Method for configuring timing parameter in communication system and apparatus therefor

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by a controller in a communication system may comprise: a step of receiving SCS capability information from each of a plurality of O-RUs; a step in which slotId setting capability information is received from each of the plurality of O-RUs; a step for generating slotId setting information on the basis of the received SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information; and a step in which the generated slotId setting information is transmitted to an O-DU and the plurality of O-RUs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for obtaining timing parameters of control / user plane configurations used as configuration units in a communication system. Background Art

[0002] As wireless communication systems develop and evolve into fourth-generation (4G) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) communication systems, etc., various functions and specifications are required. To meet such functions and specifications, various methods have been introduced. As one of them, a method of implementing a functional split network infrastructure has been introduced. As a representative configuration of the functional split method, a base station can be represented as a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU) according to functions, and interfaces of each unit are defined in organizations such as 3GPP and the O-RAN alliance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a method for effectively utilizing communication in a fronthaul or improving processing capacity in a method of configuring multiple cells or one or more shared cells.

[0005] Another technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a method for reducing resource waste and improving communication quality when performing communication in an O-RAN in a method of configuring a shared cell.

[0006] Solutions to the Problems

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by a controller in a communication system may include: receiving sub-carrier spacing (SCS) capability information from multiple O-RUs included in multiple cells or one or more shared cells; receiving slot identifier (slotId) setting capability information from the multiple O-RUs; generating slotId setting information based on the received SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information; and transmitting the generated slotId setting information to an O-DU and the multiple O-RUs.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the above SCS capability information includes information indicating which SCS each of the plurality of O-RUs supports, and the slotId setting capability information may include information indicating whether each of the plurality of O-RUs can change the slotId.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the step of generating slotId setting information based on the received SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information may include: identifying whether the slotId setting capability information of at least one O-RU among the plurality of O-RUs includes information indicating that the slotId can be changed; and when the slotId setting capability information of the at least one O-RU includes information indicating that the slotId can be changed, generating the slotId setting information based on the SCS capability information of the O-RU whose slotId setting capability information indicates that the slotId cannot be changed for the purpose of configuring a shared unit or improving the processing capacity of the DU.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the step of generating slotId setting information based on the received SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information may include: identifying whether the slotId setting capability information of at least one O-RU among the plurality of O-RUs includes information indicating that the slotId can be changed; and generating the sloId setting information of the at least one O-RU based on the communication quality of the above controller.

[0011] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a controller in a communication system includes: a transceiver; a memory; and at least one processor electrically connected to the transceiver and the memory, the at least one processor being configurable to respectively receive sub-carrier spacing (SCS) capability information from a plurality of O-RUs included in one or more shared cells or multiple cells, respectively receive slot identifier (slotId) setting capability information from the plurality of O-RUs, generate slotId setting information based on the received SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information, and transmit the generated slotId setting information to the O-DU and the plurality of O-RUs.

[0012] Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuration of the shared unit can be effectively performed or the processing capacity in the DU can be improved by uniformly setting the slotId of the O-RUs included in the shared unit or multiple units.

[0014] The effects according to the technical idea of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can clearly understand other effects not mentioned from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1a A wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 1b An example of a fronthaul structure based on function separation of a base station according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 A diagram showing an O-RAN network system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 The structure of a wireless communication system of O-RAN according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 A diagram showing the structure of an Ethernet message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5a and Figure 5b A diagram showing an example of a C-plane message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6 A diagram showing the structure of an O-RAN base station including an intermediate node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7 A table showing a slot ID index according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 8 A diagram showing a configuration method for setting a slot identifier (slotId) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 9a A diagram showing a method for performing fronthaul communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 9b A diagram showing a method for communicating through slotId setting according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 10a A diagram showing a first embodiment of applying slotId setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 10b A diagram showing a second embodiment of applying slotId setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 10c It is a diagram showing a third embodiment of an applicable slotId setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 10d It is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of an applicable slotId setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 11 It is a flowchart showing a method for setting a slotId according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 12 It is a diagram showing a method for communicating with an O-RU configured with multiple units through a slotId setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 13 It is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 14 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an intermediate node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 15 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an O-DU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 16 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an O-RU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail together with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] When describing embodiments of the present disclosure, if a detailed description of a related function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also, the following terms are defined by considering the functions in the present disclosure and may change according to the intention of the user, operator, or convention, etc. Therefore, they should be defined based on the entire content of this specification.

[0038] For the same reason, in the drawings, some structural elements can be shown in an exaggerated, omitted, or schematic manner. Additionally, the size of each structural element does not completely reflect the actual size. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or corresponding structural elements.

[0039] Advantages, features, and methods for implementing the present disclosure can be clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and the following multiple specific embodiments. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the multiple embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms. The multiple embodiments are only provided to fully illustrate the present disclosure and to fully inform those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong of the scope of the invention, and the scope of protection claimed by the present disclosure can only be defined according to the scope of the claims.

[0040] At this time, it can be understood that each block of the drawings showing the process flowcharts and combinations of the drawings of the process flowcharts can be executed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded into the processors of general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, or other programmable data processing devices. Therefore, the instructions executed by the processors of the computer or other programmable data processing devices generate means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can face the computer or other programmable data processing devices. Therefore, the instructions stored in this computer-usable or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item including instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Since the computer program instructions can also be loaded onto the computer or other programmable data processing devices, a series of action steps can be executed on the computer or other programmable data processing devices to generate a process executed by the computer. Thus, the instructions executed by the computer or other programmable data processing devices can also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0041] In addition, each block may represent a module, segment, or part of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). Additionally, it should be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the block may not be executed in sequence. For example, two consecutively illustrated blocks may actually be executed simultaneously, or the block may sometimes be executed in reverse order according to the corresponding function.

[0042] The term "~ unit or part" used in the present disclosure refers to a hardware structural element such as software or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The "~ unit or part" can be configured to perform a specific function. However, the "~ unit or part" does not mean being limited to software or hardware. The "~ unit or part" can also be configured to be located in an addressable storage medium and can also be configured to execute more than one processor. Therefore, as an example, the "~ unit or part" includes structural elements such as software structural elements, object-oriented software structural elements, class structural elements, and task structural elements, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided in the structural elements and the "~ unit or part" can be combined by a smaller number of structural elements and the "~ unit or part", or further separated into additional structural elements and the "~ unit or part". Moreover, the structural elements and the "~ unit or part" can also be implemented as more than one CPU in a regenerative device or a secure multimedia card. Additionally, in an embodiment, the "~ unit or part" can include more than one processor and / or device.

[0043] In multiple embodiments, the techniques described in the present disclosure and the systems and devices for implementing the techniques utilize not only wireless access technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA), LTE, GSM, and 5G NR, but also other wireless access technologies such as WiFi or WiMax to support communication modes between networks (or systems).

[0044] The following further describes multiple other embodiments and features according to the technical idea of the present disclosure. It should be clear that the teachings of this application can be implemented in a wide variety of forms, and any specific structure, function, or form disclosed in this application is only an example and is not restrictive. Based on the teachings of this application, those skilled in the art of this technology should understand that the forms disclosed in this application can be implemented independently of any other form, and two or more of these forms can be combined in various ways. For example, any number of the forms proposed in this application can be used to implement a device or implement a method. Additionally, this device can be implemented, or this method can be implemented, using forms other than one or more of the forms described in this application, or using other structures, functions, or structures and functions other than one or more of the forms. For example, for a method to be executed on a system, device, apparatus, and / or processor, or computer, it can also be implemented as part of a command stored in a computer-readable medium. Additionally, one form can also include at least one element of the claims.

[0045] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. At this time, it should be noted that in the drawings, the same structural elements are represented by the same symbols as much as possible. When it may cause confusion in the gist of the present invention, the detailed description of related well-known functions and structures will be omitted.

[0046] When describing the embodiments in this specification, the description of technical content that is well-known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and is not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to more clearly convey the gist of the present invention without obscuring the gist of the present invention by omitting unnecessary descriptions.

[0047] For the same reason, in the drawings, some structural elements are shown in an exaggerated, omitted, or schematic manner. Additionally, the dimensions of each structural element do not fully reflect the actual size. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or corresponding structural elements.

[0048] The advantages, features, and methods for achieving them of the present invention can be clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and multiple specific embodiments described hereinafter. However, the present invention is not limited to the multiple embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms. These multiple embodiments are only provided to fully disclose the present invention and to fully inform those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains of the scope of the invention, and the present invention can only be defined by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same structural elements.

[0049] At this time, it can be understood that each block of the accompanying drawings of the process flow chart and the combination of the accompanying drawings of the flow chart can be executed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be carried in the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing devices. Therefore, the instructions executed by the processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device will generate means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). In order to implement functions in a specific manner, these computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can face a computer or other programmable data processing device. Therefore, the instructions stored in this computer-usable or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured article including instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Since the computer program instructions can also be carried on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of action steps can be executed on the computer or other programmable data processing device, generating a process executed by the computer. Thus, the instructions executed by the computer or other programmable data processing device can also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0050] In addition, each block can represent a module, a segment, or a part of code including one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). Additionally, it should be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the block may not be executed in sequence. For example, two consecutively illustrated blocks can actually be executed simultaneously, or the block can sometimes be executed in reverse order according to the corresponding functions.

