O-RAN Interposer Unit for Full-Spectrum Interference Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) standards limit interference management in cellular networks by only monitoring portions of the carrier signal allocated for uplink communications, making it difficult to detect and manage interference sources, especially when no data is being transmitted.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that includes an interposer unit to request and monitor both allocated and unallocated portions of the carrier signal, enabling the detection of interference sources across the full spectrum, thereby improving interference management and scheduling decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If O-RAN standards data saving techniques are used to transmit only portions of the carrier signal containing user data, then the amount of data to be processed by the network operator is reduced, but interference management capability deteriorates because monitoring is limited to allocated frequencies only
Solution Approach 1:
An interposer unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the radio unit and the distributed unit. This interposer receives the full carrier signal (including unallocated portions) from the radio unit, performs interference monitoring on the complete signal, and then forwards only the user data portions to the distributed unit. This resolves the contradiction by enabling comprehensive interference detection while maintaining data processing efficiency.
2Productivity
If only allocated portions of the carrier signal are monitored for interference, then data processing efficiency is improved, but the ability to detect interference sources in unallocated frequencies is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring function is segmented into two parts: the interposer unit handles monitoring of the full carrier signal (including unallocated portions) to detect interference sources, while the distributed unit processes only the allocated user data portions. This segmentation allows interference detection across the complete spectrum while maintaining efficient data processing for user communications.
3Measurement precision
If complete bandwidth monitoring is performed as in CPRI standard, then comprehensive interference detection is achieved, but data processing load increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The interposer unit extracts and monitors the full carrier signal for interference detection purposes, while separating the user data portions for efficient processing by the distributed unit. This extraction approach enables comprehensive interference detection across the complete bandwidth without requiring the distributed unit to process the entire signal, thus maintaining data processing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for managing a cellular network implemented based on O-RAN standards includes an O-DU for generating a first control-plane message requesting a first set of radio resources responsive to a scheduled uplink transmission from a user device, where the first set of radio resources includes an assigned portion of a carrier signal allocated for the uplink transmission; an interposer unit for receiving the first control-plane message, and generating a second control-plane message requesting a second set of radio resources including a remaining portion of the carrier signal; and an O-RU for receiving the first and second control-plane messages, receiving the uplink transmission, and generating user-plane message(s) including first and second digitized data correlated with the first and second control-plane messages. The interposer unit sends the first digitized data to the O-DU without sending the second digitized data, and monitors the carrier signal using the first and second digitized data.