Coordination between o-RU power consumption and external power source in a network

Abstract

Provided are apparatus, method, and device for automatically and dynamically perform power source and energy consumption coordination. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to: obtain, from a Radio Unit (RU), a power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determine, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic may include at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determine, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.

Description

COORDINATION BETWEEN O-RU POWER CONSUMPTION AND EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE IN A NETWORKCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 554,336, fded with 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 a coordination between O-RU power consumption and external power source 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 others, one or more technical specifications provided by one or more standard organizations, have described the concepts and mechanisms related to various energy saving features, such as cell and carrier shutdown, Radio Frequency (RF) channel reconfiguration, Advanced Sleep Mode (ASM), and the like.

[0005] The cell and carrier shutdown may refer to a mechanism where one or more carriers and / or one or more cells in a network are disabled in order to save energy. The RF channelreconfiguration may refer to a mechanism where one or more RF channels of a Radio Unit (RU) in a network are disabled by deactivating a portion of transmission antenna arrays (tx-arrays) and reception antenna arrays (rx-arrays) of the RU in order to save energy. The ASM may refer to a mechanism where a plurality of sleep modes (SMs) are defined, with each of the SMs being associated with one or more components of an RU and defining a sleep duration for disabling the associated components of the RU in order to save energy.SUMMARY

[0006] Example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically and dynamically perform power source and energy consumption coordination. As such, example embodiments of the present disclosure allow for dynamic adjustments of network operations based on the characteristic of the power source by determining and implementing appropriate energy saving features for the characteristic of the power source, which improves energy saving and energy consumption efficiency.

[0007] According to example embodiments, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may be configured to: obtain, from a Radio Unit (RU), a power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determine, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic may include at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determine, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.

[0008] According to example embodiments, a method is provided. The method may include: obtaining, from a Radio Unit (RU), a power source data comprising data related to a powersource of the RU; determining, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic may include at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determining, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.

[0009] According to example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium is provided. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may have recorded thereon instructions executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform a method including: obtaining, from a Radio Unit (RU), a power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determining, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic may include at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determining, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.

[0010] 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

[0011] 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:

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system architecture, according to one or more example embodiments;

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for performing power source and energy consumption coordination, according to one or more embodiments;

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for determining an energy saving feature implementation, according to one or more embodiments;

[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow sequence of an example use case for performing power source and energy consumption coordination, according to one or more embodiments; and

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram of example components of a device for implementing one or more example embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] 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 embodiment may 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 inpart). 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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 “Non-RT RIC”, “Near-RT RIC”, “RU”, “rApp”, “xApp”, “01 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.

[0023] Further, although some embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein with reference specific components of 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 scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] 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.

[0025] With the evolvement in telecommunication network technologies, The RAN may be disaggregated into multiple nodes or entities. Specifically, in the O-RAN architecture, 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 the disaggregated entities have open protocols and interfaces between them, they can be developed by different vendors.

[0026] In this regard, network energy-saving is an important aspect of O-RAN in order to optimize energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and minimize carbon footprint, while maintaining high network performance and ensuring high quality of service (QoS). In the relatedart, several energy saving features and concepts have been proposed, such as cell and carrier shutdown, Radio Frequency (RF) reconfiguration, Advanced Sleep Mode (ASM), and the like.

[0027] Nevertheless, while the implementations of the above energy saving features may help reduce energy (power) usage, the sources of the energy which the above energy saving features are saving have not been considered when implementing the above energy saving features in the related art. In this regard, since the sources of the energy involved in the 0-RAN architecture may differ in energy-related characteristics, such as renewability, output, variability, and the like, certain implementations of the above energy saving features may not be efficient or suitable with certain energy sources, and it is crucial to define and specify implementations of energy saving features while considering the characteristics of the sources of the energy.

[0028] Accordingly, apparatus, system, methods, devices, and the like, provided in the example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically and dynamically perform power source and energy consumption coordination.

[0029] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may obtain a power source data describing data of the power source of the RU, and then determine a characteristic of the power source of the RU based on the obtained power source data. Subsequently, the apparatus may determine an implementation of an energy saving feature that is most suitable and appropriate for the determined characteristic of the power source.

