RU device and control device

Abstract

This control device (11) transmits, to an RU device (20), a remote procedure call message that indicates acquisition (get or get-config). An RU device (20) responds to the RPC message and transmits, to the control device (11), an RPC response (rpc-reply) message. The RPC response message includes information which indicates, for example, stopping a Control / User (C / U)-plane of the RU device (20) when the power-state of the RU device (20) is sleeping.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a RU device, a control device, a method of a RU device, and a method of a control device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a radio access network that separates the baseband unit and the radio unit of a base station and connects the baseband unit and the radio unit via a fronthaul has been used. The O-RAN (Open-Radio Access Network) fronthaul specification defined by the O-RAN Alliance defines the fronthaul specification between an O-RU (O-RAN Radio Unit) corresponding to the radio unit and an O-DU (O-RAN Distributed Unit) corresponding to the baseband unit. One of the purposes of the O-RAN fronthaul specification is to facilitate the connection between an O-RU of a different vendor from the O-DU vendor and to achieve multi-vendorization of the radio access network. Note that the O-DU may also be simply called a DU. Also, the O-RU may also be simply called a RU.

[0003] Non-Patent Document 1 specifies the M(Management)-Plane, which is defined for transmitting management data between O-RUs and O-DUs. The M-Plane provides management functions for O-RUs. In the M-Plane, the O-DU or SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) is defined as the device that manages the O-RUs. The O-RUs under management correspond to NETCONF servers, and the device that manages (controls) the O-RUs (RU control device) corresponds to a NETCONF client. The M-Plane supports protocol stacks that transmit signals used in NETCONF (NETwork CONFiguration protocol) using Ethernet / IP / TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / SSH (Secure Shell), and optionally Ethernet / IP / TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / TLS (Transport Layer Security) (see, for example, sections 9.1.2 and 9.1.3 of Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] For example, Non-Patent Document 1 describes how to change the Power State of an O-RU. When the Power State is AWAKE, the O-RU operates normally (not in Energy saving mode), and when the Power State is SLEEPING, the O-RU operates in Energy saving mode. The Power State of the O-DU is changed when the RU control device sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating configuration editing (edit-config) to the O-DU. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] O-RAN-WG4.MP.0-v09.00,“O-RAN Working Group 4 (Open Fronthaul Interfaces WG) Management Plane Specification” [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The inventors examined the specifications related to M-Plane and identified various issues. For example, Non-Patent Literature 1 does not adequately examine what state the RU is in (or can be in), what processing it performs (or can perform), etc., when its Power State becomes SLEEPING. Furthermore, Non-Patent Literature 1 does not adequately examine what processing the RU performs (or can perform), etc., when its Power State changes from SLEEPING to AWAKE. In addition, Non-Patent Literature 1 does not adequately examine how the control device can set the RU, etc., in relation to these issues. For this reason, the technology disclosed in Non-Patent Literature 1 may not be able to achieve flexible control of the RU's Energy saving mode, for example. Moreover, these issues apply not only to the RU's Power State, but also when the value of the RU's tx / rx-array-carrier(s) active parameter is SLEEP or DISABLED. In other words, the technology disclosed in Non-Patent Literature 1 may not be able to achieve flexible control of the RU's energy consumption, for example.

[0007] One of the objectives that the embodiments disclosed herein seek to achieve is to provide RU devices and control devices that contribute to solving at least one of several problems, including the problems described above. It should be noted that this objective is only one of several objectives that the embodiments disclosed herein seek to achieve. Other objectives or problems and novel features will be revealed in the description herein or in the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In one embodiment, the RU (Radio Unit) device is At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message contains information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be shut down, and Information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device are stopped. This includes either one or both of the following:

[0009] In other embodiments, the RU device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The aforementioned RPC response message is: Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the power state of the RU device is sleeping, and Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. This includes either one or both of the following:

[0010] In other embodiments, the RU device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message includes information indicating whether the RU device sends either or both of the following notifications: a Notification indicating that the state of tx / rx-array-carriers is Disabled when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and a Notification indicating that the state of tx / rx-array-carriers is Ready when the power-state of the RU device is awake.

[0011] In other embodiments, the RU device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message includes information indicating that the active parameter of tx / rx-array-carriers needs to be reset to Active by the RU control device when the power-state of the RU device is Awake.

[0012] In other embodiments, the control device is At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The at least one processor transmits an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicating an edit-config to the RU (Radio Unit) device. The RPC message includes setting information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, at least one of the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and components of the RU device is stopped, and setting information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, at least one of the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and components of the RU device is stopped. The RPC message includes either or both of the above.

[0013] In another aspect, the control device includes at least one memory, and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, and the at least one processor transmits an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicating an edit-config to the RU (Radio Unit) device. The RPC message includes setting information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the voltage of the RU device is decreased, and Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. This includes either one or both of the following:

[0014] In other embodiments, the method performed on the RU (Radio Unit) device is: Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The RPC response message contains information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be shut down, and Information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device are stopped. This includes either one or both of the following:

[0015] In other embodiments, the method performed on the RU device is: Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The aforementioned RPC response message is: Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the power state of the RU device is sleeping, and Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. This includes either one or both of the following:

[0016] In other embodiments, the method performed on the RU device is: Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The aforementioned RPC response message is: The information includes whether the RU device sends either or both of the following notifications: a notification indicating that the state of the tx / rx-array-carriers is Disabled when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and a notification indicating that the state of the tx / rx-array-carriers is Ready when the power-state of the RU device is awake.

[0017] In other embodiments, the method performed on the RU device is: Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The RPC response message includes information indicating that the active parameter of tx / rx-array-carriers needs to be reset to Active by the RU control device when the power-state of the RU device is Awake.

