Base station and control method

Abstract

This base station comprises a distribution unit and a radio unit. The distribution unit includes: a control unit that determines, on the basis of an evaluation result pertaining to current traffic information and a user request, to execute the process of switching between a first generation radio access technology (RAT) and a second generation RAT or the process of concurrent communication based on the first generation RAT and the second generation RAT; and a transmission unit that transmits, to the radio unit, an instruction to execute the process determined to be executed.

Description

Base Station and Control Method

[0001] The present invention relates to a base station and a control method in a communication system.

[0002] In a wireless communication system NR (New Radio) (also referred to as "5G") and a successor system of NR (for example, "6G") based on the 3GPP (registered trademark) standard, as requirements, technologies that satisfy a large-capacity system, high-speed data transmission speed, low latency, simultaneous connection of a large number of terminals, low cost, power saving, etc. are being studied (for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, the network architectures in 5GC (5G Core Network) or 5GS (5G System), which is the core network in 5G, and 6GC (6G Core Network) or 6GS (6G System), which is a successor to 5G, are being studied.

[0004] Further, in O-RAN (Open-Radio Access Network), as technologies for realizing 6G, AI-Native RAN (Artificial Intelligence - Radio Access Network) architecture, multi-RAT (Radio Access Technology) spectrum sharing (Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS)), enhanced massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) considering 1000 or more antenna elements, and distributed MIMO, etc. are being studied. The technology is closely related to the Open Fronthaul Interface that connects the distributed unit (O-DU (Distribution Unit)) responsible for the functions of the physical upper layer (PHY-high) and the radio unit (O-RU (Radio Unit)) responsible for the functions of the physical lower layer (PHY-low). For example, the performance and implementation complexity in the technology are affected by the low-layer division options that determine the functions of PHY-high and PHY-low.

[0005] 3GPP TS 38.300 V18.3.0 (2024-09)

[0006] Multi-RAT spectrum sharing, one of the technologies being considered for 6G in O-RAN, is feared to be strongly affected by the functionality and requirements of the open fronthaul interface. However, the operation of this open fronthaul interface in O-RAN is not yet clearly defined.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to clarify the operation of an open fronthaul interface related to multi-RAT spectrum sharing.

[0008] According to the disclosed technology, a base station is provided, comprising a distributed unit and a radio unit, wherein the distributed unit includes a control unit that determines, based on an evaluation result of current traffic information and user requests, to perform a process of switching between a first-generation and a second-generation RAT (Radio Access Technology), or a process of simultaneous communication between the first-generation RAT and the second-generation RAT, and a transmission unit that transmits an instruction to the radio unit to perform the determined process.

[0009] The disclosed technology clarifies the operation of an open fronthaul interface for multi-RAT spectrum sharing.

[0010] This figure shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment of the present invention (1). This figure shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment of the present invention (2). This figure shows an example of a logical architecture in O-RAN. This figure shows an example configuration of a base station 10 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 and a network node 30 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a base station 10 and a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example configuration of a vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to those described below.

[0012] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention, existing technologies may be used as appropriate. However, such existing technologies may be, for example, existing LTE or existing NR, but are not limited to existing LTE or NR.

[0013] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention described below, terms such as SS (Synchronization signal), PSS (Primary SS), SSS (Secondary SS), PBCH (Physical broadcast channel), PRACH (Physical random access channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), which are used in existing LTE systems, will be used. This is for convenience of description, and similar signals, functions, etc., may be called by other names. Also, the above terms in NR correspond to NR-SS, NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, NR-PRACH, etc. However, even if a signal is used in NR, it is not necessarily explicitly stated as "NR-".

[0014] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the duplex system may be a TDD (Time Division Duplex) system, an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) system, or any other system (for example, a Flexible Duplex).

[0015] Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, "configuring" wireless parameters means that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that wireless parameters notified from the base station 10 or terminal 20 are configured. Also, in the following description, " / " means "and / or" unless otherwise specified, or unless it is clear from the context that it has a different meaning.

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example configuration (1) of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base station 10 and a terminal 20, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows one base station 10 and one terminal 20, but this is an example, and there may be multiple base stations 10 and terminals 20.

