Wireless communication system and method for processing physical resource blocks

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: a step of a distributed unit identifying terminals connected to each of a plurality of radio units and acquiring connection information; a step of the distributed unit generating physical resource block allocation information regarding resource block regions to be allocated to each of the plurality of radio units based on the connection information; a step of a fronthaul multiplexer distributing the resource block regions allocated to each of the plurality of radio units based on the physical resource block allocation information; and a step of each of the plurality of radio units transmitting a radio signal to at least one terminal based on the distributed physical resource blocks.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing physical resource blocks in a communication system, and in particular to a technique for processing physical resource blocks (PRBs) in a fronthaul multiplexer (FHM). [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of information and communication technology, various wireless communication technologies have been developed. Representative wireless communication technologies include LTE (Long Term Evolution) and NR (New Radio) defined in the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard. LTE is one of the wireless communication technologies of 4G (4th Generation), and NR is one of the wireless communication technologies of 5G (5th Generation).

[0003] Meanwhile, with the development of wireless communication technology, frequencies are becoming higher and bandwidths are becoming larger. The higher the frequency, the lower the diffraction rate of radio waves and the stronger the directionality, which causes the problem of the radio wave's reach becoming shorter. Therefore, in densely populated urban areas, the development from LTE to NR requires the installation of more base stations closer together.

[0004] Furthermore, as Radio Access Network (RAN) technology advances, wireless speeds increase and the introduction of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) increases the amount of radio access processing, which in turn increases the cost of installing mobile base stations. To address this issue, the radio access network structure has been separated into a Central Unit (CU), a Distributed Unit (DU), and a Radio Unit (RU). Each of these separated units is supplied by multiple manufacturers, and to ensure interoperability between units, an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) interface, which is packet-based communication, is used.

[0005] In addition, as one of the methods to reduce the construction cost of a radio access network, the shared cell function is used to extend service coverage cost-effectively by using multiple radio units in the same cell.

[0006] However, there is a problem that the power consumption of the entire radio access network increases as the number of wireless units increases due to the coverage expansion, and there is also a problem that all wireless units consume maximum power because the physical resource blocks of the entire cell of the base station are transmitted in the same way to all wireless units regardless of the terminals (UE, User Equipment) within the coverage served by the wireless units.

[0007] For example, when there are multiple wireless units within one cell of a base station, even if only a first wireless unit has a terminal and a second wireless unit has no terminal, all wireless units can transmit radio waves of the same strength, rather than transmitting radio waves only from the first wireless unit. Therefore, all wireless units, including those that do not have a terminal connected to them for data connection, transmit radio waves at their maximum strength, which causes a problem of a sudden increase in the overall power consumption of the distributed network.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a technology to reduce the power consumption of the wireless unit, which accounts for a large proportion of power consumption.

[0009] On the other hand, the above-mentioned background art is not necessarily publicly known art that was generally disclosed to the public before the filing of the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0103496 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a fronthaul multiplexer that can reduce the power consumed by a radio unit in a distributed network structure when there are multiple radio units (RUs) in one cell of a base station by distributing physical resource blocks to each of the multiple radio units so that each of the multiple radio units transmits radio signal waves only for terminals (UEs) connected to that radio unit.

[0012] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a fronthaul multiplexer that can reduce power consumption in a wireless unit by transmitting only packet data for physical resource blocks allocated to each wireless unit to each wireless unit based on information about physical resource blocks allocated by scheduling between a terminal and a base station within the service coverage of each wireless unit.

[0013] The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a step of: a distributed unit identifying terminals connected to each of a plurality of wireless units and acquiring connection information; a step of the distributed unit generating physical resource block allocation information regarding resource block regions to be allocated to each of the plurality of wireless units based on the connection information; a step of a fronthaul multiplexer distributing the resource block regions allocated to each of the plurality of wireless units based on the physical resource block allocation information; and a step of each of the plurality of wireless units transmitting a wireless signal to at least one terminal based on the distributed physical resource blocks.

[0015] According to another feature of the present invention, the step of acquiring connection information may include the distributed unit performing an M-plane start-up procedure to transmit a mapping table relating to beam IDs and section IDs to the fronthaul multiplexer.

