Paging methods enhancement in a network

Abstract

Provided are apparatus, method, and device for automatically and dynamically enhancing paging methods. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to: determine a location of a user equipment (UE); determine a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

Description

PAGING METHODS ENHANCEMENT IN A NETWORKCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 554,336, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 16, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relate to enhancements in paging methods in a telecommunication network.BACKGROUND

[0003] The information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

[0004] In order to enhance the performance of a telecommunication network, various features and mechanisms have been introduced. Among them, paging has been introduced into the technical specifications provided by one or more standard organizations. In general, in order to transmit a paging message from a cell (e.g., a radio unit (RU)) to a user equipment (UE), the cell may utilize synchronization signal block (SSB) beams.SUMMARY

[0005] Example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically and dynamically enhance paging methods. In particular, example embodiments of the present disclosure allow a paging message to be transmitted to a UE via only a most suitable SSB beam without having to transmit the paging message via all SSB beams, thereby preventing unnecessary usage of SSB beams to transmit a paging message, and improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0006] According to example embodiments, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may be configured to: determine a location of a user equipment (UE); determine a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

[0007] According to example embodiments, a method is provided. The method may include: determining a location of a user equipment (UE); determining a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; controlling the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

[0008] According to example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium is provided. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may have recordedthereon instructions executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform a method including: determining a location of a user equipment (UE); determining a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; controlling the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

[0009] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description that follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be realized by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of an example Synchronization Signal Block (SSB);

[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates an example system architecture, according to one or more example embodiments;

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0018] FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0019] FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0020] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B illustrate a flow sequence of an example use case for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments;

[0021] FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B illustrate a flow sequence of an example use case for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments; and

[0022] FIG. 12 illustrates a diagram of example components of a device for implementing one or more example embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following detailed description of example embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the present disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations. Further, one or more features or components of one embodimentmay be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). Additionally, the flowchart and description of operations provided below relate to at least one of the embodiments in the present disclosure. It should be noted that it is possible to make other embodiments that do not exactly match the flowchart and its description. It is understood that in other embodiments one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed simultaneously (at least in part). Further, the order of one or more operations may be switched, as long as these modifications may not affect the resulting scope of the invention.

[0024] It will be apparent that systems and / or methods, described herein, may be implemented in different forms of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods should not limit their implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code. It is understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0025] Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, the particular combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Even if a dependent claim directly depends on only one claim, the present disclosure may indicate that the dependent claim is dependent on other claims in the claim set.

[0026] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” (in other words, nouns not mentioned in the plural) are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” “include,” “including,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, expressions such as “at least one of [A] and [B],” “[A] and / or [B],” or “at least one of [A] or [B]” are to be understood as including only A, only B, or both A and B. Further still, where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used.

[0027] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0028] It shall be noted that, descriptions of example embodiments of the present disclosure may include terms and names defined in one or more standard organizations, such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard organization, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standard organization, the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Alliance standard organization, and the like. For instance, the terms “SSB beam”, “rApp”, “xApp”, “Al interface”, “E2 interface”, “Fl interface”, and the like, as well as the associated features and operations, are to be interpreted as consistent with those specified in one or more technical specifications.

[0029] Further, although some embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein with reference specific components of a 5G system, it can be understood that the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited thereto. Specifically, example embodiments of the present disclosure may also apply to any suitable network elements in any suitable telecommunication system, such as a 4G LTE system, a 6G system, and the like, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] A radio access network (RAN) is an important component in a telecommunications system, as it connects end-user devices (or user equipment) to other parts of the network. The RAN includes a combination of various network elements (NEs) that connect end-users to a core network. Traditionally, hardware and / or software of a particular RAN is vendor specific.

[0031] As telecommunication network technologies have evolved, RAN functions have been disaggregated into multiple nodes or entities. Specifically, the RAN functions may be disaggregated into multiple logical nodes or entities, such as a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU). The CU may be a logical node for hosting Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and / or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayers of the RAN. The DU may be a logical node hosting Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and Physical (PHY) sublayers of the RAN. A single DU may host or serve multiple network cells formed by multiple RUs. The RU may be a physical node that converts radio signals from antennas to digital signals that can be transmitted over the Front Haul to a DU. In this regard, a network cell may correspond to one or more radio units responsible for providing wireless coverage and signal transmission within the network cell. To this end, since thedisaggregated entities have open protocols and interfaces between them, they can be developed by different vendors.

[0032] Mechanisms and procedures for transmitting paging messages have been described in one or more 3GPP technical specifications (e g., Release 18, etc.). Generally, in order to transmit a paging message from a cell (e.g., a radio unit (RU)) to a user equipment (UE), the cell may transmit the paging message by utilizing synchronization signal block (SSB) beams, which include Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). It is understood that the Synchronization Signal Block and Synchronization Signal and Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) Block may refer to a same element.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of an example Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) 100. The x-axis of the diagram may define the length of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, while the y-axis of the diagram may define the length of subcarriers.

[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the SSB 100 may include a PSS 110, SSS 120, and PBCH 130, which comprises PBCH 132, PBCH 134, PBCH 136, and PBCH 138, and may span across subcarrier number 0 to 239 and OFDM symbol number 0 to 3.

[0035] The PSS 110 may occupy one symbol (i.e., 0) and 127 subcarriers (i.e., 56 to 182). Similarly, the SSS 130 may occupy one symbol (i.e., 2) and 127 subcarriers (i.e., 56 to 182). The PBCH 130 may occupy three symbols and 240 subcarriers. In particular, PBCH 132 and PBCH 134 may each occupy one symbol and 240 subcarriers (i.e., 1, 0 to 239 and 3, 0 to 239 respectively), while PBCH 136 and PBCH 138 may each occupy one symbol and 48 subcarriers (i.e., 2, 0 to 47 and 2, 192 to 239 respectively).

[0036] In some implementations, beams of the SSB 100 (SSB beams) may be broadcasted by a cell (e.g., primary cell, secondary cell, and the like) to the UE, where the UE may receive the beams of SSB 100 from the cell to synchronize, connect, and receive paging messages from the cell. Nevertheless, in the related art, the location of the UE is not known and paging messages are required to be transmitted across all beams of the cell (or multiple cells) in all directions to the UE, which may unnecessarily waste energy and resources.

[0037] Apparatuses, systems, methods, devices, and the like, provided in at least some example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically and dynamically enhance paging methods.

[0038] An apparatus according to an example embodiment may first determine a location of a UE. Based on the determined location, the apparatus may then determine an SSB beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a DU that is the most suitable for delivering a paging message to the UE at the determined location. Once the SSB beam is selected, the apparatus may control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams, and to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

[0039] Ultimately, example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically and dynamically enhance paging methods, by transmitting a paging message to a UE via only a most suitable SSB beam without having to transmit the paging message via all SSB beams. As a result, unnecessary usage of SSB beams to transmit a paging message to a UE is prevented, and energy efficiency and performance are improved.

[0040] It is contemplated that features, advantages, and significances of example embodiments described hereinabove are merely a portion of the present disclosure, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] Further descriptions of the features, components, configuration, operations, and implementations of the system of the present disclosure, according to one or more embodiments, are provided in the following.Example System Architecture

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates an example system architecture, according to one or more example embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the system architecture may include at least one Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework 210 that includes at least one non-real- time RAN Intelligent Controller (Non-RT RIC) 220, at least one near-real-time RIC (Near-RT RIC) 230, at least one 0-RAN Centralized Unit (O-CU) 240, at least one O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) 250, a plurality of 0-RAN Radio Units (O-RUs) 260-1 to 260-3, and at least one 0-RAN Cloud (O-Cloud) 270. The components may be communicatively coupled to another component(s) within the system architecture via a respective interface(s).

[0043] It is contemplated that the system architecture may include more / fewer components than illustrated, and / or may be configured in a different manner, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, in some implementations, the system architecture may further include an open evolved NodeB (O-eNB) that is communicatively coupled to the SMO framework 210 and the Near-RT RIC 230, the system architecture may include a plurality of O-DUs 250 each of which is communicatively coupled to the O-CU 240, the O-CU 240 may bedisaggregated into the O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) and the O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), and the like.

[0044] The RAN functions in the system may be controlled and optimized by at least one RIC. The RIC may be a software-defined component or framework that implements modular applications to facilitate the multivendor operability, as well as to automate and optimize RAN operations. As shown in FIG. 2, the RIC may be divided into two types, i.e., the Non-RT RIC 220 and the Near-RT RIC 230. In the following, descriptions of the Non-RT RIC 220 are provided, followed by the descriptions of the Near-RT RIC 230.

[0045] The Non-RT RIC 220 may refer to a logical function within the SMO framework 210 that drives the content carried across the Al interface to enable non-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources. The Al interface may refer to a logical interface between the Non-RT RIC 220 and the Near-RT RIC 230, which enables the Non-RT RIC 220 to provide policy-based guidance (obj ective, resource) to the Near-RT RIC 230 and enables the Near- RT RIC 230 to provide one or more feedbacks to the Non-RT RIC 220 to monitor the status of one or more policies.

