Control device, RU device, and method

Abstract

Provided is a control device in which an estimation unit estimates the power consumption of an RU device to be controlled by the control device. A control unit switches on or off an energy-saving (ES) mode of the RU device on the basis of the power consumption of the RU device to be controlled, the amount of which has been estimated by the estimation unit.

Description

Control device, RU device, and method

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

[0002] In recent years, radio access networks have been adopted that separate the baseband and radio sections of base stations and connect them via a fronthaul. The O-RAN (Open-Radio Access Network) fronthaul specifications established by the O-RAN Alliance define the fronthaul specifications between the O-RU (O-RAN Radio Unit), which corresponds to the radio section, and the O-DU (O-RAN Distributed Unit), which corresponds to the baseband section. One of the goals of the O-RAN fronthaul specifications is to facilitate the connection of O-RUs from different vendors to O-DUs, thereby realizing multi-vendor radio access networks. Note that the O-DU may also be simply referred to as the DU. The O-RU may also be simply referred to as the RU.

[0003] Non-Patent Document 1 defines specifications for the M (Management) Plane, which is defined to transmit management data between the O-RU and the O-DU. The M-Plane provides management functions for the O-RU. In the M-Plane, the O-DU or the SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) is defined as the device that manages the O-RU. The O-RU to be managed corresponds to the NETCONF server, and the device that manages (controls) the O-RU (RU control device) corresponds to the 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 a change in the power state of an O-RU. When the power state is AWAKE, the O-RU performs normal operation (operation other than ES mode (Energy saving mode)), and when the power state is SLEEPING, the O-RU operates in Energy saving mode. The power state of the O-RU is changed when the RU control device sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating configuration edit (edit-config) to the O-RU. In other words, a change in the power state of the O-RU is usually triggered by the RU control device.

[0005] In the O-RAN Alliance RAN architecture, the RIC (RAN Intelligence Controller) is defined as a logical node that designs and configures base station parameters and automates and optimizes operations in order to realize intelligent network operations using AI (Artificial Intelligence) / ML (Machine Learning) (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

[0006] O-RAN.WG4.MP.0-R003-v12.00, “O-RAN Working Group 4 (Open Fronthaul Interfaces WG) Management Plane Specification”, June 2023 O-RAN.WG1.OAD-R003-v09.00, “O-RAN Working Group 1 (Use Cases and Overall Architecture)O-RAN Architecture Description”, June 2023

[0007] It is being considered to control the on / off of the ES mode of an RU in a very short control period, such as a few microseconds or a few milliseconds. Currently, the M-Plane specifies that statistical information, such as the RU's power consumption and the number of data packets transmitted from the DU to the RU and received by the RU, is reported from the RU to the DU. However, this statistical information is reported every few minutes, or at the shortest, every few seconds or tens of seconds. For this reason, even if this statistical information is used, it may not be possible to flexibly control the ES mode of an RU.

[0008] One of the objectives to be achieved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification is to provide a control device, an RU device, and a method that contribute to solving at least one of the problems, including the problems described above. It should be noted that this objective is only one of the objectives to be achieved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification. Other objectives or objectives and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification or the accompanying drawings.

[0009] In one aspect, the control device includes: an estimation unit that estimates the power consumption of the RU device; and a control unit that switches the ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated power consumption.

[0010] In another aspect, a Radio Unit (RU) device includes a control unit that receives a command indicating turning on or off an Energy Saving (ES) mode of the RU device and controls sending a response message to the command, wherein the response message includes information about actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on.

[0011] In another aspect, a method performed by a control device includes estimating power consumption of a RU device; and switching an energy saving (ES) mode of the RU device on or off based on the estimated power consumption.

[0012] In another aspect, a method performed by a Radio Unit (RU) device includes: receiving a command indicating to turn on or off an Energy Saving (ES) mode of the RU device; and transmitting a response message to the command, wherein the response message includes information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on.

