Abstract: One embodiment is directed to determining a composite precoder for transmitting to a UE using a group of one or more of the radio units by doing the following: for each of a plurality of subsets of the radio units, transmitting separate reference signals from the different antennas of only the radio units included in that subset; receiving subset-specific preferred precoder index reports from the UE for at least each individual radio unit included in the group of one or more of the radio units; determining the composite precoder for the UE using the subset-specific preferred precoder index reports from the UE for at least the one or more radio units included in the group; and using the composite precoder for transmitting to the UE using the one or more radio units included in the group. In some embodiments, each of the subsets includes less than all of the radio units.

Abstract: A C-RAN includes a plurality of remote units; and a central unit communicatively coupled to the remote units via a fronthaul network. The central unit is configured to determine sets of data to be sent to respective subsets of remote units across the fronthaul network. The central unit is also configured to determine a mapping of each of the sets of data to a respective one of the subsets of remote units. The central unit is also configured to, for each of the sets of data, if at least one of the multicast groups wholly contains the respective subset of remote units mapped to that set of data, transmit that set of data to the respective subset of remote units over the fronthaul network by multicasting that set of data to the multicast group that best matches the respective subset of remote units mapped to that set of data.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system comprises a distributed unit (DU) and a plurality of remote units (RUs). All of the RUs are used to serve the same cell. The system can be configured to wirelessly transmit at least some user data to a first user device using a first subset of the RUs and a first beam, where the first subset of the RUs includes less than all of the RUs otherwise used to serve the same cell. In such an embodiment, the system can be configured to determine which RUs are included in the first subset of RUs used to transmit said at least some user data to the first user device based on measurement reports made by the first user device of reference signal transmissions transmitted using multiple beams, where at least some of the reference signal transmissions are transmitted from less than all of the RUs.

Abstract: A system includes remote unit(s) (RU(s)). The RU(s) is/are configured to transmit at least one signal on a plurality of different beam patterns, each beam pattern comprising an active subset an inactive subset of a plurality of fine beams covering an area of a cell. The RU(s) is/are also configured to receive, from each of a plurality of user equipment (UEs) in the area, a respective signal strength measurement for each of the plurality of different beam patterns. The system also includes a centralized unit communicatively coupled to the plurality of RUs via a fronthaul interface. The centralized unit is configured to determine a bit vector for each UE based on a combination of the signal strength measurements from the respective UE. The centralized unit is configured also to select a respective fine beam for each UE based on the respective bit vector for the UE.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to a system to provide wireless service comprising a base band unit and a plurality of antennas communicatively coupled to the base band unit. The system is configured for frequency reuse implemented via the plurality of antennas in order to transmit to subsets of the UEs. The UEs included in each subset are transmitted respectively different data using the same resource elements. The system is configured to collect base station data including Channel Quality Information (CQI) data, Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) data, and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) data for the plurality of UEs. The system is configured to use the base station data to determine candidate UEs for transmission to using frequency reuse and to determine modulation and coding schemes (MCSs) for the UEs transmitted to using frequency reuse.

Abstract: Techniques for determining a change of a given remote unit of a centralized radio access network (C-RAN) are disclosed. This can be done, for example, by determining signal reception metrics for other remote units in the C-RAN based on at least one transmission associated with the given remote unit and determining if a radio frequency (RF) environment associated with the given remote unit has changed as a function of the signal reception metrics for the other remote units.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a distributed unit (DU) is configured to do the following in connection with wirelessly transmitting user data to a UE using less than all of a plurality of radio units (RUs): include, in one or more user-plane messages for that UE that are communicated to the RUs, common header fields that contain a RU mask field for storing a bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions. Each bit position is associated with a respective one of the RUs. Each RU is configured to: use the respective RU mask field included in any user-plane messages received by that RU in order to determine if the received user-plane message is intended for that RU and use the received message if the received message is intended for that RU and discard the received message if the received message is not intended for that RU.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to various ways to dynamically manage the subset of radio points that are used to transmit to user equipment in a C-RAN.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of remote units; a centralized unit communicatively coupled to the plurality of remote units via a fronthaul network; and an entity that performs deep packet inspection. The centralized unit transmits sets of data to the plurality of remote units across the fronthaul network in packets, each of the sets of data mapped to at least one of the plurality of remote units and each of the packets including a respective indicator indicating each remote unit the associated packet is intended for, wherein each indicator comprises a plurality of bit positions where each bit position is mapped to a different one of the plurality of remote units. The entity performs the deep packet inspection on the packets to determine each remote unit the packets are intended for and communicate each packet to each remote unit the packet is intended for over the fronthaul network.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to a system comprising a distributed unit (DU) and a plurality of remote units (RUs) to wirelessly transmit and receive radio frequency signals to and from the user equipment using a wireless interface. The DU and RUs are communicatively coupled to each other over a fronthaul and are configured to communicate over the fronthaul using an O-RAN fronthaul interface. The DU and RUs are configured to communicate O-RAN control-plane and user-plane messages that include a new O-RAN section extension for use in communicating different section data to different RUs. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A C-RAN includes a plurality of remote units; a central unit communicatively coupled to the remote units via a fronthaul network; and an entity coupled to the fronthaul network configured to perform deep packet inspection. The central unit is configured to determine sets of data to be sent to respective subsets of remote units across the fronthaul network and determine a mapping of each of the sets of data to a respective one of the subsets of remote units. The central unit is also configured to add a respective indicator, based on the mapping, to packets for each set of data, wherein each respective indicator indicates each remote unit that the respective packet and set of data is intended for. The central unit is also configured to transmit the packets for the sets of data, each with the respective indicator, to the entity over the fronthaul network.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to determining a composite precoder for transmitting to a UE using a group of one or more of the radio units by doing the following: for each of a plurality of subsets of the radio units, transmitting separate reference signals from the different antennas of only the radio units included in that subset; receiving subset-specific preferred precoder index reports from the UE for at least each individual radio unit included in the group of one or more of the radio units; determining the composite precoder for the UE using the subset-specific preferred precoder index reports from the UE for at least the one or more radio units included in the group; and using the composite precoder for transmitting to the UE using the one or more radio units included in the group. In some embodiments, each of the subsets includes less than all of the radio units.