[0046] In some example, implementations, the Non-RT RIC 220 may be the control point of a non-real-time control loop and may operate on a timescale greater than 1 second within the SMO framework 210. The functionalities of the Non-RT RIC 220 may include, for example, providing policy-based guidance and enrichment across the Al interface, performing data analytics, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI / ML) models training and inference for RAN optimization, and / or recommending configuration management actions. As further described below, the Non-RT RIC 220 may access or communicate with other SMO frameworkfunctionalities or components via Al interface, 01 interface, 02 interface, and one or more interfaces associated with one or more open fronthaul planes.

[0047] According to example embodiments, the functionalities of the Non-RT RIC 220 may be implemented through at least one modular, Non-RT RIC application, such as the rApp 221. The rApp 221 may leverage the functionalities available in the SMO framework 210 and / or the Non-RT RIC 220 to provide value added services related to RAN operation and optimization, such as policy management, radio resource management, data analytics, and providing enrichment information. In some implementations, the Non-RT RIC 220 may implement a plurality of rApps 221.

[0048] According to example embodiments, the Non-RT RIC 220 may include a Non-RT RIC framework that may be configured to provide or implement one or more services to the rApp 221 through the R1 interface. The R1 interface may refer to an open logical interface between the rApp 221 and the Non-RT RIC framework. The R1 interface supports the exchange of data or information, as well as the collection and delivery of data between the rApp 221 and the Non-RT RIC framework. The one or more services, which may also be referred to as “R1 services” herein, may include policy management services, service registration and discovery services, authentication and authorization services, AI / ML workflow services, RAN OAM-related services, Al related services, and 02 related services. The R1 interface allows multi-vendor rApps to manage or add the R1 services, and facilitate inter-connection between rApps and Non-RT RIC framework supplied by different vendors.

[0049] According to example embodiments, the rApp 221 may be configured to manage one or more policies that are provided to the Near-RT RIC 230 over the Al interface. Said policiesmay be referred to as “Al policies” herein, and are declarative policies that contain statements on policy objectives and policy resources applicable to one or more network nodes (e.g., one or more UEs, one or more network cells, etc.). Specifically, the one or more Al policies may consist of a scope identifier and one or more policy statements. The scope identifier may represent what the policy statements are to be applied on (e.g. UEs, QoS flows, or cells). The policy statements may define the goals or objectives of the policy and may include information associated with policy objectives and policy resources. In an example, the Al policies may include Quality of Service (QoS) requirements and Energy Saving (ES) requirements, specifying, for example, new QoS Class Identifier (QCI) parameters that the xApp 231 should follow / utilize, and energy saving aggressiveness. By including the policy objectives in the policy statements, the quality of experience can be optimized for UEs or QoS flows that are identified either explicitly by, for example, a UE identifier or a QoS identifier, or implicitly by, for example, a group identifier from which the Near-RT RIC 230 can deduce a set of UEs. On the other hand, by including the policy resources in the policy statements, UEs can be configured to avoid certain cells and / or the radio network can be optimized in specific areas.

[0050] The rApp 221 (or the Non-RT RIC framework within the Non-RT RIC 220) may provide the one or more Al policies to the Near-RT RIC 230, thereby providing guidance to the Near-RT RIC 230 towards one or more objectives or goals defined in the RAN intent. The RAN intent may refer to the high-level operational or business goal(s) to be achieved by the RAN, which may be defined by one or more desired service level agreements (SLAs) that the RAN is to fulfill for all users or for a subset of users in a given area over at least a predefined period of time.

[0051] According to example embodiments, the rApp 221 may be configured to perform one or more policy management operations to provision and manage one or more Al policies in the Near-RT RIC. Specifically, the rApp 221 may be configured to create, update and delete one or more Al policies in the Near-RT RIC. For instance, the rApp 221 may query the presence, content and run-time status of one or more Al policies in the Near-RT RIC. In some example embodiments, the rApp 221 may manage the one or more Al policies to include information associated with paging operations, such as active SSB beams, paging parameters, redirection of paging messages, selection of RUs, and the like described below in relation to method 300 to method 900. Accordingly, the rApp 221 may include the information of the guidance into the one or more Al policies, and then provide the one or more Al policies to the Near-RT RIC 230 via the Al interface.

[0052] According to example embodiments, the rApp 221 may be configured to receive, from the Near-RT RIC via the Al interface, one or more feedback associated with one or more Al policies (“Al policy feedback” herein). Similarly, the rApp 221 may be configured to receive one or more observables (e.g., events, counters, etc.) provided by the O-CU 240, the O-DU 250, and / or one or more of the O-RUs 260 over the 01 interface. Accordingly, the rApp 221 may be configured to continuously (or periodically) manage the one or more Al policies based on the Al policy feedback(s) and / or the observables provided over the 01 interface. For instance, the rApp 221 may continuously (or periodically) evaluate the impact or effectiveness of the one or more Al policies towards the fulfillment of the RAN intent and then configure or update the one or more Al policies accordingly.

[0053] In addition to the communication with the Near-RT-RIC 230 via the Al interface, the SMO framework 210 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 220 and / or the rApp 221 implemented therein) may communicate with the O-CU 240, the O-DU 250, and the O-RU(s) 260 via the 01 interface. In this regard, the 01 interface may refer to a logical interface between the SMO framework 210, the Near-RT RIC 230, the O-CU 240, the O-DU 250, and the O-RU(s) 260, which enables the SMO framework 210 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 220 and the rApp 221 implemented therein) to provide Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security (FCAPS) and other management operations, such as network monitoring, network discovery, and the like, to the Near-RT RIC 230, the O-CU 240, the O-DU 250, and / or the O-RU(s) 260. Additionally, the 01 interface enables the Near-RT RIC 230, the O-CU 240, the O-DU 250, and / or the O-RU(s) 260 to provide information or observable(s) that may be utilized by the Non-RT RIC 220 (or the rApp 221) to manage the Al policy(s), to train one or more AI / ML models, and the like. According to example embodiments in which the O-eNB is included in the system architecture, the SMO framework may be communicatively coupled to the O-eNB via the 01 interface.

[0054] Further, the SMO framework 210 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 220 and / or the rApp 221 implemented therein) may communicate with the O-Cloud 270 via the 02 interface. In this regard, the 02 interface may refer to a logical interface between the SMO framework 210 and the O-Cloud 270, which may be a collection of physical RAN nodes that host the Non-RT RIC 220, the Near-RT RIC 230, the O-CU 240, and the O-DU 250, the supporting software components (e g., the operating systems and runtime environments), and the SMO framework 210 itself. In other words, the SMO framework 210 may manage the O-Cloud 270 from within, and the 02 interface may be the interface between the SMO framework 210 and the O-Cloud 270 it residesin. Through the 02 interface, the SMO framework 210 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 220 and / or the rApp 221 implemented therein) may provide infrastructure management services (IMS) and deployment management services (DMS) for the O-Cloud 270.

[0055] Furthermore, the SMO framework 210 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 220 and / or the rApp 221 implemented therein) may communicate with the O-RU(s) 260 via an open fronthaul (O-FH) management plane (M-Plane) interface. In this regard, the O-FH M-Plane may enable the SMO framework 210 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 220 and / or the rApp 221 implemented therein) to perform one or more FCAPS operations on the O-RU(s) 260.

[0056] Next, the descriptions of the Near-RT RIC 230 are provided. The Near-RT RIC 230 may refer to a logical function that enables near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources. For instance, the Near-RT RIC 230 may provide the near-real-time control and optimization via fine-grained (e.g., UE basis, Cell basis) data collection and actions over the E2 interface. In some example, implementations, the Near-RT RIC 230 may operate on a timescale between 10 milliseconds and 1 second and may be coupled with the O-CU 240 and the O-DU 250 via the E2 interface. The Near-RT RIC 230 may use the E2 interface to control the underlying RAN elements (E2 nodes / network functions (NFs)) over a near-real-time control loop.

[0057] According to example embodiments, the Near-RT RIC 230 may monitor, suspend / stop, override, and control the E2 nodes (e.g., O-CU 240, O-DU 250, etc.) via one or more Al policies. For example, the Near-RT RIC 230 may receive the one or more Al policies from the Non-RT RIC 220 (or the rApp 221 implemented therein) and then configure or set one or more policy parameters associated with the one or more Al policies on activated functions of the E2 nodes. Further, the Near-RT RIC 230 may host one or more applications, such as the xApp 231,to implement functions such as quality of service (QoS) optimization, mobility optimization, slicing optimization, interference mitigation, load balancing, security, and the like.

