RIC Policy Feedback Aggregation on the A1 Interface

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing O-RAN WG2 technical specifications face challenges in reducing traffic and response times on the A1 interface for A1 policy management, particularly in handling feedback and creation of multiple policies, and providing detailed information about unenforceability, leading to inefficiencies in dynamic policy updates.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system where feedback and policy requests are handled in a single message for multiple policies, and detailed information about non-enforcement causes is provided over the A1 interface, reducing the need for multiple HTTP transactions and O1 interface queries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If feedback is sent for each policy individually over the A1 interface, then detailed policy enforcement status information is provided, but traffic volume and response time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolicy enforcement status informationVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines feedback for multiple policies into a single message transmitted over the A1 interface. Instead of sending individual feedback messages for each policy, the system aggregates enforcement status information for multiple policies and transmits them together in one message, thereby reducing traffic volume and response time while maintaining complete information delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If multiple HTTP transactions are used for policy creation and feedback, then individual policy management is achieved, but interface traffic and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividual policy managementVSAvoidinterface traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple HTTP transactions into a single message exchange. By aggregating policy creation requests and feedback messages, the system reduces the number of HTTP transactions and associated interface traffic while maintaining the ability to manage individual policies through structured data formats within the consolidated messages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of information

If detailed information about non-enforcement causes is obtained through O1 interface queries, then comprehensive diagnostic information is provided, but response time and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenon-enforcement cause informationVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the A1 interface as an intermediary between the policy management function and the detailed diagnostic information. Instead of directly querying the O1 interface for non-enforcement causes, the system uses the A1 interface to transmit aggregated feedback messages that include cause information, thereby reducing system complexity and response time while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250385838A1Ran intelligent controller (RIC) and method therefor

Publication Date: 2025.12.18 NEC CORP

AI summary

A first Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) (1) receives, in a single message, from a second RIC (3) located between the first RIC (1) and one or more RAN nodes (4), feedback regarding an enforcement status of a plurality of policies, each including one or more policy statements. For example, this can help to reduce the amount of traffic or number of transactions required to provide feedback regarding the enforcement status of a plurality of policies, each including one or more policy statements.