[0030] Ultimately, example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically and dynamically perform power source and energy consumption coordination, which allow for dynamic adjustments of network operations based on the characteristic of the power source bydetermining and implementing appropriate energy saving features for the characteristic of the power source, which improves energy saving and energy consumption efficiency.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system architecture, according to one or more example embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the system architecture may include at least one Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework 110 that includes at least one non-real- time RAN Intelligent Controller (Non-RT RIC) 120, at least one near-real-time RIC (Near-RT RIC) 130, at least one 0-RAN Centralized Unit (O-CU) 140, at least one O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) 150, a plurality of 0-RAN Radio Units (O-RUs) 160-1 to 160-3, and at least one O-Ran Cloud (O-Cloud) 170. The components may be communicatively coupled to another component(s) within the system architecture via a respective interface(s).

[0034] 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 SMOframework 110 and the Near-RT RIC 130, the system architecture may include a plurality of O- DUs 150 each of which is communicatively coupled to the O-CU 140, the O-CU 140 may be disaggregated into the O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) and the O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), and the like.

[0035] The RAN functions in the system may be controlled and optimized by at least one RIC. The RIC may be a software-defined component that implements modular applications to facilitate the multivendor operability, as well as to automate and optimize RAN operations. As shown in FIG. 1, the RIC may be divided into two types, i.e., the Non-RT RIC 120 and the Near- RT RIC 130. In the following, descriptions of the Non-RT RIC 120 are provided, followed by the descriptions of the Near-RT RIC 130.

[0036] The Non-RT RIC 120 may refer to a logical function within the SMO framework 110 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 120 and the Near-RT RIC 130, which enables the Non-RT RIC 120 to provide policy-based guidance (obj ective, resource) to the Near-RT RIC 130 and enables the Near- RT RIC 130 to provide one or more feedbacks to the Non-RT RIC 120 to monitor the status of one or more policies.

[0037] In some example, implementations, the Non-RT RIC 120 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 110. The functionalities of the Non-RT RIC 120 may include, for example, providing policy-based guidance and enrichment across the Al interface, performing dataanalytics, 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 120 may access or communicate with other SMO framework functionalities or components via Al interface, 01 interface, 02 interface, and one or more interfaces associated with one or more open fronthaul planes.

[0038] According to example embodiments, the functionalities of the Non-RT RIC 120 may be implemented through at least one modular, Non-RT RIC application, such as the rApp 121. The rApp 121 may leverage the functionalities available in the SMO framework 110 and / or the Non-RT RIC 120 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 120 may implement a plurality of rApps 121.

[0039] According to example embodiments, the Non-RT RIC 120 may include a Non-RT RIC framework that may be configured to provide or implement one or more services to the rApp 121 through R1 interface. The R1 interface may refer to an open logical interface between the rApp 121 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 121 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 tomanage or add the R1 services, and facilitate inter-connection between rApps and Non-RT RIC framework supplied by different vendors.

[0040] According to example embodiments, the rApp 121 may be configured to manage one or more policies that are provided to the Near-RT RIC 130 over the Al interface. Said policies may 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 131 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 130 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.

[0041] The rApp 121 (or the Non-RT RIC framework within the Non-RT RIC 120) may provide the one or more Al policies to the Near-RT RIC 130, thereby providing guidance to theNear-RT RIC 130 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.

[0042] According to example embodiments, the rApp 121 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 121 may be configured to create, update and delete one or more Al policies in the Near-RT RIC. For instance, the rApp 121 may query the presence, content and run-time status of one or more Al policies in the Near-RT RIC.

[0043] According to example embodiments, the rApp 121 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 121 may be configured to receive one or more observables (e.g., events, counters, etc.) provided by the O-CU 140, the 0-DU 150, and / or one or more of the O-RUs 160 over the 01 interface. Accordingly, the rApp 121 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 121 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.

[0044] In addition to the communication with the Near-RT -RIC 130 via the Al interface, the SMO framework 110 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 120 and / or the rApp 121 implementedtherein) may communicate with the O-CU 140, the O-DU 150, and the O-RU(s) 160 via the 01 interface. In this regard, the 01 interface may refer to a logical interface between the SMO framework 110, theNear-RT RIC 130, the O-CU 140, the O-DU 150, and the O-RU(s) 160, which enables the SMO framework 110 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 120 and the rApp 121 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 130, the O-CU 140, the O-DU 150, and / or the O-RU(s) 160. Additionally, the 01 interface enables the Near-RT RIC 130, the O-CU 140, the O-DU 150, and / or the O-RU(s) 160 to provide information or observable(s) that may be utilized by the Non-RT RIC 120 (or the rApp 121) 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.

