WO2025162016A1 - Apparatus configuration method, and communication apparatus and system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application provides an apparatus configuration method, and a communication system and apparatus, for use in improving the efficiency during station activation or device replacement. The method is applied to a communication network, and the communication network can comprise a network management apparatus and one or more apparatuses connected to the network management apparatus. The method comprises: a first apparatus is any one of the one or more apparatuses, if the first apparatus is replaced with a second apparatus, the first apparatus is connected to one or more connecting apparatuses before replacement, and when the first apparatus is replaced with the second apparatus, the one or more connecting apparatuses are connected to the second apparatus; the second apparatus sends first information, wherein the first information may comprise information stored by at least one connecting apparatus; and the second apparatus receives configuration information of the second apparatus, wherein the configuration information is used for configuring the second apparatus, so that the configuration of new apparatuses can be realized on the basis of the information of the connecting apparatuses.

Description

Device configuration method, communication device and system

This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 4, 2024, with application number 202410165987.6 and application name “A device configuration method, communication device and system”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a device configuration method, a communication device, and a system.

Background Art

Typically, the construction or replacement of a new base station involves two phases: base station installation and commissioning. During the base station installation phase, site maintenance personnel complete the base station installation by performing hardware connections according to the base station installation drawings. During the commissioning phase, site maintenance personnel pass the site name and electronic serial number (ESN) to back-end network management personnel. The network management personnel complete the site commissioning data configuration based on the site name and ESN, then notify the site maintenance personnel of the completion of the commissioning data configuration. The site maintenance personnel then powers on the base station proximally. After powering on, the base station retrieves the commissioning data corresponding to the ESN from the network element management system, facilitating base station commissioning.

The above methods require manual or third-party involvement to activate new base stations or replace base stations. The operation steps for activating base stations are relatively complicated and the efficiency of station activation is low. Therefore, how to improve the efficiency of device configuration has become an urgent problem to be solved.

Summary of the Invention

The present application provides a device configuration method, a communication device, and a system for improving efficiency when opening a site or replacing equipment in a device replacement scenario.

In view of this, on the first aspect, the present application provides a device configuration method, which can be applied to a communication system, which can also be called a communication network. The communication system may include a network management device and one or more devices that establish a connection with the network management device, including: the first device is any one of the one or more devices mentioned above, if the first device is replaced with a second device, the first device is connected to one or more connection devices before the replacement, and after the first device is replaced with the second device, the one or more connection devices are connected to the second device; after the second device is powered on, the second device sends a first message, which may include information saved by at least one connection device; the second device receives configuration information, which is used to configure the second device, and the configuration information may include one or more parameters used by the second device when it is running in the communication system, for supporting the normal operation of the second device in the communication system.

The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the device replacement scenario in the communication system. The network management side usually saves the configuration information corresponding to the old device and the information of the connection device connected to the old device, or the network management side can save the configuration information of each device in the communication system and the information of the topological structure. In the embodiment of the present application, when the device is replaced, the new device can obtain the configuration information available for the new device from the network management side based on the information saved by the connection device. The network management side can use the saved configuration information of each device in the communication system and the information of the topological structure to obtain the configuration information of the new device and send it to the new device, thereby realizing a more intelligent device configuration in the device replacement scenario. In the device configuration process, there is no need for manual participation or third-party participation, that is, the manual participation process or third-party participation process is reduced, which can improve the efficiency of device configuration.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device updating the configuration of the second device according to the configuration information. After receiving the configuration information, the second device may perform configuration based on the configuration information. For example, the first configuration parameters may include parameters such as the frequency, power, bandwidth, or azimuth of a sector of the second device. The second device may configure the frequency, power, bandwidth, or azimuth of the sector of the second device based on the configuration information, so that the second device can operate normally in the communication system based on the configured parameters.

In one possible embodiment, the at least one connecting device includes one or more of the following: an optical module, an antenna device, a global positioning system ground receiver, or a power supply. The optical module can be used to convert optical signals into electrical signals to convert electrical signals into optical signals for transmission. The antenna device is used to provide hardware support for wireless data transmission and can convert electrical signals into electromagnetic wave signals for wireless data transmission. The global positioning system ground receiver is used to obtain positioning information. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the connecting device can specifically be an optical module, an antenna device, a global positioning system ground receiver, or a power supply, etc., which can realize the reuse of available devices and improve device utilization.

In one possible implementation, the information stored by the at least one connection device includes at least one of the following: the serial number of the optical module, the serial number of the antenna device, the serial number of the remote global positioning system, or the serial number of the power supply. Therefore, in the implementation of the present application, the information stored by the connection device may include identification information of each connection device, thereby allowing the second device to obtain more accurate identification of each connection device, thereby obtaining a configuration based on more accurate information, and improving the success rate of obtaining a correct configuration.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned configuration information includes one or more of the following configuration information of the second device: standard information, sector information, address information, and information about the virtual local area network to which the second device belongs. The standard information may include information about the standards supported by the second device, the sector information may include information about the sector corresponding to the second device, the address information may include the address of the second device when operating in the communication system, and the virtual local area network information to which the second device belongs may include information about the second device in the virtual local area network to which it belongs, indicating that the second device is operating normally in the virtual local area network to which it belongs.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device obtaining the first information. After being powered on, the second device may obtain information stored by at least one connection device to facilitate subsequent request for configuration information from the network management device.

In one possible embodiment, the aforementioned second device obtaining the first information may include: the second device reading the first information from at least one connection device, before the first device is replaced by the second device, the first information corresponds to the first device, and the first information includes information written by the first device into the storage space of at least one connection device. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the first device can directly write information to the connection device (i.e., the reused connection device), so that the second device can obtain more accurate information based on the information stored in the connection device to obtain the required configuration information of the second device, thereby improving the configuration success rate and configuration efficiency.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned first information may further include information about the first device, such as the ESN or name of the first device, or configuration information of the first device. For example, after the first device completes configuration, if the storage space of the connection device is not less than the size occupied by the configuration information of the first device, the first device may write the configuration information of the first device into the storage space of the connection device. If the storage space of the connection device is less than the size occupied by the configuration information of the first device, the first device may write identification information such as the ESN or name of the first device into the storage space of the connection device, thereby implementing data backup of the first device.

In one possible embodiment, after the second device receives the configuration information of the second device, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device writes second information to at least one connected device, where the second information may include information about the second device, such as an identifier of the second device, a device type, or all or part of the configuration information of the second device, etc. The second information is used by the third device to obtain the corresponding configuration from the network management device after the second device is replaced with the third device. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, after the second device completes the configuration, the data may also be backed up in the connected device, so that after the device is replaced next time, a more accurate configuration can be obtained again based on the information saved by the connected device.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device sending second device information, such as the name, ESN, or device type of the second device. Therefore, while requesting the second device's configuration information from the network management device, the second device may also send its own information. This allows the network management device to combine the second device's information with the second device's information when generating the second device's configuration information to generate configuration information compatible with the second device. Furthermore, when updating its stored device configuration information, the network management device may associate the second device's information with the second device's configuration information, effectively storing a mapping relationship between the second device and the second device's configuration information.

In a second aspect, the present application provides a device configuration method that can be applied to a communication system, which may include a network management device and one or more devices that establish a connection with the network management device. The method includes: the first device is any one of the one or more devices mentioned above. If the first device is replaced with a second device, the network management device receives first information, and the first information includes information saved by at least one connection device, and the at least one connection device is a device that establishes a connection with the second device; the network management device sends configuration information of the second device based on the first information, and the configuration information of the second device is used to configure the second device.

In an embodiment of the present application, after the first device is replaced with the second device, the second device can use the information saved by the connection device to request the configuration information of the second device from the network management device. Therefore, after the device is replaced, during the configuration process of the new device, the configuration of the new device can be achieved without manual or third-party participation, thereby improving the configuration efficiency of the new device.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned network management device sending the configuration information of the second device based on the first information may include: the network management device obtaining the configuration information of the first device from the associated data based on the first information, the associated data including the configuration information of multiple devices, and the multiple devices including the first device; the network management device sending the configuration information of the second device based on the configuration information of the first device, for example, the configuration information of the first device may be used as the configuration information of the second device, or the configuration information of the second device may be generated based on the configuration information of the first device, etc.

