Shared cell transmit / receive point selection and combination

Abstract

To provide a method for shared-cell transmit / receive point (TRP) selection and combination.SOLUTION: A method performed by a first network node is applied to a group of TRPs and includes receiving a first message provided with a global beam identifier associated with a plurality of TRPs in the group of TRP from a second network node and converting the global beam identifier into at least one local beam identifier associated with specific one of the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs. The first network node operates as a front hall multiplexer (FHM) for the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs and transmits at least one local beam identifier to the specific one of the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs after converting the global beam identifier into at least one local beam identifier.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to systems and methods for shared cell transmission / reception point (TRP) selection and combining. [Background technology]

[0002] In 3GPP 5G NR, the base station is denoted as gNodeB (gNB). It is a logical entity that can be split into multiple distributed parts: a central unit (CU) with packet processing, a distributed unit (DU) with baseband processing, and a radio unit (RU). In O-RAN, these entities are known as O-CU, O-DU, and O-RU, respectively. See O-RAN Fronthaul Working Group, "Control, User and Synchronization Plane Specification," O-RAN-WG4.CUS.0-v02.00, July 2, 2019. See also https: / / 222.o-ran.org / .

[0003] In cellular systems, such as 4G and 5G, it may be desirable to reduce the number of cells covering an area. For example, it may be desirable to reduce the number of cells to reduce the number of handovers and / or reduce the cost of deployment. A smaller number of cells may be achieved by forming a single cell from multiple radio units (RU, O-RU) or radio heads (RH) or transmission / reception points (TRPs). If the cells are identified by a physical cell Id (PCI) and the RUs transmit the same PCI, the user equipment (UE) can consider the RUs as a single cell and move between them without performing higher layer control signaling. This may be referred to as a "combined cell", for example. However, previous combined cell techniques and systems require individual fronthaul resources for each RU, as well as separate uplink baseband processing for each RU.

[0004] The deployment (and operation) costs for a combined cell may be reduced if at least some of the baseband processing resources and / or fronthaul network resources are shared. An example is in a single frequency network (SFN) where all RUs transmit the same signal, and downlink signal splitting is implemented digitally by copying samples. In the uplink, the signals may be non-coherently combined by summation before baseband processing, which means that the complexity is reduced (compared to when each RU had separate baseband processing). Furthermore, the fronthaul resources may be shared for the entire cell.

[0005] In O-RAN Working Group 4, which is specifying the open fronthaul interface, such splitting and combining is part of the ongoing "Shared Cell" work item. See O-RAN Fronthaul Working Group, "Control, User and Synchronization Plane Specification," O-RAN-WG4.CUS.0-v02.00, 2 July 2019. See also O-RAN Alliance Working Group 4, "Management Plane Specification," ORAN-WG4.MP.0-v02.00.00, 3 July 2019.

[0006] The combining and splitting can be performed in a so-called fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) with O-RUs connected in a star topology, or in an O-RU in a chain of cascaded O-RUs. Figure 1 shows an example topology including both FHMs and cascading O-RUs. More specifically, Figure 1 shows several O-RUs in a star topology, as well as cascaded O-RUs, some connected to FHMs and some connected to O-DUs. All O-RUs in the topology need not belong to the same cell (shared or not).

[0007] Shared cells can be beneficial, for example, in areas that do not have very high traffic loads. Later, if needed, capacity can be upgraded by cell splitting (adding baseband and / or fronthaul resources) without the need to replace RUs.

[0008] Similar combining and splitting is already done in indoor small cell systems where a hub or indoor radio unit (IRU) is used, e.g., in Ericsson's Radio Dot System. One difference is that the fronthaul interface in O-RAN WG4 transports frequency domain IQ samples, while recently deployed indoor small cell systems transport time domain IQ samples, e.g., using the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).

[0009] There are several problems. For example, one problem is that all TRPs in a shared cell will transmit and receive signals even if the UE is within the range of only one of them. This will increase inter-cell interference in the downlink, thereby degrading downlink performance, especially near the edge of the shared cell. The uplink will also be degraded by inter-cell interference to a greater extent, since the receivers of all RUs are active at the same time and combined.

[0010] Another problem may be that the power consumption of a TRP may be unnecessarily high in a shared cell since the TRP transmits and receives even when there are no UEs in the coverage area of ​​the TRP.

[0011] Yet another problem is that simultaneous downlink transmissions may be non-coherent, which may provide limited coverage improvement. Another problem is that non-coherent combining of uplink signals will increase the noise figure, leading to reduced uplink coverage.

[0012] Yet another problem may be that the performance of UE location in a shared cell is degraded compared to individual cells because the shared cell coverage area is larger and it is often not known which RU in the shared cell serves the UE. Summary of the Invention

[0013] Some aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other problems. For example, according to some embodiments, methods and systems are provided for utilizing 3GPP 5G NR beam management capabilities, primarily targeted at mmW, to treat a group of multiple transmission / reception points (TRPs) as one or more "beams." This allows for the selection of the TRP(s) to be used for communication with a given user equipment (UE).

[0014] According to some embodiments, a method by a network node operating as a distributed unit (DU) includes configuring a plurality of TRPs in a group of TRPs to transmit a plurality of signals in a multiplexing sequence to at least one wireless device. Each TRP in the group of TRPs is associated with a shared cell. The network node receives a response signal from the at least one wireless device. Based on the response signal, the network node determines at least one TRP from the group of TRPs for use in transmitting at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device.

[0015] According to some embodiments, a network node operating as a DU includes a processing circuit configured to configure a plurality of TRPs in a group of TRPs to transmit a plurality of signals in a multiplexing sequence to at least one wireless device. Each TRP in the group of TRPs is associated with a shared cell. The processing circuit is configured to receive a response signal from the at least one wireless device. Based on the response signal, the processing circuit is configured to determine at least one TRP from the group of TRPs for use in transmitting at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device.

[0016] According to some embodiments, a method by a first network node includes receiving a first message comprising a global beam identifier associated with a plurality of TRPs in a group of TRPs, and translating the global beam identifier associated with the group of TRPs into at least one local beam identifier associated with a particular one of the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs.

[0017] According to some embodiments, a first network node includes processing circuitry configured to receive a first message comprising a global beam identifier associated with a plurality of TRPs in a group of TRPs, and to convert the global beam identifier associated with the group of TRPs to at least one local beam identifier associated with a particular one of the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs.

[0018] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, one technical advantage may be that some embodiments reduce inter-cell interference for both uplink and downlink, leading to improved throughput. As another example, a technical advantage may be that some embodiments reduce uplink noise figure, leading to improved uplink coverage. As yet another example, a technical advantage may be that some embodiments result in reduced power consumption since unused transmitters and receivers may be disabled. As yet another example, a technical advantage may be that association of a UE to a TRP in a shared cell improves UE positioning methods. As yet another example, a technical advantage may be that some embodiments provide support for coherent distributed beamforming in the uplink and downlink.

[0019] Other advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Some embodiments may have none, some, or all of the listed advantages.

[0020] For a more complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example topology including both a fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) and a cascading O-RAN radio unit (O-RU). [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a system and technique for beam sweeping over frequency range 2, for example in the millimeter wave range. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates "beam sweeping" where each transmitting / receiving point (TRP) is assigned a "coarse beam" based on the SSB index. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless network, according to some embodiments. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network node, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless device in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates a communications network connected to a host computer through an intermediate network, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a generalized block diagram of a host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 1 illustrates another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 illustrates another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 illustrates another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] 1 illustrates an exemplary method by a wireless device according to some embodiments. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary virtual computing device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method by a network node, according to some embodiments. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 illustrates another exemplary virtual computing device, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments described herein, but rather, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0023] Generally, all terms used herein should be interpreted according to the ordinary meaning of those terms in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is expressly given and / or implied from the context in which the term is used. All references to a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of that element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless expressly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is expressly described as following or preceding another step, and / or it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any of the embodiments may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objectives, features, and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0024] In some embodiments, the more general term "network node" may be used and may correspond to any type of radio network node or any network node that communicates (directly or via another node) with a UE and / or with another network node. Examples of network nodes are Node B, MeNB, ENB, network nodes belonging to MCG or SCG, base station (BS), MSR radio node such as Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) BS, eNode B, gNode B, network controller, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), relay, donor node controlled relay, base transceiver station (BTS), access point (AP), transmission point, transmitting node, RRU, RRH, node in distributed antenna system (DAS), core network node (e.g. MSC, MME, etc.), O&M, OSS, SON, positioning node (e.g. E-SMLC), MDT, test equipment (physical node or software), etc.

[0025] In some embodiments, the non-limiting terms user equipment (UE) or wireless device may be used and may refer to any type of wireless device that communicates with a network node and / or another UE in a cellular or mobile communication system. Examples of UEs are target devices, D2D (device to device) UEs, machine type UEs or UEs capable of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, PDAs, PADs, tablets, mobile terminals, smartphones, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, UE category M1, UE category M2, ProSe UEs, V2V UEs, V2X UEs, etc.