[0058] In this regard, the xApp 231 may consist of one or more microservices, which may be independent of the Near-RT RIC 230 and may be provided by any third party. The E2 interface enables a direct association between the xApp 231 and other RAN functionalities (e.g., O-CU 240, 0-DU 250, etc.), thereby enabling the xApp 231 to provide information or data to the RAN functionalities for further utilization. According to example embodiments, the Near-RT RIC 230 may consist of multiple xApps 231 and a set of platform functions that are commonly used to support the specific functions hosted by the multiple xApps 231. In this regard, the Near-RT RIC platform may communicate with the xApp(s) 231 via one or more application programming interfaces (APIs). Further, the Near-RT RIC platform may be configured to route Al policy management messages to the registered xApps based on Al policy type and operator policies.

[0059] According to example embodiments, the Near-RT RIC 230 may implement the xApp 231 to configure one or more parameters associated with paging operations, and then provide the one or more configured parameters to the O-CU 240, the 0-DU 250, and / or one or more of the O-RUs 260. According to example embodiments, the xApp 231 may be configured to adjust or configure any one or more parameters associated with paging operations, such as any one or more parameters associated with paging operations defined in one or more 3 GPP technical standards.

[0060] According to example embodiments, the xApp 231 may be configured to adjust or configure one or more of the above-described parameters and optimize said one or more parameters according to the current Al policy(s) and the current network condition(s) (e.g., load,energy consumption, etc.), thereby providing controlling latency and throughput that fulfills the QoS requirement(s) and / or the energy saving requirement(s).

[0061] According to example embodiments, the xApp 231 may be configured to perform the one or more control operations via the E2 interface. For instance, the xApp 231 may be configured to perform 0-DU E2 control and send one or more associated commands to the 0-DU 250. Accordingly, the O-DU 250 may control the associated O-RU(s) or cell(s) to perform paging operations. As another example, the xApp 231 may be configured to perform O-CU E2 control, where the O-CU 240 may send the one or more associated commands to the 0-DU 250, and the O-DU 250 may then control the associated O-RU(s) or cell(s) to perform paging operations. Accordingly, the O-DU 250 may in the end shape the E2 control and policy, and the paging operations may in the end be controlled by the 0-DU 250.

[0062] Next, the descriptions of the O-CU 240, the O-DU 250, and the 0-RU 260 are provided. Generally, the O-CU 240, the 0-DU 250, and the 0-RU 260 may constitute abase station, such as a gNodeB (gNB) of 5G NR or a node in Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG- RAN), an Evolved Node B (eNodeB) of a 4G LTE network, a base station of a 6G network, and the like.

[0063] The communication between the O-CU 240 and the 0-DU 250 may be performed via an Fl interface, while the communication between the 0-DU 250 and the O-RU 260 may be performed via one or more O-FH Control (C), User (U), Synchronization (S), and Management (M) plane interfaces. In some implementations, the C, U, and S planes may be consolidated and referred to as the “CUS-plane”. According to example embodiments, the system may include a plurality of O-DUs 250, and the O-CU 240 may be communicatively coupled to the plurality ofO-DUs via the Fl interface. Similarly, the system may include a plurality of O-RUs 260, and the 0-DU 250 may be communicatively coupled to the plurality of O-RUs via one or more of the O- FH C / U / S / M plane interfaces.

[0064] According to example embodiments, the O-CU 240 and the O-DU 250 may be defined in software form (e.g., virtualized or cloud native functions) and may be deployed in one or more network nodes. For instance, the O-CU 240 and the 0-DU 250 may be deployed in one or more servers in the form of virtualized network function (VNF), containerized and / or cloudnative function (CNF), and the like. According to example embodiments, the O-CU 240 and the O-DU 250 may be deployed in the same network node (e.g., same server) and / or may be located at a similar geographical location (e.g., be deployed in different servers in the same data center). According to example embodiments, the O-CU 240 and the O-DU 250 may be deployed in different network nodes and / or may be located at different geographical locations. For instance, the O-CU 240 may be deployed in one or more central servers (i.e., servers in one or more central data centers), and the O-DU 250 may be deployed in one or more edge servers (i.e., servers in one or more edge data centers).

[0065] The O-DU 250 may receive radio signals from an end user (via one or more UEs and one or more cells) and may provide operation or support for lower layers of protocol stacks (e.g., RUC layer, MAC layer, Physical Layer, etc.) accordingly. As an example, the O-DU 250 may perform one or more scheduling operations. The O-CU 240 may communicatively couple the O-DU 250 to a core network (e.g., 4G Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network, 5G Core network, etc.) and may receive the radio signals from the O-DU 250, thereby providing operation or support for higher layers of protocol stacks (e.g., PDCP layer, RRC layer, etc.) accordingly.

[0066] According to example embodiments, the O-CU 240 may include an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) and an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP). The O-CU-CP may refer to the logical node that hosts or implements the RRC and the control plane part of the PDCP protocol, and may be responsible for managing the signaling between the core network and the radio network, handling tasks such as session management, radio bearer control, and mobility management. On the other hand, the O-CU-UP may refer to the logical node that hosts or implements the user plane part of the PDCP protocol and the SDAP protocol, and may be responsible for managing the data traffic and the transmission of user data packets. The O-CU-CP and the O-CU-UP may be coupled to each other via the El interface.

[0067] Further, a single 0-DU 250 may host or serve multiple network cells formed by multiple O-RUs 260. According to example embodiments, the 0-DU 250 may implement various radio technologies, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), beamforming, and the like, to optimize radio communication among the multiple cells and the O-CU 240. In some implementations, the 0-DU 250 may concurrently host or serve hundreds (e.g., 512, etc.) of cells at a time.

[0068] The O-RU(s) 260 may be a physical node that converts radio signals from antennas to digital signals that can be transmitted over the Front Haul to the O-DU 250. In this regard, a network cell described herein may correspond to one or more radio units responsible for providing wireless coverage and signal transmission within the network cell. The network cell may include a macro cell, a micro cell, a pi co cell, a femto cell, and / or any other suitable type of network cell. Each of the cells may have an associated coverage area, in which at least one O-RU 260, at least one antenna system, and any other suitable type of transport network element (TNE), may bedeployed therein. According to example embodiments, one or more of the cells may be configured with paging operations.

[0069] According to example embodiments, the 0-DU 250 may be configured to control or instruct the associated O-RU(s) via one or more of the O-FH C / U / S / M plane interfaces. For instance, the 0-DU 250 may instruct the O-RU(s) 260 to enter the sleep mode via the O-FH C / U / S plane interfaces. On the other hand, the capability exchange between the 0-DU 250 and the O- RU(s) 260 may be performed via the O-FH M-plane interface. As an example, the O-RU(s) 260 may inform the O-DU 250 of the amount of time it requires to maintain in the sleep mode in order to save an amount of energy.

[0070] In view of the above, example embodiments of the present disclosure allow a paging message to be transmitted to a UE via only a most suitable SSB beam without having to transmit the paging message via all SSB beams, thereby preventing unnecessary usage of SSB beams to transmit a paging message to a UE, and improving energy efficiency and performance.Example Operations for Enhancing Paging Methods in the Present Disclosure

[0071] In the following, several example operations are performable by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 11.

[0072] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 300 for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 300 may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to enhance paging methods.

[0073] According to example embodiments, the apparatus (or system) may include at least one of a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), where the Non-RT RIC may be communicatively coupled to the Near-RT RIC via an Al interface.

[0074] As illustrated in FIG. 3, at operation S310, the apparatus may be configured to determine a location of a user equipment (UE). The UE may refer to a UE which a paging message is to be transmitted to. For example, the apparatus may receive a paging message that is to be transmitted to a UE, and then determine a location of such UE.

[0075] The location of the UE may be determined using any means. For example, the apparatus may transmit a request to receive location information to the UE, where the UE may transmit its location information to the apparatus in response to receiving the request. Subsequently, the apparatus may determine the location of the UE based on the received location information. In this regard, the apparatus may transmit the request and receive the location information via any suitable interfaces, such as an 01 interface, an Al interface, an E2 interface, and the like. The method then proceeds to operation S320.

[0076] At operation S320, the apparatus may be configured to determine a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network. The SSB beam may be determined based on the determined location of the UE. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to determine one SSB beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU based on the determined location of the UE.

[0077] According to example embodiments, the DU may be associated with one or more radio units (RUs), where each of the RUs may comprise one or more transmission elements (e.g., antenna, transceiver, and the like) that are capable of transmitting a plurality of SSB beams. According to example embodiments, the DU may be associated with a plurality of RUs, where the plurality of RUs may be at different locations. According to example embodiments, the plurality of SSB beams of each of the RUs may be transmitted in different directions relative to the corresponding RU. In this regard, it may be understood that the plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU may refer to all plurality of SSB beams of all RUs associated with the DU.

[0078] The apparatus may be configured to determine the SSB beam from among the plurality of SSB beams based on the determined location of the UE using any means.