In the implementation manner of the present application, the network management device may extract the configuration information of the first device from the acquired associated data, and obtain the configuration information of the second device based on the configuration information of the first device.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned network management device sending the configuration information of the second device according to the configuration information of the first device may include: the network management device using the configuration information of the first device as the configuration information of the second device, and sending the configuration information of the second device.

In the implementation manner of the present application, the network management device can directly use the old device configuration as the new device configuration. For example, in a scenario where the new device is replaced with the same model as the old device, the configuration of the new device can be quickly implemented.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned method may further include receiving information of the second device, and the aforementioned network management device sending the configuration information of the second device based on the configuration information of the first device may include: the network management device generates the configuration information of the second device for the second device based on the configuration information of the first device and the information of the second device, and sends the configuration information of the second device.

In the embodiment of the present application, the network management device generates adapted second device configuration information for the new device based on the configuration of the old device and the information of the new device, thereby improving the configuration efficiency and configuration success rate of the new device.

In a third aspect, the present application provides a device configuration method, comprising:

The connecting device receives the backup data sent by the first device and saves the backup data to the local storage space; after the first device is replaced with the second device, if a read message from the second device is received, and the read message is used to instruct to read the backup data saved in the storage space, the connecting device sends the backup data sent by the first device to the second device.

Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, data backup can be performed in the storage space of the connecting device. When a device in the communication system is replaced, the new device can read data from the storage space. The data can be used by the new device to request configuration information from the network management device, so that during the configuration process of the new device, the configuration of the new device can be achieved without manual or third-party participation.

In one possible implementation, the data stored in the aforementioned storage space may specifically be configuration information of the first device. Therefore, the second device can directly read the configuration information of the first device from the connection device, thereby obtaining its own configuration information based on the configuration information of the first device.

In one possible implementation, the data stored in the aforementioned storage space may specifically be identification information or device type of the first device, so that the new device can read the identification or device type of the old device and request configuration information of the second device from the network management device based on the information of the old device.

In one possible implementation, after the second device is configured, data can be backed up in the storage space of the connected device. For example, the second device's identification information, device type, or configuration information can be written to the storage space. This allows the next time a device is replaced to obtain the configuration of the replaced device based on the backed-up data.

In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a device configuration method that can be applied to a communication system, where the communication system may include a network management device and one or more connection devices that establish a connection with the network management device. The method includes:

The first device is any one of the one or more devices described above. If the first device is replaced with a second device, the second device sends a first message to the network management device. The first message includes information stored in at least one connection device, the at least one connection device is a device that establishes a connection with the second device, and the at least one connection device is connected to the first device before the first device is replaced.

The network management device sends the configuration information of the second device to the second device according to the first information. The configuration information of the second device can be used to configure the second device.

In the implementation manner of the present application, the new device after replacement can request the configuration information of the second device from the network management device based on the information saved by the connection device. Therefore, after the device is replaced, the configuration of the new device can be achieved without manual or third-party participation, thereby improving the configuration efficiency of the new device.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device updating a local configuration according to the configuration information of the second device.

In one possible embodiment, the at least one connecting device includes one or more of the following: an optical module, an antenna device, a global positioning system ground receiver, or a power supply. The optical module can be used to convert optical signals into electrical signals to convert electrical signals into optical signals for transmission. The antenna device is used to provide hardware support for wireless data transmission and can convert electrical signals into electromagnetic wave signals for wireless data transmission. The global positioning system ground receiver is used to obtain positioning information. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the connecting device can specifically be an optical module, an antenna device, a global positioning system ground receiver, or a power supply, etc., which can realize the reuse of available devices and improve device utilization.

In one possible implementation, the information stored by the at least one connection device includes at least one of the following: the serial number of the optical module, the serial number of the antenna device, the serial number of the remote global positioning system, or the serial number of the power supply. Therefore, in the implementation of the present application, the information stored by the connection device may include identification information of each connection device, thereby allowing the second device to obtain more accurate identification of each connection device, thereby obtaining a configuration based on more accurate information, and improving the success rate of obtaining a correct configuration.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device obtaining the first information. After being powered on, the second device may obtain information stored by at least one connection device to facilitate subsequent request for configuration information from the network management device.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned second device obtaining the first information may include: the second device reading the first information from at least one connection device, where the first information includes information written by the first device into a storage space of the at least one connection device. Therefore, in the implementation of the present application, the first device can directly write information to the connection device (i.e., a reused connection device), so that the second device can obtain the required configuration information of the second device based on the information stored in the connection device with more accurate information, thereby improving the configuration success rate and configuration efficiency.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned first information may further include information about the first device, such as the ESN or name of the first device, or configuration information of the second device. For example, after the first device completes configuration, if the storage space of the connection device is not less than the size occupied by the configuration information of the first device, the first device may write the configuration information of the first device into the storage space of the connection device. If the storage space of the connection device is less than the size occupied by the configuration information of the first device, the first device may write identification information such as the ESN or name of the first device into the storage space of the connection device, thereby achieving data backup of the first device.

In one possible embodiment, after the second device receives the configuration information of the second device, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device writing second information to at least one connected device, where the second information is used by the third device to obtain the corresponding configuration from the network management device after the second device is replaced with the third device. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, after the second device completes the configuration, the data may also be backed up in the connected device, so that after the device is replaced next time, a more accurate configuration can be obtained again based on the information saved by the connected device.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned method may further include: the second device sending second device information, such as the second device's name, ESN, or device type. Therefore, while requesting the second device's configuration information from the network management device, the second device may also send its own information. This allows the network management device to combine the second device's information with the second device's information when generating the second device's configuration information to generate configuration information compatible with the second device. Furthermore, when updating its stored configuration information for the second device, the network management device may associate the second device's information with the second device's configuration information, effectively preserving a mapping relationship between the second device and the second device's configuration information.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned network management device sends the configuration information of the second device based on the first information, which may include: the network management device obtains the configuration information of the first device from the associated data based on the first information, the associated data includes the configuration information of multiple devices, and the multiple devices include the first device; the network management device sends the configuration information of the second device.

In the implementation manner of the present application, the network management device can extract the configuration information of the first device from the acquired associated data, thereby obtaining the configuration information of the second device.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned network management device sending the configuration information of the second device according to the configuration information of the first device may include: the network management device using the configuration information of the first device as the configuration information of the second device, and sending the configuration information of the second device.

In the implementation manner of the present application, the network management device can directly use the old device configuration as the new device configuration. For example, in a scenario where the new device is replaced with the same model as the old device, the configuration of the new device can be quickly implemented.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned first information also includes information of the second device, and the network management device sends the configuration information of the second device based on the configuration information of the first device, including: the network management device generates the configuration information of the second device for the second device based on the configuration information of the first device and the information of the second device, and sends the configuration information of the second device.

In the embodiment of the present application, the network management device generates adapted second device configuration information for the new device based on the configuration of the old device and the information of the new device, thereby improving the configuration efficiency and configuration success rate of the new device.

In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including:

a transceiver module configured to send first information if the first device is replaced with a second device, the first information including information stored by at least one connection device, the at least one connection device being a device that establishes a connection with the second device, and the at least one connection device being connected to the first device before the first device is replaced;

The transceiver module is further configured to receive configuration information of the second device, where the configuration information of the second device is used to configure the second device.

Among them, the effects achieved by the fifth aspect or any optional implementation of the fifth aspect can be found in the description of the aforementioned first aspect or any optional implementation of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned device may further include: an updating module, configured to update a local configuration according to the configuration information of the second device.

In one possible embodiment, the at least one connecting device mentioned above includes one or more of the following: an optical module, an antenna device, a global positioning system ground receiver or a power supply. The optical module can be used to convert optical signals and electrical signals to convert electrical signals into optical signals for transmission. The antenna device is used to provide hardware support for wireless transmission of data and can convert electrical signals into electromagnetic wave signals for wireless transmission of data. The global positioning system ground receiver is used to obtain positioning information.

In a possible implementation, the information stored in the aforementioned at least one connecting device includes at least one of the following: a serial number of an optical module, a serial number of an antenna device, a serial number of a remote global positioning system, or a serial number of a power supply.