[0016] According to another feature of the present invention, the step of acquiring the connection information may include the steps of the distributed unit transmitting a user plane message including a terminal synchronization control signal to the fronthaul multiplexer, and the distributed unit transmitting a control plane message including a beam ID and a section ID to the fronthaul multiplexer.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, the terminal synchronization control signal may include a synchronization signal block or a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS).

[0018] According to another feature of the present invention, the control plane message may include a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) corresponding to the terminal synchronization control signal.

[0019] According to another feature of the present invention, the step of acquiring the connection information may include the steps of the fronthaul multiplexer acquiring a beam ID and a section ID based on header information of the received control plane message, the fronthaul multiplexer selecting a radio unit to be routed from among the plurality of radio units based on the acquired beam ID and section ID, and the fronthaul multiplexer transmitting a user plane message and a control plane message corresponding to the selected radio unit to the selected radio unit.

[0020] According to another feature of the present invention, the step of acquiring the connection information may include the steps of: the selected radio unit transmitting the terminal synchronization control signal to at least one terminal; the selected radio unit receiving a PRACH preamble corresponding to the terminal synchronization control signal from the terminal; the selected radio unit transmitting the received PRACH preamble to the fronthaul multiplexer; and the fronthaul multiplexer transmitting the received PRACH preamble to the distributed unit.

[0021] According to another feature of the present invention, the step of generating the physical resource block allocation information may include a step of generating the physical resource block allocation information by matching a section ID and a beam ID for a resource block area used by each of the plurality of wireless units.

[0022] According to another feature of the present invention, the step of distributing the physical resource block may include a step in which the fronthaul multiplexer selects one radio unit to be routed from among the plurality of radio units based on a beam ID and a section ID, and a step in which the fronthaul multiplexer transmits user plane messages and control plane messages corresponding to the selected radio unit to the selected radio unit.

[0023] According to another feature of the present invention, transmitting the radio signal may include transmitting the radio signal for physical resource blocks allocated to the selected radio unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to any one of the solutions to the problem of the present invention, a fronthaul multiplexer according to one embodiment of the present invention can reduce the power consumed by a radio unit when there are multiple radio units (RUs) in one cell of a base station in a distributed network structure by distributing physical resource blocks to each of a number of radio units so that each of the multiple radio units transmits radio signal waves only for terminals connected to each of the multiple radio units.

[0025] Furthermore, according to any one of the means for solving the problem of the present invention, another embodiment of the present invention can reduce power consumption in a wireless unit by transmitting to each wireless unit only packet data for physical resource blocks allocated to the wireless unit based on physical resource block allocation information for physical resource blocks allocated in scheduling between a terminal and a base station within the service coverage of each wireless unit.

[0026] The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the description below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a base station according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a network configuration including a fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a distribution unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a centralized unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a fronthaul multiplexer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram illustrating how physical resource blocks are processed in a conventional wireless communication system. [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for selecting a wireless unit for routing according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as methods for achieving them, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various different forms. The embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. The present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0029] The shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the drawings for illustrating embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated details. Furthermore, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such a detailed description will be omitted. When terms such as "comprise," "have," and "consist" are used in this specification, other parts may be added unless "only" is used. When a component is expressed in the singular, the plural is also included unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0030] When interpreting elements, they are interpreted as including a margin of error even if there is no other explicit description.

[0031] Although terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, a first component referred to below may be a second component within the technical concept of the present invention.

[0032] Unless otherwise specified, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0033] The features of the various embodiments of the present invention may be partially or fully combined or combined with each other, and various technical interlocking and driving mechanisms are possible, as will be fully understood by those skilled in the art. Each embodiment may be implemented independently of the others, or may be implemented together in a related relationship.

[0034] On the other hand, potential effects that can be expected from the technical features of the present invention that are not specifically mentioned in the specification of the present invention will be treated as being described in this specification, and since the present examples are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those having average knowledge in the art, the contents illustrated in the drawings may be exaggerated compared to the actual embodiments of the invention, and detailed descriptions of configurations that are deemed to be likely to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted or will be described in a simplified form.