[0045] Further, the SMO framework 110 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 120 and / or the rApp 121 implemented therein) may communicate with the O-Cloud 170 via the 02 interface. In this regard, the 02 interface may refer to a logical interface between the SMO framework 110 and the O-Cloud 170, which may be a collection of physical RAN nodes that host the Non-RT RIC 120, the Near-RT RIC 130, the O-CU 140, and the O-DU 150, the supporting software components (e.g., the operating systems and runtime environments), and the SMO framework 110 itself. In other words, the SMO framework 110 may manage the O-Cloud 170 from within, and the 02 interface may be the interface between the SMO framework 110 and the O-Cloud 170 it resides in. Through the 02 interface, the SMO framework 110 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 120 and / or therApp 121 implemented therein) may provide infrastructure management services (IMS) and deployment management services (DMS) for the O-Cloud 170.

[0046] Furthermore, the SMO framework 110 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 120 and / or the rApp 121 implemented therein) may communicate with the O-RU(s) 160 via an open fronthaul (O-FH) management plane (M-Plane) interface. In this regard, the O-FH M-Plane may enable the SMO framework 110 (as well as the Non-RT RIC 120 and / or the rApp 121 implemented therein) to perform one or more FCAPS operations on the O-RU(s) 160.

[0047] Next, the descriptions of the Near-RT RIC 130 are provided. The Near-RT RIC 130 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 130 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 130 may operate on a timescale between 10 milliseconds and 1 second and may be coupled with the O-CU 140 and the O-DU 150 via the E2 interface. The Near-RT RIC 130 may use the E2 interface to control the underlying RAN elements (E2 nodes / network functions (NFs)) over a near-real-time control loop.

[0048] According to example embodiments, the Near-RT RIC 130 may monitor, suspend / stop, override, and control the E2 nodes (e.g., O-CU 140, O-DU 150, etc.) via one or more Al policies. For example, the Near-RT RIC 130 may receive the one or more Al policies from the Non-RT RIC 120 (or the rApp 121 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 130 may host one or more applications, such as the xApp 131,to implement functions such as quality of service (QoS) optimization, mobility optimization, slicing optimization, interference mitigation, load balancing, security, and the like.

[0049] In this regard, the xApp 131 may consist of one or more microservices, which may be independent of the Near-RT RIC 130 and may be provided by any third party. The E2 interface enables a direct association between the xApp 131 and other RAN functionalities (e.g., O-CU 140, 0-DU 150, etc.), thereby enabling the xApp 131 to provide information or data to the RAN functionalities for further utilization. According to example embodiments, the Near-RT RIC 130 may consist of multiple xApps 131 and a set of platform functions that are commonly used to support the specific functions hosted by the multiple xApps 131. In this regard, the Near-RT RIC platform may communicate with the xApp(s) 131 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.

[0050] According to example embodiments, the xApp 131 may be configured to perform the one or more control operations via the E2 interface. For instance, the xApp 131 may be configured to perform 0-DU E2 control and send one or more associated commands to the 0-DU 150. Accordingly, the O-DU 150 may control the associated O-RU(s) or cell(s) to execute energy saving features. As another example, the xApp 131 may be configured to perform O-CU E2 control, where the O-CU 140 may send the one or more associated commands to the 0-DU 150, and the O-DU 150 may then control the associated O-RU(s) or cell(s) to execute energy saving features. Accordingly, the 0-DU 150 may in the end shape the E2 control and policy, and the execution of the energy saving features may in the end be controlled by the 0-DU 150.

[0051] Next, the descriptions of the O-CU 140, the 0-DU 150, and the 0-RU 160 are provided. Generally, the O-CU 140, the 0-DU 150, and the 0-RU 160 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.

[0052] The communication between the O-CU 140 and the O-DU 150 may be performed via an Fl interface, while the communication between the O-DU 150 and the O-RU 160 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 150, and the O-CU 140 may be communicatively coupled to the plurality of O-DUs via the Fl interface. Similarly, the system may include a plurality of O-RUs 160, and the O-DU 150 may be communicatively coupled to the plurality of O-RUs via one or more of the O- FH C / U / S / M plane interfaces.

[0053] According to example embodiments, the O-CU 140 and the O-DU 150 may be defined in software form and may be deployed in one or more network nodes. For instance, the O- CU 140 and the O-DU 150 may be deployed in one or more servers in the form of virtualized network function (VNF), containerized and / or cloud-native function (CNF), and the like. According to example embodiments, the O-CU 140 and the O-DU 150 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 140 and the O-DU 150 may be deployed in different network nodes and / or may be located at different geographical locations. For instance, the O-CU 140 may be deployed in one or more central servers (i.e., servers in one or more central data centers), and the O-DU 150 may be deployed in one or more edge servers (i.e., servers in one or more edge data centers).

