Service-based radio resource control for cloud native RAN

Abstract

A method comprising: receiving, by a control plane network entity, a service request from a user equipment; checking whether to forward at least a portion of the service requests to another entity in the network; determining, by the control plane network entity, available resources for processing at least a portion of the service requests in the network when the check indicates that the device forwards the at least a portion of the service requests to another entity in the network; selecting, among the available resources, another entity for configuring the requested service for the user equipment; and communicating with the selected entity to update the context of the user equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to service-based radio resource control for cloud-native random access nodes. Background Art

[0002] The 5G specification provides the option of splitting the internal structure of the access node gNodeB (gNB) into entities called a CU (central unit) and one or more DUs (distributed units), which are connected by the F1 interface. This split gNB architecture allows for distributed radio access network (RAN) deployment (i.e., gNB CU-Du split) and the decomposition of specific RAN network elements. This has resulted in the control plane (C-plane) of the radio resource control protocol (RRC) being anchored in the CU (as in 4G), but its functions, such as lower-layer configuration management, being split between the CU and DU.

[0003] In 5G, the C-plane functionality in this RAN split architecture is also split, where the Centralized Unit Control Plane (CU-CP), Centralized Unit User Plane (CU-UP) and DU components all include C-plane functionality. The problem with the CU-DU split is the increased central processing unit (CPU) processing requirements and high latency. Additional CPU processing occurs as the C-plane functionality is split into multiple network entities / components. Any required configuration requires exchanging multiple long message scenarios between the CU-CP and DU, and the CU-UP and DU. Regardless of the type of service required by the UE, this problem is common to all UE requests. When a network node or entity (e.g., CU-CP) is sending (or receiving) a message, the network node or entity needs to encode (or decode) the message and further may use multiple protocol stacks to deliver the message. Whenever a network node / entity needs to stop running an algorithm and send a message to another network entity that can continue message processing, the network node / entity requires additional CPU computation and also incurs additional latency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Now, an improved method and a technical device for implementing the method have been invented, by which the aforementioned problems are alleviated. Various aspects include a method, an apparatus, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a computer program or a signal stored therein, characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. Various details of the embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims and the corresponding figures and descriptions.

[0005] The scope of protection sought by various embodiments of the present invention is set out in the independent claims. Embodiments and features described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims, if any, should be interpreted as examples that help understand the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0006] According to some embodiments, a control plane architecture is provided, for example, for a service-based 5G (5th generation) and / or 6G (6th generation) cloud-native RAN, wherein the RRC protocol for a given UE can be flexibly terminated in any C-plane network entity (e.g., CU or DU or partially in CU and DU) based on the actual service requested by the UE (e.g., latency target) and based on available resources (to balance latency and CPU processing). For simplicity, in this disclosure, we use 5G terminology for the decomposed RAN architecture (i.e., CU and DU), however, it should be noted that such terminology may be different in 5G / 6G.

[0007] According to an embodiment, a method is defined in which, in a 5G / 6G RAN architecture, C-plane related algorithms and data storage used by these algorithms can be separated in different network entities. Any C-plane network entity can be a remote unit that hosts the RRC protocol for a given UE. All network access components (centralized, distributed units) include, for example, C-plane functions for different UEs. In this method, basically the fixed RRC protocol position of 5G in the CU is replaced by a logical function. The placement of the logical C-plane function may depend on the network deployment model and / or the service level it provides.

[0008] At a high level, any C-Plane logical function consists of a set of protocol configurators, a protocol manager, and a shared data layer (SDL) that stores and maintains UE context data.

[0009] All computing units handling logical functions are assumed to belong to a trusted site with the required security level.

[0010] Each c-plane logical function may include (multiple) protocol configurators and protocol managers. Each of the protocol configurators understands how to configure resources for a specific protocol, and the protocol configurators also know the features supported by the protocol. The protocol manager is a higher-level manager that maintains consistency of functionality, understands the set of protocols that different network components are allowed to configure, and where the shared data layer is used to store data. Anyone with access to the shared data layer and the keys for the UE can access the UE context data. This can allow easy UE context switching from one computing unit to another. In cases where a computing node needs to communicate outside of a trusted site, it can also use messages.

