Communication method and device for multicast and broadcast services, and medium and electronic device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for multicast and broadcast services, and a medium and an electronic device. A communication method for multicast and broadcast services comprises: a step of performing multicast and broadcast service (MBS) negotiation with a core network element to determine a transmission policy for MBS service application auxiliary information—the MBS service application auxiliary information is used by the core network element to optimize and configure MBS service resources—; a step of generating MBS service application auxiliary information by acquiring service statistics data of a terminal device used to process MBS services based on the transmission policy; and a step of transmitting MBS service application auxiliary information to the core network element so that the core network element performs resource configuration processing for MBS services based on the MBS service application auxiliary information.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202110750895.0, filed with the Chinese Intellectual Property Office on July 1, 2021, with the title of the invention "COMMUNICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MULTICAST AND BROADCAST SERVICE, MEDIUM, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE," the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Fields of technology

[0004] The present application relates to the field of computer and communication technology, and specifically to a communication method and apparatus, medium, and electronic device for multicast and broadcast service (MBS). Background Technology

[0005] Multicast and Broadcast Services (MBS), including multicast and broadcast services, transmit the same content to multiple receivers. Using broadcast services as an example, in a unidirectional broadcast service scenario, to reduce terminal energy consumption and network deployment costs, the network side can simultaneously broadcast service content to a large number of terminal devices, such as TV or live streaming of events.

[0006] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, medium, and electronic device for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS), thereby resolving, to some extent, the problem that the network side in the MBS cannot obtain service-related data of a terminal device, and improving the accuracy and rationality of resource configuration in the MBS.

[0007] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions or from the practice of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method for MBS is provided, and the communication method is,

[0009] A step of determining the transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information by performing communication negotiations of MBS through application function entities and core network elements - MBS application auxiliary information is used by core network elements to optimize the configuration of MBS resources - ;

[0010] A step of obtaining service statistics data of a terminal device for processing MBS according to a transmission policy by an application function entity, and generating MBS application auxiliary information; and

[0011] It includes the step of transmitting MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element by an application function entity so that the core network element performs resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method for MBS is provided, and the communication method is,

[0013] A step of obtaining a transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information by the session management function entity - MBS application auxiliary information is used by the core network element to optimize the configuration of MBS resources - ;

[0014] A step of receiving MBS application auxiliary information according to a transmission policy by a session management function entity - MBS application auxiliary information is generated by an application function entity according to service statistics data of a terminal device for processing MBS - ; and

[0015] It includes a step of performing resource configuration processing of MBS according to MBS application auxiliary information by the session management function entity.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device for MBS is provided, and the communication device is,

[0017] A communication negotiation unit configured to perform communication negotiations between the core network element and the MBS to determine the transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information - MBS application auxiliary information is used by the core network element to optimize the configuration of MBS resources - ;

[0018] A first acquisition unit configured to acquire service statistics data of a terminal device for processing MBS according to a transmission policy and to generate MBS application auxiliary information; and

[0019] It includes a transmission unit configured to transmit MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element so that the core network element performs resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device for MBS is provided, and the communication device is,

[0021] A second acquisition unit configured to acquire a transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information - MBS application auxiliary information is used by core network elements to optimize the configuration of MBS resources - ;

[0022] A receiving unit configured to receive MBS application auxiliary information according to a transmission policy - MBS application auxiliary information is generated by an application function entity based on service statistics data of a terminal device for processing MBS - ; and

[0023] It includes a processing unit configured to perform resource configuration processing of the MBS according to MBS application auxiliary information.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program is provided, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor enables the processor to implement a communication method for an MBS according to the above embodiments.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: one or more processors; and a storage device configured to store one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more processors to implement a communication method for MBS according to the embodiments described above.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer program product or a computer program is provided, the computer program product or the computer program includes computer instructions, and the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to cause the computer device to perform a communication method for the MBS provided in the above embodiments.

[0027] In the technical solutions provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the AF performs communication negotiation of the MBS through a core network element to determine a transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information, and according to the transmission policy, obtains service statistics data of a terminal device for processing the MBS to generate MBS application auxiliary information, and transmits the MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element so that the core network element performs resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information, which can help solve the problem that the network side cannot obtain service-related data of the terminal device in the MBS, thereby improving the accuracy and rationality of resource configuration in the MBS.

