Edge computing method and device

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a method and device for edge computing. The method for edge computing in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device and a first computing device, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the method for edge computing includes: the first access network device determines first identification information and first processing information, the first processing information is local processing information for local processing of data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device; the first access network device sends a first message to the first computing device, the first message carries the first identification, first identification information and the first processing information of the first terminal device, the first identification is used for the first access network device and the first computing device to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the first message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an edge computing method and device for more flexibly enabling multi-access edge computing (MEC) functions. Background Art

[0002] MEC can use wireless access networks to provide telecom users with the services and cloud computing functions they need nearby, thereby creating a telecom-grade service environment with high performance, low latency and high bandwidth, accelerating the rapid download of various content, services and applications in the network, and allowing consumers to enjoy an uninterrupted high-quality network experience.

[0003] Currently, the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) is discussing how the core network can support MEC. For example, the edge application server (EAS) is deployed as part of the data network (DN) and connected to the user plane function (UPF) in the core network. The specific process of enabling MEC through the application layer architecture is as follows: the user equipment (UE) contains the application client (AC) and the edge enabler client (EEC). The edge data network (EDN) contains the edge application server (EAS) and the edge enabler server (EES), in addition to the edge configuration server (ECS). Among them, ECS enables the EEC on the UE side to find the EES in the EDN network, and EES enables the application AC on the UE side to find the EAS in the EDN.

[0004] The MEC architecture currently being discussed by 3GPP requires EAS to be part of the DN; then, the DN is connected to the UPF of the core network through an interface, and a relatively complex application layer architecture is also required to enable MEC. It can be seen that the above MEC architecture is highly coupled with the core network and application layer architecture, resulting in the inability to flexibly enable MEC functions. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide an edge computing method and apparatus for improving the flexibility of enabling MEC functions.

[0006] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, and a first computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the method includes:

[0007] The first access network device determines first identification information and first processing information, and the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device; then, the first access network device sends a first message to the first computing device, and the first message carries the first identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device. The first identification is used by the first access network device and the first computing device to identify the first terminal device, and the first message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0008] In this embodiment, the first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information of the first terminal device, and then the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, thereby enabling the MEC function of the first computing device. Compared with the existing method of enabling the MEC function through the application layer architecture, the solution of enabling the MEC function of the first computing device through the first access network device in this application is simpler and more flexible, and the MEC deployment is closer to the access network, reducing signaling delay.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: the protocol data unit (PDU), data radio bearer (DRB) and quality of service (QoS) flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type, processing algorithm, traffic model, data packet size, and processing time requirement of the local processing request of the first terminal device.

[0010] In this possible implementation, the specific content of the first identification information and the first processing information is provided, and the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device at multiple granularities. For example, PDU session granularity (i.e., the first access network device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data of the PDU session of the first terminal device), DRB granularity (i.e., the first access network device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data of the DRB of the first terminal device), etc. That is, the first access network device requests multiple granularities of local processing for the first terminal device, which improves the diversity and practicality of the solution.

[0011] In another possible implementation, the method also includes: the first message also carries first address information of a first tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, and the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the first computing device; the first access network device receives a second message from the first computing device, and the second message carries second address information of the first tunnel corresponding to the first computing device.

[0012] In this possible implementation, a method is provided in which a first access network device enables a first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to first identification information of a first terminal device, that is, a first tunnel is established between the first access network device and the first computing device for transmitting data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device. The transmission of data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device is achieved by establishing a user plane tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device, so that the first computing device can locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0013] In another possible implementation, the method also includes: the first access network device sends a third message of the first terminal device to an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, and the third message is used by the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device; then, the first access network device receives a fourth message from the AMF network element, and the fourth message carries first indication information; wherein the first indication information carries a second identifier of the first terminal device, a PDU session identifier and the second processing information, and the second identifier is used by the first access network device and the AMF network element to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the second processing information is local processing information used to perform local processing on data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device; or, the first indication information carries the second identifier of the first terminal device , QoS flow identifier and third processing information, the third processing information is local processing information used to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; then, the first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information including: the first access network device determines the PDU session identifier and the second processing information according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the PDU session identifier corresponds to the first identification information, and the second processing information corresponds to the first processing information; or, the first access network device determines the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the QoS flow identifier corresponds to the first identification information, and the third processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

[0014] According to the implementation, the AMF network element can determine the local processing for the first terminal device during the PDU session application process of the first terminal device, and send the local processing of the first terminal device to the first access network device, so that the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide the first terminal device with the local processing service of the first terminal device. That is, a negotiation mechanism is provided for the first terminal device to request the core network device to negotiate the local processing matters for the first terminal device with the first access network device.

[0015] In another possible implementation, the third message carries a local processing request for the first terminal device, and the local processing request carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information. The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the local processing request is used to request local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device.

[0016] In this possible implementation, during the PDU session application process, the first terminal device sends a local processing request for the first terminal device to the AMF network element, so that the AMF network element and the first access network device negotiate local processing matters for the first terminal device.

[0017] In another possible implementation, the method also includes: the first access network device receives a fifth message from the first terminal device, the fifth message carries a third identifier, first identifier information and first processing information of the first terminal device, the third identifier is used by the first access network device and the first terminal device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the fifth message is used by the first terminal device to request the first access network device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device; the first access network device determines the first identifier information and the first processing information of the first terminal device, including: the first access network device obtains the first identifier information and the first processing information from the fifth message.

[0018] In this possible implementation, the first terminal device negotiates with the first access network device about the local processing of the first terminal device, and the first access network device is responsible for notifying the first computing device about which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally. For example, the first access network device is responsible for notifying the MEC controller of the first computing device about which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally. That is, another negotiation mechanism is provided for the first terminal device and the first access network device to negotiate about the local processing of the first terminal device.

[0019] In another possible implementation, the method also includes: the first access network device sends a second indication message to the AMF network element, the second indication message carries a fourth identifier and first identification information of the first terminal device, the second indication message is used to instruct the first computing device to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, and the fourth identifier is used by the first access network device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively.

[0020] In this possible implementation, the first access network device reports the second indication information to the AMF network element to inform the AMF network element which data of the first terminal device the first computing device performs local processing on, so that the AMF network element can notify other core network devices of the locally processed billing-related information.

[0021] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the first access network device receives first computing capability information of the first computing device.

[0022] In another possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the first access network device sends first computing capability information to the first terminal device.

[0023] In this possible implementation, the first terminal device may first determine the first computing capability information, and then determine the local processing request of the first terminal device in combination with the first computing capability information to avoid the subsequent first access network device requesting the first computing device to provide a local processing service that is not supported by the first computing device.

[0024] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: before the first access network device sends the first computing capability information to the first terminal device, the method further includes: the first access network device receives a seventh message from the first terminal device, the seventh message being used to request to query the computing capability information of the first computing device. In this possible implementation, the first terminal device may actively request the computing capability information of the first computing device from the first access network device.

[0025] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the first computing device, computing processing type, algorithm, microservice identifier, and average processing delay supported by the first computing device. In this possible implementation, the specific content of the first computing capability information is provided, so that the AMF network element or the first access network device can determine the local processing of the first terminal device based on the first computing capability information, avoiding requesting the first computing device for a local processing service that the first computing device does not support.

[0026] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the first access network device sends first computing capability information of the first computing device to the AMF network element. In this possible implementation, the AMF network element obtains the first computing capability information, so that the AMF network element can further determine the local processing of the first terminal device in combination with the first computing capability information.

[0027] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the first access network device receives a sixth message from the first computing device, where the sixth message is used to indicate confirmation of the first identifier, the first identifier information, and the first processing information by the first computing device.

[0028] In this possible implementation, another method is provided in which the first access network device enables the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, that is, a control plane connection is established between the first access network device and the first computing device. The control plane connection is used to transmit the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device, so that the first computing device can locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0029] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, and a first computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the method includes:

[0030] The first computing device receives a first message sent by a first access network device, the first message carrying a first identifier, first identification information and first processing information of a first terminal device, the first identifier being used by the first access network device and the first computing device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the first processing information being local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device; then, the first computing device determines to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device based on the first identifier and the first processing information.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first computing device receives the first message sent by the first access network device; then, the first computing device determines to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device according to the first identification and first processing information carried in the first message, thereby realizing the provision of MEC function for the first terminal device. Compared with the existing method of enabling MEC function through application layer architecture, the solution of enabling MEC function of the first computing device through the first access network device in this application is simpler and more flexible, and MEC deployment is closer to the access network, reducing signaling delay.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, and a QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: a processing type requested by the first terminal device, a processing algorithm requested by the first terminal device, a traffic model, a data packet size, and a processing time requirement.

[0033] In this possible implementation, the specific content of the first identification information and the first processing information is provided, and the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device at multiple granularities. For example, PDU session granularity (i.e., the first access network device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data of the PDU session of the first terminal device), DRB granularity (i.e., the first access network device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data of the DRB of the first terminal device), etc. That is, the first access network device requests multiple granularities of local processing for the first terminal device, which improves the diversity and practicality of the solution.

[0034] In another possible implementation, the method also includes: the first message also sends the first address information of the first tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, and the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the first computing device; then, the first computing device sends a second message to the first access network device, and the second message carries the second address information of the first computer device corresponding to the first tunnel.

[0035] In this possible implementation, a method is provided in which a first access network device enables a first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to first identification information of a first terminal device, that is, a first tunnel is established between the first access network device and the first computing device for transmitting data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device. The transmission of data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device is achieved by establishing a user plane tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device, so that the first computing device can locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0036] In another possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the first computing device sending first computing capability information of the first computing device to the first access network device.

[0037] In this possible implementation, the first computing device may provide the first computing capability information of the first computing device to the first access network device to avoid the first access network device requesting the first computing device for a local processing service that is not supported by the first computing device.

[0038] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the first computing device, computing processing types, algorithms, microservice identifiers, and average processing delays supported by the first computing device.

[0039] In this possible implementation, the specific content of the first computing capability information is provided, so that the AMF network element or the first access network device can determine the local processing of the first terminal device based on the first computing capability information, avoiding requesting the first computing device for local processing services that are not supported by the first computing device.

[0040] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the first computing device sends a sixth message to the first access network device, where the sixth message is used to indicate confirmation of the first identifier, the first identifier information, and the first processing information by the first computing device.

[0041] In this possible implementation, another method is provided in which the first access network device enables the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, that is, a control plane connection is established between the first access network device and the first computing device. The control plane connection is used to transmit the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device, so that the first computing device can locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0042] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, an AMF network element, and a first computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the method includes:

[0043] The first terminal device sends a third message to the AMF network element through the first access network device. The third message is used to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device. The third message carries a local processing request for the first terminal device. The local processing request is used to request local processing services for data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device. The local processing request carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device and second processing information. The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively. The second processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device.

[0044] In this implementation, the first terminal device sends a local processing request of the first terminal device to the AMF network element during the PDU session application process. The AMF network element determines the local processing of the first terminal device according to the local processing request, and sends the local processing of the first terminal device to the first access network device, so that the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide the first terminal device with the local processing service of the first terminal device. That is, a negotiation mechanism is provided for the first terminal device to request the core network device to negotiate with the first access network device on local processing matters for the first terminal device.

[0045] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the first terminal device receives first computing capability information of the first computing device sent by the first access network device.

[0046] In this possible implementation, the first access network device may provide the first terminal device with the first computing capability information of the first computing device to avoid the first terminal device requesting the first access network device for a local processing service that is not supported by the first computing device.

[0047] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the first computing device, computing processing types, algorithms, microservice identifiers, and average processing delays supported by the first computing device.

[0048] In this possible implementation, specific content of the first computing capability information is provided, so that the first terminal device can determine the local processing of the first terminal device based on the first computing capability information, avoiding requesting the first computing device for local processing services that the first computing device does not support.

[0049] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, and a first computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the method includes:

[0050] The first terminal device sends a fifth message to the first access network device, and the fifth message carries the third identifier of the first terminal device, the first identifier information and the first processing information, the third identifier is used by the first terminal device and the first access network device to respectively identify the first terminal device, the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device, and the fifth message is used by the first terminal device to request the first access network device to provide local processing service for the data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device.

[0051] In this possible implementation, the first terminal device negotiates with the first access network device about the local processing of the first terminal device, and the first access network device is responsible for notifying the first computing device about which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally. For example, the first access network device is responsible for notifying the MEC controller of the first computing device about which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally. That is, another negotiation mechanism is provided for the first terminal device and the first access network device to negotiate about the local processing of the first terminal device.

[0052] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the first terminal device receives an eighth message sent by the first access network device, where the eighth message is used to indicate that the first access network device also confirms the fifth message.

[0053] A fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, an AMF network element, and a first computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the method includes:

[0054] The AMF network element receives a third message sent by the first terminal device through the first access network device, and the third message is used by the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device; then, the AMF network element determines the first indication information according to the third message; wherein, the first indication information carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier of the PDU session and the second processing information, and the fourth identifier is used by the first access network device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the second processing information is the local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device; or, the first indication information carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the QoS flow identifier of the PDU session and the third processing information, and the third processing information is the local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; the AMF network element sends a fourth message to the first access network device, and the fourth message carries the first indication information.

[0055] In this embodiment, the AMF network element can determine the local processing for the first terminal device during the PDU session application process of the first terminal device, and send the local processing of the first terminal device to the first access network device, so that the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide the first terminal device with the local processing service of the first terminal device. That is, a negotiation mechanism is provided for the core network device and the first access network device to negotiate local processing matters for the first terminal device.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the third message carries a local processing request of the first terminal device, and the local processing request carries a second identifier of the first terminal device, a PDU session identifier and second processing information, and the second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to respectively identify the first terminal device; the AMF network element determines the first indication information based on the third message, including: the AMF network element determines the first indication information based on the local processing request.

[0057] In this implementation, the first terminal device sends a local processing request of the first terminal device to the AMF network element during the PDU session application process. The AMF network element determines the local processing of the first terminal device according to the local processing request, and sends the local processing of the first terminal device to the first access network device, so that the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide the first terminal device with the local processing service of the first terminal device. That is, a negotiation mechanism is provided for the first terminal device to request the core network device to negotiate with the first access network device on local processing matters for the first terminal device.

