Communication method, communication device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method, communication equipment and a storage medium. The communication method applied to a first network element comprises the following steps: receiving a route establishment request message sent by a second network element; sending a group session establishment request message to a third network element to request the third network element to allocate a group communication resource at least comprising a data forwarding rule of a group session; and sending a user session update message to the third network element to update the data forwarding rule of the user session, so that the third network element performs data transmission between the at least two pieces of user equipment based on the updated data forwarding rule of the group session and the updated data forwarding rule of the user session.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method, a communication device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] 5G Local Area Network (LAN) is a technology that uses a 5G network to provide local area network - virtual network services. It provides private mobile communication services through a 5G system, allowing a limited group of terminals to perform point-to-point communication based on Ethernet or Internet Protocol (IP) within a 5G LAN virtual network. It uses a 5G network to provide services similar to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for scenarios such as enterprises, ports, or factory campuses. The N19 interface is the user plane interface between two PDU session anchor (PSA) User Plane Function (UPF) when using the 5G LAN service, and directly routes the traffic between different Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions without using the N6 interface.

[0003] In the prior art, the N19 interface (which can also be called the N19 tunnel) is established between two PSA UPFs. In scenarios where an Intermediate PDU session anchor (I-UPF) is required for a PDU session, during the data forwarding process between two I-UPFs, data forwarding needs to pass through the PSA UPF, resulting in the data forwarding efficiency of 5G-LAN. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, a communication device, and a storage medium, which improve the data forwarding efficiency of 5G-LAN.

[0005] An embodiment of this application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first network element and includes:

[0006] Receiving a routing establishment request message sent by a second network element;

[0007] Sending a group session establishment request message to a third network element to request the third network element to allocate group communication resources that at least include data forwarding rules for the group session;

[0008] Send a user session update message to the third network element to update the data forwarding rules of the user session, so that the third network element performs data transmission between at least two user devices based on the updated data forwarding rules of the group session and the data forwarding rules of the user session.

[0009] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a second network element and includes:

[0010] Obtain user subscription data; wherein, the user subscription data is used to indicate the affiliation between each user device and a virtual network group;

[0011] Based on the user subscription data, send a routing establishment request message to a first network element to request the establishment of a local route between at least two user devices.

[0012] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which is applied to a first network element and includes:

[0013] A receiver, configured to receive a routing establishment request message sent by a second network element;

[0014] A transmitter, configured to send a group session establishment request message to a third network element to request the third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session;

[0015] A transmission module, further configured to send a user session update message to the third network element to update the data forwarding rules of the user session, so that the third network element performs data transmission between at least two user devices based on the updated data forwarding rules of the group session and the data forwarding rules of the user session.

[0016] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a second network element and includes:

[0017] An acquisition module, configured to acquire user subscription data; wherein, the user subscription data is used to indicate the affiliation between each user device and a virtual network group;

[0018] A transmitter, configured to send a routing establishment request message to a first network element based on the user subscription data to request the establishment of a local route between at least two user devices.

[0019] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including: a memory, and one or more processors;

[0020] The memory is configured to store one or more programs;

[0021] When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0022] An embodiment of the present application provides a storage medium storing a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described in any of the above embodiments is implemented. Description of the Drawings

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the implementation of a 5G architecture provided by the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the implementation of a PDU session initiated by a UE provided by the prior art;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 5G LAN provided by the prior art;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the implementation of internal local routing within an I-UPF and routing through N19 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 5G LAN provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 8 It is an interaction schematic diagram of 5G communication provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of another 5G LAN provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 10 It is an interaction schematic diagram of another 5G communication provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 11 It is a block diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 12 It is a block diagram of the structure of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 13 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Embodiments

[0036] The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. The examples given are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the scope of the present application.

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the implementation of a 5G architecture provided by the prior art. As Figure 1 shown, the 5G architecture includes network elements and devices: User Equipment (UE), Radio Access Network (RAN), Access and Mobility Management function (AMF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Unified Data Repository (UDR), Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and Network Repository Function (NRF). Figure 1 Each of the network elements and devices in

[0038] For UE: The terminal accesses the RAN through the Uu interface and accesses the core network element AMF through the N1 interface.

[0039] For RAN: RAN, also known as a radio base station, is responsible for resource allocation of the Uu interface and access control of terminals.

[0040] For AMF: Manages the requirements for user access to the network, and is responsible for functions such as non-access stratum (NAS) signaling management from the terminal to the network and user mobility management.

[0041] For UDM: It is the permanent storage location of user subscription data and is located in the home network where the user subscribes.

[0042] For UDR: It mainly provides the following functions: storing and reading UDM data, storing and reading PCF data, storing and opening structured data, storing and reading application data (including packet flow description (PFD) for application detection, AF request information of multiple UEs, etc.).

[0043] For the SMF: Manage the PDU sessions and Quality of Service (QoS) flows of users, formulate packet detection and forwarding rules for the UPF, etc.; perform local configuration of the SMF, or receive the policy control rules of the session from the PCF, and the policy control rules control the data transmission path and QoS policy between the UPF and the terminal.

[0044] For the UPF: Responsible for functions such as routing and forwarding of IP data and non-IP data, and usage reporting according to the rules issued by the SMF. The UPF can be divided into: PDU Session Anchor-UPF (PSA-UPF), Local-UPF (L-UPF), and Intermediate UPF (I-UPF); among them, the PSA-UPF is responsible for accessing the data network; the L-UPF is used to access the local network for edge computing; the I-UPF is used for data splitting, and the I-UPF supports two splitting methods: Uplink Classifier and Branch Point.

