A method and system for processing transactions

Abstract

The application provides a service processing method and system, which comprises a user equipment (UE), a unified data management (UDM), a plurality of multi-access edge computing (MEC) and an application function (AF) deployed on each MEC. The plurality of MECs are configured to obtain service configuration information pre-configured by the plurality of MECs themselves, and to send the service configuration information to the UDM through the AF. The UDM is configured to receive a service configuration information acquisition request sent by an access and mobility function (AMF), and to feed back the plurality of service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request to the AMF. The UE is configured to obtain the plurality of service configuration information from the AMF. When a service access request initiated by a user is received, the UE is configured to realize service communication with the MEC according to the plurality of service configuration information and a target service. The service access request is used for accessing the target service.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cloud computing technology, and in particular to a business processing method and system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, Content Delivery Network (CDN) services are a typical edge computing service. In public clouds, CDNs are virtual networks built on top of existing networks. Relying on edge servers deployed in various locations, and through the load balancing, content distribution, and scheduling modules of a central platform, CDNs enable users to access the content they need from the nearest available location, reducing network congestion and improving user access response speed and hit rate. It is evident that CDNs are suitable for public clouds, allowing users to access the content they need from the nearest location through a unified access address. However, in edge clouds, due to factors such as potential lack of network connectivity between different edge clouds, data incompatibility between different edge clouds, and the possibility of customized applications on different edge clouds, CDN technologies cannot solve the problem of accessing the same service across different edge clouds. Therefore, a service processing method is needed to address the issue of inaccessible services across different edge clouds. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a business processing method and system.

[0004] The technical solution of this application embodiment is implemented as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a service processing method applied to a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

[0006] Multiple service configuration information is obtained from the Unified Data Management (UDM) through the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); the multiple service configuration information is issued to the UDM by multiple different Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) after obtaining the pre-configured service configuration information through the respective Application Function (AF) of each MEC;

[0007] Receive a service access request initiated by a user; the service access request is used to access the target service;

[0008] Based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service, service communication with the MEC is achieved.

[0009] In some embodiments, multiple service configuration information is obtained from the UDM through the AMF, including:

[0010] Initiate a registration request to the AMF;

[0011] If the registration result of the AMF in response to the registration request is successful, the AMF receives multiple service configuration information obtained from the UDM.

[0012] The registration request carries UE-related information; multiple service configuration information are obtained by the AMF from the UDM based on the UE-related information and sent to the UE. The UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0014] Store multiple of the aforementioned service configuration information to a local cache;

[0015] The step of implementing service communication with the MEC based on multiple service configuration information and the target service includes:

[0016] Determine whether any of the multiple service configuration information cached locally contains service configuration information related to the target service, and obtain a determination result;

[0017] Based on the judgment result, business communication with the MEC is realized.

[0018] In some embodiments, the step of implementing service communication with the MEC based on the determination result includes:

[0019] If the determination result is yes, a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session is created;

[0020] If the PDU session is successfully created, service communication with the MEC is achieved based on the service configuration information related to the target service among the multiple service configuration information.

[0021] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a business processing method applied to MEC, the method comprising:

[0022] Obtain its own pre-configured business configuration information;

[0023] The service configuration information is sent to the UDM via AF, enabling the UE to obtain multiple service configuration information corresponding to multiple different MECs from the UDM via AMF; the multiple service configuration information is used to enable service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user; the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0025] Based on the defined AF Request interface, the configuration of the business configuration information is completed.

[0026] In some embodiments, the service configuration information includes at least one of the following: Data Network Name (DNN) information, Single Network Slice Selection Assistance information (S-NSSAI), UE identification information, location area information, MEC identification information, and a list of authorized application information.

[0027] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a service processing method applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0028] Receive multiple service configuration information issued by the AF corresponding to each of the multiple MECs;

[0029] Receive a service configuration information retrieval request sent by the AMF; the service configuration information retrieval request carries UE-related information.

[0030] The AMF feeds back multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request, enabling the AMF to send multiple service configuration information to the UE, and the UE to realize service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service when it receives a service access request initiated by the user; the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0031] In some embodiments, the UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

[0032] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a UE, the UE comprising:

[0033] The first acquisition module is used to acquire multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF; the multiple service configuration information are sent to the UDM by multiple different MECs through their respective AFs after acquiring the pre-configured service configuration information;

[0034] The receiving module is used to receive service access requests initiated by users; the service access requests are used to access the target service.

[0035] The first communication module is used to implement service communication with the MEC based on multiple service configuration information and the target service.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first acquisition module is configured to:

[0037] Initiate a registration request to the AMF;

[0038] If the registration result of the AMF in response to the registration request is successful, the AMF receives multiple service configuration information obtained from the UDM.

[0039] The registration request carries UE-related information; multiple service configuration information are obtained by the AMF from the UDM based on the UE-related information and sent to the UE. The UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

[0040] In some embodiments, the UE further includes a storage module, the storage module being configured to:

[0041] Store multiple of the aforementioned service configuration information to a local cache;

[0042] The first communication module is further configured to:

[0043] Determine whether any of the multiple service configuration information cached locally contains service configuration information related to the target service, and obtain a determination result;

[0044] Based on the judgment result, business communication with the MEC is realized.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first communication module is further configured to:

[0046] If the determination result is yes, create a PDU session;

[0047] If the PDU session is successfully created, service communication with the MEC is achieved based on the service configuration information related to the target service among the multiple service configuration information.

