Timing error group (TEG) reporting in O-RAN deployments

Abstract

In some implementations, an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Radio Unit (O-RU) may transmit capability information to an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information. The O-RU may measure a timing error of the O-RU, the timing error including a residual error in a time delay at the O-RU after calibration. The O-RU may transmit a timing error report to the O-DU according to the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Greek Application No. 20230100049, filed on January 23, 2023, entitled “TIMING ERROR GROUP (TEG) REPORTING IN O-RAN DEPLOYMENT,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art 1. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates generally to the fields of wireless communications and positioning.

[0005] 2. Description of Related Technologies

[0006] In wireless communication systems such as cellular networks, base stations with a disaggregated base station architecture (e.g., as implemented in accordance with an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)) may have separate functional units, including a radio unit (RU), a distributed unit (DU), and a central unit (CU). While this allows different manufacturers to offer solutions for each unit type, these units still need to communicate effectively with each other. For example, under currently applicable standards for communication between the RU and the CU, there are limitations on the reporting performed by the RU related to the timing of transmitted and / or received radio frequency (RF) signals. This can affect the determination of the timing error group (TEG) used to estimate the position of the user equipment (UE). Summary of the Invention

[0007] An exemplary method for timing error group (TEG) reporting in an open radio access network (O-RAN) deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network according to the present disclosure may include: transmitting capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) to an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information. The method may also include: measuring a timing error of the O-RU, the timing error including a residual error in a time delay at the O-RU after calibration. The method may also include: transmitting a timing error report from the O-RU to the O-DU according to the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error.

[0008] Another exemplary method for timing error group (TEG) reporting in an open radio access network (O-RAN) deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network according to the present disclosure may include: receiving, using an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), the capability information indicating the O-RU's reporting capability for reporting timing error information. The method may also include: transmitting, from the O-DU to the O-RU, a command for timing error reporting based on the capability information. The method may also include: after transmitting the command, receiving, using the O-DU, a timing error report from the O-RU based on the command, wherein the timing error report indicates timing error measured by the O-RU.

[0009] An exemplary open radio access network (O-RAN) radio unit (O-RU) includes: a transceiver; one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and a memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit capability information to an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) via the transceiver, the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information. The one or more processors may also be configured to measure a timing error of the O-RU, the timing error comprising a residual error in a time delay at the O-RU after calibration. The one or more processors may also be configured to transmit a timing error report to the O-DU via the transceiver based on the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error.

[0010] An exemplary open radio access network (O-RAN) distributed unit (O-DU) includes: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) via the transceiver, the capability information indicating the O-RU's reporting capability for reporting timing error information. The one or more processors are further configured to transmit a command for timing error reporting to the O-RU via the transceiver based on the capability information. The one or more processors are further configured to receive a timing error report from the O-RU via the transceiver based on the command after transmitting the command, wherein the timing error report indicates a timing error measured by the O-RU.

[0011] This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. This subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all of the drawings, and each claim. The foregoing and other features and examples are described in more detail in the following description, claims, and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is an illustration of positioning-related aspects of a 5th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) system, according to an implementation scheme.

[0013] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary decomposed base station architecture according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 and Figure 4 is a diagram of functionality at a radio unit (RU) and a distributed unit (DU) in an open radio access network (O-RAN) distributed architecture, according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method of timing error group (TEG) reporting in an O-RAN deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 is a flow chart of another method of TEG reporting in an O-RAN deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an implementation of an O-RAN RU (O-RU).

[0018] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an implementation of an O-RAN DU (O-DU).

[0019] Similar reference symbols in the various figures indicate similar elements according to certain example implementations. In addition, multiple instances of an element may be indicated by following the first digit of the element with a letter or hyphen and a second digit. For example, multiple instances of element 110 may be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc., or 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When only the first digit is used to refer to such an element, it should be understood that any instance of the element (e.g., element 110 in the previous example would refer to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3, or to elements 110a, 110b, and 110c) is included. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following description is directed to certain specific implementations for the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of the various embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of sending and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as any of the following: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard for ultra-wideband (UWB), the IEEE 802.11 standard (including those identified as Wi-Fi), and the like.® technology standards), Bluetooth ® Standard, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Revision A, EV-DO Revision B, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), or other known signals used for communicating within a wireless, cellular, or Internet of Things (IoT) network, such as a system utilizing 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further implementations thereof.

[0021] As used herein, an "RF signal" includes electromagnetic waves that transmit information through the space between a transmitter (or transmitting device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single "RF signal" or multiple "RF signals" to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of each RF signal through multiple channels or paths, a receiver may receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal.

[0022] Additionally, unless otherwise specified, references to "reference signals," "positioning reference signals," "reference signals for positioning," and the like may refer to signals used for positioning user equipment (UE) in 5G New Radio (NR) networks. These signals may also be abbreviated herein as reference signals (RS). As described in greater detail herein, such signals may include any of a variety of signal types and may not necessarily be limited to specific signals used for positioning as defined in relevant wireless standards.

[0023] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the term "positioning" as used herein may include absolute position determination, relative position determination, ranging, or a combination thereof. For the purposes of location or sensing services, such positioning may include and / or be based on timing, angle, phase, or power measurements, or a combination thereof (which may include RF sensing measurements).

[0024] Various aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure generally relate to communication between radio units (RUs) and distributed units (DUs) in a disaggregated cellular base station. Specifically, in base stations with an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) implementation, embodiments provide for reporting timing errors from an O-RAN RU (O-RU) to an O-RAN DU (O-DU), which can account for residual time delay at the O-RAN after calibration. This timing error can be relayed to a location server and / or user equipment (UE) and can be used to accurately identify timing error groups (TEGs) from transmitted or received signals (e.g., RS resources) used to determine the UE's position estimate. Embodiments can similarly provide for reporting beam shapes from the O-RU to the O-DU.

[0025] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. As noted, when O-RAN is used in the UE's position estimation, the reporting of timing error information can enable the identification of the TEG. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the TEG can be used to determine a more accurate location of the UE by identifying signals with the same (or substantially the same) group error. Similarly, reporting of beam shape by the O-RU to the O-DU can ultimately provide a more accurate position estimate of the UE. These and other advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure. Details on how an embodiment provides reporting of timing error and / or beam shape will be provided after reviewing the related art.

[0026] Figure 1Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating positioning-related aspects of a 5G NR system 100 that may implement the techniques described herein for TEG reporting in O-RAN deployments, according to an embodiment. The 5G NR system 100 may be configured to determine the location of a user equipment (UE) 105 using access nodes, which may include NR NodeBs (gNBs) 110-1 and 110-2 (collectively referred to herein as gNBs 110), ng-eNBs 114, and / or WLANs 116, for one or more positioning methods. gNBs 110 and / or ng-eNBs 114 may correspond to base stations as described elsewhere herein, and WLANs 116 may correspond to one or more access points as described elsewhere herein. Optionally, the 5G NR system 100 may also be configured to determine the location of the UE 105 using LMFs 120 (which may correspond to location servers as described elsewhere herein) for one or more positioning methods. Here, the 5G NR system 100 includes a UE 105 and components of a 5G NR network, including a next-generation (NG) radio access network (RAN) (NG-RAN) 135 and a 5G core network (5G CN) 140. The 5G network may also be referred to as an NR network; the NG-RAN 135 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or an NR RAN; and the 5G CN 140 may be referred to as an NG core network.

[0027] The 5G NR system 100 may also utilize information from satellites 107. As previously indicated, satellites 107 may include GNSS satellites from a GNSS system such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or similar systems (e.g., GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)). Additionally or alternatively, satellites 107 may include NTN satellites that may be communicatively coupled with the LMF 120 and operable to serve as transmit reception points (TRPs) (or transmit points (TPs)) in the NG-RAN 135. As such, satellites 107 may communicate with one or more gNBs 110.

