WO2025250263A1

WO2025250263A1 - Pre-action conflict detection using user configured parameter dependency information and kpi prediction

Info

Publication number: WO2025250263A1
Application number: PCT/US2025/025053
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manjari Chhawchharia; Kexuan Sun; Manisha KALITA
Original assignee: Rakuten Symphony Inc; Rakuten Symphony Usa LLC
Current assignee: Rakuten Symphony Inc; Rakuten Symphony Usa LLC
Priority date: 2024-05-31
Filing date: 2025-04-17
Publication date: 2025-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2026-11-30

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and an apparatus (200) for pre-action conflict detection in wireless communication networks. The method comprises monitoring output of plurality of applications (108) associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC), indicating change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. Further, the method comprises obtaining dependency information associated with one or more RAN parameters, from one or more sources. The dependency information indicates the relationship between one or more RAN parameters to system impact in wireless communication network. Furthermore, the method comprises mapping output of each application with corresponding dependency information. Thereafter, the method comprises detecting pre-action conflict in output of at least one of plurality of applications (108), based on the mapping.

Description

PRE-ACTION CONFLICT DETECTION USING USER CONFIGURED PARAMETER

DEPENDENCY INFORMATION AND KPI PREDICTION

PRIORITY APPLICATION

[01] This application claims priority to Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202441042333, filed on May 31, 2024, and Indian Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 202441042333, filed on December 13, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

[02] The present disclosure relates to pre-action conflict detection in wireless communication networks.

BACKGROUND

[03] Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) is a radio access network driven by open source and virtualization principles. ORAN allows interoperation between cellular network equipments provided by different vendors. ORAN enables intelligent RAN control by using a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). The RIC is a critical piece of the ORAN, which brings multivendor interoperability, intelligence, agility, and programmability to radio access networks. The RIC is responsible for controlling and optimizing RAN functions.

[04] The RIC includes near-Real Time (RT) and non-RT RIC. The non-RT RIC manages events and resources with a response time of one second or more. The near RT RIC manages events and resources requiring a faster response down to 10 milliseconds (ms). The non-RT RIC is deployed centrally, while the near-RT RIC can be deployed centrally or on the network edge. The applications such as xApps (Extended application) and rApps (here 'r' stands for RAN) are implemented in the near-RT RIC and the non-RT RIC, respectively. These applications expand the intelligent RAN control capabilities of ORAN. These applications are used to implement specific functions or services such as radio resource management, mobility management, and the like.

[05] The information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

SUMMARY

[06] In an embodiment, the present disclosure discloses a method. The method comprises monitoring an output of a plurality of applications associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network. The output of each of the plurality of applications indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. Further, the method comprises obtaining dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications, from one or more sources. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. Furthermore, the method comprises mapping the output of each of the plurality of applications with the corresponding dependency information. Thereafter, the method comprises detecting a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications, based on the mapping.

[07] In an embodiment, the present disclosure discloses an apparatus. The apparatus is configured to monitor an output of a plurality of applications associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network. The output of each of the plurality of applications indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. Further, the apparatus is configured to obtain dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications, from one or more sources. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. Furthermore, the apparatus is configured to map the output of each of the plurality of applications with the corresponding dependency information. Thereafter, the apparatus is configured to detect a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications, based on the mapping.

[08] In an embodiment, the present disclosure discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions for performing operations. The operations comprise monitoring an output of a plurality of applications associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network. The output of each of the plurality of applications indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. Further, the operations comprise obtaining dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications, from one or more sources. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. Furthermore, the operations comprise mapping the output of each of the plurality of applications with the corresponding dependency information. Thereafter, the operations comprise detecting a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications, based on the mapping.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[09] Features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[010] Figure 1 illustrates an Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) architecture, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[Oil] Figure 2 shows a diagram of example components of an apparatus for detecting pre-action conflict in wireless communication networks, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[012] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary flow chart for detecting indirect conflict, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[013] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate exemplary flow charts for detecting implicit conflict, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and [014] Figure 6 shows an exemplary flow chart illustrating method steps for detecting pre-action conflict in wireless communication networks, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[015] The following detailed description of example embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations. Further, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). Additionally, the flowchart and description of operations provided below relate to one of the various embodiments. It should be noted that it is possible to make other embodiments that do not exactly match the flowchart and its description. It is understood that in other embodiments one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed simultaneously (at least in part).

[016] It will be apparent that systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and/or methods is not limiting of the implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and/or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code. It is understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and/or methods based on the description herein.

[017] Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.