[0011] When the logic functionality is decomposed from the state storage, the logic becomes stateless. This means that the logic in the computing unit performs the task and outputs for the task, stores the state to the SDL and forgets the state. According to an embodiment, the UE context owner and the RRC entity of the UE are owned by the computing unit which has both the SDL key and the UE key to the SDL. Anyone who has the key may be able to do RRC messaging for the UE, so the message construction for one UE is not limited to just one owner. The actual protocol level RRC content may be defined by whoever has the permission to configure the protocol. In the case where there are multiple non-shared owners, the content data may need to be collected from all owners.

[0012] The network's approach to managing UE context consistency can be based on a minimal-state UE context. For example, the first RRC node to define security keys maintains ownership of the UE, or the UE requests context retention. Depending on the approach, this means the control plane is in a state where no nodes are active and the network is waiting for external input, such as from the UE. Thus, the network can, for example, configure periodic reporting / input for the UE, and the absence of such reporting / input means the context is ultimately removed from the network.

[0013] One benefit of this model can be that when a single compute unit is the owner of multiple protocol layers, the algorithm can be optimized, and unnecessary protocol hops and wasted CPU resources can be avoided. Furthermore, when the architecture does need to be decomposed, the configuration can be built on a flow model, where one compute unit configures those protocol layers that are allowed and can be configured, and then the next compute unit continues from there. This process removes the request, confirmation, and configuration update types of the configuration set.

[0014] According to a first aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for receiving, by the apparatus, a service request from a user equipment; a component for checking whether to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; a component for determining, by the apparatus, available resources in the network when the check indicates that the apparatus forwards at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; a component for selecting, from the available resources, another entity for configuring the requested service for the user equipment; and a component for communicating with the selected entity to update the context of the user equipment.

[0015] According to the second aspect, the device includes at least one processor and at least one memory, and the at least one memory has computer program code stored thereon, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to at least perform: receiving, by the device, a service request from a user device; checking whether to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; determining, by the device, available resources in the network when the check indicates that the device forwards at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; selecting, from the available resources, another entity for configuring the requested service for the user device; and communicating with the selected entity to update the context of the user device.

[0016] The method according to the third aspect includes: receiving, by a control plane network entity, a service request from a user equipment; checking whether to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; determining, by the control plane network entity, available resources in the network when the check indicates that the device forwards at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; selecting, from the available resources, another entity for configuring the requested service for the user equipment; and communicating with the selected entity to update the context of the user equipment.

[0017] According to other aspects, a computer-readable storage medium includes code for use by an apparatus that, when executed by a processor, causes the apparatus to perform the above-described method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] For a more complete understanding of example embodiments, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 shows an example block diagram of a system according to an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 An overview of the 5G deployment model for split gNB is shown;

[0021] Figure 3 A portion of an example radio access network is shown;

[0022] Figure 4 A method according to an embodiment is shown;

[0023] Figure 5 An example of a scalable and service-based RAN architecture with remote extension is shown;

[0024] Figure 6a An example of gNB logical functionality in a non-distributed c-plane architecture is shown;

[0025] Figure 6billustrates gNB logical functionality in a distributed c-plane architecture according to an embodiment;

[0026] Figure 7a 、 Figure 7b and Figure 7c shows a scalable network architecture with flow configuration building according to an embodiment; and

[0027] Figure 8 It is shown how UE context sharing according to an embodiment is implemented using a shared data layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Suitable means and possible mechanisms for performing an interface establishment procedure involving a near-RT RIC are described in further detail below. Although the following focuses on 5G and / or 6G networks, the embodiments described further below are by no means limited to implementation only in such networks, but rather are applicable to any network and protocol entity that supports an interface with a near-RT RIC or equivalent entity.

[0029] In this regard, first refer to Figure 1 and 2 ,in Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of an example apparatus or electronic device 50 that may be used in 5G and / or 6G networks is shown.

[0030] Figure 1 An example of a system including apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is shown. In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communication network or a node, host, or server serving such a network. For example, apparatus 10 may be a network node associated with a radio access network (such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR), a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), a TRP, a HAPS, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and / or a WLAN access point. In some example embodiments, apparatus 10 may be, for example, a gNB or other similar radio node.