[0045] For the PCF: Provide session policy rules for the SMF according to user subscriptions, application requirements, and local configurations. At the same time, the PCF can also send UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) rules to the terminal through the AMF to control the terminal to generate appropriate PDU session parameters according to different application requests.

[0046] For the NEF: The main functions include the open capability of network information and providing interfaces to enable external application programs to dynamically control the 5G core network. The NEF is responsible for functions such as authorization and authentication of application requests, conversion of the requested data format, and protocol adaptation.

[0047] For the NRF: In the service-based architecture, the NRF is used to register and save the configuration information of network functions (NF) and services. It provides functions such as service discovery, network slice management, and configuration information of network functions. By providing functions such as service registration and discovery, network function management, network slice management, service policy management, and resource management and optimization, the NRF ensures the availability, discoverability, and efficient utilization of network resources, providing more flexible, scalable, and intelligent services for the 5G network.

[0048] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the implementation of a PDU session initiated by a UE provided by the prior art. As Figure 2 shown, the implementation process of the UE initiating a PDU session includes the following steps:

[0049] Step 1: The UE sends a PDU session establishment request (PDU Session Establishment Request) to the AMF via the RAN. This message carries the single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), data network name (DNN), session and service continuity (SSC) mode, and the PDU session identifier assigned to the UE for this PDU session. The UE determines the information such as the S-NSSAI, DNN, and SSC mode that the application can use according to the local policy.

[0050] Step 2: Based on the UE's PDU session establishment request, such as the S-NSSAI and DNN requested by the UE, the AMF selects a suitable SMF for the UE.

[0051] Step 3: The AMF sends a Create SM Context Request to the SMF. The message carries the S-NSSAI, DNN, and SSC mode requested by the UE, as well as the UE's current access system information and location information.

[0052] Step 4: The SMF initiates a session subscription data acquisition request to the UDM, carrying the S-NSSAI and DNN requested by the UE.

[0053] Step 5: The UDM returns the UE session subscription data for this S-NSSAI and DNN, as well as the identifier of the group where the user is located.

[0054] Step 6: The SMF returns a Create SM Context Response to the AMF.

[0055] Step 7: The SMF selects a suitable PCF and then sends a session policy association creation request to the PCF, carrying the S-NSSAI and DNN requested by the UE, the UE's current location information, and the UE's access system information.

[0056] Step 8: The PCF obtains the user subscription data from the UDR (User Data Repository), generates session policy information (SM Policy) according to the local policy, and then returns the session policy information to the SMF in response to the SMF's request.

[0057] Step 9: The SMF selects a suitable UPF based on information such as S-NSSAI, DNN, and UE location, and then initiates an N4 session establishment request (N4 Session Establishment Request) to the UPF.

[0058] Step 10: The UPF responds to the SMF's request, establishes the N4 session, allocates an uplink tunnel identifier for this PDU session, and returns an N4 session establishment response (N4 Session Establishment Response) to the SMF.

[0059] Step 11: After the N4 session is successfully established, the SMF sends an N1 / N2 message transfer request (N1 / N2 Message Transfer) to the AMF. This message carries the NAS message (Non-access stratum) for the UE and the AS message (N2 Session Setup) for the RAN. The NAS message is a PDU session establishment accept (PDU Session Establishment Accept) message, and the AS message is the context information of the PDU session, such as: the list of created QoS flow configuration information, the PDU session uplink tunnel identifier allocated by the UPF, etc.

[0060] Step 12: The AMF sends an N2 interface PDU session request (N2 PDU Session Request) message to the RAN, which carries the NAS message and AS message received from the SMF.

[0061] Step 13: The RAN sends a Radio Resource Connection Reconfiguration process to the UE, and based on the PDU session information provided by the SMF, establishes a suitable radio bearer for the UE; at the same time, the RAN sends the NAS message to the UE.

[0062] Step 14: After creating the radio resources, the RAN returns an N2 interface PDU session accept (N2 PDU Session ack) message to the AMF, which carries the N3 interface resources allocated by the RAN for this PDU session, such as the downlink tunnel identifier.

[0063] Steps 15 - 16: The AMF sends an Update SM Context Request to the SMF to update the RAN tunnel identifier of the UPF on the N3 interface.

[0064] Steps 17 - 18, the SMF sends an N4 Session Update Request to the UPF to update the tunnel identifier of the RAN on the N3 interface.

[0065] Steps 19 - 20, the SMF can allocate an IP address to the terminal through the control plane in Step 11, or may also allocate an IP address to the terminal through the user plane. After that, the SMF registers with the UDM, and the UDM saves the SMF address and the user IP address in the user session context corresponding to the S-NSSAI and DNN.

[0066] 5G LAN is a technology that uses the 5G network to provide local area network - virtual network services. It provides private mobile communication services through the 5G system, allowing a limited group of terminals to perform Ethernet - or IP - based peer - to - peer communication within a 5G LAN virtual network. It uses the 5G network to provide services similar to VPN for scenarios such as enterprises, ports, or factory campuses. The N19 interface is the group user plane interface between the PSA UPFs of two PDU sessions after two UEs establish PDU sessions respectively when using the 5G LAN service, and directly routes the traffic between different PDU sessions without using the N6 interface. Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 5G LAN provided by the prior art. As Figure 3 shown, the N19 interface is established between these two PSA UPFs, namely PSA UPF1 and PSA UPF2. This application proposes to establish an N19 interface between two I - UPFs in the scenario where the PDU session has an I - UPF, so as to achieve that the data forwarding process does not need to pass through the PSA UPF, thereby improving the data forwarding efficiency of 5G - LAN.