[0035] Furthermore, although various embodiments are described in the present specification using terminology used in some communication standards (e.g., 3GPP (registered trademark), O-RAN), this is merely an example for the purpose of explanation. Various embodiments of the present invention can be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.

[0036] Furthermore, each embodiment described in the specification of the present invention can be applied not only to 3G (3rd generation) mobile communication systems, LTE mobile communication systems, LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) mobile communication systems, 4G mobile communication systems, 5G mobile communication systems, 6G (6th generation) mobile communication systems, and NR, but also to each of the next generation mobile communication systems and their combination systems.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a wireless communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] 1, a wireless communication system 1 may be a wireless communication system (e.g., NR) conforming to 3G, 4G, 5G, or NG (Next Generation). The wireless communication system 1 may include a wireless access network 10, and a base station 100 and a terminal (UE) 200 included in the wireless access network 10. The wireless access network 10 may be connected to a core network conforming to 3G, 4G, 5G, or NG.

[0039] Meanwhile, the base station 100 can perform wireless communication with the terminal 200. The base station 100 and the terminal 200 can perform mutual communication by controlling wireless signals transmitted and received via antennas.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a base station 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] 2, the base station 100 may be configured to use a fronthaul interface defined by O-RAN, but is not limited thereto, and other standards or specifications may be used.

[0042] The base station 100 may include a radio unit (O-RU, O-RAN Radio Unit) 110, a distributed unit (O-DU, O-RAN Distributed Unit) 120, and a centralized unit (O-CU, O-RAN Central Unit) 130. The radio unit 110, the distributed unit 120, and the centralized unit 130 are each functionally split.

[0043] The radio unit 110 can perform functions related to the PHY-Low layer and RF (Radio Frequency) processing.

[0044] The distributed unit 120 can perform functions related to the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and the PHY-High layer.

[0045] The centralization unit 130 may perform functions related to the Radio Resource Control (RRC) and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layers.

[0046] On the other hand, when a fronthaul interface is applied to the radio unit 110 and the distributed unit 120, communication can be performed in the control plane (C-plane), user plane (U-plane), synchronization plane (S-plane), and management plane (M-plane).

[0047] The user plane may include a user's downlink data (IQ data, SSB / RS), uplink data (IQ data or SRS / RS), or PRACH data.

[0048] The control plane may include messages for controlling transmission and reception of the user plane, and may be configured to provide scheduling information and beamforming information through the control messages.

[0049] The synchronization plane may contain messages for timing and synchronization control.

[0050] The management plane may be associated with a start-up procedure and may include messages necessary for management of the wireless units 110 and the distributed units 120 .

[0051] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a network configuration including a fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] 3, a network to which a shared cell is applied can be configured by disposing a fronthaul multiplexer 140 between the distributed unit 120 and the radio unit 110. That is, a distributed network structure using a shared cell function can be configured as a method for extending service coverage. Meanwhile, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can be disposed as a separate device between the distributed unit 120 and the radio unit 110, or can be disposed integrally with the distributed unit 120.

[0053] The fronthaul multiplexer 140 can transmit the signals received from the distributed unit 120 to each of the multiple wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n as n signals, or can combine the n signals received from the multiple wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n and transmit them to the distributed unit 120.

[0054] On the other hand, each of the plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n can transmit wireless signals to a plurality of terminals 200_1, 200_2, 200_n connected within its service coverage.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a radio unit (O-RU) 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] 4, the wireless unit 110 may include a communication unit 111 and a control unit 112. The communication unit 111 may communicate with the distributed unit 120 and the terminal 200. The control unit 112 may process data received from the distributed unit 120 and the terminal 200.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a distribution unit (O-DU) 120 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] 5, the distributed unit 120 may include a communication unit 121 and a control unit 122. The communication unit 121 may communicate with the radio units 110, the centralized unit 130, and the fronthaul multiplexer 140. The control unit 122 may process data received from the radio units 110, the centralized unit 130, and the fronthaul multiplexer 140.