[0031] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicate via a wired connection. For example, in a specific example embodiment where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that separates gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality, such as delivery of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management. The CU may control the operation of the DU(s) over a mid-haul interface referred to as the F1 interface, and the DU(s) may have one or more radio units (RUs) connected to the DU(s) over a front-haul interface. Depending on the functional split option, the DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of the gNB functionality. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 1 Components or features not shown.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown in the example of FIG, the apparatus 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 12 may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture or any other processing component. Although in Figure 1 A single processor 12 is shown, but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multi-processor system that may support multi-processing (e.g., in which case processor 12 may represent a multi-processor). In certain embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0033] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of apparatus 10, including processes related to static reporting by user equipment of maximum sensitivity degradation and its relaxation value based on the specific network configuration and capabilities of the user equipment.

[0034] The device 10 may further include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium or other suitable storage components. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0035] In an embodiment, the apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to a drive or port (internal or external) configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the apparatus 10.

[0036] In some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting signals and / or data to and receiving signals and / or data from the apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna(s) 15, or may include any other suitable transceiver components. The radio interfaces may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSSM), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BT-LE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interfaces may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and to receive symbols (e.g., via an uplink).

[0037] Thus, the transceiver 18 can be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15, and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 is capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices) or input / output components.

[0038] In an embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. Such modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. Memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or in any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in or may form part of a processing circuit / component or a control circuit / component. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in or may form part of a transceiver circuit system / component.

[0040] However, in the following, different example embodiments will be described using a radio access architecture based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G) or beyond 5G (e.g., 6G) as an example of an access architecture to which the embodiments may be applied, without limiting the embodiments to such architectures. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments may also be applied to other kinds of communication networks with suitable components by appropriately adjusting the parameters and procedures. Some examples of other options for suitable systems are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0041] Figure 3 An example of a simplified system architecture is shown showing only some elements and functional entities, all of which are logical units, the implementation of which may differ from what is shown. Figure 3The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system typically includes, in addition to Figure 3 Other functions and structures than those shown. However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solutions to other communication systems having the necessary properties.

[0042] Figure 3 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an example radio access network.

[0043] Figure 3 Shown is a user equipment 300 and a user equipment 302, which are configured to be wirelessly connected to an access node (such as an (e / g) NodeB or a base transceiver station (BTS)) 304 providing the cell on one or more communication channels in the cell. The physical link from the user equipment to the (e / g) NodeB is called an uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g) NodeB to the user equipment is called a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g) NodeB or its functions can be implemented using any node (such as an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node), host, server or access point suitable for such use.

[0044] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB. In this case, the (e / g)NodeBs may also be configured to communicate with each other via purposefully designed wired or wireless links. These links may be used for signaling purposes. A (e / g)NodeB is, or includes, a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, access point, access node, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station, capable of operating in a wireless environment. The (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. The (e / g)NodeB's transceiver provides connectivity to an antenna unit that establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user equipment (UE). The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is further connected to the core network 310 (CN or Next Generation Core (NGC)). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side may be a Serving Gateway (S-GW, which routes and forwards user data packets), a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW), which provides connectivity for user equipment (UE) to external packet data networks, or a Mobility Management Entity (MME). The CN may include a network entity or a node that may be referred to as a management entity. Examples of network entities include at least an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0045] In 5G NR and 6G NR, the user plane function (UPF) can be used to separate the control plane (c-plane) and user plane (u-plane) functions. Among them, the packet gateway (PGW) control and user plane functions can be decoupled, whereby the data forwarding component (PGW-U) can be decentralized, while the PGW-related signaling (PGW-C) can be retained in the core. This allows packet processing and service aggregation to be performed closer to the edge of the network, reducing network while improving bandwidth efficiency.

[0046] A user equipment (also referred to as user equipment (UE), user terminal, terminal device, wireless device, mobile station (MS), etc.) represents a type of device to which resources on the air interface are assigned and allocated. Therefore, any features described herein with respect to a user equipment can be implemented using corresponding network devices, such as relay nodes, eNBs, and gNBs. An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station.

[0047] A user device generally refers to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices operating with or without a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), and includes, but is not limited to, the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones, devices using wireless modems (such as alarms or metering devices), laptop and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that a user device can also be almost exclusively an uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or camcorder that uploads images or video clips to a network. A user device can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. Accordingly, a user device can be an IoT device. A user device can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, a user device can include a small portable device with a radio (such as a watch, headphones, or glasses), and perform computations in the cloud. A user device (or, in some embodiments, a Layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more user device functions. A user device may also be called a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to mention just a few names or devices.