[0013] The present disclosure can provide a control device, an RU device, and a method that contribute to solving at least one of multiple problems, including the problems described above.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system of the present disclosure. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a control device of the present disclosure. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of an RU device of the present disclosure. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing operations of a DU device and an RU device of the present disclosure. 5 is a block diagram showing another example of a control device of the present disclosure. 6 is a block diagram showing another example of a control device of the present disclosure. 7 is a block diagram showing another example of an RU device of the present disclosure. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing operations of a DU device and an RU device of the present disclosure. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DU device. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an RU device.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings may relate to one or more embodiments. Furthermore, each element in the drawings may apply to one or more embodiments. Furthermore, in the embodiments, identical or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0016] The multiple embodiments described below can be implemented independently or in appropriate combination. These multiple embodiments have different novel features. Therefore, these multiple embodiments contribute to solving different purposes or problems and to achieving different effects.

[0017] The following embodiments are described mainly for a control device, a DU device, and an RU device that comply with the O-RAN technical specifications, but these embodiments may also be applied to other systems that support technologies similar to those of the control device, the DU device, and the RU device.

[0018] As used herein, depending on the context, "if" may be interpreted to mean "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 to have the same meaning, depending on the context.

[0019] First, related art will be described, and the respective embodiments are based on these arts. In other words, these arts can be incorporated into the respective embodiments.

[0020] (Protocols) 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 transmits signals used in eCPRI or RoE (Radio over Ethernet) directly over Ethernet, and an optional protocol stack that transmits via UDP (User Datagram Protocol) / IP. S (Synchronization)-Plane is a protocol for achieving synchronization between devices. S-Plane supports a protocol stack that transmits signals used in PTP (Precision Time Protocol) and SyncE (Synchronous Ethernet) over Ethernet. M (Management)-Plane is a protocol that handles 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 Ethernet / IP / TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / TLS (Transport Layer Security).

[0021] (Logical Architecture) The O-RAN (Open-Radio Access Network) Alliance adopts a configuration in which the RAN's communication processing functions can be separated into three components: the Radio Unit (RU), the Distributed Unit (DU), and the Central Unit (CU). It also defines the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), a platform that optimizes radio resource management and automates operations, and the Service Management and Orchestration (SMO), a framework for RAN maintenance and orchestration. The RU and DU are connected via an open fronthaul. CUS / M-Plane signals are transmitted over this open fronthaul between the RU and DU. Alternatively, the RU and SMO may be connected via an open fronthaul, and M-Plane signals may be transmitted over this open fronthaul. Even in this case, CUS-Plane signals are transmitted over the open fronthaul between the RU and DU. The DU and SMO are connected via an O1 interface. The CU and SMO are also connected via an O1 interface. The RU to be managed corresponds to a NETCONF server, and the device that manages (controls) the RU (RU control device) corresponds to a NETCONF client. The NETCONF client may be located in a DU or an SMO.

[0022] <System Configuration Example> Next, an example of a system configuration common to multiple embodiments will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system according to the present disclosure. In Fig. 1, system 1 includes a DU device and an RU device.

[0023] The DU device may be a logical node that performs functions in the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer, as well as functions above the physical layer, or may be a physical device that includes such logical nodes. The functions above the physical layer may include, for example, encoding and modulation processing, and decoding and demodulation processing. The functions in the PDCP layer may be performed in a logical node called a Central Unit (CU) (not shown).

[0024] The RU device may be a logical node that performs PHY-Low and RF (Radio Frequency) processing, or a physical device that includes this logical node. The PHY-Low functions may include, for example, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) / Inverse FFT (IFFT) processing, Beam Forming (BF) processing, etc.

[0025] In Fig. 1, the DU device has a control device. Also in Fig. 1, the DU device and the RU device are connected via an open fronthaul. This open fronthaul can transmit CUS-Plane signals and M-Plane signals. This control device may have the function of, for example, a RAN (Radio Access Network) Intelligent Controller (RIC), in particular, a Near-RT (Real Time) RIC.

