Programmable Xx/Xn Gateway for Multi-Vendor RAN Interworking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radio access network technologies face interoperability challenges due to vendor-specific implementations, with common standards like X2 not fully utilized as they could be, as vendors are hesitant to expose functionality beyond the minimally required, leading to limited interworking and deployment of new features across different vendor products.
Innovation Solution
A programmable gateway for Xx/Xn interface communications is introduced, featuring an internal interface for radio access networks, a language processing module for protocol mapping, an external interface for core network communication, and a database for rule-based transformations, enabling code execution and state management to facilitate interworking across different vendor protocols and versions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If common standards are updated to include new features, then functionality is improved, but standards change slowly, delaying deployment of new features
Solution Approach 1:
The message manipulator allows vendors to implement and deploy new features immediately using proprietary messages, without waiting for standard updates. The manipulator handles the translation to standard formats when needed, enabling preliminary deployment of new functionality that can later be standardized through the manipulator's translation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts between proprietary and standard message formats based on the communication context. Vendors can switch between using proprietary messages (for rapid feature deployment) and standard X2 messages (for interoperability) without being constrained by the slow evolution of formal standards.
2Reliability
If vendors restrict X2 functionality to minimal requirements, then interoperability is maintained, but the usefulness and extensibility of the X2 interface is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The X2 message manipulator acts as an intermediary layer that enables extended functionality while preserving stable interoperability. It translates enriched proprietary messages into minimal standard X2 messages, allowing vendors to use extended features locally without compromising the stability and reliability of standard interoperability.
Solution Approach 2:
The manipulator provides a universal solution that handles both standard X2 messages and proprietary extended messages. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain reliable standard interoperability while simultaneously supporting extended functionality, making the X2 interface both stable and extensible.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for Xx/Xn interface communication is disclosed, comprising: at an Xx/Xn gateway for communicating with, and coupled to, a first and a second radio access network (RAN), receiving messages from the first RAN according to a first Xx/Xn protocol and mapping the received messages to a second Xx/Xn protocol for transmission to the second RAN; maintaining state of one of the first RAN or the second RAN at the Xx/Xn gateway; executing executable code received at an interpreter at the Xx/Xn gateway as part of the received messages; altering the maintained state based on the executed executable code; and receiving and decoding an initial Xx/Xn message from the first RAN; identifying specific strings in the initial Xx/Xn message; matching the identified specific strings in a database of stored scripts; and performing a transformation on the initial Xx/Xn message, the transformation being retrieved from the database for stored scripts, the stored scripts being transformations.