Abstract: In accordance with the example embodiments of the invention there a method and apparatus to perform at least establishing, by a network node of a communication network, one or more connections over one or more interfaces with another network node of the communication network, and based on the establishing, communicating over the one or more connections, information associated with multiple slices of the communication network.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from improved communications for a cloud radio access network. For example, certain communication systems may benefit from an improved S1 interface that connects a network entity to front ends in a cloud radio access network. A method, in certain embodiments, may include receiving at least one setup message at a network entity from a plurality of front ends. Multiple connections may be established between the network entity and the plurality of front ends. The method may also include choosing at least one of the multiple connections to transmit another message to one of the plurality of front ends which map back to a common set of at least one radio access points, network nodes, or cells, and transmitting the another message through the chosen one of the multiple connections to the common set of at least one radio access points, network nodes, or cells.

Abstract: Embodiments concern indication of extent of out-of-sequencing for multi-connectivity. While receiving control plane or user plane packets from multi-connectivity legs, a specific user-plane packet may be determined to be an out-of-sequence packet if the packet is received too early or too late. The receiver may keep a per-leg counter of number of out-of-sequence packets and a total count of packet received. An indication message may be sent to indicate multi-connectivity legs which are generating early or late packets. The sender then may adjust its data flow partitioning policy across multi-connectivity legs until the percentage or fraction of out-of-sequence packets is below a desired threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments concern managing traffic in a radio device. While classifying user-plane packets from multiple applications according to quality of service requirements, a specific user-plane packet is classified as/determined to be a predetermined special-type packet (e.g., the special-type packets establish a new TCP/IP connection for a newly activated application). Based on that, that specific user-plane packet is mapped to a pre-defined radio bearer associated with a preconfigured priority, for example a highest priority among all bearers to which any of these user-plane packets from the multiple applications are mapped. Then all the mapped user-plane packets are scheduled for transmission according to their respective priorities. For example, the specific user-plane packet could be a SDU having a SYN, SYN-ACK or ACK, and the network convergence sub-layer (NCS) constructs a L2 NCS PDU using a designated format with the SDU in the payload and context information in the header.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for managing interaction between a network operator and entities managing resources and instances in a virtual radio access network. A radio access network resource manager comprises a database mapping cells to resources and instances associated with the cells, and one or more interfaces between the network operator and the entities managing resources and instances. The radio access network manager mediates commands and information received from the network manager and from the entities managing resources and instances, translating cell-level commands and information from the network manager to commands and information relating to associated resources and entities, and translating resource and instance-level information and requests from the entities managing resources and instances to cell-level information and requests to the network operator.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from a high quality of service (QoS). For example, fifth generation (5G) wireless communication systems may benefit from differentiated service flows in the user plane that may impact a core network. According to certain embodiments, a method can include determining at a serving radio access network whether a modification of a service flow will impact at least one of a core network service monitoring, controlling, and configuring, and initiating, based on the determination, the modification of the service flow directly with a user equipment or through a controlling network entity located in the core network.

Abstract: There is provided a method comprising, at a first base station in response to a request including information relating to one or more resource allocations of at least a first cell, causing information corresponding to at least one of the resource allocations to be sent, the information indicative of a scheduling benefit obtained by a cell associated with the first base station if the resource is allocated to the at least one first cell.

Abstract: The present invention addresses method, apparatus and computer program product for dynamic cell clustering for Coordinated Multipoint operation. Clustering metric information defining relevant metrics for making cell clustering decision for Coordinated Multipoint operation are received from a network element serving a neighboring cell, and based on the received clustering metric information, it is decided whether to include the neighboring cell to a cluster for Coordinated Multipoint operation.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products relating to coordinated scheduling with adaptive muting are provided. One method comprises transmitting, by a network element, calculated impact information for a cell of the network element when taking an action related to a cell of the network element and/or taking an action related to a cell of a second network element. The method may also comprise transmitting a request for taking the action related to the cell of the second network element under certain circumstances.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for managing interaction between a network operator and entities managing resources and instances in a virtual radio access network. A radio access network resource manager comprises a database mapping cells to resources and instances associated with the cells, and one or more interfaces between the network operator and the entities managing resources and instances. The radio access network manager mediates commands and information received from the network manager and from the entities managing resources and instances, translating cell-level commands and information from the network manager to commands and information relating to associated resources and entities, and translating resource and instance-level information and requests from the entities managing resources and instances to cell-level information and requests to the network operator.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from a high quality of service (QoS). For example, fifth generation (5G) wireless communication systems may benefit from differentiated service flows in the user plane that may impact a core network. According to certain embodiments, a method can include determining at a serving radio access network whether a modification of a service flow will impact at least one of a core network service monitoring, controlling, and configuring, and initiating, based on the determination, the modification of the service flow directly with a user equipment or through a controlling network entity located in the core network.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for signaling support that define an open and extensible end-to-end network architecture. One method includes extracting, by an interface to a base station system, real-time and context related information from a radio access network, and transmitting the extracted real-time and context related information to an interface to a transport system.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for negotiated control of multipoint coordination. A first device (such as a central entity or base station) signals a second device regarding its desire to assert control over, or readiness to accept control by, the second device, with respect to coordinated radio transmission. The negotiation may include, for example, acceptance of control, rejection of control, specification of resources subject to or exempt from control, and priority-based decisions to override or refrain from overriding rejections. Coordinated transmission is then conducted based on the outcome of the negotiation.