[0048] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a MEC, the MEC comprising:

[0049] The second acquisition module is used to acquire its own pre-configured business configuration information;

[0050] The delivery module is used to deliver the service configuration information to the UDM via AF, so that the UE can obtain multiple service configuration information corresponding to multiple different MECs from the UDM via AMF; the multiple service configuration information is used to enable service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user; the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0051] In some embodiments, the MEC further includes a configuration module, the configuration module being configured to:

[0052] Based on the defined AF Request interface, the configuration of the business configuration information is completed.

[0053] In some embodiments, the service configuration information includes at least one of the following: DNN information, S-NSSAI, UE identification information, location area information, MEC identification information, and authorized application information.

[0054] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a network device, the network device comprising:

[0055] The first receiving module is used to receive multiple service configuration information sent by the AF corresponding to each of the multiple MECs;

[0056] The second receiving module is used to receive a service configuration information acquisition request sent by the AMF; the service configuration information acquisition request carries user equipment (UE) related information.

[0057] The second communication module is used to feed back multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request to the AMF, so that the AMF sends multiple service configuration information to the UE, and when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user, it realizes service communication with the MEC according to the multiple service configuration information and the target service; the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0058] In some embodiments, the UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

[0059] Seventhly, this application provides a service processing system, the system comprising: a UE, a UDM, multiple MECs, and an AF deployed on each MEC, wherein,

[0060] Multiple MECs are configured to, after obtaining their own pre-configured service configuration information, send their respective service configuration information to the UDM via the AF;

[0061] The UDM is used to receive a service configuration information acquisition request sent by the AMF, and to feed back to the AMF multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request; the service configuration information acquisition request carries UE-related information.

[0062] The UE is configured to obtain multiple service configuration information from the AMF; upon receiving a service access request initiated by a user, it implements service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service; the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0063] Eighthly, this application provides a first electronic device, the first electronic device including a first memory, a first processor and a computer program stored in the first memory and executable on the first processor, wherein the first processor executes the program to implement the business processing method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0064] Ninthly, this application provides a computer storage medium storing a computer program; the computer program, when executed by a first processor, is capable of implementing the business processing method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0065] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a second electronic device, the second electronic device including a second memory, a second processor and a computer program stored in the second memory and executable on the second processor, wherein the second processor executes the program to implement the business processing method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0066] In one aspect, this application provides a computer storage medium storing a computer program; the computer program, when executed by a second processor, is capable of implementing the business processing method as described in any one aspect of the second application.

[0067] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a third electronic device, the third electronic device including a third memory, a third processor and a computer program stored in the third memory and executable on the third processor, wherein the third processor executes the program to implement the business processing method as described in any one of the third aspects.

[0068] In a thirteenth aspect, this application provides a computer storage medium storing a computer program; the computer program, when executed by a third processor, is capable of implementing the business processing method as described in any one of the third aspects.

[0069] This application provides a service processing method and system. The system includes a UE, a UDM, multiple MECs, and an AF deployed on each MEC. The multiple MECs are configured to, after acquiring their own pre-configured service configuration information, send their respective service configuration information to the UDM via the AF. The UDM is configured to receive a service configuration information acquisition request sent by an AMF, and to feed back multiple service configuration information corresponding to the acquisition request to the AMF. The service configuration information acquisition request carries UE-related information. The UE is configured to acquire the multiple service configuration information from the AMF. Upon receiving a service access request initiated by a user, the UE performs service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and a target service. The service access request is used to access the target service.

[0070] As can be seen, in this embodiment of the application, each AF deployed on multiple different MECs distributes pre-configured service configuration information to the UDM, enabling the UE to obtain multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF. In this way, the UE can access a large number of applications on multiple different MECs based on multiple service configuration information, realizing fast access and communication of services. It can be understood that when a user wants to access the same service on different MECs, as long as the UE can obtain the service configuration information related to the service from multiple service configuration information, it can communicate with the MEC at the service level based on the relevant service configuration information, thereby realizing access to the service. In this way, the problem of inaccessibility of the same service on different edge clouds in related technologies can be solved. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure that controls access based on channel number or version number;

[0072] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a 5GC and MEC fusion architecture;

[0073] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a business processing system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 3B A flowchart illustrating a business processing system provided in this application embodiment;

[0075] Figure 3C This application provides a schematic diagram of a process for obtaining multiple service configuration information in an embodiment of the present application.

[0076] Figure 4AA flowchart illustrating a business processing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 4B A flowchart illustrating another business processing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 4C A flowchart illustrating another business processing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating a service communication process between a UE and an MEC, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of the composition structure of a UE provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of the composition structure of an MEC provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 6C This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 7A A schematic diagram of the structure of the first electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0084] Figure 7B This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0085] Figure 7C A schematic diagram of the structure of the third electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0086] The technical solutions in this application will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0087] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments provided herein are merely illustrative of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Furthermore, the embodiments provided below are some embodiments for implementing the present application, and not all embodiments for implementing the present application. Unless otherwise specified, the technical solutions described in the present application can be implemented in any combination.