[0026] Furthermore, terminology such as base station / g Node B and UE should be considered non-limiting and do not specifically imply any hierarchical relationship between the two, and generally, a "g Node B" may be considered as device 1 and a "UE" may be considered as device 2, and these two devices communicate with each other via some radio channel. Also, in the following, a transmitter or receiver may be either a gNB or a UE. 3GPP 5G NR provides support for beamforming of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) using wide beams to improve coverage. The standard also supports beamforming of random access using the same type of beam. More advanced beamforming using narrow beams is supported for uplink and downlink channels, such as the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). How to handle coarse and narrow beams is called beam management. See M. Giordani, M. Polese, A. Roy, D. Castor, M. Zorzi, "A Tutorial on Beam Management for 3GPP NR at mmWave Frequencies," IEEE Communication Surveys & Tutorials, Vol. 21, No. 1, Q1 2019. Some embodiments disclosed herein reinterpret the concept of a beam and apply it to a group of transmit / receive points (TRPs). This allows the utilization of 5G NR beam management capabilities to achieve several advantages.

[0027] Initial access in 5G NR starts with the transmission of an SSB. Multiple SS blocks with different indices can be transmitted in a time-multiplexed sequence using different downlink beams. This allows so-called "beam sweeping", where the gNB transmits SSBs consecutively in different directions. Each SSB (corresponding to a beam in this case) is associated with a specific random access resource (e.g., occasion and / or preamble sequence), which means that the gNB can correctly point the beam towards the UE, which can send random access, for example through a physical random access channel (PRACH). After receiving a PRACH in a particular beam, the gNB knows that the UE is reachable by that beam.

[0028] Such beam sweeping is often used with analog (or more generally, time domain) beamforming for millimeter wave communications. Figure 2 shows a system and technique for beam sweeping for Frequency Range 2 (FR2), i.e., the millimeter wave range. In Figure 2, SB#n represents the SSB index in the SS burst set. The RU will transmit a different coarse beam for each SB. The UE will select a suitable beam (RSRP above a threshold, if possible). For each SB index, there is an associated PRACH resource to be used by the UE.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates a basic embodiment 50 of "beam sweeping" in which each TRP, which may include an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), is assigned a "coarse beam" based on an SSB index, according to some embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, the beams are represented by different TRPs (or groups of TRPs) in a shared cell. In this case, further refinements to "fine beams" are possible, for example if each TRP supports a different beam. This is described in more detail below. Note that, although not shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, there may be a many-to-many mapping between SSB index and TRPs (or groups of TRPs). By using 3GPP beam management principles, a UE may be associated with a particular TRP even if multiple TRPs share baseband and / or fronthaul resources.

[0030] Beam management in 5G NR is generally divided into three procedures: As described below, the techniques disclosed herein map onto these three procedures, which may be referred to as P1 through P3.

[0031] P1. Beam establishment Previous techniques include SSB beam sweep and access through PRACH. In particular, different broad beams are used to transmit different SSB indices. The UE selects the PRACH resource according to the best SSB index, allowing the gNB to also beamform the PRACH using the same coarse beam used for the corresponding SSB index. Such beam sweeping improves coverage since transmission and reception are focused compared to, for example, fixed omnidirectional or three-sector antennas.

[0032] In contrast, according to some embodiments disclosed herein, the sweeping of the "wide beam" ("coarse beam" in O-RAN) is done by changing the group of transmitting and receiving TRPs. Thus, a "coarse beam" may correspond to a group of TRPs (from a single TRP to an entire shared cell). The main difference with previous techniques is that in the embodiments described herein, "beamforming" does not necessarily improve coverage. Rather, it is the opposite, since a "beam" is a subset of TRPs in a shared cell. Thus, the total power received by the UE may be lower than if beamforming is not required. Instead, the main benefit is less interference and reduced power consumption. Of course, more advanced embodiments are possible in which multiple TRPs are active simultaneously for a given UE, such as, for example, by using coherent joint transmission and / or reception. Furthermore, multiple "coarse beams" may be associated with groups of TRPs if necessary, such as, for example, to support different combinations of active TRPs or to support beamforming per TRP.

[0033] P2.gNB beam refinement and tracking Previous techniques include beam sweeping that uses channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) along with reporting from the UE to find the best narrow beam(s). The UE uses a fixed receiving beam to evaluate different beams from the gNB. In the improved procedure, measurements can be made for either SSB or CSI-RS. The UE reports so-called Layer 1 Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP), which indicates for up to four beams which reference signals were measured and their Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) levels (absolute RSRP for the strongest beam, and difference relative to the strongest beam for the other three beams). The gNB can then decide to adjust its beam based on the reports. The adjusted beam does not have to correspond to one of the measured beams, but can be in a direction between the directions of some of the reported beams. In some cases, the beam selected for the downlink can also be used for the uplink. This is often the case, for example, for time division duplex (TDD) operation where the channel can be considered reciprocal (channel coherence time vs. TDD uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) period) if the UE speed is not too high. If the DL beam is not suitable for the UL, a narrow UL beam can be determined based on a sounding reference signal (SRS) from the UE.

[0034] However, according to some embodiments disclosed herein, CSI-RS "beam sweeping" is used here to test "fine beams" corresponding to activating different TRPs in a group of TRPs sharing an SSB index, and / or to use different beams in each TRP. For example, if the "coarse beams" in P1 consist of groups of TRPs, CSI-RS can be used to split these groups into smaller TRP groups, even down to a subset of beams in a single TRP. Having a "fine beam" as a subset of beams in a single TRP can be useful, for example, when the coarse beam is a single TRP.

[0035] As in the previous technique, the UE may be instructed by the network to measure and report up to four different CSI-RS (or SSB) resources. For example, it is possible to associate a UE with a group of TRPs by allocating different SSB indices to the group of TRPs and transmitting these SSB indices time multiplexed in the SS burst set, according to some embodiments. According to some embodiments, the UE will listen to the different SSB indices, select a suitable SSB index based on the RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), and then choose the PRACH resource corresponding to that SSB index. Upon receiving the PRACH from the UE, the gNB knows which SSB "beam" (group of TRPs) was selected by the UE. Depending on the frequency range, in some specific embodiments there are up to four, eight, or 64 possible SSB positions (indexes) in the SS burst set of 5 ms duration. The periodicity of the SS burst set is typically 20 ms, but in certain embodiments can be set from 5 to 160 ms.

[0036] According to some embodiments, "narrow beams" ("fine beams" in O-RAN) that may include smaller groups of TRPs or even single beams within a TRP are possible using CSI-RS (Channel State Information Reference Signal). This may be useful, for example, for PUSCH and PDSCH channels.

[0037] Knowing more than one suitable "fine beam" for each UE improves flexibility. An example is when pairing users to be scheduled in the same 5G NR slot for a gNB with time domain samples for user plane data (such as Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI)). The gNB can decide to use the second or third best "fine beam" (e.g. TRP) for a UE that does not need all physical resource blocks (PRBs) to be able to communicate with a second UE in the same slot. The gNB can also decide to activate multiple "fine beams" for the same purpose if there is no "fine beam" that can reach both UEs. Knowing more than one "fine beam" can therefore mean less waste of useful capacity (usually the same schedule is applied for the whole slot unless so-called mini-slots are used).

[0038] If necessary, in certain embodiments, determining a UL "fine beam" from the SRS is possible if multiple SRS are scheduled and different SRS occasions from a single UE are received when different "fine beams" (TRPs) are active. In another specific embodiment, the SRS may be treated separately. Thus, separate SRS may be sent to the O-DU from multiple "fine beams" over the fronthaul. The drawback is that this may increase the fronthaul bit rate.

[0039] If each TRP has multiple antenna ports, CSI-RS may also be used to support these, e.g., for MIMO operation, but this requires different reporting than L1-RSRP and is therefore not part of the beam refinement procedure. Also, multi-port CSI-RS may be used to support distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) in shared cells.

[0040] P3.UE Beam Refinement and Tracking According to previous techniques, the UE evaluates different UE beams over multiple instances of the same SSB and / or CSI-RS and / or tracking reference signal (TRS). The UE assumes that multiple instances of the reference signal are sent using the same beam. The gNB will set a "repeat" flag for such resources to indicate that the same beam was used.

[0041] However, in accordance with some embodiments disclosed herein, the gNB may use the same group of TRPs and beams per TRP to send different repetitions of each resource.

[0042] Some embodiments may be applied for different functional splitting options. In case of base station functional splitting with time domain IQ data, the fronthaul multiplexer or TRP in the cascaded shared cells can implement muting at OFDM symbol or slot level for each spatial stream (e.g., MIMO layer). This is comparable to the limitations imposed by time domain (or analog) beamforming for mmWave RUs.

[0043] In certain embodiments, for example, in the case of time domain splitting (e.g., split option 8 from 3GPP TR38.801v14.0.0, such as that commonly used in CPRI), the allocation of SSBs to TRPs can be done, for example, by muting all TRPs that are not allocated a particular SSB in an OFDM symbol when the particular SSB is transmitted. The restriction is that all users scheduled in one particular OFDM symbol must be in the coverage area of ​​the selected "beam" (TRP, or group of TRPs).

[0044] In the case of frequency domain (intra-PHY) splitting (e.g. O-RAN WG4 "7-2x" or other variants of splitting option 7 from 3GPP TR38.801v14.0.0), muting is more flexible and can be done, for example, per OFDM symbol, per resource block (PRB) or even per resource element (RE) for each OFDM symbol and spatial stream. In O-RAN 7-2x lower layer splitting (LLS), muting is preferably done at the section level. An O-RAN LLS section generally corresponds to a group of PRBs for one OFDM symbol and one spatial stream (e.g. one MIMO layer). This is comparable to the flexibility of frequency domain beamforming in mid-band AAS radios.