[0051] At this time, the term "~ unit" used in this embodiment refers to a hardware structural element such as software or FPGA or ASIC, and the "~ unit" can perform a certain role. However, the "~ unit" does not mean being limited to software or hardware. The "~ unit" can also be configured to be located in an addressable storage medium and can also be configured to execute more than one processor. Therefore, as an example, the "~ unit" includes structural elements such as software structural elements, object-oriented software structural elements, class structural elements, and task structural elements, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided in the structural elements and the "~ unit" can be combined by a smaller number of structural elements and "~ unit", or further separated into additional structural elements and "~ unit". Moreover, the structural elements and the "~ unit" can also be implemented as more than one CPU in a reprogrammable device or a secure multimedia card.

[0052] Hereinafter, the base station, which is the main body for performing resource allocation of the terminal, may be at least one of Node B, base station (BS), eNB (eNode B), gNB (gNode B), radio access unit, base station controller, or a node on the network. The terminal may include a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing communication functions. Moreover, the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applicable to other communication systems having a technical background or channel form similar to those of the embodiments of the present disclosure described below. Additionally, the embodiments of the present disclosure may, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, be partially modified and applied to other communication systems by the judgment of those skilled in the art.

[0053] In the following description, the terms used to identify an access node, the terms used to refer to a network entity or a network function (NF), the terms used to refer to a message, the terms used to refer to an interface between network entities, the terms used to refer to various identification information, etc. are exemplified for ease of explanation. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the terms described hereinafter, and other terms referring to objects having equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0054] Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, some terms and names defined in the 3rd generation partnership project long term evolution (3GPP), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and IEEE 802 project specifications may be used. However, the present invention is not limited to the above terms and names, and may also be equally applicable to systems according to other specifications.

[0055] Hereinafter, various embodiments according to the technical idea of the present disclosure will be described in detail in sequence.

[0056] The Open Radio Access Network Distributed Unit (O-RAN DU, O-DU) can be part of an O-RAN system, which is typically implemented by software. More specifically, the O-DU can be a logical node hosting the RLC / MAC I High-PHY layer based on the lower layer function division. The O-RU (O-RAN Radio Unit) can be a logical node hosting the RF processing and Low-PHY layer based on the lower layer function division. It can perform the function of transmitting and receiving radio signals, which is the most characteristic function of the "TRP" or "RRH" in 3GPP.

[0057] UE (User Equipment) is a device that enables users to access network services, such as a mobile phone.

[0058] The uplink (UL) refers to the traffic passing through different network structure elements from the UE to the network and from the O-RU to the O-DU. The interface from the UE to the O-RU is wireless, while the UL traffic from the O-RU to the O-DU can have various forms, such as wireless and wired (e.g., Ethernet connection).

[0059] The downlink (DL) refers to the traffic passing through network structure elements from the O-DU to the O-RU and from the network to the UE. The fronthaul interface from the O-DU to the O-RU can have various forms, such as wired and wireless (e.g., Ethernet), while the interface from the O-RU to the UE can be a wireless interface.

[0060] The O-RAN specification can include four planes: the user plane (U-plane), the control plane (C-plane), the synchronization plane (S-plane), and the management plane (M-plane).

[0061] The user plane (U-plane) can have the concept of IQ sample data transmitted between the O-DU and the O-RU.

[0062] The control plane (C-plane) particularly has the concept of referring to scheduling information, beamforming information transmission, and other real-time controls between the O-DU and the O-RU, and can be distinguished from the control plane of the UE.

[0063] The synchronization plane (S-plane) generally includes the configuration and information exchange of time and frequency synchronization methods, and can include other network elements in addition to the O-DU and the O-RU.

[0064] The management plane (M-plane) has the concept of representing non-real-time management actions on the O-RU. Such non-real-time management tasks can be performed bidirectionally by the O-RU and the O-RU controller, where the O-RU controller can reside in the O-DU or the Service Management and Orchestration System (SMO), or can exist as a separate device.

[0065] The M-plane interface is the link between the O-RU controller and the O-RU that exchanges non-real-time management information.

[0066] The section type is a delimiter for the C-plane message format and is composed of different data fields for purposes such as scheduling format, beamforming information configuration format, ACK / NACK indication response, LAA information exchange, etc.

[0067] The section extension data is mainly the selective additional information appended to the end of the section data in the C-plane message flowing from the O-DU to the O-RU, and can transmit additional real-time control information to support or achieve purposes that cannot be achieved in the conventional configuration format.

[0068] The shared cell can represent the operation mode of multiple O-RUs included in the same cell where there is more than one component carrier.

[0069] It can be distinguished as shown in Table 1 below according to whether each network element of the O-DU and the O-RU is multiple and the link (or data flow).

[0070]

Table 1

[0071] Distinguished according to the number of DUs and RUs and the configured cell type

[0072]

[0073] Without additional implementation and significant changes in the UE, starting from an allowable configuration, the UE basically does not identify in a way that distinguishes between shared cells and non-shared cells, but rather identifies them as existing cells. Therefore, regardless of the cell type, the nature of the cell remains one. When configured by multiple O-RUs, it is possible to minimize the interference between radio signals such as the broadcasting channel (e.g., System Information Block (SIB) 1 provided as a single layer within the cell) and control channels such as the group common PDCCH, thus having the advantage of providing an excellent propagation environment.

[0074] However, in the shared cell, some signals (such as the synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) and channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS)) can enable separate or grouped allocation of O-RUs to support positioning and selective operation. Therefore, a separate O-RU in the shared cell does not always intend to perform the same actions.

[0075] For the O-DU side, the operation principle of cell type 2A (shared cell) is basically the same as that of cell type 1. However, due to the configuration of multiple O-RUs, there will be differences in the expected performance of the cell and the requirements for cell configuration. For the radio signal quality aspect, the noise power proportional to the number of O-RUs in the uplink signal (UL signal) increases. For the message handling aspect, since all network entities are processed with a single message like cell type 1, it is necessary to copy the downlink directional message in the middle of the link between the O-DU and the O-RU and combine the uplink directional message. Among them, combination can be a concept including expressions such as sum, aggregate, and add. In O-RAN, the fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) or cascaded O-RU is defined as the network node responsible for this function.

[0076] In the FHM mode, the shared cell can be configured such that the FHM function is configured between at least one O-DU and multiple O-RUs. The FHM function can perform the copy and combination functions and can also support LLS fronthaul like a normal O-RU. Among them, combination can include all expressions such as combine, sum, aggregate, and add. Multiple O-RUs connected to the FHM can share a single cell and can be designed to be divided into multiple cells and shared by each group.

[0077] As an example of the cascade mode, it can be configured such that one O-RU is directly connected to the O-DU, and other O-RUs are connected to this O-RU in a series connection with each other.

[0078] Figure 1a A wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In Figure 1a it, as part of the nodes (nodes) using the wireless channel in the wireless communication system, the base station 110, the first terminal 120, and the second terminal 130 are shown. Figure 1aOnly one base station is shown, but it may also include one or more other base stations that are the same as or similar to base station 110.

[0079] Base station 110 is a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to terminals 120 and 130. Base station 110 has a coverage area defined as a specified geographical area based on the distance over which it can send signals. Base station 110 may be referred to by other terms such as "access point (AP)", "evolved Node B (eNodeB, eNB)", "5th generation node", "next-generation node B (gNB)", "wireless point", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", or other terms with an equivalent technical meaning in addition to "base station".

[0080] Terminals 120 and 130 are devices used by users, respectively, and communicate with base station 110 via a wireless channel. The link from base station 110 to the first terminal 120 or the second terminal 130 is referred to as the downlink (DL), and the link from the first terminal 120 or the second terminal 130 to base station 110 is referred to as the uplink (UL). In addition, the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 130 can communicate with each other via a wireless channel. In some cases, at least one of the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 130 can operate without user intervention. That is, at least one of the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 130, as a device for machine type communication (MTC), may not be carried by the user. Each of the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 130 may be referred to by other terms such as "user equipment (UE)", "customer premises equipment (CPE)", "mobile station", "subscriber station", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal", "electronic device", "user device", or other terms with an equivalent technical meaning.

[0081] In the past, in a communication system with a relatively large cell radius of a base station, each base station was configured to include the functions of a digital processing unit (or digital unit, DU) and a radio frequency (RF) processing unit (RF processing unit or radio unit, RU). However, with the use of high frequency bands in the fourth generation (4G) and / or subsequent communication systems and the reduction of the cell radius of the base station, the number of base stations for covering a specific area has increased, and the setup cost burden for the operator to set up the increased base stations has increased. To minimize the setup cost of the base station, the following structure has been proposed: the DU and RU of the base station are separated, one or more RUs are connected to one DU through a wired network, and one or more RUs distributed geographically are configured to cover a specific area.

