Apparatus and method for signaling of message sequencing for fronthaul interface

Abstract

An O-RAN packet to be transmitted includes a header having a packet sequence number that is independent of an uplink/downlink direction in which the packet is to be transmitted. The header, which may be an eCPRI or RoE header, is generated without regard for a data direction bit. The packet sequence number is generated within a sequence count generator of the controller that operates separately from generation of a remainder of the packet and that ignores the data direction bit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A network device configured to perform functions of a distributed unit (DU), the network device comprising:
 a controller configured to;   transmit, to a radio unit (RU), a configuration message for indicating a starting value of a sequence identifier for a first control plane (C-plane) message for downlink (DL) data or a second C-plane message for uplink (UL) data,   receiveobtain a message to be transmitted to the RU, and   generate an Open Radio Access Network open radio access network (O-RAN) packet including at least a portion of the received message and a header having a packet sequence number, wherein the packet sequence number is generated based on the starting value and independent of an uplink/downlink a data direction field of the message; and   a transceiver coupled to the controller and configured to transmit the generated O-RAN packet to a second network device the RU.   
     
     
         2 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the header is dependent on a message type, and wherein the header is one of an Enhanced Common Public Radio Interfaceenhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI) header or a Radio over Ethernetradio over ethernet (RoE) header. 
     
     
         3 . The network device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a shared sequence generator is used for the first C-plane message and the second C-plane message,   wherein, in a case that the message corresponds to the first C-plane message, the data direction bit having a value dependent upon the uplink/downlink direction in which the O-RAN packet is to be transmitted is not used for the packet sequence number inserted in the O-RAN packet field indicates one, and   wherein, in a case that the message corresponds to the second C-plane message, the data direction field indicates zero.   
     
     
         4 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the packet sequence number is generated within a functional block of the controller that operates separately from generation of other content for the O-RAN packet and that ignores a data direction bit generated for the O-RAN packet, and
 wherein the functional block is configured to generate the packet sequence number without the data direction field of the message.   
     
     
         5 . The network device of  claim 4 , wherein the functional block of the controller comprises a sequence count generator generating the packet sequence number dependent upon a message type, and wherein the message type is one of a control plane ( C-Plane) message and a user plane (U-Plane) message. 
     
     
         6 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the network device comprises a distributed unit (DU). 
     
     
         7 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a first network device, a message to be transmitted;   generating an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) packet including at least a portion of the received message and a header having a packet sequence number, wherein the packet sequence number is generated independent of an uplink/downlink direction; and   transmitting the generated O-RAN packet to a second network device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the header is dependent on a message type, and wherein the header is one of an Enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) header or a Radio over Ethernet (RoE) header. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a data direction bit having a value dependent upon the uplink/downlink direction in which the O-RAN packet is to be transmitted is not used for the packet sequence number inserted in the O-RAN packet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the packet sequence number is generated within a functional block of a controller that operates separately from generation of other content for the O-RAN packet and that ignores a data direction bit generated for the O-RAN packet. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the functional block of the controller comprises a sequence count generator generating the packet sequence number dependent upon a message type, and wherein the message type is one of a control plane (C-Plane) message and a user plane (U-Plane) message. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first network device comprises a distributed unit (DU). 
     
     
         13 . A network device configured to perform functions of a radio unit (RU), the network device comprising:
 a transceiver configured to;
 receive, from a distributed unit (DU), a configuration message for indicating a starting value of a sequence identifier for a first control plane (C-plane) message for downlink (DL) data or a second C-plane message for uplink (UL) data, 
 receive an Open Radio Access Network open radio access network (O-RAN) packet from a second network device the DU, the O-RAN packet including a portion of a message and a header having a packet sequence number, wherein the packet sequence number is generated is based on the starting value and independent of an uplink/downlink a data direction field of the message; and 
   a controller configured to check the packet sequence number from the header.   
     
     
         14 . The network device of  claim 13 , wherein the header is dependent on a message type, and wherein the header is one of an Enhanced Common Public Radio Interfaceenhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI) header or a Radio over Ethernetradio over ethernet (RoE) header. 
     
     
         15 . The network device of  claim 13 ,
 wherein a shared sequence generator is used for the first C-plane message and the second C-plane message,   wherein, in a case that the message corresponds to the first C-plane message, the data direction field indicates one, and    wherein, in a case that the received O-RAN packet is generated independent of a data direction bit having a value dependent upon message corresponds to the second C-plane message, the uplink/downlink data direction field indicates zero.   
     
     
         16 . The network device of  claim 15 , wherein the packet sequence number is checked within a functional block of the controller that operates separately from actions taken based on other content for the O-RAN packet, and
 wherein the functional block is configured to check the packet sequence number without the data direction field of the message.   
     
     
         17 . The network device of  claim 16 , wherein the functional block of the controller comprises a sequence count checker verifying the packet sequence number dependent upon a message type, and
 wherein the message type is one of a control plane ( C-Plane) message and a user plane (U-Plane) message.   
     
     
         18 . The network device of  claim 13 , wherein the network device comprises a radio unit (RU). 
     
     
       19. A method performed by a distributed unit (DU), the method comprising:
 transmitting, to a radio unit (RU), a configuration message for indicating a starting value of a sequence identifier for a first control plane (C-plane) message for downlink (DL) data or a second C-plane message for uplink (UL) data;   obtaining a message to be transmitted to the RU;   generating an open radio access network (O-RAN) packet including at least a portion of the message and a header having a packet sequence number, wherein the packet sequence number is generated based on the starting value and independent of a data direction field of the message; and   transmitting the generated O-RAN packet to the RU.   
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the header is dependent on a message type, and   wherein the header is one of an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI) header or a radio over ethernet (RoE) header.   
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 19 ,
 wherein a shared sequence generator is used for the first C-plane message and the second C-plane message,   wherein, in a case that the message corresponds to the first C-plane message, the data direction field indicates one, and   wherein, in a case that the message corresponds to the second C-plane message, the data direction field indicates zero.   
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the packet sequence number is generated without the data direction field of the message.