[0054] The O-DU 150 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., RLC layer, MAC layer, Physical Layer, etc.) accordingly. As an example, the O-DU 150 may perform one or more scheduling operations. The O-CU 140 may communicatively couple the O-DU 150 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 150, thereby providing operation or support for higher layers of protocol stacks (e.g., PDCP layer, RRC layer, etc.) accordingly.

[0055] According to example embodiments, the O-CU 140 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.

[0056] Further, a single O-DU 150 may host or serve multiple network cells formed by multiple O-RUs 160. According to example embodiments, the O-DU 150 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 140. In some implementations, the O-DU 150 may concurrently host or serve hundreds (e.g., 512, etc.) of cells at a time.

[0057] The O-RU(s) 160 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 150. 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 pico 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 160, at least one antenna system, and any other suitable type of transport network element (TNE), may be deployed therein.

[0058] According to example embodiments, the O-DU 150 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 O-DU 150 may instruct the O-RU(s) 160 to enter the sleep mode via the O-FH C / U / S plane interfaces. On the other hand, the capability exchange between the O-DU 150 and the O- RU(s) 160 may be performed via the O-FH M-plane interface. As an example, the O-RU(s) 160 may inform the O-DU 150 of the amount of time it requires to maintain in the sleep mode in order to save an amount of energy.Example Operations for Performing Power Source and Energy Consumption Coordination in the Present Disclosure

[0059] 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.2 to FIG. 4.

[0060] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 200 for performing power source and energy consumption coordination, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations in method 200 may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus may be configured to coordinate power source and energy consumption in a network.

[0061] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may include at least a Service Management and Orchestration (SMO), a Non-RT R1C configured to implement at least one Non- RT RIC Application (rApp), a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), the rApp, and the xApp.

[0062] As illustrated in FIG. 2, at operation S210, the apparatus may be configured to obtain a power source data. The power source data may be obtained from a Radio Unit (RU), and may include data related to a power source of the RU.

[0063] According to example embodiments, the power source data may be obtained directly from the RU. For example, the power source data may be obtained directly from the RU via an 01 interface. According to example embodiments, the power source data may be obtained indirectly from the RU. For example, the power source data may be obtained via a distributed unit(DU) associated with the RU and an M-Plane Fronthaul, where the power source data may then be transmitted to the SMO / Non-RT RIC via an 01 interface, transmitted to the Near-RT RIC via an E2 interface, transmitted to the SMO / Non-RT RIC via the Near-RT RIC and Al and E2 interfaces, and the like.

[0064] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to obtain the power source data by transmitting a request to receive the power source data, and receiving the power source data. For example, the apparatus may transmit the request to receive the power source data directly to the RU via the 01 interface, and receive the power source data directly from the RU via the 01 interface. In another example, the apparatus may transmit the request to receive the power source data to the DU associated with the RU via the E2 interface, and receive the power source data from the DU via the E2 interface, where power source data may be reported from the RU to the DU via the M-Plane Fronthaul.

[0065] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to continuously obtain the power source data in order to monitor the power source of the RU. For example, the apparatus may continuously receive the power source data (e.g., from the DU, RU, and the like). The method then proceeds to operation S220.

[0066] At operation S220, the apparatus may be configured to determine a characteristic of the power source. The characteristic of the power source may be determined based on the power source data.

[0067] According to example embodiments, the characteristic of the power source may include at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source.According to example embodiments, the type of the power source may include a renewable power source and a non-renewable power source. For example, the renewable power source may include solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and the like. In another example, the non-renewable power source may include battery energy and the like. According to example embodiments, the remaining power of the power source may include a remaining power of the power source in percentage of a total capacity of the power source, a remaining power of the power source in an absolute value, and the like.

[0068] According to example embodiments, the characteristic of the power source may further include at least one of: a power consumption pattern of the power source, a power generation pattern of the power source, and a power output of the power source. According to example embodiments, the power consumption pattern of the power source may include a pattern in which the power of the power source is consumed. For example, the power consumption pattern of the power source may indicate that the power source has high power consumption during the day and has low power consumption during the night. According to example embodiments, the power generation pattern of the power source may include a pattern in which the power of the power source is generated. For example, the power generation pattern of the power source may indicate that the power source generates more power during the day and generates less power during the night. According to example embodiments, the power output of the power source may include a rate at which the power source can supply power (energy).

