5G Cloud RAN Symbol-by-Symbol Bit Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of 5G networks faces challenges in managing the increased traffic load and latency issues due to the split L1 PHY functions between centralized and remote radio heads, which can lead to higher capital and operational expenditures and compromise the benefits of Cloud-RAN architecture.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine and stream downlink user plane data subsets via a fronthaul interface, ensuring only the required bits for each time slot are transmitted, allowing for symbol-by-symbol processing and reducing latency and bandwidth requirements, thereby optimizing the fronthaul interface data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all downlink user plane data is transmitted to the remote processing apparatus, then the remote apparatus has sufficient data for processing, but the fronthaul interface experiences high traffic load and latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the downlink user plane data into multiple subsets, where each subset contains only the bits required for a specific time slot. This segmentation allows the centralized processing apparatus to transmit data in smaller, managed portions rather than transmitting all data at once, thereby reducing latency and traffic load on the fronthaul interface while ensuring complete data processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized processing apparatus determines and prepares only the necessary data subsets for immediate processing before transmission. By pre-calculating which bits are needed for each time slot based on the remote apparatus's processing requirements, the system avoids transmitting unnecessary data, thus reducing latency and optimizing the fronthaul interface performance.
2Quantity of substance
If bit-level control is implemented for data streaming, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but the processing complexity at the centralized apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of data organization from traditional block-based transmission to bit-level controlled streaming. By controlling data transmission at the bit level and organizing data into time-slot-specific subsets, the system achieves efficient bandwidth utilization. The centralized apparatus dynamically adjusts which bits are transmitted based on real-time processing requirements, optimizing the balance between bandwidth efficiency and processing complexity.
3Loss of time
If symbol-by-symbol data streaming is implemented, then processing latency is reduced, but the fronthaul interface requires precise timing control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data transmission into discrete time-slot-specific subsets, where each subset corresponds to a specific symbol period. This segmentation enables symbol-by-symbol streaming, reducing processing latency by ensuring data is available exactly when needed. The time-based segmentation inherently provides timing structure that simplifies synchronization requirements compared to continuous streaming approaches.
4Adaptability or versatility
If centralized baseband processing is implemented, then network flexibility is improved, but capital and operational expenditures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized processing apparatus performs preliminary determination of which data subsets are needed for processing. By pre-calculating the exact bits required for each time slot based on network conditions and processing requirements, the system enables flexible resource allocation without requiring excessive hardware capacity. This preliminary planning allows the network to adapt to varying conditions while using hardware resources efficiently, reducing both capital and operational expenditures.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary method includes determining, at a centralized processing apparatus of a wireless network, a first subset of downlink user plane data corresponding to one or more wireless user equipments at least by calculating input data required at each of one or more L1 PHY processing stages of a remote processing apparatus, wherein the first subset includes bits required by a remote processing apparatus to select a first symbol for transmission to the one or more user equipments at a first time slot; and streaming, via a fronthaul interface, the bits of the first subset followed by bits of one or more further subset of downlink user plane data, wherein the bits of the further subset of user plane data includes only the bits required to select by the remote processing apparatus a next symbol for transmission to the one or more of the wireless user equipments at a next time slot immediately following the first time slot.