[0017] Base station 10 is a communication device that provides one or more cells and communicates wirelessly with terminal 20. The physical resources of the wireless signal are defined in the time domain and the frequency domain. The time domain may be defined by the number of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, and the frequency domain may be defined by the number of subcarriers or resource blocks. Base station 10 transmits synchronization signals and system information to terminal 20. Synchronization signals are, for example, NR-PSS and NR-SSS. System information is transmitted, for example, in NR-PBCH and is also called broadcast information. Synchronization signals and system information may also be called SSB (SS / PBCH block). As shown in Figure 1, base station 10 transmits control signals or data to terminal 20 via DL (Downlink) and receives control signals or data from terminal 20 via UL (Uplink). Both base station 10 and terminal 20 are capable of transmitting and receiving signals using beamforming. Furthermore, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 can apply MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) communication to DL or UL. Also, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 may communicate via Carrier Aggregation (CA) through secondary cells (SCell) and primary cells (PCell). Additionally, the terminal 20 may communicate via Dual Connectivity (DC) through the primary cell of base station 10 and the primary secondary cell group cell (PSCell) of another base station 10.

[0018] Terminal 20 is a communication device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, wearable device, or M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communication module. As shown in Figure 1, Terminal 20 receives control signals or data from the base station 10 via DL and transmits control signals or data to the base station 10 via UL, thereby utilizing various communication services provided by the wireless communication system. Terminal 20 also receives various reference signals transmitted from the base station 10 and performs propagation path quality measurement based on the reception results of said reference signals.

[0019] Furthermore, various requirements are being considered for the next generation of 6G. For example, these requirements may include ultra-broadband communication, mission-critical communication, ultra-massive connection, universal coverage, intelligent connection, and ubiquitous sensing.

[0020] Furthermore, these requirements may include ultra-high-speed communication, large-capacity communication, ultra-wide coverage, ultra-low power consumption, cost reduction, ultra-low latency, ultra-high reliability communication, ultra-high connectivity, and sensing.

[0021] To meet these requirements, the new concept aims for extensibility (e.g., making it more effective for future use), ease of operation, customizability (e.g., making it easier to operate), and sustainability (e.g., cost reduction, a more robust configuration, and resilience). Furthermore, guaranteed communication, ensuring a minimum level of performance at all times, is being considered.

[0022] Figure 2 shows an example configuration (2) of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system when DC (Dual connectivity) is performed. As shown in Figure 2, a base station 10A that will be an MN (Master Node) and a base station 10B that will be an SN (Secondary Node) are provided. Base stations 10A and 10B are each connected to the core network. Terminal 20 can communicate with both base station 10A and base station 10B.

[0023] A cell group provided by base station 10A, which is an MN (Mobile Network), is called an MCG (Master Cell Group), and a cell group provided by base station 10B, which is an SN (Mobile Network), is called an SCG (Secondary Cell Group). In a data center, an MCG consists of one PCell and one or more SCells, and an SCG consists of one PSCell (Primary SCG Cell) and one or more SCells.

[0024] Figure 3 shows an example of the logical architecture in O-RAN. As shown in Figure 3, at base station 10, distributed units (O-DUs) and radio units (O-RUs) are connected via an open fronthaul interface. This interface also transmits and receives control signals, user data, and synchronization signals in the open fronthaul control / user / synchronization plane (Open FH CUS-Plane), and management signals in the open fronthaul management plane (Open FH M-Plane). Furthermore, Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) communicates with the O-RUs via the Open FH M-Plane, with the O-DUs via the O1 interface, and with the O-Cloud via the O2 interface. Furthermore, the Non-Real Time RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) in the SMO communicates with the Near-Real Time RIC via the A1 interface. The O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) and the O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP) communicate with the O-DU via the F1-c and F1-u interfaces, respectively. The Near-Real Time RIC communicates with the O-DU and O-CU-CP, etc., via the E2 interface.

[0025] O-DU, O-CU, O-RU, SMO, and RIC may be deployed on the same base station, on different base stations, or in different locations other than base stations (nearby, remote, etc.). They may be treated as base station equipment or as network nodes. Furthermore, O-DU and O-CU may be deployed on a virtualization infrastructure and may be denoted as vDU (virtual DU) and vCU (virtual CU), for example.

[0026] The following describes methods for clarifying the operation of the open fronthaul interface regarding multi-RAT spectrum sharing. In the following methods, requests / instructions / notifications / reports sent and received by O-DUs and O-RUs may be messages containing requests / instructions / notifications / reports. Furthermore, multiple methods shown below may be used in combination. In addition, the network generations described are 5G and 6G, but they are not limited to a combination of 5G and 6G, and may be replaced with 4G or 7G or later. Also, when written as "first generation and second generation (RAT)", for example, "first generation" may be 5G and "second generation" may be 6G, or other combinations of generations may be used. Furthermore, O-DUs and O-RUs corresponding to 5G and 6G may be written as 5G O-DU, 5G O-RU, 6G O-DU, and 6G O-RU. Furthermore, O-DUs and O-RUs corresponding to both 5G and 6G may be written as 5G+6G O-DU and 5G+6G O-RU. Interface can also be written as IF.