[0067] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the implementation of local routing within the I - UPF and routing through the N19 provided by the embodiment of this application. As Figure 4 shown, in the scenario where the PDU session requires the intervention of the I - UPF, local routing within the I - UPF is allowed, or an N19 interface is established between two I - UPFs, and the data forwarding no longer passes through the PSA UPF, thereby improving the data forwarding efficiency of 5G - LAN.

[0068] In the above Figure 4In this case, the I-UPF allocates a 5G-LAN interface locally for group communication. This interface is a virtual interface within the I-UPF. For the uplink user data received on the N3 interface / tunnel, if it is determined that local routing is required based on the destination address, the I-UPF forwards the data to the 5G-LAN interface; otherwise, it directly forwards the data to the N9 interface. The 5G-LAN interface configures group communication rules (including data forwarding rules for group sessions and user sessions), and then performs local routing according to the rules:

[0069] 1) If the 5G-LAN interface determines that the data needs to be locally routed at the I-UPF, it returns the data to the I-UPF, and the I-UPF performs routing based on the destination address;

[0070] 2) If the 5G-LAN interface determines that the data needs to be routed to another I-UPF, it forwards the data to the N19 tunnel between the destination I-UPFs. The destination I-UPF performs routing based on the destination address.

[0071] In one embodiment, Figure 5 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is applied to the case of establishing direct communication between two I-UPFs in 5G LAN. This embodiment can be executed by a first network element. For example, the first network element can be an I-SMF. Generally, when the UE is outside the SMF service area, an I-SMF can be inserted between the SMF and the AMF to implement the data forwarding function. As Figure 5 shown, this embodiment includes: S110 - S130.

[0072] S110. Receive a routing establishment request message sent by a second network element.

[0073] Exemplarily, the second network element can be an SMF. The routing establishment request message refers to a request to add a UE to a 5G virtual network group (5G-VN group), and can also be understood as a request to establish local routing between at least two UEs. In one example, after multiple UEs establish PDU sessions, the second network element can determine whether the user group identifiers in the user subscription data of each UE are the same. If the user group identifiers of two UEs are the same, it indicates that the two UEs belong to the same 5G-VE group, and at this time, local routing between the two UEs can be established; if the user group identifiers of more than two UEs are the same, it indicates that the more than two UEs belong to the same 5G-VE group, and at this time, local routing between the more than two UEs can be established.

[0074] S120. Send a group session establishment request message to a third network element to request the third network element to allocate group communication resources that at least include data forwarding rules for group sessions.

[0075] Exemplarily, the third network element may be an I-UPF. In an embodiment, during the process of establishing a PDU session, the AMF determines whether to insert the first network element and the third network element. In an example, if it is necessary to insert the first network element and the third network element, the same I-UPF may be inserted in the PDU session establishment for each UE, that is, only one I-UPF is included in the 5G LAN structure; alternatively, different I-UPFs may be inserted in the PDU session establishment for each UE, that is, the number of I-UPFs included in the 5G-LAN structure is the same as the number of UEs. For example, if there are two UEs in the 5G-LAN structure, two I-UPFs are inserted. In an example, in order to facilitate the partitioning of the I-UPF, the I-UPF identifier may be used to distinguish the I-UPFs established in the PDU sessions of different UEs. For example, the I-UPF inserted in the PDU session of UE1 is I-UPF1, and the I-UPF inserted in the PDU session of UE2 is I-UPF2.

[0076] The group session establishment request message is used to trigger the third network element to allocate group communication resources for local routing among multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group. In an example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to the same third network element, the first network element only needs to send a group session establishment request message to one third network element. In an example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to multiple third network elements (i.e., there is a one-to-one correspondence between the UE and the third network element), the first network element needs to send a group session establishment request message to each third network element.

[0077] The group communication resources refer to the communication resources required for data transmission between different UEs in the same 5G-VN group. In an example, the group communication resources may include the data forwarding rules of the group session. The data forwarding rules of the group session refer to the forwarding policies for data packets with destination addresses being different UEs within the group from the same third network element or different third network elements in the 5G-VN group. In an example, if multiple UEs in the 5G-VN group correspond to the same third network element, the data forwarding rules of the group session include: for data packets with destination addresses being UEs served by the third network element, forwarding them to the user sessions in the same third network element. In an example, if multiple UEs in the 5G-VN group correspond to different third network elements, the data forwarding rules of the group session include: for data packets with destination addresses being UEs served by the third network element, forwarding them to the user sessions in different third network elements.

[0078] S130. Send a user session update message to the third network element to update the data forwarding rules of the user session, so that the third network element performs data transmission between at least two user devices based on the updated data forwarding rules of the group session and the user session.

[0079] In one example, the user session update message is used to initiate the N4 session update process for each UE; the data forwarding rule of the user session refers to the forwarding policy for data with a destination address of other UEs from the radio access network or data with a destination address of this UE on the group communication interface in the 5G-VN group. In one example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to the same third network element, the first network element only needs to send a user session update message to one third network element and update the data forwarding rule of the user session on this third network element. In one example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to multiple third network elements (i.e., there is a one-to-one correspondence between the UE and the third network element), the first network element needs to send a user session update message to each third network element and update the data forwarding rule of the user session on the third network element corresponding to the UE. This embodiment can implement the data transmission of local routing between multiple UEs through the third network element without passing through the data forwarding process of the PSA-UPF, thereby improving the data forwarding efficiency.

[0080] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first network element further includes: receiving a group session establishment response message returned by the third network element; wherein, the group session establishment response message carries relevant information about the group communication resources. The group session establishment response message is used to carry the group communication resources allocated by the third network element for local routing between multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group. In one example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to the same third network element, only one third network element needs to send a group session establishment response message to the first network element. In one example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to multiple third network elements (i.e., there is a one-to-one correspondence between the UE and the third network element), each third network element needs to send a group session establishment response message to the first network element.

