Slice level load reporting and balancing in wireless communications

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for providing effective slice-level load metrics reporting and load balancing are disclosed. In one example aspect, a wireless communication method includes transmitting, by a first network element, a request to a second network element requesting resource status at a slice level of a slice. The slice represents a logical network of a physical network infrastructure. The method also includes receiving, by the first network element, load information at the slice level from the second network element in response to the request.

Description

SEGMENT-LEVEL LOAD BALANCING AND REPORTING IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FIELD OF INVENTION This patent document is generally aimed at wireless communications. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Mobile communication technologies are moving the world toward an increasingly connected and networked society. The rapid growth of mobile communications and technological advancements have led to greater demand for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects, such as power consumption, device cost, spectral efficiency, and latency, are also important for meeting the needs of various communication scenarios. Several techniques are being discussed, including new ways to provide superior quality of service, longer battery life, and improved performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This patent document describes, among other things, techniques related to the provisioning of detailed segment-level load information between network elements in a wireless communication network to achieve segment-level load balancing. In one exemplary case, a wireless communication method is disclosed. The method involves transmitting, through a first network element, a request to a second network element requesting the status of a resource at the segment level. The segment represents a logical network within a physical network infrastructure. The method also involves receiving, through the first network element, load information at the segment level from the second network element in response to the request. In another exemplary aspect, a communication device is disclosed. The device includes a processor that is configured to implement a method described above. In another exemplary aspect, a computer program storage medium is disclosed. This computer program storage medium includes code stored within it. When executed by a processor, this code causes the processor to implement a described method. These and other aspects are described in this document. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a flowchart representation of a method for wireless communication according to the present technology. Figure 2 shows an exemplary procedure for initiating segment-level load measurements between network elements according to the present technology. Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary procedure for transferring load information at the segment level between network elements according to the present technology. Figure 4 shows an example of a wireless communication system where techniques can be applied according to one or more modalities of the present technology. Figure 5 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a radio station that can be applied according to one or more modalities of the present technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The section headings used in this document are solely for ease of use and do not limit the scope of the disclosed modalities and techniques in each section to only that section. Some features are described using the example of the Fifth Generation (5G) wireless protocol. However, the applicability of the disclosed techniques is not limited to 5G wireless systems alone. A self-organizing network (SON) is an automation technology designed to simplify and accelerate the planning, configuration, management, and optimization of mobile radio access networks. The functionality and behavior of SON have been defined and specified by organizations such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN). In particular, Mobility Load Balancing (MLB) is a key function of SON, enabling the network to distribute cell load evenly and offload users from one cell, carrier, or Radio Access Technology (RAT) to another. MLB can increase system capacity and improve the user experience. Furthermore, MLB can minimize human intervention in network management and manual optimization tasks. To enable effective MLB for New Radio (NR) communication systems, several load metrics have also been introduced. For example, in addition to cell-level load metrics in Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication systems, beam-level load metrics and network segment-level load metrics are introduced. Network segmentation is a network architecture that allows the multiplexing of virtualized logical networks on the same physical network infrastructure. A network segment is an isolated, end-to-end logical network tailored to meet the diverse requirements of a particular application. With network segmentation, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) can provide different service requirements to different customers through different segment types. In New Radio (NR) technology, new architectures and features have been introduced for the base station (also referred to as a gNB). For example, the interface between different gNBs is called the Xn interface, compared to the X2 interface between base stations in LTE communication systems (also referred to as eNBs). Furthermore, a gNB can be divided into two parts: a Central Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU). A gNB-CU can be further divided into two parts: a Control Plane (CP) CU and a User Plane (UP) CU. The interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU is called the F1 interface, while the interface between the gNB-CU-CP and the gNB-CU-UP is called the E1 interface. Segment-level load information can be used to indicate the status of a resource within a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) node (for example, on interface Xn) and minimize the impact of congested segments between NG-RAN nodes. The current NR specification outlines load reporting procedures for various interfaces, such as Xn, X2, E1, and