A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, applied in the field of wireless communication technology, is used to resolve the problem of IP address conflicts in edge network services. The method pre-groups devices, SMFs, and UPFs within the edge network, ensuring that IP addresses of edge network devices belonging to the same group do not conflict, thus reducing planning complexity. When creating a dedicated session for a terminal device, SMFs and UPFs belonging to the same group can be selected to create the dedicated session for the terminal device. This allows the SMFs and UPFs to provide services to edge networks belonging to the same group. When forwarding packets, the UPFs can forward packets based on the group identifier. This enables devices belonging to different groups of edge networks to use the same IP address in large-scale, geographically dispersed edge network deployments, and ensures that the UPFs can correctly forward packets based on the group identifier, better adapting to current network development needs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the advent of the 5th generation system (5GS) era, the industry is gradually launching products centered on smartphones to achieve seamless interconnection and collaboration across all smart living scenarios, including homes, cars, and parks, anytime and anywhere.

[0003] To address these scenarios, the industry has launched various mobile applications that enable users to access edge networks such as homes, campuses, and vehicles. When users access various edge services through these mobile applications, data traffic can be transmitted via public clouds or the 5G core network (5GC), etc. Figure 1 As shown. For scenarios involving accessing home devices, the industry also offers a technology that combines cloud relay and independent VPN tunnels, such as... Figure 2 In addition, the industry has proposed a dual-domain private network scenario, which can ensure that users can access both campus services and Internet services simultaneously without changing their SIM card or mobile phone number.

[0004] However, with the widespread deployment of edge networks in homes, vehicles, and industrial parks, it's difficult to avoid situations where devices in different edge networks share the same IP address. Ensuring smooth access for users when devices in different edge networks have the same IP address is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for resolving IP conflicts in edge network services.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a first session management function network element, or a communication module / processing module in the first session management function network element, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core) in the first session management function network element responsible for communication functions, or a circuit or chip (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) in the first session management function network element responsible for processing functions.

[0007] Taking the application of this method to the first session management function network element as an example, the method includes: obtaining the traffic splitting rules of the dedicated session of the terminal device, wherein the dedicated session is used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device, and the traffic splitting rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session; sending a session establishment request message to the first user plane function network element, wherein the session establishment request message requests the establishment of the dedicated session, and the session establishment request message includes the group identifier and the IP address information.

[0008] In the above method, devices, SMFs, and UPFs in the edge network are pre-grouped to ensure that the IP addresses of edge network devices belonging to the same group do not conflict, which reduces the planning difficulty. When creating a session for a terminal device, the group identifier is sent to the UPF so that the UPF can forward user data according to the group identifier when accessing the edge network. This enables devices belonging to different groups of edge networks to use the same IP address when deploying edge networks on a large scale and in different locations, and the UPF can forward packets correctly according to the group identifier, which can better adapt to the current network development needs.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: selecting a second session management function network element according to the group identifier, wherein the second session management function network element belongs to the group; and sending a session creation request message to the second session management function network element, wherein the session creation request is used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device. In the above implementation, when creating a dedicated session for the terminal device, SMFs and UPFs belonging to the same group can be selected to create a dedicated session for the terminal device, enabling SMFs and UPFs belonging to the same group to provide services to edge networks belonging to the same group.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: selecting a second session management function network element based on the group identifier, wherein the second session management function network element does not belong to the group, and the second session management function network element can select a third session management function network element belonging to the group to establish the dedicated session for the terminal device; and sending a session creation request message to the second session management function network element, wherein the session creation request is used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device. To improve system performance and ensure user service quality, in the above implementation, when creating a dedicated session, a preset UPF is added to the dedicated session through a preset SMF, thereby enabling the preset UPF to share the packet parsing task of the first UPF, and then forwarding packets accessing the edge network to the UPF in the group, thereby helping to improve system performance and ensure user service quality.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a session context establishment request message; and sending a session context establishment response message, the response message including context establishment information for a general session and the dedicated session, wherein the general session is used for the terminal device to communicate with the Internet. In the above implementation, the SMF can simultaneously create a dedicated session for the terminal device when establishing a general session, so that the terminal device can quickly access the edge network through the established dedicated session when it subsequently needs to do so.

[0012] In one possible implementation, obtaining the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device includes: obtaining the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device from the policy control function network element.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a second session management function network element, or a communication module / processing module in the second session management function network element, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) in the second session management function network element responsible for communication functions, or a circuit or chip (such as a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC) in the second session management function network element responsible for processing functions.

[0014] Taking the application of this method to a second session management function network element as an example, the method includes: receiving a session creation request message, the session creation request being used to create a dedicated session for a terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device; obtaining the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device, the traffic splitting rules including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session; selecting a second user plane function network element according to the group identifier; and sending a session establishment request message to the second user plane function network element, the session establishment request message requesting the establishment of the dedicated session, the session establishment request message including the group identifier and the IP address information.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the second session management function network element belongs to the group.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the second session management function network element does not belong to the group; the method further includes: selecting a third session management function network element according to the group identifier, the third session management function network element belonging to the group; sending a session creation request message to the third session management function network element, the session creation request being used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device.

[0017] In one possible implementation, obtaining the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device includes: obtaining the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device from the policy control function network element.

[0018] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a user plane function network element, or a communication module / processing module in a user plane function network element, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) in a user plane function network element responsible for communication functions, or a circuit or chip (such as a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC) in a user plane function network element responsible for processing functions.

[0019] Taking the application of this method to a user plane function network element as an example, the method includes: receiving a session establishment request message, the session establishment request message requesting the establishment of a dedicated session for a terminal device, the session establishment request message including a group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; establishing the dedicated session for the terminal device; receiving a message from the terminal device, and if the message includes the group identifier, forwarding the message through the dedicated session.

[0020] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a terminal device, or a communication module / processing module in a terminal device, or a circuit or chip in a terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), or a circuit or chip in a terminal device responsible for processing functions (such as a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC).

[0021] Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the method includes: generating a first message, wherein the destination IP address of the first message belongs to the local network registered by the terminal device, the first message includes a group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the group corresponds to the local network; and sending the first message.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a message from an access and mobility management function network element, the message including the group identifier.

[0023] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a policy control function network element, or a communication module / processing module in a policy control function network element, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) in a policy control function network element responsible for communication functions, or a circuit or chip (such as a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC) in a policy control function network element responsible for processing functions.

[0024] Taking the application of this method to a policy control function network element as an example, the method includes: receiving a session policy control creation request message, the request message being used to request the acquisition of the session policy of the terminal device; sending a session policy control creation response message, the response message including the traffic splitting rules of the dedicated session of the terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device, the traffic splitting rules including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0025] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to an access and mobility management function network element, or a communication module / processing module in an access and mobility management function network element, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) responsible for communication functions in an access and mobility management function network element, or a circuit or chip (such as a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC) responsible for processing functions in an access and mobility management function network element.

[0026] Taking the application of this method to a network element for access and mobility management functions as an example, the method includes: obtaining terminal device subscription information, the subscription information including a group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; and sending a message to the terminal device, the message including the group identifier.

[0027] Seventhly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a first session management function network element, such as a processor, chip, or functional module within the first session management function network element. This communication device has the function of implementing the methods described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0030] Eighthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a second session management function network element, such as a processor, chip, or functional module within the second session management function network element. This communication device has the function of implementing the methods described in the second aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the second aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the second aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0033] Ninthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a user plane function network element, such as a processor, chip, or functional module within the user plane function network element. This communication device has the function of implementing the method in the third aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described function.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the third aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the third aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0036] Tenthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a terminal device, including a processor, chip, or functional module, etc., in the terminal device. This communication device has the function of implementing the method in the fourth aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described function.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the fourth aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the fourth aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0039] Eleventhly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a policy control function network element, such as a processor, chip, or functional module within the policy control function network element. This communication device has the function of implementing the method in the fifth aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described function.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the fifth aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the fifth aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0042] In a twelfth aspect, this application also provides a communication device, which may be an access and mobility management function (AMU) network element, such as a processor, chip, or functional module within the AMU. This communication device has the function of implementing the methods described in the sixth aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the sixth aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0045] In a thirteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system including the communication device described in the first aspect, the communication device described in the second aspect, the communication device described in the third aspect, the communication device described in the fifth aspect, and the communication device described in the sixth aspect. Furthermore, it may also include the communication device described in the fourth aspect.

[0046] In a fourteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip, including: a processor coupled to a memory for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the processor, the chip causes the chip to implement the methods described in the first to sixth aspects and any of their implementations.

[0047] In a fifteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first to sixth aspects and any of their implementations.

[0048] In a sixteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first to sixth aspects and any of their implementations.