[0028] It should be pointed out that Figure 1This generalized illustration of various components is provided only; any or all of these components may be utilized as appropriate, and each of these components may be repeated or omitted as needed. Specifically, while only one UE 105 is illustrated, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the 5G NR system 100. Similarly, the 5G NR system 100 may include a larger (or smaller) number of GNSS satellites 107, gNBs 110, ng-eNBs 114, wireless local area networks (WLANs) 116, access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 115, external clients 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections connecting the various components in the 5G NR system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0029] UE 105 may include and / or be referred to as a device, a mobile device, a wireless device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a secure user plane location (SUPL) enabled terminal (SET), or some other name. In addition, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal data assistant (PDA), a navigation device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or some other portable or mobile device. Typically, although not necessarily, UE 105 may support the use of one or more radio access technologies (RATs) such as GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi ® , Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX ™ ), 5G NR (e.g., using NG-RAN 135 and 5G CN 140), etc. The UE 105 may also support wireless communications using WLAN 116, which (similar to one or more RATs as described elsewhere herein) may connect to other networks, such as the Internet. Using one or more of these RATs may allow the UE 105 (e.g., via Figure 1 Elements of the 5G CN 140 not shown in the figure, or possibly via the Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125), communicate with the external client 130 and / or allow the external client 130 to receive location information about the UE 105 (e.g., via the GMLC 125). Figure 1 The external client 130 may correspond to an external client as implemented in or communicatively coupled with a 5G NR network.

[0030] The UE 105 may comprise a single entity or may comprise multiple entities, such as in a personal area network in which a user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O devices, and / or body sensors, and separate wired or wireless modems. The estimate of the location of the UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and may be geodetic, providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) for the UE 105, which may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level; height above or depth below ground level, floor level, or basement level). Alternatively, the location of the UE 105 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., a postal address or a designation of a point or smaller area in a building, such as a specific room or floor). The location of the UE 105 may also be expressed as an area or volume (geodetic or civic-defined) within which the UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 105 may also be a relative location, including, for example, a distance and direction or relative X, Y (and Z) coordinates defined relative to some origin at a known location, which may be defined geodetically, municipally, or with reference to a point, area, or volume indicated on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the descriptions contained herein, the use of the term "location" may include any of these variations unless otherwise indicated. When calculating the location of the UE, local X, Y, and possibly Z coordinates are typically solved for, and then the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level) if necessary.

[0031] Figure 1 The base stations in the NG-RAN 135 shown in FIG. 1 may correspond to base stations described elsewhere herein and may include gNBs 110. Pairs of gNBs 110 in the NG-RAN 135 may be connected to each other (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 140). The communication interface between the base stations (gNB 110 and / or ng-eNB 114) may be referred to as an Xn interface 137. Access to the 5G network is provided to the UE 105 via wireless communications between the UE 105 and one or more of the gNBs 110, which may provide wireless communication access to the 5G CN 140 on behalf of the UE 105 using 5G NR. The wireless interface between the base station (gNB 110 and / or ng-eNB 114) and the UE 105 may be referred to as a Uu interface 139. 5G NR radio access may also be referred to as NR radio access or 5G radio access. Figure 1, it is assumed that the serving gNB for UE 105 is gNB 110-1, but other gNBs (e.g., gNB 110-2) can serve as serving gNBs if UE 105 moves to another location, or can serve as secondary gNBs to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105.

[0032] Figure 1 The base stations in the NG-RAN 135 shown in FIG3 may additionally or alternatively include a next-generation evolved Node B (also referred to as ng-eNB) 114. The ng-eNB 114 may be connected to one or more gNBs 110 in the NG-RAN 135—e.g., directly or indirectly via other gNBs 110 and / or other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB 114 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to the UE 105. Figure 1 Some gNBs 110 (e.g., gNB 110-2) and / or ng-eNBs 114 in the 5G network may be configured to function as positioning-only beacons, which may transmit signals (e.g., positioning reference signals (PRS)) and / or broadcast assistance data to assist in locating the UE 105, but may not receive signals from the UE 105 or from other UEs. Some gNBs 110 (e.g., gNB 110-2 and / or another gNB (not shown)) and / or ng-eNBs 114 may be configured to function as detection-only nodes, which may scan for signals containing, for example, PRS data, assistance data, or other location data. Such detection-only nodes may not transmit signals or data to the UE, but may transmit signals or data (relating to, for example, PRS, assistance data, or other location data) to other network entities (e.g., one or more components of the 5G CN 140, an external client 130, or a controller), which may receive and store the data or use the data to locate at least the UE 105. It should be noted that, although Figure 1 Only one ng-eNB 114 is shown in FIG, but some embodiments may include multiple ng-eNBs 114. Base stations (e.g., gNB 110 and / or ng-eNB 114) may communicate directly with each other via an Xn communication interface. Additionally or alternatively, the base stations may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the 5G NR system 100, such as LMF 120 and AMF 115.

[0033] The 5G NR system 100 may also include one or more WLANs 116, which may be connected to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 150 in the 5G CN 140 (e.g., in the case of an untrusted WLAN 116). For example, the WLAN 116 may support IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi access for the UE 105 and may include one or more Wi-Fi APs (e.g., access points as described elsewhere herein). Here, the N3IWF 150 may be connected to other elements in the 5G CN 140, such as the AMF 115. In some embodiments, the WLAN 116 may support another RAT, such as Bluetooth. The N3IWF 150 may provide support for secure access by the UE 105 to other elements in the 5G CN 140 and / or may support interworking of one or more protocols used by the WLAN 116 and the UE 105 with one or more protocols used by other elements of the 5G CN 140, such as the AMF 115. For example, the N3IWF 150 may support: IPSec tunnel establishment with the UE 105, termination of the IKEv2 / IPSec protocol with the UE 105, termination of the N2 and N3 interfaces with the 5G CN 140 for the control plane and user plane, respectively, and relay of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) control plane non-access stratum (NAS) signaling across the N1 interface between the UE 105 and the AMF 115. In some other embodiments, the WLAN 116 may be directly connected to elements in the 5G CN 140 (e.g., Figure 1 15) and not via the N3IWF 150. For example, a direct connection of the WLAN 116 to the 5GCN 140 may occur if the WLAN 116 is a trusted WLAN to the 5GCN 140 and may use a Trusted WLAN Interworking Function (TWIF) ( Figure 1 It should be noted that although Figure 1 Only one WLAN 116 is shown in FIG, but some embodiments may include multiple WLANs 116.

[0034] The access node may include any of a variety of network entities that enable communications between the UE 105 and the AMF 115. As noted, this may include gNB 110, ng-eNB 114, WLAN 116, and / or other types of cellular base stations. However, the access node providing the functionality described herein may additionally or alternatively include a network entity that enables communication with the AMF 115. Figure 1An access node is an entity for communicating with any of a variety of RATs not illustrated in the present disclosure (which may include non-cellular technologies). Therefore, as used in the embodiments described below, the term "access node" may include, but is not necessarily limited to, gNB 110, ng-eNB 114, or WLAN 116.

[0035] In some embodiments, an access node (such as gNB 110, ng-eNB 114, and / or WLAN 116) (alone or in combination with other components of 5G NR system 100) may be configured to: in response to receiving a request for location information from LMF 120, obtain location measurements for uplink (UL) signals received from UE 105 and / or obtain DL location measurements from UE 105 for downlink (DL) signals received by UE 105 from one or more access nodes. As noted, although Figure 1 The access nodes (gNB 110, ng-eNB 114, and WLAN 116) are depicted as being configured to communicate according to 5GNR, LTE, and Wi-Fi communication protocols, respectively, but access nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols may be used, such as, for example, a Node B using the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) protocol for the Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an eNB using the LTE protocol for the Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), or using Bluetooth for WLAN. ® For example, in a 4G Evolved Packet System (EPS) that provides LTE radio access to UE 105, the RAN may include E-UTRAN, which may include base stations including eNBs that support LTE radio access. The core network for EPS may include Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The EPS may then include E-UTRAN plus EPC, where Figure 1 , E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN 135 and EPC corresponds to 5GCN 140. The methods and techniques described herein for obtaining the municipal location of UE 105 may be applicable to such other networks.

