vRAN TSN Bridge for Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) architectures are not optimized to support Time Sensitive Networks (TSNs), leading to challenges in reducing latency and jitter for applications requiring stringent packet loss and transmission requirements.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a vRAN split architecture that localizes Time Sensitive Network (TSN) sessions within a single or small set of next-generation NodeBs, utilizing a centralized user plane component to optimize data paths and reduce latency and jitter by facilitating a TSN bridge within the vRAN, allowing data traffic to transit only through specific vCU-UP components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data traffic is routed through centralized user plane components in vRAN architecture, then network flexibility and virtualization benefits are improved, but latency and jitter increase for time-sensitive applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vRAN architecture into multiple distributed user plane components (vCU-UPs) that can independently handle TSN traffic. This segmentation allows time-sensitive data to be routed through localized components rather than centralized ones, reducing latency while maintaining the virtualized architecture's flexibility for non-time-sensitive traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a TSN bridge as an intermediary component within the vRAN architecture. This bridge selectively forwards time-sensitive traffic between distributed user plane components without requiring centralized processing, thereby reducing latency and jitter while preserving the benefits of network virtualization for other traffic types.
2Ease of operation
If vRAN architecture uses centralized processing for all data traffic, then network management is simplified, but latency and jitter for time-sensitive applications worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized user plane into multiple distributed user plane components (vCU-UPs), each capable of independently processing TSN traffic. This segmentation enables localized handling of time-sensitive packets, reducing jitter caused by centralized processing queues while maintaining standardized management interfaces through the TSN bridge.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by enabling distributed user plane components to independently handle time-sensitive traffic locally without centralized intervention. The TSN bridge ensures that TSN-specific quality requirements (low jitter and latency) are met at the local level while centralized management handles non-time-sensitive traffic and overall network coordination.
3Reliability
If data traffic is distributed across multiple user plane components, then network resilience is improved, but latency increases due to additional routing hops
Solution Approach 1:
The TSN bridge acts as a specialized intermediary that provides direct, low-latency routing paths between distributed user plane components handling TSN traffic. This bridge optimizes the routing topology for time-sensitive applications, reducing the number of hops and processing delays while maintaining the distributed architecture's resilience benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes pre-configured routing paths and forwarding rules in the TSN bridge for time-sensitive traffic before data transmission occurs. This preliminary action enables immediate forwarding of TSN packets through optimized paths without dynamic routing decisions, reducing latency while maintaining distributed architecture resilience.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques associated with localizing data traffic for a time sensitive network within a virtualized radio access network are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes determining that a user equipment (UE) is associated with a time sensitive network; and localizing data traffic for the UE within a virtualized radio access network based on determining that the data traffic for the UE can be localized at one centralized user plane component of the virtualized radio access network for the time sensitive network. The data traffic can be Layer-2 data traffic or unstructured data traffic.