[0088] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a method or system that includes a list of elements includes not only the elements expressly described, but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to implementing the method or system. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a..." does not exclude the presence of other related elements (e.g., steps in the method or units in the system, such as portions of a processor, a portion of a program, or software, etc.) in the method or system that includes that element.

[0089] In this document, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, C and / or D can represent three cases: C exists alone, C and D exist simultaneously, and D exists alone. Furthermore, the term "at least one" in this document means any combination of at least two of any one or more of a plurality of elements. For example, including at least one of C, D, and E can mean including any one or more elements selected from the set consisting of C, D, and E.

[0090] For example, the business processing method provided in this application includes a series of steps, but the business processing method provided in this application is not limited to the steps described. Similarly, the business processing system provided in this application includes a series of modules, but the business processing system provided in this application is not limited to the modules explicitly described, but may also include modules that need to be set up for obtaining relevant information or processing based on information.

[0091] Currently, in practical projects, to solve the problem of accessing the same business or application across different edge clouds, the following two technical solutions can be adopted. One of them is to control access based on channel number or version number, etc. This solution requires users to install terminal software on different edge clouds. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 It illustrates a structural diagram of access control based on channel number or version number; such as Figure 1 As shown, if Application 1 under Edge Cloud 1 and Application 2 under Edge Cloud 2 are the same application with the same function, then the user needs to install two terminal software on the terminal. This is not only cumbersome for the user, but also the maintenance cost will gradually increase as the number of edge clouds where applications are deployed increases.

[0092] Another approach involves intercepting the application's Domain Name System (DNS) request, performing DNS translation, and then checking the local cache for the available Internet Protocol (IP) address. If found, the address is retrieved and used directly; otherwise, a request is sent to the HTTPDNS server. However, this solution may encounter domain name conflicts when using DNS. Specifically, if DNS is used to access applications across different edge clouds, the business domain names across these edge clouds must remain consistent to prevent users from reinstalling the application. This places high demands on the existing deployment environment and domain name planning, and the solution becomes unusable if a domain name conflict occurs. Furthermore, the maintenance cost of an HTTPDNS server is high, limiting its application to edge clouds with restricted network access. This is because the solution requires a central HTTPDNS server to manage access addresses across different edge clouds. As the number of edge clouds increases, the maintenance cost also rises, making it unsuitable for edge clouds with high privacy requirements, such as medical edge clouds.

[0093] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the following embodiments are proposed.

[0094] In some embodiments of this application, the business processing method can be implemented using a processor in an electronic device. The processor can be at least one of the following: Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Digital Signal Processing Device (DSPD), Programmable Logic Device (PLD), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Central Processing Unit (CPU), controller, microcontroller, and microprocessor.

[0095] It should be noted that the service processing method provided in this application embodiment can solve the problem of the same service being inaccessible on different MECs in the converged architecture of 5G core network (5GC) and MEC as defined by relevant standards. For example, 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology) has high bandwidth, low latency, and massive connectivity characteristics. Key technologies mainly include Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Software Defined Networking (SDN), network slicing, and MEC. MEC is a cloud-based Internet Technology (IT) computing and storage environment located at the network edge. Being closer to the user, it reduces network latency and can better provide low-latency, high-bandwidth applications. MEC can introduce new applications through an open ecosystem, thereby helping operators provide richer value-added services and increase revenue.

[0096] Currently, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has outlined the convergence architecture of 5GC and MEC in standards TS23.501 and TS23.502 as follows: Figure 2 Reference design, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a 5GC and MEC integrated architecture, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, this architecture mainly consists of two parts: First, to enable low-latency, high-bandwidth, and high-reliability edge applications in vertical industries, the User Plane Function (UPF) network element is deployed closer to the MEC within the campus. Data is forwarded to the MEC edge server (corresponding to the uplink classifier (UL-CL) or IPv6 branching point (IPv6 BP) via the UPF's local traffic splitting technology. Figure 2 The first step is to decentralize the core network AF (Active Functions) to the MEC (Medium-terminal Controller). The second step is to decentralize the core network AF to the MEC, meaning the AF is deployed on the MEC, providing a platform for applications deployed on the MEC platform (corresponding to...). Figure 2 The MEC APP in the middle provides better data flow control policies; for example, Quality of Service (QoS) policies and routing policies.

[0097] In this embodiment of the application, based on the above-mentioned fusion architecture of 5GC and MEC, a business processing system is proposed to implement business processing; Figure 3AThis is a schematic diagram of the structure of a business processing system according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 3A As shown, the system may include: UE100, UDM101, multiple MEC102 (corresponding to MEC1 to MECn in the figure, where n is an integer greater than 1), and AF103 deployed on each MEC, wherein,

[0098] The multiple MEC102s are configured to, after obtaining the pre-configured service configuration information of the multiple MEC102s themselves, send their respective service configuration information to the UDM101 through the AF103;

[0099] The UDM101 is used to receive a service configuration information acquisition request sent by the AMF and to feed back to the AMF multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request;

[0100] The UE100 is used to obtain multiple service configuration information from the AMF; when receiving a service access request initiated by a user, it realizes service communication with the MEC102 according to the multiple service configuration information and the target service; wherein, the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0101] For example, the service configuration information is pre-configured on the MEC; when the service processing system includes multiple different MECs, the corresponding service configuration information can be pre-configured on each MEC to obtain multiple service configuration information; wherein, the service configuration information is the information that needs to be configured when the various applications deployed on the MEC perform service access; below, taking an MEC as an example, the contents of its service configuration information are explained by example.