[0027] (Configuration of a multi-RAT spectrum sharing compatible interface) Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of a base station 10 in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4(a) shows a configuration in which one O-RU (5G+6G O-RU) that supports both 5G and 6G is connected to a 5G O-DU that supports 5G and a 6G O-DU that supports 6G, and communicates by dynamically switching between 5G and 6G or using 5G and 6G simultaneously. In this configuration, the case in which the 5G O-DU and 6G O-DU are multi-vendor configurations (they may be from the same vendor or different vendors) may also be considered.

[0028] Furthermore, Figure 4(b) shows a configuration in which one O-RU (5G+6G O-RU) that supports both 5G and 6G is connected to one O-DU (5G+6G O-DU) that supports both 5G and 6G, and communicates by dynamically switching between 5G and 6G or using 5G and 6G simultaneously. In this configuration, for example, a case may be considered in which a 5G-compatible O-DU and a 6G-compatible O-DU are in the same enclosure, and a 6G-compatible O-DU from a different vendor is installed in the 5G-compatible O-DU.

[0029] (5G and 6G Dynamic Switching or Simultaneous Communication Protocol) Base station 10 may be configured to support protocols / procedures that enable dynamic switching or simultaneous communication between 5G and 6G. In addition, base station 10 may maintain inter-vendor compatibility and perform seamless RAT (Radio Access Technology) switching or simultaneous communication in a multi-vendor environment.

[0030] Furthermore, the base station 10 has an interface in which a single O-RU supports both 5G and 6G, and which allows for dynamic switching or simultaneous communication of RATs. It may also use an interface that supports MRSS (Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing) by extending the existing O-RAN fronthaul specification.

[0031] (Bidirectional Interface Design) The base station 10 may use a protocol stack that supports both 5G and 6G via an interface between the O-RU and O-DU, based on an integrated protocol stack design. This enables communication between different RATs using the same physical interface.

[0032] (Dynamic switching or simultaneous communication protocol) The base station 10 / network node 30 may perform real-time evaluation of the network status and make a decision on switching between 5G and 6G or simultaneous communication.

[0033] For example, network nodes 30 such as O-DUs (5G O-DUs / 6G O-DUs / 5G+6G O-DUs), O-CUs, SMOs, and RICs within the base station 10 may evaluate metrics such as network bandwidth utilization, latency, number of users, traffic patterns, and signal strength in real time. Furthermore, O-DUs / O-CUs may collect information necessary for such evaluation from network nodes 30 such as O-RUs / SMOs and RICs. Additionally, an O-DU may transmit and receive information necessary for such evaluation and information regarding the evaluation results with other O-DUs via an O-DU interface (e.g., D2 IF). Similarly, an O-CU may transmit and receive information necessary for such evaluation and information regarding the evaluation results with other O-CUs via an O-DU interface (e.g., Xn IF).

