WO2019141894A1

WO2019141894A1 - Method, system and apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2019141894A1
Application number: PCT/FI2018/050041
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anand Bedekar; Suresh Kalyanasundaram; Shivanand KADADI
Original assignee: Nokia Solutions And Networks Oy
Priority date: 2018-01-18
Filing date: 2018-01-18
Publication date: 2019-07-25

Abstract

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: support a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information;support a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface;determine at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and support a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Description

Title

METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS

Field

The present application relates to a method, apparatus, system and computer program and in particular but not exclusively to a method and apparatus for radio access network management, in particular but not only for radio resource management (RRM) functions within a 3GPP communications network.

Background

A communication system can be seen as a facility that enables communication sessions between two or more entities such as user terminals, base stations/access points and/or other nodes by providing carriers between the various entities involved in the communications path. A communication system can be provided for example by means of a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. The communication sessions may comprise, for example, communication of data for carrying communications such as voice, electronic mail (email), text message, multimedia and/or content data and so on. Non-limiting examples of services provided comprise two-way or multi-way calls, data communication or multimedia services and access to a data network system, such as the Internet.

In a wireless communication system at least a part of a communication session between at least two stations occurs over a wireless link.

A user can access the communication system by means of an appropriate communication device or terminal. A communication device of a user is often referred to as user equipment (UE). A communication device is provided with an appropriate signal receiving and transmitting apparatus for enabling communications, for example enabling access to a communication network or communications directly with other users. The communication device may access a carrier provided by a station or access point, and transmit and/or receive communications on the carrier. The communication system and associated devices typically operate in accordance with a given standard or specification which sets out what the various entities associated with the system are permitted to do and how that should be achieved. Communication protocols and/or parameters which shall be used for the connection are also typically defined. One example of a communications system is UTRAN (3G radio), long-term evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and now 5G New Radio (NR) radio-access technology. 5G NR is being standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

Operators of such networks would benefit from the ability to optimize the behaviour and performance of the radio access network (RAN), by being able to employ Controllers that can interact with the RAN using suitable interfaces.

Summary

According to an aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: support a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information; support a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface; determine at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and support a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

The apparatus caused to support a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information may be caused to support at least one of: configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node.

The apparatus caused to configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may be caused to configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

The apparatus caused to support a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information supported by the first interface may be caused to implement at least one of: receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and receive from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

The apparatus caused to receive from the at least one radio access network node information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may be caused to receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI). The apparatus caused to support a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel may be caused to transmit at least one of: a command conveying to the radio access network node a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the radio access network node to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting.

The apparatus caused to determine at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may be further caused to: train a model of the network using at least off-line defined scenarios; apply the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators; evaluate the set of performance indicators to identify at least one from the range of control parameters.

The apparatus caused to apply the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators may be caused to generate a weighted sum of an uplink throughput and a downlink throughput.

The apparatus may be further caused to support a selection interface, the selection interface configured to control a selection of at least one performance indicator from the information provided by the second interface, the at least one performance indicator for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel, wherein the at least one performance indicator may comprise at least one of: a measure of downlink throughput; a measure of uplink throughput; and a measure of channel access latency.

The apparatus may be further caused to support a weighting interface, the weighting interface configured to define weighting values to be applied to the at least one performance value for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel. Any of the first, second, third, selection and input interface may be at least one of: a command line interface; and an application-programming interface.

The at least one channel may comprise at least one of: a physical uplink control channel; a physical uplink data channel; a physical downlink control channel; a physical downlink data channel; and a random access channel.

At least two of the first, second, and third interfaces may be implemented as a common interface.

The at least one radio access network specific parameter may comprise at least one of: a number of physical channel resources associated with a physical uplink control channel; a period of reporting channel quality indications; a period of reporting scheduling request indications; a number of resources associated with a physical downlink control channel; a number of symbols associated with a physical downlink control channel; a number of control channel elements associated with a physical downlink control channel; and a number of physical channel resources associated with a random access channel.

According to a second aspect there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: support a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information; determine information defined by the first interface; support a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface; support a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and control at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

The apparatus caused to determine information defined by the first interface may be caused to determine at least one of: at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus.

The apparatus caused to determine information defined by the first interface may be caused to gather information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

The apparatus caused to support a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface may be caused to implement at least one of: transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmit to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmit to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmit to the radio access network controller information on a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmit to the radio access network controller information on an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; transmit to the radio access network controller information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; transmit to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; transmit to the radio access network controller information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; transmit to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; transmit to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; transmit to the radio access network controller information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of user equipment, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; transmit to the radio access network controller information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and transmit to the radio access network controller information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

The apparatus caused to transmit to the radio access network controller from information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus may be caused to transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

The apparatus caused to support a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may be caused to receive at least one of: a command conveying to the apparatus a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the apparatus to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

Any of the first, second, third, selection and input interface may be at least one of: a command line interface; and an application-programming interface. The at least one channel may comprise at least one of: a physical uplink control channel; a physical uplink data channel; a physical downlink control channel; a physical downlink data channel; and a random access channel.

According to a third aspect there is provided a method comprising: supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information; supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface; determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information may comprise supporting at least one of: configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node.

Configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may comprise configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information supported by the first interface may comprise implementing at least one of: receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; and receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

Receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may comprise receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel may comprise transmitting at least one of: a command conveying to the radio access network node a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the radio access network node to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

Determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may further comprise: training a model of the network using at least off-line defined scenarios; applying the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators; evaluating the set of performance indicators to identify at least one from the range of control parameters.

Generating a set of performance indicators may comprise generating a weighted sum of an uplink throughput and a downlink throughput.

The method may further comprise supporting a selection interface, the selection interface configured to control a selection of at least one performance indicator from the information provided by the second interface, the at least one performance indicator for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel, wherein the at least one performance indicator may comprise at least one of: a measure of downlink throughput; a measure of uplink throughput; and a measure of channel access latency.