[0102] For example, the service configuration information is related to the services associated with each application deployed on the MEC; the service configuration information may include at least one of the following: DNN information, S-NSSAI, UE identification information, location area information, MEC identification information, and a list of authorized application information. The meaning of each item is explained below:

[0103] (1) DNN information, referring to some descriptions in TS23.501 and TS23.003, DNN is equivalent to the Access Point Name (APN) defined in TS23.003; that is, DNN under 5GS and APN under 4G are equivalent, and the two identifiers DNN and APN have the same meaning and carry the same information; the representation of DNN will not be described in detail in this application embodiment.

[0104] (2) S-NSSAI, as defined in TS23.501, identifies a network slice, including a Slice / Service Type (SST) and a Slice Differentiator (SD). An S-NSSAI can have a standard value (i.e., such an S-NSSAI consists only of SSTs with standardized SST values ​​and no SD) or a non-standard value (i.e., such an S-NSSAI consists of both SST and SD, or only SSTs without standardized SST values ​​and no SD). An S-NSSAI with a non-standard value identifies a single network slice within its associated Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). A UE may not use an S-NSSAI with a non-standard value during access stratum procedures in any PLMN other than the PLMN associated with the S-NSSAI.

[0105] (3) UE identification information: Each user should be assigned a globally unique 5G User Permanent Identifier (SUPI) and configured in the UDM or Unified Data Repository (UDR) for use within the system. The 5G system supports user identification and the allocation of a globally unique temporary identifier (5G-GUTI) to support user confidentiality protection.

[0106] (4) Location area information, which describes the area to which the current user belongs, and serves as the basis for obtaining location information.

[0107] (5) MEC identification information, which describes the MEC to which the service belongs, and serves as the basis for judging the return of service information.

[0108] (6) List of authorized application information, including APPID, APPINFO, APPIP, APPDN, etc.; among which, APPID describes the ID of the corresponding service and is unique; APPINFO describes the specific information of the corresponding service; APPIP describes the IP address information of the corresponding service; APPDN describes the domain name address of the corresponding service.

[0109] See Figure 3B This illustrates a flowchart of a business processing system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3BAs shown, this service processing system includes UE, UDM, MEC, and AF deployed on MEC, as well as AMF and NEF; the following describes the process flow of the service processing method in conjunction with this system.

[0110] For example, refer to Figure 3B After each MEC in multiple MECs obtains its own pre-configured service configuration information, it can send its respective service configuration information to the NEF via the AF, and then the NEF will distribute it to the UDM. At this time, the UDM can receive multiple service configuration information. That is, the sending entity of the service configuration information is the AF deployed on each MEC; the receiving entity is the network device, such as the core network element in 5GC, which may include UPF, NEF, UDM or other network elements. The service configuration information can be carried through the ordinary IP data stream N33 interface or through the traditional authentication request process.

[0111] Here, NEF and AF are a pair. AF can communicate with 5GC through NEF. NEF provides a secure way for AF to interact. When dealing with external application entities, NEF can shield sensitive network and user information.

[0112] For example, after the UDM receives multiple service configuration information, if it receives a service configuration information retrieval request sent by the AMF, it will send back the multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information retrieval request to the AMF; that is, the UE can obtain multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF. Here, the service configuration information retrieval request carries UE-related information; wherein, the UE-related information may include UE identification information and UE location information, etc.

[0113] In some embodiments, the UE may obtain multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF, which may include: initiating a registration request to the AMF; and receiving the multiple service configuration information obtained by the AMF from the UDM if the registration result of the AMF in response to the registration request is successful.

[0114] Here, the registration request carries UE-related information; the multiple service configuration information are obtained by the AMF from the UDM based on the UE-related information carried in the registration request and then sent to the UE.

[0115] Reference Figure 3BAs can be seen, the UE initiates a registration request to the AMF and obtains multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF. For example, the UE initiates a registration request to the AMF, and the AMF responds to the registration request and obtains a registration result. Here, the registration result includes either registration success or registration failure. Afterward, the UE determines whether to receive the multiple service configuration information obtained by the AMF from the UDM based on the registration result of the AMF in response to the registration request.

[0116] For example, see Figure 3C This illustrates a flowchart of an embodiment of this application for obtaining multiple service configuration information. Figure 3C As shown, the process may include the following steps:

[0117] Step 200: The UE initiates registration with the AMF.

[0118] For example, when a UE accesses a data network connection, if the access fails, the system returns "Access to data network connection failed, please try again" to the UE and terminates the registration process. If the connection is successful, the UE initiates registration with the AMF, and the AMF performs the registration process and obtains the registration result. If the registration result is registration failure, the system returns "Registration failed". If the registration result is registration success, the system proceeds to step 201.

[0119] Step 201: AMF obtains multiple service configuration information from UDM.