[0082] Figure 1b Examples of a fronthaul structure based on the functional separation of a base station according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Different from the backhaul between the base station and the core network, the fronthaul refers to the link between the wireless local area network and the entity of the base station.

[0083] Referring to Figure 1b , the base station 110 may include a DU 160 and an RU 180. The fronthaul 170 between the DU 160 and the RU 180 may be operated through an Fx interface. To implement the operation of the fronthaul 170, interfaces such as an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI) and a radio over ethernet (ROE) may be used.

[0084] With the development of communication technologies, mobile data traffic has increased, thus greatly increasing the bandwidth requirements for the fronthaul between the DU and the RU. In a configuration such as a centralized / cloud radio access network (C-RAN), functions for the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical layer (PHY) can be implemented for the DU, and the RU performs functions for the PHY layer in addition to the radio frequency (RF) function.

[0085] The DU 160 can be responsible for the upper layer functions of the radio network. For example, the DU 160 can perform the functions of the MAC layer and a part of the PHY layer. Here, a part of the PHY layer refers to the functions of the PHY layer that are executed at a relatively higher stage, for example, it can include channel coding (or channel decoding), scrambling (or descrambling), modulation (or demodulation), layer mapping (or layer demapping). According to an embodiment, when the DU 160 complies with the O-RAN specification, it can be referred to as an O-DU (O-RAN DU). The DU 160 can be replaced and represented by the first network entity for the base station (e.g., gNB) in the embodiments of the present disclosure as needed.

[0086] The RU 180 can be responsible for the lower layer functions of the radio network. For example, the RU 180 can perform a part of the PHY layer and the RF function. Here, a part of the PHY layer refers to the functions of the PHY layer that are executed at a relatively lower stage than the DU 160, for example, it can include IFFT transform (or FFT transform), CP insertion (CP removal), and digital beamforming. Figure 4Examples of such specific functional separation are described in detail. RU180 may be referred to as an "access unit (AU)", "access point (AP)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", "remote radio head (RRH)", "radio unit (RU)", or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning. According to one embodiment, when RU180 complies with the O-RAN specification, it may be referred to as an O-RU (O-RAN RU). DU180 may be replaced, as needed, by a second network entity (e.g., another FHM) for a base station (e.g., gNB) in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0087] In the fronthaul communication between DU160 and RU180, RU180 needs to continuously perform radio transmission and reception as specified in 3GPP TS within the range of errors set for time and frequency resources (e.g., frequency time error, time alignment error, etc.). For this purpose, the network infrastructure needs to manage timing and latency for each network element. In particular, the DU and RU that perform physical layer signal processing require strict timing control and high accuracy. Functional split option 7 performs signal processing based on each symbol. Therefore, the IQ data corresponding to each symbol and its processing information need to be transmitted between DU160 and RU180 before a specified latency. The message arrival time point may have the relationship shown in the following formula determined by the transmit time point and the latency.

[0088] Transmit time point (window) + transport delay <= receive time point (window)

[0089] (Transmit window + transport delay <= receive window)

[0090] There is usually a fixed timing processing method for the DU that ensures sufficient margin for transmission delay based on the RU180 timing, and a dynamic timing processing method for the DU that uses the advantage of changing the message sending / receiving time point to additionally ensure time for the fronthaul transmission delay. This depends on the message timing management ability of the DU160 and is thus determined by the DU160. In the RU180, it is generally beneficial to process with the best resources within the shortest period. Therefore, the RU180 provides a delay profile according to a specified reference. Here, the reference can be sub-carrier spacing, bandwidth, fronthaul line rate, buffer depth, transport flow, etc. Since there are too many parameters between the DU160 and the RU180 for message delay management, it is generally expected to achieve optimization based on negotiation between vendors according to use cases rather than the convergence process based on general requirements and relationships. Even when using the dynamic timing processing method of the DU160, this means dynamic changes according to use cases and deployments, rather than dynamic changes for the dynamically changing delays in the configured cell. Of course, a semi-static response method can be extended while accompanying the degradation of services, but there are no significant advantages at present.

[0091] The O-RAN message timing is managed so that the DU160 and the RU180 can smoothly send and receive in the relationship of transport delay. The uplink combination function for the U-plane messages of the FHM and Cascade O-RU can perform actions according to ta3-prime-max based on the current reference timing ul = 0. Ta3-prime-max can be determined by considering Ta4-max in the DU and the fronthaul transport delay.

[0092] Figure 2 FIG. shows an O-RAN network system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In Figure 2Among them, the O-RAN network is a network that logically separates the functions of the existing eNB and gNB in 4G and 5G systems. In the O-RAN related standards, non-real-time (NRT)-RAN intelligent controller (RIC) 210, RIC 220 in O-RAN base station 200, O-CU-CP 230, O-CU-UP 240, O-DU 250, O-RU 260, etc. can be defined. NRT-RIC 210 is a logical node that can implement non-real-time control, optimization of RAN elements and resources, model training and update, etc. RIC 220 is a logical node that centrally configures servers in a physical location and can implement near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources based on the data collected from O-DU 250, O-CU-CP 230, O-CU-UP 240, etc. through the E2 interface. O-CU, including O-CU-CP 230 and O-CU-UP 240, is a logical node that provides the functions of radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP). O-CU-CP 230 is a logical node that provides the functions of the C-plane part of RRC and PDCP. O-CU-UP 240 is a logical node that provides the functions of the U-plane part of SDAP and PDCP. O-CU-CP 230 can be connected to the access and mobility management function (AMF) included in the 5G network (5G core) through the NGAP interface. O-DU 250 is a logical node that provides the functions of RLC, MAC, and high physical layer (high-PHY). O-RU 260 connected to O-DU 250 is a logical node that provides the functions of the low physical layer (low-PHY) and RF processing. In Figure 2 Among them, each logical node is illustrated as a single one, but multiple logical nodes can be connected to each one. For example, multiple O-RU 260 can be connected to one O-DU 250, and multiple O-DU 250 can be connected to one O-CU-UP 240.

[0093] The present invention is not limited by the names of the respective nodes described above. For a logical node or entity that performs the functions described above, the configuration of the present invention can be applied. Additionally, the above logical nodes can be located at the same physical location or different locations, and their functions can be provided by the same physical device (e.g., a processor, a control unit, etc.), or their functions can be provided by different physical devices. For example, the functions of at least one of the above-described logical nodes can be provided in a virtualized manner in one physical device. Hereinafter, the O-DU can be expressed in a manner mixed with the DU, and the O-RU can be expressed in a manner mixed with the RU.

[0094] Figure 3 The structure of a wireless communication system of an O-RAN according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The wireless communication system may include a base station 305 and at least one UE 330a, 330b,..., 330f. The base station may include a CU 310, at least one DU 315a, 315b, an FHM 320, and at least one RU 325a, 325b,..., 325f. Among them, the CU, DU, FHM, and RU may all be included in the base station, or may exist as entities with separate functions.

[0095] In one embodiment, the wireless communication system may be a radio access network (RAN) such as open-RAN. Generally, the RAN may include the connection between the network (including the base station) and the UE. The O-RAN may include the functions and structural elements in the RAN and can achieve interoperability with other functions or structural elements. Similar to the traditional RAN structure, the O-RAN may also use the CU / DU partitioning structure. The RU generally may have the functions of transmitting, receiving, amplifying, and digitizing radio frequency signals. In one embodiment, the RU may be located near the antenna and the DU. The CU may be located closer to the core network. The FHM may act as an interface between the RU and the DU and may multiplex or demultiplex the information received from the RU before providing the information to the DU. The CU 310, DU, FHM, and RU may be expressed as O-CU, O-DU, O-FHM, and O-RU, respectively.

[0096] In the O-RAN architecture, the shared unit structure may include an RU that combines the received I / Q samples before transmitting them from the RU to the DU. In the O-RAN architecture using CU / DU partitioning, two modes of structure can be defined.

[0097] The first mode is the FHM mode. The FHM 320 can search for I / Q samples and compression information through signaling from all the O-RUs 325a, 325b, 325c connected to itself. Multiple O-RUs are connected to the FHM, and each RU can be associated with or communicate wirelessly with more than one UE.

[0098] The second mode can be defined as the cascade mode (or cascade O-RU mode). The cascade O-RUs 325d, 325e can search for I / Q samples and compression information through messaging in the southbound node O-RU (e.g., the trailing O-RU, the downstream O-RU). The upstream O-RU combines the I / Q samples for transmission to the next RU or DU.

[0099] Figure 4 FIG. is a diagram showing the structure of an Ethernet message according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The destination media access control (MAC) address 400 of the header of the above Ethernet message can indicate the public address of the RU unit in the case of DL, and can indicate the public address of a specific port of the channel card of the DU (which can perform the actions of the MAC layer responsible for scheduling and the actions of the high physical layer (high-PHY), and convert the data format according to the interface between the RU and the DU) in the case of UL. The source MAC address 410 can indicate the RU in the case of UL, and can indicate the public address of a specific port of the channel card of the DU in the case of DL.