The method may comprise supporting a weighting interface, the weighting interface configured to define weighting values to be applied to the at least one performance value for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Any of the first, second, third, selection and input interface may be at least one of: a command line interface; and an application-programming interface.

According to a fourth aspect there is provided a method comprising: supporting a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information; determining information defined by the first interface; supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface; supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and controlling at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Determining information defined by the first interface may comprise determining at least one of: at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus.

Determining information defined by the first interface may comprise gathering information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface may comprise implementing at least one of: transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of user equipment, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node. Transmitting to the radio access network controller from information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus may be comprise transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may comprise receiving at least one of: a command conveying to the apparatus a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the apparatus to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

According to a fifth aspect there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information; means for supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface; means for determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and means for supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel. The means for supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information may comprise means for supporting at least one of: configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node.

The means for configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may comprise configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

The means for supporting a second interface may comprise implementing at least one of: means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of user equipments, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node. The means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may comprise means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

The means for supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel may comprise means for transmitting at least one of: a command conveying to the radio access network node a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the radio access network node to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

The means for determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may further comprise: means for training a model of the network using at least off-line defined scenarios; means for applying the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators; means for evaluating the set of performance indicators to identify at least one from the range of control parameters.

The means for generating a set of performance indicators may comprise means for generating a weighted sum of an uplink throughput and a downlink throughput.

The apparatus may further comprise means for supporting a selection interface, the selection interface configured to control a selection of at least one performance indicator from the information provided by the second interface, the at least one performance indicator for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel, wherein the at least one performance indicator may comprise at least one of: a measure of downlink throughput; a measure of uplink throughput; and a measure of channel access latency.

The apparatus may comprise means for supporting a weighting interface, the weighting interface configured to define weighting values to be applied to the at least one performance value for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

According to a sixth aspect there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for supporting a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information; means for determining information defined by the first interface; supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface; means for supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and means for controlling at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel. The means for determining information defined by the first interface may comprise means for determining at least one of: at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus.

The means for determining information defined by the first interface may comprise means for gathering information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

The means for supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface may comprise means for implementing at least one of: transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; and transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of user equipment, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; means for transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and means for transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

The means for transmitting to the radio access network controller from information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus may be comprise means for transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

The means for supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may comprise means for receiving at least one of: a command conveying to the apparatus a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the apparatus to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

According to a seventh aspect there is provided a computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following: supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information; supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface; determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information may cause the apparatus to perform supporting at least one of: configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; and configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node.

Configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may cause the apparatus to perform configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information supported by the first interface may cause the apparatus to perform implementing at least one of: receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; and receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

Receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may cause the apparatus to perform receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI). Supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel may cause the apparatus to perform transmitting at least one of: a command conveying to the radio access network node a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the radio access network node to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

Determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may further cause the apparatus to perform: training a model of the network using at least off-line defined scenarios; applying the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators; evaluating the set of performance indicators to identify at least one from the range of control parameters.

Generating applying the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators may cause the apparatus to perform generating a weighted sum of an uplink throughput and a downlink throughput.

The computer program may further cause the apparatus to perform supporting a selection interface, the selection interface configured to control a selection of at least one performance indicator from the information provided by the second interface, the at least one performance indicator for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel, wherein the at least one performance indicator may comprise at least one of: a measure of downlink throughput; a measure of uplink throughput; and a measure of channel access latency.

The computer program may further cause the apparatus to perform supporting a weighting interface, the weighting interface configured to define weighting values to be applied to the at least one performance value for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Any of the first, second, third, selection and input interfaces may be at least one of: a command line interface; and an application-programming interface.

According to an eighth aspect there is provided a computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following: supporting a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information; determining information defined by the first interface; supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface; supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and controlling at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Determining information defined by the first interface may cause the apparatus to perform determining at least one of: at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus.

Determining information defined by the first interface may cause the apparatus to perform gathering information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface may cause the apparatus to perform implementing at least one of: transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; and transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

Transmitting to the radio access network controller from information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus may cause the apparatus to perform transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface may cause the apparatus to perform receiving at least one of: a command conveying to the apparatus a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the apparatus to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

According to a ninth aspect there is provided a computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following: supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information; supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface; determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

Supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information supported by the first interface may cause the apparatus to perform implementing at least one of: receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical uplink control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical uplink control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; and receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

Receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node may cause the apparatus to perform receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

Supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel may cause the apparatus to perform transmitting at least one of: a command conveying to the radio access network node a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the radio access network node to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure; one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

The computer readable medium may further cause the apparatus to perform supporting a selection interface, the selection interface configured to control a selection of at least one performance indicator from the information provided by the second interface, the at least one performance indicator for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel, wherein the at least one performance indicator may comprise at least one of: a measure of downlink throughput; a measure of uplink throughput; and a measure of channel access latency.

Any of the first, second, third, selection and input interfaces may be at least one of: a command line interface; and an application-programming interface. The at least one channel may comprise at least one of: a physical uplink control channel; a physical uplink data channel; a physical downlink control channel; a physical downlink data channel; and a random access channel.

According to a tenth aspect there is provided a computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following: supporting a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information; determining information defined by the first interface; supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface; supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and controlling at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

The at least one channel may comprise at least one of: a physical uplink control channel; a physical uplink data channel; a physical downlink control channel; a physical downlink data channel; and a random access channel. In another aspect there is provided a computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer program comprising program code for providing any of the above methods.

In another aspect there is provided a computer program product for a computer, comprising software code portions for performing the steps of any of the previous methods, when said product is run.

A computer program comprising program code means adapted to perform the method(s) may be provided. The computer program may be stored and/or otherwise embodied by means of a carrier medium.

