Method and apparatus for statistical multiplexing of fronthaul bandwidth in open random access networks

Abstract

The method performed in the O-DU includes dividing a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from the O-DU to the O-RU over a fronthaul link. The method further includes allocating a first packet of a first type to the first symbol unit. The method further includes allocating a first packet of a second type to the first symbol unit in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission. The method further includes transmitting the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for statistical multiplexing of fronthaul bandwidth in open random access networks (O-RAN). [Background technology]

[0002] Cloud-based Radio Access Networks (CRAN) are networks in which the majority of RAN layer processing is performed in a centralized unit (CU) on commercially available, off-the-shelf servers in the cloud, while radio frequency (RF) and real-time critical functions may be handled in remote radio units (RU or RRU) and distributed units (DU). In some cases, depending on the functional division, the DU is also considered part of the CU / BBU. O-RAN is an example of a CRAN.

[0003] An interface called fronthaul (FH) is provided for communication between the RU and DU. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defines eight options for splitting the BBU and RRU between different layers of the protocol stack. One of the splits recently standardized by the O-RAN Alliance is split option 7-2x (intra-physical layer (PHY) split). This split has multiple advantages, including simplicity, transport bandwidth scalability, beamforming support, interoperability, support for advanced receiver and inter-cell coordination, reduced O-RU complexity, future-proofing, and symmetry in interfaces and functions.

[0004] Although Split Option 7-2x has a relatively lower fronthaul (FH) throughput compared to Split Option 7-1 or Split Option 8, lowering the FH throughput rate is beneficial because the throughput rate directly affects scalability, transport media, and Ethernet cards in the O-RAN compliant DU (O-DU) and O-RAN compliant RU (O-RU).

[0005] As part of the available standards, no method is defined to demonstrate bandwidth optimization when transmitting control and user plane data packets over the FH link between the O-DU and the O-RU. Conventional methods can result in packet loss, time constraint violations, and uneven loading of the FH during transmission time units.

[0006] Improvements are presented herein that may also be applicable to other multi-access technologies and telecommunications standards that use these technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all possible embodiments, and is not intended to identify key or critical elements of all embodiments or to delineate the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0008] In this disclosure, a method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for optimizing FH bandwidth are disclosed.

[0009] According to an example embodiment, a method performed at an O-DU includes dividing a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from the O-DU to the O-RU over a fronthaul link. The method further includes allocating a first packet of a first type to the first symbol unit. The method further includes allocating a first packet of a second type to the first symbol unit in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission. The method further includes transmitting the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU.

[0010] According to an example embodiment, a network node connected to an open random access network (O-RAN) radio unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link includes at least one memory configured to store computer program code and at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and operate as instructed by the computer program code. The computer program code includes a division code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to divide a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from an O-DU to an O-RU via the fronthaul link. The computer program code includes a first allocation code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to allocate a first packet of a first type to a first symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units. The computer program code includes second allocation code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to allocate the first packet of the second type to the first symbol unit in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission. The computer program code includes transmission code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to transmit the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU over the fronthaul link.

[0011] According to an example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor in a network node connected to an open random access network (O-RAN) radio unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link, causes the processor to execute a method including dividing a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from an O-DU to the O-RU via the fronthaul link. The method further includes allocating a first packet of a first type to the first symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units. The method further includes allocating a first packet of a second type to the first symbol unit in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission. The method further includes transmitting the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU via the fronthaul link.

[0012] Additional embodiments are set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description and / or may be learned by practice of presented embodiments of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] These and other aspects, features, and modes of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary network device in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example O-RAN communication system, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 10 illustrates an exemplary chart of FH throughput, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] 1 illustrates an exemplary transmission time window in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] 1 illustrates an exemplary transmission time window in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1A-1C illustrate example transmission time intervals according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1A-1D illustrate exemplary symbol units according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for allocating packets to symbol units in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of an exemplary C-plane allocation process, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0016] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practicing implementations. Moreover, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). Furthermore, in the flowcharts and descriptions of operations provided below, it is understood that one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed (at least partially) concurrently, or the order of one or more operations may be swapped.