[0028] It should be understood that the foregoing general descriptions and the following detailed descriptions are for illustrative and illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] The accompanying drawings of this specification are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments according to this disclosure, and are used together with this specification to explain the principles of this disclosure. By way, the accompanying drawings in the following description are merely illustrative of some embodiments of this disclosure, and a person skilled in the art can still derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings without creative effort. In the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of data transmission in a unicast communication system and a multicast communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture supporting MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a communication method for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a communication method for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a communication method for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the interaction process between AF and 5GC network elements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a communication device for an MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a communication device for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a computer system adapted to implement an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] Now, exemplary embodiments are described more comprehensively with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various forms and should not be understood as being limited to the examples described herein. Instead, the embodiments are provided to make the disclosure more thorough and complete and to fully convey the ideas of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0031] Additionally, the features, structures, or characteristics described in this disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, more specific details are provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure. However, a person skilled in the art should recognize that the technical solutions in this disclosure may be implemented without one or more of the specific details, or that other methods, units, devices, or steps may be used.

[0032] The block diagrams illustrated in the attached drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, functional entities may be implemented in software form, as one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or as different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0033] The flowcharts illustrated in the attached drawings are examples for illustrative purposes only and do not need to include all contents and actions / steps, nor must they be performed in the described order. For example, some actions / steps may be further subdivided, while others may be combined or partially combined. Therefore, the actual execution order may vary depending on the specific case.

[0034] As used herein, "plural" means two or more. "And / or" describes an association to describe related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent the following three cases: A alone being present, both A and B being present, and B alone being present. The character " / " in this specification generally indicates an "or" relationship between related objects.

[0035] Communication methods between network nodes primarily include unicast, multicast, and broadcast. "Unicast" is the most common one-to-one communication and has the advantage that a transmitting party can send different content to different receivers. However, if a transmitting party needs to send the same content to multiple receivers, multiple copies of the same data must be transmitted end-to-end, which is inefficient. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, when a unicast source transmits data to multiple receivers via unicast, multiple copies of the same data must be transmitted end-to-end (in FIG. 1, different line types represent different data streams).

[0036] "Group cast" may also be referred to as "multicast," where a transmitting party sends the same content to multiple receivers. Multicast is particularly applicable to online video conferencing and online video-on-demand. If unicast is adopted, there will be as many teleportation processes as there are receivers, which is inefficient. However, if a broadcast method is adopted, which transmits all data without distinguishing targets, the purpose of distinguishing specific data receivers cannot be achieved, even if the data can be transmitted at once. It can be seen that the multicast method can not only transmit the same data to multiple receivers at once but also achieve the purpose of transmitting data only to specific objects. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a multicast source can transmit the same data to multiple receivers at once.

[0037] In a "broadcast," the same content is transmitted to multiple receivers, but the receivers are not selected during transmission. Therefore, there may be a waste of network resources caused by transmitting data to unnecessary devices. Additionally, some receivers may not be "interested" in the broadcast content; in this case, after receiving the broadcast content, the receivers must discard the received data packets, which also results in a waste of terminal resources.

[0038] The fundamental difference between broadcast services and multicast services is that user equipment (UEs) in a system can participate in a broadcast service without signing up, whereas UEs in a multicast service must undergo signing and authentication before participating. Additionally, it should be noted that there are many types of multicast and broadcast services. In the case of multicast services, the UE joins the multicast group of the corresponding service via an IP multicast address. The broadcast service corresponding to the broadcast group has a specific service domain.

[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates a 5G network architecture defined by the 3GPP (the 3rd Generation Partnership Project), wherein 5G core network elements include an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a user plane function (UPF), a policy control function (PCF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a unified data management function (UDM), etc. An AF is an application function entity located outside the 5G core network; a UE may be a 5G terminal such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer; an access network (AN) or a radio access network (RAN) may be a 5G base station; and a data network (DN) is a service server accessed by the UE.

[0040] Referring still to FIG. 2, in the 5G core network element, the AMF is responsible for terminating the N2 interface of the base station's control plane. At the same time, the AMF is also responsible for terminating the N1 interface of the UE to implement encryption and integrity protection of the NAS (non-access stratum), and to handle functions such as UE access verification, authorization management, registration, connection, reachability, and mobility management, as well as transparent transmission of session management messages between the UE and the SMF.

[0041] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2, (R)AN interacts with UPF through the N3 interface; UPFs can interact with each other through the N9 interface; UPF interacts with SMF through the N4 interface; UPF interacts with DN through the N6 interface; SMF interacts with AMF through the N11 interface; SMF interacts with PCF through the N7 interface; SMF interacts with UDM through the N10 interface; PCF interacts with AF through the N5 interface; AMFs can interact with each other through the N14 interface; AMF interacts with PCF through the N15 interface; AMF interacts with UDM through the N8 interface; AMF interacts with AUSF through the N12 interface; and AUSF interacts with UDM through the N13 interface.