In the above, many different embodiments have been described. It should be appreciated that further embodiments may be provided by the combination of any two or more of the embodiments described above.

Description of Figures

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example architecture view of a communication system comprising a radio access network controller suitable for implementing some embodiments;

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of an example architecture view and set of application programming interfaces configured to control a physical uplink control channel sizing in the radio access network; Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of an example control flow between a access point and a controller summarising the operations of the application programming interfaces configured to control a physical uplink control channel sizing in the radio access network according to some embodiments;

Figure 4 shows a flowchart of an example method for supporting control flow between the access point and the controller shown in Figure 3 according to some embodiments;

Figure 5 shows a diagram of factors and impacted key performance indicators (KPI) in controlling a physical uplink control channel sizing in the radio access network according to some embodiments; and

Figure 6 shows a flow diagram of offline and online operations in controlling a physical uplink control channel sizing in the radio access network according to some embodiments.

Detailed description

There is a need for designing a controller that can interface to a wireless radio access network (RAN) by means of suitably defined interfaces such as application programming interfaces (APIs). The interface between the controller and the access point (for example the gNB), should be targeted for optimization of the RAN, and facilitate the use of analytics/machine learning.

The API can, for example, support a data exposure API from the RAN to the controller. Observing and/or analysing this data enables the controller to determine optimization actions. Furthermore the API can support a control API that will enable the controller to control the RAN to take certain actions.

The functionality to be supported on these APIs (in other words the data to be exposed, and the control actions to be enabled) will be driven by the use-cases that need to be supported. Target uses include Optimization of radio resource management (RRM) algorithms in the radio access network (RAN) such as control plane (CP) radio resource management (RRM) in the form of sizing/assignment of physical channel resources such as physical uplink control channel (PUCCFI) or physical downlink control channel (PDCCFI) or random access channel (RACFI) or the sounding reference signals (SRS). Figure 1 for example shows a proposed architecture view and role of a proposed RAN controller as described in further detail hereafter. In the following example the architecture comprises an Orchestration/Policy Engine 101 which typically operates at the central cloud layer, a RAN controller 103 which typically operates at a CO (Central Office) or edge data centre layer, and an access point 105 (such as a eNB, gNB or other access node) which may operate at the CO, a central radio access network (CRAN) hub or a cell site.

The Orchestration/Policy Engine 101 , which operates at the central cloud layer can in some embodiments comprise policy directive functions 1 1 1 . The policy directive functions 1 1 1 can provide policy directives to the RAN controller 103 and further receive feedback from the RAN controller 103 based on the applied policy directives over a reference point 1 . The policy directives are configured to manage optimization in the RAN controller 103.

The RAN controller 103, may comprise a RAN optimisation determiner 121 . These receive the policy directives as an input. The RAN controller 103 further comprises control APIs 123 for controlling the RAN access points (e.g. eNB, gNB, etc.) 105 over a reference point 2. The controller 103 further may comprise analytics toolkits 125 for analysing gathered data about the cells and outputting to the policy directive functions 1 1 1 , the optimization determiner 121 , and the control APIs 123. Also the controller 103 may comprise data gathering determiner 127 configured to acquire the data to be analysed from the RAN access point 105 over the reference point 2.

The access point 105, which in the following examples is a gNB but in some embodiments is any suitable radio access point, may be a single network element that encompasses all radio access network functions, or may support a cloud-based or decomposed architecture comprising for example a centralised unit for the control plane (CU-CP) 131 , a centralised unit for the user plane (CU-UP) 133, a distributed unit (DU) 135 and a radio unit (RU) 137.

The CU-CP 131 is configured to receive the outputs from the control API 123 over the reference point 2 and furthermore report back to the data gathering determiner 127 over the same reference point 2. The centralised unit for the control plane (CU-CP) 131 is configured to control the control plane operations with respect to the access point and is configured to pass these control plane control operations to the distributed unit (DU) 135. The CU-CP 131 is further configured to communicate with the CU-UP 133.

The access point may also comprise a centralised unit for the user plane (CU- UP) 133 for controlling the user plane operations and passing this control to distributed unit (DU) 135. The CU-UP 133 may be configured to communicate with the CU-CP and the DU 137.

The distributed unit (DU) 135, typically located at the CRAN hub site or at the cell site, is configured to receive control plane and user plane information from the CU- CP 131 and CU-UP 133 respectively and furthermore control the radio unit (RU) 137.

The RU 137 is configured to configure the radio resources in communication with the user equipment (not shown in Figure 1 ) within the cell.

In each cell, the RAN (eNB/gNB) has to decide the number of resources to be used for physical resource channels such as the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). In the case of PUCCH, typically this is done once at cell initialization based on configuration parameters. The access point may be configured to apply an internal calculation on how many resources to use for the PUCCH based on configuration parameters for number of UEs (users), desired periodicity of channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting, etc. The determination of the number of resources to be used for the PUCCH (which may also be referred to as a PUCCH sizing algorithm or PUCCH decision logic) is typically done within the CU-CP. To achieve optimal performance with this decision logic in the RAN there are some key challenges, because the configuration parameters are typically set statically as template values for all cells.

However in practice, any individual cell may be very different from other cells. For example cells may differ significantly in terms of the number of users, the number of anticipated handovers, the UE speeds and mobility patterns. Furthermore each cell may also vary significantly with respect to these aspects over time. The approaches as discussed herein attempt to determine the number of resources assigned for PUCCH by the RAN.

As such in the embodiments discussed herein a method is described which features the definition of APIs from the RAN towards a RAN controller that may enable the RAN to expose a relevant data parameter set to the RAN controller. This may furthermore enable the RAN controller to learn the relevant characteristics of each cell, based on statistical analysis or machine learning applied to the data parameter set. From this determination of the relevant characteristics of each cell, the RAN controller may then be configured to communicate with the RAN to make (optimal) adjustments to the PUCCH sizing. This communication may be performed by a further supported API from the RAN controller towards the RAN.

