Carrier aggregation and dual connectivity switching in a cellular network
Embodiments are directed towards systems and methods for carrier aggregation and dual connectivity switching in a cellular network (e.g., a 5G network). Example embodiments include systems and methods for: the RAN functions supporting providing measuring and reporting particular items for dynamic carrier aggregation and dual connectivity switching; RAN dynamic carrier aggregation and dual connectivity switching with a network intelligence layer; RAN dynamic carrier aggregation and dual connectivity switching without a network intelligence layer; RAN dynamic carrier aggregation and dual connectivity switching based on availability of an inter-DU link and meeting latency/bandwidth criteria; RAN dynamic carrier aggregation and dual connectivity switching based on availability of an inter-DU link and meeting resource criteria; and prioritization for using CA instead of DC based on CQI information reported from UEs.
1 . A method comprising
electronically determining whether an inter-distributed unit (inter-DU) communication link between a plurality of distributed units (DUs) in a Radio Access Network (RAN) of a wireless cellular telecommunication network that provides wireless cellular telecommunication network services to a plurality of UEs is available;
electronically determining whether to use carrier aggregation across cells that are each managed by different respective DUs of the plurality of DUs and or to use dual connectivity for the cells based on the determination whether an inter-DU communication link is available;
electronically determining whether measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics of communication between the plurality of DUs are available;
electronically determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are available;
in instances where the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are determined to be available, determining, based on the measurements, whether one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability meets criteria for using the carrier aggregation; and
electronically determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether the one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability meets the criteria.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or to use the dual connectivity based on the determination whether an inter-DU communication link is available includes determining to use dual connectivity in response to a determination that an inter-DU communication link is not available.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electronically determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are available includes:
determining to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation in response to a determination that the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are not available, wherein the RAN is connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electronically determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are available includes:
determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on current RAN resource availability for the cells instead of the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics in response to a determination that the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are not available, wherein the RAN is not connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the current RAN resource availability includes one or more of: current central processing unit (CPU) resource availability, current memory availability and current radio spectrum availability.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability meets the criteria includes:
in response to a determination that one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability does not meet the criteria, causing the dual connectivity to be used instead of the carrier aggregation.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein:
the RAN is connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation; and
the causing the dual connectivity to be used instead of the carrier aggregation includes the intelligence layer sending a command to the RAN to use the dual connectivity.
8 . The method of claim 6 wherein:
the RAN is not connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation; and
the causing the dual connectivity to be used instead of the carrier aggregation includes the RAN using the dual connectivity in response to the determination that one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability does not meet the criteria.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability meets the criteria includes:
in response to a determination that one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability meets the criteria, determining whether any UEs of the plurality of UEs are high priority UEs.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
in response to a determination none of the plurality of UEs are high priority UEs, causing the dual connectivity to be used instead of the carrier aggregation.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein:
the RAN is connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation; and
the causing the dual connectivity to be used instead of the carrier aggregation includes the intelligence layer sending a command to the RAN to use the dual connectivity in response to a determination none of the plurality of UEs are high priority UEs.
12 . The method of claim 10 wherein:
the RAN is not connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation; and
the causing the dual connectivity to be used instead of the carrier aggregation includes the RAN using the dual connectivity in response to a determination none of the plurality of UEs are high priority UEs.
13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
in response to a determination one or more of the plurality of UEs are high priority UEs, causing carrier aggregation to be used for the one or more of the plurality of UEs instead of dual connectivity.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein:
the RAN is connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation; and
the causing the carrier aggregation to be used for the one or more of the plurality of UEs instead of dual connectivity includes the intelligence layer sending a command to the RAN to use the carrier aggregation for the one or more of the plurality of UEs instead of dual connectivity, in response to a determination the one or more of the plurality of UEs are high priority UEs.
15 . The method of claim 13 wherein:
the RAN is not connected to an intelligence layer for determining whether to use the dual connectivity instead of the carrier aggregation; and
the causing the carrier aggregation to be used for the one or more of the plurality of UEs instead of dual connectivity includes the RAN using the carrier aggregation for the one or more of the plurality of UEs instead of dual connectivity, in response to a determination the one or more of the plurality of UEs are high priority UEs.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
continuously electronically determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on continuous determinations whether the one or more of inter-DU link latency and inter-DU link bandwidth availability meets the criteria.
17 . A method comprising
electronically determining whether an inter-distributed unit (inter-DU) communication link between a plurality of distributed units (DUs) in a Radio Access Network (RAN) of a wireless cellular telecommunication network that provides wireless cellular telecommunication network services to a plurality of UEs is available;
electronically determining whether to use carrier aggregation across cells that are each managed by different respective DUs of the plurality of DUs and or to use dual connectivity for the cells based on the determination whether an inter-DU communication link is available;
electronically determining whether measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics of communication between the plurality of DUs are available;
electronically determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are available;
in instances where the measurements of inter-DU communication characteristics are determined to be available, determining, based on the measurements, whether consumption of network resources provided by the cells meets criteria for using the carrier aggregation; and
electronically determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether the consumption of network resources provided by the cells meets the criteria for using the carrier aggregation.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the determining whether to use the carrier aggregation or the dual connectivity based on the determination whether consumption of network resources provided by the cells meets criteria for using the carrier aggregation includes:
in response to a determination that consumption of network resources provided by the cells does not meet the criteria for using the carrier aggregation, causing the dual connectivity to be used instead of the carrier aggregation.
19 . The method of claim 17 wherein the criteria for using the carrier aggregation includes criteria for equalizing load distribution on the cells by using carrier aggregation to offload UE traffic on certain cells managed by the plurality of DUs that are overutilized compared to other cells managed by the plurality of DUs.
20 . The method of claim 17 wherein the determining whether consumption of network resources provided by the cells meets criteria for using the carrier aggregation includes:
determining, for each UE of the plurality of UE, a percentage of current consumption of total network resources provided by one or more cells in which the UE is located;
determining, for each UE of the plurality of UE, whether the determined current percentage of consumption of total network resources is below a threshold percentage; and
determining consumption of network resources provided by the cells meets criteria for using the carrier aggregation based on a determination that the determined current percentage of consumption of total network resources is below the threshold percentage.