ENABLING PHYSICAL RANDOM-ACCESS CHANNEL REPETITION COMBINING IN A RADIO UNIT FOR AN O-RAN-BASED RADIO ACCESS NETWORK
There is provided a method of operating an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN). The method includes (a) communicating from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) to an O-RU controller, data informing that the O-RU supports physical random-access channel (PRACH) combining, (b) communicating from the O-RU controller to the O-RU, a parameter to facilitate the PRACH combining, and (c) configuring the O-RU in accordance with the parameter. There is also provided an O-RU and an O-RU controller that perform the method.
1 . A method of operating an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), comprising the steps of:
communicating from an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) to an O-RU controller, data informing that the O-RU supports physical random-access channel (PRACH) combining;
communicating from the O-RU controller to the O-RU, a parameter to facilitate the PRACH combining; and
configuring the O-RU in accordance with the parameter.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
sending from the O-RU to an O-RAN distributed unit, a combined signal in accordance with the PRACH combining.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of, prior to the step of communicating from the O-RU controller to the O-RU, the method further comprises the step of:
communicating from the O-RU to the O-RU controller, data indicating a maximum number of PRACH repetitions that can be combined at the O-RU.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of, prior to the communicating from the O-RU controller to the O-RU:
communicating from the O-RU to the O-RU controller, data indicating a maximum supported gain value for the PRACH combining.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PRACH combining comprises time-domain combining.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PRACH combining comprises frequency-domain combining.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of communicating from the O-RU controller to the O-RU further comprises, communicating the parameter from the O-RU controller to the O-RU via a management plane interface.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of communicating from the O-RU controller to the O-RU further comprises including the parameter in a section extension appended to a control plane message sent by an O-RAN distributed unit to the O-RU via a fronthaul interface.
9 . An Open Radio Access Network Radio Unit (O-RU) comprising electronic circuitry adapted to perform operations including:
sending to an O-RU controller, data informing that the O-RU supports physical random-access channel (PRACH) combining;
receiving a parameter to facilitate the PRACH combining; and
configuring the O-RU in accordance with the parameter.
10 . The O-RU of claim 9 , wherein the operations further include:
sending to an O-RAN distributed unit, a combined signal in accordance with the PRACH combining.
11 . The O-RU of claim 9 , wherein the operations further include:
prior to receiving the parameter, sending to the O-RU controller, data indicating a maximum number of PRACH repetitions that can be combined at the O-RU.
12 . The O-RU of claim 9 , wherein the operations further include:
prior to receiving the parameter, sending to the O-RU controller data indicating a maximum supported gain value for the PRACH combining.
13 . The O-RU of claim 9 , wherein the PRACH combining comprises time-domain combining.
14 . The O-RU of claim 9 , wherein the PRACH combining comprises frequency-domain combining.
15 . The O-RU of claim 9 , wherein the operation of receiving the parameter comprises receiving the parameter from the O-RU controller via a management plane interface.
16 . The O-RU of claim 9 , wherein the operation of receiving the parameter comprises receiving the parameter in a section extension appended to a control plane message sent by an O-RAN distributed unit to the O-RU controller via a fronthaul interface.
17 . An Open Radio Access Network Radio Unit controller (O-RU controller) comprising electronic circuitry adapted to perform operations including:
receiving from an Open Radio Access Network Radio Unit (O-RU), data informing that the O-RU supports physical random-access channel (PRACH) combining; and
communicating to the O-RU, a parameter to facilitate the PRACH combining,
wherein the O-RU is configured in accordance with the parameter.
18 . The O-RU controller of claim 17 , wherein the O-RU sends, to an O-RAN distributed unit, a combined signal in accordance with the PRACH combining.
19 . The O-RU controller of claim 17 , wherein the operations further include:
prior to communicating to the O-RU, receiving from the O-RU data indicating a maximum number of PRACH repetitions that can be combined at the O-RU.
20 . The O-RU controller of claim 17 , wherein the operations further include:
prior to communicating to the O-RU, receiving from the O-RU data indicating a maximum supported gain value for the PRACH combining.
21 . The O-RU controller of claim 17 , wherein the PRACH combining includes time-domain combining.
22 . The O-RU controller of claim 17 , wherein the PRACH combining includes frequency-domain combining.
23 . The O-RU controller of claim 17 , wherein the communicating to the O-RU includes sending the parameter to the O-RU via a management plane interface.
24 . The O-RU controller of claim 17 , wherein the communicating to the O-RU includes sending the parameter via an O1 interface to an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), wherein the O-DU sends the parameter to the O-RU in a section extension appended to a control plane message via a fronthaul interface.