Microsoft patents system to place 5G software tasks in the right data centers
Microsoft has patented a framework that automatically decides where to run specific software tasks for managing 5G networks. A central controller looks at hardware limits and speed needs to place these tasks in either distant 'far-edge' data centers or closer 'near-edge' facilities.
In the filing’s own words
A system, method, and computer-readable media for executing applications for radio interface controller (RIC) management are disclosed. The system includes one or more far-edge datacenters including first computing resources configured to execute a radio access network (RAN) function and a real-time RIC; one or more near-edge datacenters including second computing resources configured to execute a core network function and at least one of a near-real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC; and a central controller. The central controller is configured to: receive inputs of application requirements, hardware constraints, and a capacity of the first and the second computing resources; select, based on a policy applied to the inputs, a location a far-edge datacenter or a near-edge datacenters for executing each of a plurality of applications to form a pipeline; and deploy each of the applications to the real-time RIC, the near-real-time RIC, or the non-real-time RIC based on the selected location.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A system for executing applications for radio interface controller (RIC) management, comprising: one or more far-edge datacenters each including first computing resources configured to execute a radio access network (RAN) function and a real-time RIC; one or more near-edge datacenters each including second computing resources configured to execute a core network function and at least one of a near-real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC; and a central controller configured to: receive inputs of application requirements, hardware constraints, and a capacity of the first computing resources and the second computing resources; select, based on a policy applied to the inputs, a location for executing each of a plurality of applications including a first location at the one or more far-edge datacenters for a first application of the plurality of applications and a second location at the one or more far-edge datacenters or the one or more near-edge datacenters to form a pipeline from the first application to the second application; and deploy each of the plurality of applications to the real-time RIC, the near-real-time RIC, or the non-real-time RIC based on the selected location of each of the plurality of applications.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- Framework for ML-based analytics and optimizations for radio access networks
- Patent number
- US12757037B2
- Application number
- 18334164
- Filed
- Jun 13, 2023
- Granted
- Oct 6, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 22
Classified under
H04W 24/02 Electricity & electronicsH04W 80/12 Electricity & electronicsMore from Microsoft in Networks & wireless
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.