[0036] gNB 110 and ng-eNB 114 may communicate with AMF 115, which communicates with LMF 120 for positioning functionality. AMF 115 may support mobility for UE 105, including cell change and handover of UE 105 from an access node of a first RAT (e.g., gNB 110, ng-eNB 114, or WLAN 116) to an access node of a second RAT. AMF 115 may also participate in supporting signaling connections with UE 105 and possibly data and voice bearers for UE 105. The LMF 120 may support positioning of the UE 105 using a CP positioning solution when the UE 105 accesses the NG-RAN 135 or the WLAN 116, and may support positioning procedures and methods, including UE-assisted / UE-based and / or network-based procedures / methods, such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (which may be referred to as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) in NR), Frequency Difference of Arrival (FDOA), Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (ECID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), WLAN positioning, Round Trip Delay (RTT), Multi-Cell RTT, and / or other positioning procedures and methods. The LMF 120 may also process location service requests for the UE 105, for example, received from the AMF 115 or from the GMLC 125. The LMF 120 may be connected to the AMF 115 and / or the GMLC 125. In some embodiments, a network (such as 5GCN 140) may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or a SUPL Location Platform (SLP). It should be noted that in some embodiments, at least a portion of the positioning functionality (including determining the location of UE 105) may be performed at UE 105 (e.g., by measuring downlink PRS (DL-PRS) signals transmitted by wireless nodes (such as gNB 110, ng-eNB 114 and / or WLAN 116) and / or using assistance data provided to UE 105 by, for example, LMF 120).

[0037] The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125 may support location requests for the UE 105 received from the external client 130 and may forward such location requests to the AMF 115 for forwarding by the AMF 115 to the LMF 120. A location response (e.g., containing a location estimate for the UE 105) from the LMF 120 may similarly be returned to the GMLC 125 directly or via the AMF 115, and the GMLC 125 may then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to the external client 130.

[0038] A network exposure function (NEF) 145 may be included in the 5GCN 140. The NEF 145 may support secure exposure of capabilities and events regarding the 5GCN 140 and the UE 105 to the external clients 130, which may therefore be referred to as access functions (AFs), and may enable secure provisioning of information from the external clients 130 to the 5GCN 140. The NEF 145 may connect to the AMF 115 and / or the GMLC 125 for the purpose of obtaining a location (e.g., a municipal location) of the UE 105 and providing the location to the external clients 130.

[0039] like Figure 1 As further illustrated, LMF 120 may communicate with gNB 110 and / or with ng-eNB 114 using NR Positioning Protocol Annex (NRPPa) as defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa messages may be passed between gNB 110 and LMF 120 and / or between ng-eNB 114 and LMF 120 via AMF 115. Figure 1 As further illustrated in FIG, the LMF 120 and the UE 105 may communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) as defined in 3GPP TS 37.355. Here, LPP messages may be communicated between the UE 105 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115 and the serving gNB 110-1 or serving ng-eNB 114 for the UE 105. For example, LPP messages may be communicated between the LMF 120 and the AMF 115 using messages for service-based operations (e.g., Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based) and between the AMF 115 and the UE 105 using the 5G NAS protocol. The LPP protocol may be used to support positioning of the UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods, such as A-GNSS, RTK, TDOA, multi-cell RTT, AoD, and / or ECID. The NRPPa protocol may be used to support positioning of UE 105 using network-based positioning methods such as ECID, AoA, uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA), and / or may be used by LMF 120 to obtain location-related information from gNB 110 and / or ng-eNB 114, such as parameters defining DL-PRS transmissions from gNB 110 and / or ng-eNB 114.

[0040] In the event that the UE 105 accesses the WLAN 116, the LMF 120 may use NRPPa and / or LPP to obtain the location of the UE 105 in a manner similar to that just described for the UE 105 accessing the gNB 110 or ng-eNB 114. Thus, NRPPa messages may be passed between the WLAN 116 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115 and the N3IWF 150 to support network-based positioning of the UE 105 and / or to pass other location information from the WLAN 116 to the LMF 120. Alternatively, NRPPa messages may be passed between the N3IWF 150 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115 to support network-based positioning of the UE 105 based on location-related information and / or location measurements that are known to or accessible to the N3IWF 150 and passed from the N3IWF 150 to the LMF 120 using NRPPa. Similarly, LPP and / or LPP messages may be passed between the UE 105 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115, the N3IWF 150, and the serving WLAN 116 of the UE 105 to support UE-assisted or UE-based positioning of the UE 105 by the LMF 120, as described in more detail below.

[0041] Positioning of the UE 105 in the 5G NR system 100 may also utilize measurements made between the UE 105 and one or more other UEs 155 via the sidelink connection SL 160. Figure 1As shown, one or more other UEs 155 may include any of a variety of different device types, including mobile phones, vehicles, roadside units (RSUs), other device types, or any combination thereof. One or more positioning measurement signals are transmitted from the one or more other UEs 155 to UE 105, from UE 105 to the one or more other UEs 155, or both, via the SL 160. Various signals may be used for positioning measurements, including sidelink PRS (SL-PRS). In some instances, the position of at least one of the one or more other UEs 155 may be determined concurrently with the positioning of UE 105 (e.g., within the same positioning session). In some embodiments, LMF 120 may coordinate the transmission of positioning signals between UE 105 and the one or more other UEs 155 via the SL 160. Additionally or alternatively, UE 105 and the one or more other UEs 155 may coordinate the positioning session between them without requiring LMF 120 or even a Uu connection 139 to an access node of NG-RAN 135. To this end, UE 105 and one or more other UEs 155 may communicate messages via SL 160 using the Sidelink Positioning Protocol (SLPP). In some scenarios, one or more other UEs 155 may have a Uu connection 139 with an access node of NG-RAN 135 and / or a Wi-Fi connection with WLAN 116 (while UE 105 does not have these connections). In such instances, one or more other UEs 155 may operate as relay devices, relaying communications from UE 105 to the network (e.g., LMF 120). In such instances, multiple other UEs 155 may form a chain between UE 105 and the access node.

[0042] In the 5G NR system 100, positioning methods can be categorized as either "UE-assisted" or "UE-based." This can depend on where the request to determine the location of the UE 105 originates. For example, if the request originates from the UE (e.g., from an application or "app" executed by the UE), the positioning method can be categorized as UE-based. On the other hand, if the request originates from an external client 130, LMF 120, or other device or service within the 5G network, the positioning method can be categorized as UE-assisted (or "network-based").

[0043] Using UE-assisted positioning methods, UE 105 may obtain location measurements and transmit these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for use in calculating a position estimate for UE 105. For RAT-dependent positioning methods, the location measurements may include one or more of the following for gNB 110, ng-eNB 114, and / or one or more access points of WLAN 116: received signal strength indicator (RSSI), round-trip propagation time (RTT), reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), reference signal time difference (RSTD), time of arrival (TOA), AoA, receive time-transmit time difference (Rx-Tx), differential AoA (DAoA), AoD, or timing advance (TA). Additionally or alternatively, similar measurements may be made on sidelink signals transmitted by other UEs, which may be used as anchor points for positioning UE 105 if the positions of these other UEs are known. Position measurements may additionally or alternatively include measurements for RAT-independent positioning methods, such as GNSS (eg, GNSS pseudoranges with respect to GNSS satellites 107 , GNSS code phase, and / or GNSS carrier phase), WLAN, and the like.

[0044] Using the UE-based positioning method, the UE 105 can obtain a position measurement (e.g., which can be the same as or similar to the position measurement of the UE-assisted positioning method) and can further calculate the position of the UE 105 (e.g., with the help of assistance data received from a location server such as LMF 120, SLP or broadcast by gNB 110, ng-eNB 114 or WLAN 116).

[0045] Using network-based positioning methods, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB 110 and / or ng-eNB 114), one or more APs (e.g., in WLAN 116), or N3IWF 150 may obtain location measurements (e.g., measurements of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, AoA, or TOA) of signals sent by UE 105, and / or may receive measurements obtained by UE 105 or, in the case of N3IWF 150, by APs in WLAN 116, and may transmit these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for use in calculating a position estimate for UE 105.