Abstract: As radio access network (RAN) architecture evolves and evolved packet core deployments get more distributed, there is an opportunity to provide significant optimizations of latency and processing. Certain embodiments can provide these and other benefits using vertical aggregation of radio access network and evolved packet core functionalities. A method can include operating a network element as a per-user-equipment control plane entity. The method can also include operating the network element as a first user plane entity (for example, a per-user-equipment user plane entity). The method can further include operating the network element as a second user plane entity. The method can additionally include operating the network element as a per-cell control plane entity. The method can also include operationally interconnecting the per-user-equipment control plane entity, the first user plane entity, the second user plane entity, and the per-cell control plane entity via interfaces.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for negotiated control of multipoint coordination. A first device (such as a central entity or base station) signals a second device regarding its desire to assert control over, or readiness to accept control by, the second device, with respect to coordinated radio transmission. The negotiation may include, for example, acceptance of control, rejection of control, specification of resources subject to or exempt from control, and priority-based decisions to override or refrain from overriding rejections. Coordinated transmission is then conducted based on the outcome of the negotiation.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products relating to coordinated scheduling with adaptive muting are provided. One method comprises transmitting, by a network element, calculated impact information for a cell of the network element when taking an action related to a cell of the network element and/or taking an action related to a cell of a second network element.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products relating to coordinated scheduling with adaptive muting are provided. One method comprises transmitting, by a network element, calculated impact information for a cell of the network element when taking an action related to a cell of the network element and/or taking an action related to a cell of a second network element.

Abstract: A central controller (300) receives (201), from each of a plurality of base stations certain operating information. This operating information can comprise, for example, a self-identifier, information regarding allowed wireless distance coverage, identifiers for neighboring ones of the plurality of base stations, information regarding wireless distances to neighboring base station, or loading information. This operating information is used (202) to form adjacency information regarding the plurality of base stations. This adjacency information is then used (203) (along, for example, with the aforementioned loading information) to develop a resource allocation plan as pertains to the resources. This plan is then communicated (204) to the plurality of base stations such that the latter can utilize the plan to thereby partition use of the plurality of resources to support communication needs of the base stations while avoiding undue interference with respect to the use of such resources.

Abstract: A system (100) and method (300) of enabling paging for IP nodes in a wireless network (200) can include the steps of triggering (310) a mobile subscriber station (102) serving as a IP node to send a request message to an anchor node (110) of the mobile subscriber station before the mobile node enters an idle mode, and requesting (314) to the anchor node to use an address corresponding to a paging controller (108) as a care-of-address for the mobile subscriber station. The step of triggering can include sending (308) information about a paging controller in a unicast agent advertisement to trigger a mobile IP stack in the mobile subscriber station and setting a foreign agent as the paging controller. The step of requesting can include (312) enabling a paging agent to generate additional redirection messages and directing (313) packets from correspondent nodes to a paging agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for handing over a mobile station (106) from a serving base station (104a) to a target base station (104b) within a wireless communication system (100) is described. A session is established between the mobile station and the serving base station and it is determined that the mobile station is to be handed over from the serving base station to the target base station. The target base station notifies the serving base station of identifying data of the target base station and added to the identifying data is a message to be sent to mobile station regarding the handover of the mobile station. The serving base station sends the message including the identifying data to the mobile station and the mobile station is handed over from the serving base station to the target base station using the identifying data of the target base station.