Abstract: A C-RAN includes a plurality of remote units (RUs), each being configured to exchange RF signals with at least one UE. The C-RAN also includes a central unit communicatively coupled to the plurality of RUs via a fronthaul interface. The central unit is configured to determine sets of data to be sent to a plurality of remote units across the fronthaul interface. The central unit is also configured to determine a mapping of each of the sets of data to at least one of the plurality of remote units. The central unit is also configured to add a respective indicator, based on the mapping, to each set of data, wherein each respective indicator indicates each remote unit that the respective set of data is intended for. The central unit is also configured to broadcast the sets of data, each with the respective indicator, to the plurality of remote units.

Abstract: Techniques for determining a change of a given remote unit of a centralized radio access network (C-RAN) are disclosed. This can be done, for example, by determining signal reception metrics for other remote units in the C-RAN based on at least one transmission associated with the given remote unit and determining if a radio frequency (RF) environment associated with the given remote unit has changed as a function of the signal reception metrics for the other remote units.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the following is determined for each UE served by a radio access network: a first set of remote units from which to wirelessly transmit user data to that UE and a second set of remote units that are not used to wirelessly transmit user data to any other UE while user data is being wirelessly transmitted to that UE. The second set for each UE includes the first set of remote units for that UE. Downlink fronthaul data for each UE is transmitted over the fronthaul to only the remote units included in the first set for that UE. The first set of remote units for each UE is used to wirelessly transmit user data to that UE, where no remote unit included in the second set for that UE is used to wirelessly transmit user data while wirelessly transmitting to that UE.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to Multi-User Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) (including without limitation Distributed MU-MIMO (D-MU-MIMO)) communication techniques that employ interference suppression (IS) precoding schemes (including, for example, precoding schemes that use local interference suppression and precoding schemes that use global interreference suppression).

Abstract: Techniques for determining if a given remote unit of a centralized radio access network (C-RAN) has physically moved are disclosed. This can be done, for example, by determining signal reception metrics for other remote units in the C-RAN based on at least one transmission associated with the given remote unit and determining if the given remote unit has physically moved as a function of the signal reception metrics for the other remote units.

Abstract: A C-RAN includes a plurality of remote units; a central unit communicatively coupled to the remote units via a fronthaul network; and an entity coupled to the fronthaul network configured to perform deep packet inspection. The central unit is configured to determine sets of data to be sent to respective subsets of remote units across the fronthaul network and determine a mapping of each of the sets of data to a respective one of the subsets of remote units. The central unit is also configured to add a respective indicator, based on the mapping, to packets for each set of data, wherein each respective indicator indicates each remote unit that the respective packet and set of data is intended for. The central unit is also configured to transmit the packets for the sets of data, each with the respective indicator, to the entity over the fronthaul network.

Abstract: A Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) communication system is provided. The CBRS communication system includes at least one baseband controller communicatively coupled to a spectrum access system (SAS) that allocates radio frequency (RF) channels in the CBRS communication system. The at least one baseband controller is communicatively coupled to at least one radio point (RP) using a switched ETHERNET network. Each of the at least one RP implements at least one Citizens Broadband Radio Service device (CBSD) that is communicatively coupled to the SAS and configured to provide wireless service to user equipment (UEs) using one or more of the RF channels allocated by the SAS.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to techniques for implementing uplink spatial reuse in a C-RAN.