Shared O-RU Certificate Enrollment for Multi-Operator Trust

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current O-RAN systems lack a clear mechanism for establishing a secure connection between a common O-RU and multiple O-DUs, particularly in multi-operator deployments, leading to challenges in trust exchange and certificate management for shared O-RU use cases.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an O-RAN public key infrastructure (PKI) service provider to issue certificates to a common O-RU, enabling multiple operators to establish a trust relationship and manage certificates, thereby facilitating secure connections among network nodes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a common O-RU is shared by multiple O-DUs from different operators, then network coverage and scalability are improved, but trust exchange and certificate management become problematic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork coverage and scalabilityVSAvoidtrust exchange and certificate management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a shared certificate authority (CA) as an intermediary entity that issues certificates to multiple operators for their respective O-DUs connecting to a common O-RU. This shared CA acts as a mediator that enables trust exchange between operators without requiring direct trust relationships between them, thereby resolving the certificate management problem while maintaining the shared O-RU architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a universal certificate management framework where a single shared CA serves multiple operators and their respective O-DUs. This universal approach allows the same certificate issuance mechanism to work across different operators and use cases (MORAN, vendor slicing, rural coverage), providing multi-functionality without requiring operator-specific certificate management systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If current operator CA manages certificates for single-operator O-RU, then certificate management is simple, but it cannot support multi-operator shared O-RU scenarios

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecertificate management simplicityVSAvoidmulti-operator support capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple operator CAs into a single shared CA that serves all operators in the multi-operator environment. Instead of each operator maintaining separate CA systems, the shared CA combines the certificate issuance function for all operators, simplifying the overall system while enabling multi-operator support through a unified certificate management approach

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12562921B2Certificate enrollment for shared network element

Publication Date: 2026.02.24 RAKUTEN MOBILE INC

AI summary

A method of providing secure connections between a shared network node and a plurality of network nodes of different mobile network operators (MNOs) is provided. The method includes: receiving, by a first network node of a first MNO among the different MNOs, a digital certificate issued to the first network node from a public key infrastructure (PKI) service provider, the PKI service provider having a trust relationship with the different MNOs; establishing, by the first network node, a secure connection with a second network node of the first MNO using the issued digital certificate and based on the trust relationship; and establishing, by the first network node, a secure connection with a third network node of a second MNO, among the different MNOs, using the issued digital certificate and based on the trust relationship.