[0017] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in various forms, including hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not intended to limit the implementation. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it will be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0018] Although particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible implementations. Indeed, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein. Although each dependent claim listed below may depend directly on only one claim, the disclosure of possible implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the claim set.

[0019] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or required unless explicitly described. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with "one or more." Where only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar phrases are used. Also, as used herein, terms such as "has," "have," "having," "include," and "including" are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on," unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, phrases such as "at least one of [A] and [B]" or "at least one of [A] or [B]" should be understood to include A only, B only, or both A and B.

[0020] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment," "one embodiment," or similar language mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the illustrated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the inventive solution. Thus, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

[0021] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In light of the description herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to optimizing the transmission time and link occupancy of the FH link when transmitting control plane and user plane data packets between the O-DU and O-RU. In some embodiments, the entire FH bandwidth may be utilized per unit time. For example, based on system parameters (e.g., FH link capacity, Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) size, In-band and Quadrature (IQ) sample width, C / U-plane priority, FH transmission window) per transmission time unit, the method interleaves C / U-plane transmissions with the FH bandwidth. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a highly advantageous feature of reducing FH throughput.

[0023] The O-RAN specification specifies at least four planes: the user plane (U-plane), the control plane (C-plane), the synchronization plane (S-plane), and the management plane (M-plane). C-plane messages may contain data-related control information (e.g., scheduling commands and beamforming commands) required for processing user data. These messages may be sent separately for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) related commands.

[0024] To support C-plane and U-plane timing coordination, the O-RAN interface may specify that a C-plane or U-plane message must arrive at the O-RU by the time the C-plane or U-plane falls into its respective window.

[0025] The U-plane O-DU transmission window may be defined by the above relationship based on the O-RU receive window and maximum transport variation. In some embodiments, this transmission window may not define the exact timing of transmissions from the O-DU, but instead define the boundaries within which U-plane O-DU transmissions operate. The transmission window may represent a mathematical boundary imposed on the O-DU as a result of O-RU, fronthaul delay, and transport constraints. Constraints may be defined for any one of the O-DU, transport, and O-RU based on knowledge of the other two. However, O-RU constraints may be predefined based on equipment, transport, and overall network goals.

[0026] The C-plane O-DU transmission window may follow the same concept as the U-plane O-DU transmission window. However, the C-plane O-DU transmission window may be larger in size and therefore may start much earlier in time than the U-plane O-DU transmission window. In certain scenarios, such as transmitting beamforming weights in real time for MIMO applications, C-plane messages may be distributed over time to avoid peak throughput. FIG. 3 is an exemplary chart (300) illustrating the FH throughput when C-plane messages are transmitted simultaneously with the same symbol (302) and when the C-plane messages are distributed over time (304). As shown in FIG. 3, when C-plane messages are distributed over time (304), the FH throughput decreases compared to when the C-plane messages are transmitted simultaneously with the same symbol (302).

[0027] 1 is a diagram of an exemplary device for implementing the methods of the present disclosure. Device 100 may correspond to any type of known computer, server, or data processing device. For example, device 100 may comprise a processor, a personal computer (PC), a printed circuit board (PCB) with a computing device, a minicomputer, a mainframe computer, a microcomputer, a telephone computing device, a wired / wireless computing device (e.g., a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA)), a laptop, a tablet, a smart device, or any other similarly functional device.

[0028] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, device 100 may include a set of components such as a processor 120, a memory 130, a storage component 140, an input component 150, an output component 160, and a communication interface 170.

[0029] Bus 110 may comprise one or more components that enable communication between a set of components of device 100. For example, bus 110 may be a communication bus, a crossover bar, a network, etc. Although bus 110 is shown in FIG. 1 as a single line, bus 110 may be implemented using multiple (two or more) connections between a set of components of device 100. The present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0030] Device 100 may comprise one or more processors, such as processor 120. Processor 120 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, and / or a combination of hardware and software. For example, processor 120 may comprise a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a general-purpose single-chip or multi-chip processor, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. Processor 120 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments, particular processes and methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.

[0031] The processor 120 may control the overall operation of the device 100 and / or a set of components of the device 100 (e.g., memory 130, storage components 140, input components 150, output components 160, communication interface 170).