[0079] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to determine the SSB beam from among the plurality of SSB beams based on the determined location of the UE by: selecting an RU from the plurality of RUs which is the closest to the UE (i.e., in comparison to other RUs associated with the DU), and selecting an SSB beam from the plurality of SSB beams of the selected RU which is directed at the direction of the UE from the selected RU.

[0080] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to determine the SSB beam from among the plurality of SSB beams based on the determined location of the UE by: selecting a first RU from the plurality of RUs which is the closest to the UE (i.e., in comparison to other RUs associated with the DU), selecting a first SSB beam from the plurality of SSB beams of the first RU which is directed at the direction of the UE from the first RU, selecting a second RU from the plurality of RUs which is the second closest to the UE (i.e., in comparison to other RUs associated with the DU), selecting a second SSB beam from the plurality of SSB beams ofthe second RU which is directed at the direction of the UE from the second RU, and selecting one of the first SSB beam and the second SSB beam. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to select one of the first SSB beam and the second SSB beam using any means. For example, the apparatus may determine that, even though the first RU (which transmits the first SSB beam) is closer to the UE, it is more energy efficient to transmit the paging message to the UE using the second SSB beam of the second RU.

[0081] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to determine whether the UE is stationary, and may determine the SSB beam in response to determining that the UE is stationary. The method then proceeds to operation S33O.

[0082] At operation S330, the apparatus may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams (plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU). In particular, the apparatus may be configured to control the DU to activate the determined SSB beam without activating any other SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams (plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU).

[0083] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to also control the DU to deactivate one or more SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams (plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU). According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to also deactivate all SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams (plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU) other than the activated SSB beam.

[0084] For example, the apparatus may select a first RU from the plurality of RUs and select a first SSB beam from the plurality of SSB beams of the first RU during operation S320. Subsequently, the apparatus may activate only the first SSB beam of the first RU, and deactivateall of the plurality of SSB beams of the first RU. In another example, the apparatus may deactivate all SSM beams of a plurality of RUs (including the first RU) in the area of the UE except the determined SSB beam of the first RU. The method then proceeds to operation S340.

[0085] At operation S340, the apparatus may be configured to control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam (i.e., the SSB beam determined during operation S320 and activated during operation S330) of the plurality of SSB beams (plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU). In particular, the apparatus may utilize the activated SSB beam to transmit the paging message to the UE without utilizing any other SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams (plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU) to transmit the paging message to the UE.

[0086] Accordingly, the above process allows a paging message to be transmitted to a UE via only a most suitable SSB beam without having to transmit the paging message via all SSB beams. Such minimization of number of active beams reduces the overall energy consumption, thereby improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0087] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be further configured to continuously monitor the location of the UE, and update an active SSB beam based on the monitored location of the UE. For example, after controlling the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam during operation S340, the apparatus may be configured to monitor the location of the UE. If the location of the UE changes to a new location, then the apparatus may be configured to update the active SSB beam by determining a new SSB beam from among the plurality of SSB beams based on the new location (monitored location) of the UE in the similar manner as operation S320, and then control the DU to activate only thedetermined new SSB beam. Subsequently, the apparatus may control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam (i.e., determined new SSB beam). In this regard, the apparatus may deactivate the previous SSB beam.

[0088] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam via an Al interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to determine the location of the UE and determine the SSB beam in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S310 and S320. The rApp may then configure an Al policy specifying that only the determined SSB beam should be activated and utilized to transmit the paging message to the UE, and may transmit such Al policy to the Near-RT RIC via the Al interface. Subsequently, the Near-RT RIC may control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and transmit the paging message to the UE in accordance with the Al policy.

[0089] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam via an 01 interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to determine the location of the UE and determine the SSB beam in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S310 and S320. The rApp may then configure a policy specifying that only the determined SSB beam should be activated and utilized to transmit the paging message to the UE, and may control the DU based on such policy via the 01 interface. Subsequently, theDU may configure the RU to activate only the determined SSB beams and transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam.

[0090] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Near- RT RIC, the xApp implemented by the Near-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam via an E2 interface. For example, the xApp may be configured to determine the location of the UE and determine the SSB beam in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S310 and S320. The xApp may then generate a control command to activate only the determined SSB beam and to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB, and may transmit such command to the DU via the E2 interface. Subsequently, the DU may configure the RU to activate only the determined SSB beams and transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam.

[0091] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may control the DU directly via the 01 interface, Al interface, E2 interface, and the like. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may control the DU indirectly via a central unit (CU) that is associated with the DU and is coupled to the DU via an Fl interface.

[0092] Upon performing operation S340, the method 300 may be ended or be terminated. Alternatively, method 300 may return to operation S310, such that the at least one processor may be configured to repeatedly perform, for at least a predetermined amount of time, the determining the location (at operation S310), the determining the SSB beam (at operation S320), the controlling the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam (at operation S330), and the controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam (at operation S340).

[0093] Accordingly, the above processes allow for prevention of unnecessary usage of SSB beams to transmit a paging message to a UE, and improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0094] Further, the above processes utilize 0-RAN’ s intelligent framework, through Near- RT RIC and Non-RT RIC, which can significantly enhance energy efficiency by controlling beam activation and paging based on real-time network conditions and historical data analytics. The above processes are highly effective in saving energy for RUs by enabling selective activation of SSB beams, which ensures that only necessary beams are activated for paging stationary UEs or those in specific areas, significantly reducing the energy otherwise expended in broadcasting across all beams. Consequently, this precise and efficient use of radio resources directly translates into lower energy consumption for RUs.

[0095] FIGs. 10A and 10B illustrate a flow sequence of an example use case for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. As shown in FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B, the flow sequence may involve an rApp 1001, an xApp 1002, aDU 1003, an RU 1004, and a UE 1005. The rApp 1001, the xApp 1002, the DU 1003, and the RU 1004 may be similar to the rApp 221, the xApp 231, the O-DU 250, and the O-RU 260 described above in relation to FIG. 2. Further, one or more operations in FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B may involve or may be part of one or more operations described above with reference to FIG. 3. For instance, steps 1 to 12 in FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B may be similar to operations S310 to S340 in FIG. 3.

[0096] At steps 1 to 2, the rApp 1001 may transmit a request and receive location information of the UE 1005 from the UE 1005. At step 3, the rApp 1001 may determine thelocation of the UE 1005 based on the received location information, in the similar manner as described above in relation to operation S310 in method 300.

[0097] At step 4, the rApp 1001 may determine an SSB beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with the DU 1003 based on the determined location of the UE 1005, in the similar manner as described above in relation to operation S320.

[0098] At steps 5 to 6, the rApp 1001 may configure a policy specifying that only the determined SSB beam should be activated and utilized to transmit a paging message to the UE 1005, and may transmit the policy to the xApp 1002. According to example embodiments, the rApp 1001 may transmit the policy to the xApp 1002 via an Al interface.

[0099] At steps 7 to 8, the xApp 1002 may generate a control command to activate only the determined SSB beam and to transmit the paging message to the UE 1005 via only the activated SSB beam, and transmit such command to the DU 1003. According to example embodiments, the xApp 1002 may transmit the command to the DU 1003 via an E2 interface.

[0100] At steps 9 to 10, the DU 1003 may execute SSB beam activation and paging message transmission, and transmit such execution command to the RU 1004. According to example embodiments, the DU 1003 may transmit the execution command to the RU 1004 via an O-FH plane. Subsequently, at steps 11 and 12, the RU 1004 may activate only the determined SSB beam and transmit the paging message to the UE 1005 via only the activated SSB beam. The above steps 5 to 12 may be similar to operations S330 and S340.

[0101] It can be understood that the configuration illustrated in FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B is simplified for descriptive purpose, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Specifically, as pointed out above, the apparatus may correspond to the Near-RT RIC,and the DU may be controlled via a CU and an Fl interface. Further, the number of DU 1003 and UE 1005 can be any number.

[0102] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 400 for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 400 may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to enhance paging methods.

[0103] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may include at least a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), where the Non-RT RIC may be communicatively coupled to the Near-RT RIC via an Al interface.

[0104] As illustrated in FIG. 4, at operation S410, the apparatus may be configured to determine a network status of a telecommunication network. The network status may include any kind of status, parameters, and the like of the network. According to example embodiments, the network status may include a network load.

[0105] The network status may be determined using any means. For example, the apparatus may transmit a request to receive status information to one or more elements within the O-RAN architecture, where the one or more elements within the O-RAN architecture may transmit its status information to the apparatus in response to receiving the request. Subsequently, the apparatus may determine the network status based on the received status information. In this regard, the apparatus may transmit the request and receive the status information via any suitable interfaces, such as an 01 interface, an Al interface, an E2 interface, and the like.

[0106] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to monitor network traffic and UE activities in real time using telemetry data. The method then proceeds to operation S420.