[0018] In other embodiments, the control unit is executed by the control unit, This includes sending an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates configuration editing (edit-config), The RPC message contains configuration information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one of the components of the RU device should be stopped, and Setting information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be stopped. This includes either one or both of the following:

[0019] In other embodiments, the control unit is executed by the control unit, This includes sending an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates configuration editing (edit-config), The aforementioned RPC message is: Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. This includes either one or both of the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] This disclosure makes it possible to provide an RU device, a control device, a method for an RU device, and a method for a control device that contribute to solving at least one of several problems, including the problems described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the procedure for obtaining the State of a RU. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of the procedure for changing the State of a RU. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the Power State of RU. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the possible transitions and the combinations of the "active" and "state" parameters. [Figure 5] This is a diagram used to explain "shared cell". [Figure 6] An example of a system is IAM. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the processing operation of the RU device and control device of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] This figure shows another example of the processing operation of the RU device and control device of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a DU device. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the configuration of an RU device. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of the configuration of an SMO (Scaling Modulation) device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings may be associated with one or more embodiments. Also, each element in the drawings may correspond to one or more embodiments. Furthermore, in the embodiments, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0023] The multiple embodiments described below can be implemented independently or in combination as appropriate. These multiple embodiments have novel features that differ from each other. Therefore, these multiple embodiments contribute to solving different objectives or problems and contribute to producing different effects.

[0024] The following embodiments are primarily described for RU devices and control devices conforming to the O-RAN technical specifications. However, these embodiments may also be applied to other systems that support similar technologies to these RU devices and control devices.

[0025] As used herein, depending on the context, “(if)” may be interpreted as meaning “when,” “at or around the time,” “after,” “upon,” “in response to determining,” “in accordance with a determination,” or “in response to detecting.” These expressions may be interpreted as having the same meaning depending on the context.

[0026] First, the related technologies will be described. Each embodiment is based on these technologies. In other words, these technologies can be incorporated into each embodiment.

[0027] (protocol) C (Control)-Plane is a protocol for transferring control signals. U (User)-Plane is a protocol for transferring user data. C / U-Plane supports a protocol stack that directly transmits signals used in eCPRI or RoE (Radio over Ethernet) over Ethernet, and optionally a protocol stack that transmits signals via UDP (User Datagram Protocol) / IP. S-Plane is a protocol for achieving synchronization between devices. S-Plane supports protocol stacks that transmit signals used in PTP (Precision Time Protocol) and SyncE (Synchronous Ethernet) over Ethernet. M(Management)-Plane is a protocol for handling maintenance and monitoring signals. M-Plane supports protocol stacks that transmit signals used in NETCONF (NETwork CONFiguration protocol) via Ethernet / IP / TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / SSH (Secure Shell), and optionally via Ethernet / IP / TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / TLS (Transport Layer Security).

[0028] (Logical architecture) The O-RAN (Open-Radio Access Network) Alliance adopts a configuration that separates the RAN's communication processing functions into three components: RU (Radio Unit), DU (Distributed Unit), and CU (Central Unit). Furthermore, it defines "RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller)," a platform that optimizes wireless resource management and automates operations, and "SMO (Service Management and Orchestration)," a framework for RAN maintenance and orchestration. The RU and DU are connected by an open fronthaul. CUS / M-Plane signals are transmitted through this open fronthaul between the RU and DU. Alternatively, the RU and SMO may be connected by an open fronthaul, and M-Plane signals may be transmitted through this open fronthaul. In this case as well, CUS-Plane signals are transmitted through the open fronthaul between the RU and DU. Furthermore, the DU and SMO are connected via the O1 interface. The CU and SMO are also connected via the O1 interface. The managed RUs correspond to the NETCONF server, and the device that manages (controls) the RUs (RU control device) corresponds to the NETCONF client. The NETCONF client may be installed in the DU or in the SMO.

[0029] (Retrieving the State of the RU) Figure 1 shows an example of the procedure for obtaining the State of an RU. In Figure 1, the RU controller is NETCONF <get>Use the procedure to obtain the state of the RU.

[0030] Specifically, the RU control unit sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU indicating a get. The RU responds to the RPC message by sending an RPC reply message to the RU control unit. This RPC reply message contains information indicating the RU's state. In other words, the RU control unit, <get>The State of the RU can be retrieved via request.

[0031] (Modifying the State of the RU) The RU controller can change the configurable state of a RU for RUs that support optional hardware-state features defined in the RU's hardware. The RU controller can change the NETCONF without resetting. <edit-config>The configurable State of a RU can be changed using the provided procedure.

[0032] Figure 2 shows an example of the procedure for changing the State of the RU. The RU control unit performs NETCONF without resetting. <edit-config>Use the procedure to change the configurable State of the RU.

[0033] Specifically, the RU control unit sends an RPC message to the RU indicating a configuration edit (edit-config). The RU changes its state based on this RPC message. Then, if the change is successful, <ok>Send an RPC response message indicating this to the RU control unit.

[0034] [power-state] The configurable state of the RU is, for example, the power-state. As shown in Figure 3, the RU's Power State can be "AWAKE" or "SLEEPING". Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the RU's Power State. The RU control device is NETCONF <edit-config>The Power State of a Unit (RU) can be changed using a specific procedure. Specifically, the RU control unit controls the Power State of a Unit by editing the "energy-saving-enabled" parameter of the Unit, which is done by sending an RPC message to the Unit indicating an edit-config request. -AWAKE: This Power State indicates that the RU is operating normally, i.e., not in energy saving mode. -SLEEPING: This Power State indicates that the RU is in Energy saving mode.

[0035] (RU Carrier configuration) The RU control unit is NETCONF <edit-config>The parameters of the RU can be set (updated) using the procedure. For example, the RU control unit performs activation by setting the value of the "active" parameter for the tx-array-carrier(s) element (and / or rx-array-carrier(s) element) to "ACTIVE". The RU control unit also performs deactivation by setting the value of the "active" parameter for the tx-array-carrier(s) element (and / or rx-array-carrier(s) element) to "INACTIVE". The RU control unit also puts the tx-array-carrier(s) element (and / or rx-array-carrier(s) element) to sleep by setting the value of the "active" parameter for the tx-array-carrier(s) element (and / or rx-array-carrier(s) element) to "SLEEP". A tx-array-carrier(s) element (and / or rx-array-carrier(s) element) is in sleep mode when the value of the "active" parameter is "SLEEP" and the value of the "State" parameter is "READY". Figure 4 shows the possible transitions and the combinations of the "active" parameter and the "state" parameter.

