Latency-optimized uplink fronthaul interface

Abstract

A first network node (360, 2300) may be part of a communication network including a second network node communicatively coupled to the first network node via a fronthaul interface and including a communication device communicatively coupled to the first network node. The first network node may generate (830) first data associated with an uplink signal received from the communication device. The first network node may further generate (840) second data associated with the uplink signal received from the communication device. The first network node may prioritize (850, 860) transmission of the first data to the second network node via the fronthaul interface over transmission of the second data to the second network node via the fronthaul interface.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communications, and more particularly to communication methods and associated devices and nodes supporting wireless communications. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 1 shows an example of a New Radio ("NR") network (e.g., a 5G network) that includes a fifth generation ("5G") core ("5GC") network 130, a network node 120 (e.g., a 5G base station ("gNB")), and a number of communication devices 110 (also referred to as user equipment ("UE")).

[0003] A transition to interoperable lower layer split ("LLS") based Ethernet-based fronthaul ("FH") networking is gaining momentum in Radio Access Network ("RAN") deployments, where some of the Layer 1 ("L1") processing functions are moved to the Radio Unit ("RU"). This requires that certain fronthaul data (e.g., user plane ("UP") data, control plane ("CP") data, and management plane data) be transported between the distributed unit ("DU") and the RU.

[0004] Figure 2 shows an example of a high-level L1 Physical Uplink Shared Channel ("PUSCH") processing chain. Depending on where the split occurs and what functions are moved to the RU, the data that will be transmitted from the RU to the DU for the PUSCH channel over the FH interface will be different.

[0005] In some examples, split option 2 is used for PUSCH channel processing. In an additional or alternative example, Open RAN ("O-RAN") is based on split option 1, also referred to as split 7-2x in ORAN LLS terminology. In some existing technologies, when in-phase and quadrature ("IQ") data includes both user data symbols (sometimes referred to simply as data symbols herein) and demodulation reference signal ("DMRS") symbols, the order of transmission on the FH interface is the same as that on the air interface. However, when DMRS channel estimates or other data types need to be transmitted on the FH interface, there is no standard that specifies the order / priority of these data types.

[0006] Depending on which split implementation is used, there are different types of FH data that need to be transferred from the RU to the DU for the continuation of PUSCH channel processing in the DU. Existing standards do not specify how data should be transferred on the FH interface for data types other than data and DMRS IQ symbols. Existing implementations cannot even optimize the order of transmission for data and DMRS IQ symbols to minimize latency. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to some embodiments, a method of operating a first network node in a communications network is provided. The communications network includes a second network node communicatively coupled to the first network node via a fronthaul interface and may include a communications device communicatively coupled to the first network node. The method may include generating first data associated with an uplink signal received from the communications device. The method may further include generating second data associated with the uplink signal received from the communications device. The method may further include prioritizing transmission of the first data to the second network node via the fronthaul interface over transmission of the second data to the second network node via the fronthaul interface.

[0008] According to another embodiment, another method is provided that is implemented by a first network node in a communication network. The communication network includes a second network node communicatively coupled to the first network node via a fronthaul interface and may include a communication device communicatively coupled to the second network node. The method may include receiving first data from the second network node via the fronthaul interface. The first data may relate to an uplink signal received from the communication device. The method may further include receiving second data from the second network node via the fronthaul interface in response to receiving the first data. The second data may relate to the uplink signal received from the communication device. The method may further include determining processed second data by processing the second data based on the first data. The method may further include processing the processed second data to decode information bits included in the second data.

[0009] According to another embodiment, a network node, a computer program, a computer program code, and a non-transitory computer readable medium are provided for implementing the above method.

[0010] Various embodiments described herein reduce latency by prioritizing the transmission of some data types over the fronthaul interface. In some embodiments, prioritizing the transmission of some data types over the fronthaul interface may result in accelerated PUSCH L1 processing at the DU, which may improve performance for end users by reducing end-to-end ("E2E") latency. In additional or alternative embodiments, prioritizing the transmission of some data types over the fronthaul interface may result in less buffering and memory requirements at the DU.

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate several non-limiting embodiments of the inventive concepts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a fifth generation ("5G") network. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a physical uplink shared channel ("PUSCH") processing chain. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a bidirectional L1 lower layer split ("LLS") user plane ("UP") and control plane ("CP") communication path between Layer 1 ("L1") components in a distributed unit ("DU") and a radio unit ("RU") in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of a first LLS, according to some embodiments. [Diagram 5]FIG. 11 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of a second LLS, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of a third LLS, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of separately communicating two types of fronthaul data, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation performed by a RU, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation performed by a DU, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of ordering of user data symbols and demodulation reference signal ("DMRS") symbols within a slot in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of prioritizing beamformed DMRS symbols in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 12] 5 is a flowchart illustrating example operations performed by an RU associated with a first LLS (eg, as shown in FIG. 4 ) in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 13] 5 is a flowchart illustrating example operations performed by an RU associated with a first LLS (eg, as shown in FIG. 4 ) in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 14] 5 is a flowchart illustrating example operations performed by a DU associated with a first LLS (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4 ) in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 15] 6 is a flowchart illustrating example operations performed by an RU associated with a second LLS (eg, as shown in FIG. 5 ) in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 16] 6 is a flowchart illustrating example operations performed by a DU associated with a second LLS (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5 ) in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 17]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of prioritizing beamformed and channel information in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 18] 7 is a flowchart illustrating example operations performed by an RU associated with a third LLS (eg, as shown in FIG. 6) in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 19] 7 is a flowchart illustrating example operations performed by a DU associated with a third LLS (e.g., as shown in FIG. 6 ) in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 20] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of prioritizing information related to an equalizer, according to some embodiments. [Figure 21] 1 is a block diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a user equipment according to some embodiments. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a network node according to some embodiments. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a host computer in communication with user equipment according to some embodiments. [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are provided as examples and to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. However, the inventive concept may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. It may be implicitly assumed that an element from one embodiment is present / used in another embodiment.