[0081] In one embodiment, the group communication resources further include: a group communication interface identifier. In one example, the group communication interface refers to the 5G LAN interface; correspondingly, the group communication interface identifier refers to the 5G LAN interface identifier. In one example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to the same third network element, the third network element allocates a 5G LAN interface identifier for group communication. In one example, if multiple UEs in the same 5G VN group correspond to multiple third network elements (i.e., there is a one-to-one correspondence between the UE and the third network element), the third network element allocates multiple 5G LAN interface identifiers for group communication; wherein, the number of 5G LAN interface identifiers is the same as the number of third network elements.

[0082] In one embodiment, the updated data forwarding rule of the user session includes one of the following:

[0083] For data packets with a destination address other than this user equipment from the radio access network (RAN), forward them to the group communication interface of the same group;

[0084] For data packets with the target address being the user equipment on the group communication interface from the same group, forward them to the RAN interface to which the user equipment is connected. In one example, the user equipment refers to the user equipment corresponding to the N4 session update process initiated by the first network element to the third network element; the non-user equipment refers to the user equipment that is not corresponding to the N4 session update process initiated by the first network element to the third network element and is located in the same 5G VN group. Exemplarily, assume that the 5G-VN group includes two members, namely: UE1 and UE2. If the first network element initiates the N4 session update process for UE1 to the third network element, the data forwarding rules for the updated user session include: for data packets from the RAN with the destination address being UE2, forward them to the 5G LAN interface of the group; for data packets from the 5G LAN interface of the group with the destination address being UE1, forward them to the RAN interface to which UE1 is connected. If the first network element initiates the N4 session update process for UE2 to the third network element, the data forwarding rules for the updated user session include: for data packets from the RAN with the destination address being UE1, forward them to the 5G LAN interface of the group; for data packets from the 5G LAN interface of the group with the destination address being UE2, forward them to the RAN interface to which UE2 is connected.

[0085] In one embodiment, the data forwarding rules for the group session include: for data packets with the destination address being the user equipment served by the third network element, forward them to the user session in the third network element. In one example, assume that the 5G-VN group includes two members, namely: UE1 and UE2, and UE1 and UE2 in this 5G-VN group correspond to the same third network element. For example, the third network element is I-UPF1, then the data forwarding rules for the group session include: for data from I-UPF1 with the destination address being UE1, forward it to I-UPF1; for data from I-UPF1 with the destination address being UE2, forward it to I-UPF1. In one example, assume that the 5G-VN group includes two members, namely: UE1 and UE2, and UE1 and UE2 in this 5G-VN group correspond to different third network elements. For example, UE1 corresponds to I-UPF1 and UE2 corresponds to I-UPF2, then the data forwarding rules for the group session include: for data from I-UPF1 with the destination address being UE1, forward it to I-UPF1; for data from I-UPF2 with the destination address being UE2, forward it to I-UPF2.

[0086] In one embodiment, the group communication resources further include: a forwarding tunnel identifier. In one example, the forwarding tunnel may be the N19 interface, and the N19 interface may also be referred to as the N19 tunnel; correspondingly, the forwarding tunnel identifier may be the N19 tunnel identifier or the N19 interface identifier. If the third network elements corresponding to multiple UEs belonging to the same 5G VN group are different, then an N19 interface is required between the third network elements. To facilitate the differentiation of the N19 interfaces of each third network element, a corresponding tunnel identifier may be configured for the N19 interface of each third network element. Exemplarily, assume that the 5G-VN group includes two members, namely: UE1 and UE2, and the UE1 and UE2 in this 5G-VN group correspond to different third network elements. For example, UE1 corresponds to I-UPF1, and UE2 corresponds to I-UPF2. I-UPF1 may configure an N19 tunnel identifier 1 for group communication; I-UPF2 may configure an N19 tunnel identifier 2 for group communication.

[0087] In one embodiment, the third network elements corresponding to each user equipment are different; sending a group session establishment request message to the third network element to request the third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session, includes:

[0088] Sending a group session establishment request message to the first third network element to request the first third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session;

[0089] Sending a group session establishment request message to a non-first third network element to request the non-first third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session; wherein, the forwarding tunnel identifier of the first third network element is carried in the group session establishment request message sent to the non-first third network element. In one example, if the third network elements corresponding to each UE are different, that is, the 5G LAN includes at least two third network elements, the first network element needs to first send a group session establishment request message to the first third network element to request the first third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session; then the first network element sends a group session establishment request message carrying the forwarding tunnel identifier allocated by the first third network element to the second third network element to request the second third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session; then the first network element sends a group session establishment request message carrying the forwarding tunnel identifier allocated by the first third network element and the forwarding tunnel identifier allocated by the second third network element to the third third network element to request the third third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session, and so on, until the process of sending group session establishment request messages to all third network elements is completed.

[0090] In one embodiment, receiving a group session establishment response message returned by the third network element, includes:

[0091] Receive a group session establishment response message sent by the first third network element; wherein, the group communication resources carried in the group session establishment response message sent by the first third network element include the forwarding tunnel identifier of the first third network element;

[0092] Receive a group session establishment response message sent by a non-first third network element; wherein, the group communication resources carried in the group session establishment response message sent by the non-first third network element include the forwarding tunnel identifier of the non-first third network element.