[0120] For example, the AMF carries UE-related information to obtain multiple service configuration information from the UDM. If the acquisition fails, it will report "Information acquisition failed"; if successful, it will proceed to step 202.

[0121] Step 202: UDM feeds back multiple service configuration information to AMF.

[0122] For example, the UDM feeds back multiple service configuration information to the AMF, including DNN information, S-NSSAI, UE identification information, location area information, MEC identification information, and a list of authorized application information.

[0123] Step 203: The AMF feeds back multiple service configuration information to the UE.

[0124] For example, the AMF feeds back the acquired service configuration information to the UE; ultimately, the UE obtains multiple service configuration information from the UDM, which can be accessed by subsequent services; that is, the terminal connected to the UE can perform service-level communication based on the acquired MEC service configuration information.

[0125] In some embodiments, after the UE obtains multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF, the above method may further include: storing the multiple service configuration information in a local cache.

[0126] Understandably, by storing the acquired service configuration information in the UE's local cache, the UE can directly retrieve the corresponding service configuration information from the local cache when it needs to access related services later, thereby improving service access speed.

[0127] For example, when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user, it can realize service communication with the MEC based on multiple service configuration information and the target service. Here, the service access request is used to access the target service; wherein, the target service represents the service that the user wants to access; the type of service can be determined according to the actual situation, and this application embodiment does not limit it in this regard. For example, it can be a session-type service, an interactive service, etc.

[0128] For example, when a user has a service access requirement, the user first initiates an access request for the target service through the terminal. The UE will then receive the service access request initiated by the user. After that, the UE can access the relevant applications on different MECs based on the multiple service configuration information stored in the local cache, thereby achieving fast access and communication of the target service.

[0129] In some embodiments, implementing service communication with the MEC based on multiple service configuration information and the target service may include: determining whether there is service configuration information related to the target service among the multiple service configuration information cached locally, and obtaining a determination result; and implementing service communication with the MEC based on the determination result.

[0130] In this embodiment of the application, when the UE receives an access request for a target service initiated by a user, it first determines whether there is any service configuration information related to the target service in the locally cached service configuration information, and obtains the determination result; if the determination result is negative, it means that there is no service configuration information related to the target service in the UE's local cache, and at this time, a prompt message "No relevant service configuration information" can be given; if the determination result is positive, it means that there is service configuration information related to the target service in the UE's local cache.

[0131] In some embodiments, based on the judgment result, service communication with the MEC can be implemented, which may include: if the judgment result is yes, creating a PDU session; if the PDU session is successfully created, implementing service communication with the MEC based on the service configuration information related to the target service among the multiple service configuration information.

[0132] For example, if the above judgment result is yes, the DNN information and slice information (corresponding to the S-NSSAI mentioned above) corresponding to the target service are obtained from the relevant service configuration information, and a PDU session is created based on the DNN information and slice information corresponding to the target service. During the creation of the PDU session, it is further determined whether the PDU session was created successfully. If the PDU session creation fails, a "PDU session creation failed" message is given. If the PDU session is created successfully, service communication is performed based on the relevant service configuration information. Specifically, the IP address and DNN information corresponding to the target service can be obtained from the relevant service configuration information, and then service communication is initiated based on the IP address and DNN information corresponding to the target service, thereby realizing service communication with the MEC.

[0133] This application provides a service processing system, which includes: a UE, a UDM, multiple MECs, and an AF deployed on each MEC. The multiple MECs are configured to, after obtaining their own pre-configured service configuration information, send their respective service configuration information to the UDM via the AF. The UDM is configured to receive a service configuration information retrieval request sent by an AMF, and to feed back multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information retrieval request to the AMF. The service configuration information retrieval request carries UE-related information. The UE is configured to obtain the multiple service configuration information from the AMF. Upon receiving a service access request initiated by a user, the UE performs service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and a target service. The service access request is used to access the target service. As can be seen, in this embodiment of the application, each AF deployed on multiple different MECs distributes pre-configured service configuration information to the UDM, enabling the UE to obtain multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF. In this way, the UE can access a large number of applications on multiple different MECs based on multiple service configuration information, realizing fast access and communication of services. It can be understood that when a user wants to access the same service on different MECs, as long as the UE can obtain the service configuration information related to the service from multiple service configuration information, it can communicate with the MEC at the service level based on the relevant service configuration information, thereby realizing access to the service. In this way, the problem of inaccessibility of the same service on different edge clouds in related technologies can be solved.

[0134] To better illustrate the purpose of this application, further examples are provided based on the above embodiments.

[0135] Figure 4A This is a flowchart illustrating a service processing method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method is applied to a UE, such as... Figure 4AAs shown, the process may include:

[0136] Step 204: Obtain multiple service configuration information from UDM via AMF;

[0137] Step 205: Receive the service access request initiated by the user;

[0138] Step 206: Based on multiple service configuration information and the target service, implement service communication with MEC.

[0139] For example, multiple service configuration information is sent to the UDM by multiple different MECs after obtaining the pre-configured service configuration information through their respective AFs.

[0140] It should be noted that the implementation process of steps 204 to 206 has been described in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here to avoid repetition.