[0048] The various techniques described herein can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems of collaborative computing elements that control physical entities). CPS can implement and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in different locations in physical objects. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems in which the physical systems in question have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0049] Additionally, although the apparatus has been depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units ( Figure 1 Not all are shown) can be implemented.

[0050] 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different data sharing methods, and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC), including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely sub-6 GHz, centimeter wave (cmWave), and millimeter wave (mmWave), and will also be able to integrate with existing legacy radio access technologies such as LTE. Integration with LTE can, at least in the early stages, be implemented as a system in which macro coverage is provided by LTE, and 5G radio interface access is achieved through aggregation from small cells to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support inter-RAT (radio access technology) operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6 GHz-cmWave, sub-6 GHz-cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnetworks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0051] The communication system can also communicate with other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 312, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network can also support the use of cloud services, for example, at least part of the core network operations can be performed as a cloud service (this is in Figure 3 (depicted by “cloud” 314 in FIG. 1 ). The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like, which provides facilities for networks of different operators to collaborate, for example in spectrum sharing.

[0052] Edge cloud can be brought into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud can mean that access node operations are at least partially performed in a server, host or node that is operatively coupled to a remote radio head, radio unit (RU) or base station including the radio portion. Node operations may also be distributed across multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloud RAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (e.g., in a distributed unit DU) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (e.g., in a centralized unit CU 308).

[0053] 5G can also utilize non-terrestrial nodes 306. For example, access nodes can enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul, wireless access to wireless devices, service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, service continuity for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, service continuity for passengers on vehicles, ensuring service availability for critical communications, and / or ensuring service availability for future rail, maritime, and aviation communications. Non-terrestrial nodes can have a fixed location relative to the Earth's surface, or they can be mobile non-terrestrial nodes that can move relative to the Earth's surface. Non-terrestrial nodes can include satellites and / or HAPS (High Altitude Platform Stations). Satellite communications can utilize geostationary (GEO) satellite systems, as well as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, particularly mega-constellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano)satellites are deployed). Each satellite in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite-supporting network entities, creating a terrestrial cell. A terrestrial cell can be created by a terrestrial relay node 304 or by a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the depicted system is merely an example of a portion of a radio access system, and that in practice, the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, user equipment may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a home (e / g)NodeB. Additionally, multiple different types of radio cells, as well as multiple radio cells, may be provided within a geographical area of ​​the radio communications system. A radio cell may be a macro cell (or umbrella cell), which is a large cell typically having a diameter of up to tens of kilometers, or a smaller cell such as a micro cell, a femto cell, or a pico cell. Figure 1An (e / g)NodeB can provide any of these types of cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network comprising several types of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one type of cell or multiple cells, so multiple (e / g)NodeBs are required to provide this network structure.

[0055] In order to meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB has been introduced. Generally, in addition to the home (e / g) NodeB (H(e / g) NodeB), the network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB also includes the home node B gateway or HNB-GW ( Figure 1 Typically installed in the operator's network, an HNB gateway (HNB-GW) can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0056] The Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol is used in various wireless communication systems to define the air interface between the UE and base stations, such as eNBs / gNBs. This protocol is specified by 3GPP in TS 36.331 for LTE and TS 38.331 for 5G. In terms of RRC, a UE can operate in either idle mode or connected mode in LTE and 5G, where the radio resources available to the UE depend on the mode in which the UE is currently residing. In 5G, the UE can also operate in inactive mode. In RRC idle mode, the UE has no connection for communication, but the UE can listen for paging messages. In RRC connected mode, the UE can operate in different states, such as RRC_IDLE (idle state with no RRC connection and UE-based mobility), RRC_INACTIVE (idle state with partially stored RRC connection parameters and UE-based mobility), and RRC_CONNECTED (connected state in which the UE can communicate with the network and use network-based mobility). The UE can communicate with the eNB / gNB through various logical channels, such as the Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH), Paging Control Channel (PCCH), Common Control Channel (CCCH), Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH), and Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH).