[0026] First Embodiment The system configuration may be the same as the example shown in FIG.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a control device according to the present disclosure. In Fig. 2, the control device 10 includes an estimation unit 11 and a control unit 12. The control device 10 may be included in a DU device, as shown in Fig. 1. The control device 10 may have, for example, the function of a Near-RT RIC. In other words, the control device 10 may be a Near-RT RIC.

[0028] The estimation unit 11 estimates the power consumption of the RU device, which is the target of control by the control device 10. For example, the estimation unit 11 may estimate the power consumption of the RU device based on the amount of data transmitted from the DU device (control device 10) to the RU device. For example, the estimation unit 11 maintains a correlation between the amount of transmitted data packets and the amount of power consumption of the RU device. The estimation unit 11 may then estimate the expected amount of power consumption of the RU device based on the expected amount of transmitted data packets transmitted from the DU device (control device 10) to the RU device and the above correlation. Furthermore, the above correlation may be a mathematical formula expressing the correlation between the amount of transmitted data packets and the amount of power consumption of the RU device. That is, the estimation unit 11 estimates the expected amount of power consumption of the RU device using parameters for estimating power consumption (e.g., coefficients and constants in the above mathematical formula). For example, the estimation unit 11 periodically estimates the power consumption of the RU device according to a control period on the order of microseconds or milliseconds.

[0029] Furthermore, for example, the estimation unit 11 may estimate the power consumption of the RU device based on the amount of data transmitted from the RU device to the DU device (control device 10), i.e., the amount of data transmitted from the RU device and received by the DU device (control device 10). For example, the estimation unit 11 maintains a correlation between the amount of received data packets and the amount of power consumption of the RU device. The estimation unit 11 may then estimate the amount of power consumption of the RU device based on the amount of received data packets transmitted to the RU device and received by the DU device (control device 10) and the above correlation. Furthermore, the above correlation may be a mathematical formula expressing the correlation between the amount of received data packets and the amount of power consumption of the RU device. That is, the estimation unit 11 estimates the power consumption of the RU device using parameters for estimating power consumption (e.g., coefficients and constants in the above mathematical formula). For example, the estimation unit 11 periodically estimates the power consumption of the RU device according to a control period on the order of microseconds or milliseconds.

[0030] Note that this correlation may differ for each RU device. Therefore, each RU device may transmit information indicating this correlation (e.g., parameters indicating the coefficients, constants, etc. of the above formula) to the control device 10. When estimating the power consumption of each RU device, the estimation unit 11 may use the correlation indicated by information transmitted in advance by the corresponding RU device (e.g., coefficients, constants, etc. indicated by the transmitted parameters).

[0031] In other words, each RU device may transmit information that enables flexible control of the ES mode of the RU device (e.g., information that enables periodic estimation of the power consumption of the RU device according to a control period on the order of microseconds or milliseconds) to the control device 10. The estimation unit 11 may use the transmitted information to periodically estimate the power consumption of each RU device according to a control period on the order of microseconds or milliseconds, for example.

[0032] The control unit 12 switches the ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device estimated by the estimation unit 11. For example, the control unit 12 may switch the ES mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device and a threshold. For example, the control unit 12 may control the ES mode of the RU device to be turned on when the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device is smaller than the threshold. At this time, the control unit 12 may, for example, perform control to send a command indicating that the ES mode is to be turned on to the RU device. The control unit 12 may send this command to the RU device using the C (Control) Plane. This command may be a "sleep command." Furthermore, for example, the control unit 12 may control the ES mode of the RU device to be turned off when the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device is equal to or greater than a threshold. At this time, the control unit 12 may, for example, perform control to send a command indicating that the ES mode is to be turned off to the RU device. The control unit 12 may send this command to the RU device using the C (Control) Plane. This command may be a "wake-up command."