[0042] However, the system architecture shown in FIG. 2 supports only unicast services and does not support 5G broadcast and multicast services. To support 5G broadcast and multicast services, the system architecture shown in FIG. 3 is introduced.

[0043] The system architecture illustrated in FIG. 3 includes an application server (AF / AS), a network exposure function (NEF), a multicast / broadcast service function-control plane (MBSF-C), a multicast / broadcast service function-user plane (MBSF-U), a PCF, a multicast / broadcast-SMF (MB-SMF), a multicast / broadcast-UPF (MB-UPF), an SMF, an AMF, a UPF, a RAN node, and a UE connected to the RAN node.

[0044] Compared to the basic architecture of Fig. 2, the system architecture illustrated in Fig. 3 introduces new network elements, MB-SMF and MB-UPF, which are specifically used to support 5G broadcast services and multicast services. At the same time, PCF, AMF, NEF, and RAN all need to be provided with new functional enhancements to provide 5G multicast and broadcast services.

[0045] In the system architecture illustrated in FIG. 3, Npcf refers to an interface where PCF provides services, other network functions (NFs) send Npcf service request messages to PCF through the Npcf interface, PCF responds to the requests and sends notification service messages through the Npcf interface; Nmbsmf refers to an interface where MB-SMF provides services, other NFs send Nmbsmf service request messages to MB-SMF through the Nmbsmf interface, MB-SMF responds to the requests and sends notification service messages through the Nmbsmf interface.

[0046] In addition, the AMF interacts with the RAN via the N2 interface; the UPF interacts with the RAN node via the N3 interface; the SMF interacts with the UPF via the N4 interface; the SMF interacts with the AMF via the N11 interface; the MB-UPF interacts with the RAN node via the MB-N3 interface; the MB-SMF interacts with the AMF via the N11 interface; the MB-SMF interacts with the SMF via the N16a interface; the PCF interacts with the AMF via the N15 interface; the PCF interacts with the MB-SMF via the N7 interface; the MB-SMF interacts with the MB-UPF via the N4 interface; the MB-UPF interacts with the MBSF-U via the N6 interface; the MB-UPF interacts with the AF / AS via the N6 / MB2-U interface; the MBSF-U interacts with the AF / AS via the xMB-U / MB2-U interface; and the MBSF-C interacts with the AF / AS via the xMB-C / MB2-C interface; MBSF-C interacts with NEF via the xMB-C / MB2-C interface; NEF interacts with AF / AS via the N33 interface.

[0047] In the system architecture illustrated in Fig. 3, MBSF-C and MBSF-U are not required. However, MBSF-C and MBSF-U are required under the following two conditions: 1. When the 5G MBS and the 4G or 3G multimedia broadcast and multicast service (MBMS) services are interconnected, i.e., when the AF of the 5G and the AS of the 4G or 3G MBMS are the same entity; 2. When the operator needs to process the MBS (such as transcoding video or checking content).

[0048] In related technologies, to reduce terminal energy consumption and network deployment costs, in a unidirectional broadcast service scenario, the network can simultaneously broadcast service content to a large number of UEs, such as live streaming of TV or events. In this service scenario, the 5G network does not provide more wireless resources for allocation due to the increase in the number of UEs, thereby achieving great scalability. In other words, the MBS broadcast service does not require establishing a connection in advance. From the perspective of service transmission, the AF and the application server (i.e., AS) do not need to repeatedly establish MBS sessions, and the AF cannot know the current operational status of the broadcast service through the 5G core network (5GC core). Furthermore, when the 5G network provides broadcast services, ACK acknowledgments are generally not supported to support a large number of users; that is, unidirectional broadcasting is adopted. If an ACK mechanism could be introduced, it would have a significant impact on the efficiency of the broadcast service. In this case, when providing broadcast services, the 5G network cannot know the service reception information of a large number of terminal users; that is, even if the 5G network provides MBS broadcast services, it cannot obtain the actual effect and user experience of the service.

[0049] Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a new MBS communication solution for solving the problem that the network side cannot obtain service-related data of a terminal device in an MBS service. Details of the implementation of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below.

[0050] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a communication method for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication method for MBS may be performed by AF. Referring to FIG. 4, the communication method for MBS includes at least steps S410 to S430. A detailed description is as follows:

[0051] In step S410, communication negotiations between the core network element and the MBS are performed to determine the transmission policy for the MBS application auxiliary information.