[0069] According to example embodiments, the characteristic of the power source may further include any additional information related to the power source, such as battery dischargerate, battery test failure, temperature, State of Charge (SoC), State of Health (SoH), activation of safe mode, activation of protective device (e.g., breaker), operation mode, alarm status, voltage rating, charge / discharge current, discharge duration, and the like.

[0070] According to example embodiments, the power source data may include raw data describing the characteristic of the power source, where the apparatus may be configured to determine the characteristic of the power source by analyzing the raw data. According to example embodiments, the power source data may include descriptions of the characteristic of the power source (e.g., in a list, table, and the like), where the apparatus may be configured to determine the characteristic of the power source by reading (i.e., reviewing and the like) the descriptions of the characteristic of the power source. The method then proceeds to operation S230.

[0071] At operation S230, the apparatus may be configured to determine an energy saving feature implementation of the RU. The energy saving feature implementation may be determined based on the characteristic of the power source. According to example embodiments, the energy saving feature implementation may be determined based on the characteristic of the power source using an Artificial Intelligence (Al) / Machine Learning (ML) model. According to example embodiments, the determination of the energy saving feature implementation may include any kind of operations, considerations, processes, and the like related to implementation of energy saving features, such as selecting an energy saving feature / mechanism to implement, determining a timing to execute an energy saving feature / mechanism, and / or the like. Examples of operations for determining the energy saving feature implementation are described below with reference toFIG. 3.

[0072] Upon performing operation S230, the method 200 may be ended or be terminated. Alternatively, method 200 may return to operation S10, such that the at least one processor may be configured to repeatedly perform, for at least a predetermined amount of time, the obtaining the power source data (at operation S210), the determining the characteristic of the power source (at operation S220), and the determining the energy saving feature implementation (at operation S230).

[0073] For example, the apparatus may determine the energy saving feature implementation when the remaining power of the power source is high (e.g., the power source is a non-renewable battery with 90% remaining power). In this regard, since the remaining power of the power source will continuously be utilized and be reduced, the apparatus may continuously or repeatedly perform, for at least a predetermined amount of time, the obtaining the power source data (at operation S210), the determining the characteristic of the power source (at operation S220), and the determining the energy saving feature implementation (at operation S230), such that the determined energy saving feature implementation is appropriate for the current remaining power of the power source.

[0074] Accordingly, the above process allows for dynamic adjustments of network operations based on the characteristic of the power source by determining and implementing appropriate energy saving features for the characteristic of the power source, which improves energy saving and energy consumption efficiency. In particular, for example, based on determining that the power source is a renewable power source with high energy output, the network operations may be adjusted to prioritize user experience by selecting and configuring energy saving features with the lowest amount of user experience impact. On the other hand, for example, based ondetermining that the power source is a non-renewable power source with low energy output, the network operations may be adjusted to prioritize energy saving by selecting and configuring energy saving features with the highest amount of energy saving effect.

[0075] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 300 for determining an energy saving feature implementation, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations of method 300 may be part of operation S230 in method 200, and may be performed by the apparatus of one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0076] As illustrated in FIG. 3, at operation S310, the apparatus may be configured to select an energy saving feature from among a plurality of energy saving features. According to example embodiments, the plurality of energy saving features may include cell and carrier shutdown, Radio Frequency (RF) channel reconfiguration, and Advanced Sleep Mode (ASM). It may be understood that the plurality of energy saving features may include more or fewer mechanisms related to energy saving without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0077] According to example embodiments, the cell and carrier shutdown may refer to a mechanism where one or more carriers and / or one or more cells in a network are disabled in order to save energy. According to example embodiments, the RF channel reconfiguration may refer to a mechanism where one or more RF channels of a Radio Unit (RU) in a network are disabled by, for example, deactivating a portion of transmission antenna arrays (tx-arrays) and reception antenna arrays (rx-arrays) of the RU in order to save energy. According to example embodiments, the ASM may refer to a mechanism where a plurality of sleep modes (SMs) are defined, with eachof the SMs being associated with one or more components of an RU and defining a sleep duration for disabling the associated components of the RU in order to save energy.

[0078] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to select the energy saving feature from among the plurality of energy saving features based on the characteristic of the power source. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to select the energy saving feature from among the plurality of energy saving features using an AI / ML model. The AI / ML model may be trained based on historical data related to the plurality of energy saving features and the characteristics of the power source, such that the apparatus may select an energy saving feature from among the plurality of energy saving features that is most suitable for the current characteristics of the power source. The method then proceeds to operation S320.