[0033] In addition, the control unit 12 may include information about the state of the RU device in the ES mode in the command indicating that the ES mode is to be turned on. The information about the state of the RU device in the ES mode may include, for example, information about the parts of the RU device that will be shut down.

[0034] The RU equipment components may include a digital device unit, an analog device unit, or both. The digital device unit may be at least one of the RU equipment's field programmable gate array (FPGA), complex programmable logic device (CPLD), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), processor, and network interface. The analog device unit may be a power amplifier (PA) and / or antenna element. When the RU equipment is in ES mode, some or all of the multiple antenna elements of the RU equipment 20 may be powered off. The control device 10 may instruct the RU equipment as to which antenna elements should be put into a sleep state.

[0035] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the estimation unit 11 in the control device 10 estimates the power consumption of the RU device that is the control target of the control device 10. The control unit 12 switches the ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device that is the control target estimated by the estimation unit 11.

[0036] This configuration of the control device 10 allows the ES mode of the RU device to be switched on and off based on the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device estimated by the control device 10, so that the ES mode of the RU device can be switched on and off in a control period shorter than the reporting period of statistical information by the M-Plane described above. In other words, the control device 10 can flexibly control the on and off switching of the ES mode of the RU device.

[0037] The control unit 12 may switch the ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device to be controlled estimated by the estimation unit 11 and other information. The other information may be, for example, information related to an actual transmission / reception request.

[0038] Second Embodiment Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of an RU device according to the present disclosure. In Fig. 3, an RU device 20 includes a control unit 21.

[0039] The control unit 21 receives a command indicating to turn on or off the ES mode of the RU device 20. Then, the control unit 21 transmits a response message in response to the received command. The response message may include information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned on. Alternatively, the response message may include information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned off. Alternatively, the response message may include both information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned on and information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned off. The command and the response message may be transmitted using the C-Plane.

[0040] As described above, the command indicating that the ES mode is to be turned on may be a sleep command. In this case, the response message may be a "ready" message. This "ready" message may be a message indicating to the DU device (control device 10) that the RU device 20 is to turn on the ES mode. In other words, the "ready" message may be an ACK (ACKnowledgement) message in response to the sleep command.

[0041] Also, as described above, the command indicating that the ES mode should be turned off may be a wake-up command. In this case, the response message may be a "ready" message. This "ready" message may be a message indicating to the DU device (control device 10) that the RU device 20 should turn off the ES mode. In other words, the "ready" message may be an ACK message in response to the wake-up command.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing operations of the DU device and RU device of the present disclosure.

[0043] The DU device (control device 10) transmits a command to the RU device 20 indicating that the ES mode of the RU device 20 is to be turned on or off (step S11).

[0044] The RU device 20 transmits a response message to the DU device (control device 10) in response to the command from the DU device (control device 10) (step S12). The response message may include information about the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned on.

[0045] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the control unit 21 in the RU device 20 receives a command indicating to turn on or off the ES mode of the RU device 20. Then, the control unit 21 transmits a response message in response to the received command. The response message includes information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned on.

[0046] This configuration of the RU device 20 makes it possible to feed back information about the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 to the DU device (control device 10) at a shorter period than the reporting period of statistical information by the M-Plane described above.

[0047] Third Embodiment Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing another example of a control device according to the present disclosure. In Fig. 5, a control device 30 includes an estimation unit 31, a control unit 32, and a receiving unit 33.

[0048] Similar to the estimation unit 11, the estimation unit 31 estimates the power consumption of the RU device 20 that is the control target of the control device 30. Similar to the control unit 12, the control unit 32 switches the ES mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device 20 that is the control target estimated by the estimation unit 31.

[0049] The receiving unit 33 receives a response message to the above command. As described above, this response message includes information about the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned on. The command and the response message are transmitted using the C-Plane.

[0050] The estimation unit 31 updates (adjusts) the value of a parameter for estimating power consumption based on information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20. This parameter may be, for example, the amount of power consumption per unit amount of data transmitted from the DU device (control device 30) to the RU device 20. In this case, the information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 included in the response message may be the amount of power consumption per unit amount of data for data actually transmitted from the DU device (control device 30) to the RU device 20 and received by the RU device 20.