[0046] Positioning of the UE 105 may also be classified as UL-based, DL-based, or DL-UL-based, depending on the type of signal used for positioning. For example, if positioning is based solely on signals received at the UE 105 (e.g., from a base station or other UE), the positioning may be classified as DL-based. On the other hand, if positioning is based solely on signals sent by the UE 105 (which may be received by, for example, a base station or other UE), the positioning may be classified as UL-based. DL-UL-based positioning includes positioning based on signals sent and received by the UE 105, such as RTT-based positioning. Sidelink (SL)-assisted positioning includes signals communicated between the UE 105 and one or more other UEs. According to some embodiments, UL, DL, or DL-UL positioning as described herein may be able to use SL signaling as a supplement to or as a replacement for SL, DL, or DL-UL signaling.

[0047] Depending on the positioning type (e.g., UL-based, DL-based, or DL-UL-based), the type of reference signal used may vary. For example, for DL-based positioning, these signals may include PRS (e.g., DL-PRS transmitted by the base station or SL-PRS transmitted by other UEs), which can be used for TDOA, AoD, and RTT measurements. Other reference signals that can be used for positioning (UL, DL, or DL-UL) include: Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), synchronization signals (e.g., Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) Synchronization Signal (SS)), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), and others. Furthermore, reference signals may be transmitted in a transmit beam and / or received in a receive beam (e.g., using beamforming techniques), which may affect angle measurements such as AoD and / or AoA.

[0048] Communication systems (such as Figure 1 The deployment of a 5G NR system 100 may be arranged in a variety of ways using various components or constituents. In a 5G NR system or network, network nodes, network entities, mobility elements of the network, radio access network (RAN) nodes (e.g., Figure 1 The access nodes 110, 114, and 116 of the present invention, core network nodes, network elements, or network equipment (such as a base station (BS)), or one or more units (or one or more components) performing base station functionality can be implemented in a converged or disaggregated architecture. For example, a BS (such as a Node B (NB), eNB, gNB, access point (AP), transmit reception point (TRP), or cell) can be implemented as a converged base station (also known as a standalone BS or monolithic BS) or a disaggregated base station.

[0049] A converged base station may be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. A disaggregated base station may be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed across two or more units, such as one or more central or centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs). In some aspects, a CU may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs may be co-located with the CU, or alternatively, may be geographically or virtually distributed across one or more other RAN nodes. A DU may be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CU, DU, and RU may also be implemented as a virtual unit, namely a virtual centralized unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU).

[0050] Base station type operation or network design may take into account the aggregated nature of base station functionality. For example, a disaggregated base station may be utilized in an integrated access backhaul (IAB) network, an open radio access network (O-RAN, such as the network configuration initiated by the O-RAN Alliance), or a virtualized radio access network (vRAN, also known as a cloud radio access network (C-RAN)). Disaggregation may include distributing functionality across two or more units at various physical locations, as well as virtually distributing the functionality of at least one unit, which enables flexibility in network design. The various units of a disaggregated base station or disaggregated RAN architecture may be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit.

[0051] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating an exemplary disaggregated base station 200 architecture is shown. The disaggregated base station 200 architecture may include one or more central units (CUs) 210, which may communicate directly with a core network 220 via a backhaul link, or indirectly with the core network 220 through one or more disaggregated base station units, such as a near real-time (near-RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) 225 via an E2 link, or a non-real-time (non-RT) RIC 215 associated with a service management and orchestration (SMO) framework 205, or both. The CUs 210 may communicate with one or more distributed units (DUs) 230 via corresponding midhaul links, such as the F1 interface. The DUs 230 may communicate with one or more radio units (RUs) 240 via corresponding fronthaul links. The RUs 240 may communicate with corresponding UEs 105 via one or more RF access links. In some implementations, a UE 105 may be served simultaneously by multiple RUs 240.

[0052] Each of the units (i.e., CU 210, DU 230, RU 240, as well as near-RT RIC 225, non-RT RIC 215, and SMO framework 205) may include or be coupled to one or more interfaces configured to receive or transmit signals, data, or information (collectively, signals) via a wired or wireless transmission medium. Each of the units, or an associated processor or controller that provides instructions to the communication interface of these units, may be configured to communicate with one or more of the other units via the transmission medium. For example, these units may include a wired interface configured to receive or transmit signals to one or more of the other units via the wired transmission medium. Additionally, the units may include a wireless interface, which may include a receiver, transmitter, or transceiver (such as an RF transceiver) configured to receive and / or transmit signals to one or more of the other units over the wireless transmission medium.

[0053] In some aspects, the CU 210 may host one or more higher-layer control functions. Such control functions may include radio resource control (RRC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), etc. Each control function may be implemented using an interface configured to communicate signals with other control functions hosted by the CU 210. The CU 210 may be configured to handle user plane functionality (i.e., central unit-user plane (CU-UP)), control plane functionality (i.e., central unit-control plane (CU-CP)), or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the CU 210 may be logically split into one or more CU-UP units and one or more CU-CP units. When implemented in an O-RAN configuration, the CU-UP units may communicate bidirectionally with the CU-CP units via an interface (such as an E1 interface). As needed, the CU 210 may be implemented to communicate with the DU 230 for network control and signaling.

[0054] The DU 230 may correspond to a logical unit that includes one or more base station functions for controlling the operation of one or more RUs 240. In some aspects, the DU 230 may host one or more of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and one or more higher physical (PHY) layers (such as modules for forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation), depending at least in part on a functional split, such as that defined by 3GPP. In some aspects, the DU 230 may also host one or more lower PHY layers. Each layer (or module) may be implemented using an interface configured to communicate signals with other layers (and modules) hosted by the DU 230 or with control functions hosted by the CU 210.

[0055] Lower layer functionality may be implemented by one or more RUs 240. In some deployments, a RU 240 controlled by a DU 230 may correspond to a logical node that hosts RF processing functionality or low-PHY layer functionality (such as performing fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), inverse FFTs (iFFTs), digital beamforming, physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering), or both, based at least in part on a functional split (such as a lower layer functional split). In such an architecture, the RU 240 may be implemented to handle over-the-air (OTA) communications with one or more UEs 105. In some implementations, both real-time and non-real-time aspects of control and user plane communications with the RU 240 may be controlled by the corresponding DU 230. In some scenarios, this configuration may enable the DU 230 and CU 210 to be implemented in a cloud-based RAN architecture, such as a vRAN architecture.

[0056] The SMO framework 205 can be configured to support RAN deployment and provisioning of both non-virtualized and virtualized network elements. For non-virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 205 can be configured to support the deployment of dedicated physical resources for RAN coverage requirements, which can be managed via an operations and maintenance interface (such as the O1 interface). For virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 205 can be configured to interact with a cloud computing platform (such as Open Cloud (O-Cloud) 290) to perform network element lifecycle management (such as instantiating virtualized network elements) via a cloud computing platform interface (such as the O2 interface). Such virtualized network elements may include, but are not limited to, the CU 210, DU 230, RU 240, and near-RT RIC 225. In some implementations, the SMO framework 205 can communicate with hardware aspects of the 4G RAN (such as the Open eNB (O-eNB) 211) via the O1 interface. Additionally, in some implementations, the SMO framework 205 can communicate directly with one or more RUs 240 via the O1 interface. The SMO framework 205 may also include a non-RT RIC 215 configured to support the functionality of the SMO framework 205 .

[0057] The non-RT RIC 215 can be configured to include logic that enables non-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources, artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) workflows including model training and updating, or policy-based guidance of applications / features in the near-RT RIC 225. The non-RT RIC 215 can be coupled to or in communication with the near-RT RIC 225 (e.g., via an A1 interface). The near-RT RIC 225 can be configured to include logic that enables near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources through data collection and actions via an interface (e.g., via an E2 interface) that connects one or more CUs 210, one or more DUs 230, or both, and the O-eNB with the near-RT RIC 225.