[0107] At operation S420, the apparatus may be configured to determine a paging parameter based on the determined network status. The paging parameter may include any kind of parameters related to the process of transmitting a paging message. According to example embodiments, the paging parameter may include at least one of: intervals between paging frames (PFs) and a number of paging occasions (POs) per PF. For example, based on determining that the network load of the network is high during operation S410, the apparatus may determine that the intervals between PFs should be low so as to reduce the load on the network when transmitting a paging message.

[0108] According to example embodiments, the paging parameter may be determined using a machine learning model based on historical data related to the relationship between the paging parameter and the network status. For example, the machine learning model may be trained based on the effect of changing (increasing, decreasing, and the like) the paging parameter on the network status to determine an optimal paging parameter given a network status. The method then proceeds to operation S430.

[0109] At operation S430, the apparatus may be configured to control a distributed unit (DU) of the telecommunication network to transmit a paging message to a user equipment (UE) based on the determined paging parameter. For example, the paging message may be transmitted to the UE with the intervals between PFs determined during operation S420.

[0110] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be further configured to continuously monitor the network status, and update the paging parameter based on the monitored network status. For example, after controlling the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE based on the determined paging parameter during operation S430, the apparatus may be configured to monitor the network status. If the network status changes to a new network status, then the apparatus may be configured to update the paging parameter by determining a new paging parameter based on the new network status (monitored network status) in the similar manner as operation S420. Subsequently, the apparatus may control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE based on the updated paging parameter.

[0111] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE based on the determined paging parameter via an Al interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to determine the network status and determine the paging parameter in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S410 and S420. The rApp may then configure an Al policy specifying the paging parameter that should be configured when transmitting the paging message to the UE, and may transmit such Al policy to the Near-RT RIC via the Al interface. Subsequently, the Near-RT RIC may control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE based on the paging parameter in accordance with the Al policy.

[0112] By way of another example, the rApp may configure the Al policy specifying a plurality of paging parameters that should be configured at a plurality of network statuses. For example, the Al policy may specify that: at a first level of network load, the paging messageshould be transmitted with a first intervals between PFs; at a second level of network load, the paging message should be transmitted with a second intervals between PFs; at a third level of network load, the paging message should be transmitted with a first intervals between PFs and a first number of POs; and the like.

[0113] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE based on the determined paging parameter via an 01 interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to determine the network status and determine the paging parameter in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S410 and S420. The rApp may then configure a policy specifying the paging parameter that should be configured when transmitting the paging message to the UE, and may control the DU based on such policy via the 01 interface. Subsequently, the DU may configure a radio unit (RU) associated with the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE based on the paging parameter.

[0114] In another example, the rApp may configure the policy specifying a plurality of paging parameters that should be configured at a plurality of network statuses. For example, the policy may specify that: at a first level of network load, the paging message should be transmitted with a first intervals between PFs; at a second level of network load, the paging message should be transmitted with a second intervals between PFs; at a third level of network load, the paging message should be transmitted with a first intervals between PFs and a first number of POs; and the like.

[0115] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Near- RT RIC, the xApp implemented by the Near-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU totransmit a paging message to the UE based on the determined paging parameter via an E2 interface. For example, the xApp may be configured to determine the network status and determine the paging parameter in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S410 and S420. The xApp may then generate a control command to transmit a paging message to the UE based on the determined paging parameter, and may transmit such command to the DU via the E2 interface. Subsequently, the DU may configure a radio unit (RU) associated with the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE based on the paging parameter.

[0116] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may control the DU directly via the 01 interface, Al interface, E2 interface, and the like. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may control the DU indirectly via a central unit (CU) that is associated with the DU and is coupled to the DU via an Fl interface.

[0117] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to obtain any kinds of feedback associated with transmitting the paging message to the UE based on the paging parameter. According to example embodiments, the feedback may be utilized to further train the machine learning model. According to example embodiments, the feedback may be utilized to ensure that the paging message is transmitted to the UE based on the paging parameter correctly and effectively.

[0118] Upon performing operation S430, the method 400 may be ended or be terminated. Alternatively, method 400 may return to operation S410, such that the at least one processor may be configured to repeatedly perform, for at least a predetermined amount of time, the determining the network status (at operation S410), the determining the paging parameter (at operation S420),and the controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE based on the determined paging parameter (at operation S430).

[0119] Accordingly, the above processes allow for the manner in which the paging messages are transmitted to the UE to be dynamically adjusted based on the network status, thereby reducing any unnecessary paging transmissions and improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0120] FIGs. 11 A and 1 IB illustrate a flow sequence of an example use case for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. As shown in FIG. 11 A to FIG. 1 IB, the flow sequence may involve an rApp 1101, an xApp 1102, aDU 1103, an RU 1104, and a UE 1105. The rApp 1101, the xApp 1102, the DU 1103, and the RU 1104 may be similar to the rApp 221, the xApp 231, the O-DU 250, and the O-RU 260 described above in relation to FIG. 2. Further, one or more operations in FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B may involve or may be part of one or more operations described above with reference to FIG. 4. For instance, steps 1 to 11 in FIG. 11A to FIG. 1 IB may be similar to operations S410 to S430 in FIG. 4.

[0121] At steps 1 to 2, the rApp 1101 may transmit a request and receive network status information from the xApp 1102. At step 3, the rApp 1101 may determine the network status based on the received network status information, in the similar manner as described above in relation to operation S410 in method 400.

[0122] At step 4, the rApp 1101 may determine a paging parameter based on the determined network status, in the similar manner as described above in relation to operation S420.

[0123] At steps 5 to 6, the rApp 1101 may configure a policy specifying the paging parameter that should be configured when transmitting a paging message to the UE 1105, and maytransmit the policy to the xApp 1102. According to example embodiments, the rApp 1101 may transmit the policy to the xApp 1102 via an Al interface.

[0124] At steps 7 to 8, the xApp 1102 may generate a control command to transmit the paging message to the UE 1105 based on the paging parameter, and transmit such command to the DU 1103. According to example embodiments, the xApp 1102 may transmit the command to the DU 1103 via an E2 interface.

[0125] At steps 9 to 10, the DU 1103 may execute paging message transmission, and transmit such execution command to the RU 1104. According to example embodiments, the DU 1103 may transmit the execution command to the RU 1104 via an O-FH plane. Subsequently, at step 11, the RU 1104 may transmit the paging message to the UE 1105 based on the paging parameter. The above steps 5 to 11 may be similar to operation S430.

[0126] It is understood that the configuration illustrated in FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B is simplified for descriptive purpose, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. For example, as set forth above, the apparatus may correspond to the Near-RT RIC, and the DU may be controlled via a CU and an Fl interface. Further, the number of DU 1103 and UE 1105 can be any number.

[0127] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 500 for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 500 may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to enhance paging methods.

[0128] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may include at least a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near-real-time(Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), where the Non-RT RIC may be communicatively coupled to the Near-RT RIC via an Al interface.

[0129] As illustrated in FIG. 5, at operation S510, the apparatus may be configured to determine a paging load on each of a plurality of radio units (RUs) associated with a distributed in a telecommunication network. The paging load may refer to a computational load on an RU related to the process to transmit a paging message to a user equipment (UE).

[0130] The paging load may be determined using any means. For example, the apparatus may transmit a request to receive load information to the DU, where the DU may obtain and transmit load information associated with one or more RUs associated with the DU in response to receiving the request. Subsequently, the apparatus may determine the paging load based on the received load information. In this regard, the apparatus may transmit the request and receive the load information via any suitable interfaces, such as an 01 interface, an Al interface, an E2 interface, and the like. In another example, the apparatus may use real time telemetry data to assess the paging load on the RUs. The method then proceeds to operation S520.

[0131] At operation S520, the apparatus may be configured to control the DU to redirect a paging message from a first RU of the plurality of RUs to a second RU of the plurality of RUs. According to example embodiments, the first RU may have a higher paging load in comparison to the second RU. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to control the DU to redirect the paging message from the first RU to the second RU by: controlling the second RU to transmit the paging message to a UE; and controlling the first RU to prevent the firstRU from transmitting the paging message.

[0132] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to control the DU to redirect the paging message from the first RU to the second RU based on an individual paging load threshold. For example, the apparatus may identify an RU from among the plurality of RUs that exceeds its individual paging load threshold (e.g., first RU), and identify an RU from among the plurality of RUs that has not exceeded its individual paging load threshold (e.g., second RU) (i.e., determine that the first RU has a paging load that exceeds the individual paging load threshold of the first RU, and determine that the second RU has a paging load that has not exceeded the individual paging load threshold of the second RU). Accordingly, in response to the above determination, the apparatus may redirect a paging message from the first RU to the second RU. According to example embodiments, individual paging load threshold of the first RU and the individual paging load threshold of the second RU may be the same or different.