[0032] Device 100 may further comprise memory 130. In some embodiments, memory 130 may comprise Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device. Memory 130 may store information and / or instructions for use (e.g., execution) by processor 120.

[0033] Storage component 140 of device 100 may store information and / or computer-readable instructions and / or code related to the operation and use of device 100. For example, storage component 140 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, and / or solid-state disk), a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card, a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, along with a corresponding drive.

[0034] Device 100 may further comprise input component 150. Input component 150 may include one or more components that enable device 100 to receive information via user input or the like (e.g., a touchscreen, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a stylus, a button, a switch, a microphone, a camera, etc.). Alternatively or additionally, input component 150 may include sensors for sensing information (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) component, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an actuator, etc.).

[0035] Output component 160 of device 100 may include one or more components that may provide output information from device 100 (e.g., a display, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light-Emitting Diode (LED), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), a haptic feedback device, a speaker, etc.).

[0036] Device 100 may further comprise a communication interface 170. Communication interface 170 may include a receiver component, a transmitter component, and / or a transceiver component. Communication interface 170 may enable device 100 to establish connections and / or transfer communications with other devices (e.g., a server, another device). The communications may occur via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. Communication interface 170 may enable device 100 to receive information from and / or provide information to another device. In some embodiments, communication interface 170 may provide for communication with another device over a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a private network, an ad hoc network, an intranet, the Internet, an optical fiber-based network, a cellular network (e.g., a Fifth Generation (5G) network, a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, a Third Generation (3G) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, etc.), a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), a telephone network (e.g., a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)), etc., and / or a combination of these or other types of networks. Alternatively or additionally, the communication interface 170 may provide communication with another device via a Device-to-Device (D2D) communication link, such as FlashLinQ, WiMedia, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G, etc.In other embodiments, communication interface 170 may include an Ethernet interface, an optical interface, a coaxial interface, an infrared interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, or the like.

[0037] Device 100 is included in core network 240 and may perform one or more processes described herein. Device 100 may perform operations based on processor 120 executing computer-readable instructions and / or code, which may be stored by a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as memory 130 and / or storage component 140. A computer-readable medium may refer to a non-transitory memory device. A memory device may include memory space within a single physical storage device and / or memory space distributed across multiple physical storage devices.

[0038] Computer-readable instructions and / or code may be loaded into memory 130 and / or storage component 140 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via communication interface 170. The computer-readable instructions and / or code stored in memory 130 and / or storage component 140, when executed by processor 120, may cause device 100 to perform one or more processes described herein.

[0039] Alternatively, or in addition, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement one or more processes described herein. Thus, the embodiments described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0040] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 1 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional, fewer, different, or differently arranged components than those shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, two or more components shown in Figure 1 may be implemented within a single component, or a single component shown in Figure 1 may be implemented as multiple distributed components. Additionally or alternatively, a set of components shown in Figure 1 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components shown in Figure 1.

[0041] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example O-RAN communication system 200 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. The O-RAN communication system 200 may include one or more user equipment (UE) 210, one or more O-RAN radio units (O-RU) 220 including one or more base stations 220a, one or more O-RAN distributed units (O-DU) 230, and one or more O-RAN centralized units (O-CU) 240.

[0042] Examples of UE 210 may include a cellular phone, a smartphone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a satellite radio, a global positioning system (GPS), a multimedia device, a video device, a digital audio player (e.g., an MP3 player), a camera, a game console, a tablet, a smart device, a wearable device, a vehicle, an electric meter, a gas pump, a large or small kitchen appliance, a healthcare device, an implant, a sensor / actuator, a display, or any other similarly functioning device. Some of the one or more UEs 210 may be referred to as Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices (e.g., a parking meter, a gas pump, a toaster, a vehicle, a heart monitor, etc.). One or more UEs 210 may also be referred to as a station, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, radio unit, remote unit, mobile device, radio device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, radio terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile agent, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0043] One or more base stations 220A of the O-RU 220 may wirelessly communicate with one or more UEs 210. Each base station of the one or more base stations 220A may provide communication coverage to one or more UEs 210 located within the geographic coverage area of ​​that base station 220A. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the base station 220A may transmit one or more beamformed signals to one or more UEs 210 in one or more transmit directions. The one or more UEs 210 may receive the beamformed signals from the base station 220A in one or more receive directions. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more UEs 210 may transmit beamformed signals to the base station 220 in one or more transmit directions. The base station 220A may receive the beamformed signals from the one or more UEs 210 in one or more receive directions.