[0057] Transitions between states are controlled by the RRC state machine. When the UE powers on, it is in disconnected mode / idle mode. The UE can transition to RRC connected mode during initial attach or connection establishment. If there is no activity from the UE for a short period of time, the eNB / gNB can suspend its session by moving to RRC inactive mode and resume its session by moving to RRC connected mode. The UE can move to RRC idle mode from either RRC connected mode or from RRC inactive mode.

[0058] The actual user and control data from the network to the UE is transmitted via downlink physical channels. In 5G, the downlink physical channels include the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that carries the necessary downlink control information (DCI), the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) that carries user data and user system information, and the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) that carries the necessary system information to enable the UE to access the 5G network.

[0059] User and control data from the UE to the network are transmitted via uplink physical channels. In 5G, the uplink physical channels include the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) used for uplink control information, including feedback confirmation of HARQ (hybrid automatic repeat request), scheduling requests and downlink channel state information for link adaptation; the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) used for uplink data transmission, and the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). PRACH is used by the UE to request connection establishment, which is called random access.

[0060] The 5G specifications provide the option of splitting the internal structure of a gNB into entities called a CU (Central Unit) and one or more DUs (Distributed Units), connected by the F1 interface, as specified in 3GPP 38.473. This split can provide traffic aggregation, with one gNB CU serving multiple gNB DUs operating as the actual node point of the air interface. The gNB-CU can be further split into the CU-CP (Control Plane) and the CU-UP (User Plane), with an E1 interface introduced between them. Information on available resources and load must be shared across these network entities to implement various RRM (Radio Resource Management) functions.

[0061] Figure 2 This article provides a basic overview of the 5G deployment model for split gNBs. The gNB consists of a centralized unit (gNB-CU) and one or more distributed units (gNB-DUs) connected to the gNB-CU. The gNB-CU is a logical node that includes gNB functions (such as user data delivery, mobility management, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, etc.) in addition to functions specifically assigned to the gNB-DU. The gNB-CU controls the operation of the gNB-DU over the F1 interface.

[0062] According to some embodiments, setup and functionality for a C-plane distributed entity is provided. Figure 5 Examples of flow RRC configuration models with different decomposition levels for RAN deployment and UE services are shown.

[0063] exist Figure 5In this example, all network components operate within a trusted network. In this example, all components have access to UE context data. Each RAN C-plane component (protocol manager) may have a portion of its configuration configured for the UE. This split can depend on the UE service and also result from a hard-split resource model. Figure 5 The names DU, CU-CP and CU-UP of some entities are used as examples only. In future RANs, these entities can be any computing resource with resources for C-Plane and / or RRC, and the split can be different, but to illustrate the functionality here, a 5G type split is used as an example. The central unit CU can be, for example, a data center location, and the distributed unit DU is another resource that can be geographically or logically closer to the UE. Here, the names DU, CU-CP, CU-UP indicate that there is a group of configurator managers with different permission levels for the protocol configurators.

[0064] Figure 6a and 6b Some implementation options and examples of possible computing resources are provided. Typically, in a data center, there are multiple network elements using the same or similar hardware. When a gNB is deployed in such a location, it may be more like a set of logical functions than hardware with dedicated tasks.

[0065] In this architectural option, a gNB can have multiple C-Plane entities. Each of these C-Plane entities can configure all U-Plane protocols and / or C-Plane layers, or only a subset of them. When the system operates in a stateless manner, the hardware connected to the entities is effectively stateless. When gNB functionality is deployed in a stateless manner, any hardware entity with access to UE data can perform UE configuration modifications. Therefore, the UE context owner can be defined as the owner of the database where UE data is stored. Essentially, any entity with shared data layer keys and user equipment keys can initiate modifications to UE context data.

[0066] Network entities that understand the network characteristics and available resources can configure network resources. Some network resources can also be stored in a shared data layer, and in some cases, those network resources may be so latency-critical that only instances with state in real-time memory can allocate them. This access is referred to as a network resource key. These keys can be resource- or protocol-specific.

[0067] The c-plane entity with the UE key and the network key can configure the resources. If the c-plane entity does not have access to some resources, a request can be sent for the next entry for further processing or a request is requested from the entity.

[0068] At a high level, the c-plane logic functions include a set of protocol configurators, a protocol manager, and a shared data layer (SDL), such as Figure 6b As shown by way of example, all computing units handling the logical function belong to a trusted site with the required security level, which means that they are part of the same security domain and can be trusted with the same set of security keys.