[018] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” “include,” “including,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, expressions such as “at least one of [A] and [B],” “[A] and/or [B],” or “at least one of [A] or [B]” are to be understood as including only A, only B, or both A and B.

[019] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[020] ORAN allows interoperation between cellular network equipments provided by different vendors. ORAN enables intelligent RAN control by using a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). The RIC is responsible for controlling and optimizing RAN functions. The RIC includes near-Real Time (RT) and non-RT RIC. The non-RT RIC manages events and resources with a response time of one second or more. The near RT RIC manages events and resources requiring a faster response down to 10 milliseconds (ms). The applications such as xApps (Extended application) and rApps (here 'r' stands for RAN) are implemented in the near-RT RIC and the non-RT RIC, respectively. These applications expand the intelligent RAN control capabilities of ORAN. These applications are used to implement specific functions or services such as radio resource management, mobility management, and the like.

[021] While this capability of ORAN provides many benefits, there are multiple challenges faced due to conflicts between output of these applications providing RAN control. The output of these applications indicates a change in RAN parameters of the RAN nodes (also referred to as E2 nodes). Such conflicts occurring during network operation leads to deterioration in network performance.

[022] Conventional systems address the detection of the conflicts only post-action. In the conventional systems, the conflict is detected only after changes suggested by the applications are applied to the E2 nodes in the ORAN. In other words, the conflict is detected after RIC subscription and/or RIC control requests are sent to the RAN nodes, and the RAN nodes implement the policy or control action. Hence, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of the network are degraded as the changes are applied to the RAN nodes.

[023] The method and the apparatus of the present disclosure solves a technical problem of detection of the conflicts between outputs of the applications. The conflicts need to be detected and mitigated timely to ensure reliable and efficient operation ORAN.

[024] The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for pre-action detection of conflicts in wireless communication networks. In the present disclosure, an output of different applications associated with RIC such as xApps and rApps, are continuously monitored. The output of the applications indicates a change in RAN parameters of RAN nodes in the wireless communication networks. Also, dependency information indicating a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network is obtained. In the present disclosure, the output of the applications is mapped to the dependency information to determine whether the output provided by the application results in a system impact. In case, the output of the application maps with the dependency information, there may be resulting system impact, and is detected as a conflict. The above steps of detecting the conflict are performed prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to the RAN nodes. In this way, the present disclosure provides an ability to detect the conflict pre-action i.e., prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to the RAN nodes. This avoids network degradation that may be caused due to application of changes to the RAN nodes prior to the detection of conflicts. [025] The present disclosure enables detecting pre-action conflicts based on the dependency information. The present disclosure detects both indirect and implicit conflicts before the changes are applied to the RAN nodes. Hence, the conflicts are detected and mitigated timely to ensure reliable and efficient operation ORAN. This leads to greater stability in the network by preventing conflicting changes from being applied. This will result in improved cell performance KPIs.

[026] Figure 1 illustrates an ORAN architecture 100, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The ORAN enables intelligent RAN control by using a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). RIC is a component of the ORAN architecture that’s responsible for controlling and optimizing RAN functions. RIC includes non-Real Time (RT) RIC 104 and near-RT RIC 106. The non-RT RIC 104 manages events and resources with a response time of one second or more. The non-RT RIC 104 is hosted by Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework 102. The near-RT RIC 106 manages events and resources requiring a faster response down to 10 milliseconds (ms). The near-RT RIC 106 can be co-located with Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) gNodeB functions, namely, ORAN-compliant central unit (O-CU) and/or distributed unit (O-DU) or fully decoupled from them.

[027] The applications such as xApps (Extended application) and rApps (here 'r' stands for RAN) are implemented in the near-RT RIC 106 and the non-RT RIC 104, respectively. These applications expand the intelligent RAN control capabilities of ORAN. These applications are used to implement specific functions or services such as radio resource management, mobility management, and the like. As shown in Figure 1, the near-RT RIC 106 implements the xApps 108i, IO82, .... 108N. There are multiple xApps to manage various radio control functions, as illustrated in Figure 1. The xApps are typically deployed on top of the RIC and communicate with other components over E2 interface within the ORAN architecture. xApps also include an internal messaging framework to handle conflict mitigation, subscription management, application lifecycle management functions, security, and the like. These components are known in the existing ORAN architecture and are thus not explained in detail for sake of brevity. Similarly, the rApps are implemented in the non-RT RIC 104 to manage RAN functions and various SMO functions or services (not illustrated in figures)' .