[0045] In the case of splits further up the protocol stack, e.g. option 6 (MAC-PHY), shared cells are not directly applicable, but intermediate nodes such as FHM may convert to intra-PHY splits (option 7 variant) or splits below the PHY (option 8 with time domain samples).

[0046] Scheduling information is sent in advance from the O-DU in a C-plane "section". The C-plane section specifies which PRBs will be used, which also gives a "beamId" that will control which beam should be applied for that section (covering the set of PRBs / REs for one spatial stream). Either the beamId can point to a specific fixed beam supported by the O-RU, or the interpretation of the beamId can be preconfigured via the management plane (M-plane) or defined in the control plane (C-plane) using a "section extension". The beam can be described in different ways, for example, using attributes such as beam width and pointing angle, or by a table of beam weights for all antenna ports. It is also possible to send channel information and let the O-RU calculate the beam weights.

[0047] Subsequent data sections (U-plane) can point to specific C-plane messages by including their SectionId. In the illustrated example, the data section is too long for the network's maximum transmission unit (e.g., Ethernet packet payload size) and is therefore split into multiple U-plane messages with different values ​​for the starting PRB number (startPrbu) and number of PRBs (numPrbu).

[0048] Controlling which O-RUs should be activated and how multiple O-RUs are combined According to some embodiments, a specific method for controlling shared cell TRP selection and combination is provided. An exemplary embodiment is given in which the TRP uses a C-plane parameter name for and from the O-RAN (lower layer split, option 7-2x) where the O-RU corresponds to the C-plane parameter name (e.g., the C-plane parameter "beamId" for selecting a beam for a group of PRBs in a spatial stream). However, the techniques described herein are not limited to O-RAN and option 7-2x, and similar implementations are possible for other splits. For other splits, the O-RU should be interpreted as a regular RU or any other TRP, the O-DU should be interpreted as a regular DU, etc.

[0049] The current assumption in O-RAN WG4 is that the control and user plane (C-plane and U-plane) messages are common for all O-RUs in a shared cell, and the management plane (M-plane) can be used for individual O-RU configuration and parameter readout. See O-RAN Fronthaul Working Group, "Control, User and Synchronization Plane Specification," O-RAN-WG4.CUS.0-v02.00, 2 July 2019. See also O-RAN Alliance Working Group 4, "Management Plane Specification," ORAN-WG4.MP.0-v02.00.00, 3 July 2019. For beams where more than one O-RU is active, some type of uplink combining (e.g., summation) of signals is required. This can be performed, for example, in the FHM or in the O-RU when cascading is used. For the downlink, copying is required, possibly including multiplication with different weights for different O-RUs.

[0050] If each "coarse beam" is equal to a single O-RU, and there is no need to have multiple "coarse beams" active for a single PRB (or RE) and spatial stream, then there is no need for summation of uplink signals. In that case, uplink and downlink signals can be forwarded as is.

[0051] The following exemplary embodiments are described in greater detail in the following sections. In a particular exemplary embodiment, the O-DU sends the same beamId to different O-RUs, but ensures that each O-RU has a different interpretation of the beamId. This could be based on the actual beam weights (e.g., setting the beam weights to 0 for some beamIds that should not activate an O-RU) or on some other property of the beam (e.g., setting a special attribute such as 0 to be the width for beams that are not desired). In another particular exemplary embodiment, the O-DU sends the same beamId to different O-RUs, but the beamId is translated on the way (e.g., in the FHM, in a programmable packet switch, or in the O-RU). In another specific exemplary embodiment, the implementation in the O-DU (no changes are needed in the O-RU) involves sending different beamIds to different O-RUs by direct addressing (e.g., Ethernet or IP). If only one O-RU is active for a given spatial stream and resource element, the FHM and O-RU cascading can be implemented simply by packet switching or routing. In another particular exemplary embodiment, one or more new fields in the C-plane or U-plane (e.g., which may be added to a bitmask, a list of O-RU IDs, or a list of beamIds), and, when necessary, corresponding M-plane settings of how each O-RU should interpret the new fields (e.g., which bit positions each O-RU should monitor).

[0052] Different interpretations of beamId in each O-RU Which O-RU should be activated in the shared cell O-RU selection can be controlled by clever use of the parameter "beamId" sent in the C-plane section together with the scheduling information before each DL or UL user plane (U-plane) data section. As explained above, ensuring that different O-RUs have a different understanding of each beamId can be done in different ways. In this section, a beam weight based method is described. As explained above, it is also possible to use attribute-based beamforming, where a special attribute can be set to mean that a beam is disabled (e.g., 0 beam width).

[0053] In a particular embodiment, if the O-RU supports configurable beam weights over the M-plane, the O-DU can set non-zero beam weight magnitudes (e.g., 1.0 or smaller numbers, possibly complex numbers) for all beamIds for which the O-RU should respond, and set magnitudes of 0 (or very small numbers) for beams for which the O-RU should be inactive. As an alternative to M-plane configuration, a new C-plane section type or section extension type is also possible, where weights are given for each O-RU in a shared cell. A further alternative is for an intermediate node, such as an FHM, to modify the C-plane message containing the beam weights so that different O-RUs receive different beam weight configurations.

[0054] Table 1 shows an example of O-RU antenna weights for an O-RU with a single antenna port, where O-RU1 and O-RU2 are in group 1 (one coarse beam with its own SSB index), and O-RU3 and O-RU4 are in group 2. The O-RUs in each group are separated using CSI-RS to form fine beams. In other words, each "coarse beam" (from SSB beam sweeping) consists of two O-RUs and a "fine beam" created by CSI-RS beam sweeping. Note that O-RU groups do not have to be of the same size, and the weights can be complex, although not shown here. TIFF0007674431000001.tif63170

[0055] In this example, two versions (A and B) of each "coarse beam" are provided. The reason for this is if (for whatever reason) the gNB and / or UE expects that the fine beams should perform better (higher received power) than the "coarse beams". In that case, the initial "coarse beam" can use lower weights per O-RU (version B) so that the fine beams do not perform worse. Of course, if this is a real problem, "coarse beams" 1A and 2A can be omitted from the table. Furthermore, if desired, different O-RUs active at a given beamId can have different weights, e.g., to shape the coverage area.

[0056] If the O-RU has multiple antenna ports, the same (or different) weights are applied to the ports, possibly multiplied with dynamic weights provided from the baseband processing, e.g., for MIMO. It is also possible to create finer beams by utilizing the O-RU antennas. This can be implemented, for example, with more rows in the table or by using multi-port CSI-RS to dynamically handle these finer beams in the baseband unit (O-DU).

[0057] According to some embodiments, distributed beamforming (using multiple O-RUs) is possible and can be used to create fine beams. Table 2 is an example of an O-RU antenna weight table for distributed beamforming in the present invention. Here, O-RU1 and O-RU2 are coarse beam1, O-RU3 together with O-RU4 are coarse beam2, and coarse beam3 partially overlaps with other coarse beams. Fine beams are used here for distributed beamforming from two O-RUs in each coarse beam. TIFF0007674431000002.tif104170

[0058] Thus, Table 2 gives an example of a beam table where the coarse beams are partially overlapping and use non-coherent combining. Coarse beams 1 and 2 have the same weights for all O-RUs, and coarse beam 3 has slightly different weights for the O-RUs to shape the coverage area of ​​the beam. The fine beams are designed to provide nearly coherent combining (distributed beamforming) of single layer transmissions / receptions from either O-RU group 1 (beamIds 4-7) or O-RU group 2 (beamIds 8-11), or group 3 (beamIds 12-15). In this example, four different fine beams are used for each coarse beam. The UE will measure the highest RSRP for the fine beam that results in the closest coherent addition between signals from O-RUs in a shared cell. It would also be possible to include beams supporting more simultaneous O-RUs and even more simultaneous layers (distributed MIMO). Note that the result of distributed beamforming here is not a beam in the traditional sense, but rather a fractional-wavelength sized pocket in space where the signals from the O-RUs add coherently.

[0059] Using complex weights such as those in Table 2 makes the most sense when the coherence bandwidth of the channel is larger (or at least not smaller) than the frequency-domain chunk of data controlled by the O-RU selection. For example, in time-domain splitting, this may work for some indoor channels with extremely short delay spreads, for example, where the coherence bandwidth is similar to or larger than the carrier bandwidth. For O-RAN LLS and similar frequency-domain splitting, O-RU selection may be done per PRB or group of PRBs. Distributed beamforming may then work in a wide variety of channel conditions.

[0060] Converting beamId According to some embodiments, the O-DU sends the same beamId to all O-RUs (shared C-plane message), but the beamId is translated at a node. Depending on the topology of the shared cell, the translation can be done either in the O-RU or in the FHM. The translation can also be performed by a programmable packet switch or router with deep packet processing capabilities, for example, using the P4 programming language to modify the beamId field in the O-RAN (or other) header.

[0061] The beamId conversion is useful, for example, when an O-RU supports only fixed beams. Here, a new M-plane configuration is defined that describes the conversion between the beamIds supported inside the O-RU and the beamIds of the shared cells sent by the O-DU. This conversion can be, for example, in the form of a configured range, a table, or a formula provided by the O-DU in a particular embodiment. One type of conversion is to add / subtract an offset. For example, if each O-RU supports beamIds 0-11 locally, the shared cell beamIds can be converted such that O-RU1 responds to beamIds 0-11, O-RU2 responds to beamIds 12-23, O-RU3 responds to beamIds 24-35, etc. Overlapping beamId ranges are also possible if it is desired that multiple O-RUs should transmit / receive for several beams.