[0049] For the technical effects that can be achieved by any possible implementation of any of the second to sixth aspects mentioned above, please refer to the description of the technical effects that can be achieved by the corresponding implementation scheme in the first aspect mentioned above. Repeated parts will not be discussed. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 This application provides a schematic diagram of an access edge service according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0051] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of an access edge service provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 3 A network architecture diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 4A schematic diagram of the UPF role provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the multi-DNN traffic offloading scheme for the home campus provided in this application embodiment;

[0055] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the visitor flow diversion scheme for the campus provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0066] The technology provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, such as New Radio (NR) system, and future evolution communication systems, such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system, etc.

[0067] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0068] In addition, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily," "for example," and "likely" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0069] In a communication system, a network element can send signals to or receive signals from another network element. These signals can include information or data; a network element can also be referred to as an entity, network entity, device, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc. This application uses a network element as an example for description.

[0070] See Figure 3This illustration shows a network architecture diagram of a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. The network functions and entities included in the system mainly include: user equipment (UE), radio access network (RAN) network elements, user plane function (UPF) network elements, data network (DN), access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, application function (AF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, network repository function (NRF) network elements, edge application server discovery function (EASDF) network elements, and so on.

[0071] The terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal device, user apparatus, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal unit, terminal station, terminal apparatus, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user apparatus. A terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication functions. The terminal may also be configured with program instructions for performing these communication functions. For example, the terminal in the embodiments of this application can be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a drone, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a machine-type communication (MTC) terminal, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home (e.g., game consoles, smart TVs, smart speakers, smart refrigerators, and fitness equipment), a transportation vehicle with wireless communication capabilities, a communication module, or a roadside unit (RSU) with terminal functionality. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal equipment.

[0072] (R)AN network elements can be evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) systems, NR systems, and future radio access systems as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. (R)AN network elements can also be open RAN (O-RAN).

[0073] The (R)AN network element involved in this application embodiment can be a RAN node. A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, is used to help terminals access a communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, or a donor node.

[0074] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control (RRC) and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RANC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0075] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). CU-control panel (CU-CP) can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), and CU-user panel (CU-UP) can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, an RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes. For ease of description, a base station is used as an example of a RAN node in the following description.

[0076] Data Network (DN): A data network that provides business services to users. Generally, the client is located at the terminal, and the server is located in the data network. A data network can be a private network, such as a local area network (LAN), an external network not controlled by the operator, such as the Internet, or a proprietary network jointly deployed by operators, such as a network providing Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia core network subsystem (IMS) services.

[0077] The following is a brief introduction to the functions of network elements in the core network:

[0078] SMF network elements are mainly used for session management, IP address allocation and management of terminals, selection of manageable user equipment plane functions, policy control, or terminal points for charging function interfaces, as well as downlink data notification, etc.

[0079] AMF network elements are mainly used for mobility management and access management, such as the mobility management entity (MME) function in 4G communication networks or the AMF network element in 5G networks.

[0080] PCF network element: A unified policy framework used to guide network behavior, providing policy rule information for control plane functional network elements (such as AMF, SMF, etc.).

[0081] UDM network elements are used to handle user identification, subscription, access authentication, registration, or mobility management, etc.

[0082] AF element: Used to represent applications and interact with other control elements in the 5G network.

[0083] UPF network elements are used for packet routing and forwarding, or for quality of service (QoS) processing of user plane data.

[0084] NEF (Network Element): Used to securely expose services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions to the outside world.

[0085] NRF network elements are used to store network function entities and their descriptions of the services they provide, as well as to support functions such as service discovery and network element entity discovery.

[0086] EASDF network element: A network element used to assist in the discovery of edge application servers (EAS). Its main function is to process domain name system (DNS) messages according to the instructions of SMF.

[0087] It is understood that in practical applications, the above network architecture may also include other network elements, and this application does not limit this.

[0088] It should be noted that the names of the network elements in this application are merely examples, and this application does not preclude the possibility of using other names for the network elements in the future, or the merging of functions between the network elements. With the evolution of technology, any device or network element capable of implementing the functions of the aforementioned network elements is within the scope of protection of this application. Figure 3 The interface names between the various network elements are merely examples; in actual implementations, the interface names may differ, and this application does not impose any specific limitations on them. Furthermore, the names of the messages (or signaling) transmitted between the aforementioned network elements are also merely examples and do not constitute any limitation on the function of the messages themselves.

[0089] It should be understood that the embodiments described below in this application can be understood through... Figure 3 Implemented on all network elements, or through Figure 3 This application does not limit the implementation of certain network elements.

[0090] For ease of description, each network element will be referred to by its corresponding English abbreviation in the following text. For example, “AF” represents the application function network element, “SMF” represents the session management function network element, and so on.

[0091] For the current 5GC, the technical solutions for offloading Internet service data and edge service data (including home / vehicle / campus services) include the 5G standard uplink-classifier (ULCL) offloading solution, the visited campus visit offloading solution, and the home campus multiple data network name (DNN) offloading solution.

[0092] In a ULCL shunt scheme, the UPF may play one of the following three roles:

[0093] Main anchor point (e.g.) Figure 4 UPF PSA1): The UPF that assigns the user plane IP to the UE when the UE is activated. It is also the session anchor point for the UE to access the Internet and can be called the primary anchor point UPF.

[0094] auxiliary anchor points (such as) Figure 4 UPF PSA2): The session anchor point when the UE accesses the local network, which can be called the secondary anchor point UPF.

[0095] ULCL: Used to offload uplink business data to local or Internet, and aggregate downlink data packets from the primary anchor point UPF and secondary anchor point UPF, and encapsulate them into a GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel on the N3 interface and pass them to (R)AN.

[0096] As a UPF for ULCL, it can offload user data in the following two scenarios, diverting data streams matching ULCL rules to secondary anchor UPFs. Figure 4 PSA2 UPF or main anchor point UPF Figure 4 (PSA1 UPF in the middle).

[0097] Scenario 1: When the user equipment (UE) is activated in the edge UPF service area, the UE initiates a packet data unit (PDU) session establishment process. The session management function (SMF) selects the ULCL UPF and secondary anchor point based on the user's DNN, location information and data network access identifier (DNAI), and issues corresponding traffic offloading rules to the ULCL UPF and secondary anchor point to achieve traffic offloading of user data.

[0098] Scenario 2: When a UE moves from another area to the edge UPF service area, the UE initiates a UE location area change process, which triggers the SMF to update the location area and other information in the SM context, selects ULCL UPF and secondary anchor point, inserts them into the current session, and issues the corresponding traffic splitting rules to achieve traffic splitting of user data.

[0099] In a multi-DNN offloading scheme within the home campus area, the UE can use a general DNN to access the roaming area, while the roaming SMF uses a dedicated DNN to create its own session on the network side to access edge network services, such as... Figure 5 The following steps may be included:

[0100] Step 1: The home SMF registers its supported dedicated DNN with the network repository function (NRF).

[0101] Step 2: The policy control function (PCF) determines the user's dedicated DNN and dynamic traffic splitting rules, and sends them to the SMF in the user's roaming location; among them, the dynamic traffic splitting rules include the destination IP address, domain name, dedicated DNN name, etc.

[0102] Step 3: The roaming SMF can also use the campus identifier obtained from the PCF to map out a dedicated DNN, and use the dedicated DNN to discover the home SMF through NRF; the roaming SMF creates a session based on the general DNN to realize the user's Internet services.

[0103] Step 4: The roaming SMF uses the mapped dedicated DNN to create a second session on the network side, constructs a dedicated DNN activation request created through the N16a interface, and sends N1 / N2 messages to the home SMF. When sending the activation message to the home SMF, the roaming SMF can directly use the cell "dnn" to carry the dedicated DNN; alternatively, it can use the cell "dnn" to carry the general DNN and use the cell "selected DNN" to carry the dedicated DNN.

[0104] Step 5: The local private network SMF selects the private network UPF based on the dedicated DNN.

[0105] Step 6: The home network SMF returns an activation response to the roaming network SMF.

[0106] Step 7: The roaming SMF distributes the dynamic traffic splitting rules to the roaming UPF according to the user session granularity. The home UPF learns the IP addresses of the public DNN and the private DNN through data packet self-learning, and saves the relationship between the two, performing one-to-one IP address translation. For uplink packets, the home UPF replaces the public UE IP address with the private UE IP address; for downlink packets, the home UPF replaces the private UE IP address with the public UE IP address. The home UPF also supports Layer 3 IP address replacement and application layer IP address replacement.

