O-Cloud Intelligent Control for Near-RT RAN Resource Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RAN technologies lack effective automation and programmability for O-Cloud infrastructure, particularly in managing energy savings and fault management, and current O2 APIs are insufficient for handling the volume and time sensitivity of data exchanges.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Cloud Intelligent Controller (CIC) system within the O-Cloud platform to enable infrastructure automation, near-RT automation use cases, and provide a platform for customization and extensibility, facilitating intelligent control and monitoring of O-Cloud resources through cApps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If existing RAN technologies are used for O-Cloud infrastructure management, then vendor-specific configurations can be maintained, but automation capability and programmability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cApps (cloud applications) as intermediary software components that run on the O-Cloud infrastructure to automate management tasks. These cApps serve as mediators between the infrastructure and users, providing automated orchestration, monitoring, and control functions without requiring direct complex interactions with the underlying infrastructure, thus enabling automation while managing complexity through standardized interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the RAN infrastructure management into modular components including the O-Cloud infrastructure layer, cApps layer, and vendor-specific implementation layers. This segmentation allows automated management at the O-Cloud level through standardized interfaces while permitting vendor-specific implementations at lower layers, resolving the contradiction between automation and complexity by separating concerns across layers
2Productivity
If current O2 APIs are used for data exchange, then existing communication protocols are maintained, but they are insufficient for handling volume and time sensitivity of data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the O2 API interface by introducing new communication protocols and data formats optimized for high-volume, low-latency exchanges. The O2 API is enhanced to support asynchronous communication, event-driven architectures, and compressed data formats, transforming the original synchronous, text-based protocol into a more efficient system capable of handling real-time infrastructure monitoring and control data
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing pre-configured communication channels and buffered data queues between O-Cloud components. Data is pre-processed and staged in memory buffers before transmission, and communication pathways are pre-established between critical components, reducing latency by eliminating setup overhead during time-sensitive operations
3Use of energy by moving object
If O-Cloud infrastructure is placed in low power mode to save energy, then energy efficiency improves, but coordination between nodes becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic wake-up cycles for O-Cloud nodes in low-power mode, where nodes periodically check for pending tasks or events. This periodic action allows nodes to remain in energy-saving states while still maintaining system coordination, as they can quickly wake up to handle critical communications and return to low-power mode, thus improving energy efficiency without completely sacrificing coordination reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces feedback mechanisms where the CIC monitors the operational state of all O-Cloud nodes and dynamically adjusts power modes based on system-wide coordination needs. When coordination activities are detected, feedback signals trigger nodes to exit low-power mode, ensuring that energy savings are achieved while maintaining reliability through adaptive, condition-based power management
Data Source
AI summary
The described technology is generally directed towards implementing a cloud intelligent controller (CIC) system at the O-Cloud platform/infrastructure to enable automated and fast (e.g., near-RT) implementation/coordination between the O-Cloud CIC and radio access network (RAN) controllers. O-Cloud-applications (cApps) are configured for implementation at the CIC, such that a workload received at the O-Cloud can be accompanied with a cApp, wherein the cApp defines the respective resources, functionality, etc., required to process the workload. Hence, rather than relying on information provided by other platforms in the RAN (e.g., service management and orchestration (SMO), non-RT RAN intelligent controller (RIC), near-RT RIC, and associated rApps and xApps), implementing a CIC with cApps enables inherent processing latency of conventional RAN configurations to be reduced, further enabling improved power control, resource management, and the like, to be performed locally at the CIC/O-Cloud.