Control of multi-user multiple input multiple output connections

1. An apparatus in a radio access network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive from network instructions of how to control multi-user multiple input multiple output connections maintained by one or more radio access nodes, the connections utilizing one or more slices;

control one or more radio access nodes to:

perform, based at least in part on the received network instructions, multi-user pairing of terminal devices of the same or different slices, and

determine, based at least in part on the received network instructions, slice-based quota taking multi-user pairing and interference arising from paired allocations into account;

determine and indicate, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference for preferring or avoiding multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing users of a given slice with users of the same slice, or users of a different slice;

determine and indicate, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference on how to perform counting of resources consumed by a slice compared to its slice quota when resources have been allocated in multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing fashion to multiple users of one or more slices in a slot;

determine and indicate, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference on how to adjust the resources consumed by various slices taking into account the effect of interference between users belonging to the same slice or different slices that have been given multi-user multiple input multiple output paired allocations;

determine that a given number N terminal devices of a slice are allocated the same set P of resource blocks in a given slot; and

indicate the relative preference of how multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing are to be taken into account in determining slice-based quota with a first, second or third numerical value, wherein:

the first value indicates that each of the terminal devices should be treated as having consumed all of the resources,

the second value indicates that the slice is treated as having consumed only P resource blocks, regardless of the number of terminal devices N, and

the third value indicates that if the number of terminal devices N is greater than or equal to two, the slice is treated as having consumed 2*P resource blocks, otherwise, the slice is treated as having consumed P resource blocks.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:

indicate the relative preference of multi-user pairing terminal devices of a given slice with terminal devices of the same slice or terminal device of different slices with a numerical value between

a first value indicating that a radio access node should avoid Mu-pairing users of the same slice and

a second value indicating that a radio access node should only pair users of the same slice.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:

determine that P resource blocks have been allocated,

indicate the relative preference of whether interference arising from multi-user multiple input multiple output paired allocations are taken into account in determining slice-based quota with a first, second or third numerical value, where

first value indicates that effect of interference between terminal devices is ignored, and any individual terminal device is treated as having consumed all allocated P resource blocks;

second value indicates that if a given terminal device gets a paired allocation on a certain number of resources, then the terminal device is treated as having consumed a reduced number of resources based on the reduction in spectral efficiency that the terminal device would experience due to interference;

third value indicates that the rule of first value is applied if all users are of the same slice, whereas the rule of second value is applied if the users are of different slices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:

receive from one or more radio access nodes report regarding multi user pairing of terminal devices with terminal devices of the same or different slice, interference between terminal devices of the same or different slice, slice quota adjustment and resources.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:

adjust one or more relative preferences based on the received report.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving from network instructions of how to control multi-user multiple input multiple output connections maintained by one or more radio access nodes, the connections utilizing one or more slices;

controlling one or more radio access nodes to:

perform, based at least in part on the received network instructions, multi-user pairing of terminal devices of the same or different slices, and

determine, based at least in part on the received network instructions, slice-based quota taking multi-user pairing and interference arising from paired allocations into account;

determining and indicating, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference for preferring or avoiding multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing users of a given slice with users of the same slice, or users of a different slice;

determining and indicating, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference on how to perform counting of resources consumed by a slice compared to its slice quota when resources have been allocated in multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing fashion to multiple users of one or more slices in a slot;

determining and indicating, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference on how to adjust the resources consumed by various slices taking into account the effect of interference between users belonging to the same slice or different slices that have been given multi-user multiple input multiple output paired allocations;

determining that a given number N terminal devices of a slice are allocated the same set P of resource blocks in a given slot; and

indicating the relative preference of how multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing are to be taken into account in determining slice-based quota with a first, second or third numerical value, wherein:

the first value indicates that each of the terminal devices should be treated as having consumed all of the resources,

the second value indicates that the slice is treated as having consumed only P resource blocks, regardless of the number of terminal devices N, and

the third value indicates that if the number of terminal devices N is greater or equal to two, the slice is treated as having consumed 2*P resource blocks, otherwise, the slice is treated as having consumed P resource blocks.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

indicating the relative preference of multi-user pairing terminal devices of a given slice with terminal devices of the same slice or terminal device of different slices with a numerical value between

a first value indicating that a radio access node should avoid Mu-pairing users of the same slice and

a second value indicating that a radio access node should only pair users of the same slice.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining that P resource blocks have been allocated,

indicating the relative preference of whether interference arising from multi-user multiple input multiple output paired allocations are taken into account in determining slice-based quota with a first, second or third numerical value, where

first value indicates that effect of interference between terminal devices is ignored, and any individual terminal device is treated as having consumed all allocated P resource blocks;

second value indicates that if a given terminal device gets a paired allocation on a certain number of resources, then the terminal device is treated as having consumed a reduced number of resources based on the reduction in spectral efficiency that the terminal device would experience due to interference;

third value indicates that the rule of first value is applied if all users are of the same slice, whereas the rule of second value is applied if the users are of different slices.

9. A computer program embodied on an non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least:

receiving from network instructions of how to control multi-user multiple input multiple output connections maintained by one or more radio access nodes, the connections utilizing one or more slices;

controlling one or more radio access nodes to:

perform, based at least in part on the received network instructions, multi-user pairing of terminal devices of the same or different slices, and

determine, based at least in part on the received network instructions, slice-based quota taking multi-user pairing and interference arising from paired allocations into account;

determining and indicating, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference for preferring or avoiding multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing users of a given slice with users of the same slice, or users of a different slice;

determining and indicating, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference on how to perform counting of resources consumed by a slice compared to its slice quota when resources have been allocated in multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing fashion to multiple users of one or more slices in a slot;

determining and indicating, based on the received network instructions, to one or more radio access nodes a relative preference on how to adjust the resources consumed by various slices taking into account the effect of interference between users belonging to the same slice or different slices that have been given multi-user multiple input multiple output paired allocations;

determining that a given number N terminal devices of a slice are allocated the same set P of resource blocks in a given slot; and

indicating the relative preference of how multi-user multiple input multiple output pairing are to be taken into account in determining slice-based quota with a first, second or third numerical value, wherein:

the first value indicates that each of the terminal devices should be treated as having consumed all of the resources,

the second value indicates that the slice is treated as having consumed only P resource blocks, regardless of the number of terminal devices N, and

the third value indicates that if the number of terminal devices N is greater than or equal to two, the slice is treated as having consumed 2*P resource blocks, otherwise, the slice is treated as having consumed P resource blocks.