[0069] Each of the protocol configurators understands how to configure resources for a specific protocol, and the protocol configurators also know the features supported by the protocol. The protocol manager is a higher-level manager that maintains functional consistency, understands the protocol groups that different network components are allowed to configure, and where the SDL is used to store data. SDL is a shared data layer that can store data and share data on multiple data servers. Once data is updated to one SDL server, the same data can also be copied to other locations. This allows access to the same data from multiple different locations. Any network element or other device that supports the system proposed in this specification needs to register with the SDL to gain access to the SDL. Upon successful registration, the network element that receives the security key to access the SDL can access the UE context data if it has the key to the SDL and the key for the UE. This can allow easy UE context switching from one computing unit to another. In the case where computing nodes need to communicate externally at a trusted site, it can also be performed using messages.

[0070] According to an embodiment, security keys can be delivered to one or more (or even each) C-Plane entity via operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) functions. The UE owner can then share authority with other C-Plane entities. The UE owner is, for example, the first C-Plane entity to create the UE key.

[0071] When the logic functions are decomposed from the state memory, the logic becomes stateless. This means that the logic in the compute unit can operate as follows: the logic performs the task, forms the output for the task, stores the state to the SDL and forgets the state. In this specification, an example is described where the UE context owner and the RRC entity of the UE are owned by the compute unit, which has both the SDL keys and the UE keys to the SDL. In the case where the context data is moved via messaging, the SDL keys may also be network keys. All persons having these keys may be able to perform RRC messaging for the UE, so the message construction for one UE is not limited to just one owner. The actual protocol level RRC content may be defined by whoever has permission to configure the protocol. In the case where there are multiple non-shared owners, the content data needs to be collected from all owners.

[0072] Figure 7a 、 Figure 7b and Figure 7c A scalable network architecture with flow configuration builds depending on service level UE requirements and decomposition level is shown.

[0073] According to the embodiments, the applicability of the architecture to 5G networks and the coordination between network entities are shown. Depending on the decomposition level, the configuration is constructed under the assumption that each network element involved in the messaging can change the RRC configuration.

[0074] exist Figure 7a In the example, DU, CU-CP and CU-UP are decomposed.

[0075] The CU-CP selects 701 the CU-UP and the DU as the best bearer candidate(s) for the request. When all bearer(s) are requested 702 from the CU-UP, the CU-CP may allow the CU-UP to deliver 703 the configured u-plane resources directly to the correct DU.

[0076] Once the DU has configured the required radio resources for the UE, it can make and deliver the final RRC message to the UE 704. The UE receives the RRC message and responds with an RRC complete message 705. The C-plane in the DU can open the message and update the UE context data.

[0077] The DU delivers a response 706 to the CU-UP (if not already confirmed), eg, with the required TNL address information.

[0078] The CU-UP delivers 707 the confirmation to the CU-CP, as it knows that only the CU-CP has the authority to send a response to the AMF.

[0079] exist Figure 7b In the example, CU and DU are decomposed.

[0080] In this case, the CU also has configuration permissions for CU-UP resources.

[0081] After CU-UP resource configuration and DU selection, the CU sends a context modification request 711 to the selected DU.

[0082] Once the DU has configured the required radio resources for the UE, it may make and deliver the final RRC message 712 to the UE.

[0083] The UE receives the RRC message and delivers 713 a response to the DU, which delivers 714 a response to the CU.

[0084] exist Figure 7c In the example, there is a combined gNB.

[0085] In this example, the gNB has the authority to configure all u-plane and c-plane resources for the request. Therefore, the first example can directly configure the RRC message for the UE and deliver the RRC message to the UE 721, where the UE delivers the response to the gNB 722.

[0086] Figure 8 This figure shows how UE context sharing is implemented using a shared data layer according to an embodiment. When the operator uses the computational unit, it configures 801 what resources each node will be able to configure and what SDL pools they will belong to. The RAN-DU understands its capabilities and RRC permissions. If the request exceeds, a capability request will be sent to the next layer, or data will be requested from the next layer.

[0087] Each node will get SDL_key at this stage, SDL_key is the common key of SDL. These steps are Figure 8 This is shown in FIG. 8 using box 801 and arrows 802 , 803 , 804 and 805 .