[0093] In one embodiment, the data forwarding rule of the updated group session includes: for a data packet whose destination address is a user equipment not served by the third network element, forward it to the forwarding tunnel. In one example, the forwarding tunnel may be an N19 tunnel (i.e., the N19 interface). In one example, for a data packet whose target address is a UE not served by the third network element, it may include a data packet whose destination address is a UE served by the RAN. Exemplarily, the 5G-VN group includes two members, namely: UE1 and UE2, and then, UE1 and UE2 in the 5G-VN group correspond to different third network elements. For example, UE1 corresponds to I-UPF1, and corresponds to N19 tunnel 1; UE2 corresponds to I-UPF2, and corresponds to N19 tunnel 2. Then, the first network element initiates an N4 session update process for UE1 to I-UPF1. The data forwarding rule of the updated group session includes: for a data packet from the RAN whose destination address is UE2, forward it to N19 tunnel 1 of the group; the first network element initiates an N4 session update process for UE2 to I-UPF2. The data forwarding rule of the updated group session includes: for a data packet from the RAN whose destination address is UE1, forward it to N19 tunnel 2 of the group.

[0094] In one embodiment, Figure 6 It is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is applied to the case of establishing direct communication between two I-UPFs in 5G LAN. This embodiment can be executed by the second network element. As Figure 6 shown, this embodiment includes: S210-S220.

[0095] S210. Obtain user subscription data; wherein, the user subscription data is used to indicate the affiliation between each user equipment and the virtual network group.

[0096] Among them, the virtual network group refers to the 5G-VN group. In one example, the user subscription data contains the user group identifier of each UE. In the embodiment, the second network element can determine whether each user equipment belongs to the virtual network group based on the user group identifier in the user subscription data; if the user group identifiers of two UEs are the same, then these two UEs belong to the same 5G-VN group.

[0097] S220. Send a routing establishment request message to the first network element based on the user subscription data to request the establishment of a local route between at least two user devices.

[0098] When at least two UEs belong to the same 5G-VN group, the second network element determines to establish a local route between the at least two UEs and sends a routing establishment request message to the first network element to request the establishment of a local route between the at least two UEs.

[0099] In one embodiment, obtaining the user subscription data includes: obtaining the user subscription data carrying the user group identifier from the fourth network element. In one example, the user subscription data refers to the subscription data obtained by the second network element from the fourth network element during the process of each UE establishing a PDU session to the S-NSSAI and DNN. Among them, the user subscription data at least includes the user group identifier corresponding to the S-NSSAI and DNN. Exemplarily, the fourth network element is the UDM.

[0100] In the following embodiments, take the first network element as the I-SMF, the second network element as the SMF, the third network element as the I-UPF, and the fourth network element as the UDM as an example. At the same time, the 5G-VN group includes two members, namely: UE1 and UE2. If UE1 and UE2 correspond to different third network elements, it can be: UE1 corresponds to I-UPF1, and UE2 corresponds to I-UPF2; if UE1 and UE2 correspond to the same third network element, it can be I-UPF1; the group communication interface is the 5G-LAN interface; the forwarding tunnel is the N19 tunnel, correspondingly, the forwarding tunnel identifier is the N19 tunnel identifier.

[0101] In one embodiment, Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 5G LAN provided by an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, UE1 and UE2 correspond to the same third network element, which can be I-UPF1. As Figure 7 shown, in this embodiment, UE1 and UE2 respectively establish PDU sessions. During the establishment of the PDU session, the AMF determines to insert the I-SMF and I-UPF1. For simplicity, other network elements (such as AMF, UDM, and PCF, etc.) are omitted in this schematic Figure 7 diagram.

[0102] In the above schematic Figure 7 diagram, when UE1 and UE2 communicate, I-UPF1 can directly perform routing locally. For the data that needs to be forwarded to the N6 interface, I-UPF1 needs to forward it to the PSA UPF through the N9 interface and then forward it to the N6 interface. For the data of the local route between UE1 and UE2, it does not pass through the PSA UPF1, thereby improving the forwarding efficiency.

[0103] In one embodiment, Figure 8It is an interaction schematic diagram of 5G communication provided by an embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is implemented on the basis of the 5G LAN structure shown above Figure 7 as shown. As Figure 8 shown, this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0104] Step 1: UE1 establishes a PDU session to S-NSSAI and DNN. During the establishment of the PDU session, SMF decides to insert I-UPF1 between RAN and PSA UPF, and SMF obtains the user group identifier corresponding to S-NSSAI and DNN from UDM.

[0105] Step 2: UE2 establishes a PDU session to S-NSSAI and DNN. During the establishment of the PDU session, SMF decides to insert I-UPF1 between RAN and PSA UPF, and SMF obtains the user group identifier corresponding to S-NSSAI and DNN from UDM.

[0106] Step 3, SMF determines that the user group identifier in the subscription data of UE1 is the same as the user group identifier of UE2's subscription data. Therefore, UE1 and UE2 belong to the members of the same group, and thus decides to establish a local route between UE1 and UE2.

[0107] Step 4, SMF sends a route establishment request message to I-SMF, requesting to establish a local route between UE1 and UE2.

[0108] Step 5, I-SMF sends a group session establishment request message to I-UPF1, requesting I-UPF1 to allocate group communication resources for the local route between UE1 and UE2.

[0109] Step 6: I-UPF1 sends a group session establishment response message to I-SMF and establishes a group communication resource for group communication on a 5G LAN interface. This group communication resource includes a 5G LAN interface identifier and multiple data forwarding rules for group sessions. For this embodiment, because a local route between UE1 and UE2 needs to be established, this communication resource includes the following rules:

[0110] 1) For the data with the destination address of UE1 from I-UPF1, forward it to I-UPF1.