[0062] In a particular embodiment, an O-RU may be silent in UL and DL if the shared cell beamId is not within its own range. In case of cascaded O-RU, at least a part of the conversion must be done in the O-RU. The conversion may be done entirely by each O-RU. Another option when using offset-based conversion is that the O-RU closest to the DU checks if any of the beams in the C-plane message apply to it, and if not, that O-RU subtracts the number of local beamIds (12 in this example) and sends the C-plane message to the next O-RU, which does the same. If the resulting beamId is negative, the O-RU does not need to pass on the C-plane message.

[0063] If it is desired to support simultaneous transmission / reception on any combination of multiple O-RUs with different beamIds, the conversion may be to treat the global beamId as a base-N number, where N is the number of beams (local beams) supported per O-RU. For example, in the case of 8 beams per O-RU, the shared cell beamId may be formed by an octal number, where each octal digit selects a beam in a particular O-RU, e.g., "13777". Here, at least one of the beamIds for each O-RU should be defined as no transmission and / or no reception. In the case of 15-bit beamId and 8 beams per O-RU, up to 5 O-RUs may be supported. If more O-RUs are supported in a shared cell, they may be grouped. Alternatively, the number of beamIds supported per O-RU may be reduced.

[0064] Other transformations are possible, for example, based on enumeration of a subset of all possible combinations of beams, e.g., all combinations of one and two active O-RUs.

[0065] Implementation in O-DU using individual addressing of O-RU According to some embodiments, the shared cell feature may be implemented entirely in the O-DU, which knows the shared cell topology (either from manual configuration or from automatic discovery) and can address each O-RU, for example, by using Ethernet MAC addressing and / or IP addressing depending on the type of network. Such individual addressing is needed anyway to perform O-RU management (e.g., M-plane configuration and capability readout) in the shared cell. The same type of O-RU addressing may be used by the O-DU for "beam sweeping" between O-RUs or groups of O-RUs.

[0066] In a particular embodiment, the O-DU treats each O-RU as one or more "coarse beams" and sends different SSB indices, time multiplexed, to different O-RUs (multiple SSB indices can be used for a single O-RU if necessary). The effect is a kind of shared cell, since for a given spatial stream and RE only one O-RU is active at a time. Thus, C-plane and U-plane messages are no longer shared, and the FHM can be an Ethernet switch (or possibly an IP router). Also, cascading of O-RUs requires only Ethernet forwarding.

[0067] If each O-RU supports multiple beams, fine beam sweeping can be performed using CSI-RS once the "coarse beam" is known for the UE. Multi-port CSI-RS can be used to handle MIMO and transmit / receive diversity in shared cells.

[0068] New information fields in the C-plane and / or U-plane to control which O-RU groups should be activated According to some embodiments, one or more new information fields may be added in the C-plane and / or U-plane to control which O-RU group should be active for a given section. The new field(s) may be put into reserved fields in an existing section type or section extension. Alternatively, a new section type or section extension may be defined for this purpose. A new M-plane configuration is used to tell each O-RU how to interpret the new field(s).

[0069] According to a particular embodiment, one alternative is to define a new bit mask (orugMask) in the control plane (C-plane) or user plane (U-plane), where each position specifies which O-RU group should be activated. The M-plane configuration will tell each O-RU group which bit position(s) to monitor.

[0070] According to another specific embodiment, another alternative is to add a field containing a list of O-RU groups to be activated. The O-RU groups can be given IDs via M-plane configuration, for example, based on O-RU enumeration with topology discovery, or the IDs can be determined, for example, based on Ethernet MAC or IP addresses.

[0071] According to yet another particular embodiment, a further alternative is to have a new section type or section extension with a list of shared cell beam IDs (scBeamId), where each scBeamId corresponds to a particular O-RU or group of O-RUs. In this case, the existing "beamId" parameter is not needed to select an O-RU group and can be used to select a beam within the O-RU, as in the prior art O-RAN LLS. The new section extension may also specify scBeamIds for all O-RU groups, for example, by sending dynamically updated weights or beam attributes. If desired, it may be possible to use channel information based beamforming, where the O-RU calculates its own beam weights. O-RUs that should not transmit may be given very small (e.g., zero-valued) channel estimates and / or large regularization parameters compared to O-RUs that should transmit.

[0072] Further Features and Improvements Some embodiments described herein may support having different O-RUs active for different resource elements (REs) within the same PRB. This may be accomplished, for example, by utilizing the resource element mask (reMask) feature in the O-RAN LLS in combination with any of the methods described above. One use case may be for spectrum sharing between 4G LTE and 5G NR, where LTE is sent from one O-RU group and NR is sent from another O-RU group.

[0073] FIG. 4 illustrates a wireless network, according to some embodiments. Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described with respect to a wireless network, such as the exemplary wireless network illustrated in FIG. 4. For simplicity, the wireless network of FIG. 4 illustrates only the network 106, the network nodes 160 and 160b, and the wireless devices 110, 110b, and 110c. In practice, the wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices, or between a wireless device and another communication device, such as a landline, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. Of the components shown, the network node 160 and the wireless device 110 are illustrated with additional details. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless device's access to the wireless network and / or use of services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0074] The wireless network may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and / or radio network, or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to a particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of the wireless network may implement a communications standard, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards, a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, such as the IEEE 802.11 standard, and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0075] The network 106 may comprise one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks for enabling communication between devices.

[0076] The network node 160 and the wireless device 110 comprise various components, which are described in more detail below. These components cooperate to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connectivity in a wireless network. In different embodiments, a wireless network may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0077] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary network node 160, 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 wireless devices and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless devices and / or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless 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)). Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated another way, the transmit power level of the base station), in which case they may be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node, which 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 a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. A part of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Still further examples of a network node include 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), a core network node (e.g., MSC, MME), an O&M node, an OSS node, a SON node, a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or an MDT. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below.More generally, however, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable of, configured to, and / or operable to enable and / or provide wireless devices with access to a wireless network or to provide some service to wireless devices that have accessed the wireless network.

[0078] In FIG. 5, network node 160 includes processing circuitry 170, device readable medium 180, interface 190, auxiliary equipment 184, power source 186, power circuitry 187, and antenna 162. Although network node 160 shown in the example wireless network of FIG. 5 may represent a device including the shown combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise network nodes with different combinations of components. It should be understood that a network node comprises any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Moreover, although the components of network node 160 are illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the network node may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single shown component (e.g., device readable medium 180 may comprise multiple separate hard drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

[0079] Similarly, the network node 160 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.), each of which may have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which the network node 160 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 160 may be configured to support several radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 180 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 160 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node 160. These wireless technologies may be integrated in the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node 160.

[0080] The processing circuitry 170 is configured to perform any decision, computation, or similar operations (e.g., some acquisition operations) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by the processing circuitry 170 may include processing information acquired by the processing circuitry 170, for example, by converting the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information and as a result of the processing making a decision.

[0081] Processing circuitry 170 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, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide network node 160 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 160 components, such as device readable medium 180. For example, processing circuitry 170 may execute instructions stored on device readable medium 180 or in memory within processing circuitry 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits described herein. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0082] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 170 may include one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and a baseband processing circuitry 174. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and the baseband processing circuitry 174 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 172 and the baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0083] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by the processing circuitry 170 executing instructions stored in the device-readable medium 180, or in memory within the processing circuitry 170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry 170 without executing instructions stored in a separate or distinct device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those embodiments, the processing circuitry 170 may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored in a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by the processing circuitry 170 alone, or by other components of the network node 160, but by the network node 160 as a whole, and / or by end users and wireless networks generally.

[0084] The device readable medium 180 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 170. The device readable medium 180 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuit 170 and utilized by the network node 160. The device readable medium 180 may be used to store calculations performed by the processing circuit 170 and / or data received via the interface 190. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 170 and the device-readable medium 180 may be considered to be integrated.

[0085] The interface 190 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between the network node 160, the network 106, and / or the wireless device 110. As shown, the interface 190 comprises a port(s) / terminal(s) 194 for sending and receiving data to and from the network 106, for example over a wired connection. The interface 190 also includes a radio front-end circuit 192 that is coupled to the antenna 162 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna 162. The radio front-end circuit 192 comprises a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The radio front-end circuit 192 may be connected to the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit 192 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or wireless devices via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 192 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 198 and / or amplifiers 196. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 162. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 162 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted to digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 192. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 170. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0086] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 192; instead, the processing circuit 170 may comprise a radio front-end circuit and be connected to the antenna 162 without a separate radio front-end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuit 172 may be considered part of the interface 190. In still other embodiments, the interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, the radio front-end circuit 192, and the RF transceiver circuit 172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 190 may communicate with a baseband processing circuit 174 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0087] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 190 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may comprise one or more omni-directional, sector or panel antennas operable to transmit / receive wireless signals, for example, between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. An omni-directional antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals from devices in a particular area, and a panel antenna may be a line-of-sight antenna used to transmit / receive wireless signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may be separate from network node 160 and may be connectable to network node 160 through an interface or port.

[0088] The antenna 162, the interface 190, and / or the processing circuitry 170 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 wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 162, the interface 190, and / or the processing circuitry 170 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 wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0089] The power circuit 187 may comprise or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to supply power to the components of the network node 160 for performing the functions described herein. The power circuit 187 may receive power from the power source 186. The power source 186 and / or the power circuit 187 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node 160 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power source 186 may either be included in the power circuit 187 and / or the network node 160 or be external to the power circuit 187 and / or the network node 160. For example, the network node 160 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., 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 187. As a further example, the power source 186 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit 187. Batteries can provide backup power if the external power source fails. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, can also be used.