[0044] The one or more base stations 220A may include macrocells (e.g., high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cells (e.g., low-power cellular base stations). Small cells may include femtocells, picocells, and microcells. The base station 220A, whether a macrocell or a large cell, may include and / or be referred to as an Access Point (AP), an Evolved (or Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) Node B (E-UTRAN Node B (eNB)), a next-generation Node B (gNB), or any other type of base station known to those skilled in the art.

[0045] In some embodiments, the O-RU 220 may be connected to the O-DU 230 via an FH link 224. The FH link is a 25 Gbps line through which user plane (U-plane) packets and control plane (C-plane) packets are downloaded from the O-DU 230 to the O-RU 220. In some embodiments, the O-DU 230 may be connected to the O-CU 240 via a midhaul link 234. The O-CU 240 may include an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) packet generator 240A and an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP) packet generator 240B. The C-plane packets and U-plane packets are generated from the O-CU-CP packet generator 240A and the O-CU-UP packet generator 240B, respectively.

[0046] 4A and 4B show an example of a transmission time window. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the transmission time window includes a length of T1aMax. The transmission time window may include a transmission time interval (TTI) 410. The transmission time window may further include an FH processing interval 420, which represents the time it takes for data (e.g., packets) to travel from the O-DU to the O-RU over the FH link. The transmission time window may further include an O-RU processing time T1aMin 430, which represents the processing time for data received at the O-RU. At the expiration of time 430, the O-RU may transmit the received data over the network. For example, at the expiration of time 430, the O-RU may transmit data to one or more UEs 210 (FIG. 2). Therefore, if the O-DU transmits U-plane or C-plane packets at a timing such that the O-RU cannot process the received packets within interval 430, the O-RU may not transmit packets at a timing in accordance with the O-RAN standard.

[0047] In some embodiments, the TTI 410 may be divided into one or more symbol units, as shown in FIG. 5A. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the TTI is divided into symbol units Sym_0 to Sym_5. Each symbol unit may be the same size. To avoid FH peak throughput, packets may be distributed across the symbol units. The symbol units may be assigned higher priority packets first. For example, U-plane packets may have a higher priority than C-plane packets, and thus the U-plane packets may be assigned symbol units first, while the C-plane packets are distributed across the symbol units. In another example, C-plane packets may have a higher priority than U-plane packets, and thus the C-plane packets may be assigned symbol units first, while the U-plane packets are distributed across the symbol units.

[0048] In some embodiments, distributing packets to avoid peak throughput may be performed according to the following steps: The next steps may accept one or more parameters as input, including FH MTU size, FH line speed (rate), and sample IQ width.

[0049] Step 1: Calculate the total user plane time reserved per symbol unit. Formula (1): TIFF0007795686000001.tif13157

[0050] In equation (1), IQ 幅 corresponds to the user plane data size, BW corresponds to the bandwidth, and N SC corresponds to the number of subcarriers, and N レイヤー corresponds to the number of layers, and N キャリア corresponds to the number of carriers.

[0051] Step 2: Calculate the total control plane time available per symbol unit. Formula (2): TIFF0007795686000002.tif16157 formula (3): TIFF0007795686000003.tif16157

[0052] In equations (2) and (3), the line speed FH corresponds to the line speed of the FH link, and the period スロット corresponds to the total duration of the TTI, and NSym スロット corresponds to the number of symbol units per TTI.

[0053] Step 3: Calculate the available control plane packet size per symbol unit. Formula (4): TIFF0007795686000004.tif16157

[0054] FIG. 5(B) shows an example allocation of packets where U-plane packets have a higher priority than C-plane packets. The symbol units shown in FIG. 5(B) may correspond to symbol unit Sym_0. U-plane packet U_0 may be allocated to Sym_0 first. Because the size of U_0 is smaller than the size of Sym_0, C-plane packets may be allocated to Sym_0 to use up the remaining bandwidth of Sym_0. For example, FIG. 5(C) shows C-plane packet C_0 allocated to Sym_0. As shown in FIG. 5(C), the size of C-plane packet C_0 is set to fill the remaining bandwidth of Sym_0 (e.g., C_0 packet size = packet size cプレーン ).