[0107] Step 8: The roaming UPF creates a dedicated session on the network side and constructs an uplink packet to send to the dedicated UPF. The source IP in the GPRS tunneling protocol user plane (GTPU) encapsulation of the packet is the UE IP in the public network DNN. The GTPU private extension header carried by the packet indicates that the packet is a packet constructed by the network side and is discarded by the home UPF.

[0108] A site visit diversion plan for industrial parks may include the following steps:

[0109] AMF selects Smart Splitting SMF.

[0110] During registration, AMF obtains the user's subscription data and discovers that the user's subscription DNN contains the intelligent traffic routing keyword "multidomain", thus identifying the user as an intelligent traffic routing user.

[0111] When AMF receives a user's general session activation request, it determines whether to enable the intelligent traffic splitting function. After obtaining the discovery results from NRF, AMF prioritizes selecting the SMF that supports both general DNN and preferred DNN "multidomain". If there is no SMF that supports both general DNN and preferred DNN "multidomain", it selects the SMF that supports general DNN.

[0112] Intelligent shunting SMF selects intelligent shunting UPF.

[0113] The UPF's intelligent traffic splitting capability can be communicated to the SMF via extended information cells when the N4 association between the UPF and SMF is established or updated. When selecting an intelligent traffic splitting UPF, the SMF can adopt a preferred strategy, that is, prioritize the UPF with intelligent traffic splitting capability.

[0114] Intelligent traffic splitting SMF establishes a dedicated DNN session for the campus, which can, for example... Figure 6 As shown.

[0115] When creating a general session for a user, the Smart Traffic Splitting (SMF) can further create a campus-specific session. In this case, the Smart Traffic Splitting (SMF) can start establishing a campus-specific DNN session after receiving the PCF's smart traffic splitting strategy during the general session establishment process.

[0116] Alternatively, the Smart Traffic Splitting (SMF) can establish a dedicated DNN session for the campus when a service is triggered. In this case, when the general session is established, the SMF converts the smart traffic splitting policy (campus domain name, IP, DNN, network slice, etc.) issued by the PCF into corresponding packet detection rules (PDR) and forwarding action rules (FAR) and sends them to the UPF. When a user accesses a campus service, the UPF reports a private event to the Smart Traffic Splitting (SMF). After receiving the private event, the SMF starts to establish a dedicated campus session. After the dedicated campus session is established, the corresponding PDR and FAR are updated.

[0117] In the three traffic offloading schemes described above, the service (server) IPs of the edge networks are planned by the campus itself. However, with the widespread deployment of edge networks, situations may arise where different edge networks have the same service IP. If different edge networks have the same service IP, UPF will not be able to properly offload traffic.

[0118] Currently, one way to resolve service IP conflicts is to deploy Destination Network Address Translation (DNAT) on the private UPF network to modify the Server IP. Even with this solution, the address pool after DNAT translation must not conflict. However, due to the large number of edge networks deployed in different cities, planning this is quite challenging.

[0119] To address the issue of IP conflicts in edge network services, embodiments of this application provide a communication method for achieving proper traffic splitting.

[0120] In the communication method provided in this application embodiment, devices in each edge network belong to a group, and different groups are identified by different group IDs. Devices belonging to the same group have different IPs; if devices in different groups have the same IP, the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be used to achieve correct traffic splitting. For an edge network, all devices in the edge network can be assigned to the same group; if the edge network contains a large number of devices, the devices in the edge network can also be assigned to different groups; optionally, devices in different edge networks can also be assigned to the same group. For example, if edge network 1 and edge network 2 each contain a small number of devices, the devices in edge network 1 and edge network 2 can be assigned to the same group.

[0121] Correspondingly, for a terminal device accessing a wireless communication network, if it is allowed to access one or more edge networks, then the terminal device can be considered to belong to the group to which the one or more edge networks belong. For example, edge network 1 belongs to group 1, and the group ID of group 1 is groupID 1; edge network 2 contains a large number of devices, so the devices in edge network 2 belong to group 2 or group 3, the group ID of group 2 is groupID 2, and the group ID of group 3 is groupID 3; edge network 3 belongs to group 4, and the group ID of group 4 is groupID 4; if UE1 is allowed to access edge network 1, then the group ID of UE1 is groupID 1; if UE2 is allowed to access edge network 2, then the group ID of UE2 is groupID 2 and groupID 3; or, if UE2 is allowed to access some devices in edge network 2, then the group ID of UE2 is groupID 2 or groupID 3; if UE3 is allowed to access edge network 1 and edge network 3, then the group ID of UE3 is groupID 1 or groupID 4. The group identifier corresponding to the UE can be included in the UE's subscription information.

[0122] Based on the above group settings, when creating a session for a terminal device, it can be done as follows: Figure 7 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0123] Step 701: The first SMF obtains the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device.

[0124] The dedicated session is used for communication between the terminal device and the local network (also known as the edge network, including home / vehicle / campus networks, etc.) where the terminal device is registered. The dedicated session traffic routing rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session. As mentioned earlier, the group identifier of the terminal device is the group identifier of the devices in the edge network to which the terminal device is allowed to access. The IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session is the IP address of the devices in the edge network to which the terminal device is allowed to access; since the terminal device may be allowed to access multiple devices in the edge network, the IP address corresponding to the dedicated session can be multiple, or it can be an IP address range, etc.

[0125] Figure 7 The illustrated embodiment uses the first SMF in 5GC to manage the session of the terminal device as an example. In practical applications, it can also be a network element with session management function in other mobile communication systems.

[0126] When creating a dedicated session for a terminal device, the first SMF can obtain the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device, and then create a dedicated session for the terminal device according to the dedicated session routing rules. For example, the first SMF can obtain the routing rules for the terminal device from the PCF. Specifically, the first SMF can send a Session Management Policy Control Creation Request message (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_CreateRequest) to the PCF to request the acquisition of the routing rules for the terminal device. After receiving the request message, the PCF returns a Session Management Policy Control Creation Response message (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create response) to the first SMF. This response message includes the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the first SMF can create a dedicated session for the terminal device when creating a general session (i.e., a session for accessing the Internet) to allow the terminal device to access the edge network. In this case, instead of waiting for the terminal device to have a need to access the edge network before creating a dedicated session, the dedicated session is created in advance when creating the general session, allowing for rapid provision of services to the terminal device when it does need to access the edge network. For example, when the first SMF obtains the traffic distribution policy for the terminal device from the PCF, it can request both the general session traffic distribution policy and the dedicated session traffic distribution policy. This allows the PCF to send these policies to the first SMF, which then creates a general session for the terminal device based on the general session traffic distribution policy and a dedicated session for the terminal device based on the dedicated session traffic distribution policy. For example, when the first SMF obtains the traffic splitting policy of the terminal device from the PCF, if the first SMF does not explicitly indicate whether to obtain the general session traffic splitting policy or the dedicated session traffic splitting policy, then the PCF will send both the general session traffic splitting policy and the dedicated session traffic splitting policy of the terminal device to the first SMF.

[0128] The first SMF, upon receiving a session context establishment request message from the AMF, determines that a general session needs to be created for the terminal device. Therefore, it executes step 701 as described above. In other words, the first SMF's execution of the communication method provided in this embodiment can be triggered by the AMF. The first SMF can return a session context establishment response message to the AMF, which may include information about the context establishment of both the general and dedicated sessions. For example, after confirming that the UE is allowed to access the mobile communication network, the AMF can send a PDU session creation session management context request (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request) message to the SMF to request the first SMF to create a session context for the terminal device. After receiving this message, the SMF can register the terminal device's PDU session with the UDM and obtain the terminal device's subscription data. Then, it returns a PDU session creation session management context response (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContextRequest) message to the AMF, which includes information about the context establishment of both the general and dedicated sessions.

[0129] In another possible implementation, the first SMF can also create a dedicated session for the terminal device only when the terminal device requests access to the edge network. In this case, the first SMF does not need to create a dedicated session for the terminal device in advance; instead, it creates the dedicated session only when the terminal device has a service requirement to access the edge network, which helps reduce resource waste. For example, when the first SMF obtains the traffic splitting rules for the terminal device from the PCF, it can explicitly instruct whether to use a traffic splitting policy for requesting a general session or a dedicated session, so that the PCF sends the currently required traffic splitting policy to the first SMF.

[0130] Step 702: The first SMF sends a first session establishment request message to the first UPF. The first session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session. The first session establishment request message includes the aforementioned group identifier and IP address information.

[0131] When the first SMF creates a dedicated session for the terminal device when the terminal device requests access to the edge network, the terminal device has already established a general session. The first SMF will use the UPF (i.e., the primary anchor point) used to establish the general session for the terminal device as the first UPF and send a first session establishment request message to the first UPF. This request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device, and the request message includes the aforementioned group identifier and IP address information.