In a possible implementation manner, the configuration information of the second device includes one or more of the following configuration information of the second device: system information, sector information, address information, and information of a virtual local area network to which the second device belongs.

In a possible implementation, the transceiver module is further configured to obtain the first information.

In a possible implementation, the transceiver module is specifically configured to read first information from at least one connection device, where the first information includes information written by the first device into a storage space of the at least one connection device.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned transceiver module is further used to write second information into at least one connection device after receiving the configuration information of the second device, and the second information is used for the third device to obtain the corresponding configuration from the network management device after the second device is replaced by the third device.

In a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module is further configured to send information of the second device.

In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a network management device, including:

a transceiver module, configured to receive first information, the first information including information of at least one connection device, the at least one connection device being a device that establishes a connection with the second device;

The transceiver module is further configured to send configuration information of the second device according to the first information, where the configuration information of the second device is used to configure the second device.

Among them, the effects achieved by the sixth aspect or any optional implementation of the sixth aspect can be found in the description of the aforementioned second aspect or any optional implementation of the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

In a possible implementation, the network management device may further include:

a processing module, configured to obtain configuration information of the first device from associated data according to the first information, where the associated data includes data of a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices may include the first device, and the configuration information of the first device is configuration information of the first device;

The transceiver module is further configured to send configuration information of the second device according to the configuration information of the first device.

In a possible implementation, the processing module is configured to use the configuration information of the first device as the configuration information of the second device.

In a possible implementation, the transceiver module is further configured to receive information from the second device;

The processing module is configured to generate second device configuration information for the second device according to the configuration information of the first device and information of the second device.

In a possible implementation manner, the configuration information of the second device includes one or more of the following configuration information of the second device: system information, sector information, address information, and information of a virtual local area network to which the second device belongs.

In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication system, including a network management device and a second device;

The second device may be used to perform the steps performed by the second device in the first aspect or any optional embodiment of the first aspect;

The network management device can be used to execute the steps executed by the network management device in the aforementioned second aspect or any optional implementation manner of the second aspect.

Optionally, the communication system may further include at least one connecting device for executing the steps executed by the second device in the aforementioned third aspect or any optional embodiment of the third aspect.

In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the processor and the memory are interconnected via a circuit, and the processor invokes program code in the memory to execute the processing-related functions of any of the methods described in the first aspect. Optionally, the communication device may be a chip.

In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the processor and the memory are interconnected via a circuit, and the processor invokes program code in the memory to execute the processing-related functions of any of the methods described in the first aspect. Optionally, the communication device may be a chip.

In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which can also be called a digital processing chip or chip. The chip includes a processing unit and a communication interface. The processing unit obtains program instructions through the communication interface, and the program instructions are executed by the processing unit. The processing unit is used to perform processing-related functions in any optional implementation of the first or second aspect mentioned above.

In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in any optional implementation of the first or second aspect above.

In the twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in any optional implementation of the first or second aspect above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by the present application;

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided by the present application;

FIG3 is a flow chart of a device configuration method provided by the present application;

FIG4 is a flow chart of another device configuration method provided by the present application;

FIG5 is a schematic diagram of configuration information provided by this application;

FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by this application;

FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a data format provided by this application;

FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another data format provided by this application;

FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another configuration information provided by this application;

FIG10 is a flow chart of another device configuration method provided by the present application;

FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided by the present application;

FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a network management device provided by the present application;

FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in this application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following will describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) networks, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) networks, LTE time division duplex (TDD) networks, fifth generation (5G) mobile communication networks or new radio (NR) networks, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) or communication networks applied to the future or other similar communication networks. In this application, the network may also be referred to as a system. The network architecture and business scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. It is known to those skilled in the art that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

FIG1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a possible, non-limiting communication system (or communication network). As shown in FIG1 , the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) and a core network (CN). The RAN includes at least one RAN node and at least one user device. The RAN may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and/or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG1 ). The user device is connected to the RAN node wirelessly. The RAN node is connected to the core network wirelessly or by wire. The core network devices in the core network and the RAN nodes in the RAN may be different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device that integrates the core network logical functions and the radio access network logical functions.

The RAN can be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolutionary system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) system, or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

RAN nodes, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, access devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, form part of a communication system and facilitate wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes in a communication system can be of the same type or different types. RAN nodes and user equipment are sometimes referred to as communication devices.

In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, satellite base station, evolved NodeB (eNodeB), transmission reception point (TRP), next-generation NodeB (gNB), next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, base station in a future mobile communication system, or access node in a Wi-Fi system. A RAN node can be a macro base station, micro base station, indoor station, relay node, donor node, or wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Alternatively, a RAN node can be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or onboard device. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist user devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functionality. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be separate or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), a remote radio head (RRH), a radio frequency unit (RFU), or an active antenna unit (AAU).

In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU.

This application is described by taking the RAN node as an access network device as an example.

2 , which is an exemplary schematic diagram of another communication system architecture provided by the present application, wherein the communication system may include a RAN node 20 and a network management system 21 , wherein the network management system may include at least one network management device.

The network management system can be deployed independently or in the core network.

Accordingly, the network management system can configure all or part of the functions implemented by the RAN node, such as performing resource configuration or resource scheduling for the RAN node.

In addition, devices connected to RAN nodes may also include optical modules, antenna line devices (ALDs), remote global positioning systems (RGPSs), or power modules. Specifically, power modules may include uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) or batteries, etc. These devices connected to RAN nodes may also be referred to as peripheral devices, connection devices, or interconnected devices. These devices may be co-located with or separate from the RAN nodes, and this application does not limit this.

The connection device connected to the RAN node can be used to support the operation of the base station, such as providing hardware support for the wireless communication function of the base station, providing energy, providing wireless transmission support, etc. Among them:

Optical module: It can convert optical signals into electrical signals. In RAN nodes, it can be used to transmit information between DU and RU.

ALD: It converts electrical signals into electromagnetic waves for wireless data transmission. When the RAN node is a RU, the RU can communicate with the ALD according to the Antenna Interface Standards Group (AISG) protocol specifications or according to a protocol agreed upon between the RU and ALD.

RGPS: can be used in RAN nodes to implement positioning functions.

Power modules: These modules provide power to RAN nodes and can include UPS or batteries. A UPS is a power supply with an energy storage device. When connected to a RAN node, it provides uninterrupted power to the node. Batteries are also energy storage devices that consume their stored energy to directly power the RAN node. The connection between the RAN node and the connection device enables access network equipment operation, data processing, or transmission.

Typically, the installation or replacement of a new base station involves two phases: the base station installation phase and the commissioning and debugging phase. During the base station installation phase, site maintenance personnel complete the base station installation by performing hardware connections according to the base station installation drawings. During the commissioning and debugging phase, the site maintenance personnel first pass the site name and electronic serial number (ESN) to the back-end network management personnel. The network management personnel complete the site commissioning data configuration based on the site name and ESN, then notify the site maintenance personnel that the commissioning data configuration is complete. The site maintenance personnel then powers on the base station proximally. After the base station is powered on, the network element management system retrieves the commissioning data corresponding to the ESN based on the ESN to facilitate base station commissioning. Therefore, during the commissioning phase, the front-end site maintenance personnel and the back-end network management personnel need to communicate the ESN of the currently installed base station so that the base station can obtain the commissioning data based on the ESN after powering on. The existing solution for commissioning a base station is relatively complex.

Secondly, current base station deployment is based on the granularity of network elements, and the base station deployment data includes two parts: DU and RU. Network planners need to plan the DU and RU to be used at the site based on the site name, and front-end maintenance personnel also need to strictly follow the planned device list and accurately install them in the corresponding locations.

In addition, some possible solutions also use a method of obtaining site commissioning data based on the location information of the site to be commissioned, so that the base station commissioning process can automatically obtain site commissioning data and complete the base station commissioning. Obtaining site commissioning data by reporting site location information relatively reduces the process of manual intervention; however, the method of configuring site commissioning data by site location only allows the network management system to obtain the site location and cannot accurately determine which specific device is being configured, so it cannot confirm the installation status of all modules at the site. At the same time, it is impossible to determine the correctness of the installation azimuth angle of the front-end RF device and the configuration accuracy of multiple front-end RF devices in similar locations. In other words, third-party access is also required to realize site commissioning or site replacement.

