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 fronthaul interface includes at least one ETHERNET switch configured to perform deep packet inspection on a received packet in order to determine whether an RU identification is present in the packet. The RU identification, if present in the packet, indicates at least one RU the packet is intended for. When the RU identification is present in the packet, the at least one ETHERNET switch is also configured to communicate, for each of the at least one RU, at least a portion of the packet to the RU based on a comparison of the RU identification with at least one bit pattern for the RU.

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: 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 fronthaul interface includes a unit having a switching function and configured to perform deep packet inspection on a received packet in order to determine whether an RU identification is present in the packet. The RU identification, if present in the packet, indicates at least one RU the packet is intended for. When the RU identification is present in the packet, the unit is also configured to communicate, for each of the at least one RU, at least a portion of the packet to the RU based on a comparison of the RU identification with at least one bit pattern for the RU.

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 fronthaul interface includes at least one ETHERNET switch configured to perform deep packet inspection on a received packet in order to determine whether an RU identification is present in the packet. The RU identification, if present in the packet, indicates at least one RU the packet is intended for. When the RU identification is present in the packet, the at least one ETHERNET switch is also configured to communicate, for each of the at least one RU, at least a portion of the packet to the RU based on a comparison of the RU identification with at least one bit pattern for the RU.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to transmitting downlink user data over the front haul in C-RAN using multicast addressing. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A distributed radio access network (RAN) includes a plurality of radio points (RPs), each being configured to exchange radio frequency (RF) signals with at least one user equipment (UE). The distributed RAN also includes a baseband controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of RPs via a fronthaul network. The baseband controller is configured to determine, for each of the plurality of RPs, a number of successfully received packets on the fronthaul network, for a wireless channel, during a measurement interval. The baseband controller is also configured to determine, for each of the plurality of RPs, a number of packet losses (reflecting dropped and/or delayed packets), for the wireless channel and during the measurement interval, based on the number of successfully received packets.

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: A base station for performing radio environment monitoring (REM) is described. The base station includes a REM module. The REM module includes user equipment (UE) circuitry communicatively coupled to a baseband processor and a dedicated antenna. The REM module also includes the baseband processor. The baseband processor is configured to send at least one instruction to the mobile circuitry to determine a plurality of REM parameters for a frequency band (or channel, e.g., EARFCN). The mobile circuitry is configured to determine the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band (or channel) in response to receiving the at least one instruction.

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. Management-plane functionality in the system is configured to define a respective transport flow for one or more processing elements using an RU interface that specifies one or more multicast addresses in order to support multicast transmission from the DU to multiple RUs. In another embodiment, each RU is configured to advertise, during a capability discovery process, capabilities related to implementing a switched network shared cell configuration.

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: Techniques are described for avoiding contention between synchronization packets (for example, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) synchronization packets) and in-phase and quadrature (IQ) packets communicated over a fronthaul network used in a radio access network (for example, a Fifth Generation (5G) radio access network).

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: 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: 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 fronthaul interface includes at least one ETHERNET switch configured to perform deep packet inspection on a received packet in order to determine whether an RU identification is present in the packet. The RU identification, if present in the packet, indicates at least one RU the packet is intended for. When the RU identification is present in the packet, the at least one ETHERNET switch is also configured to communicate, for each of the at least one RU, at least a portion of the packet to the RU based on a comparison of the RU identification with at least one bit pattern for the RU.

Abstract: A distributed radio access network (RAN) includes a plurality of radio points (RPs), each being configured to exchange radio frequency (RF) signals with at least one user equipment (UE). The distributed RAN also includes a baseband controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of RPs via a fronthaul network. The baseband controller is configured to determine, for each of the plurality of RPs, a number of successfully received packets on the fronthaul network, for a wireless channel, during a measurement interval. The baseband controller is also configured to determine, for each of the plurality of RPs, a number of packet losses (reflecting dropped and/or delayed packets), for the wireless channel and during the measurement interval, based on the number of successfully received packets.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to a centralized radio access network (C-RAN) system that is configured so that physical layer processing for the wireless interface is split so that some of the physical layer processing is performed in a controller and some of the physical layer processing is performed in a plurality of radio points. The system is configured so that scrambling of first downlink data to be communicated to a UE over the wireless interface is performed in the controller and so that scrambling of second downlink data to be communicated to said UE over the wireless interface is performed in one of the radio points. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of a C-RAN are disclosed that support using Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) deliver Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless service using unlicensed radio frequency (RF) spectrum.

Abstract: A base station for performing radio environment monitoring (REM) is described. The base station includes a REM module. The REM module includes user equipment (UE) circuitry communicatively coupled to a baseband processor and a dedicated antenna. The REM module also includes the baseband processor. The baseband processor is configured to send at least one instruction to the mobile circuitry to determine a plurality of REM parameters for a frequency band (or channel, e.g., EARFCN). The mobile circuitry is configured to determine the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band (or channel) in response to receiving the at least one instruction.

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.