[0132] When the first SMF creates a general session and a dedicated session for a user, after obtaining the general and dedicated traffic splitting policies of the terminal device, the first SMF can first select the UPF used to create the general session for the terminal device, i.e., the first UPF. Optionally, the first SMF can select the first UPF based on some or all of the terminal device's general DNN, network slicing information, PDU session type, required UPF interface capabilities, and intelligent traffic splitting keywords.

[0133] Optionally, the first SMF can generate a PDR and FAR based on the traffic splitting policy of the obtained dedicated session. The PDR and FAR include the aforementioned group identifier and IP address, and then send the PDR and FAR to the first UPF in the first session establishment request message.

[0134] Figure 7 The illustrated embodiment uses the first UPF in 5GC to establish a dedicated session for the terminal device as an example. In practical applications, it can also be a network element with user plane functions in other mobile communication systems.

[0135] Step 703: The first UPF establishes a dedicated session for the terminal device.

[0136] The first UPF can establish a dedicated session for the terminal device based on the terminal device's group identifier and IP address.

[0137] After a dedicated session is successfully established, if the first UPF receives a message from the terminal device and the message contains the aforementioned group identifier, it means that the message needs to be sent to the edge network corresponding to the group identifier. In this case, the first UPF will forward the received message through the dedicated session.

[0138] For a terminal device, when it sends a message to the edge network, the message includes a corresponding group identifier so that the first UPF can forward the message based on the group identifier. Optionally, the terminal device can access the edge network through an application (APP) installed on the terminal device. For example, the terminal device can access edge network 1 through APP1 and edge network 2 through APP2; then, when the terminal device needs to access a device in edge network 1, the message generated by APP1 includes the group identifier corresponding to edge network 1; when the terminal device needs to access a device in edge network 2, the message generated by APP2 includes the group identifier corresponding to edge network 2.

[0139] The app can obtain the group identifier from messages from the AMF. When a terminal device accesses a mobile network device, if the subscription information of the terminal device obtained by the AMF includes the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, the AMF can send the group identifier to the terminal device so that the terminal device can add the group identifier to the message when sending messages to the edge network.

[0140] Alternatively, the app can be pre-configured with corresponding group identifiers.

[0141] In the above method, devices, SMFs, and UPFs in the edge network are pre-grouped to ensure that the IP addresses of edge network devices belonging to the same group do not conflict, which reduces the planning difficulty. When creating a session for a terminal device, the group identifier is sent to the UPF so that the UPF can forward user data according to the group identifier when accessing the edge network. This enables devices belonging to different groups of edge networks to use the same IP address when deploying edge networks on a large scale and in different locations, and the UPF can forward packets correctly according to the group identifier, which can better adapt to the current network development needs.

[0142] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application can also be as follows: Figure 8 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0143] Step 801: The first SMF obtains the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device.

[0144] The dedicated session is used for communication between the terminal device and the edge network to which the terminal device is registered. The dedicated session traffic routing rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session. As mentioned earlier, the group identifier of the terminal device is the group identifier of the devices in the edge network to which the terminal device is allowed to access. The IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session can be multiple IP addresses, or it can include IP address ranges and other information.

[0145] When creating a dedicated session for a terminal device, the first SMF needs to obtain the dedicated session routing rules of the terminal device and create a dedicated session for the terminal device according to the dedicated session routing rules.

[0146] The first SMF can trigger the creation of a dedicated session for the terminal device when creating a general session for the user, for the terminal device to access the edge network. Alternatively, the first SMF can also create a dedicated session for the terminal device when the terminal device requests access to the edge network.

[0147] Step 801 is similar to step 701 in the foregoing embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of step 701.

[0148] Step 802: The first SMF sends a first session establishment request message to the first UPF. The first session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session. The first session establishment request message includes the aforementioned group identifier and IP address information.

[0149] When the first SMF creates a dedicated session for the terminal device when the terminal device requests access to the edge network, the terminal device has already established a general session. The first SMF will use the UPF (i.e., the primary anchor point) used to establish the general session for the terminal device as the first UPF and send a first session establishment request message to the first UPF. This request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device, and the request message includes the aforementioned group identifier and IP address information.

[0150] When the first SMF creates a general session and a dedicated session for a user, after obtaining the general and dedicated traffic splitting policies of the terminal device, the first SMF can first select the UPF used to create the general session for the terminal device, i.e., the first UPF. Optionally, the first SMF can select the first UPF based on some or all of the terminal device's general DNN, network slicing information, PDU session type, required UPF interface capabilities, and intelligent traffic splitting keywords.

[0151] After selecting the first UPF, the first SMF can send a first session establishment request message (such as a Data Forwarding Control Protocol session establishment request (PFCP) message) to the first UPF. This request message is used to request the establishment of a general session and a dedicated session for the terminal device. Optionally, the first SMF can generate a PDR and FAR based on the traffic splitting strategy of the obtained dedicated session. The PDR and FAR include the aforementioned group identifier and IP address, and then send the PDR and FAR to the first UPF in the first session establishment request message. The first UPF can return a session establishment response message (such as a PFCP session establishment response) to the first SMF. This response message may include information such as IP address, Session Endpoint Identifier (SEID), and Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID).

[0152] Step 803: The first SMF selects the second SMF based on the above group identifier and sends a session creation request message to the second SMF, which belongs to the group.

[0153] The first SMF can select a second SMF based on one or more of the following information: dedicated DNN, network slicing information, and group identifier. The second SMF belongs to the same group as the terminal device, meaning its group identifier is the same as the terminal device's group identifier. The first SMF can send a session creation request message to the second SMF to create a dedicated session for the terminal device. Furthermore, this session creation request message may include information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID allocated by the first UPF.

[0154] Step 804: The second SMF obtains the dedicated session routing strategy of the terminal device.

[0155] After receiving the session creation request message, the second SMF, in order to create a dedicated session for the terminal device, can first obtain the dedicated session routing policy for the terminal device. This routing policy can include the group identifier of the terminal device and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session. In one design, the second SMF can obtain the dedicated session routing policy for the terminal device from the PCF. Specifically, the second SMF can send a session management policy control creation request message (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_CreateRequest) to the PCF to request the routing rules for the terminal device. After receiving the request message, the PCF returns a session management policy control creation response message (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create response) to the second SMF, which includes the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device. In another design, the session creation request message sent by the first SMF can include the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device, in which case the second SMF can obtain the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device from the session creation request message.

[0156] Step 805: The second SMF selects the second UPF based on the group identifier.

[0157] The second SMF selects a second UPF to establish a dedicated session for the terminal device. The second UPF also belongs to the same group as the terminal device. Optionally, the session creation request message sent by the first SMF may also include one or more of the terminal device's dedicated DNN, network slice information, group identifier, etc.; then the second SMF can select a second UPF that meets the terminal device's service requirements based on one or more of the terminal device's dedicated DNN, network slice information, group identifier, etc.

[0158] Step 806: The second SMF sends a second session establishment request message to the second UPF, requesting the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device.

[0159] After selecting the second UPF, the second SMF can send a second session establishment request message (such as a PFCP session establishment request message) to the second UPF. This second session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device. The second session establishment request message may include the group identifier corresponding to the terminal device and the IP address corresponding to the dedicated session. For example, after obtaining the traffic splitting policy of the dedicated session, the second SMF generates the corresponding PDR and FAR according to the traffic splitting policy. The PDR and FAR include the aforementioned group identifier and IP address, and then sends the PDR and FAR to the second UPF in the PFCP session establishment request message.

[0160] The second UPF can return a session establishment response message (such as a PFCP session establishment response message) to the second SMF. This response message may include information such as the IP address assigned by the second UPF, the session endpoint identifier (SEID), and the tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID).

[0161] The second SMF can send the IP, SEID, TEID, and other information allocated by the second UPF to the first SMF, so that the first SMF can send the above information to the first UPF.

[0162] Step 807: The first UPF and the second UPF establish a dedicated session for the terminal device.

[0163] The first UPF can establish a dedicated session for the terminal device based on the IP, SEID, TEID and other information allocated by the second UPF. The second UPF can also establish a dedicated session for the terminal device based on the IP, SEID, TEID and other information allocated by the first UPF, thereby constructing a tunnel between the first UPF and the second UPF for transmitting dedicated session messages for the terminal device.