Therefore, the present application provides a device configuration method to improve efficiency when opening a site or replacing equipment.

3 , which is a flow chart of a device configuration method provided by the present application, the method may include the following steps:

301. After the first device is replaced by the second device, the second device sends first information to the network management device.

The first device or the second device may specifically be a module in the aforementioned RAN node. For example, the first device or the second device may be at least one module such as an AAU, an RRU, an RRH, an RFU, or an RU. The first device and the second device may be modules of the same type, such as both may be AAUs. Of course, they may also be modules of different types, such as the first device being an AAU and the second device being an RRU.

After the first device is replaced with the second device, the one or more connecting devices connected to the first device before the replacement can be reused, that is, the one or more connecting devices are connected to the second device. The one or more connecting devices may include, but are not limited to, the aforementioned optical module, ALD, RGPS, or UPS module.

The first information may include information stored by the first or multiple connection devices.

In one possible implementation, the information stored by the one or more connection devices may specifically include identification information of the connection devices. For example, the information stored by the one or more connection devices may include, but is not limited to: a serial number (SN) of an optical module, a SN of an ALD, a SN of an RGPS, or an identification of a power module (such as a SN of a UPS). Specifically, when the one or more connection devices include an optical module, the first information may include the SN of the optical module; when the one or more connection devices include an ALD, the first information may include the SN of the ALD; when the one or more connection devices include an RGPS, the first information may include the SN of the RGPS; when the one or more connection devices include a power module, the first information may include an identification of the power supply, such as a SN of a UPS.

In addition, the information stored by the connection device may also include information about the first device, that is, the first information may also include information about the first device. The information about the first device may specifically include identity information of the first device (such as the ESN22 or device name of the first device) or the device type of the first device.

If a storage space for storing data is provided in the connected device, the first device can write data to the storage space before it is replaced. For example, the first device can write its identification information (such as a serial number or name) and configuration information. After the first device is replaced with a second device, the second device can actively read the data stored in the storage space, or the connected device can send data from the storage space to the second device, thereby obtaining the information stored in the connected device.

Therefore, after the first device is replaced with the second device, when the first device writes the identification information of the first device into the storage space, the second device can read the identification information of the first device to facilitate subsequent acquisition of the configuration information of the second device.

Configuration information of the first device Configuration information of the first device Configuration information of the first device In a possible implementation, the second device may also send information about the second device to the network management device so that the network management device can configure more suitable configuration information for it based on the information of the second device.

In some possible scenarios, before the first device is replaced, the pre-replacement first device may also write the first device's configuration information into a storage space provided in the connection device, and the second device may read the first device's configuration information from the storage space. The configuration information of the first device can be found in the description of the configuration information of the second device in step 302, and will not be repeated here.

In a scenario where a second device reads the configuration information of a first device from a connection device, the second device can use the configuration information of the first device as the configuration information of the second device, thereby enabling the second device to efficiently obtain information about the second device based on the information stored by the connection device. The second device can also send the information about the first device to a network management device, which can then obtain the configuration information of the second device based on the configuration information of the first device, thereby improving the efficiency of the network management device in obtaining the configuration information of the first device.

302. The network management device sends configuration information of the second device to the second device.

The network management system may store association data, which may include configuration information of each device in the communication system and information on the topology of each device.

The configuration information of each device may specifically include configuration information of one or more devices in the communication system, and the configuration information of each device may be used to support the device to communicate in the communication network. The configuration information of each device may specifically include configuration parameters of the device's communication resources to support the device to operate in the communication network.

The topology information of each device may include information about connection relationships between devices in the communication system or between each device and a corresponding connection device. Each device in the communication system may include a first device before replacement. Accordingly, the topology information of each device may include information about connection relationships between the first device before replacement and one or more connection devices connected thereto.

The network management device can use the first information sent by the second device to obtain the configuration information of the first device from the associated data. For example, the configuration information of the first device can be obtained by querying the associated data based on the identifiers of one or more connected devices carried in the first information.

The configuration information of the second device is obtained based on the configuration information of the first device. For example, the configuration information of the first device may be used as the configuration information of the second device, or the configuration information of the first device may be adjusted and used as the information of the second device. The manner of adjusting the configuration information of the first device may specifically include adjusting the radio resource configuration parameters configured for the second device or adjusting the hardware configuration parameters of the second device.

The network management device then sends the configuration information of the second device to the second device. The configuration information of the second device can be used to configure the second device, thereby supporting the second device to operate in the communication network.

Optionally, the configuration information of the second device in the embodiment of the present application may specifically include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following information: system information, sector information, address information, information of the virtual local area network to which it belongs, etc.

The standard information may include information about the network standard supported by the second device. For example, the standard information may be the LTE standard, or the NR standard, etc. That is, if the standard information is the LTE standard, then the second device supports the LTE standard.

The sector information may include information about the sector under the second device, specifically including information such as the frequency, power, bandwidth or direction angle of the sector. For example, the wireless signal coverage range of a base station can usually be divided into multiple sectors, and each device in the base station can cover one or more sectors. For example, the sector information configured for the second device may include information about the sectors supported by the second device, such as sector 1, sector 2, or sector 3. If the sector information is information about sector 1, then the second device corresponds to sector 1, or it can also be understood that the second device provides communication functions for users served by sector 1, and so on.

The address information may include various types of addresses of the second device. For example, the address information may include at least one of an IP address and a home address. For example, if the address information includes an IP address, the IP address of the second device is the IP address in the address information.

The virtual local area network information may include information about the second device in the virtual local area network, such as an identifier or name of the second device in the virtual local area network. For example, the virtual local area network information may include an identifier (ID) of the virtual local area network, for example, the identifier of the virtual local area network may be represented by a virtual local area network (VLAN) ID.

The method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the device replacement scenario in the communication system. The network management system usually saves the configuration information corresponding to the device before the replacement and the information of the connection device connected to the device before the replacement, or the network management system can save the configuration information and topology information of each device in the communication system. In the embodiments of the present application, when the device is replaced, the replaced device can obtain the configuration information available for the new device from the network management system based on the information saved by the device before the replacement. The network management system can use the configuration information and topology information of each device in the communication system to obtain the configuration information of the new device and send it to the new device, thereby realizing a more intelligent device configuration in the device replacement scenario. In the device configuration process, no manual participation or third-party participation is required, that is, the manual participation process or third-party participation process is reduced, which can improve the efficiency of device configuration. Compared with the configuration method based on the positioning of the device, the embodiments of the present application use the information of the connection device to request configuration information from the network management device, so that the network management device can more accurately distinguish between the front-end and the remote device, and realize more accurate device configuration.

The following describes step 302 in detail.

First, the network management system can store association data. This association data can specifically include information about each device in the communication network and its corresponding configuration information. For example, this association data can include the ESN of each device and its corresponding configuration information. This association data associates the ESN of each device with its configuration information, allowing the network management system to query the device's configuration information based on the device's ESN.

The associated data may also include information about the connected device corresponding to each device. The connected device corresponding to each device is information about the device connected to each device. For example, the associated data may store information about the connected device corresponding to each device, such as the SN of the optical module, ALD, RGPS, or UPS connected to each device. This allows the network management system to query the ESN and configuration information of the corresponding device based on the SN of the connected device.

The associated data may be stored in a network management device or in a separately deployed database. When the associated data is stored in a separately deployed database, the network management device may read the associated data from the database using a read instruction of the database. If the associated data is stored in the network management device, it may be divided into multiple situations. Specifically, the network management system may include one or more network management devices. When the network management system includes only one network management device, the network management device may directly read the associated data locally. When the network management system includes multiple network management devices, after the network management device connected to the second device receives the first information sent by the second device, if the associated data storing the configuration information of the first device is stored in other network management devices, the network management device connected to the second device may request the associated data from the other network management devices.

Secondly, the network management device may query the configuration information of the first device from the associated data based on the first information.