[0133] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to control the DU to redirect the paging message from the first RU to the second RU based on a balancing paging load threshold. For example, the apparatus may identify an RU from among the plurality of RUs that has the highest paging load (e.g., first RU), and identify an RU from among the plurality of RUs that has the lowest paging load (e.g., second RU). The apparatus may then determine the difference between the paging load of the first RU and the paging load of the second RU, and determine whether the difference exceeds the balancing paging load threshold. Accordingly, in response to determining that the difference exceeds the balancing paging load threshold, the apparatus may redirect a paging message from the first RU to the second RU.

[0134] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU toredirect the paging message via an Al interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to determine the paging load in the similar manner as described above in relation to operation S510. The rApp may then configure an Al policy specifying the redirecting of the paging message from the first RU to the second RU, and may transmit such Al policy to the Near-RT RIC via the Al interface. Subsequently, the Near-RT RIC may control the DU to redirect the paging message in accordance with the Al policy.

[0135] According to other example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non-RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU to redirect the paging message via an 01 interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to determine the paging load in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S510. The rApp may then configure a policy specifying the redirecting of the paging message from the first RU to the second RU, and may control the DU based on such policy via the 01 interface. Subsequently, the DU may redirect the paging message from the first RU to the second RU.

[0136] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Near- RT RIC, the xApp implemented by the Near-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU to redirect the paging message via an E2 interface. For example, the xApp may be configured to determine the paging load in the similar manner as described above in relation to operations S510. The xApp may then generate a control command to redirect the paging message from the first RU to the second RU, and may transmit such command to the DU via the E2 interface. Subsequently, the DU may redirect the paging message from the first RU to the second RU.

[0137] Accordingly, the above processes allow for paging messages to be redirected from an RU with high paging load to an RU with low paging load, thereby preventing overloading of acell, leading to a more consistent energy usage and balanced paging load across the network, as well as reducing peak energy consumption and improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0138] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 600 for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 600 may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to enhance paging methods.

[0139] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may include at least a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), where the Non-RT RIC may be communicatively coupled to the Near-RT RIC via an Al interface.

[0140] As illustrated in FIG. 6, at operation S610, the apparatus may be configured to determine a time period when a telecommunication network has a low network traffic. The apparatus may be configured to determine the time period when the telecommunication network has the low network traffic by determining a time period when an amount of network traffic in the telecommunication network is below a threshold.

[0141] The time period may be determined using any means. For example, the apparatus may monitor the amount of network traffic over time throughout the day, and determine which period during the day the amount of network traffic in the telecommunication network is below a threshold. In this regard, the apparatus may monitor the amount of network traffic over interfaces such as an 01 interface, an Al interface, an E2 interface, and the like. In another example, the apparatus may analyze historical traffic patterns using to identify low traffic periods, and use amachine learning model to process the historical data and predict future low traffic periods. The method then proceeds to operation S620.

[0142] At operation S620, the apparatus may be configured to configure a length and timing of paging windows for transmitting a paging message to a user equipment (UE) based on the determined time period. The apparatus may be configured to configure the length and timing of paging windows to coincide with the determined time period. For example, the apparatus may determine that the time period when the telecommunication network has the low network traffic is during 10am to 1 lam during operation S610. Subsequently, the apparatus may configure the length of paging window to be Ihour and the timing of paging window to be between 10am and 11am, such that the paging message is transmitted to and received by the UE during 10am to 1 lam within 1 hour.

[0143] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to configure a policy specifying the configured length and timing of paging windows. In this regard, for example, the policy may be transmitted to a Near-RT RIC via an Al interface, such that the Near-RT RIC may control a distributed unit (DU) to transmit the paging message to the UE based on the configured length and timing of paging windows specified in the policy. In another example, the apparatus may control the DU via an 01 interface to transmit the paging message to the UE based on the configured length and timing of paging windows specified in the policy.

[0144] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Near- RT RIC, the xApp implemented by the Near-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU via anE2 interface to transmit the paging message to the UE based on the configured length and timing of paging windows.

[0145] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to obtain any kinds of feedback associated with transmission of a paging message with the configured length and timing of paging windows. Such feedback may be utilized to further refine and adjust the length and timing of paging windows.

[0146] Accordingly, the above processes allow for length and timing of paging windows for transmitting the paging message to be configured appropriately based on the status of the network traffic, such that paging activities may be aligned with period with low network traffic, thereby reducing unnecessary energy expenditure and improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0147] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 700 for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 700 may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to enhance paging methods.

[0148] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may include at least one of a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near- real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), where the Non-RT RIC may be communicatively coupled to the Near-RT RIC via an Al interface.

[0149] As illustrated in FIG. 7, at operation S710, the apparatus may be configured to identify a redundant paging message. The redundant paging message may include a paging message that is to be transmitted by both a first RU and a second RU in a telecommunicationnetwork to a user equipment (UE). In other words, the first RU and the second RU may be configured to transmit the same paging message to the same UE.

[0150] The redundant paging message may be identified using any means. For example, the apparatus may obtain and analyze all paging messages that are received within the telecommunication network, where the redundant paging message may be identified based on such analysis. In this regard, the apparatus may obtain and analyze the paging messages via any suitable interfaces, such as an 01 interface, an Al interface, an E2 interface, and the like. The method then proceeds to operation S720.

[0151] At operation S720, the apparatus may be configured to select one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE. According to example embodiments, the one of the first RU and the second RU may be selected based on information associated with the redundant paging message.

[0152] The information associated with the redundant paging message may include any kind of information. For example, the information may include a first distance between the UE and the first RU and a second distance between the UE and the second RU, a first amount of energy required to transmit the redundant paging message across the first distance, and a second amount of energy required to transmit the redundant paging message across the second distance. In this regard, if the first distance is shorter than the second distance and the first amount of energy is lower than the second amount of energy, the apparatus may select the first RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE in order to improve energy efficiency. The method then proceeds to operation S730.

[0153] At operation S730, the apparatus may be configured to control the selected one of the first RU and the second RU (hereinafter “selected RU”) to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE. The method then proceeds to operation S740.

[0014] At operation S740, the apparatus may be configured to control the other one of the first RU and the second RU (i.e., one of the first RU and the second RU that was not selected during operation S730; hereinafter “non-selected RU”) to prevent transmitting the redundant paging message to the UE. For example, if the first RU was selected during operation S730, the apparatus may control the first RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE and control the second RU to prevent transmitting the redundant paging message to the UE (i.e., control the second RU to stop transmitting the redundant message).

[0155] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the selected RU and the non-selected RU via an Al interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to identify the redundant paging message and select one of the RUs similar manner as described above in relation to operation S710 and S720. The rApp may then configure an Al policy specifying that the redundant paging message should be transmitted by the selected RU and not the non-selected RU, and may transmit such Al policy to the Near-RT RIC via the Al interface. Subsequently, the Near-RT RIC may control the selected RU to transmit the redundant paging message, and control the non-selected RU to stop transmitting the redundant paging message in accordance with the Al policy.

[0156] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non-RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to control the selected RUand the non-selected RU via an 01 interface. For example, the rApp may be configured to identify the redundant paging message and select one of the RUs similar manner as described above in relation to operation S710 and S720. The rApp may then configure a policy specifying that the redundant paging message should be transmitted by the selected RU and not the non-selected RU, and may control the DU based on such policy via the 01 interface. Subsequently, the DU may control the selected RU to transmit the redundant paging message, and control the non-selected RU to stop transmitting the redundant paging message.

[0157] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Near- RT RIC, the xApp implemented by the Near-RT RIC may be configured to control the selected RU and the non-selected RU via an E2 interface. For example, the xApp may be configured to identify the redundant paging message and select one of the RUs similar manner as described above in relation to operation S710 and S720. The xApp may then generate a control command to control the selected RU to transmit the redundant paging message and control the non-selected RU to stop transmitting the redundant paging message, and may transmit such command to the DU via the E2 interface. Subsequently, the DU may control the selected RU to transmit the redundant paging message and control the non-selected RU to stop transmitting the redundant paging message.

[0158] Accordingly, the above processes prevent transmission of redundant paging messages, leading to lower overall energy consumption in the network and improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0159] FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 800 for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 800 may beperformed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to enhance paging methods.

[0160] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may include at least a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), where the Non-RT RIC may be communicatively coupled to the Near-RT RIC via an Al interface.

[0161] As illustrated in FIG. 8, at operation S810, the apparatus may be configured to predict a paging behavior of a user equipment (UE). The paging behavior of the UE may be predicted using a machine learning model and historical data associated with the UE.

[0162] The paging behavior may include any kind of behaviors related to paging performed by a UE. For example, the paging behavior may include transmitting a paging message from a certain location, transmitting a paging message at a certain time, transmitting a paging message with a certain size, and the like.

[0163] According to example embodiments, the paging behavior of the UE may be predicted by determining the paging behavior of the UE before the UE performs the paging behavior. For example, the apparatus may determine that the UE will transmit a paging message from a first location, before the UE is at the first location or before the UE transmits the paging message from the first location.