[0058] In some implementations, the non-RT RIC 215 may receive parameters or external enrichment information from an external server to generate AI / ML models to be deployed in the near-RT RIC 225. Such information may be utilized by the near-RT RIC 225 and may be received from non-network data sources or from network functions at the SMO framework 205 or the non-RT RIC 215. In some examples, the non-RT RIC 215 or the near-RT RIC 225 may be configured to tune RAN behavior or performance. For example, the non-RT RIC 215 may monitor long-term trends and patterns in performance and employ AI / ML models to execute corrective actions through the SMO framework 205 (such as via reconfiguration of O1) or by creating RAN management policies (such as A1 policies).

[0059] The specific implementation of O-RAN configuration (e.g. Figure 2 , UL-TDOA, UL-AoA, RTT) and / or DL-TDOA and DL-AoD signals sent by the base station for positioning may include timing errors in the O-RU, which cannot be reported to the O-DU under current reporting standards. Without accurately accounting for these timing errors, the TEG cannot be accurately identified. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of network-based positioning methods that utilize such UL and / or DL signals may be negatively impacted by base stations with O-RAN configurations.

[0060] Figure 3 and Figure 4is a diagram of the functionality at the O-RU and O-DU, which illustrates timing errors in O-RAN. Here, a "7-2 split" is used to divide the functionality of the physical layer (Layer 1 or L1) into "high" (also known as "high Phy") and "low" (also known as "low Phy") groups, where the O-RAN RU (O-RU, which can also stand for "open RU" and can correspond to Figure 2 RU 240) performs low L1 functions, and O-RAN DU (O-DU, which may also stand for "open DU" and may correspond to Figure 2 DU 230 in the Receive / Rx function 300 performs high L1 functions. Figure 3 , and the transmit / Tx function 400 is Figure 4 Example in.

[0061] refer to Figure 3 For Rx functionality, there is a time delay between the RF signal reaching the Rx antenna / panel and the digitization and time stamping of the Rx signal in the baseband. Figure 3 The O-RU may implement calibration of the Rx time delay before it reports measurements from UL RS resources (eg, SRS), but there may be some residual error. Figure 3 In the calibration adjustment, T gNB,Rx Represented by , and the remaining time delay or Rx timing error after calibration is represented by ΔRx.

[0062] An Rx Timing Error Group, or Rx TEG, is associated with one or more measurements obtained by one or more O-RUs from one or more received RS resources. That is, if the Rx timing error difference between any pair of measurements in an Rx TEG is within a certain (e.g., predefined) margin, then the one or more measurements may belong to an Rx TEG. According to some embodiments, this margin may depend on the accuracy requirements of a positioning method using measurements of UL RS resources received by one or more O-RUs for positioning.

[0063] Figure 4 The Tx functionality is similar. Here, there is a time delay between the generation of the Tx digital signal at the baseband and the transmission of the RF signal from the Tx antenna / panel. This time delay is Figure 4 The O-RU may implement Tx time delay calibration before sending DL RS resources (eg, PRS), but there may be some residual errors. Figure 4 In the calibration adjustment, T gNB,Tx Represented by , and the remaining time delay or Tx timing error after calibration is represented by ΔTx.

[0064] A Tx Timing Error Group, or Tx TEG, is associated with one or more RS resources transmitted by one or more O-RUs from one or more RS resources. That is, if the Tx timing error difference between any measurement pair in a Tx TEG is within a certain (e.g., predefined) margin, then the one or more RS resources may belong to a Tx TEG. According to some embodiments, and similar to the Rx TEG, this margin may depend on the accuracy requirements of the positioning method using the RS resources transmitted by the one or more O-RUs for positioning.

[0065] According to the 3GPP standard, a TEG-ID can be assigned to a set of measurements for an Rx (or RxTx) TEG, or a set of RS resources for a Tx TEG, that experience similar timing errors. The UE's position estimate can exploit this to improve accuracy through differencing techniques (e.g., using the assumption that timing errors between RS resources in a TEG are negligible). Similar timing errors are typically associated with similar processing chains (e.g., identical Tx / Rx panels / antennas). However, the TEG-ID abstracts away specific implementation details to capture what is needed to improve positioning accuracy, regardless of hardware differences. The relevant TEG-ID can be reported to a location server (e.g., LMF) in UE-assisted positioning and to the UE (e.g., via the LMF) in UE-based positioning.

[0066] In O-RAN, different configurations and hardware characteristics may affect the Rx TEG (e.g., based on SRS) and / or Tx TEG (e.g., based on PRS). In the O-RU, components used, from the RF antenna / panel to the baseband processing, may belong to different vendors with different product architectures. That is, for a given O-RU hardware and configuration (e.g., for receiving SRS or transmitting PRS), any Rx-to-Tx error can be assumed to be static (assuming nominal temperature conditions). Configurations such as the number of antenna elements to be used (e.g., 8, 16, or 64) and / or the beam pattern to be used can be controlled by the O-DU.

[0067] Currently, the relevant O-RAN specifications (Control User Synchronization Plane (CUS Plane) Management Plane (M Plane) specifications) support O-RU calibration and data blanking to provide intervals for antenna calibration at the O-RU. This may correspond to the Figure 3 and Figure 4 The calibration described hereby determines T gNB,Rx and T gNB,Tx The command for O-RU calibration can be sent via the M-plane.

[0068] However, the O-RAN specification does not currently support TEG reporting in O-RAN. O-RAN calibration cannot provide Rx or Tx timing errors; this measurement reporting is not specified under the current O-RAN specification. In addition, the specification does not currently allow the O-RU to dynamically report Rx or Tx timing errors to the O-DU (e.g., Figure 3 and Figure 4 ΔRx and ΔTx in the ...

[0069] As noted, embodiments herein address these and other issues by supporting Rx TEG and / or Tx TEG reporting from the O-RU to the O-DU (which may include reporting of the underlying Tx and / or Rx timing error). Different reporting mechanisms are described below. The reported information can ultimately be relayed to a location server (e.g., LMF) or the UE (e.g., via the location server) to determine UE positioning based on the O-RU's Rx and / or Tx timing error / TEG.

[0070] According to some embodiments, new capabilities and reporting types may be implemented at the O-RU. As noted, Rx and Tx timing errors (and, accordingly, Rx and Tx TEGs) may change based on events at the O-RU, such as temperature changes or updated calibration of group delays (e.g., during scheduled calibration gaps already supported in ORAN). According to some embodiments, the O-RU may be able to provide static or dynamic reporting of timing error / TEGs. Therefore, the O-RU may indicate to the O-DU the types of reporting it supports (e.g., static, dynamic, or no timing error / TEG reporting capability). This capability may be added to the existing O-RU capability framework.

[0071] The content of the reports provided from the O-RU to the O-DU may vary depending on the report type. For example, according to some embodiments, dynamic reports may be recorded autonomously (which may be superior to static reports in most scenarios). In such embodiments, the O-RU may request that the O-DU reserve grants for reporting in the U-plane data flow. In such embodiments, reserved resources may be allocated to the O-RU to request these grants (e.g., via periodic report requests). Additionally or alternatively, dynamic reports made by the O-RU may be provided in response to queries from the O-DU and / or in response to configured events (e.g., SRS or PRS periodicity, after the O-RU enters energy-saving mode, etc.).

[0072] Depending on the desired functionality, reporting can be performed via the M-plane and / or the user plane (U-plane). According to some embodiments, for static reporting, all TEG-related signaling (e.g., including underlying Rx and / or Tx timing errors) can be transmitted via the M-plane. Additionally or alternatively, reporting (e.g., static and / or dynamic) can be supported via the U-plane by delegating fields in the U-plane data stream to carry Rx timing error measurements and / or Tx timing error measurements.