F1. However, details regarding segment-level load metrics are not specified in the current NR standard. Specifically, details regarding the exchange of segment-level load information on interfaces Xn, F1, and / or E1 to support various scenarios, such as CU / DU splitting and CP-UP separation, are not specified in the current standard. This patent document discloses techniques that can be implemented in various ways to enable effective load metrics reporting and segment-level load balancing in NR communication systems. The disclosed techniques can be used to provide the load metrics necessary for effective load balancing in various scenarios, such as CU / DU splitting and / or CP-UP separation. Figure 1 is a flowchart representation of a method 100 for wireless communication according to the present technology. Method 100 includes, in operation 110, transmitting, through a first network element, a request to a second network element requesting the status of a resource at the segment level of a segment. The segment represents a logical network within a physical network infrastructure.Method 100 also includes, in operation 120, receiving, through the first network element, segment-level load information from the second network element in response to the request. In some modes, the network element may be a piece of telecommunications equipment (or a portion of telecommunications equipment) that performs network functions. In some modes, the network element may be a network function implemented on a hardware platform comprising a processor and a network interface (for example, as shown in Figure 5). In some modes, the network element may be geographically deployed at the same location as a base station. In some modes, the network element may be deployed in the core network at a location separate from a base station or cell tower. MA / a / 2U22 / UUO1 UI In some configurations, the method includes receiving, through the first network element, a response acknowledging the request before receiving load information from the second network element. In some configurations, the method also includes performing load balancing, through the first network element, of user devices communicating with the second network element based on load information at the segment level. In some embodiments, the first network element comprises at least one of the following: a control plane of a centralized unit, a centralized unit, or a base station. In some embodiments, the second network element comprises at least one of the following: a user plane of a centralized unit, a distributed unit, or a base station. In some modalities, load information is organized into dedicated and shared information. In some modalities, load information at the segment level comprises Single Network Segment Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI). In some modes, segment-level load information includes segment-level Physical Resource Block (PRB) usage. In some modes, segment-level PRB usage includes downlink and / or uplink PRB usage. In some modes, segment-level PRB usage includes at least one of the following: Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) PRB usage, non-GBR PRB usage, or total PRB usage. In some modes, segment-level PRB usage is omitted from load information when the first element is a control plane of a centralized unit and the second element is a user plane of a centralized unit. In some modes, segment-level load information includes segment-level carrier usage. In some modes, segment-level carrier usage comprises at least one of the following: number of carriers, or available carrier capacity. In some modes, a carrier for segment-level carrier usage comprises a Data Radio Carrier (DRB), a radio carrier associated with a Quality of Service (QoS) flow, or a radio carrier associated with a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session. In some modes, segment-level carrier usage is omitted from the load information if the first network element is a centralized unit and the second network element is a distributed unit. In some modes, segment-level load information includes the Transport Network Layer (TNL) capacity load indicator at the segment level. In some modes, segment-level load information includes connected Radio Resource Control (RRC) users at the segment level. As further described in this document, the methods described above allow for the reporting of effective load metrics and load balancing in various NR communication system scenarios. Some examples of the disclosed techniques are further described in the following exemplary modalities. Mode 1 Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary procedure for initiating segment-level load measurements between network elements according to the current technology. Network element 1 sends a request (e.g., a RESOURCE STATUS REQUEST message) to network element 2. In NR communication networks, network element 1 may be gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU, eNB, and / or gNB. Network element 2 may be gNB-CU-UP, gNB-DU, and / or gNB. The request may include information regarding the measurement objects, indicating the segment-level load information that needs to be measured by network element 2 and reported to network element 1. After receiving the request, network element 2 may send a reply message (e.g., a RESOURCE STATUS REPLY message) to network element 1, acknowledging receipt of the request. Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary procedure for transferring segment-level load information between network elements according to the present technology. After performing the necessary measurements, network element 2 transfers the requested segment-level load information to network element 1 in a third message (for example, an UPDATE RESOURCE STATUS message). The segment-level load information may include: Single Network Segment Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI), segment-level Physical Resource Block (PRB) usage, segment-level carrier usage, segment-level Transport Network Layer (TNL) capacity load indicator, and / or segment-level Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected users.In addition, load information can be divided into two parts: dedicated segment information that is dedicated to a particular segment and shared segment information that is shared among multiple segments. After receiving segment-level load information, network element 1 