RAN APPLICATIONS FOR INTER-CELL INTERFERENCE MITIGATION FOR MASSIVE MIMO IN A RAN
Some embodiments of the invention provide a system for mitigating inter-region interference for multiple regions serviced by multiple RAN (Radio Access Network) base stations. The system includes a first RAN application for generating a map that identifies, for each particular region serviced by each particular RAN base station, a set of one or more sub-regions receiving interfering signals from other RAN base stations. The system includes a second RAN application for (1) using the generated map and a set of input received from the plurality of RAN base stations to define, for each sub-region in the set of sub-regions, policies for allocating carrier resources of the particular RAN base station to carrier beams transmitted by the particular RAN base station to the sub-regions with the interfering signals, and (2) providing the defined policies to the RAN base stations for which the policies are defined.
1 . A system for mitigating inter-region interference for a plurality of regions serviced by a plurality of RAN (Radio Access Network) base stations, the system comprising:
a first RAN application for generating a map that identifies, for each particular region serviced by each particular RAN base station, a set of one or more sub-regions receiving interfering signals from other RAN base stations; and
a second RAN application for (i) using the generated map and a set of input received from the plurality of RAN base stations to define, for each sub-region in the set of sub-regions, policies for allocating carrier resources of the particular RAN base station to carrier beams transmitted by the particular RAN base station to the sub-regions with the interfering signals, and (ii) providing the defined policies to the RAN base stations for which the policies are defined.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier resources of the particular RAN base station comprise carrier frequencies that the RAN base station allocates to carrier beams that the RAN base station transmits to different sub-regions within the region services by the RAN base station.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first RAN application is deployed by a non-real-time RIC (RAN intelligent controller) and the second RAN application is deployed by a near-real-time RIC.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the non-real-time RIC comprises a centralized RIC (cRIC) and the near-real-time RIC comprises a distributed RIC (dRIC).
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first RAN application comprises an rApp and the second RAN application comprises an xApp.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the xApp uses the generated map after receiving the generated map from the rApp.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the rApp provides the generated map to the xApp by providing the generated map to the CRIC; and
the cRIC provides the generated map to the dRIC and the dRIC provides the generated map to the xApp.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein before using the generated map, the second RAN application receives the generated map from the first RAN application.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the policies comprise policy pairs, each policy pair comprising (i) an allow policy that identifies an allowed first set of carrier resources of the particular RAN base station that are to be allocated to a set of one or more user equipments operating in the particular sub-region, and (ii) a block policy that identifies a blocked second set of carrier resources of another RAN base station that correspond to the first set of resources and that cannot be allocated to the set of user equipments operating in the particular sub-region.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the particular sub-region comprises a first particular sub-region in a first particular region serviced by the particular RAN base station and a second particular sub-region in a second particular region services by the other RAN base station.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein:
when the set of user equipments are operating in the first particular sub-region, the set of user equipments use the first set of carrier resource; and
when the set of user equipments are operating in the second particular sub-region, the set of user equipments use resources other than the second set of carrier resources that correspond to the first set of carrier resources.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the second particular sub-region comprises an edge of the second region serviced by the other RAN base station.
13 . A method for mitigating inter-region interference for a plurality of regions serviced by a plurality of RAN (Radio Access Network) base stations, the method comprising:
configuring a first RAN application to generate a map that identifies, for each particular region serviced by each particular RAN base station, a set of one or more sub-regions receiving interfering signals from other RAN base stations;
directing the first RAN application to provide the generated map to a second RAN application; and
configuring the second RAN application to (i) use the generated map and a set of input received from the plurality of RAN base stations to define, for each sub-region in the set of sub-regions, policies for allocating carrier resources of the particular RAN base station to carrier beams transmitted by the particular RAN base station to the sub-regions with the interfering signals, and (ii) provide the defined policies to the RAN base stations for which the policies are defined.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the carrier resources of the particular RAN base station comprise carrier frequencies that the RAN base station allocates to carrier beams that the RAN base station transmits to different sub-regions within the region services by the RAN base station.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first RAN application is deployed by a non-real-time RIC (RAN intelligent controller) and the second RAN application is deployed by a near-real-time RIC.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the non-real-time RIC comprises a centralized RIC (cRIC) and the near-real-time RIC comprises a distributed RIC (dRIC); and
the first RAN application comprises an rApp and the second RAN application comprises an xApp.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein directing the rApp to provide the generated map to the xApp comprises directing the rApp to provide the generated map to the cRIC, wherein the cRIC provides the generated map to the dRIC and the dRIC provides the generated map to the xApp.
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the policies comprise policy pairs, each policy pair comprising (i) an allow policy that identifies an allowed first set of carrier resources of the particular RAN base station that are to be allocated to a set of one or more user equipments operating in the particular sub-region, and (ii) a block policy that identifies a blocked second set of carrier resources of another RAN base station that correspond to the first set of resources and that cannot be allocated to the set of user equipments operating in the particular sub-region.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the particular sub-region comprises a first particular sub-region in a first particular region serviced by the particular RAN base station and a second particular sub-region in a second particular region services by the other RAN base station.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
when the set of user equipments are operating in the first particular sub-region, the set of user equipments use the first set of carrier resource;
the second particular sub-region comprises a particular edge of the second region serviced by the other RAN base station; and
when the set of user equipments are operating in the particular edge of the second region, the set of user equipments use resources other than the second set of carrier resources that correspond to the first set of carrier resources.