[0059] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a centralized unit (O-CU) 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] 6, the centralized unit 130 may include a communication unit 131 and a control unit 132. The communication unit 131 may communicate with the distributed unit 120. The control unit 132 may process data received from the distributed unit 120.

[0061] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] 7, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 may include a communication unit 141 and a control unit 142. The communication unit 141 may perform communication with the distributed unit 120 and the wireless unit 110. The control unit 142 may process data received from the distributed unit 120 and the wireless unit 110.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal (UE) 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] 8, the terminal 200 may include a communication unit 201 and a control unit 202. The communication unit 201 may perform communication with the wireless unit 110. Furthermore, the control unit 202 may process data received from the wireless unit 110.

[0065] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method of processing physical resource blocks in a conventional wireless communication system.

[0066] 9, in a conventional wireless communication system, a fronthaul multiplexer 140 transmits the same physical resource block 300, which is allocated by scheduling between a terminal 200 and a distributed unit 120, to a plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n. The physical resource block 300 may include information on a first resource block region 310 allocated to a first wireless unit 110_1, a second resource block region 320 allocated to a second wireless unit 110_2, and a resource block region 330 allocated to an n-th wireless unit 110_n. Each of the plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n transmits a wireless signal based on the physical resource block 300_1, 300_2, 300_n received from the fronthaul multiplexer 140.

[0067] In this case, there is a problem that the multiple wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n will transmit wireless signal propagation based on physical resource blocks (PRBs) of the entire base station cell regardless of the terminals 200_1, 200_2, 200_n within their service coverage, resulting in the use of maximum power.

[0068] For example, when 5G uses a bandwidth of 100 MHz, a maximum of 273 RBs is used, but in a distributed network using shared cells, there can be a problem if all wireless units 110 use 273 RBs.

[0069] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] 10 , in the wireless communication system 1 of the present invention, for a physical resource block 300 allocated by scheduling between the terminal 200 and the distributed unit 120, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 distributes and transmits only the physical resource blocks allocated to each of the plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n. In addition, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 transmits only packet data corresponding to the physical resource blocks allocated to each of the plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n. The physical resource block 300 can include information on a first resource block region 310 allocated to the first wireless unit 110_1, a second resource block region 320 allocated to the second wireless unit 110_2, and a resource block region 330 allocated to the n-th wireless unit 110_n. Each of the plurality of radio units 110_1, 110_2, and 110_n transmits a radio signal based on the physical resource blocks 300_1, 300_2, and 300_n distributed from the fronthaul multiplexer 140.

[0071] In this case, the multiple wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n may transmit wireless signal propagation only for the terminals 200_1, 200_2, 200_n within their service coverage, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0072] For example, if the power consumption of the radio unit 110 is 500W and there are 10 radio units 110 used in the network, the total power consumption in the conventional method is 500W * 10 = 5kW. However, when using the physical resource block processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the total resources used by all radio units (e.g., 10 units) are the same as the resources used by one RU, so the power consumption can be 500W (excluding standby power).

[0073] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] The distributed unit 120 may acquire connection information by identifying the terminal 200 connected to each of the plurality of wireless units 110 (S1110). The connection information may refer to information that can identify at least one terminal 200 connected to each of the plurality of wireless units 110.

[0075] 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a method for the distribution unit 120 to acquire connection information will be described with reference to FIG.

[0076] The distributed unit 120 may execute a management plane startup procedure (S1201).

[0077] The distribution unit 120 may transmit a mapping table relating to beam IDs (BeamIDs) and section IDs (SectionIDs) to the fronthaul multiplexer 140 (S1202).

[0078] The fronthaul multiplexer 140 may also receive a mapping table from the distribution unit 120 (S1203).

[0079] Meanwhile, the mapping table may include information that identifies to which of the multiple radio units 110 the fronthaul multiplexer 140 transmits a control signal (e.g., SSB, CSI-RS) during the process of performing the management plane startup procedure.

[0080] The distribution unit 120 may also transmit an extended antenna-carrier (eAxC) ID to the fronthaul multiplexer 140 .

