Portable vRAN System with Waveform Development Kit

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN) architectures face challenges such as high power consumption, limited portability across hardware platforms, cumbersome software development, and inefficient resource management, which hinder their scalability and flexibility.

Innovation Solution

A virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN) system that includes a waveform development kit and a waveform execution environment, featuring a RAN hypervisor that virtualizes spectral resources and manages dynamic load across processing elements, enabling portability across multiple RAN hardware platforms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional vRAN implementations use servers with CPU architectures optimized for enterprise IT workloads, then general-purpose computing capability is improved, but power consumption and resource over-budgeting increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegeneral-purpose computing capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the architectural parameters by introducing a dedicated DSP core with custom instruction sets optimized for signal processing operations. This specialized hardware architecture replaces general-purpose CPU architectures, enabling efficient execution of RAN workloads with significantly reduced power consumption while maintaining adaptability through programmable DSP cores.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes the mechanical computing approach (general-purpose CPUs executing software) with a specialized signal processing architecture (programmable DSP cores with hardware-optimized instruction sets). This replacement enables direct hardware acceleration for signal processing functions, reducing the computational overhead and power consumption associated with software-based approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Power

If vendor-specific RAN software is deployed to leverage hardware-specific accelerators, then signal processing performance is improved, but portability across hardware platforms deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal processing speedVSAvoidportability across hardware platforms

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal RAN software platform that can execute on multiple hardware platforms (FPGA, ASIC, different DSP architectures) through a common abstraction layer. This multi-functional software framework maintains signal processing optimization while enabling portability by translating hardware-specific operations into platform-independent instructions that can be executed across different RAN hardware implementations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary software layer between the RAN application and the hardware accelerator. This middleware translates vendor-specific hardware instructions into a unified intermediate representation, enabling the same RAN software to run on different hardware platforms without modification. The intermediary layer acts as a translator that preserves signal processing performance while achieving cross-platform compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If RAN workloads are statically allocated to processing elements, then resource allocation simplicity is improved, but dynamic resource sharing and flexibility deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation managementVSAvoiddynamic resource sharing

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where RAN workloads can be dynamically assigned to different processing elements based on real-time conditions. The system supports workload migration, dynamic scaling, and flexible resource distribution across multiple DSP cores or hardware accelerators. This dynamic approach maintains simplicity through automated scheduling while enabling adaptability for varying traffic conditions and hardware capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12238568B2System and method for provisioning a portable virtual RAN across a plurality of RAN hardware platforms

Publication Date: 2025.02.25 TEJAS NETWORKS LTD

AI summary

A virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN) system (300) for provisioning a virtual Radio Access Network (RAN) that is portable across one or more RAN hardware platforms is provided. The virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN) system (300) includes a waveform development kit (WDK) (302), and a waveform execution environment (304). The waveform development kit (302) defines at least one portable Radio Access Network (RAN) application into a form that is instantiated on a RAN hardware (326). The waveform execution environment (304) (i) monitors real-time schedulable resources in real-time, and (ii) collects one or more statistics and monitors the one or more statistics for network automation. The waveform execution environment (304) includes a RAN hypervisor (314) that virtualizes at least one attribute of a spectral resource required to provision the RAN that is portable across at least one hardware platform of the one or more RAN hardware platforms in the RAN hardware.