[0100] The virtual local area network (VLAN) tag 420 has a size of 4 bytes and can map C-plane, U-plane, or S-plane messages to different VLAN tags for management. The tag protocol identifier (TPID) included in the VLAN Tag 420 can be set to 16 bits and can be set to the value 0x8100 in order to identify frames through IEEE 802.1Q tagged frames. The field can be in the same position as the Ethernet type / length field in an untagged frame, and thus can be used to distinguish between untagged frames and ordinary frames. The tag control information (TCI) included in the VLAN Tag can also be set to 16 bits and can include the following three fields. The priority code point (PCP) can represent the priority of a frame with 3 bits. The drop eligible indicator (DEI) can be set to 1 bit and is used separately or in combination with the PCP, and can distinguish better frames if removed during traffic congestion. The VLAN identifier (VID) can be set to 12 bits and is the field indicating which VLAN a frame belongs to. All values other than the reserved values 0x000 and 0xFFF can be used as VLAN identifiers, and up to 4094 VLANs are allowed. The reserved value 0x000 indicates that the frame does not belong to any VLAN. In this case, 802.1Q only specifies the priority and can be referred to through a priority tag. Since Type / Length (Ethertype) is used for eCPRI, it can be set to the fixed value 0xAEFE.

[0101] As Figure 4 shown, the payload 440 can include messages according to the respective plane formats including the eCPRI header. For each of the above Figure 4 described fields or information content of the Ethernet message does not necessarily include all fields, and other fields can be omitted or / and added as needed to implement the present invention.

[0102] Figure 5a and Figure 5b are diagrams showing examples of C-plane messages according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5a shows the C-plane structure of section type 1, Figure 5b shows the C-plane structure of section type 3.

[0103] First, referring to Figure 5a each field of, the transport header 501 may include Figure 4 the eCPRI header shown in or information according to IEEE-1914.3. dataDirection 502 may indicate the direction of the U-Plane message, 0 may indicate UL, and 1 may indicate DL. filterIndex 504 indicates the channel filter of the RU and may be set to 0x1. frameId 506 may indicate a specific frame in units of 10 ms. SubframeId 508 may indicate a specific subframe in units of 1 ms in the corresponding frame. slotId 510 may indicate a specific time slot in the corresponding frame.

[0104] numberOfsections 514 may represent the number of sections indicated by the corresponding message. For SectionType 516, a C-plane message can only have one section type. In this example, it may represent section type 1. udCompHdr 518 may indicate the IQ bit width (bit) and compression method of the IQ data for all sections of the corresponding message. Specifically, the upper 4 bits (upper 4 bits) are used as iqWidth, indicating 1 to 16 bits, and the lower 4 bits (lower 4 bits) may be compMeth indicating the compression method. The above 502 to 518, as the application header 540 that can be commonly applied to the corresponding message, can be included in all C-plane messages in a similar structure.

[0105] The C-plane message of section type 1 may include information for any section. SectionID 522 indicates the section ID, which can be used for matching between the C-plane message and the U-plane message. rb 524 indicates which PRB to use, 0 indicates using all PRBs, and 1 may indicate using every other PRB. StartPrbc 526 is used to indicate the first PRB in the corresponding section, and numPrbc 528 may indicate the number of PRBs in the corresponding section. reMask 530 is a bit pattern indicating the RE (or subcarrier) corresponding to a specific beam in the corresponding PRB, and different beams can be applied to one PRB through reMask. numSymbol 532 may indicate the number of symbols corresponding to the corresponding section. The fields described above may be referred to as the section header 542 for each section.

[0106] In addition, the above C-plane message may include a section extension, and whether to include the section extension may be indicated by an extension flag (ef) 520. For the above Figure 5a The content of each field or information described above does not necessarily include all fields, and other fields may be omitted or / and added as needed to implement the present invention.

[0107] Reference Figure 5b , the transport header to sectiontype is the same as Figure 5a However, there are differences in the subsequent fields. Timeoffset 550, framestructure 552, cpLength 554, udCompHdr 556 are fields that can be confirmed in the C-plane of section type 3. Timeoffset 550 defines the time offset from the start of the time slot to the start of the cyclic prefix (CP). Framestructure 552 defines the frame structure, where the first 4 bits define the size of the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) / iFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform) for processing all IQ data related to the C-plane message, and the remaining 4 bits define the sub carrier spacing (SPS) and the number of time slots per 1 ms subframe. cpLength 554 represents the length of the cyclic prefix. udCompHdr 556 defines the compression method for user data in the data section and the in-phase, quadrature (IQ) bitwidth. Most of the remaining fields are Figure 5a similar, so the description is omitted.

[0108] Figure 6 FIG. is a diagram showing the structure of an O-RAN base station including an intermediate node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] Reference Figure 6 , the O-RAN base station (or network) 600 may include at least one O-DU 610a, 610b; intermediate nodes 620a, 620b; at least one O-RU 630a, 630b,..., 640f; and a controller 650.

[0110] Among them, at least one of the O-DUs 610a and 610b can also be referred to as a northbound node centered on the first intermediate node 620a. The intermediate nodes 620a and 620b can be referred to as FHM620a, Cascade FHM (not shown), or Cascade O-RU620B and used interchangeably. At least one of the O-RUs 630a, 630b, …, 640f can be referred to as a southbound node centered on the first intermediate node 620a and used interchangeably. The controller 650 can be in a form where its functions are included in the O-DUs 610a and 610b, and can exist as a separate device.

[0111] Reference Figure 6a. The controller 650 can communicate directly with at least one O-DU 610a, 610b; middle nodes 620a, 620b; and at least one O-RU 630a, 630b, ……, 640f. The controller 650 can communicate M-plane messages with at least one O-DU 610a, 610b. The controller 650 can communicate M-plane messages with the middle nodes 620a, 620b. At least one O-DU 610a, 610b can communicate C / U-Plane messages with the middle node 620a. At least one O-DU 610a, 610b can communicate C / U-Plane messages directly with at least one O-RU 630a, 630b, ……, 640f. The middle node can communicate with at least one O-RU included in at least one cell (cell#0, cell#1) 630a, 630b. The first middle node 620a can transmit M-plane and C / U-plane messages received from at least one O-DU 610a, 610b or the controller 650 to at least one O-RU 630a, 630b, ……, 640f. At this time, the first middle node 620a can copy (COPY) the same message and transmit it to the O-RUs included in the respective same cells. For example, the same message can be copied in the first middle node 620a and transmitted to O-RU#1 630a and O-RU#2 630b included in cell#0 630a respectively. Additionally, different messages can be transmitted from the first middle node 620a to cell#0 630a and cell#1 630b respectively. According to an embodiment, the second middle node 620b can be included inside the cell 630b. At this time, the second middle node 620b includes the southbound O-RU of the second middle node 620b, and can copy the message from the upper level and transmit it to the corresponding O-RU. For example, cell#1 630b includes the second middle node 620b, and the second middle node 620b can copy the data received from the first middle node 620a and transmit it to the southbound O-RU#5 640e and O-RU#6 640f.

[0112] Reference Figure 6, at least one of O-RUs 630a, 630b, ……, 640f can transmit U-plane messages to the first intermediate node 620a based on data received from the terminal. The first intermediate node 620a can combine the messages received from at least one of O-RUs 630a, 630b, ……, 640f. Herein, the combination can include all expressions such as combine, sum, aggregate, add. The first intermediate node 620a can combine the messages received from at least one of O-RUs 630a, 630b, ……, 640f and transmit them to at least one of O-DUs 610a, 610b. At this time, the first intermediate node 620a can combine the data received from the O-DUs included in the same cell. According to an embodiment, the intermediate node 620b can be included inside the cell 630b. At this time, the second intermediate node 620b can include an O-RU in the southbound of the second intermediate node 620b, combine the messages received from the corresponding O-RU, and transmit them to the upper level. For example, in cell#1630b, according to the cascade structure, the second intermediate node 620b can combine the data received from O-RU#5640e and O-RU#6640f located at the lower level and transmit them to the first intermediate node 620a as the upper level. Herein, the combination can include all expressions such as combine, sum, aggregate, add. The first intermediate node 620a can combine the data received from the second intermediate node 620b with the data received from O-RU#3640c and O-RU#4640d included in cell#1630b and transmit them to O-DUs 610a, 620b.

[0113] Figure 7 It is a table showing the slot ID index according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] Figure 7 Information on the mapping of the slot identifier (slotId) and symbol identifier (symbolId) supported by the O-RU can be shown according to the frequency range.

[0115] In the specified frequency range FR1710 or FR2720, the numerology with the highest support possibility by the O-RU can be used as a common reference for the start of the time slot identified by SlotId (for FR1 and FR2 respectively). In a communication system, the UL and DL need to use the same reference numerology for SlotId. When the highest numerology supported by the O-RU allows both normal CP and extended CP, the normal CP can be used as a reference. The symbol duration and time positioning can be calculated based on the μ value (configurable through the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the frame structure of the message field or the M-Plane) and the SlotId field of the C / U-Plane message. The value of the sectionId field of the C / U-Plane message specified by each eAxC address needs to be inherent for each time slot identified by the SlotId value.

