# US 12,016,084 B2 · Management of a split physical layer in a radio area network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,016,084 B2 - Document ID: US12016084B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/239,493 - Filed: 2019-01-03 - Published: 2019-07-04 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-04 - Assignees: CommScope Technologies LLC - Applicants: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina - Inventors: Alan Barbieri; Dario Fertonani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12016084B2 ## CPC - H04W 88/085: {Access point devices with remote components} - H04L 1/0002: {by adapting the transmission rate} - H04L 1/0014: {by adapting the source coding} - H04W 28/18: Negotiating wireless communication parameters - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04W 80/02: Data link layer protocols - H04W 92/10: between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Methods and systems for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal in an upper first-level protocol unit (UL1) of a radio access network (RAN) as disclosed. An upper first level protocol unit (UL1) performs a first portion of a first-level protocol of the RAN in a first apparatus and communicates over a fronthaul link with a lower first-level protocol unit (LL1). The LL1 is in a second apparatus separate from the first apparatus. A communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1 is determined, and a message related to the communication quality parameter is sent by the UL1 to an entity of the RAN other than the LL1. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal in an upper first-level protocol unit (UL1) of a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: performing a first portion of a physical-layer (PHY) protocol of the RAN in a first apparatus; communicating over a fronthaul link with a lower first-level protocol unit (LL1), the LL1 in a second apparatus separate from the first apparatus, wherein a remaining portion of the PHY protocol is performed by the LL1; determining a communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1; and sending a message related to the communication quality parameter to an entity other than the LL1. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for the communication quality parameter, wherein said sending is performed in response to said receiving. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an event related to the communication quality parameter, wherein said sending is performed in response to said detecting. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the communication quality parameter is based on a condition of the fronthaul link. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the communication quality parameter is based on an availability of a computational resource in the first apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the fronthaul link comprising a non-deterministic communication link. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: establishing a value for a RAN parameter based on the communication quality parameter; and including the value for the RAN parameter in the message. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, the RAN parameter comprising one or more scheduling constraints. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more scheduling constraints comprise a number of resource blocks, a number of wireless terminals handled by the LL1, a number of spatial streams from the LL1 dedicated to the wireless terminal, or a modulation and coding scheme. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the message is sent to a second software module performing a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer protocol of the RAN, wherein the first portion of the PHY protocol of the RAN is performed by a first software module running on the first apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the message is sent over a computer network to a third apparatus running a software module performing a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer protocol of the RAN. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the message is sent to an Operations, Administration, and Management (OAM) module of the RAN. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the message is sent to a second software module in a second data path between the core network and another wireless terminal, the second software module outside of a first data path between the core network and the wireless terminal, wherein the first portion of the PHY protocol of the RAN is performed by a first software module, running on the first apparatus, in the first data path. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating with a second LL1, the second LL1 in a third apparatus, separate from the first apparatus and the second apparatus, and in a data path for communication between the core network and a second wireless device; determining a second communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the second LL1; and sending a second message related to the second communication quality parameter to an entity different than the LL1 and the second LL1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second message from the entity other than the LL1 in response to the message, the second message related to a control of a second LL1 coupled to the first apparatus by the fronthaul link. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second message from the entity other than the LL1 in response to the message, the second message related to a control of a second LL1 coupled to the first apparatus by a second fronthaul link. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second message indicating a signal quality parameter for radio frequency communication with the wireless terminal from said entity, said entity performing a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer protocol of the RAN; determining a compression parameter for the fronthaul link based on the signal quality parameter; and communicating the compression parameter to the LL1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the message as a vendor extension message compliant with the network functional application platform interface (nFAPI) specification; and sending a nFAPI message, including the message formatted as the vendor extension message, to said entity, said entity performing a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer protocol of the RAN. ### Claim 19 An article of manufacture comprising a tangible medium, that is not a transitory propagating signal, encoding computer-readable instructions that, when applied to a computer system, instruct the computer system to perform a method for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal in an upper first-level protocol unit (UL1) of a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: performing a first portion of a physical-layer (PHY) protocol of the RAN in a first apparatus; communicating over a fronthaul link with a lower first-level protocol unit (LL1), the LL1 in a second apparatus separate from the first apparatus, wherein a remaining portion of the PHY protocol is performed by the LL1; determining a communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1; and sending a message related to the communication quality parameter to an entity other than the LL1. ### Claim 20 An apparatus for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal, the apparatus comprising: a hardware interface to a fronthaul link for communication with a lower first-level protocol unit; a processor coupled to the hardware interface to the fronthaul link; and memory, coupled to the processor, having instructions stored therein; the processor programmed by the instructions to: perform a first portion of a physical-layer (PHY) protocol of the RAN in the apparatus, the apparatus being a first apparatus; communicate over the fronthaul link with the LL1, the LL1 in a second apparatus separate from the first apparatus, wherein a remaining portion of the PHY protocol is performed by the LL1; and determine a communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1; and send a message related to the communication quality parameter to an entity other than the LL1. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the RAN utilizes fronthaul split Option 7-1 or Option 7-2 as defined by 3GPP. ### Claim 22 A system for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal comprising: a baseband unit (BBU) comprising an upper first-level protocol unit (UL1) of a radio access network (RAN) configured to perform a first portion of a physical-layer (PHY) protocol of the RAN; a remote radio unit (RRU) comprising a lower first-level protocol unit (LL1) configured to perform a remaining portion of the PHY protocol; and an entity other than the RRU; wherein the BBU is configured to communicate over a fronthaul link with the LL1 in the RRU; wherein the system is configured to determine a communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1; and wherein the system is configured to send a message related to the communication quality parameter to said entity. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the system is configured to send the message related to the communication quality parameter in response to receiving a request for the communication quality parameter. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the system is configured to send the message related to the communication quality parameter in response to detecting an event related to the communication quality parameter. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the communication quality parameter is based on a condition of the fronthaul link. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the communication quality parameter is based on an availability of a computational resource in the RRU.