[0081] Meanwhile, the distributed unit 120 can transmit a user plane (U-Plane) message including a terminal synchronization control signal to the fronthaul multiplexer 140 to determine which of the multiple radio units 110 the terminal 200 should connect to (S1204).

[0082] The terminal synchronization control signal may include a synchronization signal block or a CSI-RS.

[0083] Additionally, the distribution unit 120 may transmit a control plane (C-Plane) message to the fronthaul multiplexer 140 (S1205). The control plane message may include a beam ID and a section ID.

[0084] In addition, the distributed unit 120 may transmit a control plane message including a PRACH corresponding to the terminal synchronization control signal to the fronthaul multiplexer 140 (S1206).

[0085] Meanwhile, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can receive user plane messages and control plane messages from the distributed unit 120 (S1207, S1208).

[0086] The fronthaul multiplexer 140 can obtain the beam ID and section ID based on the header information of the received control plane message (S1209).

[0087] In addition, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can select a wireless unit to route from among the multiple wireless units 110 based on the acquired beam ID and section ID (S1210).

[0088] For example, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can select a radio unit to route user plane messages and control plane messages to based on the acquired beam ID and section ID and a mapping table.

[0089] Meanwhile, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 may transmit user plane messages and control plane messages corresponding to the selected wireless unit to the selected wireless unit (S1211).

[0090] Meanwhile, FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a method for selecting a wireless unit for routing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 14, if n radio units 110 are connected to the fronthaul multiplexer 140, the mapping table 400 may include the following information:

[0092] [Table 1]

[0093] On the other hand, the section ID and the beam ID may have the same value, and each of the n wireless units 110 may communicate with one terminal 200.

[0094] Furthermore, the control plane message 500 may include a plurality of control plane messages (C1 to Cn) to be transmitted to the plurality of wireless units 110, respectively. Section ID and beam ID information matching each of the control plane messages (C1 to Cn) may be included in the header of the control plane message.

[0095] The user plane message 600 may also include a plurality of user plane messages (U1 to Un) transmitted to the plurality of wireless units 110, respectively. Section ID information matching each of the user plane messages (U1 to Un) may be included in the header of the user plane message.

[0096] For example, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can acquire the beam ID (#1) and section ID (#1) of the control plane message (C1) based on the header information of the received control plane message, and select the routed radio unit 110_1 from among the multiple radio units 110 using the acquired beam ID (#1) and section ID (#1) and the mapping table 400.

[0097] In addition, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can transmit packet data of the user plane message (U1) matching the acquired section ID (#1) to the wireless unit 110_1.

[0098] Referring back to FIG. 12, the wireless unit 110 selected by being routed by the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can transmit a wireless signal to at least one terminal 200 to transmit a terminal synchronization control signal (S1212).

[0099] Also, the wireless unit 110 can receive a PRACH preamble corresponding to a terminal synchronization control signal from the terminal 200 (S1213).

[0100] Additionally, the wireless unit 110 may transmit the received PRACH preamble to the fronthaul multiplexer 140 (S1214).

[0101] Additionally, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 may transmit the received PRACH preamble to the distribution unit 120 (S1215).

[0102] Meanwhile, the distributed unit 120 can identify at least one terminal 200 connected to each of the plurality of wireless units 110 based on the received PRACH preamble and acquire connection information (S1216).

[0103] Referring again to FIG.

[0104] The distribution unit 120 may generate physical resource block allocation information regarding resource block regions allocated to each of the plurality of wireless units based on the connection information (S1120).

[0105] 10, the distribution unit 120 may generate resource block allocation information including allocation information indicating that a first resource block region 310 of a physical resource block 300 is allocated to the first wireless unit 110_1, allocation information indicating that a second resource block region 320 is allocated to the second wireless unit 110_2, and allocation information indicating that a resource block region 330 is allocated to the n-th wireless unit 110_n. Each piece of allocation information may include information on a matching section ID and beam ID.

[0106] That is, the distributed unit 120 can generate physical resource block allocation information by matching section IDs and beam IDs for resource block regions used by each of the plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, and 110_n.

[0107] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0108] As described above, the distribution unit 120 can generate physical resource block allocation information regarding resource block regions allocated to each of the multiple wireless units based on the connection information (S1301).