[0052] In some embodiments, MBS application auxiliary information is used by a 5G core network element to optimize the configuration of 5G MBS resources. A transmission policy is used to determine the content, type, and transmission method of the application auxiliary information to be transmitted. In some embodiments of the present application, the core network element may be a PCF. In this case, the AF may perform communication negotiations of the MBS through the NEF and the PCF; or, when the AF is in a trusted network environment, the AF may directly perform communication negotiations of the MBS with the PCF.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmission policy of the MBS application auxiliary information includes at least one of the content of the application auxiliary information, the reliability of the application auxiliary information, the sample rate of the application auxiliary information, the acquisition frequency of the application auxiliary information, the granularity information of the application auxiliary information, and the billing information of the application auxiliary information.

[0054] In some embodiments, the content of the application auxiliary information includes at least one of the quantity of terminals processing a specified MBS obtained by an application function entity from the application layer, the state type of a terminal processing a specified MBS obtained by an application function entity from the application layer, the location information of a terminal processing a specified MBS obtained by an application function entity from the application layer, and service statistical characteristics of a specified MBS obtained by an application function entity from the application layer (e.g., playback smoothness and user experience).

[0055] In some embodiments, the state type of a terminal processing a specified MBS obtained by an application function entity from the application layer may include an active state, an inactive state, and an idle state.

[0056] In some embodiments, the location information of the terminal includes at least one of the terminal's cell information, the terminal's tracking area information, or the terminal's geographic location information. The terminal's cell information is information regarding the terminal's current serving cell; the tracking area is also known as TA; and the terminal's geographic location information is the terminal's actual location information, such as location information obtained using the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Beidou satellite system.

[0057] In some embodiments, the granularity information of the application auxiliary information includes at least one of user granularity (i.e., per user), terminal device granularity (i.e., per UE), and service flow granularity (i.e., per flow).

[0058] In some embodiments, the acquisition frequency of application auxiliary information refers to the amount of application auxiliary information acquired per unit time.

[0059] In some embodiments, the transmission policy of MBS application auxiliary information determined by AF and core network elements may include information to be transmitted, the frequency at which information is transmitted, etc.

[0060] As illustrated in FIG. 4, in step S420, service statistics data of a terminal device for processing MBS is obtained according to a transmission policy, and MBS application auxiliary information is generated.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, AF acquires service data fed back by a terminal device through a non-MBS serving cell, i.e., service data fed back by a terminal device in an out-of-band manner, and then generates service statistics data based on the service data fed back by the terminal device.

[0062] In some embodiments, some or all of the service statistics data may be used as auxiliary information for MBS applications.

[0063] In step S430, MBS application auxiliary information is transmitted to the core network element so that the core network element performs resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the AF can transmit MBS application auxiliary information out-of-band to a core network element.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if AF determines that the number of terminal devices processing a broadcast service in a designated area based on MBS application auxiliary information is less than a set number, it may convert the broadcast service in the designated area to a multicast service or a unicast service. In this case, after AF transmits the MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element, the core network element may also perform resource configuration processing for the coordinated service type.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the AF determines that the received bit error rate of a terminal device processing a broadcast service in a designated area according to the MBS application auxiliary information is higher than a set bit error rate, the modulation order for the broadcast service in the designated area may be reduced. In this case, after the AF transmits the MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element, the core network element may also reduce the received bit error rate of the terminal device in the designated area by adjusting the resource configuration, for example, by allocating more bandwidth resources for the broadcast service in the designated area.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if AF determines that the mobile frequency of a terminal device processing a specified broadcast service according to MBS application auxiliary information is higher than a set value, it adjusts the broadcast area of ​​the specified broadcast service so that the terminal device processing the specified broadcast service and having a mobile frequency higher than the set value is located in the broadcast area. In this case, after AF transmits the MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element, the core network element may reallocate transmission resources for the adjusted broadcast area.

[0068] The technical solution of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 is described in terms of AF, and the implementation details of the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to FIG. 5 in terms of core network elements.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a communication method for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; the communication method for MBS may be performed by a core network element, in particular by an SMF. Referring to FIG. 5, the communication method for MBS comprises at least steps S510 to S530. A detailed description is as follows:

[0070] In step S510, the transmission policy of the MBS application auxiliary information is obtained.

[0071] In some embodiments, the transmission policy of MBS application auxiliary information may be determined through communication negotiation between AF and PCF. The technical solution of the aforementioned embodiments may be referenced, and details are not described herein.

[0072] In step S520, MBS application auxiliary information is received according to the transmission policy, whereby the MBS application auxiliary information is generated by the application function entity based on the service statistics data of the terminal device for processing MBS.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmission policy of the MBS application auxiliary information includes at least one of the content of the application auxiliary information, the reliability of the application auxiliary information, the sample rate of the application auxiliary information, the acquisition frequency of the application auxiliary information, the granularity information of the application auxiliary information, and the billing information of the application auxiliary information.