[0034] (Conditions and criteria for switching between 5G and 6G or simultaneous communication) The base station 10 / network node 30 may set the following conditions as conditions for switching between 5G and 6G or simultaneous communication, and make a decision on switching or simultaneous communication based on said settings. - Increase or decrease in communication data size / bandwidth demand (e.g., bandwidth utilization of 90% or more) - Change in service requirements (e.g., applications requiring low latency) - User movement patterns (e.g., maintaining communication quality through high-speed movement) - Decrease in signal strength (e.g., -85dBm or less) - Fault detection (e.g., failure in some functions of O-RU or O-DU) The base station 10 / network node 30 may use the following method as a method for deciding whether to switch between 5G and 6G or simultaneous communication. - Priority-based: The base station 10 / network node 30 may decide whether to prioritize 5G RAT, 6G RAT, or communication using both RATs based on the priority of 5G / 6G service quality requirements / user requirements. For example, priority may be based on communications requiring real-time capabilities, such as emergency calls or medical information (real-time communications) (e.g., sending SOS signals in emergencies or transmitting ambulance location information). Alternatively, priority may be based on high reliability requirements for operations or services where communication reliability is particularly important (e.g., sending and receiving financial transaction data or factory control system communications). Alternatively, priority may be assigned preferentially to specific users, such as VIP users or paid members (e.g., priority connections for premium service subscribers). Alternatively, priority may be based on application type (e.g., prioritizing applications sensitive to latency) (e.g., data communications for online games or video conferencing). Alternatively, priority may be based on security requirements, such as prioritizing communications requiring high security (e.g., encrypted communications of data containing confidential information). Load balancing algorithm: The base station 10 / network node 30 may evaluate the current load status of each RAT and switch to the RAT with the lower load, or it may decide on communications using both RATs and adjust the distribution of communication volume between the two RATs.For example, the load could be the load caused by increased communication traffic in a situation where the number of concurrently connected users increases at a particular RAT, straining the network bandwidth (e.g., when many users communicate simultaneously at an event venue or in a busy area). Alternatively, it could be the load during peak hours when communication demand is concentrated at a specific time of day, leading to a shortage of RAT resources (e.g., communication on public transportation during commuting hours). Or, in terms of hardware resource utilization, it could be the load in a situation where the CPU and memory usage of O-DUs and O-RUs becomes high, approaching the limits of processing capacity (e.g., resource strain due to processing large amounts of data or advanced signal processing). Or, in terms of backhaul bandwidth limitations, it could be the load in a situation where the backhaul bandwidth between the base station and the core network is insufficient, causing delays at a particular RAT (e.g., when backhaul lines are limited in remote locations or during disasters). Alternatively, the communication quality of a particular RAT may be degraded due to interference with other systems using the same or adjacent frequency bands (e.g., interference from other carriers or heterogeneous wireless systems in the vicinity). Optimization algorithm: The base station 10 / network node 30 may use artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) to predict / determine the optimal timing for switching (switching between 5G and 6G, or switching from one of 5G or 6G to both) based on past traffic data / user behavior. This artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) may, for example, be based on learning by backpropagation using a neural network.

[0035] (O-DU Selection Criteria) The base station 10 (O-CU / O-DU) / network node 30 (SMO / RIC, etc.) may select an O-DU based on the selection criteria shown below and notify the selected O-DU to the O-RU, etc. This selection may aim to improve load balancing and communication quality by selecting the O-DU to use when multiple O-DUs exist (for example, when there is one 5G O-DU and two 6G O-DUs). The perspective of selecting the O-DU to use from among multiple 6G O-DUs and the perspective of which RAT (e.g., 5G or 6G) O-DU to select may also be considered. ・Priority: The base station 10 / network node 30 may select the optimal O-DU (5G O-DU or 6G O-DU or both) based on the priority of a specific service (e.g., emergency communication, real-time application). ・Load Status: The base station 10 / network node 30 may evaluate the current load status of each O-DU and switch or perform simultaneous communication with the O-DU with the lowest load. - Availability and reliability: The base station 10 / network node 30 may assume that one of the most reliable O-DUs, O-CUs, and network nodes 30 such as SMOs, determined based on an evaluation of the availability / reliability of each O-DU, will perform the decision to switch or communicate simultaneously. - Geographical placement: The base station 10 / network node 30 may select the optimal O-DU based on the geographical placement / coverage status of the O-DUs. - Optimization algorithm: The base station 10 / network node 30 may assume that one of the network nodes 30 such as O-DUs, O-CUs, and SMOs, determined to be optimal based on an analysis of traffic patterns / user behavior using artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML), will perform the decision to switch or communicate simultaneously.

[0036] (Procedure for switching or simultaneous communication) The procedure for switching or simultaneous communication between 5G and 6G may be carried out based on the following six phases: evaluation phase, decision phase, instruction phase, execution phase, confirmation phase, and optimization phase.

[0037] (Phase 1: Evaluation Phase) At least one selected device among the network nodes 30 / terminals 20 such as O-DU (5G O-DU / 6G O-DU / 5G+6G O-DU) / O-CU / SMO and RIC within the base station 10 performs an evaluation of the current network status and user requests. The device that performed the evaluation may transmit the evaluation results to other devices.

[0038] (Phase 2: Decision Phase) One of the network nodes 30 within the base station 10, such as O-DU (5G O-DU / 6G O-DU / 5G+6G O-DU) / O-CU / SMO and RIC, will decide to switch to 5G or 6G RAT or to perform simultaneous communication if the switching conditions or simultaneous communication conditions are met based on the evaluation of the current network status and user requirements evaluated in Phase 1. These conditions may be set in advance or specified in the specifications. In addition, the following methods may be used in the decision: ・Priority-based: If the priority of the 5G service is higher than that of the 6G service, the switch to 6G may be delayed, or the decision may be made to switch to 5G. ・Load balancing: If the load on 5G is higher than that of 6G and there is capacity on 6G, the decision may be made to switch to 6G. ・Optimization algorithm: If it is determined that switching from 5G to 6G will be effective in the future based on judgment using artificial intelligence (AI) and traffic patterns, the decision may be made to switch to 6G.