[0036] Here, tx-array-carrier(s) is a data node generated by the RU control unit that includes carrier configuration parameters and is associated with the RU's transmit array (tx-array) information. Similarly, rx-array-carrier(s) is a data node generated by the RU control unit that includes carrier configuration parameters and is associated with the RU's receive array (rx-array) information. tx-array-carrier(s) and rx-array-carrier(s) are generated for each carrier and each transmit / receive array, and the carrier's center frequency, bandwidth, transmit power, etc., are set for the RU.

[0037] (Shared cell) A "shared cell" is defined as the operation of the same cell (which may have one or more component carriers) by multiple RUs. Figure 5 illustrates the concept of a "shared cell." As shown in Figure 5, there are two approaches to realizing a "shared cell." In Figure 5, solid lines represent C / U-planes, and dotted lines represent M-planes. -FHM mode: In this mode, a "Shared cell" is realized by FHM (Fronthaul Multiplexer) and multiple RUs. -Cascade mode: In this mode, a "shared cell" is realized by cascading (series-connecting) multiple RUs. In Cascade mode, for a given RU, RUs adjacent to that RU and closer to the DU (or SMO) are sometimes called north nodes. Also, in Cascade mode, for a DU or a given RU, adjacent RUs further from the DU are sometimes called south nodes.

[0038] <Example of system configuration> Next, an example of a system configuration common to multiple embodiments will be described. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a system. In Figure 6, System 1 includes a DU device 10, an RU device 20, and an SMO device 30.

[0039] The DU device 10 may be a logical node that performs functions in the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) layer, the RLC (Radio Link Control) layer, and the MAC (Media Access Control) layer, as well as higher-level functions of the physical layer, or it may be a physical device that houses this logical node. The higher-level functions of the physical layer may include, for example, encoding and modulation processing, as well as decoding and demodulation processing. The functions in the PDCP layer may be performed in a logical node called a CU (Central Unit) (not shown).

[0040] The RU device 20 may be a logical node that performs lower-level functions of the physical layer (PHY-Low) and RF (Radio Frequency) processing, or it may be a physical device that houses this logical node. Lower-level functions of the physical layer may include, for example, FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) / IFFT (Inverse FFT) processing, BF (Beam Forming) processing, etc.

[0041] The SMO device 30 is a platform that optimizes wireless resource management and automates operations, and it performs maintenance and orchestration for the RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) and RAN (Radio Access Network).

[0042] In Figure 6, the DU device 10 has a control unit (control device) 11. This control unit (control device) 11 corresponds to a NETCONF client. The RU device 20 has a control unit 21. Either the RU device 20 itself or the control unit 21 corresponds to a NETCONF server.

[0043] Furthermore, in Figure 6, the DU device 10 and the SMO device 30 are connected via the O1 interface. In addition, the DU device 10 and the RU device 20 are connected via an open fronthaul. This open fronthaul can transmit signals from the CUS-Plane and the M-Plane.

[0044] The control unit (control device) 11 (NETCONF client) may be located in the SMO device 30 instead of the DU device 10. In this case, the RU device 20 and the SMO device 30 may also be connected by an open fronthaul. In this case, the open fronthaul connecting the DU device 10 and the RU device 20 transmits CUS-Plane signals, while the open fronthaul connecting the RU device 20 and the SMO device 30 transmits M-Plane signals.

[0045] <First Embodiment> The system configuration in the first embodiment may be the same as the example shown in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows an example of the processing operation of the RU device and control device of this disclosure.

[0046] The control device 11 (NETCONF client) sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first request message") indicating acquisition (get) to the RU device 20 (step S11). The RU device 20 responds to the first message by sending an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first reply message") to the control device 11 (step S12). In other words, Figure 7 shows NETCONF <get>An example of the processing operations of the RU device 20 and the control device 11, following the procedure, is shown. Note that the "first request message" may be an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get-config).

[0047] The first request message may include "request information" indicating, for example, that it is requesting the RU device 20 to send a first response message containing "requested information." The request information may also indicate a request for an entire information set containing multiple information elements, or it may indicate a request for each information element. The requested information is "information about the RU device 20," and may be, for example, the capability information of the RU device 20.

[0048] The RU device 20 receives a first request message and generates a first response message containing the requested information based on the request information in this first request message. For example, if the requested information is the Capability information of the RU device 20, the first response message will contain the Capability information. Note that "information concerning the RU device 20" is NETCONF <get>In addition to the procedure, or NETCONF <get>Instead of following the procedure, the control device 11 may, for example, acquire the information from the RU device 20 during the connection establishment process between the RU device 20 and the control device 11 (as part of the establishment procedure).

[0049] Next, a specific example of the "information relating to the RU device 20" in the first embodiment will be described. That is, the first message may include request information for any one or any combination (including all) of the information elements described below. The first response message may also include any one or any combination (including all) of the information elements described below, based on the request information. Alternatively, the first response message may include some or all of the content relating to any combination (including all) of the information elements described below, based on the request information. Note that the capabilities or functions described below may be operated autonomously by the RU device 20, or they may be operated by the control device 11 by configuring the RU device 20.

[0050] (Example of an information element 1) The information element in Example 1 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to shut down its C / U (Control / User) plane when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. In other words, the information element in Example 1 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to shut down only the C / U plane among the C / U plane, S plane, and M plane of the RU device 20 at this time.

[0051] (Example of an information element 2) The information element in Example 2 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to shut down its S (Synchronization) plane when the power state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. In other words, the information element in Example 2 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to shut down only the S plane among the C / U plane, S plane, and M plane of the RU device 20 at this time.

[0052] (Example of an information element 3) The information element in Example 3 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to shut down its M (Management)-plane when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. In other words, the information element in Example 3 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to shut down only the M-plane among the C / U-plane, S-plane, and M-plane of the RU device 20 at this time.

[0053] (Example of an information element 4) The information element in Example 4 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to shut down its components when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping.