[0055] FIG. 6(A) shows an example of allocating packets to another symbol unit, such as symbol unit Sym_1. As shown in FIG. 6(A), Sym_1 is assigned a U-plane packet U_1. Because the size of the packet for U_1 is smaller than the size of Sym_1, another C-plane packet may be assigned to Sym_1. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(A), to fill the remaining bandwidth of Sym_1, a C-plane packet C_1 is assigned to Sym_1 (e.g., packet size C_0 = packet size C_1). cプレーン ).

[0056] FIG. 6(B) shows another example in which multiple C-plane packets are allocated to a symbol unit. The symbol unit shown in FIG. 6(B) corresponds to symbol unit Sym_0. As shown in FIG. 6(B), after U-plane packet U_0 is allocated to Sym_0, control plane packets C_0 and C_1 are allocated to Sym_0 to fill the remaining bandwidth of Sym_0 (e.g., C_0 packet size + C_1 packet size = packet size cプレーン ).

[0057] 6(C) and 6(D) show another example in which a C-plane packet is divided into variable-size chunks. The symbol units in FIG. 6(C) and FIG. 6(D) may correspond to symbol units Sym_0 and Sym_1, respectively. After U-plane packet U_0 is allocated to Sym_0, C-plane packet C_0 may be too large to allocate to the remaining bandwidth of Sym_0 (e.g., C_0 packet size > packet size cプレーン). Thus, C-plane packet C_0 may be split into variable-size chunks C_00 and C_01. The packet sizes of C_00 and C_01 may be different. As shown in FIG. 6(C), after U-plane packet U_0 is allocated to Sym_0, C_00 may be allocated to Sym_0 to use the remaining bandwidth of Sym_0. In FIG. 6(D), after U-plane packet U_1 is allocated to Sym_0, C_01 may be allocated to Sym_0. If C_01 does not fill the remaining bandwidth of Sym_1 (e.g., C_01 packet size < packet size cプレーン ), another C-plane packet, such as packet C_1, may also be allocated to Sym_1 to fill the remaining bandwidth of Sym_1 (e.g., C_01 packet size + C_1 packet size = packet size cプレーン ).

[0058] 5(B) to 6(D) show examples in which the U-plane has a higher priority than the C-plane packets, in some embodiments, the C-plane packets have a higher priority than the U-plane packets. When the C-plane packets have a higher priority, the C-plane packets may be allocated to the symbol units first, and the U-plane packets may be distributed across the symbol units.

[0059] 7 shows a flowchart of an example process 700 for allocating packets to symbol units. In some embodiments, the process shown in FIG. 7 is performed in the O-DU 230. The process may begin at step S702, which determines whether the TTI has expired. If the TTI has not expired, the process flow proceeds to step S704, where U-plane packets are allocated to symbol units. If the TTI has expired, the process shown in FIG. 7 is complete.

[0060] In step S704, U-plane packets are allocated to symbol units, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(B). The process proceeds to step S706, where it is determined whether the U-plane packet size is smaller than the symbol unit size. For example, if the U-plane packet size is equal to or greater than the symbol unit size, the symbol unit does not have available bandwidth to allocate any more packets, and the process proceeds from step S706 to step S712, where the symbol unit is transmitted over the FH link. The process proceeds from step S712 to step S702.

[0061] If the U-plane packet size is smaller than the symbol unit size, the process proceeds from step S706 to step S708 to determine whether a C-plane packet is available for transmission. If no C-plane packets are available for transmission, the process proceeds to step S712. If one or more C-plane packets are available for transmission, the process proceeds to step S710 to perform a C-plane packet allocation process as shown in FIG. 8.