can perform load balancing accordingly. For example, network element 1 can offload certain User Equipment (UEs) from a first cell with a high segment load to a second cell with a low segment load within network element 2. As another example, the network element can offload all UEs from network element 2 to a different network element. Table 1 shows some exemplary parameters of segment-level load information. Table 1 Example of segment-level load information MA / a / zuzz / uuoi ui IE / Group Name Presence Range IE Type and Reference Semantic Description Segment Level Load 0 >Dedicated Segment Measurement Result List 0..1 »Dedicated Segment Measurement Result Item 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> »>S-NSSAI List 1 »»S-NSSAI Item 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> »»>S-NSSAI M »»>Segment Level 0 PRB Usage INTEGER (0..100) »»>Segment Level 0 Carrier Usage INTEGER (0..100) »>»Segment Level 0 RRC Connected Users INTEGER (0..100) >»»TNL Capacity Load Indicator 0 >Shared Segment Measurement Result List 0..1 »Segment Measurement Results Element 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentsIntoElements> »>Shared Segment Reservation List 1 »»Shared Segment Reservation Element 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentsIntoElements> »»>Shared Segment Reservation Name O There could be multiple shared segment reservations, which can be added or removed >>>>>Supported Shared SNSSAI List M Indicates which segment can use the shared resource. »»>Segment Level PRB Usage O INTEGER (0..100) »»>Segment Level Carrier Usage 0 INTEGER (0..100) >»»Segment Level RRC Connected Users 0 INTEGER (0..100) »»>TLN Capacity Load Indicator 0 Mode 2 A Physical Resource Block (PRB) is a resource unit related to the time domain, frequency domain, and / or subcarrier separation. PRB usage can be determined by network elements to provide segment-level load information that aids in subsequent load balancing. In some modalities, segment-level PRB usage for dedicated segment load information can be derived based on: segment-level PRB usage (dedicated) = actual amount of dedicated segment PRB used / total amount of dedicated segment PRB. In some modalities, segment-level PRB usage for shared segment load information can be derived based on: Segment-level (shared) PRB usage = actual amount of PRB used from shared segments / total amount of PRB from shared segments. For example, in a specific example, Cell A has a total of 100 PRBs as resources. There are three segments in Cell A: Segment 1, Segment 2, and Segments. The resources dedicated to Segment 1 include 30 PRBs, the resources dedicated to Segment 2 include 30 PRBs, and the resources dedicated to Segments include 30 PRBs. The resources shared by the three segments include 10 PRBs. Note that the shared resources can be allocated based on scheduling priorities. For example, Segment 1 has the highest priority and is scheduled for two PRBs out of the 10 shared PRBs. The other two segments have lower priorities and can only use the remaining 8 PRBs. Cell A is now communicating with two UEs: UE1 and UE2. UE1's subscribed services are associated with two segments: Segment 1 (with 10 PRBs) and Segment 2 (with 32 PRBs). UE2's subscribed services are associated with two segments: Segment 1 (with 5 PRBs) and Segments (with 25 PRBs). Therefore, in addition to dedicated resources, Segment 2 occupies 2 PRBs in shared resources. Based on the calculation of dedicated and shared segment PRB usage as shown above, the following results can be obtained: For dedicated segment PRB use, The use of PRB of Segmentol =(10+5) / 30=50%; The use of PRB of Segment2 =(32-2) / 30=100%; The use of PRB of Segments =25 / 30=83%. For shared segment PRB use, The use of PRB of Segmentol and Segments =0 / 10=0%; The use of PRB of Segment 2 = 2 / 10=20%. The general use of PRB = 2 / 10=20% Network elements can communicate the use of a given PRB in segment-level load information to assist in subsequent load balancing (e.g., offloading from UE1 to another cell). Table 2 shows some exemplary parameters of PRB usage information at the segment level. Table 2 Example of segment-level PRB usage information IE / Group Name Presence Range IE Type and Reference Semantic Description ELECTION Radio Resource Status Type M >ng-eNB »DL GBR PRB usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per cell DL GBR PRB usage »UL GBR PRB usage M INTEGER (□..100) Per cell UL GBR PRB usage »DL non-GBR PRB usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per cell DL non-GBR PRB usage »UL non-GBR PRB usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per cell UL non-GBR PRB usage »Total PRB DL usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per cell Total PRB DL usage »Total PRB UL usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per cell Total PRB UL usage >gNB »SSB Area Radio Resource Status List 1 >»Area Radio Resource Status Element 1..<maxnu mdeSSBAr eas> SSB »» SSB Index M INTEGER (0..63) »» SSB Area DL GBR PRB Usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per SSB Area DL GBR PRB Usage »» SSB Area UL GBR PRB Usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per SSB Area UL GBR PRB Usage »» SSB Area DL noGBR PRB Usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per SSB Area DL noGBR PRB Usage »» SSB Area UL noGBR PRB Usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per SSB Area UL noGBR PRB Usage »» Total SSB Area DL PRB Usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per SSB Area DL Total PRB Usage »» Total SSB Area UL PRB Usage M INTEGER (0..100) Per SSB Area UL Total PRB Usage »Usage of PDCCH CCE programming DL 0 INTEGER (0..100) » Using PDCCH CCE programming UL 0 INTEGER (0..100) Mode 3 In wireless communications, a carrier refers to a path that connects two or more points in the communication system to allow data traffic to continue. Carrier usage can also be provided in segment-level load information to aid in subsequent load balancing. A carrier can be a radio carrier related to a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session, a radio carrier related to a Quality of Service (QoS) flow, or a Data Radio Carrier (DRB). For example, segment-level carrier usage might include the number of radio carriers used and / or the carrier's Composite Available Capacity (CAC). Table 3 shows some exemplary parameters of segment-level carrier usage information. Table 3 Example of