[0111] 2) For the data with the destination address of UE2 from I-UPF1, forward it to I-UPF1.

[0112] I-UPF1 returns the 5G LAN interface identifier to SMF.

[0113] Step 7: I-SMF sends a user session update message to I-UPF1 to initiate the N4 session update process for UE1. The following forwarding rules are established on I-UPF:

[0114] 1) Packets from the RAN with the destination address of UE2 are forwarded to the 5G LAN interface of this group;

[0115] 2) Packets from the 5G LAN interface of this group with the destination address of UE1 are forwarded to the RAN interface to which UE1 is connected.

[0116] Step 8: I-SMF sends a user session update message to I-UPF1 to initiate the N4 session update process for UE2. The following forwarding rules are established on I-UPF1:

[0117] 1) Packets from the RAN with the destination address of UE1 are forwarded to the 5G LAN interface of this group;

[0118] 2) Packets from the 5G LAN interface of this group with the destination address of UE2 are forwarded to the RAN interface to which UE2 is connected.

[0119] After this step, a local route between UE1 and UE2 is established on I-UPF1.

[0120] Step 9: For the user plane path between UE1 and UE2, I-UPF1 locally routes the traffic between UE1 and UE2.

[0121] In one embodiment, Figure 9 is another schematic diagram of the 5G LAN provided by the embodiments of the present application. In this embodiment, UE1 and UE2 respectively correspond to a third network element, namely I-UPF1 and I-UPF2. As Figure 9 shown, in this embodiment, UE1 and UE2 respectively establish a PDU session. In the PDU session of UE1, I-SMF and I-UPF1 are inserted; in the PDU session of UE2, I-SMF and I-UPF2 are inserted. For simplicity, other network elements (such as RAN, AMF, UDM, and PCF, etc.) are omitted in this schematic diagram.

[0122] In the above illustration Figure 9In the case where UE1 and UE2 communicate, it is necessary to establish an N19 user plane tunnel between I-UPF1 and I-UPF2 for group communication. I-UPF1 and I-UPF2 need to forward the group communication data onto the N19 tunnel and send it to the destination I-UPF, and after the destination I-UPF receives it, it forwards it to the destination UE. For the data that needs to be forwarded to the N6 interface, I-UPF1 and I-UPF2 forward it through the N9 interface to the PSA UPF and then through the N6 interface. The data of the local route between UE1 and UE2 does not pass through PSA UPF1 and PSA UPF2, thereby improving the forwarding efficiency.

[0123] In one embodiment, Figure 10 is another interaction schematic diagram of 5G communication provided by the embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is implemented on the basis of the 5G LAN structure shown above Figure 9 As shown. As Figure 10 shown, this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0124] Step 1: UE1 establishes a PDU session to S-NSSAI and DNN. During the establishment of the PDU session, the SMF decides to insert I-UPF1 between the RAN and the PSA UPF, and the SMF obtains the user group identifier corresponding to S-NSSAI and DNN from the UDM.

[0125] Step 2: UE2 establishes a PDU session to S-NSSAI and DNN. During the establishment of the PDU session, the SMF decides to insert I-UPF1 between the RAN and the PSA UPF, and the SMF obtains the user group identifier corresponding to S-NSSAI and DNN from the UDM.

[0126] Step 3, the SMF determines that the user group identifier in the subscription data of UE1 is the same as the user group identifier of the subscription data of UE2. Therefore, UE1 and UE2 belong to the members of the same group, and thus decides to establish a local route between UE1 and UE2.

[0127] Step 4, the SMF sends a route establishment request message to the I-SMF, requesting to establish a local route between UE1 and UE2.

[0128] Step 5, the I-SMF sends a group session establishment request message to I-UPF1, requesting I-UPF1 to allocate group communication resources.

[0129] Step 6: I-UPF1 sends a group session establishment response message to the SMF and establishes a group communication resource for the group communication with a 5G LAN interface. The group communication resource includes a 5G LAN interface identifier 1 and an N19 tunnel identifier 1 of I-UPF1. I-UPF1 returns the 5G LAN interface identifier 1 and the N19 tunnel identifier 1 of I-UPF1 to the I-SMF.

[0130] Step 7, the I-SMF sends a group session establishment request message to the I-UPF2, requesting the I-UPF2 to allocate group communication resources, and carrying the N19 tunnel identifier 1 of the I-UPF1 in this group session establishment request message.

[0131] Step 8: The I-UPF2 sends a group session establishment response message to the SMF, and establishes a group communication resource for the group communication on a 5G LAN interface. This group communication resource includes a 5G LAN interface identifier 2 and the N19 tunnel identifier 2 of the I-UPF2. The I-UPF2 simultaneously establishes multiple forwarding rules for this 5G-LAN interface. For this embodiment, the following rules are included:

[0132] 1) For data with the destination address of UE2 from the I-UPF2 or the N19 tunnel, forward it to the I-UPF2.

[0133] 2) For data with the destination address of UE1 from the I-UPF2, forward it to the 5G LAN interface 2, and the destination tunnel identifier is the N19 tunnel identifier 1 of the I-UPF1.

[0134] The I-UPF2 returns the 5G LAN interface identifier 2 and the N19 tunnel identifier of the I-UPF2 to the I-SMF.

[0135] Step 9, the I-SMF sends a group session update request message to the I-UPF1, carrying the N19 tunnel identifier 2 of the I-UPF2.

[0136] Step 10: The I-UPF2 sends a group session update response message to the I-SMF to establish multiple data forwarding rules for the group session on the 5G-LAN interface 1. For this embodiment, the following rules are included:

[0137] 1) For data with the destination address of UE1 from the UPF1 or the N19 tunnel, forward it to the UPF1.