[028] In the ORAN architecture, each disaggregated network function such as O- Central Unit (CU)- Control Plane (CP), O-CU- User Plane (UP) and O- Distributed Unit (DU) of a gNodeB (gNB) or a combined O-eNB are called E2 nodes or RAN nodes illustrated as 112 in Figure 1). The E2 nodes 112 support E2 interface towards the near-RT RIC 106 and 01 interface towards the non-RT RIC 104. In the present description, the terms ‘E2 nodes’ and ‘RAN’ nodes’ are used interchangeably.

[029] The present disclosure relates to detecting pre-action conflict in an output of a plurality of applications associated with the non-RT RIC 104 and the near-RT RIC 106. The plurality of applications may be xApps 108i, IO82, .... 108N associated with the near-RT RIC 106 as illustrated in Figure 1. The plurality of applications may also include rApps implemented by the non-RT RIC 104 which are not illustrated. However, the plurality of applications is referred to as the plurality of applications 108 in the present description for simplicity purposes. The apparatus of the present disclosure monitors an output of the plurality of applications 108. The output of each of the plurality of applications 108 indicates a change in one or more RAN parameters of the one or more RAN nodes 112. Further, the apparatus obtains dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters, from one or more sources. In an example, the one or more sources may include a database including dependency information pre-configured by a user. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. The apparatus maps the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information to detect a pre-action conflict in the output. The pre-action conflict indicates a conflict detected prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to the one or more RAN nodes 112 in the wireless communication network.

[030] The apparatus of the present disclosure is configured to detect both indirect and implicit conflicts in the wireless communication networks. An indirect conflict arises when a RAN parameter changed/adjusted by one application inadvertently affects the operational area of another xApps. For instance, separate applications controlling Cell Individual Offset (CIO) and antenna tilts may impact on handover boundary. A change by an application managing antenna tilts may indirectly alter the performance of a CIO-focused xApps. Implicit conflicts occur when two applications, each optimizing their respective targets, inadvertently degrade each other’s performance. An xApp aimed at ensuring QoS for a set of users and another focused on minimizing handovers could, for instance, may interfere with one another. The apparatus of the present disclosure is configured to detect such conflicts pre-action to avoid network performance degradation. [031] In an embodiment, the apparatus of the present disclosure may be implemented in a conflict mitigation module 110 of the ORAN architecture. In another embodiment, the apparatus of the present disclosure may be implemented in an application (an xApp or an rApp) among the plurality of applications 108.

[032] Figure 2 illustrates a detailed diagram of the apparatus (illustrated as 200), in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGURE 2, the apparatus 200 comprises a processor 202, a memory 204, a storage component 206, an input component 208, an output component 210, a communication interface 212, and a bus 214.

[033] The processor 202, as used herein, means any type of computational circuit that may comprise hardware elements and software elements. The processor 202 may be embodied as a multi-core processor, a single core processor, or a combination of one or more multi-core processors and/or one or more single core processors, a distributed processing system, or the like. The processor 202 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component.

[034] The memory 204 includes a non-transitory computer readable medium. The memory 204 includes a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and/or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., a flash memory, a magnetic memory, and/or an optical memory) that stores information and/or instructions for use by processor 202. The memory 204 comprises machine-readable instructions which are executable by the processor 202. These machine-readable instructions when executed by the processor 202 cause the processor 202 to perform one or more method steps of an embodiment described above. The memory 204 is communicatively coupled to the processor 202. The memory 204 stores instructions, executable by the processor 202, which, on execution, may cause the processor 202 to perform pre-action conflict detection in the wireless communication networks, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[035] The storage component 206 stores information and/or software related to the operation and use of the apparatus 200. For example, the storage component 206 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optic disk, and/or a solid-state disk), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and/or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, along with a corresponding drive.

[036] The input component 208 is configured to receive information, such as user input. For example, the input component 208 may include, but not be limited to, a touch screen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a switch, and/or a microphone. Additionally, or alternatively, the input component 208 may include a sensor for sensing information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS), an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and/or an actuator).

[037] The output component 210 is configured to provide output information from the apparatus 200. For example, the output component 210 may be, but not limited to, a display, a speaker, instructions to an external device, and/or one or more Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs). [038] The communication interface 212 is an interface that provides a communication connection to other devices, such as external devices and internal devices. The connection by the communication interface 212 can be a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections, and can be a direct connection or an indirect connection via a communication network that exists between the apparatus 200 and other devices. In other words, the standard of the communication interface 212 is not limited.

[039] The bus 214 acts as an interconnect between the processor 202, the memory 204, the storage component 206, the input component 208, the output component 210, and the communication interface 212 of the apparatus 200. The bus 214 may include a wired interconnection or a wireless interconnection.