[0073] According to some embodiments, the O-RU may report the beam shape used for UL AoA. For UL AoA, the O-DU performs angle calculations for received UL RS resources (e.g., SRS) based on the power difference of arrival (PDOA) and / or RSRP of different SRS resources. The O-RU may report the beam shape using one or more different formats for beam pattern / shape reporting (e.g., base gain pattern, antenna element shape, etc.), which may also include reporting the geometry of the antenna elements in the panel. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the O-RU's capability to report beam shape may be communicated to the O-DU in the same manner as described above regarding reporting timing error / TEG. According to some embodiments, this capability information provided by the O-RU to the O-DU may include not only whether the O-RU is capable of reporting beam shape, but also an indication of one or more formats for reporting beam shape supported by the O-RU. According to some embodiments, the O-DU may be able to transmit a request for beam shape reporting in a specified format to the O-RU via an O-DU command (which may be relayed via a C-Plane message). Similar to timing error / TEG reporting, dynamic reporting of beam shapes may be beneficial in some scenarios. This may include, for example, reporting when the beam shape has been updated based on calibration, and / or reporting beam shape usage on the fly, where the O-RU can autonomously select from a very large beam codebook (e.g., where the codebook may be too large to report all beam shapes upfront).

[0074] Figure 5 5 is a flow chart of a method 500 for TEG reporting in an O-RAN deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network, which may reflect aspects of the embodiments described above. Means / structures for performing one or more of the operations of method 500 may include, for example, hardware and / or software components of an O-RU. Exemplary components of an O-RU are described below with respect to Figure 7 Provide a description.

[0075] At block 510, functionality includes transmitting capability information from the O-RU to the O-DU, the capability information indicating the O-RU's reporting capabilities for reporting timing error information. As noted in the embodiments described herein, the content of the capability information may vary depending on the desired functionality. For example, the capability information may indicate whether the O-RU is capable of reporting TEG-related information, underlying Rx and / or Tx timing errors, beam shapes, or a combination thereof. For example, according to some examples, the capability information may indicate the O-RU's reporting capabilities for reporting beam shape information. In such examples, embodiments of method 500 may also include determining a beam shape associated with a wireless signal received by the O-RU, and transmitting a beam shape report from the O-RU to the O-DU based on the O-RU's reporting capabilities, wherein the beam shape report indicates the beam shape associated with the wireless signal. Furthermore, in such embodiments, the O-RU's reporting capabilities for reporting beam shape information may include an indication of one or more formats in which the O-RU is capable of reporting beam shape information. According to some embodiments, the O-RU's reporting capabilities may include dynamic reporting capabilities, static reporting capabilities, or both.

[0076] The means for performing the functionality at block 510 may include a baseband processing unit 740 (which may include one or more DSP units 745), a communication interface 750 (which may include one or more transceivers 755), and / or other components of the O-RU 700, such as Figure 7 exemplified in .

[0077] At block 520, functionality includes measuring the timing error of the O-RU, which includes the residual error in the time delay at the O-RU after calibration. Depending on the circumstances, the timing error may include Rx timing error (e.g., ΔRx), Tx timing error (e.g., ΔTx), or both. As noted herein, according to some embodiments, the O-RU may be capable of dynamic TEG reporting. In such embodiments, the underlying measurement for dynamic TEG reporting may be triggered by certain events (such as configuration or periodicity changes) that may change the timing error, as described herein.

[0078] The components for performing the functionality at block 520 may include one or more antennas / panels 710, an RF front end 720 (which may include one or more transceivers 725), an ADC / DAC 730, a baseband processing unit 740 (which may include one or more DSP units 745), a communication interface 750 (which may include one or more transceivers 755), and / or other components of the O-RU 700, such as Figure 7 exemplified in .

[0079] At block 530, the functionality includes transmitting a timing error report from the O-RU to the O-DU in accordance with the reporting capabilities of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error. Depending on the desired functionality, the timing error report may include the timing error itself and / or an indication of a TEG based on the timing error. Additionally or alternatively, the timing error report may include an Rx TEG identifier (TEG-ID), a Tx TEG-ID, or both.

[0080] Note that in the embodiments described herein, the manner in which a timing error report is transmitted may vary as needed. For example, in some embodiments, transmitting a timing error report may include transmitting a static timing error report via the M-plane. Additionally or alternatively, transmitting a timing error report may include transmitting a dynamic timing error report via the U-plane. According to some embodiments, a dynamic timing error report may be transmitted, in which case the dynamic timing error report may be transmitted using resources granted by the O-DU to the O-RU for reporting timing error information. In such embodiments, prior to transmitting the dynamic timing error report, the O-RU may transmit a request for resources to the O-DU, and the O-RU may receive a grant of resources from the O-DU. According to some embodiments, transmitting the timing error report is in response to the O-RU receiving a request for a timing error report from the O-DU. Additionally or alternatively, transmitting the timing error report may be in response to a change in the periodicity of a sounding reference signal (SRS) received by the O-RU from a transmitting device, a change in the periodicity of a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by the O-RU, the O-RU entering power-saving mode, or a combination thereof.

[0081] The components for performing the functionality at block 530 may include one or more antennas / panels 710, an RF front end 720 (which may include one or more transceivers 725), an ADC / DAC 730, a baseband processing unit 740 (which may include one or more DSP units 745), a communication interface 750 (which may include one or more transceivers 755), and / or other components of the O-RU 700, such as Figure 7 exemplified in .

[0082] Figure 6 6 is a flow chart of another method 600 for TEG reporting in an O-RAN deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network, which may reflect aspects of the embodiments described above. The method 600 may reflect functionality that may be performed by an O-DU when the O-RU performs the method 500. The means / structure for performing one or more of the operations of the method 600 may include, for example, hardware and / or software components of the O-DU. Example components of the O-DU are described below with respect to Figure 8 Provide a description.

[0083] At block 610, functionality includes receiving capability information from the O-RU using the O-DU, the capability information indicating the O-RU's reporting capability for reporting timing error information. Again, according to some embodiments, the capability information may indicate whether the O-RU is capable of reporting TEG-related information, underlying Rx and / or Tx timing errors, beam shapes, or a combination thereof. For example, according to some examples, the capability information may indicate the O-RU's reporting capability for reporting beam shape information. According to some embodiments, the O-RU's reporting capability may include dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both.

[0084] Means for performing the functionality at block 610 may include a communication interface 810 (which may include one or more transceivers 815), one or more processors 820, storage 830, and / or other components of the O-DU 800, such as Figure 8 exemplified in .

[0085] At block 620, functionality includes transmitting commands for timing error reporting from the O-DU to the O-RU based on the capability information. According to some embodiments, the commands are transmitted from the O-DU to the O-RU via the C-plane.

[0086] Means for performing the functionality at block 620 may include a communication interface 810 (which may include one or more transceivers 815), one or more processors 820, a storage device 830, and / or other components of the O-DU 800, such as Figure 8 exemplified in .

[0087] At block 630 , the functionality includes, after transmitting the command, receiving a timing error report from the O-RU using the O-DU in accordance with the command, wherein the timing error report indicates a timing error measured by the O-RU.

[0088] The method of claim 12, wherein the timing error comprises an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both. According to some embodiments, the timing error report comprises a dynamic timing error report received via the U-plane. In embodiments where the O-RU is capable of providing dynamic timing error reporting, the method may further comprise: utilizing the O-DU to grant resources to the O-RU for reporting timing error information. As noted, granting such resources may be responsive to a request for resources from the O-RU.

[0089] Means for performing the functionality at block 630 may include a communication interface 810 (which may include one or more transceivers 815), one or more processors 820, a storage device 830, and / or other components of the O-DU 800, such as Figure 8 exemplified in .

[0090] Figure 7is a block diagram of an embodiment of an O-RU 700 that may be used, in whole or in part, to provide the functionality of an O-RU as described herein. This may generally encompass the following: Figures 1 to 6 The O-RU functionality described herein, and specifically covers Figure 3 and Figure 4 The functionality of the O-RU exemplified in Figure 5 It should be noted that some or all of the operations illustrated in Figure 8 This is intended only to provide a generalized illustration of the various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. Additionally, the various components of the O-RU 700 may be communicatively coupled via a bus and / or one or more communication links in the manner illustrated or in alternative configurations as desired.