[0014] On the base station side, the interface between the baseband unit ("BBU") and the radio unit ("RU") is the fronthaul interface, and the interface between the BBU and the core network ("CN") is the backhaul interface. The huge benefits of massive multiple-input multiple-output ("MIMO") in the air interface also bring new challenges on the base station side. Legacy common public radio interface ("CPRI") type fronthaul transports in-phase and quadrature ("IQ") samples per antenna branch. As the number of antennas scales up in massive MIMO systems, the required fronthaul capacity also increases proportionally, which significantly drives up the fronthaul cost. To address this challenge, the fronthaul interface evolves from CPRI to enhanced CPRI ("eCPRI"), a packet-based fronthaul interface. In eCPRI, other functional split options between the BBU and the RU, called different lower layer split ("LLS") options, are supported. The basic idea is to move the frequency domain beamforming function from the BBU to the RU so that the frequency samples or data of the user layers or spatial streams are transported over the fronthaul interface. Note that frequency domain beamforming is sometimes also called precoding in the DL direction and equalization or pre-equalization in the UL direction. By doing this, the required fronthaul capacity, and therefore the fronthaul cost, can be significantly reduced since the number of user layers is typically much smaller than the number of antennas in massive MIMO.

[0015] The following provides definitions of relevant terminology used herein.

[0016] The term radio unit ("RU") may be used herein to refer to a network node (or a portion of a network node) that performs radio functions, including portions of the physical layer ("PHY") functions, in accordance with the LLS option. The RU may perform conversion between radio frequency ("RF") signals and baseband signals. On the network side, the RU may transmit and receive frequency domain IQ data (modulated user data) or unmodulated user data to and from the BBU through a fronthaul interface (e.g., eCPRI). The RU may also transmit and receive RF signals to and from the UE through the RU's antenna.

[0017] The term baseband unit ("BBU") may be used herein to refer to a network node (or a portion of a network node) that performs baseband processing. The BBU may be communicatively coupled to a CN via a backhaul interface or to a central unit ("CU") via an F1 interface.

[0018] In an open radio access network ("O-RAN"), the BBU and RU may be referred to as an O-DU and an O-RU, respectively. In distributed MIMO ("D-MIMO") terminology, the RU may be referred to as an access point ("AP"), and the BBU may be referred to as a central processing unit ("CPU") or an edge cloud processor. In some terminology, the RU may be referred to as a remote radio unit ("RRU"), and the BBU may be referred to as a digital unit or distributed unit ("DU"). In eCPRI terminology, the BBU and RU may be referred to as an eCPRI radio equipment control ("eREC") and an eCPRI radio equipment ("eRE"), respectively. In another terminology, the BBU and RU may be referred to as an LLS-CU and an LLS-DU, respectively. The BBU and its equivalent may also be softwarized or virtualized as a baseband processing function in a cloud environment. The use of the terms BBU and RU herein is not intended to limit the application of the innovation, and these terms may be used in any suitable wireless field.

[0019] The term beam may be used herein to refer to a directional beam formed by multiplying signals with different weights in the frequency domain at multiple antennas such that the energy of a wanted signal is concentrated in a certain direction and / or the energy of an interfering signal is nulled in a certain direction.

[0020] The term beamforming may be used herein to refer to a technique of multiplying signals with different weights (in the frequency domain) at multiple antennas, allowing signal energy to be sent in space with a desired beam pattern by forming directional beams focused in a direction, or by forming nulling in a direction, or a combination of both.

[0021] The term beamforming weight ("BFW") may be used herein to refer to one or more sets of complex weights, each set being multiplied with the signals of one user layer on a subcarrier or group of subcarriers. The weighted signals of different user layers towards the same antenna or transmit beam are linearly combined. As a result, different user layer signals are beamformed into different directions.

[0022] The term user plane data may be used herein to refer to frequency domain user layer data sent over the fronthaul.

[0023] The term beamforming performance may be used herein to refer to signal quality in DL at the UE side after beamforming is performed at the base station side, measured, for example, by post-processing the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio ("SINR") at the UE, resulting user throughput, bit rate, etc. In the UL, the term beamforming performance refers to signal quality at the base station side after beamforming is performed at the base station side, measured, for example, by post-processing the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio ("SINR") at the base station side, resulting user throughput, bit rate, etc.

[0024] The term channel information may be used herein to refer to information about channel characteristics that is conveyed by channel values. A channel value (also called channel data) may refer to one or a set of complex values ​​that represent the amplitude and phase of a channel coefficient in the frequency domain. The channel value relates to the frequency response of the wireless channel.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a bidirectional L1 LLS UP and CP communication path 350 between L1 components 312, 364 residing in a DU 310 and a radio unit RU 360.

[0026] Various embodiments herein distinguish between different data types and specify a more latency-optimized order / priority, and this information is transmitted to the DU to improve L1 PUSCH processing latency. Some embodiments are directed to specific LLSs in the uplink PUSCH channel (e.g., split option 1 and split option 2 shown in FIG. 2).

[0027] In some embodiments related to split option 1, when there is IQ data of user data symbols and IQ data of DMRS symbols that need to be forwarded to the DU, the IQ data of DMRS symbols may be transmitted with higher priority than the user data symbols. This may allow channel estimation to start earlier in the DU and be ready when the user data symbols arrive. In additional or alternative embodiments, when there is other types of IQ data (e.g., channel estimates) other than IQ data of DMRS symbols and IQ data of user data symbols, transmission of the channel estimates may be prioritized over the IQ data of user data symbols.

[0028] Various embodiments described herein reduce latency by prioritizing the transmission of some data types over the fronthaul interface. In some embodiments, prioritizing the transmission of some data types over the fronthaul interface may result in accelerated PUSCH L1 processing at the DU, which may improve performance for end users by reducing end-to-end ("E2E") latency. In additional or alternative embodiments, prioritizing the transmission of some data types over the fronthaul interface may result in less buffering and memory requirements at the DU.

[0029] Figures 4-6 show some examples of PUSCH LLS options (e.g., split option 1 and split option 2 in Figure 2) depending on which parts of the processing are performed in the RU and DU and what information is transferred on the interface between the RU and DU. From here on, the split option shown in Figure 4 is referred to as the first split option, the split option shown in Figure 5 is referred to as the second split option, and the split option shown in Figure 6 is referred to as the third split option.

[0030] 4 shows a first split option in which the RU 360 performs channel estimation (e.g., based on the DMRS) and calculates the BFW based on the channel estimate. The RU 360 then performs port reduction using the beamforming weights for all symbols.

[0031] The beamformed DMRS symbols 410 are sent over the fronthaul interface to the DU 310, and the beamformed user data symbols 420 are sent over the fronthaul interface to the DU 310. The beamformed DMRS symbols 410, sometimes referred to as combined DMRS symbols, are used by the DU 310 to perform channel and interference re-estimation.