[0058] In another possible implementation, the third message carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, and the second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to respectively identify the first terminal device; the AMF network element determines the first indication information based on the third message, including: the AMF network element determines at least one item of the user contract information, routing information, and service policy information of the first terminal device based on the second identifier; then, the AMF network element generates the first indication information based on at least one item of the user contract information, routing information, and service policy information and the first computing capability information of the first computing device.

[0059] In this possible implementation method, a specific method for an AMF network element to generate first indication information is provided, which improves the feasibility of the solution in practical applications.

[0060] In another possible implementation, the third message carries the first data network name (data network name, DNN) that the first terminal device requests to access; the AMF network element determines the first indication information based on the third message, including: the AMF network element generates the first indication information based on the first computing capability information of the first computing device associated with the first DNN.

[0061] In this possible implementation method, another specific method for the AMF network element to generate the first indication information is provided, which improves the diversity of the solutions in practical applications.

[0062] In another possible implementation, the method also includes: the AMF network element receives the first computing capability information of the first computing device sent by the first access network device.

[0063] In this possible implementation, the AMF network element obtains the first computing capability information, so that the AMF network element can generate first indication information in combination with the first computing capability information to avoid the first indication information containing local processing information that is not supported by the first computing device.

[0064] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the first computing device, a computing processing type, algorithm, microservice identifier, and average processing delay supported by the first computing device.

[0065] In this possible implementation, the specific content of the first computing capability information is provided, so that the AMF network element can determine the local processing of the first terminal device based on the first computing capability information, avoiding requesting the first computing device for local processing services that are not supported by the first computing device.

[0066] A sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, a second access network device, a first computing device, and a second computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device; the method includes:

[0067] The first access network device sends a first switching request message to the second access network device; wherein the first switching request message carries the sixth identifier, first identifier information and first processing information of the first terminal device, the sixth identifier is used by the first access network device and the second access network device to respectively identify the first terminal device, the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device, the second access network device is the target access network device to which the first terminal device switches, and the first access network device is the source access network device to which the first terminal device accesses before the first terminal device switches to the second access network device; then, the first access network device receives a first switching response message sent by the second access network device, the first switching response message carries a confirmation indication, and the confirmation indication is used to indicate the second access network device's confirmation of the sixth identifier, the first identifier information and the first processing information.

[0068] In this embodiment, the first access network device sends a first switching request message to the second access network device, and the first switching request message carries the sixth identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device. Then, the first access network device receives a first switching response message sent by the second access network device. The first switching response message carries a confirmation indication of the first identification information and the first processing information. In this way, the second access network device can request the second computing device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device, thereby realizing the switching scenario of the first terminal device and the situation where the anchor point providing local processing services for the first terminal device changes, and the second access network device enables the changed anchor point to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0069] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: the PDU session identifier, DRB identifier and QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type requested by the first terminal device, the processing algorithm requested by the first terminal device, the traffic model, the data packet size, the processing time requirement, etc.

[0070] In this possible implementation, specific contents of the first identification information and the first processing information are provided, and the second access network device has multiple granularities for requesting the first computing device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device, thereby improving the diversity and practicality of the solution.

[0071] A seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, a second access network device, a first computing device, and a second computing device; the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device; the method includes:

[0072] The second access network device receives a first switching request message sent by the first access network device; wherein the first switching request message carries a sixth identifier, first identifier information and first processing information of the first terminal device, the sixth identifier is used by the first access network device and the second access network device to respectively identify the first terminal device, the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device, the second access network device is a target access network device to which the first terminal device switches, and the first access network device is a source access network device to which the first terminal device accesses before the first terminal device switches to the second access network device; the second access network device performs access control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the first switching request message; when the second access network device allows access to the PDU session of the first terminal device, the second access network device determines, according to the first local processing information, that the second access network device provides local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identifier information; the second access network device sends a first switching response message to the first access network device, the first switching response message carries a confirmation indication, and the confirmation indication is used to indicate the second access network device's confirmation of the sixth identifier, the first identifier information and the first local processing information.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first access network device sends a first switching request message to the second access network device, and the first switching request message carries the sixth identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device. Then, the second access network device performs access control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the first switching request message; when access is allowed, the second access network device determines to accept the local processing request of the first terminal device according to the first identification information and the first processing information, and sends a first switching response message to the first access network device. The first switching response message carries a confirmation indication of the first identification information and the first processing information. In this way, the second access network device requests the second computing device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device, thereby realizing the switching scenario of the first terminal device and the situation where the anchor point providing local processing services for the first terminal device changes, and the second access network device enables the changed anchor point to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: the PDU session identifier, DRB identifier and QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type requested by the first terminal device, the processing algorithm requested by the first terminal device, the traffic model, the data packet size, and the processing time requirement.

[0075] In this possible implementation, specific contents of the first identification information and the first processing information are provided, and the second access network device has multiple granularities for requesting the first computing device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device, thereby improving the diversity and practicality of the solution.

[0076] In another possible implementation, before the second access network device sends the first switching response message to the first access network device, the method also includes: the second access network device sends a first request to the second computing device, the first request carrying the seventh identifier of the first terminal device, first identifier information, first processing information and fifth address information of the second access network device in the third tunnel, the seventh identifier being used by the second access network device and the second computing device to respectively identify the first terminal device; the second access network device receives the sixth address information of the second computing device corresponding to the third tunnel sent by the first computing device.

[0077] In this possible implementation, the second access network device can request the second computing device to provide services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, and establish a third tunnel between the second access network device and the second computing device to facilitate the second computing device to locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information.

[0078] In another possible implementation, the first identification information includes second identification information, the first processing information includes fourth processing information corresponding to the second identification information, and the fourth processing information is local processing information for locally processing data corresponding to the second identification information of the first terminal device; the method further includes:

[0079] If the second computing device does not support the local processing function corresponding to the fourth processing information, the second access network device sends a second request to the AMF network element, and the second request is used to request the AMF network element to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the second identification information of the first terminal device. The second request carries the eighth identification of the first terminal device, the second identification information and the fourth processing information. The eighth identification is used by the second access network device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively.

[0080] In this possible implementation, if the second computing device does not support part of the local processing functions requested by the first terminal device, the second access network device may request the core network to provide the first terminal device with the part of the local processing functions.

[0081] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the second access network device sends second computing capability information of the second computing device to the first access network device. In this possible implementation, the second access network device informs the first access network device of the second computing capability information, so that the first access network device can determine the local processing of the first terminal device in combination with the second computing capability information, and request the second access network device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0082] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the second access network device receiving the first computing capability information of the first computing device sent by the first access network device.

[0083] An eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, a second access network device, a first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device; the method includes: the first access network device sends a second switching request message to the second access network device; wherein the second switching request message carries a sixth identifier of the first terminal device, first identifier information, third indication information and third address information of a fourth tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, the sixth identifier is used by the first access network device and the second access network device to identify the first terminal device respectively, the sixth indication information is used to indicate that a local processing service for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device is provided by the first computing device, and the fourth tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identifier information between the first access network device and the second access network device; then, the first access network device receives a second switching response message sent by the second access network device, and the second switching response message carries fourth address information of the fourth tunnel corresponding to the second access network device.

[0084] In this possible implementation, the first access network device sends a second handover request message to the second access network device, the second handover request message carries the sixth identification of the first terminal device, the first identification information, the sixth indication information and the eighth address information of the first access network device in the fourth tunnel; then, the first access network device receives a second handover response message sent by the second access network device, the second handover response message carries the seventh address information of the second access network device in the fourth tunnel. In this way, the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device is transmitted between the first access network device and the second access network device through the fourth tunnel, so that the first computing device connected to the first access network device can continue to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0085] In a possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, and a QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device.

[0086] A ninth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, a second access network device, a first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device; the method includes: the second access network device receives a second switching request message sent by the first access network device; wherein the second switching request message carries a sixth identification of the first terminal device, first identification information, sixth indication information and eighth address information of a fourth tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, the sixth indication information is used to indicate that a local processing service for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device is provided by the first computing device, and the fourth tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the second access network device; then, the second access network device performs access control on a PDU session of the first terminal device according to the second switching request message; when the second access network device allows access to the PDU session of the first terminal device, the second access network device sends a second switching response message to the first access network device, and the second switching response message carries the seventh address information of the second access network device corresponding to the fourth tunnel.

[0087] In this embodiment, the second access network device receives the second switching request message sent by the first access network device; wherein the second switching request message carries the sixth identification of the first terminal device, the first identification information, the sixth indication information and the eighth address information of the first access network device corresponding to the fourth tunnel, and then the second access network device performs admission control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the second switching request message; the second access network device sends a second switching response message to the first access network device, and the second switching response message carries the seventh address information of the second access network device in the fourth tunnel. In this way, the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device is transmitted between the first access network device and the second access network device through the fourth tunnel, so that the first computing device connected to the first access network device can continue to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0088] In a possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, and a QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device.

[0089] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, the communication device, and a first computing device, and the communication device is connected to the first computing device; the communication device includes:

[0090] a processing unit, configured to determine first identification information and first processing information, wherein the first processing information is local processing information for locally processing data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device;

[0091] A transceiver unit is used to send a first message to a first computing device, the first message carrying a first identifier, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device, the first identifier is used by the communication device and the first computing device to identify the first terminal device, and the first message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0092] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: the protocol data unit (PDU), data radio bearer (DRB) and quality of service (QoS) flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type, processing algorithm, traffic model, data packet size, and processing time requirement of the local processing request of the first terminal device.

[0093] In another possible implementation, the first message further carries first address information of a first tunnel corresponding to the communication device, where the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the communication device and the first computing device; and the transceiver unit is further used to:

[0094] A second message is received from the first computing device, where the second message carries second address information of the first computing device corresponding to the first tunnel.

[0095] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0096] Send a third message of the first terminal device to the AMF network element, where the third message is used by the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session with the first terminal device;

[0097] receiving a fourth message from the AMF network element, where the fourth message carries the first indication information;

[0098] The first indication information carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information, the second identifier is used by the communication device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the second processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device; or, the first indication information carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information, and the third processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device;

[0099] The processing unit is specifically used for:

[0100] Determine the PDU session identifier and the second processing information according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the PDU session identifier corresponds to the first identifier information, and the second processing information corresponds to the first processing information; or,

[0101] The QoS flow identifier and the third processing information are determined according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the QoS flow identifier corresponds to the first identifier information, and the third processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

[0102] In another possible implementation, the third message carries a local processing request for the first terminal device, and the local processing request carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information. The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the local processing request is used to request local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device.

[0103] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0104] receiving a fifth message from the first terminal device, the fifth message carrying a third identifier of the first terminal device, first identifier information, and first processing information, the third identifier being used by the communication device and the first terminal device to identify the first terminal device, respectively, and the fifth message being used by the first terminal device to request the communication device to provide a local processing service for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device;

[0105] The processing unit is specifically used for:

[0106] The first identification information and the first processing information are acquired from the fifth message.

[0107] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0108] A second indication message is sent to the AMF network element, where the second indication message carries the fourth identification and first identification information of the first terminal device, where the second indication message is used to instruct the first computing device to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, and the fourth identification is used by the communication device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively.

[0109] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0110] First computing capability information of a first computing device is received.

[0111] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0112] The first computing capability information is sent to the first terminal device.

[0113] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0114] A seventh message is received from the first terminal device, where the seventh message is used to request to query computing capability information of the first computing device.

[0115] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the first computing device, computing processing types, algorithms, microservice identifiers, and average processing delays supported by the first computing device.

[0116] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0117] Send the first computing capability information of the first computing device to the AMF network element.

[0118] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0119] A sixth message is received from the first computing device, where the sixth message is used to indicate confirmation of the first identifier, the first identification information, and the first processing information by the first computing device.

[0120] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, and the communication device, and the first access network device is connected to the communication device; the communication device includes:

[0121] a transceiver unit, configured to receive a first message sent by a first access network device, the first message carrying a first identifier, first identification information, and first processing information of a first terminal device, the first identifier being used by the first access network device and the communication device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the first processing information being local processing information for locally processing data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device;

[0122] A processing unit is used to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device determined according to the first identification and the first processing information.

[0123] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, and a QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: a processing type requested by the first terminal device, a processing algorithm requested by the first terminal device, a traffic model, a data packet size, and a processing time requirement.

[0124] In another possible implementation manner, the first message also sends first address information of a first tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, where the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the communication device; and the transceiver unit is further used to:

[0125] A second message is sent to the first access network device, where the second message carries second address information of the first computer device corresponding to the first tunnel.

[0126] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0127] The first computing capability information of the communication device is sent to the first access network equipment.

[0128] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the communication device, a computing processing type, algorithm, microservice identifier, and average processing delay supported by the communication device.

[0129] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0130] A sixth message is sent to the first access network device, where the sixth message is used to indicate confirmation of the first identifier, the first identifier information, and the first processing information by the communication apparatus.

[0131] A twelfth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, the communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a communication device, a first access network device and a first computing device, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the communication device includes:

[0132] A transceiver unit is used to send a third message to an AMF network element through a first access network device, wherein the third message is used to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the communication device, and the third message carries a local processing request for the communication device, and the local processing request is used to request local processing services for data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the communication device. The local processing request carries a second identifier of the communication device, the PDU session identifier of the communication device, and second processing information. The second identifier is used by the communication device and the AMF network element to identify the communication device respectively, and the second processing information is local processing information used to perform local processing on data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the communication device.

[0133] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0134] Receive first computing capability information of a first computing device sent by a first access network device.

[0135] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the first computing device, computing processing types, algorithms, microservice identifiers, and average processing delays supported by the first computing device.

[0136] A thirteenth aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a communication device, the communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a communication device, a first access network device and a first computing device, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the communication device includes:

[0137] A transceiver unit is used to send a fifth message to a first access network device, the fifth message carrying a third identifier, first identifier information and first processing information of a communication device, the third identifier is used by the communication device and the first access network device to respectively identify the communication device, the first processing information is local processing information used to perform local processing on data corresponding to the first identifier information of the communication device, and the fifth message is used by the communication device to request the first access network device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the communication device.