segment-level carrier usage information IE / Group Name Presence Range Number of Radio Carriers 0 BIT STRING (SIZE(24)) Available capacity composed of carrier 0 Mode 4 As discussed earlier, scenarios such as CU / DU splitting and CP-UP separation can occur when network element 1 is gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU, eNB, and / or gNB while network element 2 is gNB-CU-UP, gNB-DU, and / or gNB. Here are four exemplary scenarios: Scenario 1: Network Element 1 is eNB and Network Element 2 is gNB. In this scenario, the network elements communicate using the X2 interface. Scenario 2: Network Element 1 is gNB and Network Element 2 is gNB. In this scenario, the network elements communicate using the Xn interface. Scenario 3: Network Element 1 is gNB-CU and Network Element 2 is gNB-DU. In this scenario, the network elements communicate using interface F1. Scenario 4: Network Element 1 is gNB-CU-CP and Network Element 2 is gNB-CUUP. In this scenario, the network elements communicate using interface E1. In different scenarios, detailed parameters for segment-level load information can be provided. Table 4 shows exemplary parameters for segment-level load information that can be provided in scenarios 1 and 2. Table 4 Example parameters for segment-level load information IE / Group Name Presence Range IE Type and Reference Semantic Description Segment Level Load O >Dedicated Segment Measurement Results List 0..1 »Dedicated Segment Measurement Results Element 1 .. < maxSegmentNumberElement os> »>S-NSSAI List 1 »»SNSSAI Element 1 .. < maxSegmentNumberElement os> »»>S-NSSAI M »»>Segment Level PRB Usage O INTEGER (0..100) »»>Segment Level Carrier Usage 0 INTEGER (0..100) >»»Segment Level RRC Connected Users O INTEGER (0..100) >»»TNL Capacity Load Indicator 0 >Shared Segment Measurement Results List 0..1 »Segment Measurement Results Element 1 .. < maxSegmentNumberElement os> »>Shared segment reservation list 1 »»Shared Segment Reservation Element 1 .. <max SegmentElement number> »»>Shared Segment Reservation Name 0 There could be multiple shared segment reservations, which can be added or removed. »»>Supported Shared S-NSSAI List M Indicates which segment can use the shared resource. >»»Segment Level 0 PRB Usage INTEGER (0..100) »»>Segment Level O Carrier Usage INTEGER (0..100) >»»Segment Level 0 RRC Connected Users INTEGER (0..100) >»»TNL Capacity Load Indicator O In scenario 3, when information exchange is performed over the F1 interface (i.e., CU / DU split), there is no need to include carrier usage in the segment-level load information because split carriers are used. Table 5 shows exemplary parameters for segment-level load information that can be provided in scenario 3. ινΐΛ / a / zuzz / uuo i un Table 5 Example of parameters for load information at the segment level iviA / a / ¿u¿¿ / uuoi ui IE / Group Name Presence Range IE Type and Reference Semantic Description Segment Level Load O >Dedicated Segment Measurement Result List 0..1 »Dedicated Segment Measurement Result Element 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> >»S-NSSAI List 1 »»SNSSAI Element 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> »»>S-NSSAI M »»>Segment Level PRB Usage O INTEGER (0..100) >»»TNL Capacity Load Indicator 0 >Shared Segment Measurement Result List 0..1 »Segment Measurement Result Element 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> >»Shared Segment Reservation List 1 »»Reservation element of 1 .. < maxnumberofSegmentElements> Shared segments »»>Shared segment reservation name 0 There could be multiple shared segment reservations, which can be added or removed >>>>>Supported shared S-NSSAI list M Indicates which segment can use the shared resource. »»>Segment Level PRB Usage OR INTEGER (0..100) >»»TLN Capacity Load Indicator 0 In scenario 4, when information exchange is performed over the E1 interface (i.e., CP-UP separation), there is no need to include PRB usage in the segment-level load information. Table 6 shows an example of detailed parameters for the segment-level load information required in scenario 4. ινΐΛ / a / zuzz / uuo iui Table 6 Example of parameters for load information at the segment level iviA / a / ¿u¿¿ / uuoi ui IE / Group Name Presence Range IE Type and Reference Semantic Description Segment Level Load O >Dedicated Segment Measurement Result List 0..1 »Dedicated Segment Measurement Result Item 1 <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> »>S-NSSAI List 1 »»S-NSSAI Item 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> »»>S-NSSAI M »»>Segment Level Carrier Usage O INTEGER (0..100) >»»TLN Capacity Load Indicator 0 >Shared Segment Measurement Result List 0..1 »Segment Measurement Result Item 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> »>Shared Segment Reservation List 1 »»Shared Segment Reservation Element 1 .. <maxNumberOfSegmentElements> »»>Shared Segment Reservation Name O There could be multiple shared segment reservations, which can be added or removed. »»>Supported Shared S-NSSAI List M Indicates which segment can use the shared resource. »»>Segment Level Carrier Usage O INTEGER (0..100) »»>TLN Capacity Load Indicator O Figure 4 shows an example of a 400 wireless communication system where techniques can be applied according to one or more modalities of this technology. A 400 wireless communication system may include one or more 405a, 405b base stations (BSs), one or more 410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d wireless devices, and a 425 core network. A 405a, 405b base station may provide wireless service to 410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d wireless devices in one or more wireless sectors. In some implementations, a 405a, 405b base station includes directional antennas to produce two or more directional beams to provide wireless coverage in different sectors. The 425 core network can communicate with one or more 405a and 405b base stations. The 425 core network provides connectivity with other wireless and wired communication systems. The core network may include one or more service subscription databases to store information related to subscribed 410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d wireless devices. A first 405a base station can provide wireless service based on a first radio access technology, while a second 405b base station can provide wireless service based on a second radio access technology. The 405a and 405b base stations