[0032] 5 shows a second splitting option. As shown, the RU 360 performs DMRS symbol extraction, channel estimation, and beamforming weight calculation. The RU 360 then performs port reduction using the beamforming weights for the user data symbols.

[0033] In order for the DU 310 to perform equalization, the combined channel estimate for the RU beamforming weights and the channel estimate, as well as parameters 510 describing the interference, need to be sent from the RU 360 to the DU 310. Thus, the combined channel estimate and parameters describing the interference 510 are sent over the fronthaul interface (in contrast to the beamformed DMRS symbols 410 in FIG. 4), and the beamformed user data symbols 420 are sent over the fronthaul interface (similar to those in FIG. 4).

[0034] As shown, the RU 360 performs DMRS symbol extraction, channel estimation, beamforming weight calculation, and equalizer weight calculation. The RU 360 then performs port reduction and equalization using the beamforming weights and equalizer weights for the user data symbols.

[0035] The equalized user data symbols 620 are sent to the DU 310 over the fronthaul interface, and the equalizer information 610 is sent to the DU 310 over the fronthaul interface to aid in demodulating those user data symbols.

[0036] Typically, combining and equalization (also called beamforming and / or port reduction) is performed using a minimum mean square error ("MMSE") criterion. First, a signal model for one subcarrier in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ("OFDM") symbol is assumed. y=Hx+n

[0037] where x is an L×1 vector for the transmitted signal with L uncorrelated MIMO layers and unit variance, H is the N×L channel matrix for the N receive antennas and L layers, and n is an L×1 noise vector with covariance Q.

[0038] In the first and second split options, the weights W are used for beamforming and port reduction. z=W H y

[0039] In the first split option, the combined channel estimate W H The noise covariance W combined with H H QW and may need to be re-estimated from the DMRS symbols at the DU before the equalizer weight calculation.

[0040] In the second split option, the channel estimate H and the combining weights W may need to be transferred for the equalizer weight calculation in the DU. Alternatively, the combined channel estimate W H The noise covariance W combined with H H Alternatively, a whitening matched filter may be used for the weights W at the RU so that the combined noise covariance is an identity matrix, in which case the combined channel estimate W H It is sufficient to transfer H to the DU.

[0041] In the third split option, the MMSE criterion is used to estimate the transmitted signal at the RU as follows: TIFF2025505978000002.tif5170Here, the last formula follows from the matrix inversion lemma.

[0042] To perform appropriate log-likelihood ratio ("LLR") demapping at the DU, an equivalent channel G=(H H Q -1 H+I) -1 H H Q -1 H=I-(H H Q -1 H+I) -1 needs to be forwarded from the RU to the DU. If the layers are processed independently at the DU, it is sufficient to forward the diagonal of G. Any other parameter that gives equivalent information, e.g. IG, can be forwarded instead.

[0043] FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which two types of fronthaul data 740, 750 are transmitted from the RU 360 to the DU 310. In PUSCH processing, the RU 360 performs the lower L1 part 762 (e.g., Fast Fourier Transform ("FFT") and frequency domain beamforming), and the DU 310 performs the upper L1 part 712 (e.g., equalization, demodulation, and decoding). The RU 360 and the DU 310 are interconnected via a fronthaul interface. In some embodiments, the fronthaul data for PUSCH processing is categorized as Type 1 fronthaul data 740 and Type 2 fronthaul data 750, and the Type 1 fronthaul data 740 and Type 2 fronthaul data 750 are sent by the first fronthaul data flow and the second fronthaul data flow, respectively. The Type 1 fronthaul data 740 can carry information required to process the Type 2 fronthaul data 750 in the DU 310. In some embodiments, the type 1 fronthaul data 740 is prioritized over the type 2 fronthaul data 750. Thus, the RU 360 sends the type 1 fronthaul data 740 first, and then sends the type 2 fronthaul data. Since the type 1 fronthaul data is sent with higher priority, if the fronthaul traffic goes through a switched network (e.g., with an Ethernet or IP switch), the switch between the DU and the RU will also prioritize the type 1 fronthaul data over the type 2 fronthaul data by attempting to send the type 1 fronthaul data first. In this way, the DU 310 can process the type 1 fronthaul data 740 first while waiting for or receiving the type 2 fronthaul data 750. The DU 310 can then start processing the type 2 fronthaul data 750 as soon as the DU 310 receives the type 2 fronthaul data 750. As a result, the latency is reduced compared to when the type 1 fronthaul data is not prioritized.

[0044] The operation of the RAN node 2300 (implemented using the structure of FIG. 23) will now be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGs. 8-9, 12-16, and 18-19, in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. For example, modules may be stored in the memory 2304 of FIG. 23 that may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by the respective RAN node processing circuitry 2320, the RAN node 2300 performs the respective operations of the flowcharts.

[0045] FIG. 8 illustrates operations performed by the RU according to some embodiments (including the first, second, and third split options). In all three split options, the Type 2 fronthaul data includes IQ data of user data symbols after beamforming at the RU. In the first split option, the Type 1 fronthaul data includes beamformed DMRS symbols. In the second split option, the Type 1 fronthaul data includes information about frequency-domain beamforming weights and channel estimates. In the third split option, the Type 1 fronthaul data includes information about the equalizer.

[0046] At block 810, the processing circuit 2302 receives, via the communication interface 2306, PUSCH frequency-domain IQ data of a received uplink signal from the UE(s), including both DMRS symbols and user data symbols.

[0047] In block 820, the processing circuit 2302 obtains frequency-domain beamforming weights (and equalization weights, if there is also an equalizer in the RU) that were either calculated at the RU or received from the DU.

[0048] In block 830, the processing circuit 2302 generates Type 1 fronthaul data (e.g., beamformed DMRS symbols in the case of a first split option, information regarding frequency-domain beamforming weights and channel estimates in the case of a second split option, or information regarding an equalizer in the case of a third split option).

[0049] In block 840, the processing circuit 2302 generates Type 2 fronthaul data (e.g., IQ data of user data symbols after beamforming using the obtained frequency-domain beamforming weights and, if there is also an equalizer in the RU, equalization using the obtained equalization weights).

[0050] At block 850, the processing circuit 2302 sends the type 1 fronthaul data via the communication interface 2306 to the DU via the fronthaul interface.

[0051] At block 860, the processing circuit 2302 sends the Type 2 fronthaul data to the DU via the communications interface 2306 and via the fronthaul interface after sending the Type 1 fronthaul data.

[0052] Various operations from the flowchart of Figure 8 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the RU and related methods, for example, the operations of blocks 810 and 820 of Figure 8 may be optional.

