an evolved NB (eNB) in LTE) can be named a Next Generation NB (gNB) when built on an NR radio, and can be named a Next Generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on an e-UTRA radio. 6G is currently under development and is likely to replace 5G and 5G Advanced. Summary of the invention

[0003] One embodiment may relate to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program. The at least one memory and the computer program may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least identify its own cell capability, which includes at least one of its own cell capability to carry an additional load without additional energy consumption, its own cell capability to carry an additional load with additional energy consumption, or its own cell capability to reduce the load with energy saving gain. The at least one memory and the computer program may also be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to indicate at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy saving for removing the load to a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function based on its own cell capability. The at least one memory and the computer program may also be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive loading of cell traffic or unloading of cell traffic based on at least one indication of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy saving for removing the load.

[0004] One embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program. The at least one memory and the computer program may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive an indication of at least one of an energy cost for an additional load or an energy saving for removing a load from a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function based at least on the cell capabilities of the neighboring radio access network node. The at least one memory and the computer program may also be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine, based at least on the indication of at least one of an energy cost for an additional load or an energy saving for removing a load, to load a cell service to a neighboring radio access network or to unload a cell service from a neighboring radio access network. The at least one memory and the computer program may also be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to process cell services based at least on the determination.

[0005] One embodiment may be directed to a method. The method may include identifying own cell capabilities, the own cell capabilities including at least one of own cell capabilities to carry additional load without additional energy consumption, own cell capabilities to carry additional load with additional energy consumption, or own cell capabilities to reduce load with energy saving gain. The method may also include indicating at least one of energy cost for additional load or energy savings for removing load to a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function based on the own cell capabilities. The method may also include receiving loading of cell traffic or unloading of cell traffic based on an indication of at least one of energy cost for additional load or energy savings for removing load.

[0006] One embodiment may be directed to a method. The method may include receiving an indication of at least one of an energy cost for additional load or an energy saving for removing the load from a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function based on a cell capability of the neighboring radio access network node. The method may also include determining to perform loading of cell traffic to a neighboring radio access network or unloading of cell traffic from a neighboring radio access network based on the indication of at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing the load. The method may also include processing the cell traffic based on the determination.

[0007] One embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include a component for identifying a self-cell capability, the self-cell capability including at least one of the self-cell capability to carry an additional load without additional energy consumption, the self-cell capability to carry an additional load with additional energy consumption, or the self-cell capability to reduce the load with energy saving gain. The apparatus may also include a component for indicating at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for removing the load to an adjacent radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function based on the self-cell capability. The apparatus may also include a component for receiving a loading of a cell service or an unloading of a cell service based on an indication of at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for removing the load.

[0008] One embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include means for receiving an indication of at least one of an energy cost for additional load or an energy saving for removing the load from a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function based on the cell capabilities of the neighboring radio access network node. The apparatus may also include means for determining to perform loading of cell traffic to a neighboring radio access network or unloading of cell traffic from a neighboring radio access network based on the indication of at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing the load. The apparatus may also include means for processing the cell traffic based on the determination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a proper understanding of the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 The energy efficiency as a function of the daily data volume is illustrated;

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates a signal flow diagram in the context of exchanging energy efficiency information between radio access network nodes according to certain embodiments;

[0012] Figure 3illustrates a signal flow diagram in the case of exchanging energy efficiency information between radio access network nodes in a central unit and distributed unit split architecture according to certain embodiments;

[0013] Figure 4 illustrates a signal flow diagram in the context of exchanging energy efficiency information between a radio access network node and an operation and maintenance function according to certain embodiments;

[0014] Figure 5 A simplified graph illustrating the relationship between potential energy efficiency and the amount of data that a radio access node may construct to derive energy efficiency information according to certain embodiments;

[0015] Fig. 6A illustrates a method according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figure 6B illustrates a method according to some embodiments; and

[0017] Figure 7 An example block diagram of a system according to an embodiment is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, devices, and computer program products for providing enhanced energy efficiency information for network energy conservation and distribution and reception thereof is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but rather represents selected example embodiments.

