Handling of ran feedback for ran nodes with wireless backhaul

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for handling of RAN feedback for RAN nodes with wireless backhaul. A method performed by a Wireless Access Backhaul, WAB, Radio Access Network, RAN, node is provided. The method comprises obtaining backhaul performance information for a wireless backhaul between an associated WAB-Mobile Termination, MT, and a backhaul, BH, RAN node; computing RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment, UE, in a manner that compensates for backhaul performance as indicated by the obtained backhaul performance information; and sending the RAN feedback to a core network.

Description

HANDLING OF RAN FEEDBACK FOR RAN NODES WITH WIRELESS BACKHAULTECHNICAL FIELDEmbodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for handling of radio access network feedback for RAN nodes with wireless backhaul.BACKGROUND3GPP Rel-19 Wireless Access and Backhaul (WAB) Overview

[0001] At the 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) Radio Access Network (RAN) #102 meeting, a Release (Rel)-19 Study Item Description (SID) for the Rel-19 Study on additional topological enhancements for New Radio (NR) in RP -234041 : New SID: Study on additional topology enhancements for NR, AT&T (moderator, RAN VC), 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #102, Edinburgh, Scottland, December 11-15, 2023, was approved. The study consists of two parts:• Wireless Access Backhaul (WAB), which refers to a mobile gNodeB (gNB_.• 5thGeneration (5G) Femto.

[0002] The justification of the WAB part of the Study Item is:The legacy building blocks for 5G RAN topologies should be enhanced to provide a broader range of use cases, such as:5G access for UEs onboard aircrafts, cruise ships, helicopters, and vehicles in remote areas with limited sky visibility via an onboard gNB.Backhauling of NG and Xn via TN and NTN, including support of NTN <-> TN handover for backhaul.Support for onboard / on-site MEC and local services.Support for backhauling without RAN-sharing or roaming agreements between access PLMN(s) and backhaul PLMN(s).Backhauling for local gNB deployed in public safety or disaster recovery scenarios.

[0003] It is assumed that WAB is aligned with Vehicle Mounted Relay (VMR) use cases and with the SA2-endorsed SID on architectural enhancements for Rel-19 VMR. It is expected that single-hop backhauling is sufficient for WAB and that there is no impact to User Equipments (UEs) at this late stage of 5thGeneration (5G) deployment.

[0004] The objectives from the SID related to the WAB study are as follows:Study the support of WAB including [RAN3, RAN2]:Study the architecture and protocol stack of supporting a gNB with MT function providing PDU session backhaul.Study impact of WAB mobility within an existing RAN (e.g., inter-gNB neighbour relations).Identify necessary inter-gNB- and gNB-to-CN signalling to address the support ofWAB.Study signalling enhancements on resource multiplexing for WAB.

[0005] NOTE 1 : No impact on the UE.

[0006] NOTE 2: Coordination with other WGs (e.g., SA2) when needed.

[0007] The WAB study does not preclude any backhaul scenario (e.g., Non-TerrestrialNetwork (NTN) or Terrestrial Network (TN)).

[0008] A potential WAB architecture, discussed in company contributions to the RAN 102 meeting is shown in Figure 1.

[0009] The key feature of the WAB architecture is that a WAB node consists of a WAB-gNB and a WAB-Mobile Termination (MT). The WAB-gNB part of an WAB node serves UEs, while the WAB node uses its WAB-MT part to connect with the rest of the mobile network, i.e., to connect to the WAB-MT’ s serving gNB (the Backhaul (BH)-gNB in Figure 1). In this architecture, the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions established between the WAB-MT and the BH-User Plane Function (UPF) are used to carry the NGAP and XnAP connections of the WAB-gNB.

[0010] The 5G Core Network (5GC) serving the WAB-gNB with its connected UEs (i.e., the gray 5GC, “UE- 5GC”, in Figure 1) may be the same as or different from the 5G Core Network (5GC) serving the WAB-MT (i.e., the black BH-5GC in Figure 1).RAN Feedback in 5G