[0053] 9 illustrates operations performed by a DU according to some embodiments (including a first split option, a second split option, and a third split option). The DU receives Type 1 fronthaul data before receiving Type 2 fronthaul data.

[0054] At block 910, the processing circuit 2302 receives, via the communications interface 2306, type 1 fronthaul data from the RU via the fronthaul interface.

[0055] At block 920, the processing circuit 2302 receives Type 2 fronthaul data from the RU via the fronthaul interface via the communications interface 2306 and after receiving the Type 1 fronthaul data.

[0056] At block 930, the processing circuit 2302 processes the received Type 2 data based on the received Type 1 data. In some examples, the DU processes the Type 1 fronthaul data while waiting for (and / or receiving) the Type 2 fronthaul data. In a first split option, the Type 1 fronthaul data is used to calculate beamforming weights and / or equalization weights. In a second split option, the Type 1 fronthaul data is used to calculate the DU equalization weights. In a third split option, the Type 1 fronthaul data will be used directly to assist in demodulation of the equalized user data symbols (e.g., Type 2 fronthaul data).

[0057] When the Type 2 fronthaul data is received, the DU uses the processing results of the Type 1 fronthaul data to assist in processing the Type 2 fronthaul data. In the first split option, the DU performs beamforming and / or equalization of the Type 2 fronthaul data using weights already calculated along with the Type 1 fronthaul data during the time it is waiting for or receiving the Type 2 fronthaul data.

[0058] In some embodiments, determining the processed second data includes performing equalization on IQ data of the user data symbols. In additional or alternative embodiments, determining the processed second data includes performing layer demapping and demodulating the IQ data of the equalized user data symbols based on information related to an equalizer of the second network node.

[0059] At block 940, the processing circuit 2302 further processes the processed Type 2 data. In some embodiments, processing the processed second data includes performing layer demapping, demodulation, and decoding of the processed second data. In additional or alternative embodiments, processing the processed second data includes performing decoding of the processed second data.

[0060] Various operations from the flowchart of FIG. 9 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the DU and related methods.

[0061] An embodiment relating to the first split option is described below.

[0062] In the first split option, the Type 1 fronthaul data includes beamformed (or combined) DMRS symbols in the slot, and the Type 2 fronthaul data includes beamformed (or combined) user data symbols. Figure 10 shows an example of a slot structure for PUSCH in 5G NR and 4G LTE. In this example, two DMRS symbols (shaded) are at symbol 2 and symbol 11. From the air interface, the RU receives each slot containing 14 symbols in the order shown in Figure 10.

[0063] In the first split option, the DMRS symbols are first beamformed in the RU. Figure 11 shows an example in which the beamformed DMRS symbols in a slot are sent in a first packet(s) and the beamformed user data symbols in a slot are sent in a second packet. As a result, the beamformed DMRS symbols are sent first to the DU on the fronthaul interface, and then the user data symbols are beamformed and sent to the DU.

[0064] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of an operation performed by an RU in association with a first split option. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an alternative operation performed by an RU in association with a first split option. The difference between the operations is that in FIG. 12, the RU uses only the first DMRS symbol (e.g., symbol 2) for channel estimation and calculates the RU frequency-domain beamforming weights without using the second DMRS symbol (e.g., symbol 11). This makes the RU processing faster without having to wait until the second DMRS symbol is received and processed. The latency is further reduced. When the channel variation is slow (e.g., in some low / medium mobility use cases in some vertical scenarios, such as smart factories), the performance degradation is minor.

[0065] At block 1210, the processing circuit receives, via the communications interface 2306, PUSCH frequency-domain IQ data of a received uplink signal from the UE(s), including both DMRS symbols and user data symbols.

[0066] In block 1220, the processing circuit calculates frequency-domain beamforming weights or receives frequency-domain beamforming weights from the RU.

[0067] At block 1230, the processing circuit 2302 performs beamforming on the received IQ data of the DMRS symbols and user data symbols using the calculated frequency-domain beamforming weights.

[0068] In block 1240, the processing circuit 2302 transmits the beamformed IQ data of the DMRS symbol via the communication interface 2306 to the DU via the fronthaul interface.

[0069] In block 1250, the processing circuit 2302 transmits the beamformed IQ data of the user data symbol to the DU via the fronthaul interface via the communication interface 2306 after sending information regarding the frequency domain beamforming weights and the channel estimates via the fronthaul interface.

[0070] At block 1310, the processing circuit receives, via the communications interface 2306, PUSCH frequency-domain IQ data of a received uplink signal from the UE(s), including both DMRS symbols and user data symbols.

[0071] At block 1320, the processing circuitry obtains IQ data for the first DMRS symbol, performs channel estimation based on the first DMRS symbol, and calculates RU frequency-domain beamforming weights.

[0072] In block 1330, the processing circuit 2302 performs beamforming on the received IQ data, both DMRS symbols and user data symbols, using the calculated RU frequency-domain beamforming weights.

[0073] In block 1340, the processing circuit 2302 transmits the beamformed IQ data of the DMRS symbol via the communication interface 2306 to the DU via the fronthaul interface.

[0074] In block 1350, the processing circuit 2302 transmits the beamformed IQ data of the user data symbol to the DU via the fronthaul interface via the communication interface 2306 after sending information regarding the frequency domain beamforming weights and the channel estimates via the fronthaul interface.

[0075] FIG. 14 illustrates the corresponding operations performed by the DU in relation to the first split option.

[0076] In block 1410, the processing circuit 2302 receives, via the communications interface 2306, IQ data of the beamformed DMRS symbols from the RU via the fronthaul interface.

[0077] At block 1420, the processing circuit 2302 performs channel estimation based on the received beamformed DMRS symbols and calculates DU beamforming weights and / or equalization weights.

[0078] In block 1430, the processing circuit 2302 receives the IQ data of the user data symbols from the RU via the communications interface 2306 and after receiving the IQ data of the beamformed DMRS symbols via the fronthaul interface.

[0079] In block 1440, the processing circuit 2302 performs beamforming and / or equalization on the received IQ data of the user data symbols using the calculated DU frequency-domain beamforming weights.

[0080] At block 1450, the processing circuit 2302 performs layer demapping, demodulation, and decoding of the equalized user data symbols.

[0081] Various operations from the flowcharts of FIGS. 12-14 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the RU, DU and associated methods.

[0082] An embodiment relating to the second split option is described below.

[0083] FIG. 15 illustrates an example of operations performed by an RU in connection with the second splitting option.