[0141] Figure 4B This is a flowchart illustrating another business processing method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method is applied to a MEC, such as... Figure 4B As shown, the process may include:

[0142] Step 207: Obtain your own pre-configured business configuration information;

[0143] Step 208: Send the service configuration information to the UDM via AF, so that the UE can obtain multiple service configuration information corresponding to multiple different MECs from the UDM via AMF.

[0144] For example, the multiple service configuration information is used to enable service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user.

[0145] In some embodiments, the above method may further include: configuring the service configuration information based on the defined AF Request interface.

[0146] For example, each MEC can configure service configuration information based on the AF Request interface defined by the 3GPP standard. That is, in order to enable the AF on each MEC to configure services for 5GC-related network elements, the service configuration information is configured through the AF Request interface defined by the 3GPP standard, as shown in Table 1:

[0147]

[0148]

[0149] Table 1

[0150] The mec_business_information parameter list can include:

[0151] 1) mec_dnn_addr, required field, data network address, corresponding DNN information and S-NSSAI;

[0152] 2) ip_addr_type, required field, (String) IP address type. Enumeration: IP_V4, IP_V6;

[0153] 3) business_id, required field, (String) ID type, unique business ID;

[0154] 4) business_ip, required field, (String) specifies the IP address for business access;

[0155] 5) business_dn, optional field, (String) specifies the domain name address for business access;

[0156] 6) business_info, optional field, (String) specifies the details of the business.

[0157] In this embodiment, the process of the UE using the service configuration information to communicate with each MEC after obtaining the service configuration information corresponding to each MEC has been described in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0158] Figure 4C This is a flowchart illustrating another service processing method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method is applied to a network device, such as... Figure 4C As shown, the process may include:

[0159] Step 209: Receive multiple service configuration information issued by the AF corresponding to each of the multiple MECs;

[0160] Step 210: Receive the service configuration information retrieval request sent by the AMF; the service configuration information retrieval request carries UE-related information;

[0161] Step 211: Feed back multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request to the AMF, so that the AMF sends multiple service configuration information to the UE, and when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user, it realizes service communication with the MEC according to the multiple service configuration information and the target service.

[0162] Here, the network device corresponds to the UDM mentioned above. For example, the AF corresponding to each of the multiple MECs sends multiple pre-configured service configuration information to the UDM, so that the UDM can obtain multiple service configuration information. Then, when the UDM receives a service configuration information acquisition request sent by the AMF, it feeds back the multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request to the AMF. Here, the communication method between the UDM and the AMF has been described in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0163] The following example, using a single MEC, illustrates the service communication process between the UE and the MEC; refer to Figure 5 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a service communication process between a UE and an MEC, provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the process includes:

[0164] Step 300: The end user moves to the MEC network coverage area.

[0165] For example, when an end user moves to an area covered by the MEC network, the UE can connect to the 5GC, thereby ensuring that the UE can successfully access the data network.

[0166] Step 301: Initiate registration.

[0167] For example, when the UE successfully accesses the data network connection, the UE initiates registration with the AMF.

[0168] Step 302: Determine if registration was successful.

[0169] For example, if the UE initiates registration with the AMF, it determines whether the registration was successful. If the result is successful, step 303 is executed; otherwise, if the result is unsuccessful, a registration failure message is displayed.

[0170] Step 303: Obtain MEC service configuration information and store it in the local cache.

[0171] For example, after the UE obtains the MEC service configuration information, it stores the obtained service configuration information in a local cache; here, the process of obtaining the MEC service configuration information can be referred to Figure 3C This will not be elaborated upon here.

[0172] Step 304: Initiate business access.

[0173] For example, when a user has a service access requirement, they initiate a service access request through the terminal, and the UE can receive the service access request initiated by the user. When the UE receives the service access request initiated by the user, it needs to obtain the service configuration information related to the service from the local cache. This information may include: the ID corresponding to the service, the IP address corresponding to the service, the domain name information corresponding to the service, etc.

[0174] Step 305: Determine if there is any business configuration information related to this business.

[0175] For example, before obtaining the above-mentioned business configuration information related to the business, it is first determined whether there is business configuration information related to the business in the local cache. If the determination result is no, a prompt message of "no relevant business configuration information" is given; if the determination result is yes, step 305 is executed.

[0176] Step 306: Create a PDU session.

[0177] For example, when the UE's local cache contains service configuration information related to the service, a PDU session can be created based on the DNN information and slice information corresponding to the service.

[0178] Step 307: Determine if the creation was successful.

[0179] For example, if the determination result is negative, a message "PDU session creation failed" is displayed; if the determination result is positive, step 308 is executed.

[0180] Step 308: Conduct business communication.

[0181] For example, after a PDU session is successfully established, a data transmission channel between the UE and MEC is established. At this point, based on the obtained service configuration information related to the service, namely the IP address and domain name information corresponding to the service, communication at the service layer is conducted with the MEC to enable access to the service.

[0182] As can be seen, the service processing method proposed in this application is used to indicate the information of the services carried on 5GC and MEC, ensuring access to the carried services when crossing MECs; in UE network registration, a method for obtaining service configuration information from AMF to UDM and a method for returning service configuration information from UDM to AMF and from AMF to UE are added. This method is used to indicate the acquisition of service configuration information under the converged architecture of 5GC and MEC, ensuring the legality and timeliness of service access; wherein the information sent by AMF to UDM includes, but is not limited to: UE identification information and UE location information; UDM returns service configuration information to AMF; the service configuration information can be carried through the Request interface; in creating a PDU session, DNN information and slice information are obtained from the service configuration information, etc., and when accessing services, information such as service IP or service domain name is obtained from the configuration information to complete the connection and realize service communication.