[0039] (Phase 3: Instruction Phase) One of the network nodes 30 within the base station 10, such as the O-DU (5G O-DU / 6G O-DU / 5G+6G O-DU) / O-CU / SMO and RIC, sends a message to the O-RU containing instructions regarding switching between 5G and 6G or simultaneous transmission, based on the results determined in Phase 2. This message may be a control signal that includes a newly defined RAT setting at the interface between the O-DU and the O-RU, and may include, for example, the following information (parameters): ・RAT identifier: A parameter that indicates the identifier of the current RAT and the RAT to be switched to (e.g., 5G to 6G) or both RATs (indicating simultaneous communication). This parameter may be used, for example, to specify the RAT to be switched to and may be used as identification information when the O-RU switches to either the appropriate RAT of 5G or 6G, or to both RATs simultaneously. ・Frequency band information: A parameter that indicates the frequency band to be used. The parameter in question may, for example, specify the frequency band to be used and be used by the O-RU to allocate appropriate frequency resources to different RATs. • Schedule information: This parameter indicates the time slots / resource blocks to be allocated after RAT switching. This parameter may, for example, manage the allocation of time slots / resource blocks and terminals after RAT switching and be used by the O-RU to efficiently reallocate resources. • QoS parameters: These parameters indicate communication quality requirements (e.g., latency, throughput). These parameters may, for example, be used to maintain communication quality requirements and be used by the O-RU when applying necessary QoS settings. • Security settings: These parameters indicate encryption key regeneration / authentication information as needed. These parameters are used to ensure security requirements during RAT switching and may be used by the O-RU when regenerating encryption keys / updating authentication information.

[0040] The control signal may be transmitted using a newly defined C-Plane message, Section type, and Section extension, or it may be transmitted using an extended existing C-Plane message, Section type, and Section extension.

[0041] (Phase 4: Execution Phase) Based on the instructions received in Phase 3, the O-RU performs RAT switching between 5G and 6G or simultaneous communication between 5G and 6G.

[0042] (Phase 5: Verification Phase) After switching or simultaneous communication is performed in Phase 4, the O-DU and O-RU may verify the success of the switching or simultaneous communication and perform an evaluation of communication quality / system performance. The O-RU may send the evaluation results to the O-DU. Here, the following may be used as evaluation criteria, for example: • Communication quality indicators: SINR (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio), packet loss rate, and latency, etc. • System performance indicators: throughput, latency, and maintenance of the number of connections, etc. • User experience indicators: presence or absence of communication interruptions, and service response time, etc.

[0043] (Phase 6: Optimization Phase) Any one of the network nodes 30 within the base station 10, such as O-DUs (5G O-DU / 6G O-DU / 5G+6G O-DU) / O-CUs / SMOs and RICs, may decide to perform optimizations on the RAT (or its O-RU) that was the target of the switching or simultaneous communication performed in Phase 4, including resetting QoS parameters, reallocating resource blocks, and additional resource adjustments, and may send an instruction to the O-RU to perform such optimizations. Such optimizations may be performed based on the evaluation results performed in Phase 5. In addition, the optimizations shown below may be performed.

[0044] (Support for Multiple RATs in O-RU) Assuming that the O-RU can perform transmissions using multiple RATs simultaneously, for example, in a state where it is connected to a 5G O-DU and a 6G O-DU at the same time, the O-RU may transmit and receive 5G data on some frequencies (resource blocks, etc.) and 6G data on the remaining frequencies. At this time, 5G and 6G may each have discontinuous frequency allocations (the frequencies of 5G and 6G are not continuous), or data transmission and reception by different users in 5G and 6G may be performed simultaneously.

[0045] (Realization of MRSS) One O-RU that supports both 5G and 6G may dynamically switch between 5G and 6G RATs or perform simultaneous communication. This realizes MRSS (Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing), enabling the introduction of a new RAT (e.g., 5G RAT) in the same frequency band while operating an existing RAT (e.g., 4G RAT).