[0084] At block 1510, the processing circuit receives, via the communications interface 2306, PUSCH frequency-domain IQ data of a received uplink signal from the UE(s), including both DMRS symbols and user data symbols.

[0085] At block 1520, the processing circuit 2302 extracts IQ data for the DMRS symbol(s), performs channel estimation based on the DMRS symbol(s), and calculates RU frequency-domain beamforming weights.

[0086] At block 1530, the processing circuit 2302 performs beamforming on the received IQ data of the user data symbols using the calculated frequency-domain beamforming weights.

[0087] In block 1540, the processing circuit 2302 transmits information regarding the frequency domain beamforming weights and the channel estimates via the communication interface 2306 to the DU via the fronthaul interface.

[0088] In block 1550, the processing circuit 2302 transmits the beamformed IQ data of the user data symbol to the DU via the fronthaul interface via the communication interface 2306 after sending information regarding the frequency domain beamforming weights and the channel estimates via the fronthaul interface.

[0089] FIG. 16 illustrates the corresponding operations performed by the DU in relation to the second split option.

[0090] In block 1610, the processing circuit 2302 receives, via the communication interface 2306, information regarding frequency-domain beamforming weights and channel estimates from the RU via the fronthaul interface.

[0091] At block 1620, the processing circuit 2302 calculates equalizer weights based on the received information regarding the frequency-domain beamforming weights and the channel estimates.

[0092] In block 1630, the processing circuit 2302 receives IQ data of user data symbols from the RU via the fronthaul interface via the communication interface 2306 and after receiving information regarding frequency-domain beamforming weights and channel estimates.

[0093] In block 1640, the processing circuit 2302 performs equalization on the received IQ data of the user data symbols using the calculated DU frequency-domain beamforming weights.

[0094] At block 1650, the processing circuit 2302 performs layer demapping, demodulation, and decoding of the equalized user data symbols.

[0095] Various operations from the flowcharts of FIGS. 15-16 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the RU, DU and associated methods.

[0096] FIG. 17 shows the prioritization of sending beamforming information and channel information over the fronthaul.

[0097] An embodiment relating to the third split option is described below.

[0098] FIG. 18 illustrates an example of operations performed by an RU in connection with the third splitting option.

[0099] In block 1810, the processing circuit 2303 receives, via the communication interface 2306, PUSCH frequency-domain IQ data of a received uplink signal for the UE(s), including both DMRS symbols and user data symbols.

[0100] In block 1820, the processing circuit 2302 extracts IQ data for the DMRS symbol(s), performs channel estimation based on the DMRS symbol(s), and calculates RU beamforming weights and equalizer weights.

[0101] In block 1830, the processing circuit 2302 performs beamforming and equalization on the received IQ data of the user data symbols using the calculated beamforming weights and equalizer weights.

[0102] In block 1840, the processing circuit 2302 sends information regarding the equalizer to the DU via the communication interface 2306 via the fronthaul interface.

[0103] In block 1850, the processing circuit 2302 sends information regarding the frequency domain beamforming weights and channel estimates via the fronthaul interface, and then sends the beamformed IQ data of the user data symbols to the DU via the fronthaul interface via the communication interface 2306.

[0104] FIG. 19 illustrates the corresponding operations performed by the DU in relation to the third splitting option.

[0105] In block 1910, the processing circuit 2302 receives, via the communication interface 2306, information regarding the equalizer from the RU via the fronthaul interface.

[0106] In block 1920, the processing circuit 2302 receives information regarding the equalizer from the RU via the fronthaul interface, and then receives IQ data of the equalized user data symbols from the RU via the fronthaul interface via the communications interface 2306.

[0107] In block 1930, the processing circuit 2302 performs layer demapping and then demodulates the demapped IQ data of the user data symbols into soft values ​​using received information on the equalizer from the RU via the fronthaul interface.

[0108] In block 1940, the processing circuitry 2302 decodes the demodulated soft values ​​into decoded bits of the user data symbols.

[0109] Various operations from the flowcharts of FIGS. 18-19 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the RU, DU and associated methods.

[0110] FIG. 20 shows the prioritization of sending equalizer information over the fronthaul.

[0111] FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a communication system 2100, according to some embodiments.

[0112] In this example, the communications system 2100 includes a communications network 2102 including an access network 2104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 2106 including one or more core network nodes 2108. The access network 2104 includes one or more access network nodes (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 2110), such as network nodes 2110a and 2110b, or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network nodes 2110 facilitate direct or indirect connectivity of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 2112a, 2112b, 2112c, and 2112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 2112) to the core network 2106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0113] Exemplary wireless communication over a wireless connection includes transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic, radio, infrared, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 2100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired or wireless connection. The communication system 2100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, wireless network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0114] The UE 2112 may be any of a wide variety of communications devices, including a wireless device configured, configured, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with the network node 2110 and other communications devices. Similarly, the network node 2110 is configured, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the UE 2112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the communications network 2102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the communications network 2102.

[0115] In the illustrated example, the core network 2106 connects the network node 2110 to one or more hosts, such as the host 2116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network nodes may be directly coupled to the hosts. The core network 2106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., the core network node 2108) structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, and therefore those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 2108. Exemplary core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Subscription Identifier De-concealing Function (SIDF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), a Network Publishing Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0116] The host 2116 may be owned or under the control of, and operated by or on behalf of, a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 2104 and / or the communication network 2102. The host 2116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data regarding various ambient conditions detected by multiple UEs, analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or possibly interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such functions implemented by a server.

[0117] Overall, the communication system 2100 of Figure 21 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as a particular standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G), a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi), and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communications (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standard, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0118] In some examples, the communication network 2102 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the communication network 2102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the communication network 2102. For example, the communication network 2102 may provide ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or providing massive machine-based communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to still further UEs.

[0119] In some examples, the UE 2112 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 2104 on a predefined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network 2104. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to operate in a single or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate in any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Enhanced UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0120] In this example, the hub 2114 communicates with the access network 2104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEs 2112c and / or 2112d) and a network node (e.g., network node 2110b). In some examples, the hub 2114 may be a controller, a router, a content source and content analysis, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to UEs. For example, the hub 2114 may be a broadband router that allows access to the core network 2106 for the UE. As another example, the hub 2114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 2110, or may be due to executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 2114. As another example, the hub 2114 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 2114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker, or other media distribution device, the hub 2114 may retrieve, via a network node, VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information, which the hub 2114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the hub 2114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, particularly in the case where one or more of the UEs are low energy IoT devices.