[040] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 2 are provided as an example. In practice, the apparatus 200 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in Figure 2. Additionally, or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of the apparatus 200 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of the apparatus 200.

[041] In an embodiment, the memory 204 may include data (not illustrated in Figures . In one implementation, the data may include, for example, monitoring data, dependency information, mapping data, detection data, and other data. [042] Figure 2 is first explained in conjunction with Figure 3 with respect to detection of indirect conflicts, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[043] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to monitor an output of the plurality of applications 108 associated with the RIC. The output of each of the plurality of applications 108 indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. For instance, consider that the plurality of applications 108 comprise xApp 1 and xApp 2. An antenna tilt may be a RAN parameter associated with the xAppl . A cell individual offset may be a RAN parameter associated with the xApp 2. The output from the xAppl and the xApp2 may be changes in corresponding RAN parameters. For example, the xAppl may determine to change the antenna tilt in a downward direction to improve coverage signal quality. The xApp2 may adjust the cell individual offset to regulate cell coverage. Herein, the processor 202 monitors such changes in the RAN parameters proposed by the plurality of applications 108. In an embodiment, the processor 202 receives the output of the plurality of applications 108 in terms of RIC control/policy or E2 guidance. The outputs of the plurality of applications 108 may not be required to be simultaneous to be considered as potential conflict. Referring to Figure 3A, as shown in block 302, the processor 202 monitors the plurality of applications 108 associated with the RIC. Referring back to Figure 2, the output of the plurality of applications 108 may be stored as the monitoring data in the memory 204.

[044] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to obtain dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications 108. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. In an embodiment, the dependency information 214 may be obtained from one or more sources. In an embodiment, the one or more sources may include a database comprising the dependency information pre-configured by a user. The user may define the relationship between the one or more RAN parameters and an impact on the system or the one or more RAN nodes 112, when the one or more RAN parameters are changed/adjusted according to the defined relationship.

[045] In an embodiment, the user may define such relationships before the plurality of applications 108 are onboarded and put in operation. The user may analyze and predict interdependencies among the one or more RAN parameters that the plurality of applications 108 may change and that may cause indirect conflicts. For example, consider two xApps changing two different RAN parameters. xAppl and xApp2 change RIC control/policy parameters Cl and C2 respectively. Cl and C2 are different parameters, hence there is no direct conflict. However, changes in Cl and C2 individually may lead to a common system impact resulting in indirect conflict. The dependency information configured by the user maps the relationship of Cl and C2 to a common system-impact.

[046] In another embodiment, the one or more sources may include a run-time output from another system such as an Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) model. In an embodiment, the dependency information is obtained based on statistical analysis of the one or more RAN parameters. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned sources for obtaining the dependency information should not be considered as limiting. [047] In an embodiment, the dependency information may be captured in the form of a linear look-up table which captures the relationship between the one or more RAN parameters in RIC

Control Request or RIC Subscription Request and the resultant system impact on the one or more RAN nodes 112. In another, embodiment, the dependency information may be captured in the form of a dependency graph. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the dependency information may be captured in other forms, and the above-mentioned forms should not be considered as limiting. Referring to the above-stated example, the dependency information may indicate a relationship between the antenna tilt and the cell individual offset and map the relationship to a common system impact. The common system impact may be an impact on a cell handover boundary which may increase the call drop rate. Referring again to Figure 3, at block 304, the dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters may be obtained.

[048] Referring back to Figure 2, the processor 202 may map the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Herein, the processor 202 maps the changes in the one or more RAN parameters from the output of the plurality of applications 108 against the parameter dependency information. In an example, the processor 202 may map values or ranges of the one or more RAN parameters against the dependency information. Referring to the above-stated example, the processor 202 may determine whether the changes in the antenna tilt and the cell individual offset is mapping the configured relationship between the said parameters in the dependency information. Referring again to Figure 3, at block 306, the processor 202 maps the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Referring back to Figure 2, the mapping of the output with the dependency information may be stored as the mapping data in the memory 204.

[049] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to detect a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108, based on the mapping. Herein, the processor 202 determines whether the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 map to the common system impact as defined in the dependency information. The processor 202 may determine that the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 maps to the common system impact for at least one of the plurality of applications 108. In such a case, the processor 202 may declare the pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108.