[0011] In Rel-18, the Radio Access Network (RAN) feedback is defined, as in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 23.501 (see, e.g., V18.0.0):»»»»»»>Start of excerpt from TS 23.501<<<<<<<<<<<5.27.2.5 RAN feedback for Burst Arrival Time offset and adjusted Periodicity5.27.2.5.1 OverviewIf the NG-RAN receives a TSCAI containing a BAT Window or the Capability for BAT adaptation for a QoS Flow, the NG-RAN can determine a BAT offset in order to align the arrival of the traffic bursts with the next expected transmission opportunity over the air interface in each direction (i.e. DL or UL). The BAT offset can take a positive or a negative values.If the NG-RAN receives a TSCAI containing a Periodicity Range for a QoS Flow, the NG-RAN can determine an adjusted Periodicity along with above specified BAT offset, in order to align the periodicity of the traffic bursts with the expected time interval between subsequent transmission opportunities over the air interface in each direction (i.e. DL or UL). If the TSCAI contained a value range, the adjusted Periodicity should be any value between the lower bound and upper bound. If the TSCAI contained a list of Periodicity value(s), the adjusted Periodicity should be one of these values.NG-RAN may support the following feedback mechanisms:Proactive RAN feedback for adaptation of Burst Arrival Time and Periodicity: NG-RAN may provide a Burst Arrival Time offset and an adjusted Periodicity as part of QoS flow establishment or modification as illustrated in clause 5.27.2.5.2;Reactive RAN feedback for Burst Arrival Time adaptation: NG-RAN may provide a Burst Arrival Time offset after QoS flow establishment as illustrated in clause 5.27.2.5.3.»»»»»»>End of excerpt from TS 23.501<<<<<<<<<<<

[0012] In Rel-18, the RAN feedback is implemented as shown in the excerpt from 3GPP TS 38.413 vl8.0.0 below. Proactive and reactive feedbacks can be requested per Quality of Service (QoS) flow by CN (i.e., Session Management Function (SMF)), and gNB sends the feedback in the response message for the QoS flow establishment or modification.»»»»»»>Start of excerpt from TS 38.413<<<<<<<<<<<9.3.1.258 TSC Feedback InformationThis IE provides the TSC feedback information for a TSC QoS flow in the uplink or downlink (see TS 23.501 [9]).»»»»»»>End of excerpt from TS 38.413<<<<<<<<<<<SUMMARYAccording to some embodiments there is provided a method performed by a Wireless Access Backhaul (WAB) Radio Access Network (RAN) node. The method comprises one or more of the following: obtaining backhaul performance information for a wireless backhaul between an associated WAB-Mobile Termination (MT) and a backhaul (BH) RAN node; computing RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment (UE) in a manner that compensates for backhaul performance as indicated by the obtained backhaul performance information; and sending the RAN feedback to a core network.According to some embodiments there is provided a method performed by a WAB RAN node. The method comprises one or more of the following: computing RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment (UE); and sending the RAN feedback to a core network together with an indication of a wireless backhaul link.According to some embodiments there is provided a network node comprising: power supply circuitry configured to supply power to a processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry configured to: obtain backhaul performance information for a wireless backhaul between an associated WAB-Mobile Termination (MT) and a BH RAN node; compute RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated UE in a manner that compensates for backhaul performance as indicated by the obtained backhaul performance information; and / or send the RAN feedback to a core network.According to some embodiments there is provided a network comprising power supply circuitry configured to supply power to a processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry configured to: compute RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated UE; and / or send the RAN feedback to a core network together with an indication of a wireless backhaul link.According to some embodiments there is provided a host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service. The host comprises processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the steps of the method performed by the Wireless Access Backhaul (WAB) Radio Access Network (RAN) node described herein.According to some embodiments there is provided a method performed by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a UE. The method comprises providing user data for the UE, and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node. The network node performs any of the operations of the method performed by the Wireless Access Backhaul (WAB) Radio Access Network (RAN) node to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGFor a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and to show how it may be put into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:Figure 1 depicts a_potential WAB architecture.Figure 2 depicts the operation of a WAB node including a WAB-gNB and a WAB-MT, a BH- gNB, and a CN, in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.Figure 3 depicts an example of a communication system.Figure 4 depicts a UE in accordance with some embodiments.Figure 5 depicts a network node in accordance with some embodiments.Figure 6 depicts a block diagram of a host.Figure 7 depicts a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment.Figure 8 depicts a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure.

[0014] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0015] There currently exist certain challenge(s). According to the discussions in 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3 GPP) so far, a Wireless Access Backhaul (WAB) node will likely consist of a WAB-gNB and a WAB-MT (i.e., WAB-UE). The WAB-gNB part of an WAB node serves UEs, while the node uses its WAB-MT part to connect with a mobile network (the black BH-gNB in Figure 1). Protocol Data Unit (PDU) Session(s) of the WAB-MT provide Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity for the WAB-gNB. In this architecture, the PDU session(s) established between the WAB-MT and the BH-UPF (see Figure 1) are used to provide IP connectivity for NGAP and XnAP connections of the WAB-gNB, as well as to provide connectivity to the Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (0AM). The WAB-gNB may connect to the same Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) and Core Network (CN) functions as the WAB-MT (and BH-gNB), or it may connect to different AMF(s) and CN functions.