[0074] In some embodiments, the content of the application auxiliary information includes at least one of the quantity of terminals processing a specified MBS obtained by the AF, location information of a terminal processing a specified MBS obtained by the AF, and service statistical characteristics of a specified MBS obtained by the AF.

[0075] In some embodiments, the location information of the terminal includes at least one of the terminal's cell information, the terminal's tracking area information, or the terminal's geographic location information. The cell information where the terminal is located is information regarding the terminal's current serving cell; the tracking area is also known as TA; and the terminal's geographic location information is the terminal's actual location information, such as location information obtained using a GPS or Beidou satellite system.

[0076] In some embodiments, the granularity information of the application auxiliary information includes at least one of user granularity (i.e., per user), terminal device granularity (i.e., per UE), and service flow granularity (i.e., per flow).

[0077] In step S530, resource configuration processing of the MBS is performed according to the MBS application auxiliary information.

[0078] Specifically, for example, when AF adjusts the service type in a specified area, the core network element can also adjust the resource configuration in the specified area.

[0079] In another example, if AF determines, based on MBS application auxiliary information, that the received bit error rate of a terminal device processing a broadcast service in a specified area is higher than the set bit error rate, it may reduce the modulation order for the broadcast service in the specified area. In this case, the core network element may also reduce the received bit error rate of the terminal device in the specified area by adjusting the resource configuration, for example, by allocating more bandwidth resources for the broadcast service in the specified area.

[0080] In another example, when AF adjusts the broadcast area of ​​a specified broadcast service so that a terminal device having a higher mobility frequency than a set value is located in the broadcast area while processing a specified broadcast service, the core network element may also reallocate transmission resources for the adjusted broadcast area.

[0081] The implementation details of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in terms of AF and core network elements, and the interaction processes between various entities are described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 6 and FIGS. 7.

[0082] In this embodiment of the disclosure, negotiation processing of MBS may be performed between the AF and the 5G network, and then MBS application auxiliary information is transmitted to a 5G core network element according to a transmission policy generated through negotiation, thereby resolving network resource allocation and user experience issues caused by the lack of actual user and terminal service data of the 5GC in the 5G MBS broadcast service. A detailed description is provided below:

[0083] As illustrated in FIG. 6, a communication method for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure comprises the following steps:

[0084] In step S610, the AF and 5GC network elements negotiate a policy.

[0085] Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the negotiation process between AF and 5GC network elements can be performed through step S701a or step S701b. In step S701a, AF can negotiate a policy with PCF through NEF; in step S701b, AF can negotiate a policy directly with PCF.

[0086] In some embodiments, the policy negotiated between the AF and the 5GC network element includes, but is not limited to, the content of application auxiliary information that the AF can provide to the 5GC; reliability and sample rate information of the application auxiliary information that the AF can provide to the 5GC; frequency and granularity information of the application auxiliary information that the AF can provide to the 5GC; and billing information formed between the 5G MBS service operator and the third-party AF regarding the application auxiliary information.

[0087] In some embodiments, the content of application aid information that AF can provide to 5GC includes the quantity of terminals of a specific 5MBS and location information of the terminals that can be recognized from the current application layer; and statistical characteristics of a specific 5MBS that AF can recognize from the current application layer, e.g., playback smoothness and user experience. The types of terminals recognized by AF from the application layer include terminals in an active state, an inactive state, and an idle state. The location information of the terminals may be location information associated with a serving cell or TA, or may be the geographical location information of the terminals.

[0088] In some embodiments, the reliability of the application auxiliary information that AF can provide to 5GC is the reliability of the provided application auxiliary information. The sample rate of the application auxiliary information that AF can provide to 5GC refers to the sample rate obtained according to big data statistics, even though the number of terminals recognizable by the application layer is limited.

[0089] In some embodiments, the frequency information of application aid information that AF can provide to 5GC may be the amount of application aid information acquired per unit time; and the granularity information of application aid information that AF can provide to 5GC includes per-user, per-UE, per-flow, etc.

[0090] In step S620, AF obtains service statistics data of the terminal from the application layer in an out-of-band manner.

[0091] The process may be illustrated in step S702 of FIG. 7, where the out-of-band method refers to the fact that after the UE establishes a connection with the AF through a method different from the current 5G MBS serving cell, the AF can obtain service statistics data of the terminal from the terminal.