[0019] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the appearance of the phrases "certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

[0020] Certain embodiments may have various aspects and features. These aspects and features may be applied alone or in any desired combination with each other. Other features, processes, and elements may also be applied in combination with some or all of the various aspects and features disclosed herein.

[0021] In addition, if desired, the different functions or processes discussed below can be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the described functions or processes can be optional or can be combined. Therefore, the following description should be regarded as illustrating the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, rather than limiting them.

[0022] Certain embodiments relate to enhancement of network energy saving in fifth generation (5G) communication systems.It may be beneficial to reduce the energy consumption of mobile networks, especially the RAN (which consumes the largest portion of the total energy consumption in the network).

[0023] Artificial intelligence (AI) and / or machine learning (ML) can be used in the radio access network (RAN) to provide energy savings. ML can benefit from being configured to provide suitable outputs and receive suitable inputs. Various aspects of the network architecture (including various interfaces) can be used to support the reception of such inputs and the distribution of such outputs.

[0024] For example, for AI / ML based network energy saving attempts, there may be input information from local RAN nodes, input from user equipment (UE), and input from neighboring next generation RAN (NG-RAN) nodes. Input from NG-RAN nodes may include current / predicted energy efficiency, current / predicted resource status, and current energy status, which may be active, high, low, or inactive. Other inputs are described in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Report (TR) 37.817.

[0025] The radio network may consider energy savings in terms of adaptation techniques for transmission and / or reception in the time, frequency, space and power domains, as well as potential support and / or feedback from the UE, such as UE assistance information, and information exchange / coordination through network interfaces (such as the interface between the UE and the RAN).

[0026] Currently, network energy saving can be achieved using various methods, which may include infrequent synchronization signal block (SSB) transmissions, such as an SSB period of 160ms, which may be considered in empty / low load situations in 5G non-standalone (NSA) deployments. These methods may also include micro-discontinuous transmission (DTX), which may involve turning off power amplifiers on a per-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol basis in symbols that do not carry data or signaling. Other methods may include turning off other components based on network architecture and capabilities, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) muting and / or transmit antennas in baseband circuit systems. In addition, other methods may include complete cell shutdown or cell shutdown, which may allow, for example, one or more cells to be shut down at a given frequency layer, and thereby shut down most of the hardware components of the corresponding radio unit and / or RAN site.

[0027] Some energy efficiency (EE) metrics, such as the ratio of data volume to energy consumption, gigabytes per kilowatt-hour (GB / kWh), or megabytes per watt (MB / W), may not reflect the cell load or the energy consumption used to support more or less load. Therefore, these metrics may be of limited use in deciding whether it is beneficial to offload a UE to a neighboring cell from an energy consumption perspective. For example, a load balancing scheme may attempt to move traffic to the most energy-saving cell.

[0028] Figure 1 The energy efficiency is plotted as a function of the amount of daily data. Figure 1 In , energy efficiency is expressed in GB / kWH and daily data volume is expressed in Gigabytes. Figure 1 In , each point represents a different site. Figure 1 For the example value of , the traffic will be offloaded to site B because site B has a higher EE than site A. On the other hand, moving the traffic to site A can be more beneficial because site A’s low EE is only due to low traffic, not low energy efficiency. In fact, in the example, site A is a new modern site, while site B is an older site with older hardware equipment and therefore poor energy efficiency.

[0029] Certain embodiments address the disadvantage that the EE may only be known for a given amount of data, but the behavior of the EE curve in case of increased or decreased traffic is unknown. The impact of differential traffic may not need to be the same for two gNBs with the same EE, as these impacts may depend on the gNB's capabilities, load, and other energy saving measures that the gNB may employ.

[0030] Certain embodiments determine and provide energy efficiency (EE) information related to energy savings or costs associated with adding or removing additional traffic (e.g., GB / Mbps) from a set of cells / gNBs. Such information may be expressed in terms of energy cost for additional load (e.g., energy cost per gigabyte) and energy savings for removing load (e.g., energy savings per megabyte). Such energy efficiency information may be exchanged between neighboring gNB nodes or between O&M and gNB nodes and may aid in energy saving decisions / strategies, such as decisions / strategies regarding loading / unloading traffic.