[0016] According to the above, all traffic from the WAB-gNB (including at least the NG, and Xn communication for interface management and individual UE signaling and user plane (UP) traffic, 0AM connection traffic) will be backhauled through PDU sessions that are established between the WAB-MT and BH-5GC. Consequently, the traffic to / from the UEs served by the WAB-gNB will traverse two wireless links:• The first link between the BH-gNB and the WAB-MT, i.e., the backhaul (BH) link (NR BH)• The second link between the WAB-gNB and the UE, i.e., the access link (NR Access).

[0017] So, compared to the legacy gNB architecture, in the WAB architecture, the packets to / from UEs traverse one additional wireless link - the backhaul link.

[0018] If the existing RAN feedback would be applied to the WAB architecture, for a particular UE, the WAB-gNB could only provide feedback for the access link because it terminates only the access link of the WAB node (the link between the WAB-gNB and the served UEs). However, since the traffic for the WAB-gNB connection is also carried via the BH link (i.e., between the BH-gNB and WAB-MT), the BH network link also needs to be considered in RAN feedback to the CN. For example, if the WAB-gNB receives the “Burst Arrival Time”, according to its own scheduling, it should provide the feedback so that the application layer could adjust the “Burst Arrival Time”.

[0019] So, although the RAN feedback from the WAB-gNB officially pertains to the access link, the calculation of RAN feedback in WAB architecture should consider both the BH and the access link.

[0020] Unfortunately, the current framework for RAN feedback does not allow a WAB-gNB to consider the BH link in the above calculation, meaning that the current RAN feedback framework applied to WAB architecture is inaccurate.

[0021] In other words, as of today, it is unclear how to handle in the WAB architecture the RAN feedback for services requiring it, e.g., extended Reality (XR). The fact that the PDU sessions carrying the WAB-gNB traffic over BH are “common” BH RAN sessions, not handled in any special way, contributes to the difficulty of the WAB-RAN to fulfill the service requirements.

[0022] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Embodiments of the solutions disclosed herein may include any one or more of the following aspects:• The WAB-gNB obtains the BH network uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) performance and compensates it when calculating the RAN feedback (e.g., the Burst Arrival Time offsets for the UE).• The BH network provides the BH part of the performance to the WAB-gNB.• The WAB-gNB estimates, trains, and learns the expected given BH UL / DL performance.• The WAB-gNB provides RAN feedback to the CN, also considering the BH.• The UE-5GC performs compensation, considering (also) the BH as a part of RAN feedback.

[0023] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). Embodiments of the proposed solutions may ensure that the RAN feedback feature in the WAB architecture is accurate, and, thus, useful.

[0024] Before describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in further detail, the following notes are beneficial.• The following description of embodiments of the proposed solutions is presented on a nonlimiting example of WAB nodes, but it applies to any kind of moving RAN node or a RAN node that uses wireless backhaul.• The following description of embodiments of the proposed solutions is presented on a nonlimiting example scenario where there is one wireless BH hop, but it can be generalized to scenarios with more than one BH hop.• Embodiments of the proposed solutions apply to NR as well as future Radio Access Technologies (RATs) such as beyond 3GPP Rel-19.• The procedures used in embodiments of the proposed solutions may be class- 1 or class-2 procedures, and they may be new procedures or enhancements of existing procedures.• The expressions “X served by Y” or “X is connected to Y” as used herein mean that there is a logical interface connection between network nodes X and Y. In case X is a I, this means that node X and the I node serving the I have a logical connection associated to this I.• Unless stated otherwise, the WAB-MT and the WAB-gNB are co-located, i.e., they are a part of the same WAB node.• The WAB-gNB may connect to one or more core network (CN) instances (e.g., one or more AMFs). Among these instances, the CN nodes that serve a UE are referred to as, e.g., “UE’s AMF”, “UE’s UPF” etc.• Unless stated otherwise, “traffic” refers to both user plane traffic and control plane signaling.• The terms “RAN node” and “NG-RAN node” and “RAN” are used interchangeably without losing the meaning.• The terms “UE-5GC” and “UE-CN” are used interchangeably to refer to the CN serving the UEs connected to the WAB-gNB, without losing the meaning.• The terms “core network”, “5GC” and “CN” are used interchangeably without losing the meaning.• The term “core network node” or “BH-5GC node” or “UE-5GC node” may refer to the AMF, UPF, SMF, or any other 5GC node.• WAB-MT connects to the BH-5GC node. The BH-5GC node might be the same as the UE- 5GC node, but with different logical presentation.• The terms “UE-AN” and “WAB-gNB” are used interchangeably to refer to the WAB-gNB, without losing the meaning.• The solution applies to both active and reactive RAN feedback.• The following description of embodiments of the proposed solutions is presented on a nonlimiting example of burst arrival time, but it applies also to all the parameters communicated in the RAN feedback.• All examples listed herein are non-limiting.