[0090] Alternative embodiments of network node 160 may include additional components other than those shown in FIG. 5 that may be responsible for providing some 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, network node 160 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into network node 160 and output of information from network node 160. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node 160.

[0091] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary wireless device 110, according to some embodiments. A wireless device, as used herein, refers to a device capable of, configured to, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term wireless device may be used interchangeably herein with user equipment (UE). Communicating wirelessly may involve transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic, radio, infrared, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information over the air. In some embodiments, a wireless device may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a wireless device may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network. Examples of wireless devices 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), in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. A wireless device may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, e.g., by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), in which case it may be referred to as a D2D communications device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a wireless device may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another wireless device and / or network node.The wireless device may in this case be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in a 3GPP context. As one particular example, the wireless device may be a UE implementing the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Particular examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, the wireless device may represent a vehicle or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation. The wireless devices described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, the wireless devices described above may be mobile, in which case the device may be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0092] As shown, wireless device 110 includes antenna 111, interface 114, processing circuitry 120, device-readable medium 130, user interface equipment 132, auxiliary equipment 134, power source 136, and power circuitry 137. Wireless device 110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the shown components for different wireless technologies supported by wireless device 110, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, just to name a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated on the same or different chip or set of chips as other components in wireless device 110.

[0093] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to interface 114. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separate from wireless device 110 and connectable to wireless device 110 through an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114, and / or processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a wireless device. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another wireless device. In some embodiments, the wireless front-end circuit and / or antenna 111 may be considered an interface.

[0094] As shown, the interface 114 comprises a radio front-end circuit 112 and an antenna 111. The radio front-end circuit 112 comprises one or more filters 118 and an amplifier 116. The radio front-end circuit 114 is connected to the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120 and is configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120. The radio front-end circuit 112 may be coupled to or part of the antenna 111. In some embodiments, the wireless device 110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 112; rather, the processing circuit 120 may comprise a radio front-end circuit and be connected to the antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be considered part of the interface 114. The radio front-end circuit 112 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or wireless devices via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 112 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 118 and / or amplifiers 116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 111 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted to digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 112. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 120. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0095] The processing circuitry 120 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 wireless device 110 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other wireless device 110 components, such as device readable medium 130. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits described herein. For example, the processing circuitry 120 may execute instructions stored on the device readable medium 130 or in a memory within the processing circuitry 120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0096] As shown, the processing circuitry 120 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuitry 122, the baseband processing circuitry 124, and the application processing circuitry 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuitry may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 120 of the wireless device 110 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 122, the baseband processing circuitry 124, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be on separate chips or sets of chips. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the baseband processing circuitry 124 and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined into one chip or set of chips, and the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In yet alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122 and the baseband processing circuitry 124 may be on the same chip or set of chips, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In yet other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122, the baseband processing circuitry 124, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined in the same chip or set of chips. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be part of the interface 114. The RF transceiver circuitry 122 may condition RF signals for the processing circuitry 120.

[0097] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the wireless device may be provided by the processing circuitry 120 executing instructions stored on a device-readable medium 130, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry 120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or distinct device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, the processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by the processing circuitry 120 alone or by other components of the wireless device 110, but by the wireless device 110 as a whole, and / or by end users and wireless networks generally.

[0098] Processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform any of the decision, calculation, or similar operations (e.g., some acquisition operations) described herein as being performed by a wireless device. These operations as performed by processing circuitry 120 may include processing information acquired by processing circuitry 120, for example, by converting the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored by wireless device 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information and as a result of the processing making a decision.

[0099] The device-readable medium 130 may be operable to store applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuit 120. The device-readable medium 130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (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 120. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 120 and the device-readable medium 130 may be considered to be integrated.

[0100] The user interface equipment 132 may provide components that allow a human user to interact with the wireless device 110. Such interaction may be of many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface equipment 132 may be operable to produce output to the user and to allow the user to provide input to the wireless device 110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface equipment 132 installed on the wireless device 110. For example, if the wireless device 110 is a smartphone, the interaction may be via a touch screen, and if the wireless device 110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface equipment 132 may include input interfaces, devices and circuits, as well as output interfaces, devices and circuits. The user interface equipment 132 is configured to allow input of information to the wireless device 110 and is connected to the processing circuit 120 to allow the processing circuit 120 to process the input information. The user interface equipment 132 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensors, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. The user interface equipment 132 is also configured to enable output of information from the wireless device 110 and to enable the processing circuitry 120 to output information from the wireless device 110. The user interface equipment 132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, vibration circuitry, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface equipment 132, the wireless device 110 may communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network, enabling the end user and / or the wireless network to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0101] Auxiliary equipment 134 is operable to provide more specific functionality that may not generally be implemented by wireless devices. It may comprise specialized sensors for taking measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communication, etc. The inclusion and types of components of auxiliary equipment 134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0102] The power source 136 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack in some embodiments. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery cell. The wireless device 110 may further comprise a power circuit 137 for delivering power from the power source 136 to various parts of the wireless device 110 that require power from the power source 136 to perform any functions described or shown herein. The power circuit 137 may comprise a power management circuit in some embodiments. The power circuit 137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source, in which case the wireless device 110 may be connectable to an external power source (such as an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as a power cable. The power circuit 137 may also be operable in some embodiments to deliver power from the external power source to the power source 136. This may be for charging the power source 136, for example. Power circuitry 137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from power source 136 to make the power suitable for the respective components of wireless device 110 to which it is supplied.

[0103] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a UE according to various aspects described herein. User equipment or UE as used herein 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 be initially 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. The UE 200 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including an NB-IoT UE, a machine-type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. The UE 200 shown in Figure 5 is an example of a wireless device configured for communication according to one or more communications standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the 3GPP GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As previously mentioned, the terms wireless device and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, although Figure 7 is a UE, the components described herein are equally applicable to a wireless device and vice versa.

[0104] In FIG. 7, UE 200 includes processing circuitry 201 operatively coupled to input / output interface 205, radio frequency (RF) interface 209, network connection interface 211, memory 215 including random access memory (RAM) 217, read only memory (ROM) 219, storage medium 221, etc., communication subsystem 231, power source 233, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. Storage medium 221 includes operating system 223, application programs 225, and data 227. In other embodiments, storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize all of the components shown in FIG. 7 or only a subset of those components. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0105] In Fig. 7, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 201 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored in memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more pre-programmed, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0106] In the illustrated embodiment, the input / output interface 205 may be configured to provide an input device, an output device, or a communication interface to an input / output device. The UE 200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 205. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from the UE 200. The output device may be 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. The UE 200 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information on the UE 200. The input device may 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. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense 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, another like sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and a light sensor.

[0107] In FIG. 7, the RF interface 209 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components, such as a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to provide a communication interface to a network 243a. The network 243a may encompass a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communication network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243a may comprise a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface used to communicate with one or more other devices over a communication network according to one or more communication protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface 211 may implement receiver and transmitter functions appropriate for a communication network link (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0108] The RAM 217 may be configured to interface to the processing circuit 201 via the bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during execution of software programs, such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. The ROM 219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to the processing circuit 201. For example, the ROM 219 may be configured to store unchanging low-level system code or data for basic system functions, such as basic input / output (I / O), booting, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard, stored in non-volatile memory. The storage medium 221 may be configured to include memory, such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, or flash drive. In one example, the storage medium 221 may be configured to include an operating system 223, an application program 225, such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, or another application, and data files 227. The storage medium 221 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 200.

[0109] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, a 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 subscriber identity module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module, other memory, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 may enable the UE 200 to access computer executable instructions, application programs, etc. stored in a temporary or non-transitory memory medium, offload data, or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 221, and the storage medium 221 may comprise a device-readable medium.

[0110] In FIG. 7, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with the network 243b using the communication subsystem 231. The networks 243a and 243b may be the same network or networks or different networks or networks. The communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with the network 243b. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication, such as another wireless device, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN), according to one or more communication protocols, such as IEEE 802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 for implementing transmitter or receiver functions, respectively, appropriate for the RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.). Additionally, the transmitter 233 and receiver 235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0111] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of the communication subsystem 231 may include 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. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communications, Wi-Fi communications, Bluetooth communications, and GPS communications. The network 243b may encompass wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power source 213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 200.

[0112] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of the UE 200 or distributed across multiple components of the UE 200. Furthermore, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Furthermore, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components over the bus 202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that, when executed by the processing circuit 201, perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functions of any of such components may be distributed between the processing circuit 201 and the communication subsystem 231. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0113] 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 300 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 be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or to a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or to a component of that device, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers running on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0114] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 300 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes 330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not wireless access nodes or do not require wireless connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0115] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 320 are run in a virtualization environment 300, which provides hardware 330 comprising processing circuitry 360 and memory 390. The memory 390 includes instructions 395 executable by the processing circuitry 360 such that the applications 320 are operable to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0116] The virtualization environment 300 includes general-purpose or dedicated network hardware devices 330 that include a set of one or more processors or processing circuitry 360, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, dedicated application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuitry including digital or analog hardware components or dedicated processors. Each hardware device may include memory 390-1, which may be a non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuitry 360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370, also known as network interface cards, which include physical network interfaces 380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, persistent, machine-readable storage medium 390-2 that stores software 395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuitry 360. The software 395 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 350 (also called hypervisors), software for running virtual machines 340, and software that enables it to perform the functions, features and / or benefits described in connection with some of the embodiments described herein.