[0031] In one example, a gNB node may indicate to a neighboring gNB or an operations and maintenance (O&M or OAM) function the ability or capacity of the gNB's cell to carry additional load without additional additional energy consumption, such as an additional X GB / Mbps. This additional capacity may be because the gNB can utilize all unused bandwidth in the cell without turning on additional hardware. For example, an additional power amplifier (PA) system-on-chip (SoC), radio frequency interface (RFIC), or fan may not be required.

[0032] In another example, the gNB node may indicate to a neighboring gNB or OAM function the ability or capacity of the gNB's cell to carry additional load, such as additional X GB / Mbps, with additional additional energy consumption (e.g., x KWh). The additional energy consumption may be useful because the gNB may need to turn on additional hardware, such as additional PA / SoC / RIC / fan, or increase the power consumption of certain hardware elements, such as increasing fan speed, increasing the processor clock speed of the central processing unit (CPU), etc. The indication from the gNB node may be triggered by a request from a neighboring gNB.

[0033] In one example, the capacity cell sends this information to the OAM so that the OAM can decide the best strategy regarding whether to offload or load traffic to a given cell.

[0034] In one example, the gNB node can indicate to a neighboring gNB or OAM function the ability or capacity of the gNB's cell to reduce load, such as reducing Y GB / Mbps with an energy saving gain of y%. In one example, the capacity cell can send this information to OAM so that OAM decides the best strategy as to whether to offload traffic from a given cell. In one example, the coverage cell can provide this information with the goal of reducing traffic as much as possible. Thus, the indication from the gNB node can be triggered by a request from a neighboring gNB.

[0035] In one example, multiple energy savings values ​​and / or multiple energy cost values ​​per GB / Megabit per second (Mbps) may be provided at different increases / decreases in data volume (eg, different GB volumes or different data rates, such as different Mbps values).

[0036] While each value may be associated with a given set of hardware components to be turned on / off or activated / deactivated, the information provided may not provide such details given the associated energy saving techniques to be applied. Rather, the information provided may indicate whether adding or removing services is beneficial to energy results, and to what extent. Thus, the information may be provided for power saving purposes, rather than for explaining how energy savings are achieved. There may be no need to expose the actual ES policies that may be employed to neighboring nodes. For example, the gNB may not need to indicate whether power is saved or spent in any particular way: e.g. in the time domain at the slot / symbol / radio frame level, in the frequency domain at the physical resource block (PRB), bandwidth part (BWP), carrier level, or in the spatial domain (e.g. beam level). Even if more specificity is provided, the exact mechanism of power saving or spending may not need to be revealed.

[0037] In another example, there may be an AI / ML aspect. An estimated energy cost or energy savings per given load (e.g., per GB) may be determined, and such EE information may be exchanged between neighboring gNBs, or may be sent in advance from the gNB to the OAM. Since capacity cells may need to prepare for cell closure early enough, neighboring gNBs may only be able to provide such expected costs in order to carry the additional X load at the expected closure time. Therefore, after the offloading action is taken and the UE or a group of UEs are offloaded to the node, the actual cost or actual energy savings may be provided in feedback information. The group may correspond to a slice, cell area, or UE that meets certain conditions, such as UEs whose measured RSRP values ​​belong to a certain range, UEs offloaded from a certain cell to a given other cell, etc.

[0038] Figure 2 FIG. 1 illustrates a signal flow diagram for exchanging energy efficiency information between radio access network nodes according to certain embodiments. More specifically, Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the exchange of EE information between neighboring gNBs. This approach can be viewed as the proposed inter-gNB exchange of EE information.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the UE may be in a radio resource control (RRC) connected mode with the first cell gNB1 / cell 1. At 1, the first cell may request information about the energy cost per additional load of the second cell from the second cell gNB2 / cell 2, and may provide an estimated energy saving per reduced load on the first cell. The information may be for GB, Mbps and / or UE, UE type or UE group per unloaded / loaded. At 2, the second cell may respond with an estimated energy cost per additional load on the second cell. The information may be for GB, Mbps and / or UE, UE type or UE group per loaded.