[0138] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0139] An eighth message sent by the first access network device is received, where the eighth message is used to indicate that the first access network device also confirms the fifth message.

[0140] A fourteenth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, the communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, the communication device and a first computing device, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the communication device includes:

[0141] A transceiver unit, configured to receive, through the first access network device, a third message sent by the first terminal device, the third message being used by the first terminal device to request the communication apparatus to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device;

[0142] A processing unit, used to determine first indication information according to a third message; wherein the first indication information carries a fourth identifier of the first terminal device, a PDU session identifier of the PDU session, and second processing information, the fourth identifier is used by the first access network device and the communication device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the second processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device; or, the first indication information carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the QoS flow identifier of the PDU session, and third processing information, and the third processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device;

[0143] The transceiver unit is further used to send a fourth message to the first access network device, where the fourth message carries the first indication information.

[0144] In a possible implementation, the third message carries a local processing request of the first terminal device, the local processing request carries a second identifier of the first terminal device, a PDU session identifier, and second processing information, the second identifier is used for the first terminal device and the communication device to respectively identify the first terminal device; the processing unit is specifically used to:

[0145] First indication information is determined according to the local processing request.

[0146] In another possible implementation manner, the third message carries a second identifier of the first terminal device, and the second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the communication apparatus to respectively identify the first terminal device; and the processing unit is specifically configured to:

[0147] Determining the first indication information according to the third message includes: the communication device determining at least one of user subscription information, routing information, and service policy information of the first terminal device according to the second identifier;

[0148] The first indication information is generated according to at least one of the user subscription information, the routing information and the service policy information and the first computing capability information of the first computing device.

[0149] In another possible implementation, the third message carries the DNN that the first terminal device requests to access; and the processing unit is specifically configured to:

[0150] Generate first indication information according to first computing capability information of a first computing device associated with the first DNN.

[0151] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0152] Receive first computing capability information of a first computing device sent by a first access network device.

[0153] In another possible implementation, the first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information: current load information of the first computing device, a computing processing type, algorithm, microservice identifier, and average processing delay supported by the first computing device.

[0154] A fifteenth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, the communication device, a second access network device, a first computing device, and a second computing device, wherein the communication device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device; the communication device includes:

[0155] A transceiver unit, used for sending a first switching request message to the second access network device; wherein the first switching request message carries a sixth identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device, the sixth identification is used by the communication device and the second access network device to respectively identify the first terminal device, the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, the second access network device is the target access network device to which the first terminal device switches, and the communication device is the source access network device to which the first terminal device accesses before the first terminal device switches to the second access network device; receiving a first switching response message sent by the second access network device, the first switching response message carrying a confirmation indication, the confirmation indication being used to indicate the second access network device's confirmation of the sixth identification, the first identification information and the first processing information.

[0156] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: the PDU session identifier, DRB identifier and QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type requested by the first terminal device, the processing algorithm requested by the first terminal device, the traffic model, the data packet size, the processing time requirement, etc.

[0157] A sixteenth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, the communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, the communication device, a first computing device, and a second computing device; the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the communication device is connected to the second computing device; the communication device includes:

[0158] A transceiver unit, configured to receive a first switching request message sent by a first access network device; wherein the first switching request message carries a sixth identifier, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device, the sixth identifier is used by the first access network device and the communication device to respectively identify the first terminal device, the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, the communication device is a target access network device to which the first terminal device switches, and the first access network device is a source access network device to which the first terminal device accesses before the first terminal device switches to the communication device;

[0159] a processing unit, configured to perform admission control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the first switching request message; when the communication device allows access to the PDU session of the first terminal device, determine, according to the first local processing information, that the communication device provides a local processing service for the data corresponding to the first identification information;

[0160] The transceiver unit is used to send a first switching response message to the first access network device, and the first switching response message carries a confirmation indication, which is used to indicate the communication device's confirmation of the sixth identifier, the first identifier information and the first local processing information.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: the PDU session identifier, DRB identifier and QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; the first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type requested by the first terminal device, the processing algorithm requested by the first terminal device, the traffic model, the data packet size, and the processing time requirement.

[0162] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0163] A first request is sent to a second computing device, where the first request is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, where the first request carries the seventh identification of the first terminal device, the first identification information, the first processing information and the fifth address information of the communication device in the third tunnel, where the seventh identification is used by the communication device and the second computing device to respectively identify the first terminal device; and sixth address information of the second computing device corresponding to the third tunnel sent by the first computing device is received.

[0164] In another possible implementation, the first identification information includes second identification information, the first processing information includes fourth processing information corresponding to the second identification information, and the fourth processing information is local processing information for locally processing data corresponding to the second identification information of the first terminal device; the transceiver unit is further used to:

[0165] If the second computing device does not support the local processing function corresponding to the fourth processing information, a second request is sent to the AMF network element. The second request is used to request the AMF network element to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the second identification information of the first terminal device. The second request carries the eighth identification of the first terminal device, the second identification information and the fourth processing information. The eighth identification is used by the communication device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively.

[0166] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0167] The second computing capability information of the second computing device is sent to the first access network device.

[0168] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used for:

[0169] Receive first computing capability information of a first computing device sent by a first access network device.

[0170] A seventeenth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first terminal device, the communication device, a second access network device, a first computing device, and a second computing device, wherein the communication device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device; the communication device includes:

[0171] A transceiver unit, used for sending a second switching request message to a second access network device; wherein the second switching request message carries a sixth identification of the first terminal device, first identification information, third indication information and third address information of a fourth tunnel corresponding to the communication device, the sixth identification is used by the communication device and the second access network device to identify the first terminal device respectively, the sixth indication information is used to indicate that the local processing service of the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device is provided by the first computing device, and the fourth tunnel is used to transmit the data corresponding to the first identification information between the communication device and the second access network device; receiving a second switching response message sent by the second access network device, the second switching response message carrying the fourth address information of the fourth tunnel corresponding to the second access network device.

[0172] In a possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, and a QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device.

[0173] An eighteenth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, the communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device, the communication device, a first computing device, and a second computing device, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the communication device is connected to the second computing device; the communication device includes:

[0174] a transceiver unit, configured to receive a second switching request message sent by a first access network device; wherein the second switching request message carries a sixth identification of the first terminal device, first identification information, sixth indication information, and eighth address information of a fourth tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, the sixth indication information being used to indicate that a local processing service for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device is provided by the first computing device, and the fourth tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the communication device;

[0175] A processing unit, configured to perform admission control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the second switching request message;

[0176] The transceiver unit is used to send a second switching response message to the first access network device when the communication device allows the PDU session access of the first terminal device, and the second switching response message carries the seventh address information of the communication device corresponding to the fourth tunnel.

[0177] In a possible implementation, the first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, and a QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device.

[0178] A nineteenth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes: a processor, a memory and a transceiver; the processor is used for the transceiver to send and receive signals; a computer program is stored in the memory; the processor is also used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the above-mentioned first to ninth aspects or any possible implementation method of the first to ninth aspects.

[0179] The twentieth aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the implementation method of any one of the above-mentioned first to ninth aspects or the first to ninth aspects.

[0180] A twenty-first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the above-mentioned first to ninth aspects or any possible implementation method of the first to ninth aspects.

[0181] A twenty-second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a chip device, including a processor, which is used to connect to a memory and call a program stored in the memory so that the processor executes any possible implementation of the above-mentioned first to ninth aspects or the first to ninth aspects.

[0182] A twenty-third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, the communication system comprising the communication device of the tenth aspect, the communication device of the eleventh aspect, and the communication device of the twelfth aspect; or,

[0183] The communication system includes the communication device of the tenth aspect, the communication device of the eleventh aspect, and the communication device of the third aspect.

[0184] Optionally, the communication system also includes a communication device as described in aspect 14.

[0185] A twenty-fourth aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, the communication system comprising the communication device of the fifteenth aspect and the communication device of the sixteenth aspect; or,

[0186] The communication system includes the communication device according to the seventeenth aspect and the communication device according to the eighteenth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0187] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0188] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of a connection relationship between an access network device and a computing device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0189] Figure 1C This is another schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the access network device and the computing device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0190] Figure 1D A schematic diagram of the structure of an access network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0191] Figure 1E A schematic diagram of a connection relationship between a first access network device and a first terminal device in an embodiment of the present application;

[0192] Figure 1F A schematic diagram of a connection relationship between a first terminal device, a first access network device and a first MEC module in an embodiment of the present application;

[0193] Figure 2A A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0194] Figure 2B A schematic diagram of a scenario of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0195] Figure 2C Another schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0196] Figure 2D Another schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0197] Figure 2E Another schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0198] Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0199] Figure 4 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0200] Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0201] Fig. 6A This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0202] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of an MEC protocol stack architecture in which a first access network device controls a first MEC module in an embodiment of the present application;

[0203] Figure 6C This is another schematic diagram of the MEC protocol stack architecture in which the first access network device controls the first MEC module in an embodiment of the present application;

[0204] Figure 7This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0205] Figure 8 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0206] Fig. 9 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0207] Fig.10 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0208] Fig.11A Another schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0209] Fig. 11B Another schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0210] Fig. 11C This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0211] Fig.12 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0212] Fig.13 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0213] Fig.14 This is another schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application;

[0214] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0215] Fig.16 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0216] Fig.17 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0217] Fig.18 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0218] Fig.19 This is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0219] Fig. 20 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0220] Fig.21 This is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0221] Fig. 22 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0222] Fig.23 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0223] Fig.24 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0224] Fig.25 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0225] Fig.26 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first terminal device in the embodiment of the present application;

[0226] Fig. 27 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0227] Fig.28 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0228] Fig.29 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0229] Fig.30 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0230] Fig.31 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0231] Fig.32 A schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0232] Fig.33 Another schematic diagram of the communication system according to the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0233] The embodiments of the present application provide an edge computing method and device for flexibly enabling MEC functions.

[0234] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0235] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification, claims and drawings of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device including a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0236] The "embodiment" mentioned in this article means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It can be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0237] In the present application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "more than one" means two or more, "at least two (items)" means two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0238] The concept of mobile edge computing first appeared in 2013 on a computing platform jointly launched by IBM and Nokia Siemens Networks. In 2014, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) established the ETSI Mobile Edge Computing Industry Specification Group and began to promote related standard work. In 2016, ETSI expanded the concept of mobile edge computing to multi-access edge computing (MEC), and proposed to extend edge computing capabilities from telecommunications cellular networks to other access networks, such as WiFi networks. Therefore, the following text introduces the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application as multi-access edge computing (MEC for short). It should be understood that with the evolution of future networks or future communication systems, the name of multi-access edge computing may change, and the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to edge computing scenarios of future networks or future evolved communication systems.

[0239] The following is an introduction to the communication system used in the embodiments of the present application.

[0240] The technical solution provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems. In a communication system, the part operated by the operator can be called a public land mobile network (PLMN) (also referred to as an operator network, etc.). PLMN is a network established and operated by the government or an operator approved by it for the purpose of providing land mobile communication services to the public. It is mainly a public network in which mobile network operators (MNOs) provide mobile broadband access services to users. The PLMN described in this application may specifically be a network that meets the requirements of the third generation partnership project (3GPP) standards, referred to as a 3GPP network. 3GPP networks generally include but are not limited to fifth-generation mobile communication (5th-generation, 5G) networks (referred to as 5G networks), fourth-generation mobile communication (4th-generation, 4G) networks (referred to as 4G networks), etc.

[0241] For the convenience of description, the following takes PLMN as an example. Figure 1AAlternatively, the technical solution provided in the present application can also be applied to long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) communication system or new radio (NR) and other future communication systems such as 6G communication system.

[0242] As mobile broadband access services expand, mobile networks will also develop to better support diverse business models, meet more diverse application services and the needs of more industries. For example, in order to provide better and more complete services to more industries, 5G networks have made adjustments to the network architecture compared to 4G networks. For example, the 5G network splits the mobility management entity (MME) in the 4G network into multiple network functions including access and mobility management function (AMF) and session management function (SMF).

[0243] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system of the embodiment of the present application, which takes the 5G network architecture based on the service-oriented architecture in the non-roaming scenario defined in the 3GPP standardization process as an example. The network architecture may include three parts, namely, the terminal device part, the PLMN and the data network (DN).

[0244] The terminal device part may include a terminal device 110, which may also be referred to as a user equipment (UE). The terminal device 110 in the present application is a device with a wireless transceiver function, which may communicate with one or more core network (CN) devices (or may also be referred to as core devices) via a radio access network device (or may also be referred to as an access device) in a radio access network (RAN) 140.

[0245] The terminal device 110 may also be referred to as an access terminal, a terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a user agent, or a user device, etc. The terminal device 110 may be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; may also be deployed on the water surface (such as a ship, etc.); may also be deployed in the air (such as an airplane, a balloon, and a satellite, etc.).

[0246] Alternatively, the terminal device 110 may also include a limited device, such as a device with low power consumption, a device with limited storage capacity, or a device with limited computing capacity, etc. For example, it includes information sensing devices such as barcodes, radio frequency identification (RFID), sensors, global positioning systems (GPS), laser scanners, etc.

[0247] Alternatively, the terminal device 110 may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. Alternatively, the terminal device 110 may also be a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a drone device, or a terminal in the Internet of Things or the Internet of Vehicles, a terminal of any form in a 5G network and future networks, a relay user device, or a terminal in a future evolved PLMN, etc. Among them, the relay user device may be, for example, a 5G residential gateway (RG). For example, the terminal device 110 may be a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type or category of the terminal device.

[0248] The PLMN may include: a network exposure function (NEF) 131, a network function repository function (NRF) 132, a policy control function (PCF) 133, a unified data management (UDM) 134, an application function (AF) 135, an authentication server function (AUSF) 136, an AMF 137, a session management function (SMF) 138, a user plane function (UPF) 139, a (radio) access network ((R)AN) 140, and a computing device 141. In the above PLMN, the part other than the (radio) access network 140 part and the computing device 141 part may be referred to as a core network (CN) part or a core network part.