[0025] The following terminology is used herein:• BH-gNB: the gNB serving the WAB-MT.• Backhaul (BH) link: the link between the WAB-MT and the BH-gNB.• Access link: the link between the UE and the WAB-gNB.• UE-CN: the core network serving the UEs and the WAB-gNB.• BH-CN: the core network serving the WAB-MT and the BH-gNB. May be the same as or different from the UE-CN.

[0026] Figure 2 illustrates the operation of a WAB node 200 including a WAB-gNB 202 and a WAB-MT 204, a BH-gNB 206, and a CN 208, in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. Optional steps are represented by dashed lines / boxes. As illustrated, in one embodiment, the WAB-gNB 202 obtains the BH network performance information (e.g., UL / DL delay) (step 210). The WAB-gNB obtains the BH network performance information in any one or any combination of two or more the following ways:From the 0AM.From a CN node (e.g., the AMF serving the BH-gNB 206 and the WAB-MT 204).From the BH configuration information.o This information can, e.g., be obtained from the WAB-MT 204.• From the WAB-MT 204, the information that it sends to BH-gNB 206, for example, the UL Delay / Jitter in the UE Assistance Information (UAI).• From the BH-gNB 206 (see optional step 210A): o The BH-gNB 206 may send the information to the WAB-gNB 202.■ In some embodiments, such information can be exchanged between WAB- gNB and the BH-gNB via a CN node, e.g., by means of NG signalling.■ In some embodiments, the information can be exchanged by means of Xn signalling. o The BH-gNB 206 may send the network performance information to the WAB-MT 204, which can forward it to the WAB-gNB 202. The WAB-MT 204 transfers the BH AS layer QoS / radio condition related information to WAB-gNB 202. o New information / message can be defined, e.g., in Downlink Information Transfer. o In some embodiments, the BH-gNB 206 may provide the information to the WAB- gNB 202 upon request from the WAB-gNB 202. o In some embodiments, the BH-gNB 206 may provide the information in an unsolicited manner.• From the results of performance measurements executed for the BH link: o These could be the radio layer measurements (e.g., Minimization of Drive Testing (MDT)) and / or application layer (e.g., Quality of Experience (QoE) and / or RAN visible QoE measurements) executed by the WAB-MT 204, and / or by the BH-gNB 206.• By learning / training, e.g., by running Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) inference / training.

[0027] In one embodiment, based on the information presented above, the WAB-gNB 202 compensates for the BH performance when calculating the RAN feedback (step 212), which it the sends to the CN 208 (step 214). For example, the WAB-gNB 202 calculates the downlink burst arrival time offset as follows:DL Burst Arrival Time Offset (to be sent to UE-CN) = WAB-gNB part DL Burst Arrival Time Offset + BH Downlink execution timeIn the above formula, the “BH Downlink execution time” corresponds to the compensation. The compensation may be calculated based on the BH network performance information, or the compensation may be derived from it.

[0028] The CN 208 may then perform compensation considering the RAN feedback (step 216).

[0029] In one embodiment (e.g., as an alternative to what is shown in Figure 2 and described above), the WAB-gNB indicates its own RAN feedback (e.g., RAN feedback that does not take into account BH performance), and also indicates that the communication is carried over wireless BH, so that the UE-CN could consider the BH impacts. For this, the UE-CN may obtain the additional information from another node.

[0030] In one embodiment (e.g., as an alternative to what is shown in Figure 2 and described above), the UE-CN may collect the RAN feedback for the access link from the WAB-gNB and the RAN feedback pertaining to the access link (between the BH-gNB and the WAB-MT) from the BH-gNB (or from, a BH-CN node, if different from the UE-CN node). The UE-CN can then derive the compensation from these two RAN feedbacks, which pertain to the BH link and the access link of the WAB-gNB.• The UE-CN node and the BH-CN node may be the in the same or different Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs).• If the UE-CN node and the BH-CN node are in the same PLMN, they can be the same node or different nodes, or different instances of the same type of node (e.g., AMF).