[0092] For example, when a UE acquires MBS broadcast services over a 5G network via downlink, in addition to 4G and non-5G MBS serving cells, the UE may have other 5G or Wi-Fi connections that can be used as data channels for out-of-band feedback or as connections with AFs. In this case, the UE can report service statistics data in an out-of-band manner. The 5G MBS Radio Access Technology (RAT) of such a UE may be inactive or idle, but the UE can still receive 5G MBS.

[0093] Step S630. AF interacts with 5GC, and application auxiliary information transmitted by AF is used to optimize the configuration of MBS resources by 5GC.

[0094] In some embodiments, the process may be as illustrated in step S703a or S703b of FIG. 7. In this example, AF reports MBS application auxiliary information to SMF; in other embodiments, MBS application auxiliary information may also be reported to other core network elements such as AMF.

[0095] In step S703a, AF transmits MBS application auxiliary information to SMF via NEF and PCF; in step S703b, AF directly transmits MBS application auxiliary information to SMF via PCF.

[0096] After obtaining MBS application auxiliary information, the 5GC network element can perform resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information. At the same time, the AF can also perform appropriate adjustments according to the MBS application auxiliary information. For example, if it is discovered out-of-band that the number of broadcast terminals within a specific area is extremely small, the broadcast can be switched to unicast or multicast, thereby improving resource utilization. If it is discovered out-of-band that the reception bit error rate of terminals in a specific broadcast area is excessively high, the modulation order can be reduced. If it is discovered out-of-band that the movement frequency of service terminals within a specific area is excessively high, frequently moving terminals can be placed in a single broadcast area by adjusting the range of the broadcast service area.

[0097] In summary, according to the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, AF can perform communication negotiation between a core network element and an MBS in a 5G network, and then transmit MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element so that the core network element performs resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information, which can help solve the problem that the network side cannot obtain service-related data of a terminal device in the MBS, thereby improving the accuracy and rationality of resource configuration in the MBS.

[0098] Hereinafter, device embodiments of the present disclosure that can be used to perform a communication method for MBS in the aforementioned embodiments of the present disclosure are described. For details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present disclosure, the aforementioned embodiments of the communication method for multicast and broadcast services of the present disclosure may be referenced.

[0099] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a communication device for an MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication device may be placed in an AF.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 8, a communication device (800) for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a communication negotiation unit (802), a first acquisition unit (804), and a transmission unit (806).

[0101] A communication negotiation unit (802) is configured to perform communication negotiations between a core network element and an MBS to determine a transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information, wherein the MBS application auxiliary information is used by the core network element to optimize the configuration of MBS resources; a first acquisition unit (804) is configured to acquire service statistics data of a terminal device for processing MBS according to the transmission policy and generate MBS application auxiliary information; and a transmission unit (806) is configured to transmit MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element so that the core network element performs resource configuration processing of MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information.

[0102] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the transmission policy of MBS application auxiliary information is,

[0103] It includes at least one of the content of the application auxiliary information, the reliability of the application auxiliary information, the sample rate of the application auxiliary information, the acquisition frequency of the application auxiliary information, the granularity information of the application auxiliary information, and the billing information of the application auxiliary information.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the aforementioned solutions, the content of the application auxiliary information is,

[0105] It includes at least one of the quantity of terminals processing a specified MBS obtained by the application function entity, the state type of a terminal processing a specified MBS obtained by the application function entity, the location information of a terminal processing a specified MBS obtained by the application function entity, and the service statistical characteristics of a specified MBS obtained by the application function entity.

[0106] In some embodiments, the state types include active state, inactive state, and idle state.

[0107] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the location information of the terminal comprises at least one of cell information where the terminal is located, tracking area information of the terminal, and geographical location information of the terminal.

[0108] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the particle size information of the application auxiliary information includes at least one of user particle size, terminal device particle size, and service flow particle size.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the first acquisition unit (804) is,

[0110] Acquire service data fed back by the terminal device through a non-MBS serving cell;

[0111] It is configured to generate service statistics data based on service data fed back by the terminal device.

[0112] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the transmitting unit (806) is configured to transmit MBS application auxiliary information out-of-band to a core network element.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the communication device (800) further comprises a first processing unit (808) configured to convert the broadcast service in the designated area into a multicast service or a unicast service when it is determined that the number of terminal devices processing a broadcast service in the designated area according to the MBS application auxiliary information is less than a set number.