[0249] The data network (DN) 120, which may also be referred to as a packet data network (PDN), is usually a network located outside the PLMN, such as a third-party network. Exemplarily, the PLMN can access multiple data networks DN 120, and multiple services can be deployed on the data network DN 120, thereby providing data and / or voice services to the terminal device 110. For example, the data network DN 120 may be a private network of a smart factory, and the sensors installed in the workshop of the smart factory may be the terminal devices 110. The control server of the sensors is deployed in the data network DN 120, and the control server may provide services for the sensors. The sensors may communicate with the control server, obtain instructions from the control server, and transmit the collected sensor data to the control server according to the instructions. For another example, the data network DN 120 may be an internal office network of a company, and the mobile phones or computers of the company's employees may be terminal devices 110, and the employees' mobile phones or computers may access information, data resources, etc. on the company's internal office network. The terminal device 110 may access the information and data resources on the company's internal office network through the interface provided by the PLMN (for example Figure 1AThe terminal device 110 can establish a connection with the PLMN through the N1 interface in the data network DN 120, and use the data and / or voice services provided by the PLMN. The terminal device 110 can also access the data network DN 120 through the PLMN, and use the operator services deployed on the data network DN 120, and / or the services provided by a third party. Among them, the third party can be a service provider other than the PLMN and the terminal device 110, and can provide other data and / or voice services for the terminal device 110. Among them, the specific form of the third party can be determined according to the actual application scenario, and is not limited here.

[0250] By way of example, the network functions in the PLMN are briefly introduced below.

[0251] (R)AN 140 is part of the PLMN network. To access the PLMN, the terminal device 110 first passes through the (R)AN 140, and then connects to the service node in the PLMN through the (R)AN 140. The access network device in the embodiment of the present application is a device that provides wireless communication functions for the terminal device 110, and can also be called an access device, a (R)AN device, or a network device. For example, the access device includes but is not limited to: the next generation node basestation (gNB) in the 5G system, the next generation evolved Node B (ng-eNB) for connecting the 5G core network, the evolved node B (eNB) in the LTE system, the radio network controller (RNC), the node B (NB), the base station controller (BSC), the base transceiver station (BTS), the home evolved node B (or home node B, HNB), the base band unit (BBU), the transmission receiving point (TRP), the transmitting point (TP), the small base station equipment (pico), the mobile switching center, or the network equipment in the future network. It is understandable that the present application does not limit the specific type of wireless access network equipment. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with wireless access network equipment functions may be different.

[0252] The network opening function NEF (also referred to as NEF network function or NEF network function entity) 131 is a control plane function provided by the operator. The network opening function NEF 131 opens the external interface of the PLMN to a third party in a secure manner. When the SMF network function 138 needs to communicate with the network function of a third party, the network opening function NEF 131 can serve as a relay for the communication between the SMF network function 138 and the network entity of the third party. When the network opening function NEF 131 acts as a relay, it can be used as a translator of the identification information of the subscriber, as well as the identification information of the network function of the third party. For example, when the network opening function NEF 131 sends the subscriber's subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI) from the PLMN to a third party, the SUPI can be translated into its corresponding external identity (ID). Conversely, when the network opening function NEF 131 sends an external ID (network entity ID of a third party) to the PLMN, it can be translated into a SUPI.

[0253] The network storage function NRF 132 can be used to maintain real-time information of all network function services in the network.

[0254] The policy control function PCF 133 is a control plane function provided by the operator, and is used to provide the protocol data unit (PDU) session policy to the session management function SMF 138. The policy may include charging-related policy, QoS-related policy, authorization-related policy, and the like.

[0255] Unified data management UDM 134 is a control plane function provided by the operator, which is responsible for storing information such as the subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI), security context, and subscription data of the subscribers in the PLMN. The subscribers of the above-mentioned PLMN may specifically be users who use the services provided by the PLMN, such as users who use the terminal device chip card of China Telecom, or users who use the terminal device chip card of China Mobile, etc. Exemplarily, the SUPI of the subscriber may be the number of the terminal device chip card, etc. The above-mentioned security context may be data (cookie) or token stored on the local terminal device (such as a mobile phone). The subscription data of the above-mentioned subscriber may be the supporting services of the terminal device chip card, such as the traffic package of the mobile phone chip card, etc.

[0256] The application function AF 135 is used to perform application data routing, access network open functions, interact with the policy framework for policy control, etc.

[0257] The authentication server function AUSF 136 is a control plane function provided by the operator, and is usually used for primary authentication, ie, authentication between the terminal device 110 (subscriber) and the PLMN.

[0258] The access and mobility management function AMF 137 is a control plane network function provided by the PLMN, responsible for access control and mobility management of the terminal device 110 accessing the PLMN. For example, it includes functions such as mobile state management, allocation of user temporary identity, authentication and authorization of users, etc.

[0259] The session management function SMF 138 is a control plane network function provided by the PLMN, responsible for managing the protocol data unit (PDU) session of the terminal device 110. The PDU session is a channel for transmitting PDUs, and the terminal device needs to transmit PDUs to and from the DN 120 through the PDU session. The PDU session can be established, maintained, and deleted by the SMF 138. SMF 138 includes session management (such as session establishment, modification, and release, including tunnel maintenance between the UPF 139 and the (R)AN 140, etc.), selection and control of the UPF 139, service and session continuity (SSC) mode selection, roaming and other session-related functions.

[0260] The user plane function UPF 139 is a gateway provided by the operator and is the gateway for the PLMN to communicate with the DN 120. UPF 139 includes user plane related functions such as data packet routing and transmission, packet detection, service usage reporting, quality of service (QoS) processing, legal monitoring, uplink packet detection, downlink packet storage, etc.

[0261] The computing device 141 is connected to the access network (R) AN140 through an interface. For the convenience of description, the interface is referred to as the X interface in this article. It should be understood that the naming of the interface is not specifically limited in this article. The MEC function of the computing device 141 is enabled by the access network (R) AN140, and the computing device 141 is used to provide local processing services for the data of the terminal device 110 or the data communicated between the terminal device 110 and the network. Local processing service refers to the computing device 141 providing data processing, image processing, language recognition and other services for the terminal device 110 or the communication data between the terminal device 110 and the network. In terms of video processing capabilities, MEC functions include image recognition, speech recognition, image rendering, bit rate correction, bit rate compression, image enhancement, multi-path parallel transmission, splicing and video privacy protection. In terms of image recognition services, MEC algorithms can include AlexNet, VGG16, ResNet-152, ResNet-50, GoogleNet, Inception-V3, 1.0MobileNet-224, etc. In addition to the above-mentioned local processing services, the computing device can also provide functions such as storage and communication. In the embodiments of the present application, "MEC function" and "local processing function" can be replaced by each other, "MEC controller" and "local processing controller" can be replaced by each other, and "MEC application" and "local processing application" can be replaced by each other.

[0262] For example, the MEC function provided by the computing device 141 can be applied to the following application scenarios.

[0263] 1. Video optimization: For example, wireless analysis applications are deployed at the edge to provide dynamic wireless link information to the central cloud video server to assist in transmission control protocol (TCP) congestion control and bit rate adaptation.

[0264] 2. Video stream analysis: For example, MEC applications analyze surveillance videos at the edge, reducing the cost of video acquisition equipment and the traffic sent to the core network.

[0265] 3. Augmented reality: For example, MEC applications quickly process user locations and camera images to provide users with auxiliary information in real time.

[0266] 4. Internet of Vehicles: For example, MEC applications analyze data from vehicle and road test sensors and send hazard warnings and other delay-sensitive information to surrounding vehicles.

[0267] 5. Internet of Things: For example, MEC applications aggregate and analyze messages generated by devices and make decisions in a timely manner.

[0268] 6. Enterprise diversion: For example, MEC applications divert user-plane traffic to the enterprise network.

[0269] 7. Assisted sensitive computing: MEC applications provide high-performance computing capabilities, perform time-sensitive data processing, and feed back the results to terminal devices. For example, intelligent robots.

[0270] Figure 1A Where Nnef, Nausf, Nnrf, Npcf, Nudm, Naf, Namf, Nsmf, N1, N2, N3, N4, and N6 are interface serial numbers. For example, the meaning of the above interface serial numbers can refer to the meaning defined in the 3GPP standard protocol, and this application does not limit the meaning of the above interface serial numbers. It should be noted that, Figure 1A In the example, only the terminal device 110 is used as the UE. Figure 1A The interface name between the various network functions is just an example. In a specific implementation, the interface name of the system architecture may also be other names, and this application does not limit this.

[0271] The mobility management network function in this application can be Figure 1A The AMF 137 shown may also be other network functions in future communication systems having the above-mentioned access and mobility management function AMF 137. Alternatively, the mobility management network function in the present application may also be a mobility management entity (mobility management entity, MME) in an LTE system, etc.

[0272] For the convenience of description, in the embodiment of the present application, the access and mobility management function AMF137 is referred to as AMF network element, the unified data management UDM134 is referred to as UDM network element, the session management function SMF138 is referred to as SMF network element, and the user plane function UPF139 is referred to as UPF network element. That is, the AMF network element described later in the embodiment of the present application can be replaced by the access and mobility management function, the UDM network element can be replaced by the unified data management, the SMF network element can be replaced by the session management function, and the UPF network element can be replaced by the user plane function.

[0273] Above Figure 1A There are many possible implementations of the connection relationship between the access network device and the computing device in (R)AN140. For example, each access network device has a unique connected computing device, that is, the access network device and the computing device are in a one-to-one relationship. Alternatively, multiple access network devices are connected to the same computing device at the same time. Multiple access network devices share the computing device, that is, the access network device and the computing device are in a many-to-one relationship.

[0274] First, see Figure 1B , Figure 1BIt is the connection relationship between the access network device 1 and the computing device 1 in the embodiment of the present application. The access network device 1 and the computing device 1 are in a one-to-one correspondence. The computing device 1 includes a MEC controller, a MEC application server 1 (MEC APP server), a MEC application server 2 and a MEC application server 3. The MEC controller is connected to the access network device 1 through the X interface. The MEC application server included in the computing device 1 is connected to the MEC controller of the computing device 1 through an interface. For the convenience of description, the interface is referred to as the Y interface in this article. It should be understood that the naming of the interface is not specifically limited in this article.

[0275] The Y interface is an open interface and can support connection with third-party apps.

[0276] The MEC controller is responsible for the registration, discovery, and task management of the MEC APP, as well as negotiating with the terminal device on the local processing of the user plane data of the terminal device, or negotiating with the access network device on the local processing of the user plane data of the terminal device.

[0277] See also Figure 1C , Figure 1C For the above-mentioned embodiments of this application Figure 1A The connection relationship between multiple access network devices in (R)AN140 and the computing device 1. Multiple access network devices share the computing device 1, that is, the access network devices and the computing device are in a many-to-one relationship.

[0278] The structure of the computing device 1 is similar to that described above. Figure 1B The structure of the computing device in is similar, and will not be repeated here. Access network device 1, access network device 2, access network device 3 and access network device 4 are connected to the MEC controller through the X interface respectively.

[0279] It should be noted that the above Figure 1B and Figure 1C This is only to illustrate the connection relationship between the access network device and the computing device in the embodiment of the present application. In actual application, the computing device 1 includes at least one MEC application server, and Figure 1C The (R)AN includes at least one access network device, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0280] The following describes the above Figure 1A A possible partitioning structure of the access network equipment in the access network (R)AN140. Here, the access network equipment is gNB as an example. The same is true for other types of access network equipment. Figure 1D , Figure 1D This is a structural diagram of gNB according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0281] In the 5G communication system, gNBs are connected to each other through the Xn interface, and gNBs are connected to the 5th generation mobile communication technology core (5GC) through the NG interface. Figure 1D As shown, gNB1 and gNB2 are connected via the Xn interface. gNB1 is connected to 5GC via NG interface 1, and gNB2 is connected to 5GC via NG interface 2.

[0282] gNB can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). That is, the functions of the base station of the original access network equipment are divided, and part of the functions of the base station are deployed in a gNB-CU, and the remaining functions are deployed in the gNB-DU. Multiple gNB-DUs share one gNB-CU, which can save costs and facilitate network expansion.

[0283] The division of gNB-CU and gNB-DU can be divided according to the protocol stack. For example, the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer protocol stacks are deployed on the gNB-CU. The radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer and physical (PHY) layer protocol stacks are deployed on the gNB-DU. The gNB-CU and gNB-DU are connected through the F1 interface. The above examples are only for introducing gNB-CU and gNB-DU. The protocol stacks deployed by gNB-CU and gNB-DU are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0284] When the gNB-CU is further divided according to the control plane and the user plane, it can be divided into gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP). Among them, CU-CP is mainly responsible for the PDCP entity corresponding to RRC and signaling radio bearers (SRB). CU-UP is mainly responsible for the PDCP entity corresponding to SDAP and data radio bearer (DRB). The above example is only an introduction to gNB-CU, and the specific division of gNB-CU is not limited. In addition, for the case where the gNB-CU is divided into gNB-CU-CP and at least one gNB-CU-UP, the protocols that the gNB-CU-CP and at least one gNB-CU-UP are mainly responsible for are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0285] For example, Figure 1D As shown, gNB1 includes gNB-CU1, gNB-DU1 and gNB-DU2. gNB-CU1 is connected to gNB-DU1 through F1 interface 1 and to gNB-DU2 through F1 interface 2. The structure of gNB2 is similar to that of gNB1 and will not be described here one by one.

[0286] The communication method of the embodiment of the present application is used in a communication system, and the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device and a first computing device. The first access network device is connected to the first computing device.

[0287] Optionally, the first computing device is integrated in the first access network device, or the first computing device and the first access network device are co-deployed or separately deployed. Figure 1E and Figure 1F Among them, Figure 1E and Figure 1F The first computing device is taken as an example to be introduced as the first MEC module.

[0288] See also Figure 1E , Figure 1E FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a connection structure between a first access network device and a first terminal device in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1EIn the embodiment, the first access network device is connected to the first terminal device, the first access network device includes a gNB-CU and a gNB-DU, and the first MEC module is integrated in the gNB-CU of the first access network device. That is, it can be understood that the first access network device has an MEC function. The first MEC module can implement control facing nodes (for example, gNB-DU) and can also implement control facing terminal devices (for example, UE). The interface between the first MEC module and the gNB-DU can reuse the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU, or it can be a new interface. The new interface is referred to as the X interface here.