In some embodiments the RAN controller may be configured to adjust the (optimal) desired size of the PUCCH as the conditions in the cell change.

In some embodiments, the API and the controller are furthermore configured to be applicable to both LTE eNB as well as 5G gNB and for both bare-metal eNB/gNB as well as cloud-based/decomposed architectures for eNB/gNB.

With respect to Figure 2 example APIs enabling the control of the CU-CP and for configuring and analytics according to some embodiments are shown in further detail. The RAN controller 103, may comprise one or more RAN optimisation algorithms 121 , control APIs 123 analytics toolkits 125 and data gathering 127 as discussed in Figure 1 .

Furthermore Figure 2 shows the CU-CP 131 which comprises CP decision logic for PUCCH sizing 201 . The CP decision logic for PUCCH sizing 201 comprises configuration parameters 21 1 . These configuration parameters are typically set by an element management system (EMS) based on templates that provide worst-case values that are not reflective of the actual conditions prevailing in each cell. The configuration parameters may be passed to a series of determiners of which a number of users determiner 213 and a channel quality indicator (CQI) periodicity determiner 215 are shown. The parameter determiners may be used as inputs to control parameter determiners. In the absence of the present invention, these may merely use the configuration parameters without any further calculation. However, their behaviour may be enhanced with the present invention Figure 2 shows example control parameter determiners such as the CQI resource determiner 217 and a SR (scheduling requests) resource determiner 219. The control parameter determiners may furthermore accept as an input a initialize cell input, in other words the control parameter determiners are configured to generate control parameters at least when the cell is initialized.

Figure 2 furthermore shows the programmable APIs which communicate parameters between the RAN controller 103 and the CU-CP 131 in the form of an observability API 206 from the CU-CP 131 to the RAN controller 103. Also is shown a configure observability API 204 from the RAN controller 103 to the CU-CP 131 and furthermore a control API 202 from the RAN controller 103 to the CU-CP 131 .

With respect to Figure 3 is shown a summary of the API concept as implemented in some embodiments. The system shown in Figure 3 comprises the RAN controller 103, comprising PUCCFI size optimisation determiner 321 (as a component of the RAN-specific optimization determiner shown in Figures 1 and 2), control APIs 123 for controlling the RAN access points 105 over the reference point 2, analytics toolkits 125 and data gathering determiner 127.

The access point 105, for example a gNB, may comprise a centralised unit for the control plane (CU-CP) 131 , a centralised unit for the user plane (CU-CP) 133, a distributed unit 135 and a radio unit (RU) 137 as shown and described previously in Figure 1 .

The summary of the proposed method of optimizing the PUCCFI sizing in an eNB/gNB, may comprise:

A first operation (as shown in Figure 3 by arrow 301 ) which comprises providing (by an eNB/gNB/RAN 105 to the RAN controller 103) a set of data/attributes related to facilitating PUCCFI sizing optimization. The set of data/attributes may comprise:

For one or more (or all) UEs, provide information on the UE speed and channel variation, these are described in further detail hereafter;

For one or more (or all) UEs that connect or come into the cell by handover, provide the allocated PUCCFI resource(s), this is described in further detail hereafter;

For one or more (or all) UEs, provide information when new uplink data indication is received, this is described in further detail hereafter;

Indication of current number of RRC connected UEs in the cell; and

DL and UL throughput of the users in the cell.

A second operation (as shown in Figure 3 by arrow 305) which comprises making (by the RAN controller) a determination on modifications/update to the PUCCFI size, this is described in further detail hereafter.

A third operation (as shown in Figure 3 by arrow 307) which comprises communicating (by the RAN controller 103 to the eNB/gNB/RAN 105) the modifications to the PUCCFI sizing. In some embodiments the communication from the RAN controller 103 to the eNB/gNB/RAN 105 is in the form of a command conveying to the RAN the desired number of PUCCH resources.

In some other embodiments the communication from the RAN controller 103 to the eNB/gNB/RAN 105 is in the form of a command to modify certain values that were originally derived from configuration parameters, which may be tied to underlying quantities as defined in 3GPP specifications in the structure of the PUCCH.

In some embodiments the communication from the RAN controller 103 to the eNB/gNB/RAN 105 is in the form of either of the two earlier commands with additional qualifiers. These qualifiers may in some embodiments indicate whether the updated PUCCH information needs to be applied immediately, or gradually, e.g. after a delay. Furthermore in some embodiments the qualifiers may indicate whether the updated PUCCH information applies only for CQI reporting, or SR reporting, or both/cumulatively.

With respect to Figure 4 is shown an example message flow which shows the interactions as shown in Figure 3 according to some embodiments.

The (RAN) controller 103 may be configured to use the configure observability API to instruct the RAN (e.g. the gNB 105) to start data exposure of events and metrics related to PUCCH sizing as shown in Figure 4 by step 401 .

The events and metrics related to PUCCH sizing may be any suitable event or metric and may include information related to PUCCH sizing such as: UE speed and channel variation; the current allocated PUCCH resource(s) for UEs; an indication when new uplink data indication is received; an indication of a current number of RRC connected UEs in the cell; a measurement of a downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) throughput of the users in the cell. The information related to the current allocated PUCCH resource(s) for UEs may comprise, for example, an indication of the PRBs that are currently allowed or considered for PUCCH resource allocation, the number of UEs which have been assigned a PUCCH resource within each of the physical resource blocks (PRBs) allowed for PUCCH, or the PUCCH resource assignment provided to a specific UE, or the level of interference observed on one or more PRBs used for PUCCH, or the PUCCH decoding error rate for one or more UEs or averaged across UEs, or the like. This information may be related to one or more individual UEs, or a group of UEs, or may be related to a cell in the RAN. Furthermore the events and metrics may include information about a frequency and/or mode of data exposure. For example whether the mode is a“real-time” (or send as soon as available), “streaming” (for example queued for sending) or “batch” (assemble batches of information and then send at given periodicity of batch) mode of data exposure.