[0091] As illustrated, the O-RU 700 may include one or more antennas and / or antenna panels 710 communicatively coupled to an RF front end 720, which may include one or more transceivers 725, which may include receivers, transmitters, or any combination thereof. The RF front end 720 may include circuitry and / or other hardware for performing initial processing of Rx signals received via the antennas / panels 710 and / or final processing of Tx signals to be transmitted via the antennas / panels 710. This may include implementing, for example, low noise and / or power amplification, filtering, analog beamforming (e.g., corresponding to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As described elsewhere herein, the reception of wireless Rx signals and the transmission of wireless Tx signals by the O-RU 700 may be part of a Uu interface (and / or other wireless link) between a UE and a base station (e.g., of which the O-RU 700 may be a part). Wireless signals may be transmitted and received in accordance with governing wireless standards (e.g., as defined by 3GPP).

[0092] At block 730, the O-RU 700 may also include one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and / or digital-to-analog converters (DACs). Generally speaking, these ADCs / DACs may include circuitry that provides analog-to-digital conversion of Rx signals received by the O-RU 700 and provided by the RF front end 720 for baseband processing by the baseband processing unit 740 and / or provides digital-to-analog conversion of Tx signals provided by the baseband processing unit 740 for final analog processing by the RF front end 720 before transmission by the O-RU 700.

[0093] As illustrated, the baseband processing unit 740 may include one or more digital signal processing (DSP) units 745 and / or one or more other types of processors (e.g., microprocessors, microcontrollers, etc.) for processing received Rx signals and / or Tx signals to be transmitted. The baseband processing unit 740 may perform Figure 3 and Figure 4 The L1-Low (PHY-Low) functionality exemplified in

[15] is as previously described. This may include Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), removal and / or addition of cyclic prefixes (CPs), digital beamforming, recoding, IQ compression and / or decompression, or any combination thereof. This may be split according to O-RAN 7-2, as described herein.

[0094] Finally, the communication interface 750 may include one or more transceivers 755 for communicating with the O-DU. Again, the transceiver 755 may include a receiver, a transmitter, or any combination thereof. As previously noted, communication with the O-DU may be via a fronthaul link and in accordance with the governing standards to transmit information via the U-plane, C-plane, M-plane, synchronization plane (S-plane), or any combination thereof.

[0095] It may be noted that the various components of the O-RU 700 may also include Figure 7 This may include, for example, one or more non-transitory storage devices, which may include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0096] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an O-DU 800 that may be used, in whole or in part, to provide the functionality of an O-DU as described herein. This may generally encompass the following aspects: Figures 1 to 6 The O-DU functionality described in Figure 3 and Figure 4 The functionality of the O-DU exemplified in Figure 6 It should be noted that some or all of the operations illustrated in Figure 8 This is intended only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. Furthermore, the various components of the O-DU 800 may be communicatively coupled via a bus and / or one or more communication links in the manner illustrated or in alternative configurations as desired.

[0097] As illustrated, the O-DU 800 may include a communication interface 810, which may include one or more transceivers 815. Again, the one or more transceivers may include one or more receivers, transmitters, or any combination thereof. The communication interface 810 may provide an interface to the O-RU and the O-CU, as shown. As previously noted, communication with the O-RU may be conducted via a fronthaul link and in accordance with governing standards to transmit information via the U-plane, C-plane, M-plane, synchronization plane (S-plane), or any combination thereof. Communication with the O-CU may be conducted via a midhaul link and / or an F1 interface, which may also be conducted in accordance with applicable communication standards.

[0098] As illustrated, the communication interface 810 may be communicatively coupled to one or more processors 820. The processor 820 may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more specialized processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, system-on-chip circuits, etc.), and / or other processing structures, which may be communicatively coupled to the storage device 830 and configured to execute functions including Figure 3 and Figure 4 The L1-High (PHY-Low) functionality illustrated in FIG. 8 may be implemented as previously described. This may include IQ decompression, resource element (RE) demapping and / or mapping, SRS ChE, or any combination thereof. Again, the functions performed by the O-DU 800 (using the processor 820) may be split according to the O-RAN 7-2.

[0099] The storage device 830 may include any of a variety of storage types that may be used by the processor 820 to perform the functionality described above. For example, the storage device 830 may include one or more non-transitory storage devices, which may include, but are not limited to, RAM and / or ROM, which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0100] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that basic modifications may be made to suit specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices may be employed.

[0101] Referring to the accompanying drawings, components that may include memory may include non-transitory machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any storage medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may be involved when providing instructions / code to a processor and / or other device for execution. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many specific implementations, computer-readable media is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example: magnetic and / or optical media, any other physical media with a pattern of holes, RAM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or memory cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and / or code.

[0102] The methods, systems, and devices discussed herein are examples. Various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, features described for certain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. The various components of the drawings provided herein may be embodied in hardware and / or software. In addition, technology may evolve, and therefore many elements are examples, which do not limit the scope of this disclosure to those specific examples.

[0103] It proves convenient at times, primarily for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, digital symbols, and the like. It will be understood, however, that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specifically stated, as will be apparent from the above discussion, it will be understood that throughout this specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "process," "calculate," "calculate," "determine," "ascertain," "identify," "correlate," "measure," "perform," and the like refer to the actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device. Thus, in the context of this specification, a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, typically expressed as physical, electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities, in a memory, register, or other information storage device, a transmitting device, or a display device of the special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device.

[0104] As used herein, the terms "and" and "or" may include multiple meanings that are also intended to depend at least in part on the context in which such terms are used. Generally, "or," if used in connection with a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C (where used in an inclusive sense) as well as A, B, or C (where used in an exclusive sense). Furthermore, as used herein, the term "one or more" may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular, or may be used to describe some combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term "at least one of...", if used in connection with a list, such as A, B, or C, may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0105] Several embodiments have been described, and various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the above elements may be merely components of a larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over the application of the various embodiments or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. Additionally, multiple steps may be performed before, during, or after consideration of the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0106] In view of this description, various embodiments may include different combinations of features. Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0107] Clause 1. A method of timing error group (TEG) reporting in an open radio access network (O-RAN) deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: transmitting capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) to an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; measuring a timing error of the O-RU, the timing error comprising a residual error in a time delay at the O-RU after calibration; and transmitting a timing error report from the O-RU to the O-DU in accordance with the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error.

[0108] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the timing error comprises an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both.

[0109] Clause 3. The method of any of clauses 1 to 2, wherein the timing error report includes an Rx TEG identifier (TEG-ID), a Tx TEG-ID, or both.

[0110] Clause 4. The method of clause 3, wherein the reporting capability of the O-RU comprises dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both.

[0111] Clause 5. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein transmitting the timing error report comprises transmitting a static timing error report via a management plane (M-plane).

[0112] Clause 6. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein transmitting the timing error report comprises transmitting a dynamic timing error report via a user plane (U-plane).

[0113] Clause 7. The method of any of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the dynamic timing error report is transmitted using resources granted by the O-DU to the O-RU for reporting the timing error information.

[0114] Clause 8. The method of clause 7, wherein, prior to transmitting the dynamic timing error report, the O-RU transmits a request for the resource to the O-DU; and the O-RU receives a grant of the resource from the O-DU.

[0115] Clause 9. The method of any of clauses 1 to 8, wherein transmitting the timing error report is in response to the O-RU receiving a request for the timing error report from the O-DU.

[0116] Clause 10. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein transmitting the timing error report is in response to: a periodic change in a sounding reference signal (SRS) received by the O-RU from a transmitting device, a periodic change in a positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the O-RU, the O-RU entering a power saving mode, or a combination thereof.

[0117] Clause 11. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the capability information further indicates a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information, the method further comprising: determining a beam shape associated with a wireless signal received by the O-RU; and transmitting a beam shape report from the O-RU to the O-DU based on the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the beam shape report indicates the beam shape associated with the wireless signal.

[0118] Clause 12. The method of clause 11, wherein the reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information comprises an indication of one or more formats in which the O-RU is capable of reporting the beam shape information.

[0119] Clause 13. A method for timing error group (TEG) reporting in an open radio access network (O-RAN) deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving, with an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; transmitting, from the O-DU to the O-RU, a command for timing error reporting in accordance with the capability information; and after transmitting the command, receiving, with the O-DU, a timing error report from the O-RU in accordance with the command, wherein the timing error report indicates a timing error measured by the O-RU.