[0054] The components of the RU device 20 described above may include either a digital device section or an analog device section, or both. This digital device section may be at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface of the RU device 20. This analog device section may be a PA (Power Amplifier).

[0055] (Example of an information element 5) The information element in Example 5 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to lower the voltage of the RU device 20 when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping.

[0056] Lowering the voltage of the RU device 20 as described above may be at least one of the following: "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20", "stopping the components of the RU device 20", and "stopping the power supply from the RU device 20 to external devices connected to the RU device 20". In other words, the content of the above information element example 4 may be treated as part of the information element example 5.

[0057] The above action of "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20" may also mean autonomously reducing the antenna output to the minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20. The minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20 may be indicated from the RU device 20 to the control device 11 by the "min-power-per-antenna" parameter of the module-capability.yang module.

[0058] The phrase "stopping the components of the RU device 20" above may also mean turning off the switches for the components of the RU device 20.

[0059] The above action of "stopping the power supply from RU device 20 to an external device connected to RU device 20" may refer to an external device connected to the ALD (Antenna Line Device) port of RU device 20. This external device may be an antenna tilt control device that controls the tilt of the antenna of RU device 20.

[0060] The information elements in Examples 1-5 can indicate the functions and configuration units that the RU device 20 can shut down (or reduce its operating level) when its power-state is sleeping, that is, when the RU device 20 is in energy saving mode. For example, in the "Shared cell" shown in Figure 5, the functions and configurations that you want to shut down (or should shut down) may differ depending on the location of the RU device 20 (whether or not the RU device 20 has a south node, etc.). For example, if the RU device 20 has a south node, it may be necessary to transfer C / U-plane signals to the south node even if the RU device 20 is in energy saving mode. For this reason, even if the M-plane of the RU device 20 can be shut down, there may be cases where it is better to keep the C / U-plane in the "ACTIVE" state. Also, if it takes time to establish synchronization, there may be cases where it is better to keep the S-plane in the "ACTIVE" state even if the RU device 20 is in energy saving mode. Therefore, if the control device 11 (NETCONF client) can acquire information elements like those in Examples 1-5, the control device 11 (NETCONF client) can control the Energy saving mode of the RU device 20 more flexibly.

[0061] (Example of an information element 6) The information element in Example 6 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to stop the C / U (Control / User) plane when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. In other words, the information element in Example 6 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to stop only the C / U plane among the C / U plane, S plane, and M plane of the RU device 20 at this time.

[0062] (Example of an information element 7) The information element in Example 7 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to stop the S (Synchronization)-plane when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. In other words, the information element in Example 7 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to stop only the S-plane among the C / U-plane, S-plane, and M-plane of the RU device 20 at this time.

[0063] (Example of an information element 8) The information element in Example 8 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to stop the M (Management)-plane of the RU device 20 when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. In other words, the information element in Example 8 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to stop only the M-plane among the C / U-plane, S-plane, and M-plane of the RU device 20 at this time.

[0064] (Example of an information element 9) The information element in Example 9 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to stop its components when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED.

[0065] The components of the RU device 20 described above may include at least one of a digital device section and an analog device section. This digital device section may be at least one of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface of the RU device 20. This analog device section may be a PA (Power Amplifier).

[0066] (Example of an information element 10) The information element in Example 10 is Capability information indicating whether the RU device 20 has the ability or function to lower the voltage of the RU device 20 when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED.

[0067] Lowering the voltage of the RU device 20 as described above may be at least one of the following: "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20", "stopping the components of the RU device 20", and "stopping the power supply from the RU device 20 to external devices connected to the RU device 20". In other words, the content of the above information element example 9 may be treated as part of the information element example 10.

[0068] The above action of "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20" may also mean autonomously reducing the antenna output to the minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20. The minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20 may be indicated from the RU device 20 to the control device 11 by the "min-power-per-antenna" parameter of the module-capability.yang module.

[0069] The phrase "stopping the components of the RU device 20" above may also mean turning off the switches for the components of the RU device 20.

[0070] The above action of "stopping the power supply from RU device 20 to an external device connected to RU device 20" may refer to an external device connected to the ALD (Antenna Line Device) port of RU device 20. This external device may be an antenna tilt control device that controls the tilt of the antenna of RU device 20.

[0071] The information elements in Examples 6-10 can indicate the functions or configuration units that RU device 20 can shut down (or have its operating level reduced) when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. For example, in the "Shared cell" shown in Figure 5, the functions or configurations that you want to shut down (or should shut down) may differ depending on the location of RU device 20 (whether or not a south node for RU device 20 exists, etc.). For example, if a south node for RU device 20 exists, even if the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED, it may be necessary to transfer C / U-plane signals to the south node. For this reason, even if the M-plane of RU device 20 can be shut down, there may be cases where it is better to keep the C / U-plane in the "ACTIVE" state. Furthermore, if establishing synchronization takes time, it may be better to keep the S-plane in the "ACTIVE" state even if the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. For this reason, if the control device 11 (NETCONF client) can acquire information elements like those in Examples 6-10, the control device 11 (NETCONF client) can control the energy consumption of the RU device 20 more flexibly.

[0072] (Example of an information element 11) Hereinafter, tx-array-carrier(s) (and / or rx-array-carrier(s)) may be collectively referred to as "tx / rx-array-carrier(s)". The information element in Example 11 indicates whether the RU device 20 sends a notification indicating that the value of the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) is "Disabled" when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping.

[0073] By obtaining the information element from Example 11, the control device 11 (NETCONF client) can determine whether it receives a notification from the RU device 20 indicating that the value of the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) is "Disabled" when the power-state of the RU device 20 is changed from Awake to sleeping. By receiving this notification, the control device 11 can determine the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) in the RU device 20.

[0074] (Example of an information element 12) The information element in Example 12 indicates whether the RU device 20 sends a notification indicating that the value of the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) is "Ready" when the power-state of the RU device 20 is Awake.

[0075] By obtaining the information element in Example 12, the control device 11 (NETCONF client) can determine whether it receives a notification from the RU device 20 indicating that the value of the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) is "Ready" when the power-state of the RU device 20 is changed from sleeping to awake. By receiving this notification, the control device 11 can determine the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) in the RU device 20.