[0109] Meanwhile, the distribution unit 120 can transmit physical resource block allocation information to the fronthaul multiplexer 140 .

[0110] Meanwhile, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can acquire the beam ID and section ID based on the header information of the control plane message received from the distribution unit 120 (S1303).

[0111] In addition, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can select one wireless unit to be routed from among the plurality of wireless units based on the acquired beam ID and section ID (S1304).

[0112] Additionally, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 may transmit user plane messages and control plane messages corresponding to the selected wireless unit to the wireless unit 110 (S1305).

[0113] Furthermore, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can distribute the resource block regions allocated to each of the plurality of radio units based on the physical resource block allocation information.

[0114] 10, the fronthaul multiplexer 140 can identify the wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n to which the resource block regions 310, 320, 330 are respectively assigned based on the acquired beam ID and section ID. The fronthaul multiplexer 140 can distribute, to the wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n, the multiple physical resource blocks 300_1, 300_2, 300_n each including only the resource block regions 310_1, 320_2, 330_n assigned to the wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n.

[0115] The fronthaul multiplexer 140 may also transmit a user plane message including information regarding the resource block regions 310_1, 320_2, 330_n allocated to each of the plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n to each of the plurality of wireless units 110_1, 110_2, 110_n.

[0116] Meanwhile, each of the plurality of wireless units 110 can transmit a wireless signal to at least one terminal 200 based on the allocated physical resource blocks (S1306).

[0117] In this specification, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks shown in succession may be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks or steps may be executed in reverse order depending on the corresponding function at the time.

[0118] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments and may be variously modified within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the technical concept of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of the claims should be interpreted as being within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A method for processing physical resource blocks in a wireless communication system, comprising: a step in which the distributed unit identifies terminals connected to each of the plurality of wireless units and acquires connection information; generating physical resource block allocation information regarding resource block regions allocated to each of the plurality of wireless units based on the connection information; a fronthaul multiplexer distributing the resource block regions allocated to each of the plurality of radio units based on the physical resource block allocation information; each of the plurality of wireless units transmitting a wireless signal to at least one terminal based on the allocated physical resource block; 1. A method for processing physical resource blocks, comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the connection information comprises the distributed unit executing an M-plane start-up procedure to transmit a mapping table relating to beam IDs and section IDs to the fronthaul multiplexer.

3. The step of acquiring connection information includes: The distributed unit transmits a user plane message including a terminal synchronization control signal to the fronthaul multiplexer; and the distribution unit transmitting a control plane message including a beam ID and a section ID to the fronthaul multiplexer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the terminal synchronization control signal includes a synchronization signal block or a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the control plane message includes a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) corresponding to the terminal synchronization control signal.

6. The step of acquiring connection information includes: The fronthaul multiplexer acquires a beam ID and a section ID based on header information of the received control plane message; The fronthaul multiplexer selects a routed wireless unit from among the plurality of wireless units based on the acquired beam ID and section ID; and transmitting, by the fronthaul multiplexer, user plane messages and control plane messages corresponding to the selected radio unit to the selected radio unit.

7. The step of acquiring connection information includes: a selected wireless unit transmitting the terminal synchronization control signal to at least one terminal; The selected wireless unit receives a PRACH preamble corresponding to the terminal synchronization control signal from the terminal; the selected wireless unit transmitting a received PRACH preamble to the fronthaul multiplexer; and transmitting the received PRACH preamble to the distributed unit by the fronthaul multiplexer.

8. 2. The physical resource block processing method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the physical resource block allocation information includes a step of matching a section ID and a beam ID for a resource block area used by each of the plurality of wireless units to generate the physical resource block allocation information.

9. The step of allocating physical resource blocks comprises: The fronthaul multiplexer selects one wireless unit to be routed from the plurality of wireless units based on a beam ID and a section ID; and transmitting user plane messages and control plane messages corresponding to the selected wireless unit to the selected wireless unit.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the radio signal comprises the step of transmitting the radio signal for the physical resource block allocated to the selected radio unit.

Images