[0116] Reference Figure 7 , FR1710 represents the case where the maximum SCS supported by the O-RU is 60 kHz. At this time, the maximum number of time slots in each subframe can be 4. Therefore, the slotId can be set to 0, 1, 2, 3, and 14 symbolIds can be mapped to each slotId. Additionally, when FR1710 supports 15 kHz, 30 kHz, and 60 kHz, the respective μ values are 0, 1, 2, and the slotId can be set to 0 / 0, 2 / 0, 1, 2, 3 respectively.

[0117] FR2720 represents the case where the maximum SCS supported by the O-RU is 240 kHz. At this time, the maximum number of time slots in each subframe can be 16. Therefore, the slotId can be set from 0 to 15, and 14 symbolIds can be mapped to each slotId. Additionally, when FR2720 supports 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz, the respective μ values are 2, 3, 4, and the slotId can be set to 0, 4, 8, 12 / 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 / 0, 1, 2, 3, ……, 15 respectively.

[0118] However, in this case, although both FR1710 and FR2720 support 60 kHz, the supported maximum SCS is different, so different slotIds can be set. For example, FR1 sets the slotId to 0, 1, 2, 3 at 60 kHz, while FR2 sets the slotId to 0, 4, 8, 12 at 60 kHz, thus setting the slotId in different ways.

[0119] For this case, in one embodiment, problems may occur when the shared cell includes the above O-RU. In the fronthaul communication between the O-DU and the O-RU, for the shared cell, the same setting information needs to be included in the message for transmission. However, when the O-RUs included in the shared cell include different frequency ranges (such as FR1, FR2), the O-DU needs to transmit the same message. However, due to different slotIds being set, there is a problem that the O-RUs with matching settings can perform actions, but the O-RUs with different settings fail to recognize the message and cannot perform actions.

[0120] In addition, for the case where it is not a shared cell, when the DU configures units for multiple O-RUs respectively to configure multiple units, in the case where no slotid matching each O-RU is set, it is configured in a unified manner, so that the processing capacity of the O-DU can be increased. Therefore, from the aspects of communication efficiency and reduction of computational load, a method for setting slotid is required in ordinary fronthaul communication.

[0121] In summary, in order to configure multiple units or shared cells in fronthaul communication, a method that can unify the slotId settings between O-RUs is required.

[0122] Figure 8 FIG. is a diagram showing a configuration method for setting a slot identifier (slotId) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] It is composed of Figure 8 controller 810, at least one O-DU 820, and at least one O-RU 830. The controller 810 is the same as or similar to the controller in Figures 1a to 6 and can be configured to exist as a separate entity or exist within the O-DU.

[0124] In step S801, the controller 810 may request SlotId setting capability information (capabilities on SlotId configuration) from at least one O-DU (or O-DUs) 820. When the O-DU 820 receives a request for SlotId setting capability information from the controller 810, it may transmit this information through an M-Plane message. According to another embodiment, the O-DU 820 may periodically transmit pre-set SlotId setting capability information to the controller 810.

[0125] In step S802, the controller 810 may request the supported SCS capability information (Capabilities on supported SCS) from at least one O-RU (or O-RUs) 830 of the configuration unit. When the O-RU 830 receives a request for the supported SCS capability information from the controller 810, it may transmit this information via an M-Plane message. According to another embodiment, the O-RU 830 may periodically transmit the pre-set supported SCS capability information to the controller 810. For example, for the Figure 7 O-RU of FR1710 in

[0126] the O-RU 830 may transmit information indicating that the O-RU 830 can support SCSs of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, and 60 kHz to the controller 810.

[0127] In step S803, the controller 810 may request the SlotId setting capability information (capabilities on SlotId configuration) from at least one O-RU 830 of the configuration unit. When the O-RU 830 receives a request for the SlotId setting capability information from the controller 810, it may transmit this information via an M-Plane message. According to another embodiment, the O-RU 830 may periodically transmit the pre-set SlotId setting capability information to the controller 810.

[0128] [Table 2]

[0129]

[0130] The Configurable-SlotId-Supported field can display information indicating whether the communication node can change the current slotId setting according to the indication of the controller. Among them, the information indicating whether the slotId setting can be achieved can be included in the YANG model in the form of a configurable-SlotId supported Flag (Boolean type=ture). The configurable-SlotId supported field includes the information of True when the slotId setting can be achieved, and includes the information of false when the slotId setting cannot be achieved. If it is false or the corresponding leaf does not exist in the message, the communication node will support the slotId value (slotId value) according to the current specification (for example, the slotId set according to the maximum SCS supported by the communication node).

[0131] The Configurable-slotId-granularity field can be information indicating the unit of the range to which the corresponding setting information is applied when the communication node sets the slotId. The Configurable-slotId-granularity field can be divided into the O-RU level (O-RU level), the transport-flow level (transport-flow level), and the endpoint level (Endpointlevel). The O-RU level means that in the data flow of an O-RU, one SlotId step is set according to each SCS. The transport-flow level means that in each transport flow (that is, each O-DU), one SlotId step is set according to each SCS. The endpoint level can mean that in each endpoint (that is, one data flow), one SlotId step is set according to each SCS.

[0132] In step S804, the controller 810 can determine whether the slotId setting can be achieved based on the slotId setting capability information and the supported SCS capability information received from the communication node (O-DU, O-RU) in steps S801 to S803. In addition, if the controller 810 determines that the slotId setting can be achieved, it can increase the value of the slotId value (slotId value) according to each SCS within one subframe. For example, the controller 810 can set the increased value of the slotId value as shown in Table 3.

[0133]

Table 3

[0134]

[0135]

[0136] The controller 810 can calculate the increased value of the slotId value according to each SCS based on Table 3, and the calculation method is as shown in the following mathematical formula.

[0137]

Mathematical formula 1

[0138] Step = 2 n , n = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4}

[0139] The controller 810 can generate SlotId setting information based on the above information. The SlotId setting information can be configured in the form shown in Table 4.

[0140]

Table 4

[0141]

[0142] The controller 810 can generate slotId setting information based on Table 4. Among them, the slotId increment can be determined according to Mathematical formula 2.

[0143]

Mathematical formula 2

[0144] SlotId increment = 2 n , n = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4}

[0145] For example, when the SCS is 60 kHz, if n = 0, then slotId = 0, 1, 2, 3 can be determined. When the SCS is 120 kHz, if n = 1, then slotId = 0, 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14 can be determined.

[0146] After the controller 810 receives the slotId setting ability information from multiple O-RUs, it can generate slotId setting information in such a way that the slotId setting of the O-RU capable of reporting slotId setting can be changed. For example, for a shared unit, if the first O-RU supports the slotId setting ability (True) while the second O-RU does not support the slotId setting ability (False), then the slotId setting information can be generated in such a way that the first O-RU changes the slotId setting. In addition, when multiple O-RUs all support the slotId setting ability and multiple units are configured, the O-DU can generate slotId setting information according to the SCS determined to be able to achieve the best communication.

[0147] According to an embodiment, different slotId setting information can be generated for the O-RU by considering the Configurable-slotId-granularity field received in steps S801 to S803.

[0148] In step S805, the controller 810 may transmit the SlotId setting information (slotIdconfiguration) set in step S804 to the O-DU820. The O-DU820 that receives the SlotId setting information may use the set slotId when communicating with at least one connected O-RU830.

[0149] In step S806, the controller 810 may also transmit the SlotId setting information (slotIdconfiguration) set in step S804 to at least one O-RU830 of the configuration unit. The O-RU830 that receives the SlotId setting information may use the set slotId when communicating with the connected O-DU830.

[0150] Figure 9a FIG. is a diagram showing a method of performing fronthaul communication in a shared unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9b FIG. is a diagram showing a method of communicating through slotId setting in a shared unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0151] Figure 9a and Figure 9b The O-DU910, intermediate node (FHM) 920, first O-RU940, and second O-RU950 of Figures 1a to 8 may be the same as the controller, O-DU, intermediate node, and at least one O-RU in Figure 9a and Figure 9b The O-DU910 in

[0152] Refer to Figure 9a, O-DU910 can perform fronthaul communication with multiple O-RUs 940 and 950 included in the shared unit 930 through an intermediate node (e.g., FHM) 920. Among them, problems may be caused because the SCSs supported by the first O-RU 940 and the second O-RU 950 included in the same shared unit are different. For example, the first O-RU 940 can support SCSs of 15 kHz and 30 kHz, and the second O-RU 950 can support SCSs of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, and 60 kHz. At this time, the SlotId for each O-RU is set according to the SCS with the largest supported size. Therefore, for the first O-RU 940, the slotId 960 of SCS 30 kHz is determined to be 0 and 1, and the SlotId 970 of SCS 30 kHz of the second O-RU 950 is determined to be 0 and 2. However, O-DU910 cannot send different slotIds to the first O-RU 940 and the second O-RU 950 included in the same shared unit (violating the copy action), so the shared unit cannot be configured according to the current specification.