[0164] The paging behavior may be predicted using any means. For example, the apparatus may monitor and record the paging behavior of the UE over a period of time (e.g., days, months, years, and the like), train the machine learning model based on the recorded paging behavior, and then predict the paging behavior using the machine learning model. In this regard, the apparatusmay monitor the paging behavior of the UE over interfaces such as an 01 interface, an Al interface, an E2 interface, and the like. In another example, the paging behavior may be predicted using big data analytics. The method then proceeds to operation S820.

[0165] At operation S820, the apparatus may be configured to determine a paging configuration of a telecommunication network based on the predicted paging behavior. According to example embodiments, the paging configuration may be determined before the UE performs the predicted paging behavior.

[0166] The paging configuration may include any kind of configurations of the telecommunication network associated with a process to transmit a paging message. For example, the apparatus may predict that the UE will transmit a paging message at a first location during operation S810. Subsequently, the apparatus may activate one or more antenna elements of an RU that is closest to the first location (i.e., the paging configuration includes one or more antenna elements of an RU in the telecommunication network) before the UE arrives at the first location.

[0167] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to configure a policy specifying the predicted paging activity and the determined paging configuration. In this regard, for example, the policy may be transmitted to a Near-RT RIC via an Al interface, such that the Near-RT RIC may control a distributed unit (DU) to apply the determined paging configuration specified in the policy. In another example, the apparatus may control the DU via an 01 interface to apply the determined paging configuration specified in the policy.

[0168] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Near- RT RIC, the xApp implemented by the Near-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU via an E2 interface to apply the determined paging configuration.

[0169] Accordingly, the above processes allow for paging configurations of the telecommunication network to be preemptively determined and applied in the network before the UE performs the paging behavior, thereby reducing the amount of time required to apply paging configurations in response to paging behaviors of the UEs, and improving energy efficiency and performance. Further, the above processes allows for paging resources to be proactively managed based on predicted needs, thereby avoiding unnecessary paging activities.

[0170] FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 900 for enhancing paging methods, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 900 may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to enhance paging methods.

[0171] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may include at least a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), where the Non-RT RIC may be communicatively coupled to the Near-RT RIC via an Al interface.

[0172] As illustrated in FIG. 9, at operation S910, the apparatus may be configured to determine priorities of a plurality of user equipment (UEs) in the telecommunication network. According to example embodiments, the priorities of the plurality of UEs may be determined based on information associated with the plurality of UEs.

[0173] The information associated with the plurality of UEs may include any kind of information. For example, the information may be related to paging messages to be transmitted to the plurality of UEs and may include an amount of energy required to transmit the paging messages to the plurality of UEs. Accordingly, for example, in response to determining that an amount of energy required to transmit a first paging message to a first UE is higher in comparison to an amount of energy required to transmit a second paging message to a second UE, the apparatus may determine that the priority of the first UE is higher than the priority of the second UE.

[0174] The information associated with the plurality of UEs may be obtained using any means. For example, the apparatus may monitor and obtain information associated with the plurality of UEs via any suitable interfaces, such as an 01 interface, an Al interface, an E2 interface, and the like.

[0175] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to classify the plurality of UEs into different priority levels. The method then proceeds to operation S920.

[0176] At operation S920, the apparatus may be configured to determine resource allocation for transmitting a plurality of paging messages to the plurality of UEs. According to example embodiments, the resource allocation may be determined based on the determined priorities.

[0177] According to example embodiments, the resource may include any kind of resources related to a process to transmit of a paging message to a UE. For example, the resource may include a number of SSB beams in an RU, the number of RUs, and the like. In particular, for example, the apparatus may allocate more radio units (RUs) to transmit the first paging message to the first UE (e.g., paging across the whole network using all SSB beams of all RUs), and mayallocate less RUs to transmit the second paging message to the second UE (e.g., paging using only a few SSB beams in an RU).

[0178] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Non- RT RIC, the rApp implemented by the Non-RT RIC may be configured to configure a policy specifying the determined resource allocation. In this regard, for example, the policy may be transmitted to a Near-RT RIC via an Al interface, such that the Near-RT RIC may control a distributed unit (DU) to allocate resources as specified in the policy. In another example, the apparatus may control the DU via an 01 interface to allocate resources as specified in the policy.

[0179] According to example embodiments, when the apparatus corresponds to the Near- RT RIC, the xApp implemented by the Near-RT RIC may be configured to control the DU via an E2 interface to allocate resources as determined.

[0180] Accordingly, the above processes allow for optimized resource allocation that prioritizes high-impact UEs, leading to efficient energy usage and improved network performance.

[0181] It may be understood that the above described operations and methods can be added, removed, modified, and combined with one another without limitation.

[0182] For example, method 300 and method 500 may be combined. In particular, for example, operation S310 may first be performed to determine a location of a UE. Then, during operation S320, the apparatus may determine an SSB beam based on the determined location of the UE by selecting a first SSB beam of a first RU that is closest to the UE. In this regard, operation S510 may be performed to determine a paging load on each of the RUs, where it may be determined that the paging load on the first RU exceeds its individual paging load threshold, and where it may be determined that the paging load on a second RU which is the second closest tothe UE has not exceeded its individual paging load threshold. Subsequently, the apparatus may perform operation S520 to redirect the paging message from the first RU to the second RU, and then perform operations S330 and S340 to activate and transmit the paging message to the UE via a second SSB of the second RU.Various Aspects of Embodiments

[0183] According to example embodiments, paging messages are transmitted to a UE via only a most suitable SSB beam without having to transmit the paging message via all SSB beams. As such example embodiments of the present disclosure prevent unnecessary usage of SSB beams to transmit a paging message to a UE, and improving energy efficiency and performance.

[0184] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0185] Some embodiments may relate to a system, a method, and / or a computer readable medium at any possible technical detail level of integration. Further, one or more of the above components described above may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer readable medium and executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor). The computer readable medium may include a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out operations.

[0186] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storagemedium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

[0187] Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and / or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0188] Computer readable program code / instructions for carrying out operations may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects or operations.

[0189] These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. These computerreadable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0190] The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0191] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer readable media according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a microservice(s) module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). The method, computer system, and computer readable medium may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in the Figures. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed concurrently or substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the blockdiagrams and / or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0192] It will be apparent that systems and / or methods, described herein, may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limiting of the implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods were described herein without reference to specific software code-it being understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0193] One or more components of the apparatus of the example embodiments (e.g., Non- RT RIC, Near-RT RIC, etc.), as well as the operations associated therewith (e.g., one or more operations in FIG. 3 to FIG. 9, etc.), may be implemented in one or more systems, devices, or hardware components, such as one or more servers, and the like. In the following, descriptions of a device in which the systems or components of the example embodiments may be implemented are provided. It is contemplated that one or more operations or methods described above with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 11 may be performed by the device. For instance, the one or more operations or methods may be performed by at least one processor of the device upon executing machine-readable instructions or computer-readable instructions (e.g., instructions for implementing the Non-RT RIC, etc.) stored in a memory or a storage component of the device.

[0194] FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of a device 1200 for implementing one or more example embodiments. As shown in FIG. 12, the device 1200 includes a processor 1210, a memory 1220, a storage component 1230, an input component 1240, an output component 1250, a communication interface 1260, and a bus 1270.

[0195] The processor 1210, as used herein, means any type of computational circuit that may comprise hardware elements and software elements. The processor 1210 may be embodied as a multi-core processor, a single core processor, or a combination of one or more multi-core processors and one or more single core processors, a distributed processing system, or the like. The processor 1210 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component.

[0196] Memory 1220 includes a non-transitory computer readable medium. Memory 1220 includes a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., a flash memory, a magnetic memory, and / or an optical memory) that stores information and / or instructions for use by processor 1210. The memory 1220 comprises machine-readable instructions which are executable by the processor 1210. These machine-readable instructions when executed by the processor 1210 causes the processor 1210 to perform one or more method steps of an embodiment described herein.

[0197] Storage component 1230 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of the device 1200. For example, storage component 1230 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optic disk, and / or a solid-state disk), a compact disc(CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, along with a corresponding drive.

[0198] Input component 1240 is configured to receive information, such as user input. For example, the input component 1240 may include, but not be limited to, a touch screen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a switch, and / or a microphone. Additionally, or alternatively, the input component 1240 may include a sensor for sensing information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS), an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an actuator).

[0199] Output component 1250 is configured to provide output information from the device 1200. For example, the output component 1250 may be, but not limited to, a display, a speaker, an instruction device to an external device, and / or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

[0200] Communication interface 1260 is an interface that provides a communication connection to other devices, such as external devices and internal devices. The connection by the communication interface 1260 can be a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections, and can be a direct connection or an indirect connection via a communication network that exists between the device 1200 and other devices. In other words, the standard of the communication interface 1260 is not limited.