[0031] In one embodiment (e.g., as part of the process of Figure 2), the WAB-gNB estimates the BH impact on the RAN feedback parameters, verifies with the data burst arrival window, and learns how to compensate for the BH impact based on estimated BH performance and based on how well the RAN feedback WAB-gNB sent to UE-CN has worked when applied onto RAN scheduling (step 218). This is, for example, useful when the UE communications are carried over BH PDU session with one set of QoS., i.e., the BH impact can be estimated, and is rather static, it applies for all the UEs.

[0032] In the above embodiments, the RAN feedback may refer to the burst arrival time offset (BAT offset) and / or to the adjusted periodicity, or any other parameter communicated in the RAN feedback.

[0033] Note that, in regarding to the WAB-MT, in one embodiment, the WAB-MT, if requested to report the RAN feedback in UE Assistance Information (UAI) by the BH-gNB, reports it to the WAB-gNB as well, so that the WAB-gNB could know the BH part of the connection. This is one example of how the WAB-gNB obtains the BH network performance information in step 210 of Figure 2.

[0034] In one embodiment, the WAB-MT, if requested to report the application layer and / or radio layer measurement results in UAI by the BH-gNB, the WAB-MT reports it to WAB-gNB aswell, so that the WAB-gNB could know the BH part of the connection. This is one example of how the WAB-gNB obtains the BH network performance information in step 210 of Figure 2.

[0035] One example implementation of how BH performance may be communicated between the BH-gNB and the WAB-MT or WAB-gNB (e.g., in step 210A of Figure 2) will now be described. This example implementation is shown with respect to 3GPP TS 38.423. In the TS 38.423 implementation example below, we assume that multiple BH PDU sessions are set up.»»>Impl ementation example between BH-gNB and WAB-MT or WAB-gNB««<

[0036] In this example, we assume that multiple BH PDU sessions are set up.9.2.3.x B ackhaul F eedb ackThis IE contains the feedback information about the BH link performance.

[0037] The BH link performance consists of:• The BH UE packet delay budget (PDB).• Air interface latency.• The UL / DL delay.• Time stamps (e.g., inserted at the BH-gNB).• BH-CN PDB.

[0038] The BH link expected behavior could indicate further what BH performance could be, in case of congestion, BH-CN node failure (e.g., if swap to a new BH-CN is needed).»»>End of implementation example««<

[0039] Figure 3 shows an example of a communication system 300 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0040] In the example, the communication system 300 includes a telecommunication network 302 that includes an access network 304, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a core network 306, which includes one or more core network nodes 308. The access network 304 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 310A and 310B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 310), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP Access Points (APs). Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network 302 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 302 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network 302, including one or more network nodes 310 and / or core network nodes 308.

[0041] Examples of an ORAN network node include an Open Radio Unit (O-RU), an Open Distributed Unit (O-DU), an Open Central Unit (O-CU), including an O-CU Control Plane (O- CU-CP) or an O-CU User Plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non- real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface definedby the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 310 facilitate direct or indirect connection of User Equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 312A, 312B, 312C, and 312D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 312) to the core network 306 over one or more wireless connections.

[0042] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 300 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 300 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0043] The UEs 312 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 310 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 310 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 312 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 302 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 302.

[0044] In the depicted example, the core network 306 connects the network nodes 310 to one or more hosts, such as host 316. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 306 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 308) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 308. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-Concealing Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0045] The host 316 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 304 and / or the telecommunication network 302, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 316 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0046] As a whole, the communication system 300 of Figure 3 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 300 may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable Second, Third, Fourth, or Fifth Generation (2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G)); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0047] In some examples, the telecommunication network 302 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunication network 302 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 302. For example, the telecommunication network 302 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / massive Internet of Things (loT) services to yet further UEs.

[0048] In some examples, the UEs 312 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 304 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 304. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi -Radio Access Technology (RAT) or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of WiFi, New Radio (NR),and LTE, i.e. being configured for Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN) NR - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0049] In the example, a hub 314 communicates with the access network 304 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 312C and / or 312D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 310B). In some examples, the hub 314 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 314 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 306 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 314 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 310, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 314. As another example, the hub 314 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 314 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 314 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 314 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 314 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0050] The hub 314 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 310B. The hub 314 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 314 and UEs (e.g., UE 312C and / or 312D), and between the hub 314 and the core network 306. In other examples, the hub 314 is connected to the core network 306 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 314 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 304 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 310 while still connected via the hub 314 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 314 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 310B. In other embodiments, the hub 314 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and the network node 310B, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0051] Figure 4 shows a UE 400 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, Laptop Embedded Equipment (LEE), Laptop Mounted Equipment (LME), smart device, wireless Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3 GPP, including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0052] A UE may support Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), Vehi cl e-to- Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), or Vehicle- to-Everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0053] The UE 400 includes processing circuitry 402 that is operatively coupled via a bus 404 to an input / output interface 406, a power source 408, memory 410, a communication interface 412, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 4. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0054] The processing circuitry 402 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 410. The processing circuitry 402 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP), togetherwith appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 402 may include multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs).