[050] Referring to the above-stated example, the processor 202 may determine that the changes in the antenna tilt and the cell individual offset leads to the common system impact on the cell handover boundary. As the antenna tilt and the cell individual offset are not directly related to each other, the processor 202 declares an indirect conflict. Since the detection of potential conflict takes place before the RIC control/policy is applied to the one or more RAN nodes 112, this is a preaction detection. The present disclosure enables detecting the indirect conflicts pre-action (i.e. before RIC Control Request or RIC Subscription Request messages are transmitted to the one or more RAN nodes 112). Referring again to Figure 3, at block 308, the pre-action indirect conflict is detected. Referring back to Figure 2, information related to the detected conflict may be stored as the detection data in the memory 204. [051] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be further configured to report the pre-action indirect conflict and the system impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications 108. In an embodiment, the pre-action indirect conflict may be reported along with impacted system functions. In another embodiment, the pre-action indirect conflict may be reported along with impacted system functions and potentially conflicting RAN parameters of at least of the plurality of applications 108. In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to report the absence of conflict in case the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 does not map to the common system impact based on the dependency information. Referring again to Figure 3, at block 310, the detected conflict may be reported.

[052] Referring back to Figure 2, in an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to perform post-action indirect conflict detection. Herein, the processor 202 may monitor network KPIs after the changes from the plurality of applications 108 are applied to the one or more RAN nodes 112. This is performed to further detect unacceptable/abnormal degradation and interdependences in the one or more RAN parameters that are not detected in pre-action indirect conflict detection stage. Referring again to Figure 3, at block 312, the post-action indirect conflict may be detected.

[053] Figure 2 is now explained in conjunction with Figure 4 with respect to detection of preaction potential implicit conflict and post-action actual implicit conflict, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. [054] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to monitor an output of the plurality of applications 108 associated with the RIC. The output of each of the plurality of applications 108 indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. For instance, consider that the plurality of applications 108 comprise xApp 1 and xApp 2. Cl and C2 may be RAN parameters associated with the xAppl and xApp2, respectively. A The output from the xAppl and the xApp2 may be changes in corresponding RAN parameters. The xAppl may be aimed at ensuring QoS for a set of users. The xApp2 may be aimed at minimizing handovers in the wireless communication networks. The processor 202 monitors such changes in the RAN parameters proposed by the plurality of applications 108. Referring to Figure 4A, as shown in block 402, the processor 202 monitors the plurality of applications 108 associated with the RIC. Referring back to Figure 2, the output of the plurality of applications 108 may be stored as the monitoring data in the memory 204.

[055] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to obtain dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications 108. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. In an embodiment, the dependency information 214 may be obtained from one or more sources. In an embodiment, the one or more sources may include a database comprising the dependency information pre-configured by a user.

[056] The user may analyze and predict inter-dependencies among the one or more RAN parameters that the plurality of applications 108 may change and that may cause implicit KPI conflicts. For example, consider that changes in a RAN parameter Cl associated with xAppl may have an impact on KPI associated with the xAppl as well as KPI2 associated with xApp2. Similarly, the changes in a RAN parameter C2 associated with xApp2 may have an impact on KPI associated with the xAppl as well as KPI2 associated with xApp2. The dependency information includes a mapping of Cl to KPI1 & KPI2, and a mapping of C2 to KPI1 and KPI2 as well.

[057] In another embodiment, the one or more sources may include a run-time output from another system such as an Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) model. In an embodiment, the dependency information is obtained based on statistical analysis of the one or more RAN parameters. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned sources for obtaining the dependency information should not be considered as limiting.

[058] In an embodiment, the dependency information may be captured in the form of a linear look-up table which captures the relationship between the one or more RAN parameters in RIC Control Request or RIC Subscription Request and the resultant impact on a set of KPIs. In another, embodiment, the dependency information may be captured in the form of a dependency graph. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the dependency information may be captured in other forms, and the above-mentioned forms should not be considered as limiting. Referring to the above-stated example, the dependency information may indicate a relationship between the parameters Cl and C2, and the resultant impact on KPIs such as QoS and handovers in the wireless communication networks. Referring again to Figure 4, at block 404, the dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters may be obtained. [059] Referring back to Figure 2, the processor 202 may map the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Herein, the processor 202 maps the changes in the one or more RAN parameters from the output of the plurality of applications 108 against the parameter dependency information. In an example, the processor 202 may map values or ranges of the one or more RAN parameters against the dependency information. Referring to the above-stated example, the processor 202 may determine whether the changes in the parameters Cl and C2 is mapping with an impact on KPIs as defined in the dependency information. Referring again to Figure 4, at block 406, the processor 202 maps the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Referring back to Figure 2, the mapping of the output with the dependency information may be stored as the mapping data in the memory 204.

[060] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to detect a pre-action potential implicit conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108, based on the mapping. Herein, the processor 202 determines whether the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 map to a common KPI impact as defined in the dependency information. The processor 202 may determine that the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 maps to the common KPI impact for at least one of the plurality of applications 108. In such a case, the processor 202 may declare the preaction potential implicit conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108.