[0088] According to an embodiment, UE-specific handling is performed in the following manner.

[0089] The gNB-DU receives the new RRC setup request 806 without any key. The gNB-DU then establishes the UE context and uses the SDL key and the newly created UE key to protect 807 UE data. The network is protected, for example, using encrypted messaging 808, and the DU generates additional keys shared for the UE context. This ensures that only the network entity that has assigned the UE to its care can modify the UE context.

[0090] The gNB-DU shall receive the RRC Setup Complete with the Initial UE message 809 from the UE. In this case, the gNB-DU identifies that the CU also needs to handle the UE context, where the gNB-DU shares 810 the UE context key with the gNB-CU.

[0091] When the gNB-CU receives a UE context request 811, for example, via the u-plane, it can make a decision 812 on the best place to handle the request, or whether any component with the UE key can handle the UE context data. The request can also include a request for the CU to act as the primary owner of the UE context. Essentially, the owner of the UE can decide whether it stores (minimal) stateful UE data, or whether it operates in a completely stateful manner and trusts the UE as the owner of the UE context. In this case, the network can periodically request 813 the UE to renew the need to maintain the context, and if time expires (e.g., a pre-set time-related condition, such as the age of the UE context, is met), define an SDL to delete the context.

[0092] If the UE context continues to be in shared mode, the node that first receives the message can continue with UE configuration.

[0093] Hereinafter, an enhanced method for service-based RRC for cloud-native RAN according to an embodiment will be described.

[0094] This method is Figure 4 is disclosed in a flowchart as reflecting operations of an apparatus such as a control plane network entity, wherein the method includes: receiving 401 a service request by the control plane network entity from a user equipment; checking 402 whether to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; when the check indicates that the apparatus is to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network, determining 403 available resources by the control plane network entity for processing at least a portion of the service request in the network; selecting 404 another entity from the available resources for configuring the requested service for the user equipment; and communicating 405 with the selected entity to update a context of the user equipment.

[0095] According to an embodiment, the method includes storing and maintaining user device data in a shared data layer.

[0096] According to an embodiment, the control plane includes a set of protocol configurators and a protocol manager.

[0097] According to an embodiment, communicating includes delivering a shared data layer key and a user device key to the selected entity.

[0098] According to an embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for delivering security keys to one or more c-plane entities via operations, administration and maintenance functions.

[0099] According to an embodiment, the apparatus comprises means for sharing permissions for a context of a user equipment to one or more c-plane entities.

[0100] According to an embodiment, the means for checking includes at least one of the following: means for checking whether the device has sufficient processing power to handle the request, and means for checking how much delay will be generated if the request is handled by the device.

[0101] According to an embodiment, the device includes information on network characteristics and remaining resources to determine whether the device can configure network resources for the service request.

[0102] According to an embodiment, the device is part of a trusted site having a security level that meets security requirements.

[0103] According to an embodiment, the apparatus includes a set of protocol configurators, a protocol manager, and a shared data layer.

[0104] According to an embodiment, the protocol configurator comprises means for configuring resources for a specific protocol, wherein the protocol configurator is aware of the features supported by the protocol.

[0105] According to an embodiment, the protocol manager comprises means for maintaining functional consistency, wherein the protocol manager is aware of the protocol sets that different network components are allowed to configure and where SDL is used to store data.

[0106] According to an embodiment, the shared data layer includes components for storing data and sharing the data across multiple data servers.

[0107] The method and its related embodiments may be implemented in a device that implements the functionality of a near real-time radio access network intelligent controller.

[0108] Such an apparatus may include, for example, the functional units disclosed in FIG. 6 for implementing the embodiments.

[0109] Another aspect relates to a computer program product stored on a non-transitory memory medium, comprising computer program code that, when executed by at least one processor, causes an apparatus to at least perform: receiving, by a control plane network entity, a service request from a user equipment, determining, by the control plane network entity, available resources in a network, selecting, from the available resources, an entity for configuring the requested service for the user equipment, and communicating with the selected entity to update a context of the user equipment.

[0110] In general, various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, or any combination thereof. Although various aspects of the present invention may be shown and described as block diagrams or using some other graphical representations, it is well understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented, as non-limiting examples, in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0111] Embodiments of the present invention can be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available to convert a logic level design into a semiconductor circuit design ready to be etched and formed on a semiconductor substrate.