[0076] (Example of an information element 13) The information element in Example 13 indicates that when the power-state of the RU device 20 is Awake, the value of the "active" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) needs to be reset to "Active" by the control device 11 (NETCONF client).

[0077] By obtaining the information element in Example 13, the control device 11 (NETCONF client) can understand that "when the power-state of the RU device 20 is changed from sleeping to awake, the control device 11 needs to reset the value of the "active" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) to "Active". As a result, when the control device 11 (NETCONF client) controls the power-state of the RU device 20 from sleeping to awake, it can also control the value of the "active" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) to "Active" at the same time.

[0078] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the RU device 20 sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating acquisition (get or get-config) to the control device 11. This RPC reply message includes information about the RU device 20.

[0079] This "information regarding the RU device 20" may include information regarding a function or configuration that allows the RU device 20 to shut down (or reduce its operating level) when its power-state is sleeping. This information may include, for example, one of the information elements in Examples 1-5 above, or any combination (including all of them). Alternatively, this information may include some or all of the content relating to any combination (including all of them) of the information elements in Examples 1-5 above.

[0080] This configuration of the RU device 20 allows the control device 11 (NETCONF client) to more flexibly control the Energy saving mode of the RU device 20. In other words, it enables flexible control of the energy consumption of the RU device 20.

[0081] Furthermore, the "information relating to the RU device 20" may include information relating to a function or configuration that allows the RU device 20 to be stopped (or have its operating level reduced) when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. This information may include, for example, one of the information elements in Examples 6-10 above, or any combination (including all of them). Alternatively, this information may include some or all of the content relating to any combination (including all of them) of the information elements in Examples 6-10 above.

[0082] This configuration of the RU device 20 allows the control device 11 (NETCONF client) to control the energy consumption of the RU device 20 more flexibly.

[0083] Furthermore, this "information regarding the RU device 20" may include information regarding a notification that indicates the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) corresponding to the power-state of the RU device 20. This information may be, for example, one or both of the information elements in Examples 11 and 12 above.

[0084] This configuration of the RU device 20 allows the control unit 11 (NETCONF client) to determine whether it can receive notifications indicating the "state" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) in relation to the switching of the RU device 20's Energy saving mode. This allows the control unit 11 (NETCONF client) to control the RU device 20's Energy saving mode more flexibly, thereby enabling flexible control of the RU device 20's energy consumption.

[0085] Furthermore, this "information regarding the RU device 20" may include information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device 20 is Awake, the value of the "active" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) needs to be reset to "Active" by the control device 11 (NETCONF client).

[0086] This configuration of the RU device 20 allows the control unit 11 to understand that "when the power-state of the RU device 20 is changed from sleeping to awake, the control unit 11 needs to reset the value of the "active" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) to "Active". As a result, when the control unit 11 (NETCONF client) controls the power-state of the RU device 20 from sleeping to awake, it can also simultaneously reset the value of the "active" parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) to "Active". In other words, the control unit 11 (NETCONF client) can control the Energy saving mode of the RU device 20 more flexibly. That is, it can achieve flexible control of the energy consumption of the RU device 20.

[0087] <Second Embodiment> The system configuration in the second embodiment may be the same as the example shown in Figure 6. Figure 8 shows another example of the processing operation of the RU device and control device of this disclosure.

[0088] The control device 11 (NETCONF client) sends an RPC message (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "second request message") indicating configuration editing (edit-config) to the RU device 20 (step S21). The RU device 20 responds to the second message by sending an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "second reply message") to the control device 11 (step S22). In other words, Figure 8 shows NETCONF <edit-config>An example of the processing operation of the RU device 20 and the control device 11, following the procedure, is shown.

[0089] The second request message may include, for example, "setting information" indicating the controlled object and the control content for said controlled object.

[0090] The RU device 20 sets (updates) its parameters based on the configuration information contained in the second request message. For example, if the configuration information indicates that the C / U-plane should be stopped, the RU device 20 will stop the C / U-plane. Then, when the configuration based on the configuration information is successful, the RU device 20 will... <ok>The RU device 20 may also send a second response message indicating this to the control device 11. <error>A second response message indicating this may be sent to the control device 11.

[0091] Next, a specific example of the "configuration information element" in the second embodiment will be described. That is, the second message may include one of the multiple configuration information elements described below, or any combination (including all of them), as configuration information. Alternatively, the second message may include some or all of the content relating to any combination (including all of) of the multiple configuration information elements described below.

[0092] (Example 1 of a configuration information element) The configuration information element in Example 1 is configuration information indicating that the C / U-plane should be stopped when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. The configuration information element in Example 1 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 1" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 1 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that configuration.

[0093] (Example 2 of a configuration information element) The configuration information element in Example 2 is configuration information indicating that the S-plane should be stopped when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. The configuration information element in Example 2 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 2" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 2 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that configuration.

[0094] (Example 3 of configuration information elements) The configuration information element in Example 3 is configuration information indicating that the M-plane should be stopped when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. The configuration information element in Example 3 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 3" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 3 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that configuration.

[0095] (Example 4 of configuration information elements) The configuration information element in Example 4 is configuration information indicating that the components of the RU device 20 should be stopped when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. The configuration information element in Example 4 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 4" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 4 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that configuration.

[0096] The components of the RU device 20 described above may include either a digital device section or an analog device section, or both. This digital device section may be at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface of the RU device 20. This analog device section may be a PA (Power Amplifier).

[0097] (Example 5 of a configuration information element) The setting information element in Example 5 is setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device 20 should be reduced when the power-state of the RU device 20 is sleeping. The setting information element in Example 5 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 5" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the setting information element in Example 5 may be transmitted if the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that setting.

[0098] Lowering the voltage of the RU device 20 as described above may be at least one of the following: "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20", "stopping the components of the RU device 20", and "stopping the power supply from the RU device 20 to external devices connected to the RU device 20". In other words, the contents of Example 4 of the configuration information element described above may be treated as part of Example 5 of the configuration information element.