[0051] Then, the estimation unit 31 uses the updated parameter values ​​to estimate the power consumption of the RU device 20. Then, the control unit 32 switches the ES mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated power consumption of the RU device 20 to be controlled estimated by the estimation unit 31.

[0052] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the receiving unit 33 in the control device 30 receives a response message to the above command. The response message includes information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 after the ES mode is turned on. The information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20 included in the response message may be the power consumption per unit data amount for data actually transmitted from the DU device (control device 30) to the RU device 20 and received by the RU device 20. The estimating unit 31 updates (adjusts) the values ​​of parameters for estimating power consumption based on the information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 20.

[0053] This configuration of the control device 30 allows the control device 30 to update (adjust) the values ​​of parameters for estimating power consumption based on information about the actual power consumption of the RU device 20, which is fed back from the RU device 20 at a shorter cycle than the reporting cycle of statistical information by the M-Plane. This improves the accuracy of power consumption estimation. As a result, the control device 30 can accurately control the on / off switching of the ES mode of the RU device.

[0054] In the second embodiment, the DU device (control device) acquires information about the actual power consumption of the RU device via the C-Plane, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the DU device (control device) may acquire information about the actual power consumption of the RU device via the M-Plane.

[0055] 6 is a block diagram showing another example of a control device according to the present disclosure. In FIG. 6, a control device 40 includes an estimation unit 41, a control unit 42, and a receiving unit 43.

[0056] Similar to the estimation unit 11, the estimation unit 41 estimates the power consumption of the RU device 50 that is the control target of the control device 40. Similar to the control unit 12, the control unit 42 switches the ES mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated amount of power consumption of the RU device 50 that is the control target estimated by the estimation unit 41.

[0057] The control unit 42 also transmits an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message indicating acquisition (get) (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "first request message") to the RU device 50. The control unit 42 corresponds to a NETCONF client. The first request message may include, for example, "request information" indicating a request to the RU device 50 to transmit a first response message including "requested information." The "requested information" may be information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 50 after the ES mode is turned on.

[0058] The receiving unit 43 receives a first response message including information on the request target transmitted from the RU device 50. The first response message includes, for example, information on the actual power consumption of the RU device 50 after the ES mode is turned on. The first response message is an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message transmitted from the RU device 50 in response to the first request message.

[0059] The estimation unit 41 updates (adjusts) the value of a parameter for estimating power consumption based on information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 50. This parameter may be, for example, the amount of power consumption per unit amount of data transmitted from the DU device (control device 40) to the RU device 50. In this case, the information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 50 included in the response message may be the amount of power consumption per unit amount of data for data actually transmitted from the DU device (control device 40) to the RU device 50 and received by the RU device 50.

[0060] The estimation unit 41 then uses the updated parameter values ​​to estimate the power consumption of the RU device 50. The control unit 42 then switches the ES mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated power consumption of the RU device 50 that is the control target estimated by the estimation unit 41.

[0061] 7 is a block diagram showing another example of an RU device according to the present disclosure. In FIG. 7, an RU device 50 includes a control unit 51.

[0062] The control unit 51 receives the first request message. Then, the control unit 51 transmits a first response message in response to the first request message. For example, the control unit 51 generates a first response message including requested information based on the request information of the first request message. The requested information may be information regarding the actual power consumption of the RU device 50 after the ES mode is turned on. For example, the requested information may be the power consumption per unit data amount for data actually transmitted from the DU device (control device 40) to the RU device 50 and received by the RU device 50. Then, the control unit 51 transmits the first response message to the DU device (control device 40). The control unit 51 corresponds to a NETCONF server.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing operations of the DU device and RU device of the present disclosure.

[0064] The control device 40 (NETCONF client) transmits an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message (first request message) indicating acquisition (get) to the RU device 50 (step S21).