can be co-located or separately deployed in the field, depending on the deployment scenario. The 410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d wireless devices can support multiple different radio access technologies.The techniques and methods described in this document can be implemented by the base stations of wireless devices described in this document. Figure 5 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a radio station that can be implemented according to one or more modalities of the present technology. A network element can be implemented as a radio station 505, such as a base station (eNB, gNB, gNB-CU, gNB-DU, gNB-CU-CP, and / or gNB-CU-UP), which may include processor electronics 510, such as a microprocessor implementing one or more of the wireless techniques presented herein. The radio station 605 may include transceiver electronics 515 for sending and / or receiving wireless signals over one or more communication interfaces, such as the antenna 520. The radio station 505 may include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. The radio station 505 may include one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information such as data and / or instructions.In some implementations, the processor electronics 510 may include at least a portion of the transceiver electronics 515. In some configurations, at least some of the disclosed techniques, modules, or functions are implemented using radio station 505. In some configurations, radio station 505 may be configured to execute the methods described herein. It will be appreciated that this document discloses techniques that can be incorporated in various ways to provide relevant details regarding segment-level load information to enable the reporting of effective load metrics and load balancing. The disclosed and other methods, modules, and functional operations described in this document can be implemented in digital electronic circuits, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this document and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other methods can be implemented as one or more computer program products, that is, one or more computer program instruction modules encoded in a computer-readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, the data processing apparatus.A computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a material composition that affects a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more of these. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatuses, devices, and machines for processing data, including, for example, a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus may include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question; for example, code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of these.A propaganda signal is an artificially generated signal, for example, a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, which is generated to encode information for transmission to a suitable receiving device. A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit convenient for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (for example, one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program, or in multiple coordinated files (for example, files that store one or more modules, subprograms, or code snippets).A computer program can be deployed to run on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. The processes and logic flows described in this document can be executed by one or more programmable processors running one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be executed by, and the device can also be implemented as, a special-purpose logic circuit, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIO (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Processors suitable for running a computer program include, for example, general-purpose and special-purpose processors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from read-only memory, random-access memory, or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor to execute instructions and one or more memory devices to store instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or may be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer does not necessarily need to have such devices.Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including, by way of example, semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs. The processor and memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated into, special-purpose logic circuits. Although this patent document contains many specific points, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of any invention or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Some features described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, several features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.Furthermore, although features may be described as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features of a claimed combination may in some cases be removed from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. Similarly, although operations are shown in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all the illustrated operations be performed, to achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the modalities described in this patent document should not be construed as requiring such separation in all modalities. Only a few implementations and examples are described, and other implementations, improvements, and variations may be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, characterized in that it comprises: transmitting, through a first network element, a request to a second network element requesting the status of a resource at a segment level, wherein the segment represents a logical network of a physical network infrastructure; wherein the first network element comprises at least one control plane of a centralized unit, a centralized unit, or a base station, and wherein the second network element comprises at least one user plane of a centralized unit, a distributed unit, or a base station; receiving, through the first network element, load information at the segment level from the second network element in response to the request; and performing, through the first network element, load balancing with the second network element based on the load information at the segment level.

