RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN CLOUD-BASED RADIO ACCESS NETWORK

摘要

A cloud-based wireless communication system (1) comprising user devices (12) arranged to receive services through any of a plurality of cloud-based virtual networks. The system has a plurality of base stations or access points (14), a user device (12) being arranged to wirelessly connect to any of the virtual networks via at least one base station (14) in order to receive from a virtual network a specific service for which a user of the user device has subscribed. There are virtual service anchors or vSAs (26) in the cloud, each virtual service anchor provided for a respective service provided by its virtual network. Thus, one vSA (26) handles resource allocation for all users of one service in one virtual network. Each vSA (26) receives content access requests (S10) from user devices (12) indicating content to be accessed in that vSA's service, the content stored by at least one content delivery node in the cloud. The vSA (26), in response to the content access requests, identifies (S12, S14) at least one suitable Content Delivery Node based on the indicated content and base stations proximate to the user device, and transmits service requests (S16, S22). In response to service requests received from multiple vSAs (26), each base station (14) performs second resource allocation, to provide services to each user device (12) wirelessly connected to that base station (14).

主权项

1. A method of managing resources in a cloud-based wireless communication system comprising:
defining, from common resources available in the cloud, a plurality of virtual networks, each virtual network offering one or more services and employing any of a plurality of serving stations, to which user devices are wirelessly connected to access a said virtual network; allowing the user devices to be able to receive a specific service by users thereof subscribing to a said virtual network; in each virtual network, performing first resource allocation for each specific service offered by the virtual network, using said common resources for provisioning said service for all users of the virtual network, and transmitting service requests on the basis of said first resource allocation; and in each serving station, receiving service requests from each virtual network and in response, performing second resource allocation for providing services to each user device wirelessly connected to the serving station.