[0120] Clause 14. The method of clause 13, wherein the command is transmitted from the O-DU to the O-RU via a control plane (C-plane).

[0121] Clause 15. The method of any one of clauses 13 to 14, wherein the timing error comprises an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both.

[0122] Clause 16. The method of any of clauses 13 to 15, wherein the reporting capability of the O-RU comprises dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both.

[0123] Clause 17. The method of any of clauses 13 to 16, wherein the timing error report comprises a dynamic timing error report received via a user plane (U-plane).

[0124] Clause 18. A method according to any one of clauses 13 to 17, wherein the timing error report comprises a dynamic timing error report, and wherein the method further comprises: utilizing the O-DU to grant resources to the O-RU for reporting the timing error information.

[0125] Clause 19. An open radio access network (O-RAN) radio unit (O-RU), the open radio access network (O-RAN) radio unit (O-RU) comprising: a transceiver; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: transmit capability information to an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) via the transceiver, the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; measure a timing error of the O-RU, the timing error comprising a residual error in a time delay at the O-RU after calibration; and transmit a timing error report to the O-DU via the transceiver according to the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error.

[0126] Clause 20. The O-RU of clause 19, wherein the timing error comprises an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both.

[0127] Clause 21. An O-RU as described in any of clauses 19 to 20, wherein to indicate the reporting capability of the O-RU, the one or more processors are configured to indicate dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both in the capability information.

[0128] Clause 22. An O-RU as described in any of clauses 19 to 21, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the timing error report in response to the O-RU receiving a request for the timing error report from the O-DU.

[0129] Clause 23. An O-RU as described in any of clauses 19 to 22, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the timing error report in response to: a change in the periodicity of a sounding reference signal (SRS) received by the O-RU from a transmitting device, a change in the periodicity of a positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the O-RU, the O-RU entering a power saving mode, or a combination thereof.

[0130] Clause 24. An O-RU according to any one of clauses 19 to 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information in the capability information, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine a beam shape associated with a wireless signal received by the O-RU; and transmit a beam shape report to the O-DU via the transceiver based on the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the beam shape report indicates the beam shape associated with the wireless signal.

[0131] Clause 25. An O-RU according to clause 24, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include in the reporting capabilities of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information an indication of one or more formats in which the O-RU is capable of reporting the beam shape information.

[0132] Clause 26. An open radio access network (O-RAN) distributed unit (O-DU), the open radio access network (O-RAN) distributed unit (O-DU) comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors, the one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) via the transceiver, the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; transmit a command for a timing error report to the O-RU via the transceiver based on the capability information; and after transmitting the command, receive a timing error report from the O-RU via the transceiver based on the command, wherein the timing error report indicates a timing error measured by the O-RU.

[0133] Clause 27. The O-DU of clause 26, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the command to the O-RU via a control plane (C-plane).

[0134] Clause 28. The O-DU of any of clauses 26 to 27, wherein to receive the timing error report, the one or more processors are configured to receive an indication of Rx timing error, Tx timing error, or both.

[0135] Clause 29. An O-DU as described in any of clauses 26 to 28, wherein to receive the reporting capabilities of the O-RU, the one or more processors are configured to receive an indication of dynamic reporting capabilities, static reporting capabilities, or both.

[0136] Clause 30. The O-DU of any of clauses 26 to 29, wherein to receive the timing error report, the one or more processors are configured to receive a dynamic timing error report via a user plane (U-plane).

[0137] Clause 31. An apparatus having means for performing the method of any one of clauses 1 to 18.

[0138] Clause 32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions comprising code for performing the method of any one of clauses 1 to 18.

Claims

1. A method for timing error group (TEG) reporting in an open radio access network (O-RAN) deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: transmitting capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) to an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; measuring a timing error of the O-RU, the timing error comprising a residual error in a time delay at the O-RU after calibration; and A timing error report is transmitted from the O-RU to the O-DU according to the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing error comprises an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the timing error report includes an Rx TEG identifier (TEG-ID), a Tx TEG-ID, or both.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting capability of the O-RU comprises dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the timing error report comprises: Static timing error reports are transmitted via the management plane (M plane).

6. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the timing error report comprises: Dynamic timing error reports are transmitted via the user plane (U-plane).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamic timing error report is transmitted using resources granted by the O-DU to the O-RU for reporting the timing error information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein prior to transmitting the dynamic timing error report: The O-RU transmits a request for the resource to the O-DU; and The O-RU receives a grant of the resource from the O-DU.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the timing error report is in response to the O-RU receiving a request for the timing error report from the O-DU.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the timing error report is in response to: the periodic change of the sounding reference signal (SRS) received by the O-RU from the transmitting device, Periodic changes in the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the O-RU, The O-RU enters power saving mode, or A combination of them.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the capability information further indicates a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information, the method further comprising: determining a beam shape associated with a wireless signal received by the O-RU; as well as A beam shape report is transmitted from the O-RU to the O-DU according to the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the beam shape report indicates the beam shape associated with the wireless signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information comprises an indication of one or more formats in which the O-RU is capable of reporting the beam shape information.

13. A method for timing error group (TEG) reporting in an open radio access network (O-RAN) deployment of a base station in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving, by an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; transmitting a command for a timing error report from the O-DU to the O-RU according to the capability information; and After transmitting the command, a timing error report is received from the O-RU using the O-DU according to the command, wherein the timing error report indicates a timing error measured by the O-RU.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the command is transmitted from the O-DU to the O-RU via a control plane (C-plane).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the timing error comprises an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the reporting capability of the O-RU comprises dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the timing error report comprises a dynamic timing error report received via a user plane (U-plane).

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the timing error report comprises a dynamic timing error report, and wherein the method further comprises: The O-RU is granted resources for reporting the timing error information using the O-DU.

19. An Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) radio unit (O-RU), comprising: transceiver; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: transmitting, via the transceiver, capability information to an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; measuring a timing error of the O-RU, the timing error comprising a residual error in a time delay at the O-RU after calibration; and A timing error report is transmitted to the O-DU via the transceiver according to the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the timing error report indicates the timing error.

20. The O-RU of claim 19, wherein the timing error comprises an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both.

21. The O-RU of claim 19, wherein to indicate the reporting capability of the O-RU, the one or more processors are configured to indicate dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both in the capability information.

22. The O-RU of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the timing error report in response to the O-RU receiving a request for the timing error report from the O-DU.

23. The O-RU of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the timing error report in response to: the periodic change of the sounding reference signal (SRS) received by the O-RU from the transmitting device, Periodic changes in the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the O-RU, The O-RU enters power saving mode, or A combination of them.

24. The O-RU of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include, in the capability information, a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determining a beam shape associated with a wireless signal received by the O-RU; and A beam shape report is transmitted to the O-DU via the transceiver according to the reporting capability of the O-RU, wherein the beam shape report indicates the beam shape associated with the wireless signal.

25. The O-RU of claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include, in the reporting capabilities of the O-RU for reporting beam shape information, an indication of one or more formats in which the O-RU is capable of reporting the beam shape information.

26. An open radio access network (O-RAN) distributed unit (O-DU), the open radio access network (O-RAN) distributed unit (O-DU) comprising: transceiver; Memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receiving, via the transceiver, capability information from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), the capability information indicating a reporting capability of the O-RU for reporting timing error information; transmitting a command for a timing error report to the O-RU via the transceiver according to the capability information; and After transmitting the command, a timing error report is received from the O-RU via the transceiver according to the command, wherein the timing error report indicates a timing error measured by the O-RU.

27. The O-DU of claim 26, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the command to the O-RU via a control plane (C-plane).

28. The O-DU of claim 26, wherein to receive the timing error report, the one or more processors are configured to receive an indication of an Rx timing error, a Tx timing error, or both.

29. The O-DU of claim 26, wherein to receive the reporting capability of the O-RU, the one or more processors are configured to receive an indication of dynamic reporting capability, static reporting capability, or both.

30. The O-DU of claim 29, wherein to receive the timing error report, the one or more processors are configured to receive a dynamic timing error report via a user plane (U-plane).

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