[0121] The hub 2114 may have a full-time / permanent or intermittent connection to the network node 2110b. The hub 2114 may also enable different communication schemes and / or schedules between the hub 2114 and the UEs (e.g., UEs 2112c and / or 2112d) and between the hub 2114 and the core network 2106. In other examples, the hub 2114 is connected to the core network 2106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 2114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 2104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 2110 while still being connected via a wired or wireless connection through the hub 2114. In some embodiments, the hub 2114 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose main function is to route communications from / to the UE to / from the network node 2110b. In other embodiments, the hub 2114 may be a non-dedicated hub, i.e., a device that is capable of operating to route communications between the UE and the network node 2110b, but that is further capable of operating as a communication initiation and / or termination point for some data channels.

[0122] FIG. 22 illustrates a UE 2200, according to some embodiments. A UE, as used herein, refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cell phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback appliances, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptop computers, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), vehicle mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, and the like. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0123] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or may not initially be associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user.

[0124] The UE 2200 includes a processing circuit 2202 operably coupled to an input / output interface 2206, a power source 2208, a memory 2210, a communication interface 2212, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 2204. Some UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 22. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0125] The processing circuitry 2202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in the memory 2210 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuitry 2202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), programmable logic together with appropriate firmware, one or more stored computer programs, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) together with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 2202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0126] In this example, the input / output interface 2206 may be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information to the UE 2200. Examples of input devices include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for sensing input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0127] In some embodiments, the power source 2208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power source 2208 may further include a power circuit for delivering power to various parts of the UE 2200 from the power source 2208 itself and / or from an external power source via an input circuit, or an interface such as a power cable. Delivering power may be for charging the power source 2208, for example. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power source 2208 to make it suitable for the respective component of the UE 2200 to which it is powered.

[0128] The memory 2210 may be or be configured to include memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 2210 includes one or more application programs 2214, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data 2216. The memory 2210 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 2200.

[0129] The memory 2210 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical disk drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-Ray optical disk drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory, such as a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or an ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC, commonly known as a "SIM card". The memory 2210 may enable the UE 2200 to access instructions, application programs, and the like stored on a temporary or non-transitory memory medium, to offload data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 2210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0130] The processing circuit 2202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other networks using a communication interface 2212. The communication interface 2212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 2222. The communication interface 2212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 2218 and / or a receiver 2220 suitable for providing network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Moreover, the transmitter 2218 and receiver 2220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 2222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0131] In the embodiment shown, the communication capabilities of communication interface 2212 may include cellular communications, Wi-Fi communications, LPWAN communications, data communications, voice communications, multimedia communications, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communications, location-based communications such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communications protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0132] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by the UE's sensors to a network node via a wireless connection through the UE's communications interface 2212. Data captured by the UE's sensors may be communicated to a network node via another UE over a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes when reporting detected temperature), in response to a triggering event (e.g., an alert is sent when humidity is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0133] As another example, the UE comprises an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight according to the received input, or a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0134] The UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application areas, including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, augmented industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices that are or are embedded in connected refrigerators or freezers, TVs, connected lighting devices, power meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, water inundation / humidity sensors, electronic door locks, connected doorbells, air conditioning systems such as heat pumps, autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smart watches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearables for haptic augmentation or sensory augmentation, water sprinklers, animal or product tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or a remote-controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device, in addition to the other components described with respect to UE 2200 shown in FIG.

[0135] As yet another particular example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, the UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operating status or other functions related to its operation.

[0136] In fact, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller that operates the drone. When a user makes a change from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust a throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include two or more of the functions described above. For example, a UE may comprise a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0137] 23 illustrates a network node 2300 according to some embodiments. A network node, as used herein, refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with UEs and / or other network nodes or devices in a communication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0138] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated another way, their transmit power level) and may therefore be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0139] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or a minimization of drive test (MDT).

[0140] The network node 2300 includes a processing circuit 2302, a memory 2304, a communication interface 2306, and a power source 2308. The network node 2300 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which the network node 2300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS component and a BSC component), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control several Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may be considered as a single separate network node in some instances. In some embodiments, the network node 2300 may be configured to support several radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 2304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 2310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 2300 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into the network node 2300. These wireless technologies may be integrated in the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within the network node 2300.

[0141] The processing circuitry 2302 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resources, or combinations of hardware, software, and / or coded logic, operable to provide the network node 2300 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 2300 components, such as memory 2304.

[0142] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 2302 comprises a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 2302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 2312 and a baseband processing circuitry 2314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 2312 and the baseband processing circuitry 2314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 2312 and the baseband processing circuitry 2314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0143] The memory 2304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit 2302. The memory 2304 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuit 2302 and utilized by the network node 2300. The memory 2304 may be used to store calculations performed by the processing circuit 2302 and / or data received via the communication interface 2306. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 2302 and the memory 2304 are integrated.

[0144] The communication interface 2306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface 2306 comprises a port(s) / terminal(s) 2316 for sending and receiving data to and from a network, e.g., over a wired connection. The communication interface 2306 also includes a radio front-end circuit 2318 that is coupled to an antenna 2310 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna 2310. The radio front-end circuit 2318 comprises a filter 2320 and an amplifier 2322. The radio front-end circuit 2318 may be connected to the antenna 2310 and the processing circuit 2302. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 2310 and the processing circuit 2302. The radio front-end circuit 2318 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 2318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 2320 and / or amplifiers 2322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 2310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 2310 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 2318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 2302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0145] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 2300 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit 2318, and instead the processing circuit 2302 includes a radio front-end circuit and is connected to the antenna 2310. Similarly, in some embodiments all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuit 2312 is part of the communications interface 2306. In still other embodiments, the communications interface 2306 includes one or more ports or terminals 2316, the radio front-end circuit 2318, and the RF transceiver circuit 2312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communications interface 2306 communicates with a baseband processing circuit 2314 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0146] The antenna 2310 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 2310 may be coupled to the radio front end circuitry 2318 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, the antenna 2310 is separate from the network node 2300 and connectable to the network node 2300 through an interface or port.

[0147] The antenna 2310, the communication interface 2306, and / or the processing circuit 2302 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some obtaining operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 2310, the communication interface 2306, and / or the processing circuit 2302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0148] The power source 2308 provides power to the various components of the network node 2300 in a form suitable for each component (e.g., at voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power source 2308 may further comprise or be coupled to a power management circuit for supplying the components of the network node 2300 with power for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 2300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuit of the power source 2308. As a further example, the power source 2308 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit. The battery may provide backup power in the event that the external power source fails.