[0040] At 3, the first cell may make a decision to perform offloading. As a result, at 4, the UEs may be offloaded to the second cell. The first cell may then determine the actual energy savings per offloaded UE. Additionally, at 6, the first cell may receive from the second cell an actual energy cost per additional load (such as per additional UE). At 7, the first cell may adjust the offloading strategy, for example by fine-tuning the strategy.

[0041] Figure 3A signal flow diagram of an example of exchanging energy efficiency information between radio access network nodes in a central unit (CU) / distributed unit (DU) split architecture according to certain embodiments is illustrated. The UE may initially be in RRC connection mode with a distributed unit of a first cell. At 1, the central unit of the first cell may send a request for information about the energy cost per additional load and provide an estimated energy saving per reduced load. At 1A, the CU of the second cell that receives the request may send a request for information to the distributed unit of the second cell. The request may be sent to more than one candidate cell that a given UE can be unloaded. In one example, the CU may need to calculate the probability that a given cell is a candidate for service unloading. It may then send the request to the cell that is most likely to carry the unloaded UE. At 2, the DU of the second cell may provide an estimated energy cost per additional load on the second cell, which may be communicated by the CU of the second cell to the CU of the first cell.

[0042] At 3, the CU of the first cell may make a decision to perform UE offloading to the most favorable cell (e.g., to the cell with the lowest energy cost). Thus, at 4, there may be a network energy saving action, i.e., the UE is offloaded to the second cell.

[0043] At 5A, the CU of the first cell may send a request for feedback to the DU of the first cell. At 5B, the DU of the first cell may respond with feedback including the actual energy savings for the reduced UEs. Similarly, in parallel, at 6A, the CU of the second cell may send a request for feedback to the DU of the second cell. At 6B, the DU may provide to the CU of the first cell and the CU may forward feedback including the actual energy cost per additional load. At 7, the CU of the first cell may adjust the offloading strategy, for example by fine-tuning.

[0044] therefore, Figure 3 The signaling diagram of the method in which EE information is exchanged between neighboring gNBs can be similar to Figure 2 method, but a CU / DU split architecture can be adopted.

[0045] Figure 4 FIG. 1 illustrates a signal flow diagram for exchanging energy efficiency information between a radio access network node and an O&M according to some embodiments. Figure 4 In the example, EE information is exchanged between the gNB and the O&M entity. In this example, the EE information can be associated with the network slice. However, it can be provided to other UE groups that meet certain conditions, such as UEs whose measured RSRP values ​​belong to a certain range, UEs that are offloaded from a certain cell to a given other cell, etc.

[0046] exist Figure 4In the example, the UE in slice A can be served by the first cell gNB1 / cell 1. Although this embodiment does not show the split CU / DU architecture, Figure 2 In contrast, this method can be Figure 3 Modified as shown.

[0047] exist Figure 4 At 1 in , the first cell may send to the OAM entity an estimated energy saving at reduced load for slice A. At 2, the second cell may similarly send to the OAM entity an estimated energy cost at additional load for slice A. The first cell and the second cell may also send opposite information: for example, the first cell may provide information about energy cost at additional load, and the second cell may provide information about energy saving at reduced load, e.g., for different slices.

[0048] At 3, the OAM entity can make a decision to perform UE offloading for a given slice. Therefore, at 4, one or more UEs of slice A can be offloaded from the first cell to the second cell. At 5, the second cell can notify Q&M of the actual energy cost per additional load for slice A. Similarly, at 6, the first cell can notify OAM of the actual energy savings per load in view of the offloaded slice. Finally, at 7, OAM can adjust the offloading strategy, for example by fine-tuning. In this example, the slice can also be replaced by a group of UEs that meet certain conditions, such as UEs whose measured RSRP values ​​belong to a certain range, UEs offloaded from a certain cell to a given other cell, etc.