[0117] The virtual machines 340 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance 320 instances may be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 340, and the implementations may be done in different ways.

[0118] During operation, the processing circuitry 360 executes software 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 350, which is sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The virtualization layer 350 may present to the virtual machines 340 a virtual operating platform that looks like networking hardware.

[0119] 8, the hardware 330 may be a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 330 may include an antenna 3225 and may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 330 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., as in the case of a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration (MANO) 3100 that, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of the application 320.

[0120] Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can 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.

[0121] In the context of NFV, virtual machine 340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if those programs were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 340 and the portion of hardware 330 on which it runs, whether hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by that virtual machine with other ones of virtual machines 340, form a separate Virtual Network Element (VNE).

[0122] Further in the context of NFV, a Virtual Network Function (VNF) is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more virtual machines 340 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure 330 and corresponds to application 320 in FIG. 8.

[0123] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 may communicate directly with the hardware node 330 via one or more suitable network interfaces and may be used in combination with a virtualization component to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a wireless access node or base station.

[0124] In some embodiments, some signaling may be affected using a control system 3230, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes 330 and the wireless unit 3200.

[0125] FIG. 9 illustrates a communications network connected to a host computer through an intermediate network, according to some embodiments.

[0126] Referring to Fig. 9, according to one embodiment, a communication system includes a communication network 410, such as a 3GPP type cellular network, comprising an access network 411, such as a wireless access network, and a core network 414. The access network 411 comprises a number of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c can be connected to the core network 414 over a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c is configured to wirelessly connect to or be paged by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a can be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although multiple UEs 491, 492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only one UE is in the coverage area or is connected to a corresponding base station 412.

[0127] The communication network 410 is itself connected to a host computer 430, which may be embodied in hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 430 may be owned or under the control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The connections 421 and 422 between the communication network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430, or may proceed through an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one of a public network, a private network, or a hosted network, or a combination of two or more of them, and the intermediate network 420 may be a backbone network or the Internet, if any, and in particular the intermediate network 420 may comprise two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0128] The communication system of FIG. 9 as a whole enables connectivity between connected UEs 491, 492 and a host computer 430. The connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450 using the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate networks 420, and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 450 may be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes are unaware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 412 may not be or need not be informed about the past routing of incoming downlink communications involving data originating from the host computer 430 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 does not need to be aware of the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from the UE 491 and destined for the host computer 430 .

[0129] FIG. 10 illustrates a host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments.

[0130] Next, an exemplary implementation of the UE, base station and host computer described in the previous paragraph according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In the communication system 500, the host computer 510 comprises hardware 515 including a communication interface 516 configured to set up and maintain wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 500. The host computer 510 further comprises a processing circuit 518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuit 518 may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The host computer 510 further comprises software 511, which is stored in or accessible by the host computer 510 and is executable by the processing circuit 518. The software 511 includes a host application 512. The host application 512 may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 530 that connects via an OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. In providing services to the remote user, the host application 512 may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 550.

[0131] The communication system 500 further includes a base station 520 provided in the communication system, the base station 520 comprising hardware 525 enabling the base station 520 to communicate with the host computer 510 and the UE 530. The hardware 525 may include a communication interface 526 for setting up and maintaining wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 500, as well as a wireless interface 527 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection 570 with a UE 530 located in a coverage area (not shown in FIG. 10) served by the base station 520. The communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 to the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be direct or alternatively the connection 560 may pass through a core network (not shown in FIG. 10) of the communication system and / or one or more intermediate networks outside the communication system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 525 of the base station 520 further includes processing circuitry 528, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 520 further has software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0132] The communication system 500 further includes the UE 530 already mentioned. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 may include a wireless interface 537 configured to set up and maintain a wireless connection 570 with a base station serving a coverage area in which the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 further includes a processing circuit 538, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The UE 530 further includes software 531 stored in or accessible by the UE 530 and executable by the processing circuit 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 530 with the support of the host computer 510. At the host computer 510, a running host application 512 may communicate with a running client application 532 via an OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. In providing services to a user, the client application 532 may receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application 532 may interact with the user to generate the user data that the client application 532 provides.

[0133] It should be noted that the host computer 510, base station 520 and UE 530 shown in Figure 10 may be similar or equivalent to the host computer 430, one of the base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, and one of the UEs 491, 492, respectively, of Figure 9. That is, the inner workings of these entities may be as shown in Figure 10, and separately, the surrounding network topology may be that of Figure 9.

[0134] 10, the OTT connection 550 is depicted abstractly to show communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 via the base station 520, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the exact routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, and the network infrastructure may be configured to hide the routing from the UE 530 or from the service provider operating the host computer 510, or both. The network infrastructure may also make decisions to dynamically change the routing while the OTT connection 550 is active (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0135] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 follows the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550 of which the wireless connection 570 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve data rates, latency, and / or power consumption, thereby providing benefits such as reduced user latency, relaxed limitations on file sizes, improved responsiveness, and / or extended battery life.

[0136] 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 for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 may be implemented in the software 511 and hardware 515 of the host computer 510 or in the software 531 and hardware 535 of the UE 530, or both. In an embodiment, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with the communication device through which the OTT connection 550 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 the software 511, 531 may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 520, and the reconfiguration may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such procedures and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host computer 510 measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in the software 511 and 531 causing messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection 550 while the software 511 and 531 monitors propagation times, errors, etc.

[0137] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. For simplicity of the disclosure, only drawing reference to FIG. 11 is included in this section. In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 611 of step 610 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 630 (which may be optional), the base station transmits the user data carried in the host computer initiated transmission to the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0138] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. For simplicity of the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 12 are included in this section. In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 720, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. The transmission may proceed via the base station according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0139] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. For simplicity of the disclosure, only drawing reference to FIG. 13 is included in this section. In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 821 (which may be optional) of step 820, the UE provides the user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 811 (which may be optional) of step 810, the UE executes a client application that provides the user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. In providing the user data, the executed client application may further take into account user input received from the user. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE initiates transmission of the user data to the host computer in sub-step 830 (which may be optional). In method step 840, the host computer receives user data transmitted from the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0140] FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. For simplicity of the disclosure, only a drawing reference to FIG. 14 is included in this section. In step 910 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates a transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0141] FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary method 1000 by a network node 160 operating as a DU, according to some embodiments. The method 1000 begins in step 1002, where the network node 160 configures multiple TRPs in a group of TRPs to transmit multiple signals in a multiplexing sequence to at least one wireless device 110. Each TRP in the group of TRPs is associated with a shared cell. In step 1004, the network node 160 receives a response signal from at least one wireless device 110. Based on the response signal, the network node 160 determines at least one TRP from the group of TRPs to use in transmitting at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device in step 1006. The term shared cell as used herein refers to a single shared cell in a particular embodiment.

[0142] In a particular embodiment, the network node acting as the DU is a baseband unit (BBU). In a more particular embodiment, the network node is located at a central location. In another embodiment, the network node is located at a distributed location near the TRP or at a location intermediate the TRP and the central location.

[0143] In a particular embodiment, configuring a plurality of TRPs to transmit a plurality of signals in a multiplexing sequence includes configuring at least one TRP in a group of TRPs to transmit at least one CSI-RS, and the multiplexing sequence for the plurality of signals is a time, frequency, or code multiplexing sequence.

[0144] In a particular embodiment, configuring a plurality of TRPs to transmit a plurality of signals in a multiplexing sequence includes configuring at least one TRP in a group of TRPs to transmit at least one SSB, and the multiplexing sequence of the plurality of signals is a time multiplexing sequence.

[0145] In a further particular embodiment, the response signal is transmitted using a particular one of the plurality of PRACH resources, and at least one TRP is determined for use in transmitting at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device based on the particular one of the plurality of PRACH resources. In a further particular embodiment, the method further includes transmitting, to each TRP in the group of TRPs, information identifying each of the plurality of PRACH resources associated with that TRP in the group of TRPs. In a further particular embodiment, the group of TRPs includes a plurality of subgroups of TRPs, and each subgroup of TRPs is associated with a unique synchronization signal block (SSB) index.

[0146] In a particular embodiment, the response signal comprises measurement information including an RSRP measurement for at least one of the multiple signals transmitted in the multiplexing sequence from multiple TRPs in the group of TRPs, and the at least one TRP is determined for use in transmitting at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device based on the measurement information.

[0147] In a particular embodiment, the network node 160 stores a mapping of each TRP in the group of TRPs to a global beam identifier. Based on the mapping, the network node 160 determines a global beam identifier associated with the determined at least one TRP for use in transmitting the at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device. In a further particular embodiment, the network node 160 converts the global beam identifier to a local beam identifier for use in transmitting the at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device.

[0148] In a further particular embodiment, the network node 160 transmits the global beam identifier to a network node acting as a fronthaul multiplexer for transmission to one or more of the multiple TRPs and / or at least one of the multiple TRPs.

[0149] In a particular embodiment, the network node 160 configures at least one TRP to transmit at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device 110.

[0150] In a particular embodiment, the network node 160 configures multiple TRPs in a group of TRPs to perform non-coherent transmissions when transmitting multiple signals in a multiplexing sequence to at least one wireless device or when transmitting at least one additional signal to at least one wireless device.