[0055] In the example, the input / output interface 406 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 400. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0056] In some embodiments, the power source 408 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 408 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 408 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 400 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 408. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 408 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 400 to which power is supplied.

[0057] The memory 410 may be or be configured to include memory such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable ROM (PROM), Erasable PROM (EPROM), Electrically EPROM (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 410 includes one or more application programs 414, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 416. The memory 410 may store, for use by the UE 400, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0058] The memory 410 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, High Density Digital Versatile Disc (HD-DVD)optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, Holographic Digital Data Storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM), Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as a tamper resistant module in the form of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) including one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), such as a Universal SIM (USIM) and / or Internet Protocol Multimedia Services Identity Module (ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as a ‘SIM card.’ The memory 410 may allow the UE 400 to access instructions, application programs, and the like stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 410, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0059] The processing circuitry 402 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 412. The communication interface 412 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 422. The communication interface 412 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 418 and / or a receiver 420 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 418 and receiver 420 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., the antenna 422) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 412 may include cellular communication, WiFi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short- range communications such as Bluetooth, NFC, location-based communication such as the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, NR, UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Intemet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Quick User Datagram Protocol Internet Connection (QUIC), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0061] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 412, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0062] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0063] A UE, when in the form of an loT device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or VR, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 400 shown in Figure 4.

[0064] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3 GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UEmay represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship, an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0065] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0066] Figure 5 shows a network node 500 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, APs (e.g., radio APs), Base Stations (BSs) (e.g., radio BSs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), NR Node Bs (gNBs)), and 0-RAN nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g., 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU). The network node 500 may be an embodiment of a WAB node as described herein.

[0067] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an 0-RAN access node), and / or Remote Radio Units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such RRUs may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

[0068] Other examples of network nodes include multiple Transmission Point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, Multi -Standard Radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) or BS Controllers (BSCs), Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, Multi-Cell / Multicast Coordination Entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0069] The network node 500 includes processing circuitry 502, memory 504, a communication interface 506, and a power source 508. The network node 500 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 500 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 500 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 504 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 510 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 500 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 500, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the network node 500.

[0070] The processing circuitry 502 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, CPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 500 components, such as the memory 504, to provide network node 500 functionality.

[0071] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 includes a System on a Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 includes one or more of Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 512 and the baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 512 and the baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0072] The memory 504 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, RAM, ROM, mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD), or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable,and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 502. The memory 504 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 502 and utilized by the network node 500. The memory 504 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 502 and / or any data received via the communication interface 506. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 and the memory 504 are integrated.

[0073] The communication interface 506 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 506 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 516 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 506 also includes radio front-end circuitry 518 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 510. The radio front-end circuitry 518 comprises filters 520 and amplifiers 522. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may be connected to the antenna 510 and the processing circuitry 502. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 510 and the processing circuitry 502. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filters 520 and / or the amplifiers 522. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 510. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 510 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 518. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 502. In other embodiments, the communication interface 506 may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0074] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 500 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 518; instead, the processing circuitry 502 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 510. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 512 is part of the communication interface 506. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 506 includes the one or more ports or terminals 516, the radio front-end circuitry 518, and the RF transceiver circuitry 512 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 506 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 514, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0075] The antenna 510 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 510 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 518 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 510 is separate from the network node 500 and connectable to the network node 500 through an interface or port.

[0076] The antenna 510, the communication interface 506, and / or the processing circuitry 502 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 500. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 510, the communication interface 506, and / or the processing circuitry 502 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node 500. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0077] The power source 508 provides power to the various components of the network node 500 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 508 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 500 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 500 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid or an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 508. As a further example, the power source 508 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0078] Embodiments of the network node 500 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 5 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 500 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 500 and to allow output of information from the network node 500. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 500.

[0079] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a host 600, which may be an embodiment of the host 316 of Figure 3, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 600 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software including a standaloneserver, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 600 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0080] The host 600 includes processing circuitry 602 that is operatively coupled via a bus 604 to an input / output interface 606, a network interface 608, a power source 610, and memory 612. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 4 and 5, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 600.

