5G C-RAN Flow Control Grouping Reduces Traffic Load
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The current 5G radio base station configuration with a Centralized Radio Access Network (C-RAN) experiences increased traffic load due to the need for frequent flow control messages between the central node and the distributed node, especially when buffer sharing occurs across multiple user equipment and bearers, leading to inefficient data management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a flow control method where the distributed node transmits flow control information on a per-group basis for multiple user terminals, allowing the central node to manage data transmission based on group-specific allowable data amounts, reducing the number of messages required and thus lowering traffic load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If flow control is performed on a per bearer basis in the 5G HLS configuration, then the data transmission control precision is improved, but the traffic load between central node and distributed node increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the per-bearer flow control into per-UE flow control. Instead of managing each bearer individually, the system groups multiple bearers under a single UE context, performing flow control at the UE level. This reduces the number of flow control messages from proportional to the number of bearers to proportional to the number of UEs, significantly lowering traffic load while maintaining adequate control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple bearer-level flow control operations into a single UE-level flow control operation. By combining the flow control state information of multiple bearers into one aggregated state per UE, the system reduces message overhead and processing complexity while still effectively controlling data transmission to the distributed node.
2Productivity
If buffers are shared by multiple UEs and bearers to improve efficiency, then buffer utilization is improved, but the complexity of flow control management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shared buffer management by introducing per-UE buffer state tracking within the shared buffer context. Each UE maintains its own flow control state and buffer status information, allowing the system to efficiently manage shared buffers while keeping complexity manageable through organized per-UE accounting rather than per-bearer accounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal flow control mechanism at the UE level that can handle multiple bearers simultaneously. This universal approach allows the same flow control logic to be applied across different bearers for a given UE, simplifying management while supporting buffer sharing among multiple UEs and bearers through a unified control framework.
Data Source
AI summary
The radio base station includes a central node and a distributed node. The central node at least implements the functions of a PDCP layer. The distributed node at least implements the functions of a RLC layer. The distributed node transmits, to the central node, flow control information for performing flow control per each group of a plurality of user terminals. The central node performs flow control of data to be transmitted to the bearers assigned to a plurality of user terminals belonging to the each group, based on the flow control information.