[0065] In response to the first message, the RU device 50 transmits an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message (first reply message) to the control device 11 (step S22).

[0066] <Other Embodiments> <1> FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a control device. In FIG. 9, the control device 100 includes a processor 101 and a memory 102. The control devices 10, 30, and 40 may have the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9. The processor 101 may be, for example, a microprocessor, a microprocessing unit (MPU), or a central processing unit (CPU). The processor 101 may include multiple processors. The memory 102 is configured by a combination of volatile memory and nonvolatile memory. The memory 102 may include multiple physically independent memory devices. The volatile memory may be, for example, static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a combination thereof. The nonvolatile memory may be, for example, 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 remotely from the processor 101. In this case, the processor 101 may access the memory 102 via an I (Input) / O (Output) interface (not shown).

[0067] The memory 102 may store one or more software modules (computer programs) including instructions and data for performing processing by the control devices 10, 30, and 40 described in the above-described embodiments. In some implementations, the processor 101 may be configured to read and execute the software modules from the memory 102, thereby performing processing by the control devices 10, 30, and 40 described in the above-described embodiments.

[0068] <2> Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DU device. In Fig. 10, a device 200 includes a network interface 201, a processor 202, and a memory 203. The DU device described in the above embodiment may have the configuration shown in Fig. 10.

[0069] The network interface 201 is used to communicate with, for example, network elements (e.g., the SMO device 30, other RAN nodes), and may include, for example, a network interface card (NIC) compliant with the IEEE 802.3 series.

[0070] The processor 202 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU, or a CPU. The processor 202 may include multiple processors.

[0071] The memory 203 is composed of volatile memory and nonvolatile memory. The memory 203 may include multiple physically independent memory devices. The volatile memory is, for example, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a combination thereof. The nonvolatile memory is, for example, Mask Read Only Memory (MROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or a hard disk drive, or any combination thereof. The memory 203 may include storage located remotely from the processor 202. In this case, the processor 202 may access the memory 203 via the network interface 201 or an I / O interface.

[0072] The memory 203 may store one or more software modules (computer programs) including instructions and data for performing the processes of the DU device described in the above embodiments. In some implementations, the processor 202 may be configured to read and execute the software modules from the memory 203 to perform the processes of the DU device described in the above embodiments.

[0073] <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 a memory 305. The RU device 20, 50 may have the configuration shown in Figure 11. The RF transceiver 302 performs analog RF signal processing to communicate with UEs (User Equipments). The RF transceiver 302 may include multiple transceivers. The RF transceiver 302 is coupled to 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 provides the transmit RF signal to the antenna array 301. The RF transceiver 302 also generates a baseband receive signal based on the receive RF signal received by the antenna array 301 and provides the baseband receive signal to the processor 304. The RF transceiver 302 may include an analog beamformer circuit for beamforming. The analog beamformer circuitry includes, for example, multiple phase shifters and multiple power amplifiers.

[0074] The network interface 303 is used to communicate with network nodes (eg, the DU 10 and the SMO 30). The network interface 303 may include, for example, a network interface card (NIC) that complies with the IEEE 802.3 series.

[0075] The processor 304 performs digital baseband signal processing (data plane processing) and control plane processing for wireless communication. The processor 304 may include multiple processors. For example, the processor 304 may include a modem processor (e.g., a Digital Signal Processor (DSP)) that performs digital baseband signal processing and a protocol stack processor (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a Micro Processing Unit (MPU)) that performs control plane processing.

[0076] The processor 304 may include a digital beamformer module for beamforming, which may include a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) encoder and precoder.

[0077] The memory 305 is configured by a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The volatile memory is, for example, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), or a combination thereof. The non-volatile memory is, for example, Mask Read Only Memory (MROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or a hard disk drive, or any combination thereof. The memory 305 may include storage located remotely from the processor 304. In this case, the processor 304 may access the memory 305 via the network interface 303 or an I / O interface (not shown).