In a possible implementation, the first information may carry information about one or more connection devices connected to the first device before replacement, and the network management device may query the configuration information of the first device corresponding to the connection device from the associated data based on the information of the connection device carried in the first information. For example, when the first information includes the SN of the optical module, the network management device may query the configuration information of the device corresponding to the SN of the optical module from the associated data to obtain the configuration information of the first device; when the first information includes the SN of the ALD, the network management device may query the configuration information of the device corresponding to the ALD from the associated data to obtain the configuration information of the first device; when the first information includes the SN of the RGPS, the network management device may query the configuration information of the device corresponding to the SN of the RGPS from the associated data to obtain the configuration information of the first device; when the first information includes the SN of the UPS, the network management device may query the configuration information of the device corresponding to the SN of the UPS from the associated data to obtain the configuration information of the first device.

In a possible implementation, the first information may also carry information of the first device, such as the ESN of the first device. The network management device may query the associated data for corresponding configuration information based on the information of the first device to obtain the configuration information of the first device.

Subsequently, after the network management device obtains the configuration information of the first device from the associated data, it can obtain the configuration information of the second device based on the configuration information of the first device and send the configuration information of the second device to the second device.

Specifically, the network management device may directly use the configuration information of the first device as the configuration information of the second device, or may adjust parameters of the configuration information of the first device to obtain the configuration information of the second device.

In one possible implementation, the network management device uses the configuration information of the first device as the configuration information of the second device and sends the second device's configuration information to the second device. That is, the network management device can directly send the configuration information of the old device to the new device, allowing the new device to reuse the configuration of the old device. For example, if the first and second devices are the same model, that is, the second device supports the frequency band or power supported by the first device, the configuration information of the first device can be directly used as the configuration information of the second device. That is, the second device can operate normally based on the configuration information of the first device, and the configuration information of the first device can be used as the configuration information of the second device.

In one possible implementation, the second device further sends information about the second device, such as the ESN of the second device, to the network management device. The network management device may generate configuration information for the second device based on the configuration information of the first device and the information of the second device. For example, the information of the second device may include the ESN, device type, and supported parameter ranges of the second device. Based on this information, the network management device generates configuration information for the second device that is compatible with the functions supported by the second device, thereby enabling the second device to operate based on more compatible configuration information. For example, based on the information of the second device, the network management device may obtain the range of parameters such as the frequency band, power, or azimuth supported by the second device. If the range of parameters such as the frequency band, power, or azimuth supported by the second device differs from the range indicated by the configuration information of the first device, the network management device may allocate more compatible configuration information to the second device based on the parameters such as the frequency band, power, or azimuth supported by the second device, thereby obtaining the configuration information of the second device. For example, the generated configuration information for the second device may include a sector frequency band within the frequency band supported by the second device, a sector power within the power range supported by the second device, and the like, thereby allocating more compatible configuration information to the second device.

Optionally, after obtaining the configuration information of the second device, the network management device may also update the associated data. This may include storing the information of the second device and its configuration information in the associated data, or replacing the original information of the first device and its configuration information in the associated data with the information of the second device and its configuration information, so that the network management device can subsequently query the configuration information of the second device from the associated data.

The above is an introduction to the method flow provided by this application. The following is a more detailed introduction to the method flow provided by this application in combination with the application scenario.

For example, the first device and the second device are described as radio frequency units in a RAN node. The first device may be referred to as radio frequency unit 0, and the second device may be referred to as radio frequency unit 1. The RAN node may refer to the corresponding RAN node 20 in FIG. 2 , and radio frequency unit 0 and radio frequency unit 1 may refer to the description of radio frequency units such as the BBU, AAU, or RRU.

Referring to FIG4 , a flow chart of another device configuration method provided by the present application is as follows.

401. Store associated data in the communication network.

After each RF unit in the communication network is configured, the network management device may store the association between the information of each RF unit in the communication network and the configuration information in the association data. For example, after the configuration of RF unit 0 is completed, the identifier of RF unit 0 and the corresponding configuration information may be stored in the association data. For details of the configuration information in the association data, please refer to the description of the configuration information in step 302.

Furthermore, the network management device may also store information about the connection devices connected to each RF unit in the association data. That is, the association data may store the association between the information of each RF unit, the configuration information of the RF unit, and the information about the connection devices of each RF unit. Specifically, the information about each RF unit in the association data may include identification information of the RF unit, the device type of the RF unit, or identification information of the connection device connected to the RF unit. The identification information of the RF unit may include the ESN or name of the RF unit, and the identification information of the connection device may include the serial number or name of the connection device.

For example, one possible association data may be shown in FIG5 . The association data in this figure includes RF unit information and configuration information. The RF unit information is information about RF unit 0. The RF unit information may include the device type, device identifier, characteristic attributes, and associated configuration of RF unit 0. The configuration information is the configuration information corresponding to RF unit 0. The device type is the type of RF unit 0, such as an AAU or RRU. The device identifier is the identifier of RF unit 0, such as ESN0 of RF unit 0. The characteristic attributes may be used to represent the topological relationship between RF unit 0 and the connected device. The characteristic attributes may specifically include identification information of connected devices such as optical modules and ALDs connected to RF unit 0, such as SN0 of optical module 0 used by RF unit 0. The associated configuration is used to establish an association between the device information and the configuration information. The associated configuration includes a configuration name used to identify the configuration information of RF unit 0. For example, if the name of the configuration information of RF unit 0 is ID1, the associated configuration in the RF unit 0 information may be filled with ID1. The RF unit information of RF unit 0 is associated with the configuration information of RF unit 0 through the associated configuration item. In the configuration information of RF unit 0, the configuration information is named ID1; the standard information is the standard supported by RF unit 0, for example, LTE; and the sector information is the sector in which RF unit 0 operates, for example, sector 1. The configuration information may also include address information of RF unit 0, which is not shown in FIG5 . Any configuration information about the RF unit may be included in the configuration information in the associated data.

Furthermore, the presentation format of the configuration information is not limited to that shown in FIG5 . In one possible scenario, the configuration information includes multiple copies, each of which has a configuration name. For example, in the device information of the associated data, the associated configuration may include ID1 and ID2. The configuration information corresponding to ID1 may include the standard information and sector information of RF unit 0, while the configuration information corresponding to ID2 may include the address information of RF unit 2 and information about the virtual local area network to which it belongs.

In a possible implementation, the associated data may also be stored in a mapping table. For example, the associated data may be as shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Each column in the mapping table may represent a type of information, and each row may represent information corresponding to a radio frequency unit, including the ESN of the radio frequency unit, the ESNs of one or more connected devices, and configuration information.

The site device column in the mapping table may include the ESN of the radio frequency unit, such as ESN1 of the radio frequency unit 0 in the embodiment of the present application.

The mapping table also includes multiple columns for connection devices, each of which represents information about a connection device, such as the SN of an optical module, ALD, or RGPS. Each connection device can have one or two columns. For example, a single RF unit can be connected to two optical modules, two ALDs, or three optical modules. We will not go into detail here regarding all possible scenarios; we will only use two columns of optical modules for each RF unit as an example.

The configuration information column may include specific configuration information of the radio frequency unit, such as configuration information 1, which is the configuration information corresponding to the device identified as ESN1, configuration information 2, which is the configuration information corresponding to the device identified as ESN2, and so on. The configuration information 1 or configuration information 2, etc., can refer to the description of the aforementioned step 302 or the description corresponding to the aforementioned FIG5 , and will not be repeated here. The aforementioned associated data can be stored in a network management device in the network management system, or can be stored in an independently deployed data storage center. If the associated data is stored in the network management system, when the network management system includes only one network management device, the associated data can be stored in the one network management device. When the network management system includes multiple network management devices, the associated data can also be distributedly stored in the network management devices in the network management system. For example, when the network management system includes multiple network management devices, each network management device can store associated data including the configuration information of the radio frequency unit connected to it.

In one possible scenario, the associated data is stored in a distributed manner. For example, a network management system may include multiple network management devices. The associated data may be stored in different distributed network management devices, and data intercommunication may be achieved between the various network management devices. When a network management device needs to obtain associated data, it may use the intercommunication between the various network management devices to read the data stored by other nodes. For example, when network management device 0 needs to read the configuration information of radio frequency unit 0 from network management device 1, network management device 0 may send a request carrying the ESN or SN of radio frequency unit 0 to network management device 1, requesting network management device 1 to query the configuration information corresponding to the ESN or SN from the stored associated data and send it to network management device 0.