[0099] The above action of "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20" may also mean autonomously reducing the antenna output to the minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20. The minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20 may be indicated from the RU device 20 to the control device 11 by the "min-power-per-antenna" parameter of the module-capability.yang module.

[0100] The phrase "stopping the components of the RU device 20" above may also mean turning off the switches for the components of the RU device 20.

[0101] The above action of "stopping the power supply from RU device 20 to an external device connected to RU device 20" may refer to an external device connected to the ALD (Antenna Line Device) port of RU device 20. This external device may be an antenna tilt control device that controls the tilt of the antenna of RU device 20.

[0102] The configuration information elements in Examples 1-5 can indicate the functions or configuration units that should be stopped (or have their operating level reduced) by the RU device 20 when its power-state is sleeping, that is, when the RU device 20 is in energy saving mode. For example, in the "Shared cell" shown in Figure 5, the functions or configurations that should be stopped (or have their operating level reduced) may differ depending on the location of the RU device 20 (whether or not the RU device 20 has a south node, etc.). For example, if the RU device 20 has a south node, it may be necessary to transfer C / U-plane signals to the south node even if the RU device 20 is in energy saving mode. For this reason, even if the M-plane of the RU device 20 can be stopped, there may be cases where it is better to keep the C / U-plane in the "ACTIVE" state. Also, if it takes time to establish synchronization, there may be cases where it is better to keep the S-plane in the "ACTIVE" state even if the RU device 20 is in energy saving mode. Therefore, by transmitting setting information elements such as those in Examples 1-5 to the RU device 20 and controlling the RU device 20, the control device 11 can more flexibly control the Energy saving mode of the RU device 20.

[0103] (Example 6 of a configuration information element) The configuration information element in Example 6 is configuration information indicating that the C / U-plane should be stopped when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. The configuration information element in Example 6 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 6" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 6 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that setting.

[0104] (Example 7 of a configuration information element) The configuration information element in Example 7 is configuration information indicating that the S-plane should be stopped when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. The configuration information element in Example 7 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 7" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 7 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that setting.

[0105] (Example 8 of a configuration information element) The configuration information element in Example 8 is configuration information indicating that the M-plane should be stopped when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. The configuration information element in Example 8 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 8" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 8 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that setting.

[0106] (Example of a configuration information element 9) The configuration information element in Example 9 is configuration information indicating that the components of the RU device 20 should be stopped when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. The configuration information element in Example 9 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element in Example 9" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the configuration information element in Example 9 may be transmitted when the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that setting.

[0107] The components of the RU device 20 described above may include either a digital device section or an analog device section, or both. This digital device section may be at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface of the RU device 20. This analog device section may be a PA (Power Amplifier).

[0108] (Example 10 of configuration information elements) The setting information element in Example 10 is setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device 20 should be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. The setting information element in Example 10 is used in conjunction with, for example, the Capability information of the "Information Element of Example 10" described in the First Embodiment. That is, the setting information element in Example 10 may be transmitted if the RU device 20 has the capability or function corresponding to that setting.

[0109] Lowering the voltage of the RU device 20 as described above may be at least one of the following: "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20", "stopping the components of the RU device 20", and "stopping the power supply from the RU device 20 to external devices connected to the RU device 20". In other words, the contents of Example 9 of the configuration information element described above may be treated as part of Example 10 of the configuration information element.

[0110] The above action of "reducing the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20" may also mean autonomously reducing the antenna output to the minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20. The minimum value of the antenna transmission power of the RU device 20 may be indicated from the RU device 20 to the control device 11 by the "min-power-per-antenna" parameter of the module-capability.yang module.

[0111] The phrase "stopping the components of the RU device 20" above may also mean turning off the switches for the components of the RU device 20.

[0112] The above action of "stopping the power supply from RU device 20 to an external device connected to RU device 20" may refer to an external device connected to the ALD (Antenna Line Device) port of RU device 20. This external device may be an antenna tilt control device that controls the tilt of the antenna of RU device 20.

[0113] The configuration information elements in Examples 6-10 can indicate the units of functions or configurations that should be stopped or have their operating level reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. For example, in the "Shared cell" shown in Figure 5, the functions or configurations that should be stopped (or have their operating levels reduced) may differ depending on the location of the RU device 20 (e.g., whether or not the south node of the RU device 20 exists). For example, if the south node of the RU device 20 exists, it may be necessary to transfer the C / U-plane signal to the south node even if the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. For this reason, even if the M-plane of the RU device 20 can be stopped, there may be cases where it is better to keep the C / U-plane in the "ACTIVE" state. Furthermore, if establishing synchronization takes time, it may be better to keep the S-plane in the "ACTIVE" state even if the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of the RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. For this reason, by transmitting setting information elements such as those in Examples 6-10 to the RU device 20 and controlling the RU device 20, the control device 11 can control the energy consumption of the RU device 20 more flexibly.

[0114] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the control device 11 sends an RPC message indicating configuration editing (edit-config) to the RU device 20.

[0115] This RPC message may include "configuration information" indicating the controlled object in RU device 20 and the control content for said controlled object when the power-state of RU device 20 is sleeping. This configuration information may include any one or any combination (including all) of the configuration information elements in Examples 1 to 5 above. Alternatively, this information may include some or all of the content related to any combination (including all) of the configuration information elements in Examples 1 to 5 above.

[0116] This configuration of the control device 11 allows for more flexible control of the Energy saving mode of the RU device 20. In other words, it enables flexible control of the energy consumption of the RU device 20.

[0117] Furthermore, this RPC message may include "configuration information" indicating the controlled object in RU device 20 and the control content for said controlled object when the value of the active parameter of tx / rx-array-carrier(s) of RU device 20 is SLEEP or DISABLED. This configuration information may include any one or any combination (including all) of the configuration information elements from Examples 6-10 above. Alternatively, this information may include some or all of the content related to any combination (including all) of the configuration information elements from Examples 6-10 above.