[0046] (Effect) By the above method, the operation in the open fronthaul interface regarding multi-RAT spectrum sharing can be clarified. Also, in the O-RAN fronthaul interface, the following functions can be effectively realized. - Realization of multi-RAT spectrum sharing: One O-RU supports both 5G and 6G, and by dynamically switching the RAT or performing simultaneous communication, it is possible to improve the flexibility and efficiency of the network. - Maintenance of communication quality: Dynamic RAT switching or simultaneous communication enables the maintenance of optimal communication quality according to user requirements / network conditions. - Seamless user experience: Since users can continue high-quality communication without interruption, it is possible to improve service satisfaction. - Improvement of scalability: With an interface design that can support future RAT addition / function expansion, long-term operation of the system is possible.

[0047] Also, in order to support a multi-vendor environment, the following can be achieved. - Standardized APIs: By ensuring that 5G O-DUs and 6G O-DUs provided by different vendors comply with a common interface specification, compatibility can be ensured. - Maintaining protocol compatibility: When an O-RU communicates with O-DUs from multiple vendors, it is possible to implement a standardized communication procedure to maintain protocol compatibility.

[0048] Therefore, it is possible to provide next-generation communication services with improved network efficiency, flexibility, and reliability.

[0049] (Device Configuration) Next, a functional configuration example of the base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 that perform the processes and operations described so far will be described. The base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 include functions for implementing the above-described embodiments. However, the base station 10, network node 30, and terminal 20 may each have only some of the functions in the embodiments.

[0050] <Base Station 10 and Network Node 30> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10 and network node 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the base station 10 includes a transmission unit 110, a reception unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. The functional configuration shown in FIG. 5 is merely an example. As long as the operations according to the embodiments of the present invention can be performed, the functional divisions and the names of the functional units may be any. Note that the network node 30 may have the same functional configuration as the base station 10. Also, a network node 30 having a plurality of different functions in the system architecture may be composed of a plurality of network nodes 30 separated by function.

[0051] The transmission unit 110 includes a function of generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal 20 or another network node 30 and transmitting the signal by wire or wirelessly. The reception unit 120 includes a function of receiving various signals transmitted from the terminal 20 or another network node 30 and obtaining information of a higher layer, for example, from the received signals. A communication unit including the transmission unit 110 and the reception unit 120 may be configured.

[0052] The setting unit 130 stores pre-configured setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to the terminal 20 in a storage device, and reads them from the storage device as needed.

[0053] The control unit 140 performs the processing described in the embodiment. The signal transmission function in the control unit 140 may be included in the transmission unit 110, and the signal reception function in the control unit 140 may be included in the reception unit 120.

[0054] Furthermore, the base station 10 may include a distributed unit (O-DU), a radio unit (O-RU), a central unit (O-CU), and a near-real-time control device (Near-Real Time RIC), and the O-DU, O-RU, O-CU, and Near-Real Time RIC may each have a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. Also, the O-DU, O-RU, O-CU, and Real Time RIC may communicate with each other using the transmitting unit 110 and the receiving unit 120.

[0055] <Terminal 20> Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20. As shown in Figure 6, terminal 20 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a setting unit 230, and a control unit 240. The functional configuration shown in Figure 6 is merely an example. Any functional classification and name of functional unit is acceptable as long as it can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, a communication device that acts as a resource holder may have a functional configuration similar to that of terminal 20.

[0056] The transmitting unit 210 creates a transmission signal from the transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The receiving unit 220 wirelessly receives various signals and obtains signals from higher layers from the received physical layer signals. The receiving unit 220 also has the function of receiving NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL control signals or reference signals transmitted from the network node 30. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be configured.

[0057] The setting unit 230 stores various setting information received from the network node 30 by the receiving unit 220 in its storage device and reads it from the storage device as needed. The setting unit 230 also stores pre-configured setting information.

[0058] The control unit 240 performs the processing described in the embodiment. The signal transmission function in the control unit 240 may be included in the transmission unit 210, and the signal reception function in the control unit 240 may be included in the reception unit 220.

[0059] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (Figures 5 and 6) used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may be realized by combining the one device or the multiple devices with software.

[0060] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, determination, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In all cases, as mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0061] For example, the network node 30, terminal 20, etc. in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that processes the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a base station 10 and terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The network node 30 may have the same hardware configuration as the base station 10. The above-mentioned base station 10 and terminal 20 may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a storage device 1002, an auxiliary storage device 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0062] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be read as "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured without some of the devices.

