IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,634,721
Granted Patent B2
US 12,634,721 · App. 18/397,802 · Granted May 19, 2026

Physical-layer cell identifier (PCI) configuration and mobility robustness optimization for fifth generation self-organizing networks (5G SON)

Inventors: Joey Chou (Santa Clara, CA); Yizhi Yao (Chandler, AZ)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H04W24/04H04L61/5046H04W8/26H04W24/10H04W84/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,634,721
App. No.
18/397,802
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and storage media are described for physical-layer cell identifier (PCI) configuration and Mobility Robustness Optimization (MRO). In particular, some embodiments may be directed to fifth-generation self-organizing network (5G SON) solutions such as the management of distributed physical-layer cell identifier (PCI) configuration, centralized PCI configuration, and MRO. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims (46)

1 . An apparatus to be employed as a distributed self-organizing network (D-SON) management function, the apparatus comprising:

memory circuitry; and

processor circuitry connected to the memory circuitry, wherein the processor circuitry is to:

consume a management service (MnS) of a network function (NF) provisioning service with a modifyMOIAttributes operation to configure a physical cell identity (PCI) list for a set of new radio (NR) cells;

for a PCI configuration D-SON function that is not enabled, consume the MnS of NF provisioning service with a modifyMOIAttributes operation to enable the PCI configuration D-SON function for the set of NR cells; and

receive, from the MnS of NF provisioning service, a notification notifyMOIAttribute ValueChange to indicate one or more PCI values being assigned to the set of NR cells.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the MnS of NF provisioning service is to set the PCI list at the PCI configuration D-SON function based on the modifyMOIAttributes operation to configure the PCI list.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the MnS of NF provisioning service is to enable the PCI configuration D-SON function based on the modifyMOIAttributes operation to enable a PCI configuration D-SON function.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the PCI configuration D-SON function is to select the one or more PCI values from the PCI list, and report the one or more PCI values to the MnS of NF provisioning.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to:

receive a notification notifyNewAlarm from an NF fault supervision MnS, wherein the notification notifyNewAlarm is to report a PCI collision or PCI confusion problems detected on at least one NR cell in the set of NR cells;

consume the MnS of NF provisioning service with a modifyMOIAttributes operation to re-configure the PCI list for the set of NR cells based on the notification notifyNewAlarm; and

receive, from the MnS of NF provisioning service, a notification notifyMOIAttribute ValueChange to indicate one or more updated PCI values being assigned to the set of NR cells.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the MnS of NF provisioning is to re-configure the PCI list for the set of NR cells.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the PCI configuration D-SON function is to select the one or more updated PCI values from the re-configured PCI list, report the one or more updated PCI values to the MnS of NF provisioning, and notify the NF fault supervision MnS that the PCI collision or the PCI confusion problems have been resolved.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor circuitry is to:

receive, from the NF fault supervision MnS, a notification notifyClearedAlarm to report that the PCI collision or PCI confusion problems have been resolved.

9 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) comprising instructions for operating a distributed self-organizing network (D-SON) management function, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors is to cause a compute node to:

consume a management service (MnS) of a network function (NF) provisioning service with a modifyMOIAttributes operation to configure a physical cell identity (PCI) list for a set of new radio (NR) cells;

for a PCI configuration D-SON function that is not enabled, consume the MnS of NF provisioning service with a modifyMOIAttributes operation to enable the PCI configuration D-SON function for the set of NR cells; and

receive, from the MnS of NF provisioning service, a notification notifyMOIAttribute ValueChange to indicate one or more PCI values being assigned to the set of NR cells.

10 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 9 , wherein the MnS of NF provisioning service is to set the PCI list at the PCI configuration D-SON function based on the modifyMOIAttributes operation to configure the PCI list, and enable the PCI configuration D-SON function based on the modifyMOIAttributes operation to enable a PCI configuration D-SON function.

11 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 9 , wherein the PCI configuration D-SON function is to select the one or more PCI values from the PCI list, and report the one or more PCI values to the MnS of NF provisioning.

12 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 9 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the compute node to:

receive a notification notifyNewAlarm from an NF fault supervision MnS, wherein the notification notifyNewAlarm is to report a PCI collision or PCI confusion problems detected on at least one NR cell in the set of NR cells;

consume the MnS of NF provisioning service with a modifyMOIAttributes operation to re-configure the PCI list for the set of NR cells based on the notification notifyNewAlarm; and

receive, from the MnS of NF provisioning service, a notification notifyMOIAttribute ValueChange to indicate one or more updated PCI values being assigned to the set of NR cells.

13 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 12 , wherein the MnS of NF provisioning is to re-configure the PCI list for the set of NR cells.

14 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 12 , wherein the PCI configuration D-SON function is to select the one or more updated PCI values from the re-configured PCI list, report the one or more updated PCI values to the MnS of NF provisioning, and notify the NF fault supervision MnS that the PCI collision or the PCI confusion problems have been resolved, and execution of the instructions is to cause the compute node to:

receive, from the NF fault supervision MnS, a notification notifyClearedAlarm to report that the PCI collision or PCI confusion problems have been resolved.

15 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) comprising instructions for operating a physical cell identity (PCI) configuration distributed self-organizing network (D-SON) function, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors is to cause a compute node to:

receive, from a management service (MnS) of NF provisioning service, an indication to set a PCI list for a set of new radio (NR) cells, wherein the indication to set the PCI list is based on a modifyMOIAttributes operation to configure the PCI list by a D-SON management function;

receive, from the MnS of NF provisioning service, an indication to enable the PCI configuration D-SON function for the set of NR cells in response to the PCI configuration D-SON function not being enabled;

select one or more PCI values from the PCI list to be assigned to the set of NR cells; and

report the one or more PCI values to the MnS of NF provisioning.

16 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 15 , wherein the MnS of NF provisioning is to send a notification notifyMOIAttribute ValueChange to the D-SON management function to indicate the one or more PCI values being assigned to the set of NR cells.

17 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 15 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the compute node to:

detect a PCI collision or PCI confusion problems on at least one NR cell in the set of NR cells; and

report the detected PCI collision of PCI confusion problems to an NF fault supervision MnS, wherein the NF fault supervision MnS is to send a notification notifyNewAlarm to the D-SON management function to report the detected PCI collision or PCI confusion problems.

18 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 17 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the compute node to:

receive, from the MnS of NF provisioning service, an indication to re-configure the PCI list for the set of NR cells, wherein the indication to re-configure the PCI list is based on a modifyMOIAttributes operation to re-configure the PCI list for the set of NR cells by the D-SON management function; and

select one or more updated PCI values from the re-configured PCI list.

19 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 18 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the compute node to:

report the one or more updated PCI values to the MnS of NF provisioning, wherein the MnS of NF provisioning is to send a notification notifyMOIAttribute ValueChange to the D-SON management function to indicate the one or more updated PCI values being assigned to the set of NR cells.

20 . The one or more NTCRM of claim 19 , wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the compute node to:

notify the NF fault supervision MnS that the PCI collision or the PCI confusion problems have been resolved, wherein the NF fault supervision MnS is to send a notification notify ClearedAlarm to the D-SON management function to report that the PCI collision or PCI confusion problems have been resolved.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16911017 · Jun 24, 2020
Provisional Application 62882388 · Aug 2, 2019
Related Publication 20240196236A1 · Jun 13, 2024
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