Claims:WE CLAIM
1. A method of X2-messaging in a Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN), the method comprising:
receiving, by a control unit in the C-RAN, a request from a first virtual eNodeB (eNB) associated with a source eNodeB (eNB) to establish a X2 interface with each virtual eNB associated with a set of neighbor eNBs;
selecting, by the control unit, a second virtual eNB associated with a target eNB from the virtual eNBs associated with the set of neighbor eNBs;
determining, by the control unit, whether the first virtual eNB associated with the source eNB and the second virtual eNB associated with the target eNB are co-located and/or running on same datacenter in the C-RAN;
transmitting, by the control unit, at least one X2 message between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB based on eNB information accessed from a shared storage when the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB are co-located on the datacenter; and
performing at least one X2 interface function on at least one of the source eNB and the target eNB based on the at least one X2 message transmitted between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one X2 interface function comprises at least one of handover coordination and load management between the source eNB and the target eNB.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the second virtual eNB associated with the target eNB from the virtual eNBs associated with the set of neighbor eNBs, comprises:
receiving, by the control unit, a request from the first virtual eNB to perform the handover coordination with one of the set of neighbor eNBs associated with the first virtual eNB;
obtaining, by the control unit, information associated with user equipment (UE) capacity and Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections of the first virtual eNB and each virtual eNB associated with the set of neighbor eNBs; and
selecting, by the control unit, the second virtual eNB associated with the target eNB from the set of neighbor eNBs by analyzing the UE capacity and the RRC connections of each virtual eNB based on a predefined criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
determining, by the control unit, a decision to establish at least one RRC connection from the target eNB associated with the second virtual eNB to the UE;
retrieving, by the control unit, configuration setting associated with the at least one RRC connection to be established from the target eNB to the UE; and
instructing the source eNB to share the configuration setting associated with the at least one RRC connection to the UE.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:
updating, in a shared storage, a new RRC connection established from the target eNB to the UE; and
automatically updating a set of neighboring eNBs of the target eNB and configuration settings associated with the set of neighboring eNBs list to perform a subsequent handover coordination.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein performing the load management based on the at least one X2 message transmitted between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB, comprises:
receiving, by the control unit, a request from the first virtual eNB to perform the load management with one of a set of neighbor eNBs associated with the first virtual eNB;
obtaining by the control unit, information associated with user equipment (UE) capacity and Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections of the first virtual eNB and the set of neighbor eNBs;
selecting, by the control unit, the second virtual eNB from the set of neighbor eNBs by analyzing the UE capacity and the RRC connections of each virtual eNB based on a predefined criteria; and
determining, by the control unit, a decision to exchange overload and traffic load information between the source eNB and the target eNB associated with the second virtual eNB.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one X2 message comprises X2 Application Protocol (X2-AP) messages and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) messages.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the X2-AP messages are transmitted between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB to perform load management and handover coordination at the source eNB and the target eNB.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the GTP messages are transmitted from the first virtual eNB to the second virtual eNB to forward UE downlink data buffered at the source eNB to the target eNB.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, by the control unit, at least one X2 message between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB through inter-process communication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the inter-process communication is performed by one of named-pipe, memory-mapped file, message queue, and a shared storage in the C-RAN.

12. A Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN) comprising:
a plurality of virtual eNodeBs; and
a control unit communicatively connected to each virtual eNodeB, wherein the control unit is to:
receive a request from a first virtual eNB associated with a source eNodeB (eNB) to establish a X2 interface with each virtual eNB associated with a set of neighbor eNBs;
select a second virtual eNB associated with a target eNB from the virtual eNBs associated with the set of neighbor eNBs;
determine whether a first virtual eNB associated with the source eNB and a second virtual eNB associated with the target eNB are co-located and/or running on same datacenter in the C-RAN;
transmit at least one X2 message between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB based on eNB information accessed from a shared storage when the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB are co-located on the datacenter; and
perform at least one X2 interface function on at least one of the source eNB and the target eNB based on the at least one X2 message transmitted between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB.

13. The C-RAN of claim 12, wherein the at least one X2 interface function comprises at least one of handover coordination and load management between the source eNB and the target eNB.

14. The C-RAN of claim 12, wherein the control unit selects the second virtual eNB associated with a target eNB from the virtual eNBs associated with the set of neighbor eNBs by:
obtaining information associated with user equipment (UE) capacity and Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections of the first virtual eNB associated with the source eNB and each virtual eNB associated with the set of neighbor eNBs;
analyzing the UE capacity and the RRC connections of each virtual eNB associated with the set of neighbor eNBs based on a predefined criteria; and
selecting the second virtual eNB associated with the target eNB by analysis.

15. The C-RAN of claim 12, wherein the at least one X2 message comprises X2 Application Protocol (X2-AP) messages and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) messages.

16. The C-RAN of claim 15, wherein the X2-AP messages are transmitted between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB to perform load management and handover coordination at the source eNB and the target eNB.

17. The C-RAN of claim 15, wherein the GTP messages are transmitted from the first virtual eNB to the second virtual eNB to forward UE downlink data buffered at the source eNB to the target eNB.

18. The C-RAN of claim 12, wherein transmitting, by the control unit, at least one X2 message between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB through inter-process communication.

19. The C-RAN of claim 18, wherein the inter-process communication is performed by one of named-pipe, memory-mapped file, message queue, and a shared storage in the C-RAN.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, a set of computer-executable instructions causing a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) comprising one or more processors to:
receive, by a control unit in the C-RAN, a request from a first virtual eNodeB (eNB) associated with a source eNodeB (eNB) to establish a X2 interface with each virtual eNB associated with a set of neighbor eNBs;
select, by the control unit, a second virtual eNB associated with a target eNB from the virtual eNBs associated with the set of neighbor eNBs;
determine, by the control unit, whether the first virtual eNB associated with the source eNB and the second virtual eNB associated with the target eNB are co-located and/or running on same datacenter in the C-RAN;
transmit, by the control unit, at least one X2 message between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB based on eNB information accessed from a shared storage when the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB are co-located on the datacenter; and

perform at least one X2 interface function on at least one of the source eNB and the target eNB based on the at least one X2 message transmitted between the first virtual eNB and the second virtual eNB.

Dated this 20th day of March, 2018

R Ramya Rao
Of K&S Partners
Agent for the Applicant
IN/PA-1607 , Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates generally to X2 interface messaging, and more particularly to X2 interface messaging in a cloud radio access network (CRAN).