[0164] After a dedicated session is successfully established, if the first UPF receives a message from the terminal device containing the aforementioned group identifier, indicating that the message needs to be sent to the edge network corresponding to the group identifier, then the first UPF forwards the received message through the dedicated session, i.e., forwards it to the second UPF. The second UPF, based on the group identifier, IP address, and other information in the message, converts the terminal device's generic IP address to its IP address in the edge network, and then sends the message to the edge network. The IP address of the terminal device in the edge network can be assigned to the terminal device by the second UPF or by the edge network itself.

[0165] Assuming the terminal device's general IP address is IP address 1 and its address in the edge network is IP address 2, if the second UPF receives a packet from the edge network with a destination address of IP address 2, then the second UPF will change the destination address of the packet to IP address 1 and forward the packet to the first UPF through the terminal device's dedicated session.

[0166] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application can also be as follows: Figure 9 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0167] Step 901: The first SMF obtains the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device.

[0168] The dedicated session is used for communication between the terminal device and the edge network registered by the terminal device; the dedicated session traffic splitting rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0169] When creating a dedicated session for a terminal device, the first SMF needs to obtain the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device and create a dedicated session for the terminal device according to the dedicated session routing rules. The first SMF can trigger the creation of a dedicated session for the terminal device when creating a general session for the user, for the terminal device to access the edge network. Alternatively, the first SMF can also create a dedicated session for the terminal device when the terminal device requests access to the edge network, for the terminal device to access the edge network.

[0170] Step 901 above is similar to step 701 in the foregoing embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of step 701.

[0171] Step 902: The first SMF sends a first session establishment request message to the first UPF. The first session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session. The first session establishment request message includes the aforementioned group identifier and IP address information.

[0172] When the first SMF creates a dedicated session for the terminal device when the terminal device requests access to the edge network, the terminal device has already established a general session. The first SMF will use the UPF (i.e., the primary anchor point) used to establish the general session for the terminal device as the first UPF and send a first session establishment request message to the first UPF. This request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device, and the request message includes the aforementioned group identifier and IP address information.

[0173] When the first SMF creates a general session and a dedicated session for a user, after obtaining the general and dedicated traffic splitting policies of the terminal device, the first SMF can first select the UPF used to create the general session for the terminal device, i.e., the first UPF. Optionally, the first SMF can select the first UPF based on some or all of the terminal device's general DNN, network slicing information, PDU session type, required UPF interface capabilities, and intelligent traffic splitting keywords.

[0174] After selecting the first UPF, the first SMF can send a first session establishment request message (such as a Data Forwarding Control Protocol session establishment request (PFCP) message) to the first UPF. This request message is used to request the establishment of a general session and a dedicated session for the terminal device. Optionally, the first SMF can generate a PDR and FAR based on the traffic splitting strategy of the obtained dedicated session. The PDR and FAR include the aforementioned group identifier and IP address, and then send the PDR and FAR to the first UPF in the first session establishment request message. The first UPF can return a session establishment response message (such as a PFCP session establishment response) to the first SMF. This response message may include information such as IP address, Session Endpoint Identifier (SEID), and Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID).

[0175] Step 903: The first SMF selects the second SMF based on the above group identifier and sends a first session creation request message to the second SMF, which does not belong to the group.

[0176] In step 803 of the aforementioned embodiment, the first SMF selects an SMF belonging to the group as the second SMF; while Figure 9In the illustrated embodiment, the second SMF selected by the first SMF does not belong to the group. The first SMF can select the second SMF from a preset list of SMFs, or it can select the second SMF from an SMF that manages a preset UPF, thereby establishing a tunnel between the first UPF and the UPF managed by the preset SMF (i.e., the second UPF), or establishing a tunnel between the first UPF and the preset UPF (i.e., the second UPF). Then, the selected second SMF further selects an SMF belonging to the group, thereby establishing a tunnel between the second UPF and the UPF belonging to the group (i.e., the third UPF). The tunnels between the first and second UPFs and between the second and third UPFs jointly carry the dedicated session of the terminal device. Optionally, when the first SMF selects the second SMF from multiple candidate SMFs, it can select the second SMF based on one or more of the following information: dedicated DNN, network slice information, group identifier, etc.

[0177] The first SMF can send a session creation request message to the second SMF. This session creation request message is used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device. Furthermore, the session creation request message may include information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID allocated by the first UPF.

[0178] Step 904: The second SMF obtains the dedicated session routing rules for the terminal device.

[0179] After receiving the first session creation request message, the second SMF can first obtain the dedicated session routing policy of the terminal device in order to create a dedicated session for the terminal device. This routing policy may include the group identifier of the terminal device and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session. Optionally, the second SMF can obtain the dedicated session routing policy of the terminal device from the PCF, or the first session creation request message sent by the first SMF may include the dedicated session routing rules of the terminal device, in which case the second SMF can obtain the dedicated session routing rules of the terminal device from the session creation request message.

[0180] Step 905: The second SMF selects the second UPF and sends a second session establishment request message to the second UPF. The second session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session. The first session establishment request message includes the aforementioned group identifier and IP address information.

[0181] Optionally, the first session creation request message sent by the first SMF may also include one or more of the following information: the terminal device's dedicated DNN, network slice information, group identifier, etc.; the second SMF may select the second UPF based on one or more of the following information: the terminal device's dedicated DNN, network slice information, group identifier, etc.

[0182] After selecting the second UPF, the second SMF can send a second session establishment request message (such as a PFCP session establishment request message) to the second UPF. This second session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device. The second session establishment request message may include the group identifier corresponding to the terminal device and the IP address corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0183] The second UPF can return a session establishment response message (such as a PFCP session establishmentresponse message) to the second SMF. This response message may include information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID assigned by the second UPF.

[0184] The second SMF can send the IP, SEID, TEID, and other information allocated by the second UPF to the first SMF, so that the first SMF can send the above information to the first UPF.

[0185] The first UPF can establish a session for the terminal device based on the IP, SEID, TEID and other information allocated by the second UPF; the second UPF can establish a session for the terminal device based on the IP, SEID, TEID and other information allocated by the first UPF, thereby constructing a tunnel between the first UPF and the second UPF to carry the dedicated session of the terminal device.

[0186] exist Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the first UPF needs to handle a large number of data streams, including not only data traffic accessing the Internet but also data traffic accessing the edge network, which may affect its performance. To improve system performance and ensure the quality of service for users, in Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, a preset UPF is added to the dedicated session, which enables the preset UPF to share the task of parsing packets with the first UPF, thereby helping to improve system performance and ensure the quality of service for users.

[0187] Step 906: The second SMF selects the third SMF based on the above group identifier and sends a second session creation request message to the third SMF, which belongs to the group.

[0188] The second SMF can select a third SMF based on one or more of the terminal device's dedicated DNN, network slicing information, and group identifier. The third SMF belongs to the same group as the terminal device, meaning its group identifier is the same as the terminal device's group identifier. The second SMF can send a second session creation request message to the third SMF. This message is used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device. Furthermore, this session creation request message may include information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID allocated by the second UPF.

[0189] Step 907: The third SMF obtains the dedicated session routing strategy of the terminal device.

[0190] After receiving the second session creation request message, the third SMF can first obtain the dedicated session routing policy of the terminal device in order to create a dedicated session for the terminal device. This routing policy may include the group identifier of the terminal device and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session. Optionally, the third SMF can obtain the dedicated session routing policy of the terminal device from the PCF, or the second session creation request message sent by the second SMF may include the dedicated session routing rules of the terminal device, in which case the third SMF can obtain the dedicated session routing rules of the terminal device from the second session creation request message.

[0191] Step 908: The third SMF selects the third UPF based on the group identifier and sends a third session establishment request message to the third UPF to request the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device.

[0192] The third SMF selects a third UPF to establish a dedicated session for the terminal device, and the third UPF also belongs to the same group as the terminal device. Optionally, the session creation request message sent by the second SMF may also include one or more of the terminal device's dedicated DNN, network slice information, group identifier, etc.; then the third SMF can select a third UPF that meets the terminal device's service requirements based on one or more of the terminal device's dedicated DNN, network slice information, group identifier, etc.

[0193] After selecting a third UPF, the third SMF can send a third session establishment request message (such as a PFCP session establishment request message) to the third UPF. This message requests the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device and may include the group identifier corresponding to the terminal device and the IP address corresponding to the dedicated session. For example, after obtaining the traffic distribution policy for the dedicated session, the third SMF generates a corresponding PDR and FAR based on the policy. The PDR and FAR include the aforementioned group identifier and IP address, and then sends the PDR and FAR to the third UPF in the PFCP session establishment request message.

[0194] The third UPF can return a session establishment response message (such as a PFCP session establishment response message) to the third SMF. This response message may include information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID assigned by the third UPF.

[0195] The third SMF can send the IP, SEID, TEID, and other information allocated by the third UPF to the second SMF, so that the second SMF can send the above information to the second UPF.