[0062] Figure 8 illustrates one embodiment of the C-plane allocation process performed in step S710. In some embodiments, the process illustrated in Figure 8 is performed in the O-DU 230. The process is performed based on the C-plane packet size (packet size 送信 ) is the remaining bandwidth in symbols (packet size Cプレーン ) is determined. If it is determined that the C-plane packet size is equal to the remaining bandwidth of the symbol unit, the process proceeds to step S804, where a C-plane packet is allocated to the symbol unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(C), after a U-plane packet U_0 is allocated to the symbol unit, a C-plane packet C_0 is allocated to the symbol unit to fill the remaining bandwidth of the symbol unit.

[0063] If it is determined that the C-plane packet size is not equal to the remaining bandwidth of the symbol unit, the process proceeds from step S802 to step S806, where it is determined whether the C-plane packet size is smaller than the remaining bandwidth of the symbol unit. If it is determined that the C-plane packet size is smaller than the remaining bandwidth of the symbol unit, the process proceeds to step S806, where a C-plane packet is allocated to the symbol unit. After step S806, there is still remaining bandwidth in the symbol unit. Therefore, the process proceeds from step S806 to S802, where another C-plane packet is allocated to the symbol unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(B), at least two C-plane packets are allocated to the symbol unit.

[0064] If it is determined that the C-plane packet size is equal to or greater than the remaining bandwidth of the symbol unit, the process proceeds from step S806 to step S808, where the C-plane packet is divided into variable-size chunks. The process proceeds to step S810, where the variable-size chunks are allocated to the symbol units. For example, as shown in Figures 6(C) and 6(D), the C-plane packet C_0 is divided into variable-size chunks C_00 and C_01. In step S810, the variable-size chunk C_00 may be allocated to the first symbol unit, and the variable-size chunk C_01 may be allocated to the second symbol unit during the allocation process shown in Figure 7.

[0065] Although Figures 7 and 8 show embodiments in which U-plane packets have higher priority than C-plane packets, in other embodiments, C-plane packets have higher priority than U-plane packets.

[0066] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0067] It is understood that the particular order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes / flowcharts disclosed herein is an example of an exemplary approach. It is understood that the particular order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes / flowcharts may be rearranged based on design preferences. Furthermore, some blocks may be combined or omitted. Although the accompanying method claims present elements of various blocks in an exemplary order, the elements of the blocks are not limited to the particular order or hierarchy presented.

[0068] Some embodiments may relate to systems, methods, and / or computer-readable media at any possible level of technical detail. Furthermore, one or more of the above components described above may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor). The computer-readable medium may include computer-readable non-transitory storage medium(s) having computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to perform operations.

[0069] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory stick, floppy disk, mechanically encoded devices such as punch cards or ridge structures in grooves on which instructions are recorded, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, computer-readable storage media should not be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0070] The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to each computing / processing device or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, optical fiber transmissions, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in the respective computing / processing device.

[0071] The computer-readable program code / instructions for carrying out operations may be either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembler instructions, Instruction-Set-Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuits including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs) may execute computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuit to perform aspects or operations.

[0072] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute on the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for performing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored on a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium on which the instructions are stored comprises a product containing instructions that implement aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0073] The computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to execute a series of operational steps to generate a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executing on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device perform the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0074] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer-readable media according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, including one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function. The methods, computer systems, and computer-readable media may include additional, fewer, different, or differently arranged blocks compared to the blocks shown in the figures. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur in a different order than that noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed concurrently or substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or operations or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0075] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in various forms, including hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not intended to limit the implementation. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it will be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0076] The above disclosure also encompasses the embodiments listed below.

[0077] (1) A method performed in an open random access network (O-RAN) distributed unit (O-DU) connected to an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link includes dividing a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from the O-DU to the O-RU via the fronthaul link; allocating a first packet of a first type from the plurality of symbol units to the first symbol unit; and, in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission, allocating a first packet of a second type to the first symbol unit; and transmitting, via the fronthaul link, the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU.

[0078] (2) In response to determining that the size of the first packet of the second type is greater than the size of the first symbol unit minus the size of the first packet of the first type, the first packet of the second type is divided into at least a first variable-size chunk and a second variable-size chunk, and the first variable-size chunk is assigned to the first symbol unit.

[0079] (3) The method of feature (1) or (2), wherein the second variable-size chunk is assigned to a second symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units, and the second symbol unit is assigned a second packet of the first type.