[0079] At operation S320, the apparatus may be configured to configure the selected energy saving feature. For example, if the cell and carrier shutdown is selected during operation 310, the apparatus may determine which cell and / or carrier to shut down. In another example, if the RF channel reconfiguration is selected during operation 310, the apparatus may determine which antenna elements in the tx-arrays / rx-arrays to deactivate. In further another example, if the ASM is selected during operation 310, the apparatus may determine which SM should be performed.

[0080] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to configure the selected energy saving feature based on the characteristic of the power source. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to configure the selected energy savingfeature using an AI / ML model. The AI / ML model may be trained based on historical data related to the configurations of energy saving features and the characteristics of the power source, such that the apparatus may configure the selected energy saving feature in the most suitable manner for the current characteristics of the power source. The method then proceeds to operation S330.

[0081] At operation S330, the apparatus may be configured to determine a timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU. For example, if the power source is a solar power, the apparatus may determine that the SMI of ASM should be executed during the night in order to save energy during the night when the power source cannot generate more energy.

[0082] According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to determine the timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU based on the characteristic of the power source. According to example embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to determine the timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU using an AI / ML model. The AI / ML model may be trained based on historical data related to the timing to execute energy saving features and the characteristics of the power source, such that the apparatus may determine a timing most suitable to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU for the current characteristics of the power source.

[0083] It can be understood that the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 is simplified for descriptive purpose, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Specifically, in practice, the operations that can be performed to determine an energy saving feature implementation can be more or less without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] For example, the RU may be capable of performing only SM2 of ASM, and is not capable of performing other SMs of the ASM or the cell and carrier shutdown and the RF channel reconfiguration. Accordingly, the energy saving feature implementation may be determined by determining the timing to execute the energy saving feature (i.e., SM2 of ASM), without selecting an energy saving feature or configuring the selected energy saving feature.

[0085] In another example, the apparatus may be configured to further determine any additional parameters, configurations, factors, and the like related to implementation of energy saving features. For example, the apparatus may be configured to determine a provisioning process for executing the energy saving feature (e.g., directly execute the energy saving feature at the RU via the 01 interface, indirectly executing the energy saving feature via the DU, and the like).

[0086] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow sequence of an example use case for performing power source and energy consumption coordination, according to one or more embodiments. As shown in FIG. 4, the flow sequence may involve an SMO / Non-RT RIC 402, DU 404, and RU 406. The SMO / Non-RT RIC 402, DU 404, and RU 406 may be similar to the SMO 110, Non-RT RIC 120, 0-DU 150, and 0-RU 160 described above in relation to FIG. 1. Further, one or more operations in FIG. 4 may involve or may be part of one or more operations described above with reference to FIG. 2. For instance, steps 1 to 5 in FIG. 4 may be similar to operations S210 to S230 in FIG. 2.

[0087] At step 1, the RU 406 may report the power source data of its power source to the DU 404. The power source data may be reported (transmitted) via, for example, an M-PlaneFronthaul.

[0088] At step 2, the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402 may transmit a request to receive the power source data of the power source of the RU 406 to the DU 404. The request to receive the power source data may be transmitted via, for example, an 01 interface.

[0089] At step 3, the DU 404 may transmit the power source data of the power source of the RU 406 to the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402. The power source data may be transmitted via, for example, the 01 interface.

[0090] It may be understood that step 1 to 3 may be similar to operation S210 in method 200.

[0091] At step 4, the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402 may determine a characteristic of the power source, in the similar manner as described above in relation to operation S220 of method 200.

[0092] At step 5, the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402 may determine an energy saving feature implementation, in the similar manner as described above in relation to operation S230 of method 200.

[0093] At step 6, the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402 may transmit the energy saving feature implementation to the DU 404, such that the DU 404 may execute the energy saving feature in accordance with the energy saving feature implementation. The energy saving feature implementation may be transmitted via, for example, the 01 interface.

[0094] At step 7, the DU 404 may execute the energy saving feature in accordance with the energy saving feature implementation received from the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402. For example, the DU 404 may execute SMI of the ASM during night time.

[0095] At step 8, the DU 404 may transmit command associated with the executed energy saving feature to the RU 406. For example, the DU 404 may transmit, during night time, command for the RU 406 to disable a component of the RU 406 for a certain duration of time as defined by SMI. Accordingly, the RU 406 may then disable the component of the RU 406 for the certain duration of time. The command may be transmitted via, for example, the M-Plane Fronthaul.