[0112] Programs, such as those offered by Synopsys Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., and Cadence Design Inc. of San Jose, Calif., automatically route conductors and position components on semiconductor chips using well-established design rules and a library of pre-stored design modules. Once the design of a semiconductor circuit is complete, the resulting design, in a standardized electronic format (e.g., Opus, GDSII, etc.), can be transferred to a semiconductor manufacturing facility, or "fab," for fabrication.

[0113] The foregoing description has provided by way of illustration and non-limiting examples a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and accompanying examples. Nevertheless, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of this invention will still fall within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A device comprising: means for receiving, by the apparatus, a service request from a user equipment; means for checking whether to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; means for determining, by the apparatus, available resources for processing the at least a portion of the service request in the network when the checking instructs the apparatus to forward the at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; means for selecting, among said available resources, another entity for configuring the requested service for said user equipment; as well as Means for communicating with the selected entity to update the context of the user equipment.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: Means for delivering security keys to one or more c-plane entities via operations, administration, and maintenance functions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: means for obtaining a security key by performing a registration process with a server hosting a shared data layer; as well as Means for accessing the shared data layer using the security key.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, comprising: A component for obtaining a user device key; as well as means for performing radio resource control messaging for the user equipment using the security key and the user equipment key.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: Means for sharing permissions for the context of the user equipment to the one or more c-plane entities.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the component for inspecting comprises at least one of the following: means for checking whether the device has sufficient processing power to handle the request, Means for checking how much delay will be incurred if the request is handled by the device.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: The device can configure network resources for the service request by using information about network characteristics and remaining resources.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the apparatus is part of a trusted site having a security level that meets security requirements.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: A set of protocol configurators, protocol managers, and shared data layers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the protocol configurator comprises: A component for configuring resources for a specific protocol, wherein the protocol configurator is aware of the features supported by the protocol.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the protocol manager comprises: A means for maintaining functional consistency, wherein the protocol manager is aware of the protocol sets that different network components are allowed to configure and where the shared data layer is used to store the data.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the shared data layer comprises: A component used to store data and share it across multiple data servers.

13. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory has computer program code stored thereon, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: Receiving, by the apparatus, a service request from a user equipment; checking whether to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; determining, by the apparatus, available resources for processing the at least a portion of the service request in the network when the checking instructs the apparatus to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; selecting another entity among the available resources for configuring the requested service for the user equipment; as well as Communicate with the selected entity to update the context of the user equipment.

14. A method comprising: Receiving, by a control plane network entity, a service request from a user equipment; checking whether to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; determining, by the control plane network entity, available resources for processing the at least portion of the service request in the network when the checking instructs the apparatus to forward at least a portion of the service request to another entity in the network; selecting another entity among the available resources for configuring the requested service for the user equipment; as well as Communicate with the selected entity to update the context of the user equipment.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising: Security keys are delivered to one or more c-plane entities via operations, administration, and maintenance functions.

16. The method according to claim 14, comprising: Obtaining a security key by performing a registration process with a server hosting a shared data layer; as well as The shared data layer is accessed using the security key.

17. The method according to claim 16, comprising: Get the user device key; as well as Radio resource control messaging is performed for the user equipment by using the security key and the user equipment key.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, comprising: Rights for the context of the user equipment are shared with the one or more c-plane entities.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the checking comprises at least one of: Checking whether the device has sufficient processing power to handle the request, Check how much delay will be incurred if the request is handled by the device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, comprising: The information about network characteristics and remaining resources is used to determine whether the control plane network entity can configure network resources for the service request.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the control plane network entity is part of a trusted site having a security level that meets security requirements.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein the control plane network entity comprises a set of protocol configurators, protocol managers and shared data layers.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the protocol configurator configures resources for a specific protocol, wherein the protocol configurator is aware of features supported by the protocol.

24. The method of claim 22 or 23, wherein the protocol manager maintains functional consistency, wherein the protocol manager is aware of the protocol sets that different network components are allowed to configure and where the shared data layer is used to store the data.

25. The method of claim 22, 23 or 24, wherein the shared data layer stores data and shares the data across a plurality of data servers.

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