[0114] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the communication device (800) further comprises a second processing unit (810) configured to reduce the modulation order for the broadcast service in the designated area when it is determined that the reception bit error rate of a terminal device processing a broadcast service in a designated area according to MBS application auxiliary information is higher than a set bit error rate.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the solutions described above, the communication device (800) further comprises a third processing unit (812) configured to adjust the broadcast area of ​​a specified broadcast service such that, when it is determined that the movement frequency of a terminal device processing a specified broadcast service according to MBS application auxiliary information is higher than a set value, the terminal device processing the specified broadcast service and having a movement frequency higher than the set value is located in the broadcast area.

[0116] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a communication device for an MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication device may be placed in a core network element such as an SMF.

[0117] Referring to FIG. 9, a communication device (900) for MBS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a second acquisition unit (902), a receiving unit (904), and a processing unit (906).

[0118] A second acquisition unit (902) is configured to acquire a transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information, wherein the MBS application auxiliary information is used to optimize the configuration of MBS resources by a core network element; a receiving unit (904) is configured to receive MBS application auxiliary information according to the transmission policy, wherein the MBS application auxiliary information is generated by an application function entity according to service statistics data of a terminal device for processing MBS; and a processing unit (906) is configured to perform resource configuration processing of MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information.

[0119] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a computer system adapted to implement an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] The computer system (1000) of the electronic device illustrated in FIG. 10 is merely an example and does not constitute any limitation on the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0121] As illustrated in FIG. 10, a computer system (1000) includes a central processing unit (CPU) (1001) capable of performing various appropriate actions and processing based on a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) (1002) or a program loaded into a random access memory (RAM) (1003) from a storage portion (1008), for example, capable of performing the methods described in the previously described embodiments. The RAM (1003) further stores various programs and data necessary to operate the system. The CPU (1001), ROM (1002), and RAM (1003) are connected to each other via a bus (1004). An input / output (I / O) interface (1005) is also connected to the bus (1004).

[0122] The following components are connected to the I / O interface (1005): an input section (1006) including a keyboard, mouse, etc., an output section (1007) including a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display), speaker, etc., a storage section (1008) including a hard disk, etc., and a communication section (1009) including a network interface card such as a LAN (local area network) card or a modem. The communication section (1009) performs communication processing using a network such as the Internet. A drive (1010) is also connected to the I / O interface (1005) as needed. A removable medium (1011), such as a disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is installed on the drive (1010) as needed, and thus a computer program read from the removable medium (1011) is installed on the storage section (1008) as needed.

[0123] In particular, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts may be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure include a computer program product. The computer program product includes a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer program includes a computer program used to perform the method illustrated in the flowchart. In such embodiments, the computer program may be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication portion (1009) and / or may be installed from a removable medium (1011). When the computer program is executed by the CPU (1001), various functions defined in the system of the present disclosure are executed.

[0124] The computer-readable medium illustrated in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium or any combination thereof. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, an electric, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or component, or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer magnetic disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, optical fiber, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be any type of tangible medium containing or storing a program, and the program may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device, or device. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal that is propagated within the baseband or as part of a carrier wave, and the data signal carries a computer-readable computer program. A data signal propagated in such a manner may take a plurality of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable medium may transmit, propagate, or transmit a program that is used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device, or device.A computer program contained in a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium including, but not limited to, wireless media, wires, or similar materials, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0125] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate possible system architectures, functions, and operations that may be implemented by systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Each box in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, program segment, or part of code. A module, program segment, or part of code includes one or more executable instructions used to implement specified logic functions. In some implementations used as alternatives, the functions annotated in the boxes may occur in an order different from that annotated in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes actually depicted consecutively may be executed in parallel, and sometimes two boxes may be executed in reverse order. This is determined by the functions involved. Each block in a block diagram or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram or flowchart, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or may be implemented using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0126] The related units described in the embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in software or in hardware, and the described units may also be configured in a processor. The names of the units do not constitute a limitation on the units in any particular case.

[0127] According to another aspect, the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may be included in the electronic device described in the embodiments above, or may exist alone and is not assembled to the electronic device. The computer-readable medium carries one or more programs, and when executed by the electronic device, the electronic device enables the electronic device to implement the method described in the embodiments above.

[0128] Although multiple modules or units of a device configured to perform actions have been discussed in the foregoing detailed description, such division is not essential. In practice, according to the implementations of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above may be specifically implemented in a single module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of a single module or unit described above may be further divided into multiple modules or units for implementation.