[0153] Figure 9b An example of fronthaul communication using a unified slotId set by slotId according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0154] Refer to Figure 9b , O-DU915 can perform fronthaul communication with multiple O-RUs 945 and 955 included in the shared unit 935 through an intermediate node (e.g., FHM) 925. Among them, problems may be caused because the SCSs supported by the third O-RU 945 and the fourth O-RU 955 included in the same shared unit are different as Figure 9a shown. However, the slotId setting can be performed based on the method described in Figure 8 . O-DU915 can receive the supported SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information from each of the O-RUs 945 and 955. O-DU915 can generate slotId setting information based on the received SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information. In Figure 9bIn [the context], slot ID setting information can be generated in such a way that the slot ID matches the 30 kHz shared unit or 30 kHz, which is the maximum SCS supported by the third O-RU 945, and is set to 0 or 1. The O-DU 915 can transmit the generated slot ID setting information to each of the O-RUs 945 and 955 via the intermediate node 925. Since the third O-RU 945 has the same slot ID setting as its existing one, subsequent actions on the message can be performed. The fourth O-RU 955 has the ability to set its own slot ID, and the received slot ID setting is included in the supported SCS. Therefore, like the third O-RU, it can change the slot ID setting in such a way that the slot ID is set to 0 or 1. Thereafter, the O-DU 915 can transmit the same message to the multiple O-RUs 945 and 955 included in the shared unit 935. The multiple O-RUs 945 and 955 with the slot ID unified according to the slot ID setting can receive the message from the O-DU and perform actions.

[0155] Figure 10a FIG. [X] is a diagram showing a first embodiment of applying slot ID setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10b FIG. [X] is a diagram showing a second embodiment of applying slot ID setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10c FIG. [X] is a diagram showing a third embodiment of applying slot ID setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10d FIG. [X] is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of applying slot ID setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0156] Figures 10a to 10d The O-RU in [the figure] can be the same as the O-RU in FIGS. 1 to Figure 9b [the figure].

[0157] Refer to Figure 10a, the first O-RU and the second O-RU are included in the same shared unit. The first O-RU supports SCSs of 15 kHz and 30 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 30 kHz, for the slotId 1010a of 30 kHz, it can be configured as 0 or 1. The second O-RU supports SCSs of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, and 60 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 60 kHz, for the slotId 1020a of 30 kHz, it can be configured as 0 or 2. At this time, it may be in a state where slotId setting is required. Therefore, each O-RU can transmit slotId setting capability information and supported SCS information to the controller and receive slotId setting information from the controller. As the first method, there is a way for the first O-RU to change the slotId setting. This situation may be equivalent to the case where the second O-RU does not support slotId change. At this time, the first O-RU can change the slotId setting 1010b of 30 kHz to 0 or 2. As the second method, there is a way for the second O-RU to change the slotId setting. This situation may be equivalent to the case where the first O-RU does not support slotId change or the shared unit is configured for 30 kHz. At this time, the second O-RU can change the slotId setting 1020b of 30 kHz to 0 or 1.

[0158] Reference Figure 10b, the third O-RU and the fourth O-RU are included in the same shared unit. The third O-RU supports SCSs of 60 kHz and 120 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 120 kHz, for the slotId of 60 kHz, it can be configured as 0, 2, 4, 8, and for the slotId1030a of 120 kHz, it can be configured from 0 to 7. The fourth O-RU supports SCSs of 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 240 kHz, for the slotId1040a of 60 kHz, it can be configured as 0, 4, 8, 12, and for the slotId of 120 kHz, it can be configured as 0, 2, 4, ……, 14. At this time, it may be in a state where slotId settings are required. Therefore, each O-RU can transmit slotId setting capability information and supported SCS information to the controller and receive slotId setting information. As a first method, there is a way for the third O-RU to change the slotId setting. This situation may be equivalent to the case where the fourth O-RU does not support slotId change. At this time, the third O-RU can change the slotId setting 1030b of 60 kHz to 0, 4, 8, 12, and change the slotId setting of 120 kHz to 0, 2, 4, ……, 14. As a second method, there is a way for the fourth O-RU to change the slotId setting. This situation may be equivalent to the case where the third O-RU does not support slotId change or the shared unit is configured with 120 kHz. At this time, the fourth O-RU can change the slotId setting 1040b of 60 kHz to 0, 2, 4, 8, and change the slotId setting of 120 kHz to 0 to 7.

[0159] Reference Figure 10c , the third O-RU and the fourth O-RU are included in the same shared unit. Figure 10c It is shown in a similar way to Figure 10bIn the case of, a method for setting the slotId by other means. The third O-RU supports SCS of 60 kHz and 120 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 120 kHz, for the slotId of 60 kHz, it can be configured as 0, 2, 4, 8, and for the slotId 1050a of 120 kHz, it can be configured from 0 to 7. The fourth O-RU supports SCS of 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 240 kHz, for the slotId 1060a of 60 kHz, it can be configured as 0, 4, 8, 12, and for the slotId of 120 kHz, it can be configured as 0, 2, 4,..., 14. At this time, it may be in a state where slotId setting is required. Therefore, each O-RU can transmit slotId setting capability information and supported SCS information to the controller and receive slotId setting information. For Figure 10c in contrast, Figure 10b differently, a third method of unifying through slotId setting is adopted, rather than each O-RU changing in a way that matches the slotId setting of other O-RUs. At this time, the third O-RU can configure the slotId setting 1050b of 60 kHz as 0, 1, 2, 3, and configure the slotId setting of 120 kHz from 0 to 7. In addition, the fourth O-RU can also change the slotId setting 1060b of 60 kHz to 0, 1, 2, 3, and change the slotId setting of 120 kHz to 0 to 7.

[0160] Refer to Figure 10d, the fifth O-RU and the sixth O-RU are included in the same shared unit. The fifth O-RU supports SCSs of 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 240 kHz, for the 60-kHz slotId1070a, it can be configured as 0, 4, 8, 12; for the 120-kHz slotId, it can be configured as 0, 2, 4, ……, 14; and for the 240-kHz slotId, it can be configured from 0 to 15. The sixth O-RU supports SCSs of 60 kHz, 120 kHz, 240 kHz, and 480 kHz. Since the maximum supported SCS is 480 kHz, for the 60-kHz slotId1080a, it can be configured as 0, 8, 16, 24; for the 120-kHz slotId, it can be configured as 0, 4, 8, ……, 28; for the 240-kHz slotId, it can be configured as 0, 2, 4, ……, 30; and for the 480-kHz slotId, it can be configured from 0 to 31. At this time, it may be in a state where slotId settings are required. Therefore, each O-RU can transmit slotId setting capability information and supported SCS information to the controller and receive slotId setting information. As a first method, there is a way for the fifth O-RU to change the slotId setting. This situation may be equivalent to the case where the sixth O-RU does not support slotId change. At this time, the fifth O-RU can change the 60-kHz slotId setting 1070b to 0, 8, 16, 24, change the 120-kHz slotId setting to 0, 4, 8, ……, 28, and change the 240-kHz slotId setting to 0, 2, 4, ……, 30. As a second method, there is a way for the sixth O-RU to change the slotId setting. This situation may be equivalent to the case where the fifth O-RU does not support slotId change or the shared unit is configured for 240 kHz. At this time, the sixth O-RU can change the 60-kHz slotId setting 1080b to 0, 4, 8, 12, change the 120-kHz slotId setting to 0, 2, 4, ……, 14, and change the 240-kHz slotId setting to 0 to 15.

[0161] Figures 10a to 10d Only several embodiments of the method according to the present disclosure are shown, and the actual usage examples are not limited to the above embodiments. Of course, it can be utilized in various ways based on the frequency range of the O-RU according to the situation.

[0162] Figure 11 It is a flowchart showing a method for setting slotId according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0163] Figure 11 It can be respectively at Figures 1a to 10d , andFigure 12 The actions performed in the controller, O-DU, and O-RU described in

[0164] In step S1101, the controller may receive SCS capability information from the O-RU. According to one embodiment, the controller may request SCS capability information from the O-RU and may receive the SCS capability information as a response to the request. Alternatively, the O-RU may also periodically transmit the SCS capability information to the controller. The SCS capability information may include information about the SCS supported by the O-RU itself.

[0165] In step S1102, the controller may receive SlotId setting capability information from the O-RU. According to one embodiment, the controller may request SlotId setting capability information from the O-RU and may receive the SlotId setting capability information as a response to the request. Alternatively, the O-RU may also periodically transmit the SlotId setting capability information to the controller. The SlotId setting capability information may include information indicating whether the O-RU is capable of changing the SlotId setting.