[0118] <Other Embodiments> <1> Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of a control device. In Figure 9, the control device 100 has a processor 101 and a memory 102. The control device 11 may have the configuration shown in Figure 9. The processor 101 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 101 may include multiple processors. The memory 102 is composed of a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The memory 102 may include multiple physically independent memory devices. The volatile memory is, for example, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a combination thereof. The non-volatile memory is Mask Read Only Memory (MROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or a hard disk drive, or any combination thereof. The memory 102 may include storage located away from the processor 101. In this case, the processor 101 may access memory 102 via an I(Input) / O(Output) interface, which is not shown.

[0119] Memory 102 may store one or more software modules (computer programs) containing instruction sets and data for processing by the control device 11 as described in the above-described embodiments. In some implementations, the processor 101 may be configured to read the software modules from memory 102 and execute them to perform the processing of the control device 11 as described in the above-described embodiments.

[0120] <2> Figure 10 shows an example configuration of a DU device. In Figure 10, the device 200 includes a network interface 201, a processor 202, and memory 203. The DU device 10 may have the configuration shown in Figure 10.

[0121] Network interface 201 is used, for example, to communicate with network elements (e.g., SMO device 30, other RAN nodes). Network interface 1201 may include, for example, a network interface card (NIC) compliant with the IEEE 802.3 series.

[0122] The processor 202 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU, or a CPU. The processor 202 may include multiple processors.

[0123] Memory 203 consists of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. Memory 203 may include multiple physically independent memory devices. Volatile memory is, for example, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a combination thereof. Non-volatile memory is Mask Read Only Memory (MROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or hard disk drive, or any combination thereof. Memory 203 may include storage located away from the processor 202. In this case, the processor 202 may access memory 203 via a network interface 201 or an I / O interface.

[0124] The memory 203 may store one or more software modules (computer programs) containing instruction sets and data for performing the processing by the DU device 10 as described in the above embodiments. In some implementations, the processor 202 may be configured to perform the processing of the DU device 10 as described in the above embodiments by reading and executing the software modules from the memory 203.

[0125] <3> Figure 11 shows an example configuration of an RU device. In Figure 11, the device 300 includes an antenna array 301, a radio frequency transceiver 302, a network interface 303, a processor 304, and memory 305. The RU device 20 may have the configuration shown in Figure 11. The RF transceiver 302 performs analog RF signal processing to communicate with UEs. The RF transceiver 302 may include multiple transceivers. The RF transceiver 302 is coupled with the antenna array 301 and the processor 304. The RF transceiver 302 receives modulation symbol data from the processor 304, generates a transmit RF signal, and supplies the transmit RF signal to the antenna array 301. The RF transceiver 302 also generates a baseband receive signal based on the received RF signal received by the antenna array 301 and supplies it to the processor 304. The RF transceiver 302 may include an analog beamformer circuit for beamforming. The analog beamformer circuit includes, for example, multiple phase shifters and multiple power amplifiers.

[0126] The network interface 303 is used to communicate with network nodes (e.g., DU10, SMO30). The network interface 303 may include, for example, a network interface card (NIC) compliant with the IEEE 802.3 series.

[0127] Processor 304 performs digital baseband signal processing (data plane processing) and control plane processing for wireless communication. Processor 304 may include multiple processors. For example, processor 304 may include a modem processor (e.g., Digital Signal Processor (DSP)) that performs digital baseband signal processing and a protocol stack processor (e.g., Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Micro Processing Unit (MPU)) that performs control plane processing.

[0128] The processor 304 may include a digital beamformer module for beamforming. The digital beamformer module may include a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) encoder and a precoder.

[0129] Memory 305 is comprised of a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory may be, for example, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a combination thereof. Non-volatile memory may be Mask Read Only Memory (MROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or a hard disk drive, or any combination thereof. Memory 305 may also include storage located away from the processor 304. In this case, the processor 304 may access memory 305 via a network interface 303 or an I / O interface not shown.

[0130] The memory 305 may store one or more software modules (computer programs) containing instruction sets and data for performing processing by the RU device 20 as described in the above embodiments. In some implementations, the processor 304 may be configured to perform the processing of the RU device 20 as described in the above embodiments by reading and executing the software modules from the memory 305.

[0131] The antenna array 301 may correspond to the tx-array and rx-array described above.

[0132] <4> Figure 12 shows an example configuration of an SMO device. In the example in Figure 12, the SMO device 400 is implemented as a computer system. The computer system 400 includes one or more processors 401, memory 402, and mass storage 403, which communicate with each other via a bus 407. The one or more processors 401 may include, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) or both. The computer system 400 may also include other devices such as one or more output devices 404, one or more input devices 405, and one or more peripherals 406. The one or more peripherals 406 may include a modem or a network adapter, or any combination thereof.

[0133] One or both of the memory 402 and the mass storage 403 include a computer-readable medium storing one or more instruction sets. These instructions may be partially or completely located in the memory of one or more processors 401. When executed by one or more processors 401, these instructions cause one or more processors 401 to provide the functionality of the SMO device 30 described in the embodiments described above.