[0129] Through the description of the foregoing embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented through software or through software located in combination with the necessary hardware. Accordingly, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of a software product. A software product may be stored on a non-volatile storage medium (which may be a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, removable hard disk, etc.) or on a network, comprising some instructions for instructing a computing device (which may be a personal computer, server, touch terminal, network device, etc.) to perform the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0130] After considering the specification and practicing the disclosed embodiments, a person skilled in the art may recognize other implementations of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptive modifications of the present disclosure. Such variations, uses, or adaptive modifications follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include well-known knowledge of the art and prior technical means not disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0131] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

Claim 1 A communication method for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS), comprising: a step of determining a transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information by an application function entity according to a communication negotiation of the MBS by the application function entity and a core network element; a step of obtaining service data fed back by a terminal device through a non-MBS serving cell by an application function entity; a step of generating service statistics data by an application function entity according to the service data fed back by the terminal device by an application function entity; a step of generating MBS application auxiliary information based on the service statistics data by an application function entity by an application function entity; and a step of transmitting the MBS application auxiliary information to a core network element by an application function entity according to the transmission policy, wherein the core network element is configured to perform resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information. Claim 2 A communication method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission policy of the MBS application auxiliary information comprises at least one of the content of the application auxiliary information, the reliability of the application auxiliary information, the sample rate of the application auxiliary information, the acquisition frequency of the application auxiliary information, the granularity information of the application auxiliary information, and the billing information of the application auxiliary information. Claim 3 A communication method according to paragraph 2, wherein the transmission policy of the MBS application auxiliary information includes the content of the application auxiliary information, and the content of the application auxiliary information includes at least one of the quantity of terminal devices processing the specified MBS obtained by the application function entity, the state type of the terminal device processing the specified MBS obtained by the application function entity, the location information of the terminal device processing the specified MBS obtained by the application function entity, and the service statistical characteristics of the specified MBS obtained by the application function entity. Claim 4 A communication method according to paragraph 3, wherein the content of the application auxiliary information includes location information of the terminal device, and the location information of the terminal device includes at least one of cell information of the terminal device, tracking area information of the terminal device, and geographical location information of the terminal device. Claim 5 A communication method according to paragraph 3, wherein the content of the application auxiliary information includes a state type of the terminal device, and the state type of the terminal device indicates one of an active state, an inactive state, and an idle state. Claim 6 A communication method according to paragraph 2, wherein the transmission policy of the MBS application auxiliary information includes granularity information of the application auxiliary information, and the granularity information of the application auxiliary information includes at least one of user granularity, terminal device granularity, and service flow granularity. Claim 7 delete Claim 8 A communication method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the MBS application auxiliary information to the core network element by the application function entity comprises the step of transmitting the MBS application auxiliary information out-of-band to the core network element by the application function entity. Claim 9 A communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8, wherein the communication method further comprises the step of converting the broadcast service in the designated area into a multicast service or a unicast service by the application function entity when the application function entity determines that the number of terminal devices processing a broadcast service in the designated area according to the MBS application auxiliary information is less than a set number. Claim 10 A communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 8, wherein the communication method further comprises the step of reducing the modulation order of the broadcast service in the designated area when the application function entity determines that the reception bit error rate of a terminal device processing a broadcast service in the designated area according to the MBS application auxiliary information is higher than the set bit error rate. Claim 11 A communication method according to any one of claims 1 through 6 and 8, wherein the communication method further comprises the step of adjusting the broadcast area of ​​the specified broadcast service to include the terminal device when the application function entity determines that the mobile frequency of the terminal device processing the broadcast service specified according to the MBS application auxiliary information is higher than a set value. Claim 12 A communication method for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS), comprising: a step of obtaining a transmission policy for MBS application auxiliary information by a session management function entity, wherein the transmission policy is determined by the application function entity according to communication negotiation of the MBS by the application function entity and a core network element; a step of receiving the MBS application auxiliary information by the session management function entity according to the transmission policy, wherein the MBS application auxiliary information is generated by the application function entity based on service statistics data of a terminal device processing the MBS, and the application function entity obtains service data fed back by the terminal device through a non-MBS serving cell and generates service statistics data according to the service data fed back by the terminal device; and a step of performing resource configuration processing of the MBS according to the MBS application auxiliary information by the session management function entity. Claim 13 A computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements a communication method for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) according to any one of claims 1 through 6 and 8, or implements a communication method for an MBS according to claim 12. Claim 14 An electronic device comprising: one or more processors; and a storage device configured to store one or more programs, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs enable the one or more processors to implement a communication method for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) according to any one of claims 1 through 6 and 8, or to implement a communication method for an MBS according to claim 12. Claim 15 A computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, wherein, when executed, the computer instructions implement a communication method for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) according to any one of claims 1 through 6 and 8, or implement a communication method for an MBS according to claim 12. Claim 16 delete Claim 17 delete

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