The RAN (for example the gNB 105) may then be configured to respond to the configure observability API and send the (event or metric based) information to the (RAN) controller 103 as requested in step 401 . The events and metrics may be communicated furthermore according the configured frequency and/or mode of data exposure, e.g. a real-time, queued, batch-mode, or periodic communication of data. This sending of the information is shown in Figure 4 by step 403. For example, real- time metrics are expected to be sent as soon as they are available at the RAN, while queued metrics are queued for transmission when available but may be actually transmitted at a later time, and in batch-mode the RAN is allowed to wait till a batch of metrics is available before transmitting.

The controller 103 may then be configured, either periodically or in response to certain or defined events or conditions, to generate an updated determination of the size of the PUCCFI and/or other attributes associated with the PUCCFI such as the periodicity at which UEs should report CQI indications and the periodicity at which UEs should get opportunities to report SR indications, based on the information received. The generation of the updated determination is shown in Figure 4 by step 405.

The controller 103 may then be configured to communicate the updated PUCCFI size to the RAN (e.g. the gNB 105). The communication of the updated PUCCFI size is shown in Figure 4 by step 407. In addition, the controller 103 may also be configured to communicate updated values for the periodicity at which the UEs should report CQI indications, and/or the periodicity at which UEs should be allowed to report scheduling request (SR) indications,

With respect to Figure 5 is shown the factors 501 which produce an effect on the proposed PUCCFI controls (for example determining the PUCCFI PRBs at the controller or the periodicity of CQI and SR reporting) and the impacted key performance indicators 503 affected by the controlling of the PUCCFI. Arrows between blocks show dependence in Figure 5. In the following embodiments an example method for determining a PUCCH size is described, however substantially any suitable method for determining the optimal PUCCH size may be implemented.

The impacted key performance indicators 501 shown in Figure 5 are a downlink (DL) throughput 517, an uplink (UL) throughput 525 and uplink (UL) access latency 535.

The downlink (DL) throughput 517, depends on the CQI reporting period 515. The CQI reporting period 515 is itself dependent on a channel coherence time 513 and the number of PUCCH PRBs 523.

The channel coherence time 513 is a factor because if the channel changes faster than the CQI reports can capture this change, the DL throughput 517 will be negatively impacted. Thus one aspect of the method is to maintain a lower CQI reporting periodicity 515 than the channel coherence time 513. The channel coherence time 513 in turn depends on the UE speed 51 1 . The dependence being such that the faster the UE speed 51 1 the lower the channel coherence time 513.

As discussed the CQI reporting period 515 is further dependent on the number of PUCCH physical resource blocks (PRBs) 523 as faster CQI reporting (or a decreased CQI reporting period 513) requires more PUCCH resources. Furthermore the number of PUCCH PRBs is dependent on the number of UEs in the cell 521 , as the number of PUCCH resources scales with number of RRC-connected users in the cell.

The UL throughput KPI 525, is dependent on the number of PUCCH PRBs 523 as the larger the number of resources used for PUCCH, the fewer the number of resources (PRBs) that are available for data transmission on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and this can impact the UL throughput.

Thus the number of PUCCH resources for CQI reporting is a trade-off 505 between the DL throughput and the UL throughput - and an effectively controlled value depends on the UE speed 51 1 and number of connected users 521 in the cell, as well as the relative weights of UL and DL throughput in this trade-off.

Furthermore The UL access latency 535 key performance indicator is dependent on the SR reporting period 533. The SR reporting period 533 is furthermore dependent on allocating PUCCH resources for SR reporting. The periodicity of SR reporting needs to be low enough to keep the UL access latency 535 within a desired range. A faster SR reporting period results in lower access latency, but requires more PUCCH resources, which can impact UL throughput 525. Thus the number of PUCCH resources for the SR is a trade-off between the UL latency 535 and UL throughput 525.

The SR reporting period 533 is further dependent on the UL traffic burstiness 531 . For bursty traffic, the controller can take into account the DL/UL PRB utilization or other measure of load on PDSCH/PUSCH in determining the PUCCH size. Thus for example if the UL PUSCH load is low but DL PDSCH load is high, the controller may increase the PUCCH allocation. The result of this allocation would be that there would be low impact on the UL PUSCH throughput but the PDSCH may improve due to faster CQI reporting on PUCCH. Similarly if the DL PDSCH load is low but PUSCH load is high, the controller may decide to reduce the number of PRBs allowed for PUCCH which would improve the PUSCH while any impact on the DL would be mitigated by the fact that the load is low.

Furthermore for bursty traffic and short-lived UEs it is likely that the PUCCH resources assigned by the RAN to the UEs result in sub-optimal“packing” of the PUCCH. In other words the PUCCH resources may get“fragmented” due to not being able to completely utilize a PUCCH PRB as UEs arrive and leave. Thus, the controller 103 can be configured to take the utilization and packing or fragmentation of the PUCCH assignments by the RAN into account in determining whether to increase or decrease the PUCCH. For example if the PUCCH resources are getting sub-optimally used due to inefficient packing or fragmentation, the controller 103 may indicate to the RAN (e.g. the gNB 105) to decrease the PUCCH size. This would result in the RAN being forced to pack users into smaller number of PRBs, resulting in better packing. Conversely if the PUCCH resources are efficiently packed but heavily used (e.g. approaching the maximum number of UEs that can be packed into each PUCCH resource), the PUCCH controller can be configured to indicate to the RAN to increase the PUCCH size.