[0049] Figure 5 A simplified diagram illustrating the relationship between potential EE and the amount of data that a radio access node (such as a gNB) can construct to derive energy efficiency information according to certain embodiments. The RAN node or OAM can construct this relationship based on the HW architecture and capabilities of the RAN node. Figure 5 The diagram in takes into account that EE can increase as the load increases, as long as the increase can be carried by the current HW. When additional HW activation is required, there may be a temporary drop in EE until the new HW is fully utilized, at which time the load can be increased again. Many HW components can have a static power consumption component and a variable power consumption component that depends on the load. The static power consumption (sometimes called the digital tax) needs to be paid in a typical implementation, even if there is no traffic or the traffic is very low. Therefore, considering that the digital tax is paid regardless of the load level, there is no additional energy consumption for fully utilizing the hardware. This situation can produce a flat maximum energy efficiency level. The sawtooth effect can be due to the fact that activating additional RF chains that are not fully utilized will temporarily reduce energy efficiency compared to fully utilizing fewer RF chains.

[0050] for Figure 5For the curve shown, it can be assumed that one RF chain consumes one unit of power just by turning it on, and has a capacity of 6 throughput units. Since one RF chain has a capacity of 6 throughputs, in order to increase the capacity above 6, another RF chain needs to be turned on. This next RF chain is also assumed to have a capacity of 6 throughputs. Figure 5 It is also assumed that the 25% additional power will be added linearly from 0% utilization to 100% utilization of the hardware. If the power consumption curve is not linear, there may also be internal load balancing of the hardware elements to optimize it further, such as by adjusting three RF chains to 75% utilization instead of adjusting two RF chains to 100% utilization and one RF chain to 25% utilization.

[0051] Fig. 6A A method according to certain embodiments is illustrated. The method may include, at 610, identifying a plurality of own cell capabilities, the plurality of own cell capabilities including a own cell capability to carry an additional load without additional energy consumption, a own cell capability to carry an additional load with additional energy consumption, and a own cell capability to reduce the load with energy saving gain. The method may also include, at 620, indicating to a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function an energy cost for the additional load and an energy saving for removing the load based on the plurality of own cell capabilities. The method may also include, at 630, receiving a loading of a cell service or an unloading of a cell service based on an indication of an energy cost for the additional load and an energy saving for removing the load.

[0052] The indication of the energy cost for additional load and the energy savings for removing load may include a plurality of increasing values ​​and a plurality of decreasing values.The indication of the energy cost for additional load and the energy savings for removing load may be provided for a particular time.

[0053] The method may further include determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment from offloading of cell traffic at 640. The method may further include reporting the actual energy savings to a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function at 650.

[0054] The method may further include determining an actual energy cost per incremental user equipment from the loading of cell traffic at 660. The method may further include reporting the actual energy cost to a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function at 670.

[0055] Figure 6BA method according to some embodiments is illustrated. The method may include, at 615, receiving an energy cost for additional load and an energy saving for removing the load from a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function based on a plurality of cell capabilities of the neighboring radio access network node. The method may also include, at 625, deciding to perform loading of cell traffic to a neighboring radio access network or unloading of cell traffic from a neighboring radio access network based on an indication of the energy cost for additional load and the energy saving for removing the load. The method may also include, at 635, processing the cell traffic based on the decision.

[0056] The indication of energy cost for additional load and energy saving for removing load may include multiple increasing values ​​and multiple decreasing values. The indication of energy cost for additional load and energy saving for removing load may be provided for a specific time. For example, the indication may be for the near future.

[0057] The method may include determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment from processing of cell traffic, at 645. The method may also include adjusting a loading strategy or an unloading strategy based on the actual energy savings, at 655. The network (e.g., controlling gNB or OAM) may derive errors or patterns from the reported estimated energy savings or energy costs for a given cell / gNB based on the actual reported values, and then at least partially compensate / correct these errors for the given cell / gNB.

[0058] The method may also include determining an actual energy cost per incremental user equipment from the processing of the cell traffic at 665. The method may also include adjusting a loading strategy or an unloading strategy based on the actual energy cost at 675.

[0059] The method may further include receiving a report of actual energy savings and actual energy costs from processing of cell traffic from a neighboring radio access network node or an operation and maintenance function at 685. The method may further include adjusting a loading strategy or an unloading strategy based on the report at 695.

[0060] Figure 7 An example of a system including an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is illustrated. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, a host, or a server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a network node, a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), a TRP, a HAPS, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR). In some example embodiments, for example, the apparatus 10 may be a gNB or other similar radio node.