[0081] The memory 612 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 614 and data 616, which may include user data, e.g. data generated by a UE for the host 600 or data generated by the host 600 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 600 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 614 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of LEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, and heads-up display systems). The host application programs 614 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 600 may select and / or indicate a different host for Over-The-Top (OTT) services for a UE. The host application programs 614 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH or MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0082] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 700 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more Virtual Machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtualenvironments 700 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 700 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface.

[0083] Applications 702 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 700 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0084] Hardware 704 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 706 (also referred to as hypervisors or VM Monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 708A and 708B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 708), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 706 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 708.

[0085] The VMs 708 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking, or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 706. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 702 may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 708, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as Network Function Virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premise equipment.

[0086] In the context of NFV, a VM 708 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 708, and that part of the hardware 704 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs 708, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 708 on top of the hardware 704 and corresponds to the application 702.

[0087] The hardware 704 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. The hardware 704 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 704 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 710, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of the applications 702. In some embodiments, the hardware 704 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a RAN or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 712 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0088] Figure 8 shows a communication diagram of a host 802 communicating via a network node 804 with a UE 806 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as the UE 312A of Figure 3 and / or the UE 400 of Figure 4), the network node (such as the network node 310A of Figure 3 and / or the network node 500 of Figure 5), and the host (such as the host 316 of Figure 3 and / or the host 600 of Figure 6) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 8.

[0089] Like the host 600, embodiments of the host 802 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 802 also includes software, which is stored in or is accessible by the host 802 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 806 connecting via an OTT connection 850 extending between the UE 806 and the host 802. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 850.

[0090] The network node 804 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 802 and the UE 806. The connection 860 may be direct or pass through a core network (like the core network 306 of Figure 3) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0091] The UE 806 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by the UE 806 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide aservice to a human or non-human user via the UE 806 with the support of the host 802. In the host 802, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 850 terminating at the UE 806 and the host 802. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 850 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 850.

[0092] The OTT connection 850 may extend via the connection 860 between the host 802 and the network node 804 and via a wireless connection 870 between the network node 804 and the UE 806 to provide the connection between the host 802 and the UE 806. The connection 860 and the wireless connection 870, over which the OTT connection 850 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 802 and the UE 806 via the network node 804, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0093] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 850, in step 808, the host 802 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 806. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 806 that shares data with the host 802 without explicit human interaction. In step 810, the host 802 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 806. The host 802 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 806. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 806 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 806. The transmission may pass via the network node 804 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 812, the network node 804 transmits to the UE 806 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 802 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 814, the UE 806 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 806 associated with the host application executed by the host 802.

[0094] In some examples, the UE 806 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 802. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 802. Accordingly, in step 816, the UE 806 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input / output interface of the UE 806. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 806 initiates, instep 818, transmission of the user data towards the host 802 via the network node 804. In step 820, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 804 receives user data from the UE 806 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 802. In step 822, the host 802 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 806.

[0095] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 806 using the OTT connection 850, in which the wireless connection 870 forms the last segment.