402. After the device is replaced, the radio frequency unit 1 collects information stored in the connected device.

In some scenarios, such as when RF unit 0 is outdated, malfunctioning, or undergoing an upgrade, the RF unit can be replaced. After RF unit 0 is replaced with RF unit 1, one or more connection devices connected to RF unit 0 can be reused. That is, after RF unit 0 is replaced with RF unit 1, the one or more connection devices can continue to be connected to RF unit 1, or a connection can be established between RF unit 1 and the one or more connection devices.

For example, as shown in Figure 6, RF unit 0 is connected to one or more connection devices, such as an optical module, ALD or RGPS. In addition, the connection device may also include a power supply, UPS, etc., which are not listed here one by one. If RF unit 0 needs to be replaced, such as RF unit 0 is faulty or aged and cannot communicate normally, or the hardware of the RF unit in the network needs to be updated, the operation and maintenance personnel can replace RF unit 0 with RF unit 1. The device type of RF unit 1 can be the same as the device type of RF unit 0, or it can be different. It can be determined according to the actual application scenario, and this application does not limit this.

After RF unit 1 is powered on, it can establish a connection with one or more connected devices, allowing RF unit 0 to obtain information stored by the one or more connected devices through the established connection. The stored information can be proactively sent to RF unit 1 by each connected device, or the RF unit 1 can proactively request the stored information from each connected device. The specific decision can be made based on the actual application scenario.

Specifically, the information of the connection device may include, but is not limited to, the name, serial number, or other identification of the connection device, such as the SN of the optical module, the SN of the ALD, the serial number (SN) of the RGPS, the SN of the UPS, or the identification of other modules.

403. The radio frequency unit 1 sends first information to the network management device, including information of the radio frequency unit 1 and information stored in the connection device.

The information of the radio frequency unit 1 itself may include the ESN, device type, name or other identifiers of the radio frequency unit 1. The device type of the radio frequency unit 1 may specifically include AAU, RRU, RRH, RFU, RU and other types.

After being powered on, the RF unit 1 can establish a connection with the network management device, and then based on the connection with the network management device, it can send its own identification and information stored by the connection device to the network management device to request the configuration information of the RF unit 1 from the network management device.

Typically, when a station is changed, the new device may not have available configurations, and therefore needs to request configuration information from the network management device. However, in the embodiment of the present application, the new device can request the required configuration information based on the information of the connected device, which is equivalent to sending accurate request credentials to the network management device.

When the radio frequency unit 1 sends the first information to the network management device, the radio frequency unit 1 may send the first information through a data interface between the radio frequency unit 1 and the network management device.

In one possible implementation method, the radio frequency unit 1 can send the first information through an interface such as a fronthaul interface, a common public radio interface (CPRI) or an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI).

Specifically, one possible scenario is that the format of the first information can be an Ethernet (ETH) frame format. Figure 7 takes the Ethernet II frame format as an example, and the first information is located in the Ethernet II frame. The Ethernet II frame may include, but is not limited to, a destination media access control address (DMAC) field, a source media access control address (SMAC) field, a type (TYPE) field, a data (DATA) field, and a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) field. Specifically, the first information is located in the data field. As shown in Figure 7, the data field includes the first information. Further, optionally, a flag bit can be placed in the first part of the first information in the data field. The flag bit can be used to locate the starting position of the first information. In addition, the Ethernet frame can also be an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 frame. Similar to the Ethernet II frame, the IEEE802.3 frame also includes a data field, and the first information can also be located in the data field. Further, optionally, a flag bit can also be placed before the starting position of the first information in the IEEE802.3 frame, which is not illustrated in the figure.

Another possible scenario is that the format of the first information is a high-level data link control (HDLC) frame. Figure 8 uses the HDLC frame format as an example, and the first information is located in the HDLC frame. The HDLC frame may include, but is not limited to, a flag field, an address field, a control field, an information field, and a frame check sequence (FCS) field. The information field includes the first information. Similarly, a flag bit may be placed before the first information to locate the first information.

In addition, regardless of the above possible situations, the flag bit can be placed in various forms. For example, a flag bit can be placed before the identifier of the radio frequency unit 0, and a flag bit can also be placed before the identifiers of one or more connection devices used by the radio frequency unit 0 before replacement. In addition, the order of placing the identifier of the radio frequency unit 0 and the identifier of the connection device (such as the identifier of the optical module) is not limited in this application.

404. The network management device obtains configuration information of the radio frequency unit 1.

After receiving the first information uploaded by RF unit 1, the network management device can obtain the information of RF unit 0 or the information of at least one connected device carried in the first information, and obtain the configuration information corresponding to RF unit 0 from the associated data based on the information of RF unit 0 or the information of at least one connected device. Subsequently, the configuration information corresponding to RF unit 1 is obtained based on the configuration information corresponding to RF unit 0. For example, the configuration information corresponding to RF unit 0 is used as the configuration information corresponding to RF unit 1, or the configuration information corresponding to RF unit 0 is adjusted to obtain configuration information that is more compatible with the configuration of RF unit 1. The configuration information can be referred to the description corresponding to the aforementioned step 302 or Figure 5, and will not be repeated here.

The network management device can determine the configuration information associated with RF unit 0 from the associated data based on the received first information. For example, in conjunction with Figure 5 , the first information can carry SN0 of the optical module connected to the replaced RF unit 1. The network management device queries the RF unit information of RF unit 0 containing SN0 from the associated data, further reads the associated configuration ID1 therein, and then obtains the configuration information of RF unit 0 by reading the configuration information named ID1.

After the network management device reads the configuration information of RF unit 0, it can directly use the configuration information of RF unit 0 as the configuration information of RF unit 1, or it can adjust the configuration information of RF unit 0 to generate more suitable configuration information for RF unit 1.

In one possible scenario, the configuration of RF unit 0 can be used as the configuration of RF unit 1, for example, by directly delivering the configuration of RF unit 0 to RF unit 1. For example, if RF unit 0 fails and is replaced by RF unit 1, and the replacement RF unit 1 supports the same parameters as RF unit 0, RF unit 1 can directly inherit the configuration of RF unit 0. That is, the network management device can directly use the configuration of RF unit 0 as the configuration of RF unit 1, thereby obtaining the configuration information of RF unit 1.

In one possible scenario, RF unit 1 also uploads the first information and information about RF unit 1, such as the ESN, name, or device type of RF unit 1. In this scenario, the network management device can determine the configuration information related to RF unit 0 from the associated data based on the received first information, and adaptively generate configuration information that matches RF unit 1. For example, when RF unit 0 and RF unit 1 are of different models, the network management device can determine the range of functional parameters supported by RF unit 0 and RF unit 1 based on the models of RF unit 0 and RF unit 1, such as the supported power range or communication frequency range. For example, if RF unit 1 supports more standards or sectors than RF unit 0, the network management device can generate configuration information for RF unit 1 that is configured with more standards or different sectors than RF unit 0, thereby obtaining configuration information that matches RF unit 1 and sending it to RF unit 1.

405. The network management device sends configuration information to the radio frequency unit 1.

After the network management device obtains the configuration information of the radio frequency unit 1 , it can send the configuration information to the radio frequency unit 1 .

Furthermore, after the network management device obtains configuration information for RF unit 1, the associated data can be updated. For example, as shown in Figure 9 , the description of the associated data shown in Figure 9 can refer to the description corresponding to Figure 5 . In this embodiment, the identifier ESN0 of RF unit 0 in the associated relationship can be updated to the identifier ESN1 of RF unit 1. Furthermore, if the configuration information is updated, the data in the configuration information can also be updated accordingly. For example, if the standard of the RF unit is updated, the standard of RF unit 1 in the associated data can be updated.

406. RF unit 1 is configured.

After receiving the configuration information, the RF unit 1 configures parameters of the RF unit 1 based on the configuration information, so that the RF unit 1 can operate normally in the communication network.