[0201] The bus 1270 acts as an interconnect between the processor 1210, the memory 1220, the storage component 1230, the input component 1240, the output component 1250, and the communication interface 1260 of the device 1200. The bus 1270 may include a wired interconnection or a wireless interconnection.

[0202] The number and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 12 are provided as an example. In practice, device 1200 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in FIG. 12. Additionally, or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 1200 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 1200. Further, one or more method steps described in any of the embodiments may be performed utilizing a plurality of device 1200 in communication with one another.

[0203] Further, according to example embodiments, the device 1200 may include one or more elements from the system architecture described above in relation to FIG. 2. For example, the device 1200 may include at least the Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non- RT RIC Application (rApp), and a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp).

[0204] Various further respective aspects and features of embodiments of the present disclosure may be defined by the following items:Item [1]: An apparatus that may be configured to: determine a location of a user equipment (UE); determine a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.Item [2]: The apparatus according to item [1], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to: continuously monitor the location of the UE; and update an active SSB beam based on the monitored location of the UE.Item [3]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[2], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to control the DU to deactivate one or more SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams other than the activated SSB beam.Item [4]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[3], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to: determine a paging load on each of a plurality of radio units (RUs) associated with the DU; and control the DU to redirect a paging message from a first RU of the plurality of RUs to a second RU of the plurality of RUs, wherein the first RU may have a higher paging load in comparison to the second RU.Item [5]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[4], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to: determine a time period when the telecommunication network has a low network traffic; and configure a length and timing of paging windows for transmitting the paging message to the UE based on the determined time period.Item [6]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[5], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to: identify a redundant paging message, wherein the redundant paging message may include a paging message that is to be transmitted by both a first RU and a second RU in the telecommunication network to the UE; select one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE based on information associated with the redundant paging message; control the selected one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE; andcontrol the other one of the first RU and the second RU to prevent transmitting the redundant paging message to the UE.Item [7]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[6], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to: predict a paging behavior of the UE using a machine learning model and historical data associated with the UE; and determine a paging configuration of the telecommunication network based on the predicted paging behavior before the UE performs the predicted paging behavior.Item [8]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[7], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to: determine priorities of a plurality of UEs based on information associated with the plurality of UEs; and determine resource allocation for transmitting a plurality of paging messages to the plurality of UEs based on the determined priorities.Item [9]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[8], wherein: the apparatus may include a non-real-time (non-RT) Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and the rApp may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an Al interface or an 01 interface; or the apparatus may include a near-real-time (near-RT) Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one near-RT RIC Application (xApp), and the xApp may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an E2 interface.Item

[0010] : A method that may include: determining a location of a user equipment (UE); determining a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; controlling the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.Item

[0011] : The method according to item

[0010] , wherein the method may further include: continuously monitoring the location of the UE; and updating an active SSB beam based on the monitored location of the UE.Item

[0012] : The method according to one of items

[0010] -[l 1], wherein the method may further include controlling the DU to deactivate one or more SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams other than the activated SSB beam.Item

[0013] : The method according one of items

[0010] -

[0012] , wherein the method may further include: determining a paging load on each of a plurality of radio units (RUs) associated with the DU; and controlling the DU to redirect a paging message from a first RU of the plurality of RUs to a second RU of the plurality of RUs, wherein the first RU may have a higher paging load in comparison to the second RU.Item

[0014] : The method according to one of items

[0010] -

[0013] , wherein the method may further include: determining a time period when the telecommunication network has a low network traffic; and configuring a length and timing of paging windows for transmitting the paging message to the UE based on the determined time period.Item

[0015] : The method according to one of items

[0010] -

[0014] , wherein the method may further include: identifying a redundant paging message, wherein the redundant paging message may include a paging message that is to be transmitted by both a first RU and a second RU in the telecommunication network to the UE; selecting one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE based on information associated with the redundant paging message; controlling the selected one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE; and controlling the other one of the first RU and the second RU to prevent transmitting the redundant paging message to the UE.Item

[0016] : The method according to one of items

[0010] -[l 5], wherein the method may further include: predicting a paging behavior of the UE using a machine learning model and historical data associated with the UE; and determining a paging configuration of the telecommunication network based on the predicted paging behavior before the UE performs the predicted paging behavior.Item

[0017] : The method according to one of items

[0010] -

[0016] , wherein the method may further include: determining priorities of a plurality of UEs based on information associated with the plurality of UEs; and determining resource allocation for transmitting a plurality of paging messages to the plurality of UEs based on the determined priorities.Item

[0018] : The method according to one of items

[0010] -

[0017] , wherein: the method may be performed by a non-real-time (non-RT) Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and the rApp may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSBbeam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an Al interface or an 01 interface; or the method may be performed by a near-real-time (near-RT) Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one near-RT RIC Application (xApp), and the xApp may be configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an E2 interface.Item

[0019] : A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that may have recorded thereon instructions executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform a method including: determining a location of a user equipment (UE); determining a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; controlling the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.Item

[0020] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to item

[0019] , wherein the method may further include: continuously monitoring the location of the UE; and updating an active SSB beam based on the monitored location of the UE.

[0205] It is understood that numerous modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It will be apparent that within the scope of the appended clauses, the present disclosures may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus configured to: determine a location of a user equipment (UE); determine a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and control the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: continuously monitor the location of the UE; and update an active SSB beam based on the monitored location of the UE.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to control the DU to deactivate one or more SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams other than the activated SSB beam.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:determine a paging load on each of a plurality of radio units (RUs) associated with the DU; and control the DU to redirect a paging message from a first RU of the plurality of RUs to a second RU of the plurality of RUs, wherein the first RU has a higher paging load in comparison to the second RU.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: determine a time period when the telecommunication network has a low network traffic; and configure a length and timing of paging windows for transmitting the paging message to the UE based on the determined time period.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: identify a redundant paging message, wherein the redundant paging message comprises a paging message that is to be transmitted by both a first RU and a second RU in the telecommunication network to the UE; select one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE based on information associated with the redundant paging message; control the selected one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE; and control the other one of the first RU and the second RU to prevent transmitting the redundant paging message to the UE.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: predict a paging behavior of the UE using a machine learning model and historical data associated with the UE; and determine a paging configuration of the telecommunication network based on the predicted paging behavior before the UE performs the predicted paging behavior.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: determine priorities of a plurality of UEs based on information associated with the plurality of UEs; and determine resource allocation for transmitting a plurality of paging messages to the plurality of UEs based on the determined priorities.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the apparatus comprises a non-real-time (non-RT) Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and the rApp is configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an Al interface or an 01 interface; or the apparatus comprises a near-real-time (near-RT) Radio Access NetworkIntelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one near-RT RIC Application(xApp), and the xApp is configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an E2 interface.

10. A method comprising: determining a location of a user equipment (UE); determining a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; controlling the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: continuously monitoring the location of the UE; and updating an active SSB beam based on the monitored location of the UE.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises controlling the DU to deactivate one or more SSB beams of the plurality of SSB beams other than the activated SSB beam.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:determining a paging load on each of a plurality of radio units (RUs) associated with the DU; and controlling the DU to redirect a paging message from a first RU of the plurality of RUs to a second RU of the plurality of RUs, wherein the first RU has a higher paging load in comparison to the second RU.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: determining a time period when the telecommunication network has a low network traffic; and configuring a length and timing of paging windows for transmitting the paging message to the UE based on the determined time period.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: identifying a redundant paging message, wherein the redundant paging message comprises a paging message that is to be transmitted by both a first RU and a second RU in the telecommunication network to the UE; selecting one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE based on information associated with the redundant paging message; controlling the selected one of the first RU and the second RU to transmit the redundant paging message to the UE; and controlling the other one of the first RU and the second RU to prevent transmitting the redundant paging message to the UE.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: predicting a paging behavior of the UE using a machine learning model and historical data associated with the UE; and determining a paging configuration of the telecommunication network based on the predicted paging behavior before the UE performs the predicted paging behavior.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: determining priorities of a plurality of UEs based on information associated with the plurality of UEs; and determining resource allocation for transmitting a plurality of paging messages to the plurality of UEs based on the determined priorities.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein: the method is performed by a non-real-time (non-RT) Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one non-RT RIC Application (rApp), and the rApp is configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an Al interface or an 01 interface; or the method is performed by a near-real-time (near-RT) Radio Access NetworkIntelligent Controller (RIC) configured to implement at least one near-RT RIC Application(xApp), and the xApp is configured to control the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam and control the DU to transmit the paging message to the UE via an E2 interface.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising: determining a location of a user equipment (UE); determining a synchronization signal block (SSB) beam from among a plurality of SSB beams associated with a distributed unit (DU) of a telecommunication network based on the determined location of the UE; controlling the DU to activate only the determined SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and controlling the DU to transmit a paging message to the UE via only the activated SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 19, wherein the method further comprises: continuously monitoring the location of the UE; and updating an active SSB beam based on the monitored location of the UE.

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