[0096] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 802. As another example, the host 802 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 802 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 802 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 802 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR which it can broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 802 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time critical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0097] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 850 between the host 802 and the UE 806 in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 850 may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 802 and / or the UE 806. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 850 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 850 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 804. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency, and the like by the host 802. The measurements maybe implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 850 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0098] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in practice computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0099] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0100] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.EMBODIMENTSGroup A Embodiments1. A method performed by a Wireless Access Backhaul, WAB, Radio Access Network, RAN, node (202), the method comprising one or more of the following: obtaining (210) backhaul performance information for a wireless backhaul between an associated WAB-Mobile Termination, MT, (204) and a backhaul, BH, RAN node (206); computing (212) RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment, UE, in a manner that compensates for backhaul performance as indicated by the obtained backhaul performance information; and sending (214) the RAN feedback to a core network (208).2. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the RAN feedback comprises a burst arrival time offset and / or an adjusted periodicity.3. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the RAN feedback comprises a burst arrival time offset defined as a downlink burst arrival time offset for a downlink from the WAB RAN node (202) to the associated UE plus a backhaul downlink execution time indicated by or derived from the obtained backhaul performance information.4. The method of any of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein obtaining (210) the backhaul performance information comprise any one or more of the following: receiving the backhaul information from the WAB-MT (204); receiving the backhaul information from the BH-RAN node (206) (e.g., directly via Xn or via the WAB-MT (204)); deriving the backhaul information from one or more results of one or more measurements executed for the wireless backhaul link; predicting the backhaul information using a trained Al or ML model or technique.5. The method of any of embodiments 1 to 4, further comprising: estimating a backhaul impact on the RAN feedback (e.g., on one or more RAN feedback parameters comprised in the RAN feedback); verifying with a data burst arrival window; and determining how to compensate for the backhaul impact based on the estimated backhaul impact and how well the RAN feedback sent to the core network (208) worked when appliedonto RAN scheduling.6. A method performed by a Wireless Access Backhaul, WAB, Radio Access Network, RAN, node, the method comprising one or more of the following: computing RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment, UE; and sending the RAN feedback to a core network (208) together with an indication of a wireless backhaul link.7. The method of embodiment 6, wherein the RAN feedback comprises a burst arrival time offset and / or an adjusted periodicity.8. The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.Group B Embodiments9. A network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.10. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group A embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.11. The host of the previous embodiment, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; andthe UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.12. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of the Group A embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.13. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host for the UE.14. The method of any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.15. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the communication system comprising: a host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data for a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data toward a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group A embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.16. The communication system of the previous embodiment, further comprising: the network node; and / or the UE.17. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising:processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group A embodiments to receive the user data from a user equipment (UE) for the host.18. The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that receives the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.19. The host of the any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the initiating receipt of the user data comprises requesting the user data.20. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, initiating receipt of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments to receive the user data from the UE for the host.21. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method performed by a Wireless Access Backhaul, WAB, Radio Access Network, RAN, node (202), the method comprising one or more of the following: obtaining (210) backhaul performance information for a wireless backhaul between an associated WAB-Mobile Termination, MT, (204) and a backhaul, BH, RAN node (206); computing (212) RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment, UE, in a manner that compensates for backhaul performance as indicated by the obtained backhaul performance information; and sending (214) the RAN feedback to a core network (208).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN feedback comprises a burst arrival time offset and / or an adjusted periodicity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN feedback comprises a burst arrival time offset defined as a downlink burst arrival time offset for a downlink from the WAB RAN node (202) to the associated UE plus a backhaul downlink execution time indicated by or derived from the obtained backhaul performance information.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein obtaining (210) the backhaul performance information comprise any one or more of the following: receiving the backhaul information from the WAB-MT (204); receiving the backhaul information from the BH-RAN node (206); deriving the backhaul information from one or more results of one or more measurements executed for the wireless backhaul link; predicting the backhaul information using a trained Al or ML model or technique.

5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: estimating a backhaul impact on the RAN feedback; verifying with a data burst arrival window; and determining how to compensate for the backhaul impact based on the estimated backhaul impact and how well the RAN feedback sent to the core network (208) worked when applied onto RAN scheduling.

6. A method performed by a Wireless Access Backhaul, WAB, Radio Access Network,RAN, node, the method comprising one or more of the following: computing RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment, UE; and sending the RAN feedback to a core network (208) together with an indication of a wireless backhaul link.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the RAN feedback comprises a burst arrival time offset and / or an adjusted periodicity.

8. The method of any of the claims 6 or 7, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.

9. A network node comprising: power supply circuitry configured to supply power to a processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry configured to obtain backhaul performance information for a wireless backhaul between an associated WAB-Mobile Termination, MT, (204) and a backhaul, BH, RAN node (206); compute RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment, UE, in a manner that compensates for backhaul performance as indicated by the obtained backhaul performance information; and send the RAN feedback to a core network (208).

10. The network node if claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to the method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5.

11. A network node comprising: power supply circuitry configured to supply power to a processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry configured to compute RAN feedback related to an access link between the WAB-RAN node and an associated User Equipment, UE; and send the RAN feedback to a core network (208) together with an indication of a wireless backhaul link.

12. The network node if claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to the method as claimed in any one of claims 7 or 8.

13. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the claims 1 to 8 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

14. The host of the claim 13, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.

15. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of the claims 1 to 8 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

16. The method of the claim 15, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host for the UE.

17. The method of any of the claims 15 or 16, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

18. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the communication system comprising:a host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data for a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data toward a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the claims 1 to 8 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

19. The communication system of the claim 18, further comprising: the network node; and / or the UE.

20. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the claims 1 to 8 to receive the user data from a user equipment (UE) for the host.

21. The host of the claim 20, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that receives the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

22. The host of the any of the claims 20 or 21, wherein the initiating receipt of the user data comprises requesting the user data.

23. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, initiating receipt of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of the claims 1 to 8 to receive the user data from the UE for thehost.

24. The method of the claim 23, further comprising at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.

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