[0149] 23 to provide certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 2300 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into the network node 2300 and output of information from the network node 2300. This may enable a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 2300.

[0150] 24 is a block diagram of a host 2400, which may be an embodiment of the host 2116 of FIG. 21, in accordance with various aspects described herein. The host 2400, as used herein, may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 2400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0151] The host 2400 includes a processing circuit 2402 operably coupled to an input / output interface 2406, a network interface 2408, a power source 2410, and a memory 2412 via a bus 2404. In other embodiments, other components may be included. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 22 and 23, and therefore those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 2400.

[0152] The memory 2412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 2414 and data 2416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by the UE for the host 2400 or data generated by the host 2400 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 2400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 2414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application programs 2414 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, route, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in the core network or on the edge of the core network. Thus, the host 2400 may select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application programs 2414 may support a variety of protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0153] FIG. 25 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 2500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization as used herein may apply to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 2500 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes, such as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a hardware computing device acting as a host. Furthermore, in embodiments in which a virtual node does not require wireless connectivity (e.g., a core network node or a host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0154] An application 2502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) is run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0155] The hardware 2504 includes a processing circuit, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuit, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as a network interface, an input / output interface, etc. Software is executed by the processing circuit to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 2506 (also referred to as a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM)), provide VMs 2508a and 2508b (one or more of which may be referred to generally as VMs 2508), and / or implement any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 2506 may present to the VMs 2508 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networking hardware.

[0156] The VMs 2508 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 2506. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance 2502 instance may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 2508, and the implementation may be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0157] In the context of NFV, VMs 2508 may be software implementations of physical machines that run programs as if they were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 2508 and the portion of the hardware 2504 on which it runs, whether hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with other of the VMs, form a separate virtual network element. Further in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a particular network function running in one or more VMs 2508 on the hardware 2504 and corresponds to the application 2502.

[0158] The hardware 2504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 2504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 2504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (such as in a data center or CPE, for example) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration 2510 that oversees, among other things, the lifecycle management of the application 2502. In some embodiments, the hardware 2504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided using a control system 2512, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0159] 26 illustrates a communication diagram of a host 2602 communicating with a UE 2606 via a network node 2604 over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. Exemplary implementations according to various embodiments of a UE (such as the UE 2112a of FIG. 21 and / or the UE 2200 of FIG. 22), a network node (such as the network node 2110a of FIG. 21 and / or the network node 2300 of FIG. 23), and a host (such as the host 2116 of FIG. 21 and / or the host 2400 of FIG. 24) described in the previous paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG. 26.

[0160] Similar to the host 2400, an embodiment of the host 2602 includes hardware, such as a communications interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 2602 also includes software stored on or accessible by the host 2602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 2606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 2650 extending between the UE 2606 and the host 2602. In providing services to a remote user, the host application may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 2650.

[0161] The network node 2604 includes hardware that enables the network node 2604 to communicate with the host 2602 and the UE 2606. The connection 2660 may be direct or may pass through one or more other intermediate networks, such as a core network (similar to the core network 2106 of FIG. 21) and / or one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0162] The UE 2606 includes hardware and software stored in or accessible by the UE 2606 and executable by processing circuitry of the UE. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "app," which may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 2606 with the support of the host 2602. At the host 2602, an executing host application may communicate with an executing client application via an OTT connection 2650 that terminates at the UE 2606 and the host 2602. In providing services to a user, the client application of the UE may receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 2650 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application of the UE may interact with the user to generate user data that the client application of the UE provides to the host application through the OTT connection 2650.

[0163] The OTT connection 2650 may extend through a connection 2660 between the host 2602 and a network node 2604 and through a wireless connection 2670 between the network node 2604 and the UE 2606 to provide a connection between the host 2602 and the UE 2606. The connections 2660 and wireless connections 2670 through which the OTT connection 2650 may be provided are depicted abstractly to show communication between the host 2602 and the UE 2606 through the network node 2604, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices.

[0164] As an example of transmitting data over the OTT connection 2650, in step 2608 the host 2602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 2606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 2606 that shares data with the host 2602 without explicit human interaction. In step 2610, the host 2602 initiates a transmission conveying the user data towards the UE 2606. The host 2602 may initiate the transmission in response to a request transmitted by the UE 2606. The request may be triggered by human interaction with the UE 2606 or by the operation of a client application executing on the UE 2606. The transmission may proceed via the network node 2604 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Thus, in step 2612, the network node 2604 transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host 2602 to the UE 2606, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 2614, the UE 2606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on the UE 2606 associated with the host application executed by the host 2602.

[0165] In some examples, the UE 2606 executes a client application that provides user data to the host 2602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to data received from the host 2602. Thus, in step 2616, the UE 2606 may provide the user data, which may be implemented by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further take into account user input received from a user via an input / output interface of the UE 2606. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE 2606 initiates transmission of the user data towards the host 2602 via the network node 2604 in step 2618. In step 2620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 2604 receives the user data from the UE 2606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 2602. In step 2622, the host 2602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 2606.

[0166] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 2606 using the OTT connection 2650, of which the radio connection 2670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may reduce latency, thereby providing benefits such as improved end-user performance, reduced buffering and memory requirements of the DU, etc.

[0167] In an exemplary scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 2602. As another example, the host 2602 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from the UE for use in creating a map. As another example, the host 2602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicular congestion (e.g., controlling traffic signals). As another example, the host 2602 may store surveillance videos uploaded by the UE. As another example, the host 2602 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR or AR, that the host 2602 may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UE. As other examples, the host 2602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-constrained electrical loads to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams, etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0168] In some examples, measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. There may further be an optional network function to reconfigure the OTT connection 2650 between the host 2602 and the UE 2606 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network function to reconfigure the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 2602 and / or the UE 2606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 2650 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or other physical quantities from which software may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 2650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not directly change the operation of the network node 2604. Such procedures and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements by the host 2602 of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in causing messages to be sent, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, using the OTT connection 2650 while software monitors propagation times, errors, etc.

[0169] Although the computing devices (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) described herein may include the depicted combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. The determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by a processing circuit, which may process information by, for example, transforming the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained or transformed information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or transformed information and as a result of said processing making a decision. Moreover, while a component is illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the computing device may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single depicted component, and functionality may be partitioned among the separate components. For example, a communications interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of those components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communications interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functionality of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functionality may be implemented in hardware.