[0196] Step 909: The second UPF and the third UPF establish a dedicated session for the terminal device.

[0197] The second UPF can establish a dedicated session for the terminal device based on the IP, SEID, TEID and other information allocated by the third UPF; the third UPF can establish a dedicated session for the terminal device based on the IP, SEID, TEID and other information allocated by the first UPF, thereby realizing the construction of tunnels between the first UPF and the second UPF and between the second UPF and the third UPF, which are used to jointly carry the dedicated session of the terminal device.

[0198] After a dedicated session is successfully established, if the first UPF receives a message from the terminal device, and the destination IP and / or port of the message is an IP or port of the edge network, the first UPF forwards the message to the second UPF. Upon receiving the message, if the second UPF determines that the message contains the aforementioned group identifier, indicating that the message needs to be sent to the edge network corresponding to the group identifier, then the second UPF forwards the message to the third UPF. The third UPF, based on the group identifier, IP address, and other information in the message, converts the terminal device's generic IP address to the terminal device's IP address in the edge network, and then sends the message to the edge network. The IP address of the terminal device in the edge network can be assigned to the terminal device by the third UPF or by the edge network. Optionally, the second UPF can also convert the source IP address in the message to an IP address assigned by the second UPF.

[0199] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the following is in conjunction with... Figures 10 to 14 Let's illustrate with examples.

[0200] exist Figure 10 , Figure 11 In the specific embodiment shown, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0201] Step 1001: AMF registers the UE with UDM.

[0202] When a UE performs initial registration, if the AMF does not store the UE's subscription data, the AMF can send a registration request message (such as the Nudm_UECM_RegistrationAMF3GppAccess Request message) to the UDM. This request message may include the UE's subscription permanent identity (SUPI) and globally unique AMF identifier (GUAMI). Upon receiving a request message, if the UDM determines that the request is successful and that it stores information about another AMF that registered the UE, the UDM updates this information and returns a registration response message (such as the Nudm_UECM_RegistrationAMF3Gpp Access Response message) to the AMF. This registration response message may carry a no-context indication (204 No content). If the request is successful and the UDM does not store information about the UE's previous AMF, the UDM stores the AMF information and returns a registration response message. This registration response message may carry a creation indication (201 created). If the request fails, the UDM prohibits the UE from accessing the network and returns a registration response message. This response message may carry a prohibition indication (403 forbidden).

[0203] Step 1002: AMF obtains the UE's subscription information from UDM.

[0204] After the registration request, the AMF can send a request message to the UDM to obtain the UE's subscription information (such as Nudm_SDM_GetMultiple DataSets Request). This request message may include the UE's SUPI. The UDM returns a response message to the AMF with the UE's subscription information (such as Nudm_SDM_GetMultiple DataSets Response). This response message may include the UE's access and mobility subscription data, network slicing information, and one or more group identifiers that the UE has subscribed to.

[0205] Step 1003: The AMF sends one or more group identifiers that the UE has signed up with to the UE.

[0206] The UE passes one or more received group identifiers to the APP in the UE for accessing the edge network, so that the APP carries the corresponding group identifier when sending messages to devices in the edge network.

[0207] This application embodiment does not limit the execution order or timing of the above step 1003.

[0208] Step 1004: The UE sends a PDU session establishment request message to the AMF.

[0209] When a UE needs to interact with an external network (such as accessing the Internet or making a call), it needs to establish a PDU session. At this time, the UE can perform the above step 1003.

[0210] Step 1005: Select SMF from AMF.

[0211] AMF can select an SMF with dedicated intelligent traffic splitting capabilities based on network slice information (such as single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI)), DNN, and intelligent traffic splitting keywords. Figures 7 to 9 The first SMF in the illustrated embodiment. When registering with the NRF, an SMF with intelligent traffic splitting capability can carry an intelligent traffic splitting keyword.

[0212] Step 1006: The AMF sends a PDU session creation session management context request (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSM Context Request) message to the SMF.

[0213] The AMF requests the SMF to create a context for the UE's PDU session. Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, the establishment of a dedicated PDU session is triggered when a general PDU session is established for the UE. The AMF can request the SMF to create a general PDU session context and a dedicated PDU session context for the UE. Alternatively, the AMF may not need to explicitly instruct or may only instruct the establishment of a general PDU session context. Upon receiving the request, the SMF will create a general PDU session and a dedicated PDU session by default.

[0214] Step 1007: SMF registers the UE's PDU session.

[0215] The SMF can select the UDM that the UE is subscribed to based on the UE's SUPI. If the SMF has not registered for the PDU session, the SMF sends a registration request message to the UDM (such as the Nudm_UECM_RegistrationSMF Request message). The UDM returns a response message to the SMF (such as the Nudm_UECM_RegistrationSMF Response message). If the registration is successful, the response message may include the creation indication information "201 created"; if the registration fails, since the UE does not have a corresponding subscribed data access prohibition, the response message may include the prohibition indication information "403 forbidden".

[0216] Step 1008: SMF obtains the UE's subscription data.

[0217] The SMF can send a request message to the UDM to obtain subscription data (such as the Nudm_SDM_GetUESessionManagementSubscription Data Request message); the UDM obtains the group identifier of the UE's subscription based on the UE's SUPI and sends the obtained identifier to the SMF in a subscription data response message (such as the Nudm_SDM_GetUESessionManagementSubscriptionData Response message).

[0218] Step 1009: SMF sends a PDU session creation session management context response (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSM Context Response) message to AMF.

[0219] The SMF sends the result of creating the PDU session to the AMF via the aforementioned response message, which may include the creation results of both general PDU sessions and dedicated PDU sessions.

[0220] Step 1010: The SMF obtains the UE's subscription policy from the PCF. The subscription policy includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules.

[0221] The SMF can select the PCF to which the UE is subscribed based on the UE's SUPI and send a Session Management Policy Control Creation Request message (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_CreateRequest) to that PCF to request the UE's subscription policy. The PCF returns a Session Management Policy Control Creation Response message (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_CreateResponse) to the SMF. This response message includes the UE's subscription policy, which includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules. Furthermore, the UE's dedicated session routing rules include group identifiers and IP address information corresponding to the dedicated sessions.

[0222] Step 1011: Select UPF for SMF.

[0223] SMF can select the UPF (i.e., based on information such as the UE's general DNN, network slicing information, PDU session type, UPF interface capabilities, and intelligent traffic splitting keywords) Figures 7 to 9 The first UPF in the illustrated embodiment.

[0224] Step 1012: SMF sends a session establishment request message (such as PFCP session establishmentrequest message) to UPF.

[0225] The SMF sends a session establishment request message to the UPF to request the UPF to establish a general session and a private session for the UE. This request message may include the UE's group identifier and the IP address information corresponding to the private session.

[0226] Step 1013: UPF sends a session establishment response message (such as PFCP session establishmentresponse message) to SMF.

[0227] The response message may include information such as IP, SEID, and TEID for general sessions, and may also include information such as IP, SEID, and TEID for private sessions.

[0228] Step 1014: Select the eSMF that belongs to the group to which the UE belongs.

[0229] SMF can select eSMF (i.e., dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slice, group identifier, etc.) based on information such as dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slice, and group identifier. Figure 8 The second SMF in the illustrated embodiment.

[0230] Step 1015: SMF requests eSMF to establish a dedicated PDU session for UE.

[0231] After selecting an eSMF, the SMF can send a session creation request message (such as the Nsmf_PDUsession_Create Request message) to the eSMF; the eSMF can return a session creation response message (such as the Nsmf_PDUsession_Create Response message) to the SMF.

[0232] Optionally, the SMF can send information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session assigned by the UPF to the eSMF.

[0233] Step 1016: eSMF obtains the UE's subscription policy from PCF. The subscription policy includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules.

[0234] The eSMF can select the PCF to which the UE is subscribed based on the UE's SUPI and send a Session Management Policy Control API Creation Request message (Npcf_SMPolicyControlAPI_CreateRequest) to that PCF to request the UE's subscription policy. The PCF returns a Session Management Policy Control API Creation Response message (Npcf_SMPolicyControlAPI_CreateResponse) to the eSMF. This response message includes the UE's subscription policy, which includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules. Furthermore, the dedicated session routing rules include the group identifier and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0235] Step 1017: Select eUPF for eSMF.

[0236] eSMF can select eUPF (i.e., eSMF) based on information such as dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slices, and group identifiers. Figure 8 The second UPF in the illustrated embodiment.

[0237] Step 1018: eSMF sends a session establishment request message (such as PFCP session establishmentrequest message) to eUPF.