[0096] It can be understood that the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 is provided for descriptive purpose, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. In particular, the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402 may be replaced with a Near-RT RIC (where the communications with the DU 404 and RU 406 may be done via an E2 interface), the number of DU 404 and RU 406 may be any number, and the communications between the SMO / Non-RT RIC 402, DU 404, and RU 406 may be performed via any other suitable manner and interface (e.g., through Near-RT RIC, CU, Al interface, and the like). Further, the steps described may be removed, combined, and / or added without exceeding the scope of the present disclosure.

[0097] In view of the above, example embodiments of the present disclosure allows for dynamic adjustments of network operations based on the characteristic of the power source by determining and implementing appropriate energy saving features for the characteristic of the power source, which improves energy saving and energy consumption efficiency.Various Aspects of Embodiments

[0098] In view of the above, example embodiments of the present disclosure allow for dynamic adjustments of network operations based on the characteristic of the power source bydetermining and implementing appropriate energy saving features for the characteristic of the power source, which improves energy saving and energy consumption efficiency.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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 storage medium 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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 programminglanguage 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.

[0104] 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 computer readable 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 thefunction / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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 block diagrams 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 andcomputer instructions.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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. 2 and FIG. 3, 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 apparatus 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. 2 to FIG. 3 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.

[0109] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a device 500 for implementing one or more example embodiments. As shown in FIG. 5, the device 500 includes a processor 510, a memory520, a storage component 530, an input component 540, an output component 550, a communication interface 560, and a bus 570.

[0110] The processor 510, as used herein, means any type of computational circuit that may comprise hardware elements and software elements. The processor 510 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 510 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.

[0111] Memory 520 includes a non-transitory computer readable medium. Memory 520 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 510. The memory 520 comprises machine-readable instructions which are executable by the processor 510. These machine-readable instructions when executed by the processor 510 causes the processor 510 to perform one or more method steps of an embodiment described herein.

[0112] Storage component 530 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of the device 500. For example, storage component 530 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.

[0113] Input component 540 is configured to receive information, such as user input. For example, the input component 540 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 540 may include a sensor for sensing information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS), an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an actuator).

[0114] Output component 550 is configured to provide output information from the device 500. For example, the output component 550 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).

[0115] Communication interface 560 is an interface that provides a communication connection to other devices, such as external devices and internal devices. The connection by the communication interface 560 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 500 and other devices. In other words, the standard of the communication interface 560 is not limited.

[0116] The bus 570 acts as an interconnect between the processor 510, the memory 520, the storage component 530, the input component 540, the output component 550, and the communication interface 560 of the device 500. The bus 570 may include a wired interconnection or a wireless interconnection.

[0117] The number and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 5 are provided as an example. In practice, device 500 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in FIG. 5. Additionally, oralternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 500 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 500. Further, one or more method steps described in any of the embodiments may be performed utilizing a plurality of device 500 in communication with one another.

[0118] Further, according to example embodiments, the device 500 may include one or more elements from the system architecture described above in relation to FIG. 1. For example, the device 500 may include at least the Service Management and Orchestration (SMO), a Non-RT RIC configured to implement at least one Non-RT RIC Application (rApp), a near-real-time (Near- RT) RIC configured to implement at least one Near-RT RIC Application (xApp), the rApp, and the xApp.

[0119] 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: obtain, from a Radio Unit (RU), a power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determine, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic may include at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determine, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.Item [2]: The apparatus according to item [1], wherein the type of the power source may include a renewable power source and a non-renewable power source.Item [3]: The apparatus according to one of items

[0001] -[2], wherein the characteristic may further include at least one of: a power consumption pattern of the power source, a power generation pattern of the power source, and a power output of the power source.Item [4]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[3], wherein the apparatus may be configured to determine the energy saving feature implementation by: selecting an energy saving feature from among a plurality of energy saving features; configuring the selected energy saving feature; and determining a timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU.Item [5]: The apparatus according to one of items [l]-[4], wherein the apparatus may be configured to determine the energy saving feature implementation using an Artificial Intelligence (Al) / Machine Learning (ML) model.Item [6]: The apparatus according to one of items

[0001] -[5], wherein the power source data may be obtained via a distributed unit (DU) associated with the RU and an M-Plane Fronthaul.Item [7]: The apparatus according to one of items