[0080] (4) The method according to feature (3), wherein in response to determining that the sum of the size of the second packet of the first type and the size of the second variable-sized chunk is smaller than the size of the second symbol unit, the second packet of the second type is assigned to the second symbol unit.

[0081] (5) The method according to any one of features (1) to (4), wherein in response to determining that the size of the first packet of the second type is smaller than the size of the first symbol unit minus the size of the first packet of the first type, a second packet of the second type is further allocated to the first symbol unit.

[0082] (6) The method according to any one of features (1) to (5), wherein the first type of packets are user plane packets and the second type of packets are control plane packets.

[0083] (7) The method according to any one of features (1) to (6), wherein the first type of packet is a control plane packet and the second type of packet is a user plane packet.

[0084] (8) A network node connected to an Open Random Access Network (O-RAN) Radio Unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link includes at least one memory configured to store computer program code; and at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and operate as instructed by the computer program code, the computer program code including: a division code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to divide a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from an O-DU to an O-RU via the fronthaul link; and a division code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to divide a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from an O-DU to an O-RU via the fronthaul link. a first allocation code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to allocate a first packet of a first type to the first symbol unit from the first symbol unit; a second allocation code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to allocate a first packet of a second type to the first symbol unit in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission; and a transmission code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to transmit the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU over the fronthaul link.

[0085] (9) In response to determining that the size of the first packet of the second type is greater than the size of the first symbol unit minus the size of the first packet of the first type, the network node of (8) divides the first packet of the second type into at least a first variable-size chunk and a second variable-size chunk, and the first variable-size chunk is assigned to the first symbol unit.

[0086] (10) The network node according to feature (9), wherein the second variable-size chunk is allocated to a second symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units, and the second symbol unit is allocated a second packet of the first type.

[0087] (11) The network node according to feature (10), wherein in response to determining that the sum of the size of the second packet of the first type and the size of the second variable-sized chunk is smaller than the size of the second symbol unit, the second symbol unit is assigned to the second packet of the second type.

[0088] (12) The network according to any one of features (8) to (11), wherein in response to determining that the size of the first packet of the second type is smaller than the size of the first symbol unit minus the size of the first packet of the first type, a second packet of the second type is further allocated to the first symbol unit. node .

[0089] (13) The network node according to any one of features (8) to (12), wherein the first type of packet is a user plane packet and the second type of packet is a control plane packet.

[0090] (14) The network node according to any one of features (8) to (13), wherein the first type of packet is a control plane packet and the second type of packet is a user plane packet.

[0091] (15) A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor in a network node connected to an open random access network (O-RAN) radio unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link, cause the processor to perform a method including: dividing a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from an O-DU to the O-RU via the fronthaul link; allocating a first packet of a first type from the plurality of symbol units to the first symbol unit; and, in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission, allocating a first packet of a second type to the first symbol unit; and transmitting the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU via the fronthaul link.

[0092] (16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of (15), wherein in response to determining that the size of the first packet of the second type is greater than the size of the first symbol unit minus the size of the first packet of the first type, the first packet of the second type is divided into at least a first variable-sized chunk and a second variable-sized chunk, and the first variable-sized chunk is assigned to the first symbol unit.

[0093] (17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (16), wherein the second variable-size chunk is assigned to a second symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units, and the second symbol unit is assigned a second packet of the first type.

[0094] (18) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (17), wherein in response to determining that the sum of the size of the second packet of the first type and the size of the second variable-sized chunk is smaller than the size of the second symbol unit, the second symbol unit is assigned the second packet of the second type.

[0095] (19) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of features (15) to (18), wherein in response to determining that the size of the first packet of the second type is smaller than the size of the first symbol unit minus the size of the first packet of the first type, the first symbol unit is further assigned a second packet of the second type.

[0096] (20) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of features (15) to (19), wherein the first type of packet is a user plane packet and the second type of packet is a control plane packet.