[0078] The memory 305 may store one or more software modules (computer programs) including instructions and data for performing the processes of the RU device 20, 50 described in the above-described embodiments. In some implementations, the processor 304 may be configured to read and execute the software modules from the memory 305 to perform the processes of the RU device 20, 50 described in the above-described embodiments.

[0079] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0080] Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Supplementary Note 1) A control device comprising: an estimation unit that estimates power consumption of an RU device; and a control unit that switches an ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device on or off based on the estimated power consumption. (Supplementary Note 2) The control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the control unit transmits a command to the RU device indicating that the ES mode is to be turned on or off. (Supplementary Note 3) The control device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the control unit transmits the command using a C (Control) Plane. (Supplementary Note 4) The control device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the command includes information regarding the state of the RU device in the ES mode. (Supplementary Note 5) The control device according to Supplementary Note 4, wherein the information regarding the state of the RU device in the ES mode includes information regarding components of the RU device that are to be shut down. (Supplementary Note 6) The control device according to any one of Supplements 2 to 5, wherein the estimation unit calculates the power consumption using parameters for estimating the power consumption. (Supplementary Note 7) The control device according to Supplementary Note 6, further comprising a receiving unit that receives a response message to the command, the response message including information related to actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on. (Supplementary Note 8) The control device according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the estimating unit updates the value of the parameter based on the information related to the actual power consumption. (Supplementary Note 9) The control device according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the parameter includes power consumption per unit data amount transmitted from the control device to the RU device, and the information related to actual power consumption includes power consumption per unit data amount for data actually transmitted from the control device to the RU device and received by the RU device.(Supplementary Note 10) The control device according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the control unit sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU device based on NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) and indicating acquisition (get or get-config), and the control device further includes a receiving unit that receives an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message sent from the RU device in response to the RPC message, and the RPC reply message includes information on actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on by the command. (Supplementary Note 11) The control device according to Supplementary Note 10, wherein the estimating unit updates the value of the parameter based on the information on the actual power consumption. (Supplementary Note 12) The control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the control device is a Near-RT (Real Time) RIC (RAN (Radio Access Network) Intelligent Controller). (Supplementary Note 13) An RU (Radio Unit) device comprising: a control unit that receives a command indicating that an ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device is to be turned on or off, and that controls transmission of a response message in response to the command, wherein the response message includes information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on. (Supplementary Note 14) The RU device according to Supplementary Note 13, wherein the command and the response message are transmitted via a C (Control) Plane. (Supplementary Note 15) A method executed by a control unit, comprising: estimating power consumption of the RU device; and switching on / off the ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device based on the estimated power consumption. (Supplementary Note 16) The method according to Supplementary Note 15, wherein switching on / off the ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device includes transmitting a command to the RU device indicating that the ES mode is to be turned on or off. (Supplementary Note 17) The method according to Supplementary Note 16, wherein the command is transmitted using a C (Control) Plane.(Supplementary Note 18) The method of Supplementary Note 17, wherein the command includes information about the state of the RU equipment in the ES mode. (Supplementary Note 19) The method of Supplementary Note 18, wherein the information about the state of the RU equipment in the ES mode includes information about parts of the RU equipment to be shut down. (Supplementary Note 20) The method of any one of Supplements 16 to 19, wherein the estimating includes calculating the power consumption using parameters for estimating the power consumption. (Supplementary Note 21) The method of Supplementary Note 20, further comprising receiving a response message to the command, wherein the response message includes information about actual power consumption of the RU equipment after the ES mode is turned on. (Supplementary Note 22) The method of Supplementary Note 21, wherein the estimating includes updating a value of the parameter based on information about the actual power consumption. (Supplementary Note 23) The method of Supplementary Note 21, wherein the parameter includes a power consumption amount per unit data amount transmitted from the control device to the RU device, and the information regarding actual power consumption includes a power consumption amount per unit data amount for data actually transmitted from the control device to the RU device and received by the RU device. (Supplementary Note 24) The method of Supplementary Note 20, further comprising: transmitting an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU device based on a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) and indicating a get (get or get-config) operation; and receiving an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message transmitted from the RU device in response to the RPC message, wherein the RPC reply message includes information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode has been turned on by the command. (Supplementary Note 25) The method of Supplementary Note 24, wherein the estimating includes updating a value of the parameter based on the information regarding the actual power consumption.(Supplementary Note 26) The method according to Supplementary Note 15, wherein the control device is a Near-RT (Real Time) RIC (RAN (Radio Access Network) Intelligent Controller). (Supplementary Note 27) A method executed by an RU (Radio Unit) device, comprising: receiving a command indicating to turn on or off an ES (Energy saving) mode of the RU device; and transmitting a response message to the command, wherein the response message includes information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode has been turned on. (Supplementary Note 28) The method according to Supplementary Note 27, wherein the command and the response message are transmitted by a C (Control)-Plane.

