Dynamic AI-Driven Network Slicing With O-RAN for Continuous Connectivity in Connected Vehicles and Onboard Consumer Electronics

Abstract

The rise of connected and autonomous vehicles signifies an era of intelligent transportation systems, where robust and continued network connectivity is essential for critical applications and enhanced in-vehicle Consumer Electronics (CE) experiences. Slicing at the network’s edge offers tailored and dedicated logical networks for diverse and low-latency vehicular demands, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and in-car infotainment. However, seamless migration of network slices as vehicles traverse coverage areas of different network operators presents formidable challenges, such as ensuring continuous connectivity and uninterrupted service for both safety-critical systems and consumer-oriented services. In this paper, we introduced dynamic network slicing for continuous connectivity in connected vehicles and onboard CE using the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) framework in a highly dynamic and mobile environment. We implemented an xAPP within O-RAN that enables Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) agent to learn optimal policies through interaction with the network, guiding intelligent decisions on slice migration, resource allocation, and handover optimization. We conducted simulations and evaluations to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed xAPP in maintaining optimal Quality of Service (QoS), ensuring efficient RAN resource utilization, minimizing service interruptions, and prioritizing safety-critical slices, all while supporting seamless operation of CE within vehicles during mobility.