[0183] In summary, the embodiments of this application can effectively address the problem of inaccessibility of the same services on different MECs in the converged architecture of 5GC and MEC as defined by existing standards, ensuring that end users can access a large number of applications on MEC according to the configured service information, thereby achieving fast access and communication of services.

[0184] Figure 6A This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a UE provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 6A As shown, the UE includes: a first acquisition module 400, a receiving module 401, and a first communication module 402, wherein,

[0185] The first acquisition module 400 is used to acquire multiple service configuration information from the UDM through the AMF; the multiple service configuration information is sent to the UDM by multiple different MECs through their respective AFs after acquiring the pre-configured service configuration information;

[0186] The receiving module 401 is used to receive a service access request initiated by a user; the service access request is used to access a target service.

[0187] The first communication module 402 is used to realize service communication with the MEC based on multiple service configuration information and the target service.

[0188] In some embodiments, the first acquisition module 400 is configured to:

[0189] Initiate a registration request to the AMF;

[0190] If the registration result of the AMF in response to the registration request is successful, the AMF receives multiple service configuration information obtained from the UDM.

[0191] The registration request carries UE-related information; multiple service configuration information are obtained by the AMF from the UDM based on the UE-related information and sent to the UE. The UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

[0192] In some embodiments, the UE further includes a storage module, the storage module being configured to:

[0193] Store multiple of the aforementioned service configuration information to a local cache;

[0194] The first communication module 402 is further configured to:

[0195] Determine whether any of the multiple service configuration information cached locally contains service configuration information related to the target service, and obtain a determination result;

[0196] Based on the judgment result, business communication with the MEC is realized.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first communication module 402 is further configured to:

[0198] If the determination result is yes, create a PDU session;

[0199] If the PDU session is successfully created, service communication with the MEC is achieved based on the service configuration information related to the target service among the multiple service configuration information.

[0200] Figure 6B This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of an MEC provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 6B As shown, the MEC includes: a second acquisition module 403 and a distribution module 404, wherein,

[0201] The second acquisition module 403 is used to acquire its own pre-configured business configuration information;

[0202] The delivery module 404 is used to deliver the service configuration information to the UDM via AF, so that the UE can obtain multiple service configuration information corresponding to multiple different MECs from the UDM via AMF; the multiple service configuration information is used to realize service communication with the MEC according to the multiple service configuration information and the target service when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user; the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0203] In some embodiments, the MEC further includes a configuration module, the configuration module being configured to:

[0204] Based on the defined AF Request interface, the configuration of the business configuration information is completed.

[0205] In some embodiments, the service configuration information includes at least one of the following: DNN information, S-NSSAI, UE identification information, location area information, MEC identification information, and authorized application information.

[0206] Figure 6C This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 6C As shown, the network device includes: a first receiving module 405, a second receiving module 406, and a second communication module 407, wherein,

[0207] The first receiving module 405 is used to receive multiple service configuration information sent by the AF corresponding to each of the multiple MECs;

[0208] The second receiving module 406 is used to receive a service configuration information acquisition request sent by the AMF; the service configuration information acquisition request carries user equipment (UE) related information.

[0209] The second communication module 407 is used to feed back multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request to the AMF, so that the AMF sends multiple service configuration information to the UE, and when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user, it realizes service communication with the MEC according to the multiple service configuration information and the target service; the service access request is used to access the target service.

[0210] In some embodiments, the UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

[0211] In practical applications, the first acquisition module 400, receiving module 401, first communication module 402, and storage module can be implemented by a first processor located in the first electronic device; the second acquisition module 403, sending module 404, and configuration module can be implemented by a second processor located in the second electronic device; and the first receiving module 405, second receiving module 406, and second communication module 407 can be implemented by a third processor located in the third electronic device. The first processor, second processor, and third processor can be at least one of ASIC, DSP, DSPD, PLD, FPGA, CPU, controller, microcontroller, and microprocessor.

[0212] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the functional modules can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module.

[0213] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional module and is not sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this embodiment, in essence, or the part that contributes to related technologies, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method of this embodiment. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0214] Specifically, the computer program instructions corresponding to a business processing method in this embodiment can be stored on storage media such as optical discs, hard disks, and USB flash drives. When the computer program instructions corresponding to a business processing method in the storage media are read or executed by an electronic device, any of the business processing methods in the aforementioned embodiments are implemented.

[0215] Based on the same technical concept as the foregoing embodiments, see Figure 7A It illustrates a first electronic device 500 provided in an embodiment of this application, which may include: a first memory 501 and a first processor 502; wherein,

[0216] The first memory 501 is used to store computer programs and data;

[0217] The first processor 502 is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to achieve the aforementioned Figure 4A The corresponding business processing method.

[0218] This application provides a computer storage medium storing a computer program; the computer program, when executed by a first processor, can perform the aforementioned functions. Figure 4A The corresponding business processing method.

