Granted Patent B2

US 12,501,517 · App. 18/044,261 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Inventors: Naga Krishna Prasad Jampala (Bangalore, IN); Sukesh Thotengara (Bangalore, IN); Biswajit Panigrahi (Bangalore, IN)

Assignee: RAKUTEN SYMPHONY, INC.

H04W92/045H04L41/0226H04L69/08H04W76/10H04W24/02

Abstract

Claims (55)

1 . A Next Generation Distributed Unit (NGDU) for enabling communication in an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), wherein the NGDU comprises:

a radio interface module (RIM) Management Plane (M-plane) manager comprising a M-plane model;

a plurality of DUs connected to the RIM M-plane manager over a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) interface; and

a plurality of RUs connected to the RIM M-plane manager over a non-Network Configuration Protocol (non-NETCONF) interface; wherein the RIM M-plane manager comprises a RIM M-plane controller configured to:

receive a first communication from at least one radio unit (RU) of the plurality of RUs over the non-NETCONF interface in a front-haul network, wherein the first communication comprises a serial number associated with the at least one RU,

send the first communication from the at least one RU to operations support systems (OSS),

receive an internet protocol (IP) address associated with at least one DU for executing at least one M plane service, from the OSS, wherein the OSS receives the IP address associated with the at least one DU from one of an orchestrator and operator input,

start a Netconf Callhome procedure with the at least one DU,

allow the at least one DU to configure a control plane (CP) identifier at the RIM M-Plane manager,

determine a non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager,

send the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier to the at least one RU, and

enable communication between the at least one RU and the at least one DU.

2 . The NGDU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the RIM M-plane controller is configured to determine the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager comprises:

input the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager to the M-plane model;

translate the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager by the M-plane model; and

determine the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier.

3 . The NGDU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the RIM M-plane controller is further configured to:

read the IP address associated with the at least one DU;

establish the at least one M plane service for each of the at least one RU using the IP address associated with the at least one DU;

perform handshakes between the at least one DU and the at least one RU;

receive at least one message from the at least one DU over the NETCONF interface, to be sent to the at least one RU;

determine a non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the at least one message; and

send the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the at least one message to the at least one RU on the non-NETCONF interface.

4 . The NGDU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the RIM M-plane manager is configured with OSS proxy IP as day-0 parameter and wherein the control plane (CP) identifier is an extended Antenna-Carrier (eAxC) identifier comprising carrier identifier (ID) associated with the at least one RU and information indicating a type of DU of the at least one DU.

5 . The NGDU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the RIM M-plane controller is further configured to:

maintain a heartbeat mechanism towards the at least one RU and the at least one DU;

periodically collect at least one of RU statistics and RU logs at the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU;

determine an ORAN format compatible version of the collected RU statistics;

send the ORAN format compatible version of the collected RU statistics to the at least one DU and the RU logs to a server.

6 . A method for enabling communication in a Next generation distributed unit (NGDU) of an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), the method comprising:

receiving, by a radio interface module (RIM) Management Plane (M-plane) manager, a first communication from at least one radio unit (RU) of the plurality of RUs over a non-NETCONF interface in a front-haul network, wherein the first communication comprises a serial number associated with the at least one RU,

sending, by the RIM M-plane manager, the first communication from the at least one RU to operations support systems (OSS),

receiving, by the RIM M-plane manager, an internet protocol (IP) address associated with at least one DU for executing at least one M plane service, from the OSS, wherein the OSS receives the IP address associated with the at least one DU from one of an orchestrator and operator input,

starting, by the RIM M-plane manager, a Netconf Callhome procedure with the at least one DU,

allowing, by the RIM M-plane manager, the at least one DU to configure a control plane (CP) identifier at the RIM M-Plane manager,

determining, by the RIM M-plane manager, a non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager,

sending, by the RIM M-plane manager, the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier to the at least one RU, and

enabling, by the RIM M-plane manager, communication between the at least one RU and the at least one DU.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein determining, by the RIM M-plane manager, the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager comprises:

inputting, by the RIM M-plane manager, the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager to the M-plane model;

translating, by the RIM M-plane manager, the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU at the RIM M-Plane manager by the M-plane model; and

determining, by the RIM M-plane manager, the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the CP identifier.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprises:

reading, by the RIM M-plane manager, the IP address associated with the at least one DU;

establishing, by the RIM M-plane manager, the at least one M plane service for each of the at least one RU using the IP address associated with the at least one DU;

performing, by the RIM M-plane manager, handshakes between the at least one DU and the at least one RU;

receiving, by the RIM M-plane manager, at least one message from the at least one DU over the NETCONF interface, to be sent to the at least one RU;

determining by the RIM M-plane manager, a non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the at least one message; and

sending, by the RIM M-plane manager, the non-NETCONF interface compatible version of the at least one message to the at least one RU on the non-NETCONF interface.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the RIM M-plane manager is configured with OSS proxy IP as day-0 parameter and wherein the control plane (CP) identifier is an extended Antenna-Carrier (eAxC) identifier comprising carrier identifier (ID) associated with the at least one RU and information indicating a type of DU of the at least one DU.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprises:

maintaining, by the RIM M-plane manager, a heartbeat mechanism towards the at least one RU and the at least one DU;

periodically collecting, by the RIM M-plane manager, at least one of RU statistics and RU logs at the CP identifier configured by the at least one DU;

determining, by the RIM M-plane manager, an ORAN format compatible version of the collected RU statistics;

sending, by the RIM M-plane manager, the ORAN format compatible version of the collected RU statistics to the at least one DU and the RU logs to a server.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (14)