[0289] See also Figure 1F , Figure 1F This is a schematic diagram of a connection structure between the first access network device, the first MEC module, and the first terminal device in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1F In the embodiment, the first access network device includes a gNB-CU and a gNB-DU. The first MEC module is connected to the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU respectively through an X interface, thereby controlling the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU.

[0290] like Figure 1F As shown, the first access network device is connected to the first terminal device. The first terminal device can communicate with the first MEC module through the first access network device, that is, the first access network device plays a role of transfer.

[0291] based on Figure 1F The structural diagram shown in FIG. 1 shows that the connection relationship between the first access network device and the first MEC module can be Figure 1B The connection relationship between the access network device 1 and the computing device 1 shown in the figure can also be Figure 1C The connection relationship between the access network device 1 and the computing device 1 is shown. In addition, the access network device 1 and the computing device 1 are co-deployed or separately deployed.

[0292] It should be noted that Figure 1F This is just an example. In actual applications, there may also be a communication interface between the first terminal device and the first MEC module, so the first terminal device can communicate directly with the first MEC module.

[0293] See also Figure 2A , Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method of the present application, which is applied to a first access network device to enable a first computing device. Figure 2A In, the method comprises:

[0294] 201. A first access network device determines first identification information and first processing information.

[0295] The first processing information is local processing information for locally processing the data indicated by the first identification information of the first terminal device (also referred to herein as data corresponding to the first identification information).

[0296] The first processing information includes at least one of the following information:

[0297] 1. The processing type of the local processing request of the first terminal device.

[0298] For example, the processing type is: what local processing function the local processing request of the first terminal device implements or what type of MEC function is requested, such as image recognition, speech recognition, image rendering, etc.

[0299] 2. The processing algorithm of the local processing request of the first terminal device, such as AlexNet, VGG16, ResNet-152, ResNet-50, GoogleNet, Inception-V3, 1.0MobileNet-224, etc.

[0300] 3. Traffic model.

[0301] For example, the traffic pattern of the local processing task of the local processing request of the first terminal device (for example, the time interval or frequency of arrival of data of the local processing task, etc.).

[0302] 4. Packet size.

[0303] Specifically, the size of the local processing task of the local processing request of the first terminal device (can also be understood as the demand for storage space for the local processing task. For example, how many data packets are included in a local processing task and the size of each data packet).

[0304] 5. Processing time requirements.

[0305] For example, the processing delay requirement of the local processing task of the local processing request of the first terminal device, the average processing delay requirement, the maximum processing delay requirement (that is, the local processing delay cannot exceed the maximum processing delay requirement), etc.

[0306] The first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, and a QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device. It should be noted that the first identification information may include one or more PDU session identifiers of the first terminal device, the DRB identifiers of one or more DRBs in each PDU session corresponding to the one or more PDU session identifiers, and the QoS flow identifiers of one or more QoS flows in each PDU session corresponding to the one or more PDU session identifiers. In the following text, for the convenience of description, only the description method of the PDU session identifier, the DRB identifier, and the QoS flow identifier is used for explanation.

[0307] Specifically, the first access network device determines that the PDU session data indicated by the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device, the DRB data indicated by the DRB identifier, or the QoS flow data indicated by the QoS flow identifier need to be processed locally (i.e., data processing is performed on the PDU session data indicated by the PDU session identifier, the DRB data indicated by the DRB identifier, or the QoS flow data indicated by the QoS flow identifier), and determines the first processing information for locally processing the above data of the first terminal device. Please refer to the following text for the specific determination method. Figures 3 to 5 Related introduction of the illustrated embodiment.

[0308] 202. The first access network device sends a first message to the first computing device.

[0309] The first message carries the first identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device. The first message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0310] The first identifier is used by the first access network device and the first computing device to identify the first terminal device, respectively. For example, the first identifier is an identifier of a terminal device on the X interface between the first access network device and the first computing device. If the first message is an X interface application (X application, X-AP) message, the first identifier is an identifier of the UE on the first access network device side on the X interface. For example, gNB X-AP UE ID.

[0311] As can be seen from step 201, the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device at various granularities, which may be PDU session granularity, QoS flow granularity or DRB granularity. The first message is introduced below in combination with different granularities.

[0312] Example 1: Taking the PDU session granularity as an example, the first identification information and the first processing information carried by the first message are described. The first message may include the following information:

[0313] >PDU session ID

[0314] >local processing info

[0315] >>MEC function

[0316] >>MEC algorithm

[0317] >>delay requirement

[0318] >>Traffic pattern

[0319] >>packet size

[0320] Example 2: Taking DRB granularity as an example, the first identification information and the first processing information carried by the first message are explained.

[0321] If different DRBs in the DRBs that the first terminal device needs to perform local processing use different local processing, the first message may include the following information:

[0322] PDU session ID

[0323] >DRB list

[0324] >>DRB ID

[0325] >>local processing info

[0326] >>>MEC function

[0327] >>>MEC algorithm

[0328] >>>delay requirement

[0329] >>>traffic pattern

[0330] >>>packet size

[0331] If all DRBs that need to be processed locally by the first terminal device adopt the same local processing, the first message may include the following information:

[0332] PDU session ID

[0333] >DRB list

[0334] >>DRB ID

[0335] >>local processing indication

[0336] >local processing info

[0337] >>MEC function

[0338] >>MEC algorithm

[0339] >>delay requirement

[0340] >>Traffic pattern

[0341] >>packet size

[0342] In the above-mentioned examples 1 and 2, the local processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

[0343] The local processing indication in the above example 2 is an optional parameter used to indicate whether local processing is performed.

[0344] In one possible implementation, the value of the local processing indication is 0 or 1; or the local processing indication is true or false. In the above example 2, when the value of the local processing indication is 1 or the local processing indication is true, the data corresponding to the DRB needs to be locally processed.

[0345] In another possible implementation, only the data of the DRB that needs to be processed locally has the corresponding local processing indication. That is, when the first message carries the local processing indication, it means that the data corresponding to the DRB needs to be processed locally. If the first message does not carry the local processing indication, it means that the data corresponding to the DRB does not need to be processed locally.

[0346] Example 3: Taking QoS flow granularity as an example, the first identification information and the first processing information carried by the first message are explained.

[0347] If the local processing required for all QoS flows that need to be processed locally on the first terminal device is the same, the first message may include the following information:

[0348] PDU session ID

[0349] >DRB list

[0350] >>DRB ID

[0351] >>QoS flow list

[0352] >>>QFI (QoS flow identifier)

[0353] >>>local processing indication

[0354] >local processing info

[0355] >>MEC function

[0356] >>MEC algorithm

[0357] >>delay requirement

[0358] >>Traffic pattern

[0359] >>packet size

[0360] If different QoS flows in the QoS flow that needs to be processed locally on the first terminal device use different local processing, the first message may include the following information:

[0361] PDU session ID

[0362] >DRB list

[0363] >>DRB ID

[0364] >>QoS flow list

[0365] >>>QFI

[0366] >>>local processing info

[0367] >>>MEC function

[0368] >>>MEC algorithm

[0369] >>>delay requirement

[0370] >>>traffic pattern

[0371] >>>packet size

[0372] In the above example 3, in a possible implementation, the value of local processing indication is 0 or 1; or, local processing indication is true or false. When the value of local processing indication is 1 or the local processing indication is true, the data of the QoS flow corresponding to the QFI needs to be processed locally, that is, local processing is performed according to the information in local processing info.

[0373] In the above example 3, in another possible implementation, only the QFI of the QoS flow that needs to be processed locally has the corresponding local processing indication. That is, when the first message carries the local processing indication, it means that the data of the QoS flow corresponding to the QFI needs to be processed locally. If the first message does not carry the local processing indication, it means that the data of the QoS flow corresponding to the QFI does not need local processing service.

[0374] It should be noted that in the above examples 2 and 3, the PDU session ID is an optional parameter (for example, the first terminal device only has data for one PDU session that needs to be processed locally). In the above examples 2 and 3, the DRB ID is an optional parameter (for example, the first terminal device only has data for one DRB that needs to be processed locally).

[0375] In this embodiment, after step 201, if the first access network device determines that the first computing device cannot support some local processing functions requested by the first terminal device, the first access network device can request the corresponding device in the core network to provide the first terminal device with the local processing functions.

[0376] Optionally, there are multiple ways for the first access network device to enable the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, and two possible implementations are shown below.

[0377] Implementation method 1: Establish a first tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device. The first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device.

[0378] Based on implementation method 1, the first message in the above step 202 also carries the first address information of the first tunnel (also referred to as the first tunnel corresponding to the first identification information in this article) used by the first access network device to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information.

[0379] Based on implementation mode 1, this embodiment further includes step 203a, and step 203a is performed after step 202.

[0380] 203a. The first computing device sends a second message to the first access network device. Correspondingly, the first access network device receives the second message from the first computing device. The second message is used to indicate that the first tunnel is successfully established, and the second message carries the second address information of the first computing device in the first tunnel.

[0381] For the relevant introduction of step 202 and step 203a in implementation method 1, please refer to the relevant introduction below.

[0382] Implementation method 2: Establish a control plane connection between the first access network device and the first computing device. The control plane connection is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device.

[0383] Based on implementation mode 2, this implementation further includes step 203b, and step 203b is executed after step 202.

[0384] 203b. The first computing device sends a sixth message to the first access network device. Correspondingly, the first access network device receives the sixth message from the first computing device.

[0385] The sixth message is used to indicate confirmation by the first computing device of the first identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device.

[0386] For the relevant introduction of step 202 and step 203b in implementation method 2, please refer to the relevant introduction below.

[0387] From the introduction of the above implementation mode 1 and implementation mode 2, it can be known that if based on implementation mode 1, step 203a is executed after step 202; if based on implementation mode 2, step 203b is executed after step 202.

[0388] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Figure 2A The first access network device shown may be the CU, which performs the above Figure 2AIn the embodiment shown, the first access network device performs the steps. Further, if the CU is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-CP performs the above steps. Figure 2A The steps in the embodiment shown are performed by the first access network device.

[0389] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a communication system, which includes a first terminal device, a first access network device and a first computing device, and the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information of the first terminal device, and the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device; then, the first access network device sends a first message to the first computing device, and the first message carries the first identification, the first identification information and the first processing information of the first terminal device, and the first identification is used for the first access network device and the first computing device to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the first message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device. The first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information of the first terminal device, and then the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, thereby enabling the MEC function of the first computing device. Compared with the existing method of enabling MEC function through application layer architecture, the solution of the present application of enabling MEC function of the first computing device through the first access network device is simpler and more flexible, and MEC deployment is closer to the access network, reducing signaling delay.

[0390] In the present application embodiment, based on the above Figure 2A In the illustrated embodiment step 202, in implementation mode 1, the first access network device enables the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, and the first message of step 202 also carries the first address information of the first tunnel.

[0391] Optionally, the first tunnel is a first user plane tunnel (UP TNL). The first address information includes user plane tunnel information (UP TNL information) of the first user plane tunnel of the first access network device.

[0392] For example, the UP TNL information of the first user plane tunnel of the first access network device includes: an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first access network device and a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) of the first tunnel of the first access network device.

[0393] It should be noted that multiple first tunnels can be established between the first access network device and the first computing device, and the first message carries the address information of the multiple first tunnels of the first access network device. For example, the first identification information includes the identification of QoS flow 1 and the identification of QoS flow 2. Then, a tunnel corresponding to QoS flow 1 and a tunnel corresponding to QoS flow 2 can be established between the first access network device and the first computing device, respectively. The tunnel corresponding to QoS flow 1 is used to transmit data of QoS flow 1 of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device. The tunnel corresponding to QoS flow 2 is used to transmit data of QoS flow 2 of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device. Therefore, the first message carries the address information of the tunnel corresponding to QoS flow 1 of the first access network device and the address information of the tunnel corresponding to QoS flow 2 of the first access network device.

[0394] Specifically, the first access network device and the first computing device perform user plane transmission via the X interface. That is, a general packet radio service tunneling protocol for user plan (GTP-U) tunnel of the X interface is established between the first computing device and the first computer device, and the GTP-U channel of the X interface is a GTP-U channel of the X interface established for each PDU session, or each DRB, or each QoS flow (i.e., per PDU session, or per DRB, or per QoS flow granularity of a UE) that needs to be processed locally on the first terminal device. The content carried by the first message is introduced below in the form of the first message being an X-AP message.

[0395] For example, for an X-interface GTP-U tunnel with a per PDU session granularity, the first message also carries the following information:

[0396] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0397] >PDU session list for local processing

[0398] >>PDU session ID

[0399] >>local processing info

[0400] >>DL UP TNL Information

[0401] For example, for an X interface GTP-U tunnel at a per DRB granularity, the first message also carries the following information:

[0402] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0403] >PDU session list

[0404] >>PDU session ID

[0405] >>DRB list for local processing

[0406] >>>DRB ID

[0407] >>>local processing info

[0408] >>>DL UP TNL Information

[0409] For example, for an X interface GTP-U tunnel at a per QoS flow granularity, the first message also carries the following information:

[0410] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0411] >PDU session list

[0412] >>PDU session ID

[0413] >>DRB list

[0414] >>>DRB ID

[0415] >>>QoS flow list for local processing

[0416] >>>>QFI (QoS flow identifier)

[0417] >>>>local processing info

[0418] >>>>DL UP TNL Information

[0419] In the above example, gNB UE X-AP ID is the identifier of the UE on the gNB side on the X-AP interface, that is, the first identifier of the terminal device. DL UP TNL Information is the tunnel information of the UP TNL on the gNB side, which can also be called gNB side UP TNLInformation.

[0420] It should be noted that, combined with the above Figure 2A It can be seen from Examples 1 to 3 in step 202 in the embodiment shown that the local processing methods used by the PDU session, DRB or QoS flow that needs to be processed locally on the first terminal device are the same or different. Therefore, the local processing info in the above examples should be expressed in combination with the specific situation. For details, please refer to the above Figure 2A The representation forms of Examples 1 to 3 in step 202 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0421] Two possible situations of establishing the first tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device are introduced below in conjunction with the structure of the first computing device.