[061] Referring to the above-stated example, the processor 202 may determine that the changes in the parameters Cl and C2 leads to the common KPI impact on the QoS and the handovers. As the parameters Cl and C2 associated with xAppl and xApp2 are impacting on each other’s KPI, the processor 202 declares an implicit conflict. Since the detection of potential implicit conflict takes place before the RIC control/policy is applied to the one or more RAN nodes 112, this is a pre-action implicit conflict detection. The present disclosure enables detecting the implicit conflicts pre-action (i.e. before RIC Control Request or RIC Subscription Request messages have been sent to the one or more RAN nodes 112). Referring again to Figure 4, at block 408, the preaction potential implicit conflict is detected. Referring back to Figure 2, information related to the detected conflict may be stored as the detection data in the memory 204.

[062] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be further configured to report the pre-action potential implicit conflict and the common KPI impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications 108. In an embodiment, the pre-action potential implicit conflict may be reported along with impacted system functions. In another embodiment, the pre-action potential implicit conflict may be reported along with impacted system functions and potentially conflicting RAN parameters of at least of the plurality of applications 108. In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to report the absence of implicit conflict in case the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 does not map to the common KPI impact based on the dependency information. Referring again to Figure 4, at block 410, the detected conflict may be reported.

[063] Referring back to Figure 2, in an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to perform post-action actual implicit conflict detection. Herein, the processor 202 may monitor network KPIs after the changes from the plurality of applications 108 are applied to the one or more RAN nodes 112. This is performed to further detect unacceptable/abnormal degradation and inter-dependences in the one or more RAN parameters that are not detected in pre-action indirect conflict detection stage. Referring again to Figure 4, at block 412, the post-action actual implicit conflict may be detected.

[064] Figure 2 is now explained in conjunction with Figure 5 with respect to detection of preaction actual implicit conflict, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[065] The blocks 502-508 of Figure 5 are same as the blocks 402-408 of Figure 4, and hence are not explained again for the sake of brevity. Once the pre-action potential implicit conflict is detected at block 508, the processor 202 is configured to detect a pre-action actual implicit conflict.

[066] In an embodiment, the processor 202 may be configured to detect the pre-action actual implicit conflict by predicting the system impact due to changes in the one or more RAN parameters. The system impact indicates an impact on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the wireless communication network. In an embodiment, the processor 202 predicts the impact of change in the one or more RAN parameters on KPIs using an Artificial Intelligence (Al)/ Machine Learning (ML) model. In another embodiment, the processor 202 predicts the impact on KPIs using a digital twin model. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that any other techniques may be used to predict the impact on KPIs, and the above-mentioned techniques should not be considered as limiting. In an embodiment, the AI/ML model or the digital twin model may be trained on historical data to predict the impact of change in the one or more RAN parameters on KPIs. For instance, training data including various values of the one or more RAN parameters that impact the KPIs may be fed to the AI/ML model or the digital twin model. In an embodiment, the prediction may be performed by the processor 202, using the AI/ML model or the digital twin model. In another embodiment, the prediction may be performed by an application among the plurality of applications 108 associated with the RIC, using the AI/ML model or the digital twin model. Referring again to Figure 5, at block 510, the pre-action actual implicit is detected.

[067] Referring to the above-stated example, an Al model may predict that the change in RIC control/policy parameter Cl from xAppl degrades KPI1 and improves KPI2. However, the changes from xApp2 on parameter C2 will not affect KPI1 but degrades KPI2. In such a case, a pre-action actual implicit conflict may be detected.

[068] In the current embodiment of the present disclosure, both the potential implicit conflict detection and the actual implicit conflict detection through KPI impact prediction are performed in pre-action stage before the RIC Control Request or RIC Subscription Request messages are transmitted to the one or more RAN nodes 112. This leads to greater stability in the network by preventing conflicting changes from being applied. This will result in improved cell performance KPIs.

[069] Referring back to Figure 2, in an embodiment, the processor 202 may be further configured to report the pre-action actual implicit conflict and the KPI impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications 108. In an embodiment, the pre-action potential implicit conflict may be reported along with impacted system functions. In another embodiment, the pre-action potential implicit conflict may be reported along with impacted system functions and potentially conflicting RAN parameters of at least of the plurality of applications 108. Such information may then be used for subsequent conflict resolution and avoidance. In an embodiment, the processor

202 may be configured to report the absence of implicit conflict in case the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 does not map to the common KPI impact based on the dependency information. Referring again to Figure 5, at block 512, the detected conflict may be reported.