[0170] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by a processing circuit executing instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit without executing instructions stored in a separate or distinct device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and wireless networks in general, but not limited to the processing circuit alone or other components of the computing device.

Claims

1. 1. A method implemented by a first network node in a communications network, the communications network including a second network node communicatively coupled to the first network node via a fronthaul interface, and including a communications device communicatively coupled to the first network node, the method comprising: generating (830) first data associated with an uplink signal received from the communications device; generating (840) second data associated with the uplink signal received from the communications device; prioritizing (850, 860) the transmission of the first data to the second network node via the fronthaul interface over the transmission of the second data to the second network node via the fronthaul interface; A method comprising:

2. determining 810 Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) frequency-domain in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data associated with the uplink signal, the IQ data including IQ data of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbols and IQ data of user data symbols; Obtaining 820 frequency domain beamforming weights; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second data comprises beamformed IQ data of the user data symbols.

4. performing beamforming on the IQ data of the DMRS symbols and the IQ data of the user data symbols based on the frequency-domain beamforming weights to generate beamformed IQ data of the DMRS symbols and beamformed IQ data of the user data symbols (1230, 1330); Further comprising: the first data includes the beamformed IQ data of the DMRS symbol; The method according to claim 2 or 3.

5. Obtaining the frequency domain beamforming weights Extracting 1520 the IQ data of the DMRS symbol; determining 1520 a channel estimate by performing channel estimation based on the DMRS symbol; Calculating 1520 the frequency domain beamforming weights; Including, The method further comprising: performing beamforming on the IQ data of the user data symbols using the frequency-domain beamforming weights to generate beamformed IQ data of the user data symbols (1530); Further comprising: the first data includes an indication of the frequency domain beamforming weights and an indication of the channel estimate. The method according to claim 2 or 3.

6. Obtaining the frequency domain beamforming weights Extracting 1820 the IQ data of the DMRS symbol; and determining 1820 a channel estimate by performing channel estimation based on the DMRS symbol; Calculating 1820 the frequency domain beamforming weights; Calculating (1820) equalizer weights; Including, The method further comprising: performing beamforming and equalization on the IQ data of the user data symbols using the frequency-domain beamforming weights and the equalizer weights to generate the beamformed IQ data of the user data symbols (1830); Further comprising: the first data including an indication of information relating to the equalizer; The method according to claim 2 or 3.

7. prioritizing the transmission of the first data over the transmission of the second data; transmitting (850) the first data to the second network node in response to generating the first data and generating the second data; transmitting (860) the second data to the second network node in response to transmitting the first data to the second network node; and Including, 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the first network node comprises a Radio Unit (RU); the second network node comprises at least one of a baseband unit (BBU) and a distribution unit (DU); 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. 1. A method implemented by a first network node in a communications network, the communications network including a second network node communicatively coupled to the first network node via a fronthaul interface, and including a communications device communicatively coupled to the second network node, the method comprising: Receiving first data from the second network node via the fronthaul interface (910), the first data relating to an uplink signal received from the communications device; receiving (920) second data from the second network node via the fronthaul interface in response to receiving the first data, the second data associated with the uplink signal received from the communications device; determining (930) processed second data by processing the second data based on the first data; processing (940) the processed second data to decode information bits contained in the second data; A method comprising:

10. the first data includes beamformed frequency domain in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbols associated with the uplink signal from the second network node; the second data includes IQ data of user data symbols associated with the uplink signal; The method further comprising: performing 1420 a channel estimation based on the beamformed frequency domain IQ data of the DMRS symbol; Calculating 1420 frequency domain beamforming weights; Further comprising: determining the processed second data includes performing beamforming on the IQ data of the user data symbols (1440); processing the processed second data includes performing layer demapping, demodulation, and decoding of the processed second data (1450).

10. The method of claim 9.

11. the first data includes beamformed frequency domain in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbols associated with the uplink signal from the second network node; the second data includes IQ data of user data symbols associated with the uplink signal; The method further comprising: performing 1420 a channel estimation based on the beamformed frequency domain IQ data of the DMRS symbol; Calculating 1420 equalization weights; Further comprising: determining the processed second data includes performing equalization on the IQ data of the user data symbols (1440); processing the processed second data includes performing layer demapping, demodulation, and decoding of the processed second data (1450).

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10.

12. the first data includes an indication of frequency domain beamforming weights and an indication of a channel estimate; the second data includes beamformed frequency domain in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data of user data symbols associated with the uplink signal; The method further comprising: Calculating 1620 equalization weights based on the indication of the frequency domain beamforming weights and the indication of the channel estimates. Further comprising: determining the processed second data includes performing equalization on the IQ data of the user data symbols (1640); and processing the processed second data includes performing layer demapping, demodulation, and decoding of the processed second data (1650).

10. The method of claim 9.

13. the first data comprises information relating to an equalizer of the second network node; the second data includes beamformed frequency domain in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data of equalized user data symbols associated with the uplink signal from the second network node; determining the processed second data includes performing layer demapping and demodulating the beamformed frequency domain IQ data of the equalized user data symbols based on information related to the equalizer of the second network node (1930); and processing the processed second data includes performing a decoding of the processed second data (1940).

10. The method of claim 9.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the information includes indications of equalizer weights, frequency domain beamforming weights, and channel estimates.

15. the first network node comprises at least one of a baseband unit (BBU) and a distribution unit (DU); the second network node comprises a radio unit (RU); 15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14.

16. A first network node (360, 2300) in a communication network, said first network node comprising: A processing circuit (2302); a memory (2304) coupled to said processing circuit and storing instructions; and wherein the instructions are executable by the processing circuitry to cause the first network node to perform operations including any of the operations recited in claims 1 to 15. A first network node (360, 2300).

17. A first network node (360, 2300) in a communication network, said first network node being adapted to perform operations including any of the operations set forth in claims 1 to 15.

18. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by a processing circuit (2302) of a first network node (360, 2300) in a communications network, the execution of said program code causing said first network node to perform operations including any of the operations described in claims 1 to 15.

19. 16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium (2304) containing program code to be executed by a processing circuit (2302) of a first network node (360, 2300) in a communications network, the execution of the program code causing the first network node to perform operations including any of the operations described in claims 1 to 15.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a processing circuitry (2302) of a first network node (360, 2300) to cause the first network node to perform operations including any of the operations set forth in claims 1 to 15.

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