[0061] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality (such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management, etc.). The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs via a mid-range interface (referred to as the F1 interface), and the (multiple) DUs may have one or more radio units (RUs) connected to the (multiple) DUs via a front-range interface. The DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of the gNB functionality, depending on the functional splitting option. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 7 Components or features not shown.

[0062] like Figure 7 As shown in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, for example, the processor 12 may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, or any other processing component. Although Figure 7 A single processor 12 is shown in the figure, but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the device 10 may include two or more processors, which may form a multi-processor system that can support multi-processing (e.g., in this case, the processor 12 may represent a multi-processor). In some embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0063] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including processes related to enhanced energy efficiency information for network energy conservation and its distribution and reception.

[0064] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12, and which is used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of the following: random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable media, or other suitable storage components. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program codes that, when executed by the processor 12, enable the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0065] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0066] In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for sending signals and / or data to and receiving signals and / or data from the device 10. The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to send and / or receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to (multiple) antennas 15, or may include any other suitable transceiver components. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BT-LE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Ultra Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via uplinks).

[0067] Thus, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15 and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input devices and / or output devices (I / O devices), or input / output components.

[0068] In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in or may form a part of a processing circuit system / component or a control circuit system / component. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in or may form a part of a transceiver circuit system / component.

[0070] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software that works together to cause a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuits and / or processors or portions thereof that operate using software but may not be present when the software is not required for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also encompass an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also encompass, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0071] As described above, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be a network element or a RAN node or may be a part thereof, such as a base station, an access point, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a TRP, a HAPS, an IAB node, a relay node, a WLAN access point, a satellite, etc. In an example embodiment, the device 10 may be a gNB or other radio node, or may be a CU and / or DU of a gNB. According to some embodiments, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be configured to execute any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein (such as Figure 1-6B In some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to perform processes related to providing enhanced energy efficiency information for network energy saving and its distribution and reception, as described herein.

[0072] Figure 7 An example of an apparatus 20 according to an embodiment is further illustrated. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a communication node, a mobile device (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, a mobile device, a mobile unit, a mobile device, a user device, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a tablet, a smart phone, an IoT device, a sensor or an NB-IoT device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and its applications (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and its applications (e.g., a robot and / or other wireless device operating in an industrial and / or automated processing chain environment), a consumer electronic device, a device operating on a commercial and / or industrial wireless network, etc. As an example, the apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0073] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include Figure 7 Components or features not shown.

[0074] like Figure 7 As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In practice, the processor 22 may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 7 A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the device 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0075] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0076] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22, and which is used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of the following: random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program codes that, when executed by the processor 22, enable the device 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0077] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0078] In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from the device 20 via an uplink. The device 20 may also include a transceiver 28 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDM symbols.

[0079] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25 and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the device 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0080] In one embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology such as NR.

[0081] According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in, or may form part of, processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in, or may form part of, transceiver circuitry.

[0082] As described above, according to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be a UE, a SL UE, a relay UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or a NB-IoT device, etc. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as Figure 1-6B One or more operations shown or described, or any other method described herein. For example, in one embodiment, the device 20 can be controlled to perform processes related to providing enhanced energy efficiency information for network energy conservation and its distribution and reception, as described in detail elsewhere herein.

[0083] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and / or apparatus 20) may include components for performing the methods, processes, or any variants discussed herein. Examples of such components may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program codes for causing the execution of any operations discussed herein.

[0084] In view of the foregoing, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages over prior art processes and constitute at least an improvement in the field of wireless network control and / or management technology. Certain embodiments may have various benefits and / or advantages. For example, certain embodiments may allow the network to obtain useful information about the impact of increases and decreases in load levels on energy efficiency. The provision of such information can guide energy saving decisions.

[0085] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, signaling diagram, algorithm, or flow chart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or code portions stored in a memory or other computer-readable or tangible medium and executable by a processor.

[0086] In some example embodiments, a device may include or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit or entity, which is configured to be executed by at least one operating processor or controller (multiple) arithmetic operations, or a program or program portion (including added or updated software routines). Programs (also referred to as program products or computer programs, including software routines, applets and macros) can be stored in any device-readable data storage medium and may include program instructions for performing specific tasks. A computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. One or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or code portion. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functions of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) added or updated software routines. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded to the device.