[0166] In step S1103, the controller may generate SlotId setting information based on the capability information received in steps S1101 and S1102. The controller may identify whether the SlotId setting capability information of at least one O-RU among the multiple O-RUs in the received SlotId setting capability information includes information indicating the ability to change the SlotId. When the SlotId setting capability information of the above at least one O-RU includes information indicating the ability to change the SlotId, the controller may generate the SlotId setting information based on the SCS capability information of another O-RU whose SlotId setting capability information indicates the inability to change the SlotId.

[0167] In step S1104, the controller may transmit the generated SlotId setting information to the O-DU and the O-RU. The O-RU may change the SlotId setting based on the received SlotId setting information. The O-DU and the O-RU may perform fronthaul communication based on the received SlotId setting information.

[0168] Figure 12 is a diagram showing a method of communicating with an O-RU that configures multiple units through SlotId setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0169] Figure 12 The O-DU1210, the first O-RU1230, and the second O-RU1240 of Figures 1a to 6 , Figure 8 may be the same as the controller, O-DU, and at least one O-RU in Figure 12The O-DU1210 may be in a form including a controller.

[0170] Reference Figure 12 , the O-DU1210 can perform fronthaul communication with multiple O-RUs 1230 and 1240 of the configuration unit respectively. Among them, the SCS supported by the first O-RU1230 and the second O-RU1240 can be set differently. For example, the first O-RU1230 can support SCS of 15kHz and 30kHz, and the second O-RU1240 can support SCS of 15kHz, 30kHz, and 60kHz. At this time, the SlotId for each O-RU is set according to the SCS of the maximum size that can be supported. Therefore, for the first O-RU1230, the SlotId1250 of SCS 30kHz is determined to be 0 and 1, and the SlotId1260 of SCS 30kHz of the second O-RU1240 is determined to be 0 and 2. However, since the O-DU1210 needs to calculate separately every time it sends a message in order to send messages including different slotIds to the first O-RU1230 and the second O-RU1240 respectively, there is a problem of wasting resources and increasing the calculation load.

[0171] Therefore, the slotId can be set based on the methods described in the present disclosure. The O-DU1210 can receive the supported SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information from each of the multiple O-RU1230 and 1240. The O-DU1210 can generate slotId setting information based on the received SCS capability information and slotId setting capability information. The O-DU1210 can generate slotId setting information by considering the fronthaul communication state so that the slotId is set to 0 or 1 to match the 30 kHz which is the maximum SCS supported by the first O-RU1230. For example, the O-DU1210 can generate slotId setting information based on the slotid settings included in the largest number of O-RUs among the connected multiple O-RUs. Alternatively, the O-DU1210 can generate slotId setting information by maximizing the communication quality. The O-DU1210 can transmit the generated slotId setting information to each of the O-RU1230 and 1240. The first O-RU1230 has the same existing slotId setting as its own, so it can subsequently perform actions on the messages received from the O-DU. The second O-RU1240 has its own slotId setting ability, and the received slotId setting is included in the supported SCS. Therefore, like the first O-RU1230, it can change the slotId setting in such a way that the slotId is executed as 0 or 1. Thereafter, without separate calculation, the O-DU1210 can transmit messages with the same slotid configuration to the multiple O-RU1230 and 1240. The multiple O-RU1230 and 1240 with the slotId unified according to the slotId setting can receive messages from the O-DU to perform actions.

[0172] Figure 13 FIG. is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] Figure 13 The controller can be the same as the controller or O-DU described in Figures 1a to 12 and is configured to perform the same or similar actions as the controller or O-DU described in Figures 1a to 12

[0174] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each function of the controller 1300 can be included in one device, and each function can be distinguished according to each device.

[0175] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 1300 may include a controller (or processor) 1310 that controls the entire operation of the controller, a transceiver (or transceiver unit) 1320 including a transmission unit and a reception unit, and a memory 1330. Of course, it is not limited to the above example, and the controller 1300 may include more thanFigure 13 more or less configurations shown in

[0176] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit 1320 may send a signal to another network node (e.g., southbound node, northbound node, O-RU, O-DU, intermediate node, upper layer network entity) or receive a signal from another network node. The signal sent to or received from the controller may include C-plane, U-plane, S-plane, M-plane signals, uplink data, and downlink data. In addition, the transceiver unit 1320 may receive a signal through a wireless path or a wired path such as an optical fiber (Fiber) and transmit it to the processor 1310, and may transmit the signal determined and output by the processor 1310 through the above channels.

[0177] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control device can be controlled in such a way that the processor 1310 performs any action in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to Figure 12 c. On the other hand, the processor 1310, the memory 1330, and the transceiver unit 1320 do not have to be implemented as separate modules. Of course, it can also be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. In addition, the processor 1310, the memory 1330, and the transceiver unit 1320 can be implemented to be electrically connected. In addition, the processor 1310 can be an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, or at least one processor.

[0178] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1330 may store data such as a basic program, an application program, and setting information for the operation of the controller 1300. In addition, the memory 1330 may store uplink and downlink data received by the controller. In particular, the memory 1330 may provide the stored data according to the request of the processor 1310. The memory 1330 may be composed of storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD, or a combination of storage media. In addition, there may be multiple memory 1330s. In addition, the processor 1310 may execute the foregoing embodiments based on the programs stored in the memory 1330 for executing the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0179] Figure 13 FIG. is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0180] Figure 13 The controller of can be associated with Figures 1a to 12is the same as the controller or O-DU described therein and is configured to perform the same or similar actions as the Figures 1a to 12 controller or O-DU described therein.

[0181] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each function of the controller 1300 may be included in one device, and each function may be distinguished according to each device.

[0182] The controller 1300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a controller (or processor) 1310 that controls the overall operation of the controller, a transceiver (or transceiver unit) 1320 including a transmission unit and a reception unit, and a memory 1330. Of course, it is not limited to the above example, and the controller 1300 may include more or fewer configurations than Figure 13 the configuration shown therein.

[0183] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit 1320 may transmit a signal to another network node (e.g., southbound node, northbound node, O-RU, O-DU, intermediate node, upper layer network entity) or receive a signal from another network node. The signal transmitted to or received from the controller may include C-plane, U-plane, S-plane, M-plane signals, uplink data, and downlink data. In addition, the transceiver unit 1320 may receive a signal through a wireless path or a wired path such as an optical fiber (Fiber) and transmit it to the processor 1310, and may transmit the signal determined and output by the processor 1310 through the above channels.

[0184] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control device can be controlled in such a way that the processor 1310 performs any of the actions in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to Figure 12 c. On the other hand, the processor 1310, the memory 1330, and the transceiver unit 1320 do not have to be implemented as separate modules. Of course, it can also be implemented as one component in the form of a single chip. In addition, the processor 1310, the memory 1330, and the transceiver unit 1320 may be implemented to be electrically connected. In addition, the processor 1310 may be an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, or at least one processor.

[0185] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1330 may store data such as a basic program, an application program, and setting information for the operation of the controller 1300. In addition, the memory 1330 may store uplink and downlink data received by the controller. In particular, the memory 1330 may provide the stored data according to a request of the processor 1310. The memory 1330 may be composed of storage media such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD, or a combination of storage media. In addition, there may be multiple memories 1330. In addition, the processor 1310 may execute the foregoing embodiments based on the programs stored in the memory 1330 for implementing the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0186] Figure 14 FIG. is a diagram showing the configuration of an intermediate node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0187] Figure 14 The intermediate node of may be the same as the intermediate node (such as FHM, cascaded FHM, or cascaded O-RU) described in Figures 1a to 12 and is configured to perform the same or similar operations as the intermediate node described in Figures 1a to 12

[0188] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the intermediate node 1400 may include the intermediate nodes (FHM, cascaded O-RU) described in FIGS. 1 to Figure 12 . Each function of the intermediate node may be included in one device, and each function may be distinguished according to each device.

[0189] The intermediate node 1400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a controller (or processor) 1410 that controls the overall operation of the intermediate node, a transceiver (or transceiver unit) 1420 including a transmission unit and a reception unit, and a memory 1430. Of course, it is not limited to the above example, and the intermediate node 1400 may include more or fewer configurations than those shown in Figure 14

[0190] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit 1420 may send a signal to another network node (for example, a southbound node, a northbound node, an O-DU, an O-RU, a controller, another intermediate node) or receive a signal from another network node. The signals sent to or received from the intermediate node may include C-plane, U-plane, S-plane, M-plane signals, uplink data, and downlink data. In addition, the transceiver unit 1420 may receive a signal through a path such as a fiber and transmit it to the processor 1410, and may transmit the signal determined and output by the processor 1410 through the above channels.