[0081] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-158513, filed September 22, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0082] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 System 10 Control device 11 Estimation unit 12 Control unit 20 RU device 21 Control unit 30 Control device 31 Estimation unit 32 Control unit 33 Receiving unit 40 Control device 41 Estimation unit 42 Control unit 43 Receiving unit 50 RU device 51 Control unit

Claims

1. A control device comprising: an estimation unit that estimates power consumption of an RU device; and a control unit that switches an ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device on and off based on the estimated power consumption.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits a command to the RU device indicating that the ES mode is to be turned on or off.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit transmits the command using a C (Control) Plane.

4. The control device of claim 3, wherein the command includes information regarding the state of the RU device in the ES mode.

5. The control device of claim 4, wherein the information regarding the state of the RU equipment in the ES mode includes information regarding parts of the RU equipment that are shut down.

6. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the estimation unit calculates the power consumption using a parameter for estimating the power consumption.

7. The control device according to claim 6, further comprising a receiving unit for receiving a response message to the command, the response message including information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on.

8. The control device according to claim 7, wherein the estimation unit updates the value of the parameter based on information regarding the actual power consumption.

9. The control device according to claim 7, wherein the parameters include the amount of power consumption per unit amount of data transmitted from the control device to the RU device, and the information regarding the actual power consumption includes the amount of power consumption per unit amount of data for data actually transmitted from the control device to the RU device and received by the RU device.

10. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit sends an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) message to the RU device based on a NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) protocol and indicating acquisition (get or get-config), and the control device further includes a receiving unit that receives an RPC reply (rpc-reply) message sent from the RU device in response to the RPC message, and the RPC reply message includes information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on by the command.

11. The control device according to claim 10, wherein the estimation unit updates the value of the parameter based on information regarding the actual power consumption.

12. The control device according to claim 1, which is a Near-RT (Real Time) RIC (RAN (Radio Access Network) Intelligent Controller).

13. A RU (Radio Unit) device comprising: a control unit that receives a command indicating turning on or off an ES (Energy Saving) mode of the RU device, and executes control to transmit a response message to the command, the response message including information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on.

14. The RU device according to claim 13, wherein the command and the response message are transmitted via a C (Control)-Plane.

15. A method executed by a control device, comprising: estimating power consumption of an RU device; and switching on and off an energy saving (ES) mode of the RU device based on the estimated power consumption.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein switching an energy saving (ES) mode of the RU device on and off includes sending a command to the RU device indicating to turn on or off the ES mode.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the command is transmitted using a C (Control)-Plane.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the command includes information regarding the state of the RU equipment in the ES mode.

19. A method performed by a Radio Unit (RU) device, comprising: receiving a command indicating to turn on or off an Energy Saving (ES) mode of the RU device; and transmitting a response message to the command, wherein the response message includes information regarding actual power consumption of the RU device after the ES mode is turned on.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the command and the response message are transmitted by a C (Control)-Plane.

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