[0063] Each function in the base station 10 and terminal 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and storage device 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0064] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running an operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the control unit 140, control unit 240, etc., described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0065] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, or data from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002, and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiment. For example, the control unit 140 of the base station 10 shown in Figure 5 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Also, for example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in Figure 6 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Although the above-described processes have been explained as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line.

[0066] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] The auxiliary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital multipurpose disk, a Blu-ray® disk), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may also be a database, server, or other suitable medium that includes at least one of the storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0068] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting / receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., in order to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmitting and receiving antenna, amplifier section, transmitting and receiving section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmitting and receiving section may be implemented in a physically or logically separated manner, with a transmitting section and a receiving section.

[0069] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0070] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the storage device 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be configured for each device.

[0071] Furthermore, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0072] Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 8, vehicle 2001 includes an operating unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on vehicle 2001, for example, to the communication module 2013.

[0073] The operating unit 2002 consists of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel, which is operated by the user.

[0074] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and communication ports (IO ports) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 installed in the vehicle 2001 are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0075] Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 include current signals from current sensor 2021 for sensing motor current, front and rear wheel rotation speed signals acquired by rotation speed sensor 2022, front and rear wheel air pressure signals acquired by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals acquired by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals acquired by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals acquired by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals acquired by brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals acquired by shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals acquired by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0076] The Information Service Unit 2012 consists of various devices for providing (outputting) various types of information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, including a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Service Unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001. The Information Service Unit 2012 may include input devices that accept input from the outside (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, touch panel, etc.) and output devices that perform output to the outside (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, touch panel, etc.).

[0077] The driver assistance system unit 2030 consists of various devices that provide functions to prevent accidents or reduce the driver's workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System)), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driver assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driver assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0078] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via its communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 sends and receives data via the communication port 2033 between the moving parts 2002, steering parts 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, the microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021-29 provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0079] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with external devices. For example, it can send and receive various types of information with external devices via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station or a mobile station.

[0080] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of the following to an external device via wireless communication: signals from the various sensors 2021-2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on said signals, and information based on input from an external source (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021-2028, the information service unit 2012, etc., may also be called input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include the information based on the above input.

[0081] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, inter-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit, which outputs information (for example, outputs information to devices such as displays and speakers based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external device in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the operating unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021-2029, etc., provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0082] <Notes> (Note 1) A base station comprising a distributed unit and a radio unit, wherein the distributed unit includes a control unit that determines, based on evaluation results regarding current traffic information and user requests, to perform a process of switching between a first generation and a second generation RAT (Radio Access Technology), or a process of simultaneous communication by the first generation RAT and the second generation RAT, and a transmission unit that transmits an instruction to the radio unit to perform the determined process. (Note 2) The base station according to Note 1, wherein the control unit confirms that the execution of the determined process was successful, and based on the results of performing an evaluation of communication quality and system performance, decides to perform optimizations relating to at least one of the following: resetting QoS (Quality of Service) parameters, reallocating resource blocks, and additional resource adjustments, and the transmission unit transmits an instruction to the radio unit to perform the optimizations. (Appendix 3) A base station including a distributed unit and a radio unit, wherein the radio unit includes a receiving unit that receives instructions to perform a process of switching between a first generation and a second generation RAT (Radio Access Technology) determined based on an evaluation result of current traffic information and user requests, or a process of simultaneous communication by the first generation RAT and the second generation RAT; and a control unit that performs the instructed process. (Appendix 4) The base station according to Appendix 3, wherein the control unit further includes a transmitting unit that confirms that the execution of the determined process has been successful, transmits to the distributed unit the results of performing an evaluation of communication quality and system performance, and receives instructions from the distributed unit to perform optimization relating to at least one of QoS (Quality of Service) parameter resetting, resource block reallocation, and additional resource adjustment.(Appendix 5) A control method to be performed by a base station including a distributed unit and a radio unit, the distributed unit having the steps of: deciding to perform a process of switching between a first generation and a second generation RAT (Radio Access Technology), or a process of simultaneous communication between the first generation RAT and the second generation RAT, based on an evaluation result of current traffic information and user requests; and transmitting an instruction to the radio unit to perform the determined process.

[0083] Any of the appendices 1 to 5 can clarify the operation of the open fronthaul interface regarding multi-RAT spectrum sharing.