[0191] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the intermediate node can be controlled in such a way that the processor 1410 executes any of the actions in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to Figure 12 c. On the other hand, the processor 1410, the memory 1430, and the transceiver unit 1420 do not have to be implemented as separate modules. Of course, they can also be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. In addition, the processor 1410, the memory 1430, and the transceiver unit 1420 can be implemented to be electrically connected. In addition, the processor 1410 can be an Application Processor (AP), a Communication Processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, or at least one processor. The processor 1410 of the intermediate node 1400 can include a combiner, a copier, a pager, a trigger generator, and a parser for executing actions. Each function can be included as a separate device or can be included as a function in the processor 1110. The processor can be controlled to execute the actions of the combiner, the copier, the pager, the trigger generator, and the parser. Among them, the parser can analyze the received C / U, M, S-plain messages and identify the information included in the messages. The trigger generator can calculate symbol timing based on the confirmed information, or generate combination timing or a combination trigger. The pager can page the uplink data stored in the memory corresponding to the generated trigger. The combiner can combine the paged data.

[0192] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1430 can store data such as a basic program, an application program, and setting information for the operation of the intermediate node. In addition, the memory 1430 can store uplink and downlink data received by the intermediate node. In particular, the memory 1430 can provide the stored data according to the paging of the processor 1410. The memory 1430 can be composed of storage media such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD, or a combination of storage media. The memory 1430 can include at least one buffer for temporarily storing uplink data or downlink data. In addition, there can be multiple memory 1430s. In addition, the processor 1410 can execute the foregoing embodiments based on the programs stored in the memory 1430 for implementing the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0193] Figure 15 FIG. is a diagram showing the configuration of an O-DU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0194] Figure 15 The O-DU of Figures 1a to 12 may be the same as the O-DU described in Figures 1a to 12 and is configured to perform the same or similar actions as the O-DU described in

[0195] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each function of the O-DU 1500 may be included in one device, and each function may be distinguished according to each device.

[0196] The O-DU 1500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a controller (or processor) 1510 that controls the entire operation of the O-DU, a transceiver (or transceiver unit) 1520 including a transmission unit and a reception unit, and a memory 1530. Of course, it is not limited to the above example, and the O-DU 1500 may include more or fewer configurations than Figure 15 the configuration shown in

[0197] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit 1520 may send a signal to another network node (e.g., southbound node, northbound node, O-RU, controller, intermediate node, upper layer network entity) or receive a signal from another network node. The signal sent to or received from the intermediate node may include C-plane, U-plane, S-plane, M-plane signals, uplink data, and downlink data. In addition, the transceiver unit 1520 may receive a signal through a wireless path or a wired path such as an optical fiber (Fiber) and transmit it to the processor 1510, and transmit the signal determined and output by the processor 1510 through the above channels.

[0198] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the O-DU device can be controlled in such a way that the processor 1510 executes any of the actions in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to Figure 12 c. On the other hand, the processor 1510, the memory 1530, and the transceiver unit 1520 do not have to be implemented as separate modules. Of course, it can also be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. In addition, the processor 1510, the memory 1530, and the transceiver unit 1520 may be implemented to be electrically connected. In addition, the processor 1510 may be an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, or at least one processor.

[0199] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1530 may store data such as a basic program, an application program, and setting information for the operation of the O-DU 1500. In addition, the memory 1530 may store uplink and downlink data received by the O-DU. In particular, the memory 1530 may provide the stored data according to the request of the processor 1510. The memory 1530 may be composed of storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD, or a combination of storage media. In addition, there may be multiple memory 1530s. In addition, the processor 1510 may execute the foregoing embodiments based on the programs stored in the memory 1530 for implementing the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0200] Figure 16 FIG. is a diagram showing the configuration of an O-RU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0201] Figure 16 The O-RU of Figures 1a to 12 may be the same as the O-RU described in Figures 1a to 12 and is configured to perform the same or similar operations as the O-RU described in

[0202] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each function of the O-RU 1600 may be included in one device, and each function may be distinguished according to each device.

[0203] The O-RU 1600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a controller (or processor) 1610 that controls the entire operation of the O-RU, a transceiver (or transceiver unit) 1620 including a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, and a memory 1630. Of course, it is not limited to the above example, and the O-RU 1600 may include more or fewer configurations than the Figure 16 configuration shown in

[0204] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transceiver unit 1620 may send a signal to another network node (for example, southbound node, northbound node, O-DU, controller, intermediate node, upper layer network entity) or receive a signal from another network node. The signals sent to or received from the intermediate node may include C-plane, U-plane, S-plane, M-plane signals, uplink data, and downlink data. In addition, the transceiver unit 1620 may receive a signal through a wireless path or a wired path such as an optical fiber (Fiber) and transmit it to the processor 1610, and may transmit the signal determined and output by the processor 1610 through the above channels.

[0205] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 1610 can be made to execute FIGS. 1 to Figure 12The O-RU device is controlled in a manner of any action in the embodiment of c. On the other hand, the processor 1610, the memory 1630, and the transceiver unit 1620 do not have to be implemented as separate modules. Of course, they can also be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. In addition, the processor 1610, the memory 1630, and the transceiver unit 1620 can be implemented to be electrically connected. In addition, the processor 1610 can be an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, or at least one processor.

[0206] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 1630 can store data such as a basic program, an application program, and setting information for the operation of the O-RU 1600. In addition, the memory 1630 can store uplink and downlink data received by the O-RU. In particular, the memory 1630 can provide the stored data according to the request of the processor 1610. The memory 1630 can be composed of a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD, or a combination of storage media. In addition, there can be multiple memory 1630s. In addition, the processor 1610 can execute the foregoing embodiments based on the programs stored in the memory 1630 for executing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0207] The various actions of the methods described above can also be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding functions. The means include various hardware and / or (multiple) software components and / or (multiple) modules including an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a processor, but are not limited thereto. Generally, in the case of having actions corresponding to the drawings, such actions may also have corresponding relative means + functional components with the same number.

[0208] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the present disclosure can be implemented or executed by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices (PLDs), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions disclosed in this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor. As an alternative, the processor can also be any commercial processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented by a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors connected to a DSP core, or any other configuration.

[0209] Furthermore, the above term "determine" encompasses a variety of actions. For example, "determine" may include calculating, estimating, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, database, or other data structure), confirming, etc. Also, "determine" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (accessing data in a memory), etc. Also, "determine" may include solving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0210] As long as those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the technical idea of the present disclosure.

[0211] Therefore, the embodiments illustrated in the present disclosure are used to illustrate the technical idea of the present disclosure, rather than to limit the technical idea of the present disclosure. The scope of the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments.

[0212] The scope of protection of the technical idea of the present disclosure should be interpreted according to the claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the technical idea of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method performed by a controller in a communication system, comprising: receiving subcarrier spacing capability information from multiple O-RUs respectively; receiving time slot identifier setting capability information from the multiple O-RUs respectively; generating time slot identifier setting information based on the received subcarrier spacing capability information and time slot identifier setting capability information; and transmitting the generated time slot identifier setting information to the O-DU and the multiple O-RUs.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subcarrier spacing capability information includes information indicating which subcarrier spacing each of the multiple O-RUs supports, and the time slot identifier setting capability information includes information indicating whether each of the multiple O-RUs can change the time slot identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating time slot identifier setting information based on the received subcarrier spacing capability information and time slot identifier setting capability information includes: identifying whether the time slot identifier setting capability information of at least one O-RU among the multiple O-RUs includes information indicating that the time slot identifier can be changed; and when the time slot identifier setting capability information of the at least one O-RU includes information indicating that the time slot identifier can be changed, generating the time slot identifier setting information based on the subcarrier spacing capability information of the O-RUs whose time slot identifier setting capability information includes information indicating that the time slot identifier cannot be changed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating time slot identifier setting information based on the received subcarrier spacing capability information and time slot identifier setting capability information includes: identifying whether the time slot identifier setting capability information of at least one O-RU among the multiple O-RUs includes information indicating that the time slot identifier can be changed; and generating the time slot identifier setting information of the at least one O-RU based on the communication quality of the controller.

5. A controller of a communication system, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and at least one processor electrically connected to the transceiver and the memory; the at least one processor is configured to: receive subcarrier spacing capability information from multiple O-RUs respectively, receive time slot identifier setting capability information from the multiple O-RUs respectively, generate time slot identifier setting information based on the received subcarrier spacing capability information and time slot identifier setting capability information, and transmit the generated time slot identifier setting information to the O-DU and the multiple O-RUs.

6. The controller according to claim 5, wherein the subcarrier spacing capability information includes information indicating which subcarrier spacing each of the multiple O-RUs supports, and the time slot identifier setting capability information includes information indicating whether each of the multiple O-RUs can change the time slot identifier.

7. The controller according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: Identify whether the time slot identifier setting capability information of at least one O-RU among the multiple O-RUs includes information indicating the ability to change the time slot identifier, When the time slot identifier setting capability information of the at least one O-RU includes information indicating the ability to change the time slot identifier, generate the time slot identifier setting information based on the subcarrier spacing capability information of the O-RU whose time slot identifier setting capability information includes information indicating the inability to change the time slot identifier.

8. The controller according to claim 5, wherein, the at least one processor is configured to: Identify whether the time slot identifier setting capability information of at least one O-RU among the multiple O-RUs includes information indicating the ability to change the time slot identifier, and Generate the time slot identifier setting information of the at least one O-RU based on the communication quality of the controller.

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