[0138] 2) For data with the destination address of UE2 from the UPF1, forward it to the 5G LAN interface 2, and the destination tunnel identifier is the N19 tunnel identifier 2 of the I-UPF2.

[0139] Step 11: The I-SMF sends a user session update message to the I-UPF1 to initiate the N4 session update process of the UE1. The following forwarding rules are established on the I-UPF1 for this message:

[0140] 1) For data packets with the destination address of UE2 from the RAN, forward them to the 5G LAN interface 1 of this group;

[0141] 2) For the data packets with the destination address of UE1 on the 5G LAN interface 1 from this group, forward them to the RAN interface accessed by UE1.

[0142] Step 12: The I-SMF sends a user session update message to the I-UPF2 to initiate the N4 session update process for UE2. The following forwarding rules are established on the I-UPF2 for this message:

[0143] 1) For the data packets with the destination address of UE1 from the RAN, forward them to the 5G LAN interface 2 of this group;

[0144] 2) For the data packets with the destination address of UE2 on the 5G LAN interface 2 of this group, forward them to the RAN interface accessed by UE2.

[0145] After this step, a 5G-LAN user plane channel between UE1 and UE2 through the N19 tunnel is established.

[0146] Step 13: The user plane path between UE1 and UE2 is routed through the N19 tunnel between the I-UPF1 and the I-UPF2.

[0147] In one embodiment, Figure 11 is the structural block diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of this application. This embodiment is applied to the first network element. As Figure 11 shown, the communication device in this embodiment includes: a receiver 310, a transmitter 320, and a transmission module 330.

[0148] The receiver 310 is configured to receive a routing establishment request message sent by the second network element.

[0149] The transmitter 320 is configured to send a group session establishment request message to the third network element to request the third network element to allocate group communication resources that at least include the data forwarding rules of the group session.

[0150] The transmission module 330 is configured to send a user session update message to the third network element to update the data forwarding rules of the user session, so that the third network element performs data transmission between at least two user devices based on the updated data forwarding rules of the group session and the data forwarding rules of the user session.

[0151] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first network element further includes:

[0152] The receiver 310 is further configured to receive a group session establishment response message returned by the third network element; wherein, the group session establishment response message carries the relevant information of the group communication resources.

[0153] In one embodiment, the group communication resources further include: a group communication interface identifier.

[0154] In one embodiment, the data forwarding rules for the updated user session include one of the following:

[0155] For a data packet with a destination address other than the user equipment from the radio access network (RAN), forward it to the group communication interface of the same group;

[0156] For a data packet with a destination address of the user equipment on the group communication interface of the same group, forward it to the RAN interface accessed by the user equipment.

[0157] In one embodiment, the data forwarding rules for the group session include: for a data packet with a destination address of the user equipment served by the third network element, forward it to the user session in the third network element.

[0158] In one embodiment, the group communication resources further include: a forwarding tunnel identifier.

[0159] In one embodiment, the third network element corresponding to each user equipment is different; the transmitter 320 is further configured to,

[0160] Send a group session establishment request message to the first third network element to request the first third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session;

[0161] Send a group session establishment request message to a non-first third network element to request the non-first third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least the data forwarding rules of the group session; wherein, the group session establishment request message sent to the non-first third network element carries the forwarding tunnel identifier of the first third network element.

[0162] In one embodiment, receiving the group session establishment response message returned by the third network element is specifically configured as:

[0163] Receive the group session establishment response message sent by the first third network element; wherein, the group communication resources carried in the group session establishment response message sent by the first third network element include the forwarding tunnel identifier of the first third network element;

[0164] Receive the group session establishment response message sent by the non-first third network element; wherein, the group communication resources carried in the group session establishment response message sent by the non-first third network element include the forwarding tunnel identifier of the non-first third network element.

[0165] In one embodiment, the data forwarding rules for the updated group session include: for a data packet with a destination address of a user equipment not served by the third network element, forward it to the forwarding tunnel.

[0166] The communication device provided in this embodiment is configured to implement Figure 5The communication method applied to the first network element in the illustrated embodiment. The implementation principle and technical effects of the communication device provided in this embodiment are similar and will not be elaborated here.

[0167] In one embodiment, Figure 12 is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is applied to the second network element. As Figure 12 shown, the communication device in this embodiment includes: an acquisition module 410 and a transmitter 420.

[0168] The acquisition module 410 is configured to acquire user subscription data; wherein, the user subscription data is used to indicate the affiliation between each user equipment and a virtual network group;

[0169] The transmitter 420 is configured to send a routing establishment request message to the first network element based on the user subscription data to request the establishment of a local route between at least two user equipments.

[0170] In one embodiment, the acquisition module 410 is further configured to acquire user subscription data carrying a user group identifier from the fourth network element.

[0171] The communication device provided in this embodiment is configured to implement Figure 6 the communication method applied to the second network element in the illustrated embodiment. The implementation principle and technical effects of the communication device provided in this embodiment are similar and will not be elaborated here.

[0172] In one embodiment, Figure 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 13 shown, the device provided in the present application includes: a processor 510, a memory 520, and a communication module 530. The number of processors 510 in this device can be one or more, Figure 13 taking one processor 510 as an example. The number of memories 520 in this device can be one or more, Figure 13 taking one memory 520 as an example. The processor 510, memory 520, and communication module 530 of this device can be connected through a bus or other means, Figure 13 taking connection through a bus as an example. In this embodiment, this device can be a resource management component.