[0238] The eSMF sends a session establishment request message to the eUPF to request the eUPF to establish a dedicated session for the UE. This request message may include the UE's group identifier and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0239] Optionally, the eSMF can send information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session assigned by the UPF to the eUPF.

[0240] Step 1019: eUPF sends a session establishment response message (such as PFCP session establishmentresponse message) to eSMF.

[0241] The response message may include information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the dedicated session allocated by the eUPF. The eSMF can send the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the dedicated session allocated by the eUPF to the SMF, so that the SMF can send it to the UPF, thereby establishing a tunnel between the UPF and the eUPF, and then carrying the UE's dedicated PDU session.

[0242] At this point, AMF, SMF, UPF, eSMF, and eUPF have jointly created a dedicated PDU session for the UE.

[0243] When a UE accesses the edge network via an app, the changes in the message during transmission can be as follows: Figure 12 As shown. The APK application IP packet generated by the APP may include a payload, a User Datagram Protocol / Transmission Control Protocol (UDP / TCP) header, an IP header (the source IP is the UE's general IP), a private header (MP), a UDP header, and an IP header; among which, the MP header includes the group identifier of the device in the edge network to be accessed. The UE sends this packet to the RAN, which processes the packet. The processed packet includes the payload, UDP / TCP header, IP header (the source IP is the UE's general IP), MP, UDP header, IP header, and NR header. The RAN sends the processed packet to the UPF, which parses the MP header, obtains the corresponding group identifier, and forwards the packet to the eUPF according to the group identifier. The forwarded packet includes the payload, UDP / TCP header, and IP header (the source IP is the UE's general IP). After receiving the packet, the eUPF replaces the source IP in the IP header with the UE's IP in the edge network, and then transmits the packet to the edge network.

[0244] exist Figure 10 The steps shown can be skipped after completion. Figure 11 The process shown is not executed. Figure 13 The process shown is as follows:

[0245] Step 1014: Select eSMF1 for SMF.

[0246] SMF can select eSMF1 (i.e., based on information such as dedicated DNN and dedicated session network slices) according to information such as dedicated DNN and dedicated session network slices. Figure 9The second SMF in the illustrated embodiment. eSMF1 manages the preset UPF used to create private sessions. Optionally, candidate eSMFs can be pre-configured, and the SMF can select candidate eSMF1 from the candidate eSMFs. eSMF1 may not belong to the group to which the terminal belongs.

[0247] Step 1015: SMF requests eSMF1 to establish a dedicated PDU session for the UE.

[0248] After selecting eSMF1, SMF can send a session creation request message (such as the Nsmf_PDUsession_Create Request message) to eSMF1; eSMF can return a session creation response message (such as the Nsmf_PDUsession_Create Response message) to SMF.

[0249] Optionally, the SMF can send information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session assigned by the UPF to eSMF1.

[0250] Step 1016: eSMF1 obtains the UE's subscription policy from the PCF. The subscription policy includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules.

[0251] eSMF1 can select the PCF to which the UE is subscribed based on the UE's SUPI, and send a Session Management Policy Control API Creation Request message (Npcf_SMPolicyControlAPI_CreateRequest) to the PCF to request the UE's subscription policy; the PCF returns a Session Management Policy Control API Creation Response message (Npcf_SMPolicyControlAPI_CreateResponse) to the eSMF, which includes the UE's subscription policy. The UE's subscription policy includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules. Furthermore, the UE's dedicated session routing rules include group identifiers and IP address information corresponding to the dedicated sessions.

[0252] Step 1017: Select eUPF1 for eSMF1.

[0253] eSMF1 can select eUPF1 (i.e., based on information such as dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slice, and group identifier) ​​according to information such as dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slice, and group identifier. Figure 9 The second UPF in the illustrated embodiment). eUPF1 may also not belong to the group to which the terminal belongs.

[0254] Step 1018: eSMF1 sends a session establishment request message (such as a PFCP sessionestablishment request message) to eUPF1.

[0255] eSMF1 sends a session establishment request message to eUPF1 to request eUPF1 to establish a dedicated session for the UE. This request message may include the UE's group identifier and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0256] Optionally, eSMF1 can send information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session assigned by the UPF to eUPF1.

[0257] Step 1019: eUPF1 sends a session establishment response message (such as a PFCP sessionestablishment response message) to eSMF1.

[0258] The response message may include information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session allocated by eUPF1. eSMF1 can send the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session allocated by eUPF to SMF, so that SMF can send it to UPF, thereby establishing a tunnel between UPF and eUPF1, and then carrying the UE's private PDU session.

[0259] Step 1020: eSMF1 selects eSMF2 belonging to the group to which the UE belongs.

[0260] eSMF1 can select eSMF2 (i.e., based on information such as dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slices, and group identifiers) according to information such as dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slices, and group identifiers. Figure 9 The third SMF in the illustrated embodiment.

[0261] Step 1021: eSMF1 requests eSMF2 to establish a dedicated PDU session for the UE.

[0262] After selecting eSMF2, eSMF1 can send a session creation request message (such as the Nsmf_PDUsession_Create Request message) to eSMF2; eSMF2 can return a session creation response message (such as the Nsmf_PDUsession_Create Response message) to eSMF1.

[0263] Optionally, eSMF1 can send information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session assigned by eUPF1 to eSMF2.

[0264] Step 1022: eSMF2 obtains the UE's subscription policy from the PCF. The subscription policy includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules.

[0265] eSMF2 can select the PCF to which the UE is subscribed based on the UE's SUPI and send a Session Management Policy Control API Creation Request message (Npcf_SMPolicyControlAPI_CreateRequest) to that PCF to request the UE's subscription policy. The PCF returns a Session Management Policy Control API Creation Response message (Npcf_SMPolicyControlAPI_CreateResponse) to the eSMF. This response message includes the UE's subscription policy, which includes the UE's dedicated session routing rules. Furthermore, the UE's dedicated session routing rules include group identifiers and IP address information corresponding to the dedicated sessions.

[0266] Step 1023: Select eUPF2 for eSMF2.

[0267] eSMF2 can select eUPF (i.e., eSMF2) based on information such as dedicated DNN, dedicated session network slices, and group identifiers. Figure 9 The third UPF in the illustrated embodiment.

[0268] Step 1024: eSMF2 sends a session establishment request message (such as a PFCP sessionestablishment request message) to eUPF2.

[0269] eSMF2 sends a session establishment request message to eUPF2 to request eUPF2 to establish a dedicated session for the UE. This request message may include the UE's group identifier and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0270] Optionally, eSMF2 can send information such as the IP address, SEID, and TEID of the private session assigned by eUPF1 to eUPF2.

[0271] Step 1025: eUPF2 sends a session establishment response message (such as a PFCP sessionestablishment response message) to eSMF2.

[0272] The response message may include information such as the IP, SEID, and TEID of the dedicated session allocated by eUPF2. eSMF2 can send the IP, SEID, and TEID of the dedicated session allocated by eUPF2 to eSMF1, so that eSMF1 can send it to eUPF1, thereby establishing a tunnel between eUPF1 and eUPF2, and then carrying the UE's dedicated PDU session.

[0273] At this point, AMF, SMF, UPF, eSMF1, eUPF1, eSMF2, and eUPF2 have jointly created a dedicated PDU session for the UE.

[0274] When a UE accesses the edge network via an app, the changes in the message during transmission can be as follows: Figure 14 As shown. The APK application IP packet generated by the APP may include payload, UDP / TCP header, IP header (source IP is the UE's general IP), MP, UDP header, and IP header; among which, the MP header includes the group identifier of the device in the edge network to be accessed. The UE sends the message to the RAN, which processes the message. The processed message includes payload, UDP / TCP header, IP header (source IP is the UE's generic IP), MP, UDP header, IP header, and NR header. The RAN then sends the processed message to the UPF. The UPF determines that the message is destined for the edge network based on the destination port and destination IP in the message, and therefore sends the message with the NR header removed to eUPF1. eUPF1 parses the MP header, obtains the corresponding group identifier, and performs network address translation (NAT) on the message based on the group identifier before sending it to eUPF2. The sent message includes payload, UDP / TCP header, and IP header (source IP is the IP assigned by eUPF1). After receiving the message, eUPF2 performs NAT on the message, replaces the source IP with the IP assigned by eUPF2, and then transmits the message to the edge network.

[0275] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown below. Figure 15 As shown, the communication device may include an interface module 1501 and a processing module 1502. The processing module 1502 is used to process data by the communication device. The interface module 1501 is used to receive content from the communication device and other units or network elements, or to send content from the communication device and other units or network elements. It should be understood that the processing module 1502 in this embodiment may be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components (or, referred to as processing circuitry), and the interface module 1501 may be implemented by a receiver / transmitter or receiver / transmitter-related circuit components.