[0134] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present invention can be made within the scope of the invention as can be understood by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0135] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) RU (Radio Unit) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message contains information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be shut down, and Information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device are stopped. Including either one or both of the following: RU equipment. (Note 2) The aforementioned component includes at least one of a digital device section and an analog device section. The RU device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The digital device section includes at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface. The RU device described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) The aforementioned analog device section is a PA (Power Amplifier). The RU device described in Appendix 2. (Note 5) RU (Radio Unit) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The aforementioned RPC response message is: Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the power state of the RU device is sleeping, and Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. Including either one or both of the following: RU equipment. (Note 6) Lowering the voltage of the RU device means To reduce the antenna transmission power of the RU device, To stop the PA (Power Amplifier) ​​of the aforementioned RU device, and, To stop the power supply from the RU device to an external device connected to the RU device, including at least one of the following: The RU device described in Appendix 5. (Note 7) RU (Radio Unit) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message includes information indicating whether the RU device sends either or both of the following notifications: a Notification indicating that the state of tx / rx-array-carriers is Disabled when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and a Notification indicating that the state of tx / rx-array-carriers is Ready when the power-state of the RU device is awake. RU equipment. (Note 8) RU (Radio Unit) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message includes information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is Awake, the active parameter of tx / rx-array-carriers needs to be reset to Active by the RU control device. RU equipment. (Note 9) At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates an edit-config request. The RPC message contains configuration information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one of the components of the RU device should be stopped, and Setting information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be stopped. Including either one or both of the following: Control device. (Note 10) The aforementioned component includes at least one of a digital device section and an analog device section. The control device described in Appendix 9. (Note 11) The digital device section includes at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface. The control device described in Appendix 10. (Note 12) The aforementioned analog device section is a PA (Power Amplifier). The control device described in Appendix 10. (Note 13) At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates an edit-config request. The aforementioned RPC message is: Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. Including either one or both of the following: Control device. (Note 14) Lowering the voltage of the RU device means To reduce the antenna transmission power of the RU device, To stop the PA (Power Amplifier) ​​of the aforementioned RU device, and, To stop the power supply from the RU device to an external device connected to the RU device, Includes at least one of the The control device described in Appendix 13. (Note 15) A method performed on a Radio Unit (RU) device, Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The RPC response message contains information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be shut down, and Information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device are stopped. Including either one or both of the following: method. (Note 16) The aforementioned component includes at least one of a digital device section and an analog device section. The method described in Appendix 15. (Note 17) The digital device section includes at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface. The method described in Appendix 16. (Note 18) The aforementioned analog device section is a PA (Power Amplifier). The method described in Appendix 16. (Note 19) A method performed on a Radio Unit (RU) device, Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The aforementioned RPC response message is: Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the power state of the RU device is sleeping, and Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. Including either one or both of the following: method. (Note 20) Lowering the voltage of the RU device means To reduce the antenna transmission power of the RU device, To stop the PA (Power Amplifier) ​​of the aforementioned RU device, and, To stop the power supply from the RU device to an external device connected to the RU device, Includes at least one of the The method described in Appendix 19. (Note 21) A method performed on a Radio Unit (RU) device, Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The aforementioned RPC response message is: The information includes whether the RU device sends either or both of the following notifications: a notification indicating that the state of the tx / rx-array-carriers is Disabled when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and a notification indicating that the state of the tx / rx-array-carriers is Ready when the power-state of the RU device is awake. method. (Note 22) A method performed on a Radio Unit (RU) device, Receiving an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message from the RU control unit that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates retrieval (get or get-config), In response to the aforementioned RPC message, an RPC response (rpc-reply) message is transmitted to the RU control device. Includes, The RPC response message includes information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is Awake, the active parameter of tx / rx-array-carriers needs to be reset to Active by the RU control device. method. (Note 23) A method performed by a control device, This includes sending an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates configuration editing (edit-config), The RPC message contains configuration information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one of the components of the RU device should be stopped, and Setting information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be stopped. Including either one or both of the following: method. (Note 24) The aforementioned component includes at least one of a digital device section and an analog device section. The method described in Appendix 23. (Note 25) The digital device section includes at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface. The method described in Appendix 24. (Note 26) The aforementioned analog device section is a PA (Power Amplifier). The method described in Appendix 24. (Note 27) A method performed by a control device, This includes sending an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates configuration editing (edit-config), The aforementioned RPC message is: Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. Including either one or both of the following: method. (Note 28) Lowering the voltage of the RU device means To reduce the antenna transmission power of the RU device, To stop the PA (Power Amplifier) ​​of the aforementioned RU device, and, To stop the power supply from the RU device to an external device connected to the RU device, Includes at least one of the The method described in Appendix 27.

[0136] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-119669, filed on 27 July 2022, and incorporates all of its disclosures herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0137] 1 System 10 DU equipment 11 Control Unit (Control Device) 20RU equipment 21 Control Unit 30 SMO device< / error> < / ok> < / get> < / get> < / get> < / ok> < / get> < / get>

Claims

1. A Radio Unit (RU) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message contains information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one of the components of the RU device will be shut down, and Information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device are stopped. Including either one or both of the following: RU equipment.

2. The aforementioned component includes at least one of a digital device section and an analog device section. The RU device according to claim 1.

3. The digital device section includes at least one of the following: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), processor, and network interface. The RU device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned analog device section is a PA (Power Amplifier). The RU device according to claim 2.

5. A Radio Unit (RU) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The aforementioned RPC response message is: Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and Information indicating whether the voltage of the RU device can be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. Including either one or both of the following: RU equipment.

6. Lowering the voltage of the RU device means To reduce the antenna transmission power of the RU device, To stop the PA (Power Amplifier) ​​of the aforementioned RU device, and, To stop the power supply from the RU device to an external device connected to the RU device, including at least one of the following: The RU device according to claim 5.

7. A Radio Unit (RU) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message includes information indicating whether the RU device sends either or both of the following notifications: a Notification indicating that the state of tx / rx-array-carriers is Disabled when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and a Notification indicating that the state of tx / rx-array-carriers is Ready when the power-state of the RU device is awake. RU equipment.

8. A Radio Unit (RU) device, At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor is Based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol, an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating retrieval (get or get-config) is received from the RU control unit. In response to the RPC message, an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message is sent to the RU control device. The RPC response message includes information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is Awake, the active parameter of tx / rx-array-carriers needs to be reset to Active by the RU control device. RU equipment.

9. At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The at least one processor sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates an edit-config request. The RPC message contains configuration information indicating that when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one of the components of the RU device should be stopped, and Setting information indicating that when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED, the C / U (Control / User)-plane, S (Synchronization)-plane, M (Management)-plane, and at least one component of the RU device will be stopped. Including either one or both of the following: Control device.

10. At least one memory, At least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, Equipped with, The at least one processor sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU (Radio Unit) device that is based on the NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicates an edit-config request. The aforementioned RPC message is: Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the power-state of the RU device is sleeping, and Setting information indicating that the voltage of the RU device will be reduced when the value of the active parameter of the tx / rx-array-carriers of the RU device is SLEEP or DISABLED. Including either one or both of the following: Control device.

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