[0422] Case 1: A first tunnel is established between the first access network device and the MEC controller of the first computing device, and a second tunnel is established between the MEC controller and the first MEC application server of the first computing device.

[0423] The first MEC application server is determined by the MEC controller according to the first processing information, and the first MEC application server is used to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0424] The first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the MEC controller.

[0425] The second tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first MEC application server and the MEC controller.

[0426] For example, Figure 2B As shown, the first computing device includes a MEC controller and multiple application servers. Then, a first tunnel is established between the first access network device and the MEC controller, and a second tunnel is established between the MEC controller and the MEC application server 1. The MEC application server 1 is used to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0427] In this embodiment, the establishment granularity of the first tunnel can be PDU session granularity, or DRB granularity, or QoS flow granularity, which is not limited in this application. The first access network device can determine the granularity at which to establish the first tunnel based on the data that needs to be processed locally on the first terminal device.

[0428] In implementation method one, the establishment granularity of the first tunnel is the same as the establishment granularity of the second tunnel. Generally, when the UPF network element sends a data packet through the user plane tunnel established between it and the first access network device for the PDU session of the first terminal device, the QFI is included in the GTP-U header of the encapsulated data packet. For the first tunnel and the second tunnel of PDU granularity or DRB granularity, in order to keep the QFI corresponding to the data packet unchanged, a possible method is that the MEC controller deletes the GTP-U header of the data packet when submitting the data packet to the first MEC application server, but saves the QFI information related to the data packet (for example, the internal data number of the data packet, and the correspondence between the internal data number and the QFI). Subsequently, after the first MEC application server processes the data packet locally, it sends it to the MEC controller. The MEC controller finds the corresponding QFI based on the internal data packet number. For the downlink data packet, the MEC controller sends the data packet to the first access network device through the first tunnel, and adds the QFI in the GTP-U header of the encapsulated data packet. So that the first access network device can determine the QFI corresponding to the data packet, and then send the data packet to the first terminal device through the corresponding DRB according to the mapping relationship between DRB and QFI. For uplink data packets, the processing method of the MEC controller is similar.

[0429] For example, if the establishment granularity of the first tunnel is DRB granularity, the first processing information includes the image processing function requested by the first terminal device. Figure 2B The MEC application server 1 shown supports the image processing function, and the second tunnel is a tunnel established between the MEC controller and the MEC application server 1. That is, the establishment granularity of the first tunnel and the establishment granularity of the second tunnel are both DRB granularity.

[0430] In this embodiment, the MEC application server in the first computing device has multiple deployment modes. For example, the MEC application server is divided by MEC function, or divided by supported MEC processing algorithms, or divided according to management convenience, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0431] It should be noted that when the local processing of the data corresponding to the first identification information needs to be provided by at least two different application servers (for example, the local processing information for the local processing of the data corresponding to the DRB includes an image processing function and a data processing function), the MEC controller needs to establish a second tunnel with the at least two different application servers respectively. Therefore, the granularity of the multiple second tunnels established between the MEC controller and the application server is different from the granularity of the first tunnel.

[0432] For example, the local processing information for local processing of the data corresponding to the DRB includes image processing function and data processing function, then two second tunnels are established between the MEC controller and the MEC application server, and the two second tunnels correspond to the image processing function and the data processing function respectively. That is, the first access network device establishes the second tunnel based on the DRB granularity and then with the MEC function as the granularity.

[0433] Case 2: A first tunnel is established between the first access network device and the first MEC application server of the first computing device.

[0434] The first MEC application server is determined by the MEC controller of the first computing device according to the first processing information, and the first MEC application server is used to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. The first tunnel is used to transmit the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first MEC application server.

[0435] For example, Figure 2C As shown, the first computing device includes an MEC controller and multiple application servers. Then a first tunnel is directly established between the first access network device and the MEC application server.

[0436] In this embodiment, the establishment granularity of the first tunnel can be PDU session granularity, or DRB granularity, or QoS flow granularity, which is not limited in this application. The first access network device can determine the granularity at which to establish the first tunnel based on the data that needs to be processed locally on the first terminal device and the deployment of the MEC application server included in the first computing device.

[0437] For example, if the establishment granularity of the first tunnel is based on the granularity of the DRB, the first processing information includes the image processing function requested by the first terminal device. Figure 2C The MEC application server 1 shown supports the image processing function, and the first tunnel is a tunnel established between the access network device 1 and the MEC application server 1.

[0438] It should be noted that when the local processing of the data corresponding to the first identification information needs to be provided by at least two different MEC application servers (for example, the local processing information for local processing of the data corresponding to the DRB includes an image processing function and a data processing function), establishing a first tunnel between the first access network device and the first MEC application server may include the following two possible methods:

[0439] 1. The first access network device establishes a first tunnel with the at least two different MEC application servers respectively, so that multiple MEC application servers provide corresponding local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information; accordingly, the MEC controller feeds back the address information of the first tunnels established between the at least two different MEC application servers and the first access network device to the first access network device. For example, the MEC controller feeds back the address information of the tunnel 1 between the MEC application server 1 and the first access network, and the address information of the tunnel 2 established between the MEC application server 2 and the first access network device. It can be seen that each first tunnel corresponds to the MEC functions supported by different MEC application servers. That is, the first access network device establishes the first tunnel based on the DRB granularity and then with the MEC function as the granularity.

[0440] 2. The first access network device establishes a first tunnel with the entry MEC application server and the exit MEC application server of the at least two different MEC application servers respectively; accordingly, the MEC controller feeds back to the first access network device the address information of the first tunnel established by the entry MEC application server and the exit MEC application server with the first access network device respectively.

[0441] The inlet MEC application server is the first MEC application server among the at least two different MEC application servers to locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information. The outlet MEC application server is the last MEC application server among the at least two different MEC application servers to locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information.

[0442] Specifically, the second access network device sends the user plane tunnel information of the first access network device side to the ingress MEC application server and the egress MEC application server respectively; then, the ingress MEC application server feeds back the user plane tunnel information of the ingress MEC application server to the second access network device, and the egress MEC application server feeds back the user plane tunnel information of the egress MEC application server to the second access network device. In this way, the tunnels are established between the second access network device and the ingress MEC application server, and between the second access network device and the egress MEC application server.

[0443] It should be noted that the MEC controller will notify at least two different MEC application servers of the corresponding local processing information respectively. For example, the at least two different MEC application servers include MEC application server 1 and MEC application server 2, and the MEC controller notifies the MEC server 1 of what local processing needs to be performed on the data corresponding to the first identification information, and to which MEC application server the processed data should be transmitted.

[0444] Based on implementation method 1, the above Figure 2A In step 203a of the illustrated embodiment, the second message carries the first identification of the first terminal device, the first identification information, and the second address information of the first tunnel of the first computing device.

[0445] For the case 1 of establishing the first tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device in the aforementioned step 201, the second address information includes the address information of the first tunnel of the MEC controller. Moreover, when the MEC controller establishes the second tunnel with the first MEC application server, the MEC controller sends the address information of the second tunnel of the MEC controller to the first application server; then, after receiving the address information of the second tunnel of the MEC controller, the first MEC application server sends the address information of the second tunnel of the first MEC application server to the MEC controller. In this way, a second tunnel can be established between the MEC controller and the first MEC application server.

[0446] For the case 2 of establishing the first tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device in the aforementioned step 201, the second address information includes the address information of the first tunnel of the first MEC application server. In addition, the MEC controller forwards the first address information of the first tunnel of the first access network device to the first MEC application server.

[0447] The content included in the second address information is similar to the content included in the aforementioned first address information. For details, please refer to the relevant instructions of the aforementioned first address information.

[0448] For example, for an X interface GTP-U tunnel with a per PDU session granularity, the content carried by the second message may be:

[0449] >MEC UE X-AP ID

[0450] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0451] >PDU session list for local processing

[0452] >>PDU session ID

[0453] >>UL UP TNL Information

[0454] Among them, UL UP TNL Information can also be called MEC side UP TNL information.

[0455] For example, for an X interface GTP-U tunnel of per DRB granularity, the content carried by the second message may be:

[0456] >MEC UE X-AP ID

[0457] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0458] >PDU session list

[0459] >>DRB list for local processing

[0460] >>>DRB ID

[0461] >>>UL UP TNL Information

[0462] For example, for an X interface GTP-U tunnel at a per QoS flow granularity, the content carried by the second message may be:

[0463] >MEC UE X-AP ID

[0464] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0465] >PDU session list

[0466] >>DRB list for local processing

[0467] >>>DRB ID

[0468] >>>QoS flow list for local processing

[0469] >>>>QFI

[0470] >>>>UL UP TNL Information

[0471] It can be seen that after the first computing device feeds back the second message to the first access network device, the first access network device and the first computing device can establish the first tunnel between them. When any party subsequently receives a data packet sent by the other party through the first tunnel, it can identify which UE's PDU session data, or which UE's PDU session's DRB data, or which UE's PDU session's QoS flow data through the user plane tunnel information (UP TNL information) carried in the GTP-U header, UDP header, and IP header encapsulated outside the data packet.

[0472] Specific as Figure 2D As shown, the first terminal device and the first access network device transmit user plane data through the data radio bearer DRB. A first user plane protocol stack corresponding to the DRB is deployed between the first terminal device and the first access network device. The first user plane protocol stack includes the PDCP protocol layer, the RLC protocol layer, the MAC protocol layer and the PHY protocol layer. The first terminal device sends a data packet to the first access network device through the DRB. It should be noted that Figure 2D The protocol layers included in the first user plane protocol stack shown in the figure are only examples. The first user plane protocol stack may also include other protocol layers, such as the SDAP protocol layer, etc., which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0473] The first access network device and the first computing device transmit user plane data through the GTP-U tunnel, and a second user plane protocol stack corresponding to the GTP-U tunnel is deployed between the first access network device and the first computing device, and the second user plane protocol stack includes a GTP-U protocol layer, a user datagram protocol (UDP) / IP protocol layer, an L2 protocol layer, and an L1 protocol layer. The first access network device determines that the data packet needs to be processed locally, and the first access network device sends the data packet to the first computing device through the GTP-U tunnel corresponding to the data packet.

[0474] In the present application embodiment, based on the above Figure 2A In step 202 of the embodiment shown, implementation method 2 is that the first access network device enables the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. Optionally, a control plane connection with user granularity (i.e., associated with the terminal device) is established between the first access network device and the first computing device, i.e., UE-associated signaling.

[0475] For example, Figure 2EAs shown, the first terminal device and the first access network device transmit user plane data through the data radio bearer DRB, and the first user plane protocol stack corresponding to the DRB is deployed between the first terminal device and the first access network device, including the PDCP protocol layer, the RLC protocol layer, the MAC protocol layer and the PHY protocol layer. The first terminal device sends a data packet to the first access network device through the DRB. A control plane protocol stack is deployed between the first access network device and the first computing device, including the X-AP protocol layer, the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) / IP protocol layer, the L2 protocol layer, and the L1 protocol layer. A user-granular control plane connection is established between the first access network device and the first computing device through the X-AP interface, and the first access network device sends a first message to the terminal device through the control plane connection, that is, the first message is an X-AP message.

[0476] For example, the X-AP message is introduced at the PDU session granularity. The X-AP message may carry the following content:

[0477] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0478] >PDU session list for local processing

[0479] >>PDU session ID

[0480] >>local processing info

[0481] For example, the X-AP message is introduced at the DRB granularity. The X-AP message may carry the following content:

[0482] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0483] >PDU session list

[0484] >>PDU session ID

[0485] >>DRB list for local processing

[0486] >>>DRB ID

[0487] >>>local processing info

[0488] For example, the X-AP message is introduced at the QoS flow granularity. The X-AP message may carry the following content:

[0489] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0490] >PDU session list

[0491] >>PDU session ID

[0492] >>DRB list

[0493] >>>DRB ID

[0494] >>>QoS flow list for local processing

[0495] >>>>QFI

[0496] >>>>local processing info

[0497] It can be seen that if the first message carries tunnel address information, it indicates that a tunnel is established between the first access network device and the first computing device to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. If the first message does not carry tunnel address information, it indicates that a control plane connection is established between the first access network device and the first computing device to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0498] Based on implementation method 2, the above Figure 2A In step 203b of the illustrated embodiment, the first access network device receives a sixth message from the first computing device.

[0499] Specifically, after receiving the first message, the first computing device determines that the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally, and determines the first processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. Then, the first computing device feeds back a sixth message to the first access network device to inform the first computing device that it has determined which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally corresponding to the first processing information.

[0500] In implementation mode 2, when the data corresponding to the first identification information is transmitted between the first access network device and the first computing device, the first identification of the first terminal device, i.e., the gNB UE X-AP ID and the MEC UE X-AP ID, needs to be carried. Optionally, the PDU session ID; or, the DRB ID; or, the PDU session ID and the DRB ID; or, the DRB ID and the QoS flow ID; or, the PDU session ID, the DRB ID and the QoS flow ID need to be carried.

[0501] In the embodiment of the present application, optionally, in the above Figure 2ABefore step 202 of the illustrated embodiment, the first access network device first obtains first computing capability information of the first computing device. There are many ways for the first access network device to obtain the first computing capability information (also called MEC capability), and several possible implementations are shown below.

[0502] Implementation method a: pre-store the first computing capability information of the first computing device in the first access network device.

[0503] Implementation method b: The first computing device sends first computing capability information to the first access network device.

[0504] Based on implementation method b, the above Figure 2A The illustrated embodiment further includes step 204. Furthermore, step 204 is performed before step 202.

[0505] Step 204: The first computing device sends first computing capability information of the first computing device to the first access network device.

[0506] The first computing capability information includes at least one of the following information:

[0507] 1. Current load information of the first computing device, for example, the current load of the first computing device, the maximum load supported, the current free capacity, etc.

[0508] 2. The computing processing type supported by the first computing device, for example, the MEC function supported by the first computing device (for example, image processing function, data processing function, etc.).