[0084] (Supplement to Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, substitutions, etc. Specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, but unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention, and matters described in two or more items may be combined as needed, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other). The boundaries of functional units or processing units in the functional block diagram do not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of physical parts. The operation of multiple functional units may be physically performed by one part, or the operation of one functional unit may be physically performed by multiple parts. The processing procedures described in the embodiments may be rearranged as long as they do not contradict each other. For the convenience of explaining the processing, the base station 10 and terminal 20 have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the base station 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or other appropriate storage medium.

[0085] Furthermore, notification of information is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, notification of information may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling), broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block)), other signals, or combinations thereof. Also, RRC signaling may be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0086] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure refers to LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (xG (where x is, for example, an integer or decimal)), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20 may apply to at least one system utilizing UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth®, or other appropriate systems, and to next-generation systems extended, modified, created, or defined based thereon. Alternatively, multiple systems may be applied in combination (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0087] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0088] In this specification, specific operations performed by the base station 10 may, in some cases, be performed by its upper node. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station 10, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 can be performed by the base station 10 and at least one of the other network nodes (for example, an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates the case where there is one other network node besides the base station 10, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0089] The information or signals described in this disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). They may also be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0090] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0091] The determination in this disclosure may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0092] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0093] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0094] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0095] In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0096] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0097] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0098] The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0099] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "wireless base station", "base station equipment", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNodeB (eNB)", "gNodeB (gNB)", "access point", "transmission point", "reception point", "transmission / reception point", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0100] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. If a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, each of which may also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a Remote Radio Head (RRH)). The terms “cell” or “sector” refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​at least one of the base station and / or base station subsystems that provide communication services in that coverage.

[0101] In this disclosure, the transmission of information by a base station to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to perform control or operation based on the information.

[0102] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0103] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0104] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body refers to a movable object, and its speed of movement is arbitrary. This also includes the case when the mobile body is stationary. The mobile body includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and items mounted on them. The mobile body may also be a mobile body that moves autonomously based on operation commands. It may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile body (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). Furthermore, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0105] Furthermore, the term "base station" in this disclosure may be interpreted as "user terminal." For example, the various aspects / embodiments of this disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals 20 (which may be called, for example, D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), etc.). In this case, the terminals 20 may have the functions that the base station 10 has. Also, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., may be interpreted as side channel.

[0106] Similarly, the term "user terminal" in this disclosure may be replaced with "base station." In this case, the base station may be configured to have the same functions as the user terminal described above.

[0107] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, or inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertaining. “Determining” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, or accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0108] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0109] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0110] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0111] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0112] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0113] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0114] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0115] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0116] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0117] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0118] 10 Base station 110 Transmitter 120 Receiver 130 Setting unit 140 Control unit 20 Terminal 210 Transmitter 220 Receiver 230 Setting unit 240 Control unit 30 Network node 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device

Claims

1. A base station comprising a distributed unit and a radio unit, wherein the distributed unit includes a control unit that determines, based on evaluation results relating to current traffic information and user requests, the execution of a process of switching between a first-generation and a second-generation RAT (Radio Access Technology), or a process of simultaneous communication by the first-generation RAT and the second-generation RAT; and a transmission unit that transmits an instruction to the radio unit to execute the determined process.

2. The control unit confirms that the execution of the determined process has been successful, and based on the results of the evaluation of communication quality and system performance, decides to perform optimization relating to at least one of the following: resetting of QoS (Quality of Service) parameters, reallocation of resource blocks, and additional resource adjustment; and the transmission unit transmits an instruction to the radio unit to perform the optimization, the base station according to claim 1.

3. A base station comprising a distributed unit and a radio unit, wherein the radio unit includes a receiving unit that receives instructions to perform a process of switching between a first-generation and a second-generation RAT (Radio Access Technology), or a process of simultaneous communication between the first-generation RAT and the second-generation RAT, which is determined based on an evaluation result relating to current traffic information and user requests; and a control unit that performs the instructed process.

4. The base station according to claim 3, wherein the control unit further includes a transmission unit that confirms that the execution of the determined process has been successful, transmits to the distributed unit the results of performing an evaluation of communication quality and system performance, and receives instructions from the distributed unit to perform optimization relating to at least one of the following: resetting QoS (Quality of Service) parameters, reallocating resource blocks, and additional resource adjustments.

5. A control method performed by a base station including a distributed unit and a radio unit, the method comprising: the distributed unit deciding to perform a process of switching between a first generation and a second generation RAT (Radio Access Technology), or a process of simultaneous communication between the first generation RAT and the second generation RAT, based on an evaluation result of current traffic information and user requests; and transmitting an instruction to the radio unit to perform the determined process.

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