For example, the sector information in the configuration information of the radio frequency unit 1 may include information such as the frequency, power, bandwidth or direction angle of the sector. After the radio frequency unit 1 receives the configuration information, the information carried in the configuration information can be used to configure the frequency, power, bandwidth or direction angle and other parameters of the sector corresponding to the radio frequency unit 1, thereby realizing the sector parameter configuration of the radio frequency unit 1.

Optionally, after the radio frequency unit 1 completes configuration, a configuration confirmation message may be sent to the network management device. After the network management device confirms the configuration of the radio frequency unit 1, subsequent communication processes may be performed.

Therefore, in the embodiments of the present application, the radio frequency unit 1 can use the information stored in the connection device to obtain the required configuration information. This process eliminates the need for manual or third-party involvement, reduces labor costs, and enables more intelligent configuration of the radio frequency unit 1. Furthermore, the information stored in the connection device can be used to more accurately distinguish whether the replaced device is a front-end or remote device, enabling more accurate device configuration, avoiding configuration failures caused by incorrect or large information errors, and improving the configuration success rate.

It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the replaced RF unit can obtain the information stored by the connection device of the RF unit before replacement through the information of the RF unit before replacement (such as the ESN of the RF unit before replacement), so that the configuration information of the replaced RF unit (such as power, bandwidth, frequency, etc.) can be requested from the network management device based on the information stored by the connection device of the RF unit before replacement; for example, after the replaced RF unit is powered on, it can report its own ESN and the SN of the surrounding interconnected connection devices. The network management device searches according to this information to obtain the configuration information of RF unit 0, and thus obtains the configuration information of RF unit 1 based on the configuration information of RF unit 0, and configures it into RF unit 1, thereby completing the replacement of the RF unit.

For example, in the method of planning corresponding site commissioning data based on site name and site device ESN, after the device is powered on, the site commissioning data is obtained through the ESN number to commission the base station. This requires the front-end installation personnel to communicate with the back-end network management personnel to install the site module ESN information. The network management personnel will only associate the data after obtaining the site device ESN. The overall process requires many manual interactions and is complicated. The method provided in the embodiment of the present application, which automatically obtains commissioning data based on the information of the connection device (such as optical module/ALD/RGPS, etc.), solves the problem that manual intervention is required to obtain commissioning data during the base station commissioning process, and the process is complicated.

For another example, with respect to the method of obtaining site opening data based on the location information of the site to be opened, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application uses a scheme for obtaining site opening data based on the information stored in the connection device, which can accurately configure the replaced device and can also solve the problem that the existing site opening configuration process cannot accurately distinguish the front-end remote device.

In addition, in some possible scenarios, the data stored in the connection device may include information of the connection device itself, and may also include information written by the radio frequency unit 0. The following describes the process of writing information to be backed up in the connection device by the radio frequency unit 0 before replacement.

For example, referring to FIG10 , the present application also provides a flowchart of a device configuration method.

1001. The radio frequency unit 0 writes backup data to the connection device.

In order to implement data backup, before the RF unit 0 is replaced, when the RF unit 0 is operating normally in the communication network, the data to be backed up may be stored in the storage space of one or more connection devices.

The data to be backed up may include information or all or part of the configuration information of RF unit 0. The information of RF unit 0 may specifically include information such as the ESN, name, or device type of RF unit 0. The configuration information of RF unit 0 can be found in the description of the configuration information of the second device in step 302 above, and will not be repeated here.

For example, if a storage space is set in one or more connecting devices, such as if a storage space is set in an optical module, if the storage space is larger than the space occupied by the configuration information of the radio frequency unit 0, the radio frequency unit 0 can directly write the configuration information in full into the storage space to achieve a full backup of the configuration information. For another example, if the storage space set in the connecting device is smaller, such as smaller than the space occupied by the configuration information of the radio frequency unit 0, the radio frequency unit 0 can write the information of the radio frequency unit 0 into the storage space, such as writing the ESN or device type (such as AAU, RRU, RRH, RFU, RU, etc.) of the radio frequency unit 0 into the storage space.

Furthermore, the backup data stored in the connection device may be specifically referred to the related description in the aforementioned step 301 or the aforementioned step 403, which will not be repeated here.

1002. After RF unit 0 is replaced with RF unit 1, RF unit 1 reads backup data from the connection device.

After the RF unit 0 is replaced with the RF unit 1, the RF unit 1 can read the backup data stored in the connection device.

When the configuration information of RF unit 0 is stored in the storage space of the connection device, RF unit 1 can directly read the available configuration information from the storage space and perform configuration based on the read configuration information to complete the device configuration more efficiently.

If the storage space of the connection device stores information of the radio frequency unit 0, such as the ESN, name, or device type of the radio frequency unit 0, the radio frequency unit 1 can request configuration information from the network management device based on the read information. The specific steps of the radio frequency unit 1 requesting the configuration information of the radio frequency unit 1 from the network management device can be referred to the corresponding descriptions of Figures 3 to 9 above, and will not be repeated here.

1003. The radio frequency unit 1 writes new backup data to the connection device.

After the configuration of RF unit 1 is complete, new backup data may be written to the storage space of the connected device. This new backup data may include information about RF unit 1 or configuration information about RF unit 1, thereby backing up the information about RF unit 1. The information about RF unit 1 may include information such as the ESN, name, or device type of RF unit 1. For the configuration information about RF unit 1, refer to the description of the configuration information of the second device in step 302 above and will not be repeated here.

Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, when a storage space is set up in the connection device, the information of the RF unit 0 before the replacement can be backed up in the storage space, such as the configuration information, identification information or device type information of the RF unit 0 before the replacement. Thus, when the RF unit 0 is replaced with the RF unit 1, the RF unit 1 can request the configuration information of the RF unit 1 from the network management device by reading the information of the RF unit 0 before the replacement backed up in the storage space, so as to obtain the required configuration information more efficiently and accurately, thereby improving the configuration efficiency and configuration accuracy of the new device.

The above describes the method flow provided by the present application. The following describes the device structure for executing the method provided by the present application in combination with the above method flow.

Referring to FIG11 , a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in the present application is provided. The communication device may be used to perform the steps performed by the second device in FIG3 to FIG10 . The communication device includes:

The transceiver module 1101 is configured to send first information when the first device is replaced with a second device, where the first information includes information stored by at least one connection device, the at least one connection device being a device that establishes a connection with the second device and being connected to the first device before the first device is replaced;

The transceiver module 1101 is further configured to receive configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the second device.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned apparatus may further include: an updating module 1102, configured to update a local configuration according to the configuration information.

In one possible embodiment, the at least one connecting device mentioned above includes one or more of the following: an optical module, an antenna device, a global positioning system ground receiver or a power supply. The optical module can be used to convert optical signals and electrical signals to convert electrical signals into optical signals for transmission. The antenna device is used to provide hardware support for wireless transmission of data and can convert electrical signals into electromagnetic wave signals for wireless transmission of data. The global positioning system ground receiver is used to obtain positioning information.

In a possible implementation, the information stored by the aforementioned at least one connecting device includes at least one of the following: a serial number of an optical module, a serial number of an antenna device, a serial number of a remote global positioning system, or a serial number of a power supply.

In a possible implementation manner, the configuration information includes one or more of the following configuration information of the second device: system information, sector information, address information, and information about a virtual local area network to which the second device belongs.

In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 1101 is further configured to obtain the first information.

In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 1101 is specifically used to read first information from at least one connected device, where the first information includes information written by the first device into a storage space of the at least one connected device. Before the first device is replaced with a second device, the first information corresponds to the first device.

In a possible implementation, the aforementioned transceiver module 1101 is further used to write second information into at least one connection device after receiving the configuration information, and the second information is used for the third device to obtain the corresponding configuration from the network management device after the second device is replaced with the third device.

In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 1101 is further configured to send information about the second device, where the information about the second device may include an identifier of the second device.

Referring to FIG. 12 , a schematic diagram of the structure of a network management device provided in the present application is provided. The communication device may be used to execute the steps executed by the network management device in FIG. 3 to FIG. 10 . The network management device may include:

The transceiver module 1201 is configured to receive first information, where the first information includes information about at least one connection device, where the at least one connection device is a device that establishes a connection with a second device;

The transceiver module 1201 is further configured to send configuration information of the second device according to the first information, where the configuration information of the second device is used to configure the second device.