Claims

1. 1. A method performed in an Open Random Access Network (O-RAN) Distributed Unit (O-DU) connected to an O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link, the method comprising: Dividing a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from the O-DU to the O-RU via the fronthaul link; Allocating a first packet of a first type to a first symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units; In response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit, and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission, allocating the first packet of the second type to the first symbol unit; transmitting the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU via the fronthaul link; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that a size of the first packet of the second type is greater than a size of the first symbol unit minus a size of the first packet of the first type, the first packet of the second type is divided into at least a first variable-sized chunk and a second variable-sized chunk, and the first variable-sized chunk is assigned to the first symbol unit.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second variable-sized chunk is assigned to a second symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units, and the second symbol unit is assigned a second packet of the first type.

4. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second symbol unit is assigned a second packet of the second type in response to determining that a sum of a size of the second packet of the first type and the size of the second variable-sized chunk is smaller than a size of the second symbol unit.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that a size of the first packet of the second type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit minus a size of the first packet of the first type, the first symbol unit is further assigned a second packet of the second type.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of packets are user plane packets and the second type of packets are control plane packets.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of packets are control plane packets and the second type of packets are user plane packets.

8. 1. A network node connected to an Open Random Access Network (O-RAN) Radio Unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link, comprising: at least one memory configured to store computer program code; at least one processor configured to access said at least one memory and to act as instructed by said computer program code; the computer program code comprising: a segmentation code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to segment a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from the O-DU to the O-RU over the fronthaul link; and a first allocation code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to allocate a first packet of a first type to a first symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units; a second allocation code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to allocate the first packet of the second type to the first symbol unit in response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit, and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission; and transmission code configured to cause at least one of the at least one processor to transmit, via the fronthaul link, the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU; A network node containing

9. 9. The network node of claim 8, wherein in response to determining that a size of the first packet of the second type is greater than a size of the first symbol unit minus a size of the first packet of the first type, the first packet of the second type is divided into at least a first variable-sized chunk and a second variable-sized chunk, and the first variable-sized chunk is assigned to the first symbol unit.

10. 10. The network node of claim 9, wherein the second variable-sized chunk is assigned to a second symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units, and the second symbol unit is assigned a second packet of the first type.

11. 11. The network node of claim 10, wherein the second symbol unit is allocated the second packet of the second type in response to determining that a sum of a size of the second packet of the first type and the size of the second variable-sized chunk is smaller than a size of the second symbol unit.

12. 9. The network node of claim 8, wherein in response to determining that a size of the first packet of the second type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit minus a size of the first packet of the first type, the first symbol unit is further assigned a second packet of the second type.

13. 9. The network node of claim 8, wherein the first type of packets are user plane packets and the second type of packets are control plane packets.

14. 9. The network node of claim 8, wherein the first type of packets are control plane packets and the second type of packets are user plane packets.

15. When executed by a processor in a network node connected to an Open Random Access Network (O-RAN) Radio Unit (O-RU) via a fronthaul link, Dividing a transmission time unit (TTI) into a plurality of symbol units, the TTI corresponding to an allowed time for transmitting data from the O-DU to the O-RU via the fronthaul link; Allocating a first packet of a first type to a first symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units; In response to determining that (i) a size of the first packet of the first type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit, and (ii) a first packet of a second type associated with the first packet of the first type is available for transmission, allocating the first packet of the second type to the first symbol unit; transmitting the first symbol unit including the first packet of the first type and the first packet of the second type to the O-RU via the fronthaul link; A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that cause the processor to perform a method including:

16. 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein in response to determining that a size of the first packet of the second type is greater than a size of the first symbol unit minus a size of the first packet of the first type, the first packet of the second type is split into at least a first variable-sized chunk and a second variable-sized chunk, and the first variable-sized chunk is assigned to the first symbol unit.

17. 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second variable-sized chunk is assigned to a second symbol unit from the plurality of symbol units, the second symbol unit being assigned a second packet of the first type.

18. 18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein in response to determining that a sum of a size of the second packet of the first type and the size of the second variable-sized chunk is smaller than a size of the second symbol unit, the second symbol unit is assigned a second packet of the second type.

19. 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein in response to determining that a size of the first packet of the second type is smaller than a size of the first symbol unit minus a size of the first packet of the first type, the first symbol unit is further assigned a second packet of the second type.

20. 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first type of packets are user plane packets and the second type of packets are control plane packets.

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