[0151] In a particular embodiment, configuring the multiple TRPs in the group of TRPs to transmit the multiple signals in a multiplexing sequence to the at least one wireless device includes allocating, for each TRP in the group of TRPs, a selected one of the multiple downlink physical signals for transmission to the at least one wireless device. In a further particular embodiment, the downlink physical signal may include a synchronization signal, which may include any one or more of an SSB, a CSI-RS, a primary signal, and / or a secondary signal.

[0152] In a further particular embodiment, each TRP in the group of TRPs is configured to transmit a unique SB. In a further particular embodiment, multiple TRPs in the group of TRPs are configured to transmit a single SB.

[0153] In a particular embodiment, at least one TRP in the group of TRPs comprises an O-RU. In a further particular embodiment, the O-RU implements O-RAN LLS split or MAC-PHY split.

[0154] In a particular embodiment, groups of TRPs are activated via one or more information fields in the C-plane or U-plane, the one or more information fields including at least one of a bit mask, a list of TRP groups, or a list of beam identifiers, one for each TRP group.

[0155] In certain embodiments, the TRPs in a group of TRPs are not collocated.

[0156] In some embodiments, the methods described above may be implemented by a computer networking virtual device. FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary virtual device 1100, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the virtual device 700 may include modules for implementing steps similar to those described above with respect to the method illustrated and described in FIG. 15. For example, the virtual device 1100 may include a setting unit 1102, a receiving unit 1104, a determining unit 1106, and any other suitable units or modules. In some embodiments, one or more of the modules may be implemented using the processing circuitry 170 of FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the functions of two or more of the various modules may be combined into a single module.

[0157] The configuration unit 1102 may perform a configuration function of the virtual device 1100. For example, in a particular embodiment, the configuration unit 1102 may configure multiple TRPs in a group of TRPs to transmit multiple signals in a multiplexing sequence to at least one wireless device 110. Each TRP in the group of TRPs is associated with a shared cell.

[0158] The receiving unit 1104 may implement a receiving function of the virtual device 1100. For example, in a particular embodiment, the receiving unit 1104 may receive a response signal from at least one wireless device 110.

[0159] The determining unit 1106 may perform a determining function of the virtual device 1100. For example, in a particular embodiment, based on the response signal, the determining unit 1106 may determine at least one TRP from a group of TRPs for use in transmitting at least one additional signal to the at least one wireless device.

[0160] Other embodiments of the virtual device 1100 may include additional components other than those shown in Figure 16 that may be responsible for providing some aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described above and / or any additional functionality (including any functionality necessary to support the solutions described above). Various different types of network nodes 115 may include components that have the same physical hardware but are configured (e.g., via programming) to support different radio access technologies, or may represent partially or completely different physical components.

[0161] 17 illustrates another exemplary method 1200 by a first network node 160 according to some embodiments. The method 1200 begins in step 1202, where the network node 160 receives a first message comprising a global beam identifier associated with a plurality of TRPs in a group of TRPs. In step 1204, the first network node 160 converts the global beam identifier associated with the group of TRPs into at least one local beam identifier associated with a particular one of the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs.

[0162] In a particular embodiment, the first network node 160 comprises one of the TRPs among a plurality of TRPs, and based on the at least one local beam identifier, the first network node 160 transmits at least one signal to the wireless device 110.

[0163] In a further particular embodiment, the first message is received from a second network node operating as a DU. In a further particular embodiment, the DU may include a BBU operating in a centralized location, a distributed location, or in a location between the centralized location and the group of TRPs.

[0164] In a particular embodiment, prior to receiving the first message from the second network node, the first network node 160 receives a control plane message from the second network node acting as a DU, the control plane message comprising a global beam identifier for transmitting at least one signal. The first network node 160 converts the global beam identifier into a local beam identifier. Based on the local beam identifier, the first network node 160 transmits at least one signal to the at least one wireless device 110. The at least one signal is transmitted in a multiplexing sequence with at least one other signal transmitted by at least one other TRP in the group of TRPs.

[0165] In a further particular embodiment, the first network node operates as a fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) for multiple TRPs in the group of TRPs, and after conversion of the global beam identifier to at least one local beam identifier, the first network node 160 transmits the at least one local beam identifier to a specific one of the multiple TRPs in the group of TRPs.

[0166] In a particular embodiment, the first message comprises a control plane message.

[0167] In a particular embodiment, the first message comprises a bitmask comprising a plurality of positions, each position in the bitmask being associated with each of a plurality of groups of TRPs.

[0168] In a particular embodiment, the first network node 160 configures each group of TRPs to monitor a particular one of a number of positions in the bitmask.

[0169] In some embodiments, the methods described above may be implemented by a computer networking virtual device. FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary virtual device 1300, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the virtual device 1300 may include modules for performing steps similar to those described above with respect to the method illustrated and described in FIG. 17. For example, the virtual device 1300 may include a receiving unit 1302, a converting unit 1304, and any other suitable units or modules. In some embodiments, one or more of the modules may be implemented using the processing circuitry 170 of FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the functions of two or more of the various modules may be combined into a single module.

[0170] The receiving unit 1302 may perform a receiving function of the virtual device 1300. For example, in a particular embodiment, the receiving unit 1302 may receive a first message comprising a global beam identifier associated with multiple TRPs in a group of TRPs.

[0171] The conversion unit 1104 may perform a conversion function of the virtual device 1300. For example, in a particular embodiment, the conversion unit 1304 may convert a global beam identifier associated with a group of TRPs to at least one local beam identifier associated with a particular one of the TRPs in the group of TRPs.

[0172] Other embodiments of the virtual device 1300 may include additional components other than those shown in Figure 18 that may be responsible for providing some aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described above and / or any additional functionality (including any functionality necessary to support the solutions described above). Various different types of network nodes 115 may include components that have the same physical hardware but are configured (e.g., via programming) to support different radio access technologies, or may represent partially or completely different physical components.