[0219] See Figure 7B It illustrates a second electronic device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application, which may include: a second memory 601 and a second processor 602; wherein,

[0220] The second memory 601 is used to store computer programs and data;

[0221] The second processor 602 is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to achieve the aforementioned Figure 4BThe corresponding business processing method.

[0222] This application provides a computer storage medium storing a computer program; the computer program, when executed by a second processor, can perform the aforementioned functions. Figure 4B The corresponding business processing method.

[0223] See Figure 7C It illustrates a third electronic device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application, which may include: a third memory 701 and a third processor 702; wherein,

[0224] The third memory 701 is used to store computer programs and data;

[0225] The third processor 702 is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to achieve the aforementioned Figure 4C The corresponding business processing method.

[0226] This application provides a computer storage medium storing a computer program; the computer program, when executed by a third processor, can perform the aforementioned functions. Figure 4C The corresponding business processing method.

[0227] In practical applications, the first memory 501, the second memory 601, and the third memory 701 can be volatile memory, such as RAM; or non-volatile memory, such as ROM, flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD); or a combination of the above types of memory, and provide instructions and data to the first processor 502, the second processor 602, and the third processor 702 respectively.

[0228] The first processor 502, the second processor 602, and the third processor 702 described above can be at least one of ASIC, DSP, DSPD, PLD, FPGA, CPU, controller, microcontroller, and microprocessor. It is understood that for different business processing systems, the electronic devices used to implement the above processor functions can also be other types, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit them.

[0229] In some embodiments, the functions or modules of the apparatus provided in this application can be used to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The specific implementation can be referred to the description of the above method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0230] The description of the various embodiments above tends to emphasize the differences between the various embodiments. The similarities or similarities between them can be referred to, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0231] The methods disclosed in the various method embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined to obtain new method embodiments without conflict.

[0232] The features disclosed in the various product embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments. Similarly, the features disclosed in the various method or device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method or device embodiments.

[0233] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of hardware embodiments, software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage and optical storage) containing computer-usable program code.

[0234] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0235] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0236] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A service processing method applied to a user equipment (UE), characterized in that, The method includes: The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) obtains multiple service configuration information from the Unified Data Management Unit (UDM); these multiple service configuration information are issued to the UDM by multiple different Multi-Access Edge Computing (MECs) after obtaining pre-configured service configuration information through their respective Application Functions (AFs). Receive a service access request initiated by a user; the service access request is used to access the target service; Based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service, service communication with the MEC is achieved.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The AMF obtains multiple service configuration information from the UDM, including: Initiate a registration request to the AMF; If the registration result of the AMF in response to the registration request is successful, the AMF receives multiple service configuration information obtained from the UDM. The registration request carries UE-related information; multiple service configuration information are obtained by the AMF from the UDM based on the UE-related information carried and sent to the UE. The UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Store multiple of the aforementioned service configuration information to a local cache; The step of implementing service communication with the MEC based on multiple service configuration information and the target service includes: Determine whether any of the multiple service configuration information cached locally contains service configuration information related to the target service, and obtain a determination result; Based on the judgment result, business communication with the MEC is realized.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of implementing service communication with the MEC based on the judgment result includes: If the determination result is yes, a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session is created; If the PDU session is successfully created, service communication with the MEC is achieved based on the service configuration information related to the target service among the multiple service configuration information.

5. A service processing method applied to multi-access edge computing (MEC), characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain its own pre-configured business configuration information; The application function (AF) distributes the service configuration information to the unified data management unit (UDM), enabling the user equipment (UE) to obtain multiple service configuration information corresponding to multiple different MECs from the UDM through the access and mobility management function (AMF). The multiple service configuration information is used by the UE to achieve service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service when the UE receives a service access request initiated by the user. The service access request is used to access the target service.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the defined AF Request interface, the configuration of the business configuration information is completed.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The service configuration information includes at least one of the following: Data Network Name (DNN) information, Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI), UE identification information, Location Area Information, MEC identification information, and authorized application information.

8. A service processing method, applied to a network device, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive multiple service configuration information issued by the application functions (AF) corresponding to each of the multiple multi-access edge computing (MEC) devices; Receive a service configuration information retrieval request sent by the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); the service configuration information retrieval request carries user equipment (UE) related information; The AMF feeds back multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request, enabling the AMF to send multiple service configuration information to the UE, and the UE to realize service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service when it receives a service access request initiated by the user; the service access request is used to access the target service.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The UE-related information includes UE identification information and UE location information.

10. A business processing system, characterized in that, The system includes: User Equipment (UE), Unified Data Management (UDM), multiple Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) modules, and Application Functions (AF) deployed on each MEC. Multiple MECs are configured to, after obtaining their own pre-configured service configuration information, send their respective service configuration information to the UDM via the AF; The UDM is used to receive a service configuration information acquisition request sent by the AMF, and to feed back to the AMF multiple service configuration information corresponding to the service configuration information acquisition request; the service configuration information acquisition request carries UE-related information. The UE is configured to obtain multiple service configuration information from the AMF; upon receiving a service access request initiated by a user, it implements service communication with the MEC based on the multiple service configuration information and the target service; the service access request is used to access the target service.

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