[0509] 3. Algorithms supported by the first computing device.

[0510] 4. The microservice identifier supported by the first computing device, for example, the data network name (DNN), which means that the first computing device can provide local processing services for the business corresponding to the DNN.

[0511] 5. Average processing delay of the first computing device.

[0512] Optionally, the first computing device may send the first computing capability information to the first access network device via an X-AP message. For example, the first computing device sends a MEC configuration update request (MEC configuration update request message) to the first access network device, and the MEC configuration update request message carries the first computing capability information.

[0513] In the present application embodiment, the above Figure 2AIn step 201 of the illustrated embodiment, there are multiple ways for the first access network device to determine the first identification information and the first processing information, and the determination method is related to the local processing negotiation mechanism.

[0514] In this embodiment, in the solution where the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide a local processing service for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, the negotiation mechanism includes the following two possible implementation methods:

[0515] Negotiation mechanism mode 1: The first terminal device requests the core network device and the first access network device to negotiate local processing matters for the first terminal device. For details, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The embodiment shown.

[0516] Negotiation mechanism mode 2: The first terminal device negotiates with the first access network device about the local processing of the first terminal device. The first access network device is responsible for notifying the first computing device which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally. For example, the first access network device is responsible for notifying the MEC controller of the first computing device which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally. For details, please refer to Figure 5 The embodiment shown.

[0517] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is another embodiment diagram of the communication method of the present application, which is applied to the first terminal device requesting the core network device to negotiate with the first access network device for the local processing of the first terminal device. The specific negotiation content is: the first terminal device requests the core network device to determine the local processing of the first terminal device, and indicates the local processing of the first terminal device to the first access network device, so that the first access network device requests the first computer device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device. Figure 3 The method comprises:

[0518] 301. The first terminal device sends a local processing request of the first terminal device to the core network device through the first access network device.

[0519] The local processing request of the first terminal device carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information; or carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information.

[0520] The local processing request is used to request the core network device to negotiate with the first access network device to provide local processing for data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device, or to request the core network device to negotiate with the first access network device to provide local processing for data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device.

[0521] The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the core network device to identify the first terminal device, for example, the second identifier is a temporary mobile subscription identifier (TMSI) or a subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI) of the first terminal device.

[0522] The second processing information is local processing information used to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier.

[0523] The third processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier in the PDU session corresponding to the PDU session identifier.

[0524] For example, the second processing information or the third processing information may include the MEC function, MEC algorithm, microservice identifier, processing delay requirement, etc. requested by the first terminal device.

[0525] If the core network device is an AMF network element, the local processing request of the first terminal device can be carried in a PDU session request message (PDU session establishment request), wherein the PDU session identifier is an identifier of the PDU session requested to be established by the first terminal device.

[0526] Specifically, the non access stratum (NAS) of the first terminal device generates a NAS message, namely, a PDU session establishment request message. The first terminal device includes the PDU session establishment request message as a container in the RRC message. Then, the first terminal device sends the RRC message to the first access network device, and the first access network device forwards the PDU session request message to the AMF network element. The PDU session request message carries a local processing request of the first terminal device.

[0527] 302. The core network device generates first indication information according to the local processing request.

[0528] When the local processing request of the first terminal device is the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information, the first indication information carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information. In this implementation, the first indication information is used to indicate that the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the terminal device.

[0529] When the local processing request of the first terminal device is the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier, the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information, the first indication information carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier, the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information. In this implementation, the first indication information is used to indicate that the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing for the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the terminal device.

[0530] Among them, the fourth identifier of the first terminal device is used by the first access network device and the core network device to identify the first terminal device respectively.

[0531] Specifically, if the core network device determines that the data corresponding to the PDU session needs to be processed locally, then the first indication information carries the PDU session identifier and the second processing information. The first access network device can determine that the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier is to be processed locally, and the first indication information carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier, and the second processing information. If the core network device determines that some QoS flows included in the PDU session need to be processed locally, then the first indication information carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the QoS flow identifier of the part of the QoS flow, and the third processing information.

[0532] The fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information are carried in the first indication information in the same manner as described above. Figure 2A The example 1 in step 202 in the embodiment shown is similar, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2A The relevant introduction of Example 1 in step 202 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0533] The fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier, the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information are carried in the first indication information in the same manner as described above. Figure 2A The example 3 in step 202 in the embodiment shown is similar, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2A The relevant introduction in Example 3 in step 202 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0534] 303. The core network device sends a fourth message to the first access network device.

[0535] The fourth message carries the first indication information. For the related introduction of the first indication information, please refer to the related introduction of step 302, which will not be repeated here.

[0536] The fourth message also carries indication information for indicating how the first access network device processes the received data after local processing. Several possible indication methods are shown below.

[0537] Indication method one: The fourth message also carries third indication information, and the third indication information is used to determine whether to send the locally processed data to the UPF network element.

[0538] For example, the third indication information is a field "0" or "1". Among them, "0" means that the data after local processing does not need to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device directly sends the locally processed data back to the first terminal device after receiving it, and "1" means that the data after local processing needs to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device sends the locally processed data to the UPF network element after receiving it. Or, "0" means that the data after local processing needs to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device sends the locally processed data to the UPF network element after receiving it, and "1" means that the data after local processing does not need to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device directly sends the locally processed data back to the first terminal device after receiving it.

[0539] For example, the third indication information is a "false" indication or a "yes" or "true" indication. Among them, false means that the data after local processing does not need to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device directly sends the locally processed data back to the first terminal device after receiving it, and true means that the data after local processing needs to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device sends the locally processed data to the UPF network element after receiving it. Alternatively, true means that the data after local processing does not need to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device directly sends the locally processed data back to the first terminal device after receiving it, and false means that the data after local processing needs to be sent to the UPF network element, that is, the first access network device sends the locally processed data to the UPF network element after receiving it.

[0540] Indication method 2: The fourth message carries the fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the data after local processing is sent to the UPF network element. If the fourth message carries the fourth indication information, the first access network device receives the data after local processing and sends it to the UPF network element; conversely, if the fourth message does not carry the fourth indication information, the first access network device directly sends the data after local processing back to the first terminal device.

[0541] Indication method three: The fourth message carries the fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the data after local processing is sent directly to the first terminal device. If the fourth message carries the fifth indication information, the first access network device sends the received data after local processing directly to the first terminal device; conversely, if the fourth message does not carry the fifth indication information, the first access network device sends the data after local processing to the UPF network element.

[0542] Indication method four: The fourth message carries the seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate that the data after local processing is sent to the UPF network element, or to indicate that the data after local processing is sent directly to the first terminal device.

[0543] Optionally, the fourth message may be an application layer (NG application, NGAP) message of the NG interface.

[0544] Specifically, if the core network device is an AMF network element, the AMF network element can send a PDU session resource setup request message to the first access network device. And the first access network device can send a PDU session resource setup response message to the AMF network element. In addition, the first access network device can determine the mapping relationship between each QoS flow and DRB corresponding to the PDU session based on the information provided by the AMF network element; then, the first access network device informs the first terminal device of the mapping relationship between the PDU session identifier, DRB identifier and QoS flow identifier through an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0545] based on Figure 3 The embodiment shown above Figure 2A In step 202 of the illustrated embodiment, the first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information specifically including:

[0546] The first access network device determines the PDU session identifier and the second processing information according to the first indication information carried in the fourth message, wherein the PDU session identifier corresponds to the first identifier information, and the second processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

[0547] or,

[0548] The first access network device determines the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information according to the first indication information carried in the fourth message, wherein the QoS flow identifier corresponds to the first identification information, and the third processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

[0549] If the core network device determines that all data corresponding to the PDU session need to be processed locally, the first indication information carries the PDU session identifier and the second processing information. The first access network device can determine that all data corresponding to the PDU session identifier need to be processed locally, and request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier.

[0550] If the core network device determines that some QoS flows included in the PDU session need to be processed locally, the first indication information carries the QoS flow identifier of the part of the QoS flow and the third processing information. The first access network device can determine that the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the part of the QoS flow needs to be processed locally, and request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the part of the QoS flow.

[0551] It should be noted that, in the case where the core network device feedback is that the first indication information carries the QoS flow identifier of this part of the QoS flow and the third processing information, the first access network device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the part of the QoS flow identifier based on the granularity of QoS flow; or, the first access network device can also request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the DRB based on the granularity of DRB.

[0552] For example, the QoS flow identifier includes the identifier of QoS flow 1 and the identifier of QoS flow 2. Assuming that the first access network device puts the identifier of QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 in the same DRB for transmission, and the DRB also carries other QoS flows; then the first access network device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to QoS flow 1 and the data corresponding to QoS flow 2 respectively. That is, the granularity at which the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services is the QoS flow granularity. Assuming that the first access network device puts the QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 in a DRB for transmission, and the DRB does not carry other QoS flows; then the first access network device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the DRB. That is, the granularity at which the first access network device requests the first computing device to provide local processing services is the DRB granularity.

[0553] It should be noted that if the core network device in step 302 does not further generate the first indication information in combination with the first computing capability information of the first computing device, the first access network device receives the fourth message in step 303, and determines based on the fourth message that the first computing device cannot support a certain local processing service requested by the core network device to be provided to the first terminal device. Then, the first access network device may send a rejection message to the core network device to indicate a refusal to improve the local processing service for the first terminal device. Alternatively, the first access network device sends a reply message to the core network device, which includes the PDU session or DRB or QoS flow corresponding to the local processing service provided to the first terminal device accepted by the first access network device, and the PDU session or DRB or QoS flow corresponding to the local processing service provided to the first terminal device refused to be provided. The core network device may request other devices in the core network device to provide the first terminal device with the local processing service that the first access network device refuses to provide.

[0554] In order to avoid the core network device not having the first computing capability information, causing the fourth message to include information about the first computing device that does not support local processing of the first terminal device, the above Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, before step 301, the first terminal device obtains the first computing capability information of the first computing device associated with the first access network device, and sends the first computing capability information to the core network device in step 301. In this way, if the core network device determines that the first computing device cannot support a certain local processing service in combination with the local processing request and the first computer capability information, the core network device can request other devices in the core network to provide the local processing service for the first terminal device, that is, the local processing requested by the first terminal device included in the fourth message is all that the first computing device can provide.

[0555] For the related introduction of the first computing capability information, please refer to the related introduction of the aforementioned step 204, which will not be repeated here.

[0556] Optionally, there are multiple ways for the first terminal device to obtain the first computing capability information, and two possible implementation ways are shown below.

[0557] Method 1 for a terminal device to obtain computing capability information: The association relationship between the first access network device and the first computing device, and the first computing capability information can be pre-configured on the first terminal device, wherein the association relationship is used to indicate that the first computing device is connected to the first access network device.

[0558] Method 2 for terminal devices to obtain computing power information: Figure 3 Before step 301 in the illustrated embodiment, this embodiment further includes step 301a.

[0559] Step 301a: The first access network device sends first computing capability information to the first terminal device.

[0560] Based on step 301a, optionally, this embodiment further includes step 301b, and step 301b is performed before step 301a.

[0561] Step 301b: The first terminal device sends the seventh message to the first access network device.

[0562] The seventh message is used to request to query the first computing capability information of the first computing device. The seventh message is used to discover the first computing capability information of the first computing device. For example, the first terminal device includes a local processing capability enquiry (local processing capability enquiry) information element in the uplink RRC message. Alternatively, the first terminal device sends a local processing capability enquiry message, and correspondingly, the first access network device can send the first computing capability information of the first computing device to the first terminal device through a local processing capability response (local processing capability response) message.

[0563] In addition to the core network device acquiring the first computing capability information from the first terminal device, optionally, the core network device itself may also acquire the first computing capability information. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, before step 302, the core network device obtains the first computing capability information of the first computing device associated with the first access network device. For the relevant introduction of the first computing capability information, please refer to the relevant introduction of the aforementioned step 204, which will not be repeated here. When the core network device executes step 302, it can also further determine the first indication information in combination with the first computing capability information to avoid the core network device requesting the first computing device to provide the first terminal device with a local processing service that the first computing device does not support from the first computing device. If the core network device determines that the first computing device cannot support a certain local processing service based on the local processing request and the first computer capability information, the core network device can request other devices in the core network to provide the local processing service to the first terminal device.

[0564] There may be multiple ways for the core network device to obtain the first computing capability information, and two possible implementations are shown below.

[0565] Method 1 for the core network device to obtain computing capability information: The association relationship between the first access network device and the first computing device, and the first computing capability information may be pre-configured on the core network device, wherein the association relationship is used to indicate that the first computing device is connected to the first access network device.

[0566] Method 2 for core network equipment to obtain computing capacity information: Figure 3 Before step 302 of the illustrated embodiment, the first access network device sends first computing capability information to the core network device.

[0567] Method 3 for the core network device to obtain computing capability information: If the first computing device and the core network device are connected via an interface, the first computing device may directly send the first computing capability information to the core network device.

[0568] Optionally, the first computing device sends identification information of a first access network device associated with the first computing device to the core network device.

[0569] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Figure 3 The first access network device shown may be the CU, that is, the CU performs the above Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the first access network device performs the steps. Further, if the CU is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-CP performs the above steps. Figure 3 The steps in the embodiment shown are performed by the first access network device.

[0570] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application embodiment, which is applied to the PDU session establishment process of the first terminal device, where the AMF network element negotiates with the first access network device about the local processing of the first terminal device. In this embodiment, the AMF network element obtains the computing capability information of the first computing device from the core network. Figure 4 In, the method comprises:

[0571] 401. The first terminal device sends a third message to the AMF network element through the first access network device.

[0572] The third message is used for the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device. For example, the third message is a PDU session establishment request message (PDU session establishment request).

[0573] The third message carries the second identifier of the first terminal device and the DNN that the first terminal device requests to access. The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively.

[0574] 402. The AMF network element generates first indication information according to the third message.

[0575] For more information about the first instruction, please refer to the previous Figure 3 The related introduction of the first indication information in step 302 of the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0576] The following introduces the process of the AMF network element generating the first indication information in combination with the content carried by the third message.

[0577] Generation method 1: The AMF network element may generate the first indication information according to the third message carrying the second identifier. In this method, step 402 specifically includes step 402a and step 402b.