In an embodiment, the controller may support a selection interface allowing the selection one or more KPIs to be used by the controller in its determination regarding the size of the PUCCH. These KPIs may include a measure of downlink throughput; a measure of uplink throughput; and a measure of channel access latency. The controller may further support an interface that allows specifying weights that should be applied to these measures, in order to construct a weighted combination of the different measures to use as the target of optimization. This selection and weighting interface may be any suitable form of interface, such as a command line interface, or an application-programming interface (API), or the like. Such selection and weighting interface may be part of an interface from the Controller toward an Orchestration and Policy Engine, such as Reference Point 1 in Figure 1 .

With respect to Figure 6 a detailed example of the offline and online components of the controller and the PUCCFI size determiner 321 shown in Figure 3 according to some embodiments is shown.

The method used by the controller can consist of an online component 603, and an offline component 601 (typically for training).

The offline component 601 can be based on simulations, or offline analysis of real data received from the RAN.

Thus for example in some embodiments a scenario generator is configured to create a range of scenarios. The scenarios can define a series of parameters such as for example number of UEs in the cell, the UE speed(s), and the CQI reporting periodicity.

The operation of creating a series or range of scenarios is shown in Figure 6 by step 61 1 .

The scenario data may then be used as inputs to simulators and the simulators used to generate simulated network outputs based on the scenarios parameter values, such as number of UEs in the cell, the UE speed etc. and the PUCCFI control parameters such as the CQI reporting periodicity, PUCCFI PRB allocation etc. The inputting and running of simulations using the scenario and control parameter values is shown in Figure 6 by step 613.

The output of the simulators (or otherwise use of real data) can be used to generate or reflect defined key performance indicators (KPIs) for example UL/DL throughput based on the simulation of the scenario and control parameter values. The generating and outputting of the KPIs can be seen in Figure 6 by step 615.

The KPIs can be used as an input to train/build a network model. The building of the model may comprise optimising 617, modelling 619 and feedback 619 operations given these input parameters. In some embodiments the model being built/trained is a neural network. However any suitable prediction model may be implemented, for example a statistical prediction (generalized regression) model.

The output of the trained model may be passed to the online component.

The online component 603 which may be implemented by the controller may comprise the following operations:

The RAN (the access point) may be configured to pass observation data (for example over the observability API) to the controller, for example as generated by the controlled RRM algorithms and as shown in Figure 6 by step 629. The controller may be configured to receive the observation data and received by the controller from the RAN and furthermore in some embodiments be pre-processed. Data gathering (and pre-processing) is shown in Figure 6 by step 631 .

This data in turn may be collated (by applying the analytics toolkits) as shown in Figure 6 by step 633.

Furthermore this collated data may be used to estimate scenario conditions or parameters such as estimated UE speed (channel variation) and number of users as shown in Figure 6 by step 635.

These estimated scenario conditions may in some embodiments be used in the offline component to assist in refining the building of the model as shown in Figure 6 by the link to step 615.

Based on the determined scenario conditions a series of KPIs are estimated based on the current settings as shown in Figure 6 by step 637. These estimated KPIs for the current settings can also be passed to the offline component and used to refine the building of the model as also shown by the link to step 615.

The determined scenario condition and parameter values may be evaluated by the trained model and produce, for a range of possible PUCCH settings, a predicted throughput (or other KPI values) as shown in Figure 6 by step 623.

The predicted KPI values may then be evaluated to determine whether they optimise the KPIs as shown in Figure 6 by step 625.

Where the KPIs are not maximised or optimised then the control options and/or parameters may be swept over a range as shown in Figure 6 by step 639. The sweeping of these parameters are used to generate further KPIs using the trained model as shown by the looping back to step 623. Where the KPIs are optimised for the control options and/or parameters then this determination can be used to pick the (optimal) control settings as shown in Figure 6 by step 627.

The selected control settings may then be passed to the RAN (gNB) using the control API 202. The RAN may then implement the controls, for example the desired number of PUCCH PRBs as shown in Figure 6 by step 629.

While the preceding description has focused on describing the operation of example embodiments related to PUCCFI, it should be understood that these procedures may be applied to any suitable channel and which may be physical channel, including the physical downlink control channel (PDCCFI), random access channel (RACFI), or sounding reference signals (SRS). The details and the factors used for determination of the optimal number of resources by the controller may vary in each case, and accordingly the indications sent by the RAN to the controller to support the determination, as well as the indications sent by the controller to the RAN indicating adjustments, will also vary in each case.

For example, the number of resources needed for PDCCFI may be dependent on the number of control channel elements (CCEs) on PDCCFI that the RAN needs in order to indicate resource allocation grants and other control indications to user equipments over the PDCCFI. The more the number of UEs that the RAN wishes to simultaneously assign resources to within a TTI, the more the CCEs that will be needed to transmit all the resource allocation grants. In some cases, if a user equipment experience a worse Signal-to-lnterference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) on the PDCCFI, or if the decoding error rate of PDCCFI messages sent to the UE is too high, the RAN may need to use more CCEs for transmitting control indications such as resource allocation grants to such UEs, in order to ensure more robust decoding. The number of CCEs that the RAN has available for delivering PDCCFI is determined by the number of symbols that the RAN is allowed to use for the PDCCFI. If there are too few symbols allowed, then the RAN may not have enough CCEs in order to transmit all the requisite control channel indications with sufficiently low error rates on the PDCCFI. Accordingly, the RAN may send to the controller indications such as the number of CCEs it is consuming for delivering control indications on the PDCCFI, and measures of the SINR or decoding error rate experienced on the PDCCFI. Based on these indications, the Controller may decide to increase or decrease the number of symbols available to the RAN (and consequently, the number of CCEs that are available to the RAN) for delivering control messages on the PDCCH. The Controller may provide an indication of the number of resources (symbols or CCEs) that the RAN may use for PDCCH, based on this decision.