[0001] -[6], wherein the power source data may be obtained from the RU directly via an 01 interface.Item [8]: A method that may include: obtaining, from a Radio Unit (RU), a power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determining, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic may include at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the powersource; and determining, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.Item [9]: The method according to item [8], wherein the type of the power source may include a renewable power source and a non-renewable power source.Item

[0010] : The method according to one of items [8]-[9], wherein the characteristic may further include at least one of: a power consumption pattern of the power source, a power generation pattern of the power source, and a power output of the power source.Item

[0011] : The method according to one of items [8]-

[0010] , wherein the determining the energy saving feature implementation may include: selecting an energy saving feature from among a plurality of energy saving features; configuring the selected energy saving feature; and determining a timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU.Item

[0012] : The method according to one of items [8]-[l 1], wherein the energy saving feature implementation may be determined using an Artificial Intelligence (Al) / Machine Learning (ML) model.Item

[0013] : The method according to one of items [8]-

[0012] , wherein the power source data may be obtained via a distributed unit (DU) associated with the RU and an M-Plane Fronthaul.Item

[0014] : The method according to one ofitems [8]-

[0013] , wherein the power source data may be obtained from the RU directly via an 01 interface.Item

[0015] : A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that may have recorded thereon instructions executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to performa method including: obtaining, from a Radio Unit (RU), a power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determining, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic may include at least one of a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determining, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.Item

[0016] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to item

[0015] , wherein the type of the power source may include a renewable power source and a non-renewable power source.Item

[0017] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to one of items

[0015] -

[0016] , wherein the characteristic may further include at least one of: a power consumption pattern of the power source, a power generation pattern of the power source, and a power output of the power source.Item

[0018] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to one of items

[0015] -

[0017] , wherein the determining the energy saving feature implementation may include: selecting an energy saving feature from among a plurality of energy saving features; configuring the selected energy saving feature; and determining a timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU.Item

[0019] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to one of items

[0015] -

[0018] , wherein the energy saving feature implementation may be determined using an Artificial Intelligence (Al) / Machine Learning (ML) model.Item

[0020] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to one of items

[0015] -

[0019] , wherein the power source data may be obtained via a distributed unit (DU) associated with the RU and an M-Plane Fronthaul, or obtained from the RU directly via an 01 interface.

[0120] It can be 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: obtain, from a Radio Unit (RU) of a telecommunication network, power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determine, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determine, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the type of the power source comprises a renewable power source and a non-renewable power source.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic further comprises at least one of: a power consumption pattern of the power source, a power generation pattern of the power source, and a power output of the power source.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the energy saving feature implementation by: selecting an energy saving feature from among a plurality of energy saving features; configuring the selected energy saving feature; anddetermining a timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the energy saving feature implementation using an Artificial Intelligence (Al) / Machine Learning (ML) model.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source data is obtained via a distributed unit (DU) associated with the RU and an M-Plane Fronthaul.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source data is obtained from the RU directly via an 01 interface.

8. A method comprising: obtaining, from a Radio Unit (RU) of a telecommunication network, power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determining, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determining, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the type of the power source comprises a renewable power source and a non-renewable power source.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the characteristic further comprises at least one of: a power consumption pattern of the power source, a power generation pattern of the power source, and a power output of the power source.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the determining the energy saving feature implementation comprises: selecting an energy saving feature from among a plurality of energy saving features; configuring the selected energy saving feature; and determining a timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the energy saving feature implementation is determined using an Artificial Intelligence (Al) / Machine Learning (ML) model.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the power source data is obtained via a distributed unit (DU) associated with the RU and an M-Plane Fronthaul.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the power source data is obtained from the RU directly via an 01 interface.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising: obtaining, from a Radio Unit (RU) of a telecommunication network, power source data comprising data related to a power source of the RU; determining, based on the power source data, a characteristic of the power source, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of: a type of the power source and a remaining power of the power source; and determining, based on the characteristic of the power source, an energy saving feature implementation of the RU.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the type of the power source comprises a renewable power source and a non-renewable power source.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the characteristic further comprises at least one of: a power consumption pattern of the power source, a power generation pattern of the power source, and a power output of the power source.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the determining the energy saving feature implementation comprises: selecting an energy saving feature from among a plurality of energy saving features; configuring the selected energy saving feature; and determining a timing to execute the selected energy saving feature at the RU.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the energy saving feature implementation is determined using an Artificial Intelligence (Al) / Machine Learning (ML) model.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the power source data is obtained via a distributed unit (DU) associated with the RU and an M-Plane Fronthaul, or obtained from the RU directly via an 01 interface.

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