[070] The other data may store data, including temporary data and temporary files, for performing the various functions of the apparatus 200. The other data may be stored in the memory 204.

[071] Figure 6 shows an exemplary flow chart illustrating method steps for performing preaction conflict detection, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in Figure 6, the method 600 may comprise one or more steps. The method 600 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types.

[072] The order in which the method 600 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

[073] At step 602, the apparatus 200 monitors an output of the plurality of applications 108 associated with the RIC. The output of each of the plurality of applications 108 indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. In an embodiment, the processor 202 receives the output of the plurality of applications 108 in terms of RIC control/policy or E2 guidance.

[074] At step 604, the apparatus 200 obtains dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications 108. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. In an embodiment, the dependency information may be obtained from one or more sources. In an embodiment, the one or more sources may include a database comprising the dependency information pre-configured by a user. In another embodiment, the one or more sources may include a run-time output from another system such as an Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) model. In an embodiment, the dependency information is obtained based on statistical analysis of the one or more RAN parameters. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned sources for obtaining the dependency information should not be considered as limiting.

[075] At step 606, the apparatus 200 maps the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Herein, the apparatus 200 maps the changes in the one or more RAN parameters from the output of the plurality of applications 108 against the parameter dependency information.

[076] At step 608, the apparatus 200 detects a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108, based on the mapping. Herein, the apparatus 200 determines whether the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 map to the common system impact as defined in the dependency information. The apparatus 200 may determine that the changes in the one or more RAN parameters by the plurality of applications 108 maps to the common system impact for at least one of the plurality of applications 108. In such a case, the apparatus 200 may declare the pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108.

[077] In an embodiment [1], the present disclosure discloses a method. The method comprises monitoring an output of a plurality of applications 108 associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network. The output of each of the plurality of applications 108 indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. Further, the method comprises obtaining dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications 108, from one or more sources. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. Furthermore, the method comprises mapping the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Thereafter, the method comprises detecting a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108, based on the mapping. [078] In an embodiment [2], the method, described in the embodiment [1], the dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications 108 is obtained from one or more sources.

[079] In an embodiment [3], the method, described in the embodiment [1], the pre-action conflict indicates a conflict detected prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes in the wireless communication network.

[080] In an embodiment [4], the method, described in the embodiments [1] or [3], the pre-action conflict is one of an indirect conflict and an implicit conflict.

[081] In an embodiment [5], the method, described in the embodiments [1] or [3], when the preaction conflict is an implicit conflict, further comprising detecting a post-action actual implicit conflict upon applying changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes 112; or detecting a pre-action actual implicit conflict by predicting the system impact due to changes in the one or more RAN parameters. The system impact indicates an impact on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the wireless communication network.

[082] In an embodiment [6], the method, described in the embodiments [1] or [3] or [4], further comprising reporting the pre-action conflict and the system impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications 108. [083] In an embodiment [7], the method, described in the embodiments [1] or [4] or [5] or [6], the plurality of applications (108) comprises one of Extended Applications (xApps) and RAN Applications (rApps).

[084] In an embodiment [8], the present disclosure discloses an apparatus 200. The apparatus 200 is configured to monitor an output of a plurality of applications 108 associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network. The output of each of the plurality of applications 108 indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. Further, the apparatus 200 is configured to obtain dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications 108, from one or more sources. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. Furthermore, the apparatus 200 is configured to map the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Thereafter, the apparatus 200 is configured to detect a preaction conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108, based on the mapping.

[085] In an embodiment [9], the apparatus 200, described in the embodiment [8], the dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications (108) is obtained from one or more sources. [086] In an embodiment [10], the apparatus 200, described in the embodiment [8], the pre-action conflict indicates a conflict detected prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes in the wireless communication network.

[087] In an embodiment [11], the apparatus 200, described in the embodiments [8] or [10], the pre-action conflict is one of an indirect conflict and an implicit conflict.

[088] In an embodiment [12], the apparatus 200, described in the embodiments [8] or [10], when the pre-action conflict is an implicit conflict, further comprising detecting a post-action actual implicit conflict upon applying changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes 112; or detecting a pre-action actual implicit conflict by predicting the system impact due to changes in the one or more RAN parameters. The system impact indicates an impact on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the wireless communication network.

[089] In an embodiment [13], the apparatus 200, described in the embodiments [8] or [10] or [12], further comprising reporting the pre-action conflict and the system impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications 108.