2. A method for wireless communication, characterized in that it comprises: receiving, through a second network element, a request from a first network element requesting the status of resources at a segment level of a segment, wherein the segment represents a logical network of a physical network infrastructure, wherein the first network element comprises at least one of: a control plane of a centralized unit, a centralized unit, or a base station, and wherein the second network element comprises at least one of: a user plane of a centralized unit, a distributed unit, or a base station; and transmitting, through the second network element, load information at the segment level to the first network element in response to the request to enable the first network element to perform load balancing with the second network element based on the load information at the segment level.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the load information at the segment level comprises segment-level Physical Resource Block usage.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the use of PRB at the segment level comprises the use of downlink PRB and / or the use of uplink PRB.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the segment-level PRB usage comprises at least one of: MA / a / ZUZZ / UUOl Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) PRB usage, non-GBR PRB usage, or total PRB usage.

6. The method according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the use of PRB at the segment level is omitted from the load information in the case where the first element is a control plane of a centralized unit and the second element is a user plane of a centralized unit.

7. The method according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the segment-level load information comprises the use of segment-level carrier.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the segment-level carrier usage comprises at least one of: number of carriers, or available carrier composite capacity.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that a carrier for segment-level carrier use comprises a Data Radio Carrier (DRB), a radio carrier associated with a Quality of Service (QoS) stream, or a radio carrier associated with a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session.

10. The method according to any of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the use of segment-level carrier is omitted from the load information in the case where the first network element is a centralized unit and the second network element is a distributed unit.

11. The method according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the segment-level load information comprises a segment-level Transport Network Layer (TNL) capacity load indicator.

12. The method according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the segment-level load information comprises segment-level connected Radio Resource Control (RRC) users.

13. A communication apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a processor configured to implement a method mentioned in any of claims 1 to 12.

14. A computer program product having code stored therein, the code, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method recited in any or more of claims 1 to 12.