[0173] The memory 520, being a computer-readable storage medium, can be configured to store software programs, computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the devices in any embodiment of the present application (for example, the receiver 310, transmitter 320, and transmission module 330 in the communication device). The memory 520 can include a program storage area and a data storage area. Among them, the program storage area can store an operating system and application programs required for at least one function; the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the device, etc. In addition, the memory 520 can include high-speed random access memory and can also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. In some instances, the memory 520 can further include a memory remotely disposed relative to the processor 510, and these remote memories can be connected to the device through a network. Examples of the above network include but are not limited to the Internet, enterprise intranet, local area network, mobile communication network, and their combinations.

[0174] When the communication device is the first network element, the device provided above can be configured to execute the communication method applied to the first network element provided in any of the above embodiments, and has corresponding functions and effects.

[0175] When the communication device is the second network element, the device provided above can be configured to execute the communication method applied to the second network element provided in any of the above embodiments, and has corresponding functions and effects.

[0176] An embodiment of the present application further provides a storage medium containing computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a computer processor, they are used to execute a communication method applied to a first network element. The method includes: receiving a routing establishment request message sent by a second network element; sending a group session establishment request message to a third network element to request the third network element to allocate group communication resources including at least data forwarding rules for the group session; sending a user session update message to the third network element to update the data forwarding rules of the user session, so that the third network element performs data transmission between at least two user devices based on the updated data forwarding rules of the group session and the data forwarding rules of the user session.

[0177] An embodiment of the present application further provides a storage medium containing computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a computer processor, they are used to execute a communication method applied to a second network element. The method includes: obtaining user subscription data; where the user subscription data is used to indicate the affiliation relationship between each user device and a virtual network group; based on the user subscription data, sending a routing establishment request message to a first network element to request to add the user device to the virtual network group.

[0178] Those skilled in the art should understand that the term user equipment encompasses any suitable type of wireless user equipment, such as mobile phones, portable data processing devices, portable network browsers, or in-vehicle mobile stations.

[0179] In general, various embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the present application is not limited thereto.

[0180] Embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a data processor of a mobile device executing computer program instructions, such as in a processor entity, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The computer program instructions can be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status-setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0181] Any block diagram of a logical process in the drawings of the present application can represent program steps, or can represent interconnected logical circuits, modules, and functions, or can represent a combination of program steps and logical circuits, modules, and functions. The computer program can be stored in a memory. The memory can have any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical memory devices and systems (digital video disc (DVD) or compact disk (CD)), etc. The computer-readable medium can include non-transitory storage media. The data processor can be any type suitable for the local technical environment, such as but not limited to general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0182] Embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product, including a computer program, which when executed by a processor can implement the communication method provided in any embodiment of the present application.

[0183] In the process of implementing the computer program product, the computer program code for performing the operations of this application can be written in one or more programming languages or combinations thereof. The programming languages include object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and also include conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network - including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) - or, it can be connected to an external computer (for example, by using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet).

[0184] The above are only the preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. For those skilled in the art, various changes and modifications can be made to this application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of this application shall be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to the first network element, including: receiving a routing establishment request message sent by the second network element; Sending a group session establishment request message to a third network element to request the third network element to allocate a group communication resource including at least a data forwarding rule for the group session; A user session update message is sent to the third network element to update the data forwarding rule of the user session, so that the third network element performs data transmission between at least two user devices based on the updated data forwarding rule of the group session and the data forwarding rule of the user session.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Receive a group session establishment response message returned by the third network element; wherein the group session establishment response message carries relevant information of the group communication resources.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The group communication resource also includes: a group communication interface identifier.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The updated data forwarding rule for the user session includes one of the following: Forwarding data packets from the radio access network RAN ​​whose destination address is not the user equipment to the group communication interface of the same group; For data packets with the destination address of the user equipment from the group communication interface of the same group, they are forwarded to the RAN interface to which the user equipment is connected.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The data forwarding rules of the group session include: For a data packet whose destination address is a user equipment served by the third network element, the data packet is forwarded to a user session in the third network element.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The group communication resource also includes: a forwarding tunnel identifier.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The third network element corresponding to each of the user equipments is different; the sending of a group session establishment request message to the third network element to request the third network element to allocate a group communication resource including at least a data forwarding rule for the group session includes: Sending a group session establishment request message to the first third network element to request the first third network element to allocate a group communication resource including at least a data forwarding rule of the group session; A group session establishment request message is sent to a non-first third network element to request the non-first third network element to allocate group communication resources that at least include data forwarding rules for the group session; wherein the group session establishment request message sent to the non-first third network element carries a forwarding tunnel identifier of the first third network element.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The receiving the group session establishment response message returned by the third network element includes: Receiving a group session establishment response message sent by a first third network element; wherein the group communication resource carried by the group session establishment response message sent by the first third network element includes a forwarding tunnel identifier of the first third network element; A group session establishment response message sent by a non-first third network element is received; wherein the group communication resource carried by the group session establishment response message sent by the non-first third network element includes a forwarding tunnel identifier of the non-first third network element.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The updated data forwarding rule of the group session includes: forwarding, to the forwarding tunnel, data packets whose destination address is a user equipment not served by the third network element.

10. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to the second network element, including: Acquire user subscription data; wherein the user subscription data is used to indicate the relationship between each user device and the virtual network group; A route establishment request message is sent to the first network element based on the user subscription data to request establishment of a local route between at least two user equipments.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The obtaining of user contract data includes: The user subscription data carrying the user group identifier is obtained from the fourth network element.

12. A communication device, characterized in that: include: memory, and one or more processors; The memory is configured to store one or more programs; When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 or 10 to 11.

13. A storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 or 10 to 11 is implemented.

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