[090] In an embodiment [14], the apparatus 200, described in the embodiments [8] or [11] or [12] or [5], the plurality of applications (108) comprises one of Extended Applications (xApps) and

RAN Applications (rApps). [091] In an embodiment [15], the present disclosure discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions for performing operations comprising monitoring an output of a plurality of applications 108 associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network. The output of each of the plurality of applications 108 indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters. Further, the operations comprise obtaining dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications 108, from one or more sources. The dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network. Furthermore, the operations comprise mapping the output of each of the plurality of applications 108 with the corresponding dependency information. Thereafter, the operations comprise detecting a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications 108, based on the mapping.

[092] In an embodiment [16], the medium, described in the embodiment [15], the pre-action conflict indicates a conflict detected prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes in the wireless communication network.

[093] In an embodiment [17], the medium, described in the embodiments [15] or [16], the preaction conflict is one of an indirect conflict and an implicit conflict.

[094] In an embodiment [18], the medium, described in the embodiments [15] or [16], when the pre-action conflict is an implicit conflict, further comprising detecting a post-action actual implicit conflict upon applying changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes 112; or detecting a pre-action actual implicit conflict by predicting the system impact due to changes in the one or more RAN parameters. The system impact indicates an impact on Key

Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the wireless communication network.

[095] In an embodiment [19], the medium, described in the embodiments [15] or [16] or [18], further comprising reporting the pre-action conflict and the system impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications 108.

[096] In an embodiment [20], the method, described in the embodiments [15] or [17] or [18] or [17], the plurality of applications (108) comprises one of Extended Applications (xApps) and RAN Applications (rApps).

Claims

We claim:

1. A method comprising: monitoring an output of a plurality of applications associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network, wherein the output of each of the plurality of applications indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters; obtaining dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications, wherein the dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network; mapping the output of each of the plurality of applications with the corresponding dependency information; and detecting a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications, based on the mapping.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications is obtained from one or more sources.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-action conflict indicates a conflict detected prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes in the wireless communication network.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-action conflict is one of an indirect conflict and an implicit conflict.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the pre-action conflict is an implicit conflict, further comprising one of: detecting a post-action actual implicit conflict upon applying changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes; and detecting a pre-action actual implicit conflict by predicting the system impact due to changes in the one or more RAN parameters, wherein the system impact indicates an impact on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the wireless communication network.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: reporting the pre-action conflict and the system impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications comprises one of Extended Applications (xApps) and RAN Applications (rApps).

8. An apparatus configured to: monitor an output of a plurality of applications associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network, wherein the output of each of the plurality of applications indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters; obtain dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications, from one or more sources, wherein the dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network; map the output of each of the plurality of applications with the corresponding dependency information; and detect a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications, based on the mapping.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, configured to obtain the dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications from one or more sources.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pre-action conflict indicates a conflict detected prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes in the wireless communication network.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pre-action conflict is one of an indirect conflict and an implicit conflict.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the pre-action conflict is an implicit conflict, further configured to perform one of: detect a post-action actual implicit conflict upon applying changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes; and detect a pre-action actual implicit conflict by predicting the system impact due to changes in the one or more RAN parameters, wherein the system impact indicates an impact on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the wireless communication network.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further configured to: report the pre-action conflict and the system impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of applications comprises one of Extended Applications (xApps) and RAN Applications (rApps).

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions for performing operations comprising: monitoring an output of a plurality of applications associated with a Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC) in a wireless communication network, wherein the output of each of the plurality of applications indicates a change in corresponding one or more RAN parameters; obtaining dependency information associated with the one or more RAN parameters of the plurality of applications, from one or more sources, wherein the dependency information indicates a relationship between the one or more RAN parameters to a system impact in the wireless communication network; mapping the output of each of the plurality of applications with the corresponding dependency information; and detecting a pre-action conflict in the output of at least one of the plurality of applications, based on the mapping.

16. The medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the pre-action conflict indicates a conflict detected prior to transmitting the changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes in the wireless communication network

17. The medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the pre-action conflict is one of an indirect conflict and an implicit conflict.

18. The medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein when the pre-action conflict is an implicit conflict, the operations further comprising one of: detecting a post-action actual implicit conflict upon applying changes in the one or more RAN parameters to one or more RAN nodes; and detecting a pre-action actual implicit conflict by predicting the system impact due to changes in the one or more RAN parameters, wherein the system impact indicates an impact on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the wireless communication network.

19. The medium as claimed in claim 15, the operations further comprising: reporting the pre-action conflict and the system impact corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of applications.

20. The medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of applications comprises one of Extended Applications (xApps) and RAN Applications (rApps).