Similarly, the random access channel (RACH) supported by the RAN to enable connection attempts and other procedures (such as timing advance correction) by the user equipments may experience congestion or high collision rates, for example in situations where there is a high number of UEs attempting to connect to the RAN node. According to one embodiment, the RAN may send to the controller indications of the activity on the RACH, such as an indication of the number of connection attempts or the number of collisions that it detects on the RACH. The Controller may then decide to increase or decrease the number of resources for RACH that the RAN can use. The Controller may then indicate to the RAN an adjusted number of resources for RACH.

Resources for sending sounding reference signals (SRS) are allocated by the RAN to user equipments when UEs connect to the RAN. The SRS transmissions of a UE enable the RAN to measure or estimate the channel conditions for uplink transmission of the UE. For UEs moving with a higher speed, the channel conditions may fluctuate more rapidly, and accordingly it is desirable to allocate more frequent SRS transmission opportunities to such UEs. Further, the PRBs over which the SRS of UEs is transmitted may also be set by the RAN in a way that enables the RAN to measure the channel on all PRBs of interest. This in turn may be influenced by various factors such as the transmission power of a UE, the propagation conditions (e.g. the path loss), the interference level on the uplink, etc. The number of resources needed for SRS will thus be influenced by various factors such as the number of connected UEs, the number of PRBs over which channel estimation is desired, and other factors such as transmit power, propagation conditions, and interference level mentioned above. Accordingly, the RAN may indicate to the controller various indications related to the factors above. The controller may then make determinations on the resource allocation of the SRS, such as periodicity of SRS transmissions, and the bandwidth or number of PRBs over which UEs should be allowed to send SRS. The Controller may accordingly provide indications related to the determined values to the RAN.

It should be also noted that the indications provided by the Controller to the RAN relating to the determined parameters (such as the size or number of resources of the PUCCH, or the number of symbols on the PDCCH, or the number of resources for RACH, etc. as the case may be) may be indicated in different ways. The controller may indicate directly the appropriate number, or may indicate that the RAN should increase or decrease the number currently in use (for example, a delta indication), or any other suitable way of indicating a desired change in the currently used value.

It should be understood that each block of the flowchart of the Figures and any combination thereof may be implemented by various means or their combinations, such as hardware, software, firmware, one or more processors and/or circuitry.

It is noted that whilst embodiments have been described in relation to one example of an unlicensed spectrum network, similar principles maybe applied in relation to other examples of networks. It should be noted that other embodiments may be based on other cellular technology other than LTE or on variants of LTE. For example, some embodiments may be used with so-called 5G New Radio or MulteFire. Therefore, although certain embodiments were described above by way of example with reference to certain example architectures for wireless networks, technologies and standards, embodiments may be applied to any other suitable forms of communication systems than those illustrated and described herein.

It is also noted herein that while the above describes example embodiments, there are several variations and modifications which may be made to the disclosed solution without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It should be understood that the apparatuses may comprise or be coupled to other units or modules etc., such as radio parts or radio heads, used in or for transmission and/or reception. Although the apparatuses have been described as one entity, different modules and memory may be implemented in one or more physical or logical entities.

In general, the various embodiments may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects of the invention may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device, although the invention is not limited thereto. While various aspects of the invention may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that these blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in, as non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

The embodiments of this invention may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of the mobile device, such as in the processor entity, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Computer software or program, also called program product, including software routines, applets and/or macros, may be stored in any apparatus-readable data storage medium and they comprise program instructions to perform particular tasks. A computer program product may comprise one or more computer-executable components which, when the program is run, are configured to carry out embodiments. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or portions of it.

Further in this regard it should be noted that any blocks of the logic flow as in the Figures may represent program steps, or interconnected logic circuits, blocks and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, blocks and functions. The software may be stored on such physical media as memory chips, or memory blocks implemented within the processor, magnetic media such as hard disk or floppy disks, and optical media such as for example DVD and the data variants thereof, CD. The physical media is a non-transitory media.

The memory may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. The data processors may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, and may comprise one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), FPGA, gate level circuits and processors based on multi core processor architecture, as non-limiting examples.

Embodiments of the inventions may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is by and large a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available for converting a logic level design into a semiconductor circuit design ready to be etched and formed on a semiconductor substrate. The foregoing description has provided by way of non-limiting examples a full and informative description of the exemplary embodiment of this invention. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. However, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of this invention will still fall within the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims. Indeed there is a further embodiment comprising a combination of one or more embodiments with any of the other embodiments previously discussed.

Claims

1 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

support a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information;

support a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface;

determine at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and support a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus caused to support a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information is caused to support at least one of:

configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node; configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatus caused to configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node is caused to configure the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

4. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus caused to support a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information supported by the first interface is caused to implement at least one of:

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receive from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node;

receive from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and

receive from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the apparatus caused to receive from the at least one radio access network node information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node is caused to receive from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

6. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus caused to support a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel is caused to transmit at least one of:

a command conveying to the radio access network node a modification of at least one physical channel parameter;

a command conveying to the radio access network node to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure;

one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the physical channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

7. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the apparatus caused to determine at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface is further caused to:

train a model of the network using at least off-line defined scenarios;

apply the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators;

evaluate the set of performance indicators to identify at least one from the range of control parameters.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the apparatus caused to apply the model of the network to the capture information and a range of control parameters to generate a set of performance indicators is caused to generate a weighted sum of an uplink throughput and a downlink throughput.

9. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, further caused to support a selection interface, the selection interface configured to control a selection of at least one performance indicator from the information provided by the second interface, the at least one performance indicator for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel, wherein the at least one performance indicator comprises at least one of:

a measure of downlink throughput;

a measure of uplink throughput; and

a measure of channel access latency.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further caused to support a weighting interface, the weighting interface configured to define weighting values to be applied to the at least one performance value for determining the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

1 1 . The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein any of the first, second, third, selection and input interface is at least one of:

a command line interface; and

an application-programming interface.

12. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 1 1 , wherein the at least one channel comprises at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel;

a physical uplink data channel;

a physical downlink control channel;

a physical downlink data channel; and

a random access channel.

13. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third interfaces are implemented as a common interface.

14. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the at least one radio access network specific parameter comprises at least one of:

a number of physical channel resources associated with a physical uplink control channel;

a period of reporting channel quality indications;

a period of reporting scheduling request indications;

a number of resources associated with a physical downlink control channel; a number of symbols associated with a physical downlink control channel; a number of control channel elements associated with a physical downlink control channel; and

a number of physical channel resources associated with a random access channel.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

support a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information;

determine information defined by the first interface;

support a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface;

support a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and

control at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the apparatus caused to determine information defined by the first interface is caused to determine at least one of:

at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus;

at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus;

at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, caused to determine information defined by the first interface is caused to gather information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

18. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the apparatus caused to support a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface is caused to implement at least one of:

transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus; transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; transmit to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment;

transmit to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; transmit to the radio access network controller information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node;

transmit to the radio access network controller information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and

transmit to the radio access network controller information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the apparatus caused to transmit to the radio access network controller from information on the channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus is caused to transmit to the radio access network controller information on at least one of channel quality indicators (CQI).

20. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 18, wherein the apparatus caused to support a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface is caused to receive at least one of: a command conveying to the apparatus a modification of at least one physical channel parameter;

a command conveying to the apparatus to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure;

one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the physical channel influences the number of physical resources needed or available for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting; downlink control channel messages; and random access.

21 . The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 20, wherein any of the first, second, third, selection and input interface is at least one of:

a command line interface; and

an application-programming interface.

22. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 21 , wherein the at least one channel comprises at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel;

a physical uplink data channel;

a physical downlink control channel; a physical downlink data channel; and

a random access channel.

23. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 22, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third interfaces are implemented as a common interface.

24. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 23, wherein the at least one radio access network specific parameter comprises at least one of:

a period of reporting channel quality indications;

a period of reporting scheduling request indications;

a number of physical channel resources associated with a random access channel.

25. A method comprising:

supporting a first interface, the first interface being from an apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information;

supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface;

determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information comprises supporting at least one of:

configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical uplink control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical uplink control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; and

configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node.

27. The method as claimed in any of claims 25 to 26, wherein supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information supported by the first interface comprises implementing at least one of:

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical uplink control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical uplink control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel;

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment; receive from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment; and

receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

28. The method as claimed in any of claims 25 to 27, wherein supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one physical channel comprises transmitting at least one of:

one of the above commands with at least one qualifier configured to indicate whether the modification to the physical channel influences the number of physical resources needed for at least one of: channel quality indicator reporting; and scheduling request reporting.

29. A method comprising:

supporting a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information;

determining information defined by the first interface;

supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface;

supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and

controlling at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein determining information defined by the first interface comprises determining at least one of: at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus;

31 . The method as claimed in any of claims 29 to 30, wherein supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface comprises implementing at least one of:

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the apparatus;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a current number of user equipment associated with the apparatus;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the apparatus; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment; transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of UEs, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node;

transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a physical downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and

transmitting to the radio access network controller information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

32. The method as claimed in any of claims 29 to 31 , wherein supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface comprises receiving at least one of:

a command conveying to the apparatus a modification of at least one physical channel parameter; a command conveying to the apparatus to modify at least one value originally derived from parameters configured by an element management system, the at least one value associated with a physical channel structure;

33. An apparatus comprising:

means for supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information;

means for supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information defined by the first interface;

means for determining at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and

means for supporting a third interface, the third interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the means for supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information comprises at least one of:

means for configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least of one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

means for configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node;

means for configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

means for configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; and

means for configuring the at least one radio access network node to provide information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node.

35. The apparatus as claimed in any of claims 33 to 34, wherein the means for supporting a second interface, the second interface being to the apparatus from the at least one radio access network node and configured to carry information supported by the first interface comprises implementing at least one of:

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment speed and channel variation for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on allocated physical control channel resources within at least one cell associated with the at least one radio access network node;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment new uplink data indication for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a current number of user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on at least one user equipment downlink and uplink throughput for at least one user equipment associated with the at least one radio access network node; means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node an indication of physical resource blocks currently allowed or considered for physical uplink control channel resource allocation;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a number of user equipment which have been assigned a physical uplink control channel resource within each of physical resource block allowed for a physical uplink control channel;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel resource assignment provided to a specific user equipment;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a level of interference observed on one or more physical resource blocks used for a physical uplink control channel;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a physical uplink control channel decoding error rate for at least one user equipment;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information on a uplink control channel decoding error rate averaged across user equipment;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to one or more individual user equipment, or a group of user equipments, or a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node;

means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of control channel element resources consumed on a downlink control channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node; and means for receiving from the at least one radio access network node information related to the number of connection attempts on a random access channel of a cell in the radio access network associated with the radio access network node.

36. An apparatus comprising:

means for supporting a first interface, the first interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to control the apparatus to capture information;

means for determining information defined by the first interface;

means for supporting a second interface, the second interface being from the apparatus to the radio access network controller and configured to carry the information defined by the first interface;

means for supporting a third interface, the third interface being from a radio access network controller to the apparatus and configured to convey the determined at least one radio access network specific parameter related to at least one channel based on the information provided by the second interface; and

means for controlling at least one channel provided by the apparatus based on the at least one radio access network specific parameter related to the at least one channel.

37. A computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following:

supporting a first interface, the first interface being from the apparatus to at least one radio access network node and configured to control the at least one radio access network node to capture information;

38. A computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following:

determining information defined by the first interface;

39. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following:

40. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following:

determining information defined by the first interface;