[0173] Exemplary embodiments Group A Embodiments Exemplary embodiment 1. A method implemented by a wireless device, the method including: receiving, from a network node, information identifying each of a plurality of physical random access channel (PRACH) resources for each TRP in a group of transmission / reception points (TRPs); receiving a plurality of signals transmitted in a time multiplexed sequence from the group of TRPs; selecting at least one TRP from the group of TRPs based on the plurality of signals; determining a PRACH resource from the plurality of PRACH resources associated with the selected at least one TRP based on the information; and transmitting a response signal associated with the determined PRACH resource. Exemplary embodiment 2. The method of exemplary embodiment 1, wherein the information identifies an association between a group of TRPs and each TRP in the group of TRPs. Exemplary embodiment 3. The method according to exemplary embodiment 1 or 2, wherein each of the received signals is received in an SB uniquely associated with a TRP in the group of TRPs. Exemplary embodiment 4. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 3, wherein at least two of the multiple signals are received in a single SB. Exemplary embodiment 5. The method according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the group of TRPs comprises a plurality of subgroups of TRPs, and each subgroup of TRPs is associated with a unique PRACH resource among the plurality of PRACH resources. Exemplary embodiment 6. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 5, wherein at least one TRP in the group of TRPs comprises an O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU). Exemplary embodiment 7. The method of exemplary embodiment 6, in which the O-RU implements O-RAN LLS ("Option 7-2x") or CPRI split ("Option 8"). Exemplary embodiment 8. The method of exemplary embodiment 6, in which the O-RU implements O-RAN LLS or "Option 6" (MAC-PHY) splitting. Exemplary embodiment 9. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the time multiplexing sequence is applied at slot, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, physical resource block (PRB), and / or resource element (RE) level for the spatial streams. Exemplary embodiment 10. The method according to any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 9, wherein at least one of: beam weights are allocated to each TRP in a group of TRPs; distributed beamforming (coherent combining) is used in the uplink and downlink; and distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) is supported. Exemplary embodiment 11. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 10, wherein each signal transmitted by a group of TRPs is associated with a beam identifier. Exemplary embodiment 12. A computer program comprising instructions for performing any of the methods according to exemplary embodiments 1 to 11 when the computer program is executed on a computer. Exemplary embodiment 13. A computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for performing any of the methods described in exemplary embodiments 1 to 11 when the computer program is executed on a computer. Exemplary embodiment 14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform any of the methods described in exemplary embodiments 1-11. Exemplary embodiment 15. A wireless device comprising a processing circuit configured to perform any of the methods described in exemplary embodiments 1-11. Group B Embodiments Exemplary embodiment 16. A method implemented by a network node, the method including: transmitting, to at least one wireless device, information identifying each of a plurality of physical random access channel (PRACH) resources for each TRP in a group of transmission / reception points (TRPs); configuring each TRP in the group of TRPs to transmit at least one signal in a time multiplexed sequence to the at least one wireless device; receiving, from the at least one wireless device, a response signal associated with a particular one of the plurality of PRACH resources; and determining a TRP from the group of TRPs selected by the at least one wireless device based on the particular one of the plurality of PRACH resources. Example Embodiment 17. The method of example embodiment 16, further comprising transmitting, to each TRP in the group of TRPs, information identifying each of a plurality of PRACH resources associated with each TRP in the group of TRPs. Exemplary embodiment 18. The method of exemplary embodiment 16 or 17, wherein the information identifies an association between a group of TRPs and each TRP in the group of TRPs. Exemplary embodiment 19. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 18, wherein configuring each TRP in the group of TRPs to transmit at least one signal in a time multiplexed sequence to the at least one wireless device includes allocating, for each TRP in the group of TRPs, a selected one of a plurality of signal blocks for transmission to the at least one wireless device. Exemplary embodiment 20. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 19, wherein each TRP in a group of TRPs is configured to transmit in a unique SB. Exemplary embodiment 21. The method according to any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 19, wherein multiple TRPs in a group of TRPs are configured to transmit in a single SB. Exemplary embodiment 22. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 21, wherein the group of TRPs comprises a plurality of subgroups of TRPs, and each subgroup of TRPs is associated with a unique PRACH resource of the plurality of PRACH resources. Exemplary Embodiment 23. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 22, wherein at least one TRP in the group of TRPs comprises an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU). Exemplary embodiment 24. The method of exemplary embodiment 23, in which the O-RU implements O-RAN LLS ("Option 7-2x") or CPRI split ("Option 8"). Example Embodiment 25. The method of example embodiment 23, in which the O-RU implements O-RAN LLS or "Option 6" (MAC-PHY) splitting. Exemplary embodiment 26. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 25, wherein the time multiplexing sequence is applied at slot, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, physical resource block (PRB), and / or resource element (RE) level for the spatial streams. Exemplary embodiment 27. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 26, wherein configuring each TRP in the group of TRPs to transmit at least one signal in a time multiplexed sequence to at least one wireless device includes at least one of: allocating a beam weight to each TRP in the group of TRPs; using distributed beamforming (coherent combining) in the uplink and downlink; and supporting distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). Exemplary embodiment 28. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 27, further comprising sending a signal to at least one TRP in the group of TRPs to activate the TRP. Exemplary embodiment 29. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 28, wherein configuring each TRP in a group of TRPs to transmit at least one signal in a time multiplexed sequence to at least one wireless device includes allocating to each TRP a different beam weight for the signal to be transmitted to the wireless device. Exemplary embodiment 30. The method of any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 29, wherein each signal transmitted by a group of TRPs is associated with a beam identifier. Exemplary embodiment 31. The method according to exemplary embodiment 30, in which the signaling of which TRP to activate is implemented by conversion of beam identifiers, and the conversion can be implemented in each TRP, or by an external node such as an FHM, or by a programmable packet switch or router. Exemplary embodiment 32. The method according to any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 31, wherein a group of TRPs share a cell, an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) implements a shared cell function, and each TRP is signaled by the O-DU using a unique address addressing of the TRP. Exemplary embodiment 33. The method of exemplary embodiment 32, in which the O-DU signals the group of TRPs using at least one of Ethernet MAC addressing or IP addressing, as for M-plane messages. Exemplary embodiment 34. The method according to any one of exemplary embodiments 16 to 31, wherein a group of TRPs is activated via one or more information fields in the C-plane or U-plane. Exemplary embodiment 35. The method of exemplary embodiment 34, wherein the one or more information fields include at least one of a bit mask, a list of TRP groups, or a list of beam IDs, one for each TRP group. Exemplary embodiment 36. The method of exemplary embodiment 35, in which each TRP in a group of TRPs is informed via the M-plane how to interpret one or more information fields. Exemplary embodiment 37. A computer program comprising instructions for performing any of the methods according to exemplary embodiments 16 to 36 when executed on a computer. Exemplary embodiment 38. A computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for performing any of the methods described in exemplary embodiments 16 to 36 when the computer program is executed on a computer. Exemplary embodiment 39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform any of the methods described in exemplary embodiments 16-36. Exemplary embodiment 40. A network node comprising processing circuitry configured to perform any of the methods described in exemplary embodiments 16-36. Group C Embodiments Exemplary embodiment 41. A wireless device for improving network efficiency, the wireless device comprising: a processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group A; and a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the wireless device. Exemplary embodiment 42. A base station for improving network efficiency, the base station comprising: a processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps recited in any one of the embodiments of group B; and a power supply circuit configured to supply power to a wireless device. Exemplary embodiment 43. A user equipment (UE) for improving network efficiency, the UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and a processing circuit and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit, the processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to enable information input to the UE to be processed by the processing circuit; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuit; and a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to provide power to the UE. Exemplary embodiment 44. A communications system including a host computer, the host computer comprising processing circuitry configured to provide user data and a communications interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the cellular network comprising a base station having a wireless interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the base station configured to perform any of the steps described in any one of the Group B embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment 45. The communications system of embodiment 44, further comprising a base station. Exemplary embodiment 46. The communication system of embodiment 44 or 45, further comprising a UE, the UE being configured to communicate with the base station. Exemplary embodiment 47. The communications system of any one of embodiments 44 to 46, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application thereby providing user data, and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application. Exemplary embodiment 48. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), the method including: providing user data at the host computer; and initiating a transmission at the host computer conveying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station, the base station performing any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group B. Exemplary Embodiment 49. The method of embodiment 48, further comprising transmitting user data at the base station. Exemplary embodiment 50. The method of embodiment 48 or 49, wherein the user data is provided by executing a host application at the host computer, and the method further includes executing, at the UE, a client application associated with the host application. Exemplary embodiment 51. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a base station, the UE comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to implement any one of embodiments 48 to 50. Exemplary embodiment 52. A communications system including a host computer, the host computer comprising processing circuitry configured to provide user data and a communications interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the UE comprising a wireless interface and processing circuitry, the components of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group A. Exemplary Embodiment 53. The communication system of embodiment 52, wherein the cellular network further includes a base station configured to communicate with the UE. Exemplary embodiment 54. The communications system of embodiment 52 or 53, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application thereby providing user data, and the processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application. Exemplary embodiment 55. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), the method including: providing user data at the host computer; and initiating a transmission at the host computer conveying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station, the UE performing any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group A. Exemplary embodiment 56. The method of embodiment 55, further comprising: receiving, at the UE, user data from the base station. Exemplary embodiment 57. A communications system including a host computer, the host computer comprising a communications interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, the UE comprising a wireless interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the UE configured to perform any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group A. Exemplary embodiment 58. The communication system of embodiment 57, further comprising a UE. Exemplary embodiment 59. The communication system of embodiment 57 or 58, further including a base station, the base station comprising a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE and a communication interface configured to forward user data carried by a transmission from the UE to the base station to a host computer. Exemplary embodiment 60. The communications system of any one of embodiments 57 to 59, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, and the processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data. Exemplary embodiment 61. The communications system of any one of embodiments 57 to 60, wherein processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application thereby providing requested data, and processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application thereby providing user data in response to the requested data. Exemplary embodiment 62. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), the method including receiving, at the host computer, user data transmitted from the UE to the base station, and the UE performing any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group A. Exemplary embodiment 63. The method of embodiment 62, further comprising, at the UE, providing user data to the base station. Exemplary embodiment 64. The method of embodiment 62 or 63, further comprising: executing, at the UE, a client application thereby providing user data to be transmitted; and executing, at the host computer, a host application associated with the client application. Exemplary embodiment 65. The method of any one of embodiments 62 to 64, further comprising: executing, in the UE, a client application; and receiving, in the UE, input data for the client application, the input data being provided in a host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application, and the user data to be transmitted being provided by the client application in response to the input data. Exemplary embodiment 66. A communications system including a host computer, the host computer comprising a communications interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, the base station comprising a wireless interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the base station configured to perform any of the steps recited in any one of the Group B embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment 67. The communications system of embodiment 66, further comprising a base station. Exemplary embodiment 68. The communication system of embodiment 66 or 67, further comprising a UE, the UE being configured to communicate with the base station. Exemplary embodiment 69. The communications system of any one of embodiments 66 to 68, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, and the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data to be received by the host computer. Exemplary embodiment 70. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), the method including receiving, at the host computer, from the base station, user data originating from a transmission received by the base station from the UE, the UE performing any of the steps described in any one of the embodiments of group A. Exemplary embodiment 71. The method of embodiment 70, further comprising: receiving, at the base station, user data from the UE. Exemplary Embodiment 72. The method of embodiment 70 or 71, further comprising initiating, at the base station, transmission of the received user data to the host computer.

[0174] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems and devices described herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Components of the systems and devices may be integrated or separated. Moreover, operations of the systems and devices may be performed by more, fewer, or other components. Furthermore, operations of the systems and devices may be performed using any suitable logic, including software, hardware, and / or other logic. As used herein, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0175] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the methods described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps. Further, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0176] Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to several embodiments, modifications and substitutions of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description of the embodiments does not limit the present disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method (1200) performed by a first network node (160), a group of transmission / reception points (TRPs) connected to said first network node (160), said method comprising: Receiving a first message comprising a global beam identifier associated with a plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs (1202); Transforming the global beam identifier associated with the group of TRPs into at least one local beam identifier associated with a particular one of the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs (1204); Including, The first network node is operating as a fronthaul multiplexer (FHM) for the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs, and the method further includes transmitting the at least one local beam identifier to the particular one of the plurality of TRPs in the group of TRPs after the conversion of the global beam identifier to the at least one local beam identifier; The method (1200), wherein the first message is received from a second network node acting as a distributed unit (DU), the DU being an O-RAN O-DU and the TRP being an O-RAN O-RU.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the TRP is a TRP of a shared cell.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the group of TRPs is a single TRP.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the group of TRPs is an entire shared cell.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the group of TRPs performs beam sweeping using a synchronization signal block (SSB) index, and different TRPs in the group of TRPs sharing an SSB index perform beam sweeping using a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message comprises a control plane message.

7. 7. As said first network node, a fronthaul multiplexer adapted to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

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