In a possible implementation, the network management device may further include:

A processing module 1202 is configured to obtain configuration information of a first device from associated data according to the first information, where the associated data includes data of multiple devices, including the first device;

The transceiver module 1201 is further configured to send configuration information of the second device according to the configuration information of the first device.

In a possible implementation, the processing module 1202 is configured to use the configuration information of the first device as the configuration information of the second device.

In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 1201 is further configured to receive information from a second device;

The processing module is configured to generate configuration information for the second device according to the configuration information of the first device and the information of the second device.

In a possible implementation manner, the configuration information of the second device includes one or more of the following configuration information of the second device: system information, sector information, address information, and information of a virtual local area network to which the second device belongs.

As shown in Figure 13, a hardware structure diagram of a communication device 130 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The communication device 130 can be used to implement the functions of the second device or the network management device in the aforementioned method.

The communication device 130 shown in FIG13 may include: a processor 1301 , a memory 1302 , a communication interface 1303 , and a bus 1304 . The processor 1301 , the memory 1302 , and the communication interface 1303 may be connected via the bus 1304 .

Processor 1301 is the control center for generating communication device 130 and can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) or other general-purpose processor. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

As an example, processor 1301 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU 0 and CPU 1 shown in Figure 13.

The memory 1302 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to these.

In one possible implementation, memory 1302 may exist independently of processor 1301. Memory 1302 may be connected to processor 1301 via bus 1304 and used to store data, instructions, or program code. When processor 1301 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in memory 1302, the method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented.

In another possible implementation, the memory 1302 may also be integrated with the processor 1301 .

Communication interface 1303 is used to connect communication device 130 to other devices via a communication network. The communication network can be Ethernet, a radio access network (RAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), etc. Communication interface 1303 can include a receiving unit for receiving data and a sending unit for sending data.

Bus 1304 can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. This bus can be classified as an address bus, a data bus, or a control bus. For ease of illustration, FIG13 shows only one thick line, but this does not imply that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG13 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device 130. In addition to the components shown in FIG13, the communication device 130 may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the present application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware, and of course it can also be implemented by means of dedicated hardware including dedicated integrated circuits, dedicated CPUs, dedicated memories, dedicated components, etc. In general, any function performed by a computer program can be easily implemented by corresponding hardware, and the specific hardware structure used to implement the same function can also be diverse, such as analog circuits, digital circuits, or dedicated circuits. However, for the present application, software program implementation is a better implementation method in most cases. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a readable storage medium, such as a computer floppy disk, USB flash drive, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk or optical disk, etc., and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present application.

In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product.

A computer-readable storage medium is also provided in an embodiment of the present application, which stores a program for training a model or performing an inference task. When the program is run on a computer, the computer executes all or part of the steps in the method described in the embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 12 above.

The present application also provides a digital processing chip. The digital processing chip integrates circuitry and one or more interfaces for implementing the aforementioned processor or processor functions. When the digital processing chip integrates memory, it can perform the method steps of any one or more of the aforementioned embodiments. When the digital processing chip does not integrate memory, it can be connected to an external memory via a communication interface. The digital processing chip implements the method steps of any one or more of the aforementioned embodiments based on program code stored in the external memory.

A computer program product is also provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can store, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)).

Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which may include: ROM, RAM, disk or CD, etc.

The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. The term "and/or" in this application is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and/or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not necessarily limited to those steps or modules clearly listed, but may include other steps or modules that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. The naming or numbering of the steps in this application does not mean that the steps in the method flow must be executed in the time/logical sequence indicated by the naming or numbering. The named or numbered process steps can be changed in the execution order according to the technical purpose to be achieved, as long as the same or similar technical effects can be achieved. The division of modules in this application is a logical division. There may be other division methods when implementing in actual applications. For example, multiple modules can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other shown or discussed can be through some ports, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between modules can be electrical or other similar forms, which are not limited in this application. In addition, the modules or sub-modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, may or may not be physical modules, or may be distributed in multiple circuit modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this application.

Claims (29)

A device configuration method, comprising: If the first device is replaced with a second device, the second device sends a first message, where the first message includes information stored by at least one connection device, the at least one connection device being a device that establishes a connection with the second device, and the at least one connection device being connected to the first device before the first device is replaced; The second device receives configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure the second device. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The second device updates a local configuration according to the configuration information. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one connecting device comprises one or more of the following: Optical modules, antenna equipment, GPS receivers, or power modules. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information stored by the at least one connection device includes at least one of the following: Serial number of the optical module, serial number of the antenna device, serial number of the remote global positioning system, and serial number of the power supply. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the configuration information includes one or more of the following information of the second device: System information, sector information, address information, and information about the virtual local area network to which the second device belongs. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: The second device obtains the first information. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second device obtains the first information, comprising: The second device reads the first information from at least one connected device, and before the first device is replaced with the second device, the first information corresponds to the first device. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that after the second device receives the configuration information, the method further comprises: The second device writes second information into the at least one connection device, where the second information includes information about the second device, and the information about the second device includes an identifier of the second device. According to any one of claims 1 to 8, before the second device receives the configuration information value, the method further comprises: The second device sends the second device information. A device configuration method, comprising: receiving first information, the first information including information stored in at least one connection device, the at least one connection device being a device that establishes a connection with a second device, and the at least one connection device being connected to the first device before the first device is replaced with the second device; Configuration information of the second device is sent according to the first information, where the configuration information of the second device is used to configure the second device. The method according to claim 10, wherein sending configuration information according to the first information comprises: acquiring configuration information of the first device from associated data according to the first information, where the associated data includes configuration information corresponding to a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices including the first device; The configuration information of the second device is sent according to the configuration information of the first device. The method according to claim 11, wherein sending the configuration information of the second device according to the configuration information of the first device comprises: The configuration information of the first device is used as the configuration information of the second device, and the configuration information of the second device is sent. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: receiving information from the second device; Sending configuration information of the second device according to the configuration information of the first device includes: The configuration information of the second device is generated according to the configuration information of the first device and the information of the second device, and the configuration information of the second device is sent. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the first configuration information includes one or more of the following information of the second device: System information, sector information, address information, and information about the virtual local area network to which the second device belongs. A device configuration method, comprising: If the first device is replaced with a second device, the second device sends first information to the network management device, where the first information includes information stored by at least one connection device, the at least one connection device being a device that establishes a connection with the second device, and the at least one connection device being connected to the first device before the first device is replaced; The network management device sends configuration information of the second device to the second device according to the first information, where the configuration information of the second device is used to configure the second device. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: The second device updates a local configuration according to the configuration information of the second device. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the at least one connecting device comprises one or more of the following: Optical modules, antenna equipment, GPS receivers, or power modules. The method according to claim 17, wherein the information stored by the at least one connection device includes at least one of the following: Serial number of the optical module, serial number of the antenna device, serial number of the remote global positioning system, and serial number of the power supply. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the configuration information of the second device includes one or more of the following information of the second device: System information, sector information, address information, and information about the virtual local area network to which the second device belongs. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, further comprising: The second device obtains the first information. The method according to claim 20, wherein the second device obtains the first information, comprising: The second device reads the first information from at least one connected device, and before the first device is replaced with the second device, the first information corresponds to the first device. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the network management device sends the configuration information of the second device to the second device according to the first information, comprising: The network management device obtains configuration information of the first device from associated data according to the first information, where the associated data includes configuration information corresponding to a plurality of devices, and the plurality of devices includes the first device; The network management device sends the configuration information of the second device to the second device according to the configuration information of the first device. The method according to claim 22, wherein the network management device sends the first configuration information to the second device according to the configuration information of the first device, comprising: The network management device uses the configuration information of the first device as the first configuration information, and sends the first configuration information. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: The network management device receives information of the second device; The network management device sending the first configuration information according to the configuration information of the first device includes: The network management device generates the first configuration information for the second device according to the first configuration information and information of the second device, and sends the first configuration information. A communication system, characterized by comprising a network management device and a second device; The second device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The network management device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14. A device, characterized in that it comprises a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9. A device, characterized by comprising a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14. A computer program product, comprising a computer program or instructions, wherein when the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, the computer program or instructions implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14.