[0276] For example, the communication device may be a communication device equipment, or it may be a chip or other combination device or component that has the functions of the aforementioned communication device equipment applied in the communication device equipment.

[0277] When the communication device is a first session management function network element, the processing module 1502 is used to: obtain the traffic splitting rules of the dedicated session of the terminal device, wherein the dedicated session is used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device, and the traffic splitting rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session; and send a session establishment request message to the first user plane function network element through the interface module 1501, wherein the session establishment request message requests the establishment of the dedicated session, and the session establishment request message includes the group identifier and the IP address information.

[0278] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the first session management function network element in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0279] When the communication device is a second session management function network element, the processing module 1502 is configured to: receive a session creation request message through the interface module 1501, the session creation request being used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device; obtain the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device, the traffic splitting rules including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session; select a second user plane function network element according to the group identifier; and send a session establishment request message to the second user plane function network element through the interface module 1501, the session establishment request message requesting the establishment of the dedicated session, the session establishment request message including the group identifier and the IP address information.

[0280] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the second session management function network element in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0281] When the communication device is a user plane function network element, the processing module 1502 is used to: receive a session establishment request message through the interface module 1501, the session establishment request message requesting the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device, the session establishment request message including a group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; establish the dedicated session for the terminal device; receive a message from the terminal device through the interface module 1501, and if the message includes the group identifier, forward the message through the dedicated session.

[0282] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the user plane function network elements in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0283] When the communication device is a terminal device, the processing module 1502 is used to: generate a first message, wherein the destination IP address of the first message belongs to the local network registered by the terminal device, the first message includes a group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the group corresponds to the local network; and send the first message through the interface module 1501.

[0284] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the terminal device in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0285] When the communication device is a policy control function network element, the processing module 1502 is used to: receive a session policy control creation request message through the interface module 1501, the request message being used to request the acquisition of the session policy of the terminal device; and send a session policy control creation response message through the interface module 1501, the response message including the traffic splitting rules of the dedicated session of the terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device, the traffic splitting rules including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0286] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the policy control function network element in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0287] When the communication device is an access and mobility management function network element, the processing module 1502 is used to: obtain terminal device subscription information, the subscription information including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; and send a message to the terminal device through the interface module 1501, the message including the group identifier.

[0288] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the access and mobility management function network elements in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0289] Figure 16This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device includes at least one processor 1601 and a communication interface 1602, and may further include a memory 1603 and a bus 1604. The processor 1601, communication interface 1602, and memory 1603 can be interconnected via the bus 1604. The bus 1604 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus 1604 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 16 The symbol is represented by only one line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0290] Processor 1601 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor may further include hardware chips. These hardware chips may be application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or combinations thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof. Memory 1603 may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both. The non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache.

[0291] The processor 1601 is used to implement the data processing operation of the communication device, and the communication interface 1602 is used to implement the receiving and sending operations of the communication device.

[0292] When the communication device is a first session management function network element, the processor 1601 is used to: obtain the traffic splitting rules of the dedicated session of the terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device, the traffic splitting rules including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session; and send a session establishment request message to the first user plane function network element through the communication interface 1602, the session establishment request message requesting the establishment of the dedicated session, the session establishment request message including the group identifier and the IP address information.

[0293] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the first session management function network element in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0294] When the communication device is a second session management function network element, the processor 1601 is configured to: receive a session creation request message through the communication interface 1602, the session creation request being used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device; obtain the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device, the traffic splitting rules including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session; select a second user plane function network element according to the group identifier; and send a session establishment request message to the second user plane function network element through the communication interface 1602, the session establishment request message requesting the establishment of the dedicated session, the session establishment request message including the group identifier and the IP address information.

[0295] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the second session management function network element in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0296] When the communication device is a user plane function network element, the processor 1601 is configured to: receive a session establishment request message through the communication interface 1602, the session establishment request message requesting the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device, the session establishment request message including a group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; establish the dedicated session for the terminal device; receive a message from the terminal device through the communication interface 1602, and if the message includes the group identifier, forward the message through the dedicated session.

[0297] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the user plane function network elements in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0298] When the communication device is a terminal device, the processor 1601 is configured to: generate a first message, wherein the destination IP address of the first message belongs to the local network registered by the terminal device, the first message includes a group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the group corresponds to the local network; and send the first message through the communication interface 1602.

[0299] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the terminal device in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0300] When the communication device is a policy control function network element, the processor 1601 is configured to: receive a session policy control creation request message through the communication interface 1602, the request message being used to request the acquisition of the session policy of the terminal device; and send a session policy control creation response message through the communication interface 1602, the response message including the traffic splitting rules of the dedicated session of the terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device, the traffic splitting rules including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

[0301] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the policy control function network element in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0302] When the communication device is an access and mobility management function network element, the processor 1601 is used to: obtain terminal device subscription information, the subscription information including the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; and send a message to the terminal device through the communication interface 1602, the message including the group identifier.

[0303] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figures 7 to 14 Other processes performed by the access and mobility management function network elements in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0304] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, including the aforementioned first session management function network element, second session management function network element, user plane function network element, policy control function network element, and access and mobility management function network element. Furthermore, it may also include the aforementioned terminal equipment.

[0305] Based on the same computational concept, embodiments of this application provide a chip, including: at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to a memory for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the chip to implement the method described in any of the above implementation methods.

[0306] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the above-described method embodiments to be performed.

[0307] Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the above-described method embodiments to be executed.

[0308] It should be understood that in the description of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only for distinguishing purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order. References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in still other embodiments" appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0309] 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 a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0310] 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.

[0311] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0312] 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.

[0313] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0314] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, if these modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first session management function network element, and the method includes: Obtain the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device. The dedicated session is used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device. The traffic splitting rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session. A session establishment request message is sent to the first user plane function network element. The session establishment request message requests the establishment of the dedicated session. The session establishment request message includes the group identifier and the IP address information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Select a second session management function network element based on the group identifier; the second session management function network element belongs to the group. A session creation request message is sent to the second session management function network element. The session creation request is used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second session management function network element is selected according to the group identifier. The second session management function network element does not belong to the group. The second session management function network element can select a third session management function network element that belongs to the group to establish the dedicated session for the terminal device. A session creation request message is sent to the second session management function network element. The session creation request is used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a session context establishment request message; Send a session context establishment response message, the response message including information on the context establishment of a general session and the dedicated session, the general session being used by the terminal device to communicate with the Internet.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The traffic splitting rules for obtaining the dedicated session of the terminal device include: The traffic splitting rules for the dedicated sessions of the terminal device are obtained from the policy control function network element.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to the second session management function network element, and the method includes: Receive a session creation request message, the session creation request being used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device, the dedicated session being used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device; Obtain the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device, wherein the traffic splitting rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session; Select the second user plane function network element according to the group identifier; A session establishment request message is sent to the second user plane function network element. The session establishment request message requests the establishment of the dedicated session. The session establishment request message includes the group identifier and the IP address information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second session management function network element belongs to the group.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second session management function network element does not belong to the group; The method further includes: The third session management function network element is selected based on the group identifier, and the third session management function network element belongs to the group; A session creation request message is sent to the third session management function network element, the session creation request being used to create a dedicated session for the terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The traffic splitting rules for obtaining the dedicated session of the terminal device include: The traffic splitting rules for the dedicated sessions of the terminal device are obtained from the policy control function network element.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a session establishment request message, the session establishment request message requests the establishment of a dedicated session for the terminal device, the session establishment request message includes the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; Establish a dedicated session for the terminal device; Receive a message from the terminal device, and if the message includes the group identifier, forward the message through the dedicated session.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: A first message is generated, the destination IP address of the first message belongs to the local network registered by the terminal device, and the first message includes the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs, and the group corresponds to the local network; Send the first message.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a message from an access and mobility management function network element, the message including the group identifier.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a session policy control creation request message, the request message being used to request the acquisition of the session policy of the terminal device; Send a session policy control creation response message. The response message includes the traffic splitting rules for the dedicated session of the terminal device. The dedicated session is used for the terminal device to communicate with the local network registered by the terminal device. The traffic splitting rules include the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs and the IP address information corresponding to the dedicated session.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to network elements for access and mobility management functions, and the method includes: Obtain the terminal device's subscription information, which includes the group identifier of the group to which the terminal device belongs; A message is sent to the terminal device, the message including the group identifier.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, include: At least one processor coupled to a memory for storing a program or instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-14.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-14.

17. A computer program product containing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-14.

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