[0087] For example, software or computer program code or code portions may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such carriers may include recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and / or software distribution packages. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers. The computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0088] In other example embodiments, the functions of the example embodiments may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device, such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other hardware and software combination. In yet another example embodiment, the functions of the example embodiments may be implemented as a signal carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network, such as a non-tangible component.

[0089] According to example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for (multiple) arithmetic operations and / or an operating processor for performing (multiple) arithmetic operations.

[0090] The example embodiments described herein may apply to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in conjunction with describing certain embodiments. For example, an embodiment describing the operation of a single network node may also apply to example embodiments including multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be practiced with processes in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a different configuration than disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments.

[0092] Partial glossary:

[0093] BS: Base Station

[0094] BWP: Bandwidth Part

[0095] EE: Energy Efficiency

[0096] ES: Energy Saving

[0097] gNB: Next Generation NB

[0098] O&M: Operations and Maintenance

[0099] OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0100] RAN: Radio Access Network

[0101] PA: Power Amplifier

[0102] PRB: Physical Radio Block

[0103] RRC: Radio Resource Control Protocol

[0104] RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0105] PCI: Physical Cell ID

[0106] PRACH: Physical RACH Random Access Channel

[0107] RFIC: RF Interface

[0108] QoS: Quality of Service

[0109] SI: System Information

[0110] SIB: System Information Block

[0111] SoC: System on Chip

[0112] SS: Synchronous signal

[0113] SSB: Synchronization Signal Block

[0114] TX: Transceiver

[0115] RX: Receiver

[0116] UE: User Equipment

Claims

1. A device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: Identifying a capability of the own cell, the capability of the own cell comprising at least one of the following: a capability of the own cell to carry an additional load without additional energy consumption, a capability of the own cell to carry an additional load with additional energy consumption, or a capability of the own cell to reduce the load with energy saving gain; indicating, based on the own cell capabilities, to a neighboring radio access network node, or an operations and maintenance function, at least one of an energy cost for additional load or an energy saving for removing load; and Based on the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for removing the load, loading of cell traffic or unloading of cell traffic is received. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for the removed load comprises at least one of: a plurality of increasing values, or a plurality of decreasing values.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the energy cost is an actual energy cost or an expected energy cost, and the energy saving is an actual energy saving or an expected energy saving.

4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing load is provided for a time frame.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment resulting from offloading of traffic for said cell; and The actual energy saving is reported to the neighboring radio access network nodes, or to the operation and maintenance function.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining an actual energy cost per additional user equipment from the loading of traffic for the cell; and The actual energy cost is reported to the neighboring radio access network node, or the operation and maintenance function.

7. A device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: receiving, from a neighboring radio access network node, or an operations and maintenance function, an indication of at least one of an energy cost for an additional load or an energy savings for removing a load based on a cell capability of the neighboring radio access network node; determining to perform loading of cell traffic to the neighboring radio access network, or offloading of cell traffic from the neighboring radio access network, based on the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for removing the load; as well as Cell traffic is processed based on the determination.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for the removed load comprises at least one of: a plurality of increasing values, or a plurality of decreasing values.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing load is provided for a time frame.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the at least one memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment from said processing cell traffic; and At least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy is adjusted based on the actual energy savings.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the at least one memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: determining an actual energy cost per additional user equipment from said processing cell traffic; and At least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy is adjusted based on the actual energy cost.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the at least one memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: receiving from the neighboring radio access network node, or the operation and maintenance function, a report of at least one of actual energy savings or actual energy cost from processing cell traffic; and At least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy is adjusted based on the report.

13. A method comprising: Identifying own cell capabilities, where the own cell capabilities include at least one of the following: own cell capabilities to carry additional load without additional energy consumption, own cell capabilities to carry additional load with additional energy consumption, or own cell capabilities to reduce load with energy saving gain; indicating, based on the own cell capabilities, to a neighboring radio access network node, or an operations and maintenance function, at least one of an energy cost for additional load or an energy saving for removing load; and Based on the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for removing the load, loading of cell traffic or unloading of cell traffic is received.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for the removed load comprises at least one of: a plurality of increasing values, or a plurality of decreasing values.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the energy cost is an actual energy cost or an expected energy cost, and the energy saving is an actual energy saving or an expected energy saving.

16. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing load is provided for a time frame.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising: determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment resulting from offloading of traffic for said cell; as well as The actual energy saving is reported to the neighboring radio access network nodes, or to the operation and maintenance function.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, further comprising: determining an actual energy cost per additional user equipment resulting from the loading of traffic for the cell; as well as The actual energy cost is reported to the neighboring radio access network node, or the operation and maintenance function.

19. A method comprising: receiving, from a neighboring radio access network node, or an operations and maintenance function, an indication of at least one of an energy cost for an additional load or an energy savings for removing a load based on a cell capability of the neighboring radio access network node; determining to perform loading of cell traffic to the neighboring radio access network, or offloading of cell traffic from the neighboring radio access network, based on the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for removing the load; as well as Cell traffic is processed based on the determination.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for the removed load comprises at least one of: a plurality of increasing values, or a plurality of decreasing values.

21. A method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing load is provided for a time frame.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, further comprising: determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment from said processing cell traffic; as well as At least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy is adjusted based on the actual energy savings.

23. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 22, further comprising: determining an actual energy cost per additional user equipment from said processing cell traffic; as well as At least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy is adjusted based on the actual energy cost.

24. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 23, further comprising: receiving from the neighboring radio access network node, or the operation and maintenance function, a report of at least one of actual energy savings or actual energy cost from processing cell traffic; as well as At least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy is adjusted based on the report.

25. An apparatus comprising: A component for identifying own cell capabilities, wherein the own cell capabilities include at least one of the following: own cell capabilities to carry additional loads without additional energy consumption, own cell capabilities to carry additional loads with additional energy consumption, or own cell capabilities to reduce loads with energy saving gains; means for indicating to a neighboring radio access network node, or an operations and maintenance function, at least one of an energy cost for additional load or an energy saving for removing load based on the own cell capability; and Means for receiving loading of cell traffic or unloading of cell traffic based on said indication of said at least one of said energy cost for additional load or said energy savings for removing load.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for the removed load comprises at least one of: a plurality of increasing values, or a plurality of decreasing values.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 or 26, wherein the energy cost is an actual energy cost or an expected energy cost, and the energy savings is an actual energy savings or an expected energy savings.

28. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing load is provided for a time frame.

29. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25 to 28, further comprising: means for determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment resulting from offloading of traffic from said cell; as well as Means for reporting said actual energy savings to said neighboring radio access network nodes or to said operation and maintenance function.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25 to 29, further comprising: means for determining an actual energy cost per added user equipment of the loading from said cell traffic; as well as Means for reporting the actual energy cost to the neighboring radio access network node, or the operation and maintenance function.

31. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a neighboring radio access network node, or an operations and maintenance function, an indication of at least one of an energy cost for an additional load or an energy saving for removing a load based on a cell capability of the neighboring radio access network node; means for determining to perform loading of cell traffic to the neighboring radio access network, or offloading of cell traffic from the neighboring radio access network, based on the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy saving for removing the load; as well as Means for processing cell traffic based on the determination.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for the additional load or the energy savings for the removed load comprises at least one of: a plurality of increasing values, or a plurality of decreasing values.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 31 or 32, wherein the indication of the at least one of the energy cost for additional load or the energy saving for removing load is provided for a time frame.

34. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 33, further comprising: means for determining actual energy savings per reduced user equipment from said processing cell traffic; as well as Means for adjusting at least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy based on the actual energy savings.

35. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 34, further comprising: means for determining actual energy cost per added user equipment from said processing cell traffic; as well as Means for adjusting at least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy based on the actual energy cost.

36. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 35, further comprising: means for receiving from said neighbouring radio access network node, or said operation and maintenance function, a report of at least one of actual energy savings or actual energy cost from said processing cell traffic; as well as Means for adjusting at least one of a loading strategy or an unloading strategy based on the report.

37. A computer program product encoding instructions for executing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

38. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform the method of any one of claims 13 to 24.

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