[0578] Step 402a: The AMF network element determines at least one of the user subscription information, routing information and service policy information of the first terminal device according to the second identifier.

[0579] Specifically, after the AMF network element receives the PDU session establishment request message sent by the first terminal device, the AMF network element searches for at least one item of user contract information, routing information, and service policy information of the first terminal device from the UDM network element or PCF network element according to the second identifier of the first terminal device.

[0580] Step 402b: The AMF network element generates first indication information based on at least one of the user subscription information, routing information and service policy information of the first terminal device.

[0581] The AMF network element determines to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the PDU session of the first terminal device, or determines to perform local processing on the data of part of the QoS flow of the PDU session of the first terminal device, based on at least one of the user subscription information, routing information and service policy information of the first terminal device, and generates first indication information. That is, the UPF network element diverts all QoS flows of the PDU session or part of the QoS flows of the PDU session to the first access network device, and the first access network device sends part or all of the QoS flows of the PDU session to the associated first computing device, and the first computing device provides local processing services for the data of the PDU session or part of the QoS flows of the PDU session.

[0582] Generation method 2, the AMF network element generates the first indication information according to the first DNN carried by the third message. Step 402 specifically includes: the AMF network element can determine the first access network device associated with the first DNN, and decide to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the computing power information of the first computing device connected to the first access network device, or determine to perform local processing on the data of part of the QoS flow of the PDU session of the first terminal device, and generate the first indication information. That is, the UPF network element diverts all QoS flows of the PDU session or part of the QoS flows of the PDU session to the first access network device, and the first access network device sends part or all of the QoS flows of the PDU session to the associated first computing device, and the first computing device provides local processing services for the data of the PDU session or part of the QoS flows of the PDU session.

[0583] Generation method 3: The AMF network element generates the first indication information based on the second identifier and the first DNN.

[0584] Specifically, as can be seen from the above step 402a, the AMF network element determines at least one of the user contract information, routing information and business policy information of the first terminal device based on the second identifier; then, the AMF network element determines the first computing capability information of the first computing device associated with the first DNN based on the first DNN, and matches the user contract information, routing information, business policy information and the first computing capability information to decide whether the local processing service of the data corresponding to the PDU session of the first terminal device or the local processing service of part of the QoS flow data of the PDU session will be provided by the first computing device.

[0585] In the above-mentioned generation method 3, the AMF network element can generate the first indication information in combination with at least one of the user contract information, routing information and business policy information of the first terminal device, and at the same time in combination with the first computing capability information of the first computer device associated with the first DNN, so as to avoid the first indication information containing local processing capability information not supported by the first computing device due to the lack of the first computing capability information.

[0586] It should be noted that the first computing capability information of the first computing device in generation method 2 and generation method 3 can be obtained by the AMF network element before step 402. For the specific acquisition method, please refer to the relevant introduction in the aforementioned step 302, which will not be repeated here.

[0587] 403. The AMF network element sends a fourth message to the first access network device.

[0588] The fourth message carries the first indication information. Step 403 is the same as the above Figure 3 Step 303 in the illustrated embodiment is similar. Please refer to the related introduction of the aforementioned step 303 for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0589] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Figure 4 The first access network device shown may be the CU, that is, the CU performs the above Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the first access network device performs the steps. Further, if the CU is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-CP performs the above steps. Figure 4 The steps in the embodiment shown are performed by the first access network device.

[0590] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application embodiment, which is applied to the first terminal device to request the first access network device to negotiate the local processing of the first terminal device. Figure 5 The method comprises:

[0591] 501. The first terminal device sends a fifth message to the first access network device.

[0592] The fifth message carries the first identification information and the first processing information. For the related introduction of the first identification information and the first processing information, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2A The relevant introduction of step 201 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0593] For example, the fifth message is a local processing request message. The fifth message is used by the first terminal device to request the first access network device to provide a local processing service for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0594] After the first terminal device accesses the first access network device, the first access network device allocates a third identifier to the first terminal device. For example, a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI). The third identifier is used by the first access network device and the first terminal device to identify the first terminal device, respectively. In this way, when the first terminal device sends the fifth message according to the time-frequency resources allocated by the first access network device, the first access network device can determine which terminal device sends the data based on the time-frequency resources, that is, the first access network device determines that the time-frequency resource corresponds to the third identifier of the first terminal device (that is, the corresponding C-RNTI is determined based on the time-frequency resources, and then the C-RNTI can determine that it is the data of the first terminal device).

[0595] Specifically, the first terminal device negotiates on the control plane which data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally. The fifth message may be an existing RRC message, and some new information elements are defined in the existing RRC message for negotiating the MEC function; or, the fifth message is a newly defined RRC message for negotiating the MEC function.

[0596] For example, the first terminal device negotiates with the first access network device about which PDU session data of the first terminal device (or which DRB data, or which QoS flow data) needs to be processed locally, what aspects of local processing need to be implemented, what specific types of algorithms are used, the processing delay requirements, and the traffic model (traffic pattern) of the local processing task requested by the first terminal device (such as the interval or frequency of data arrival of the local processing task, etc.), and the size (which can also be understood as the demand for storage space for the local processing task. For example, how many data packets a local processing task contains and the size of each data packet, etc.).

[0597] For example, a new information element is defined in an existing RRC message (ie, the fifth message), and the RRC message is carried in the SRB. Alternatively, the fifth message is a newly defined RRC message.

[0598] The fifth message carries the first identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device. For the representation of the first identification information and the first processing information carried by the fifth message, please refer to the relevant introduction of Examples 1 to 3 in the aforementioned step 202, which will not be repeated here.

[0599] In this embodiment, before step 501, the first terminal device first obtains the first computing capability information of the first computing device. The specific acquisition method is the same as the above Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the process of the first terminal device acquiring the first computing capability information is similar. For details, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 3 The related introduction of the first terminal device acquiring the first computing capability information in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0600] It should be noted that step 501 can be executed before the first terminal device initiates the establishment of a PDU session, or it can be executed after the first terminal device initiates the establishment of a PDU session and the PDU session is established. If step 501 is executed before the first terminal device initiates the establishment of a PDU session, the first terminal device can request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data of the PDU session of the first terminal device. That is, the first identification information only includes the PDU session identification. If step 501 is executed after the PDU session of the first terminal device is established, the first identification information can be the above Figure 2A Any possible form shown in step 201 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0601] The following describes a process in which the first terminal device performs step 501 after the PDU session of the first terminal device is established.

[0602] Before step 501, the first terminal device sends a NAS message (i.e., a PDU session establishment message) to the AMF network element through the first access network device. After the AMF receives the PDU session establishment request message, the AMF network element sends a PDU session resource establishment request message (PDU session resource setup request) to the first access network device through the NG interface.

[0603] The PDU session resource establishment request message carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier, the QoS flow identifier, and the QoS parameters corresponding to the QoS flow identifier.

[0604] Optionally, the PDU session resource establishment request message also carries a NAS message (i.e., a PDU session establishment reply message) that the AMF network element replies to the first terminal device. The PDU session establishment reply message includes a QoS flow identifier and QoS parameters corresponding to the QoS flow identifier.

[0605] After the first access network device receives the PDU session resource establishment request message, the first access network device determines the mapping relationship between at least one QoS flow of the PDU session and the DRB. One DRB corresponds to at least one QoS flow. For example, the first access network device decides that QoS flow 1 to QoS flow 10 of the PDU session are mapped to three DRBs for transmission. Among them, QoS flow 1 to QoS flow 4 are mapped to DRB1, QoS flow 5 and QoS flow 6 are mapped to DRB2, and QoS flow 7 to QoS flow 10 are mapped to DRB3. The first access network device sends the mapping relationship to the first terminal device through an RRC reconfiguration message. Optionally, the RRC reconfiguration message also carries the PDU session establishment reply message.

[0606] Then, the first terminal device executes the above step 501. Since the first terminal device has learned the mapping relationship between the QoS flow and the DRB of the PDU session, the first identification information may include at least one of the PDU session identification, the DRB identification and the QoS flow identification.

[0607] For example, the first terminal device determines whether local processing is required based on the QoS requirements of each QoS flow contained in the reply message of the PDU session establishment. If the QoS requirements show that the QoS flow is a delay-sensitive service, the first terminal device determines that the data of the QoS flow needs to be processed locally. If all QoS flows contained in a DRB need to be processed locally, the first terminal device determines that the data of the DRB needs to be processed locally. If all QoS flows contained in a PDU session need to be processed locally, the first terminal device determines that the data of the PDU session needs to be processed locally.

[0608] Optionally, the fifth message also carries instruction information indicating how the first access network device processes the received data after local processing. For specific carrying methods, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 3 The relevant introduction of step 303 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0609] Optional, above Figure 5 The illustrated embodiment also includes step 502 and step 503 .

[0610] 502. The first access network device sends a second indication message to the AMF network element.

[0611] The second indication information carries the fourth identification and the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0612] The fourth identifier is used by the first access network device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device.

[0613] Optionally, the second indication information is used to instruct the AMF network element that the first computing device performs local processing on the data corresponding to the first identification information. Alternatively, the second indication information further includes a local processing indication, which is used to instruct the AMF network element that the first computing device performs local processing on the data corresponding to the first identification information.

[0614] For example, in step 501, the first terminal device requests local processing of the data of the QoS flow included in the PDU session of the first terminal device, then the first access network device sends the fourth identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier of the PDU session and the QoS flow identifier of the QoS flow to the AMF network element through an NG interface message. Optionally, the first access network device also sends the local processing indication to the AMF network element.

[0615] In step 502, the first access network device reports the second indication information to the AMF network element to inform the AMF network element which data of the first terminal device the first computing device performs local processing on, so that the AMF network element can notify other core network devices of the billing-related information of the local processing.

[0616] 503. The first access network device sends an eighth message to the first terminal device.

[0617] The eighth message is used to feedback confirmation to the first terminal device, so as to inform the first terminal device of the confirmation of the first access network device on the first identification information and the first processing information, that is, local processing confirm.

[0618] Optionally, the eighth message also carries the relevant identifier of the PDU session or DRB or QoS flow corresponding to the local processing service provided to the first terminal device and accepted by the first access network device, as well as the relevant identifier of the PDU session or DRB or QoS flow corresponding to the local processing service provided to the first terminal device and refused to be provided.

[0619] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Figure 5 The first access network device shown may be the CU, that is, the CU performs the above Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the first access network device performs the steps. Further, if the CU is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-CP performs the above steps. Figure 5 The steps in the embodiment shown are performed by the first access network device.

[0620] In addition to the above-mentioned request by the first terminal device to the first access network device to negotiate local processing, optionally, the first terminal device can also directly request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, that is, the first terminal device and the first computing device directly negotiate the local processing matters of the first terminal device. During the negotiation process between the first terminal device and the first computing device, the relevant information of the local processing matters negotiated between the first terminal device and the first computing device is transparently transmitted on the first access network device. Specifically, both the first terminal device side and the first computing device side add a MEC protocol layer on the RRC layer or the PDCP layer. The following is through Fig. 6A The illustrated embodiment is described.

[0621] See also Fig. 6A , Fig. 6A This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application, which is applied to a first terminal device enabling a first computing device through a first access network device. Fig. 6A The method comprises:

[0622] 601. The first terminal device sends the tenth message to the first access network device.

[0623] The tenth message carries MEC information, which is a local processing request of the first terminal device. The MEC information carries first identification information and first processing information.

[0624] Optionally, the MEC information also carries a fifth identifier of the first terminal device. The fifth identifier is used by the first terminal device and the first computing device to identify the first terminal device, respectively. For the relevant introduction of the first identification information and the first processing information, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2AThe relevant introduction of step 201 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0625] under Figure 6B and Figure 6C Two possible protocol stack architectures between the first terminal device and the first computing device are shown respectively.

[0626] See also Figure 6B A new MEC protocol layer is added to the existing protocol stack on the first terminal device side and the first computing device side. The new MEC protocol layer is used to implement the negotiation of MEC functions. The specific negotiation content can be the same as the above Figure 2A The content carried by the first message in the illustrated embodiment is similar. And a new type of bearer is added between the first terminal device and the first computing device, namely, MEC-RB, which is used to carry the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, namely, the local processing data of the first terminal device. The protocol stack of MEC-RB includes MEC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, PHY and other protocol layers. Among them, the first computing device supports the MEC protocol, and the first access network device supports PDCP, RLC, MAC, PHY and other protocols.

[0627] It should be noted that the first terminal device requests the first access network device to configure MEC-RB. For the first access network device and the first terminal device, the MEC-RB only has protocol layers such as PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY. When the first access network device receives the MEC layer data of the MEC-RB, the first access network device can determine the corresponding tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device, and send the MEC layer data to the first computing device.

[0628] Before executing step 601, the first access network device configures the MEC-RB for the first terminal device through an RRC reconfiguration message. For example, the first access network device can carry the logical channel identity (LCID) corresponding to the MEC-RB in the RRC reconfiguration message, and the first terminal device determines the MEC-RB through the LCID. Then, the first terminal device carries the tenth message on the MEC-RB and sends the tenth message to the first access network device. Figure 6B Under the architecture, the first access network device does not parse the MEC layer information.

[0629] See also Figure 6C, based on the existing SRB, a new MEC protocol layer is introduced. That is, a new MEC protocol layer is defined on the first terminal device side and the first computing device side. That is, the protocol stack included in the SRB includes the MEC layer, RRC layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer and PHY layer from top to bottom. Similarly, the first computing device supports the MEC protocol, and the first access network device supports RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, PHY and other protocols. Among them, the MEC layer is used to implement the negotiation of MEC functions, that is, the MEC layer message can be regarded as a MEC container, that is, the MEC container is carried in the RRC message. The format of the tenth message is similar to the format of the NAS message transmitted in the RRC message in the form of a container. Figure 6C Under the architecture, the first access network device does not parse the MEC layer message. Therefore, the tenth message is carried in the RRC message, and the MEC information is included in the MEC container.

[0630] For the first access network device and the first terminal device, the SRB only has protocol layers such as the RRC layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer and PHY layer. When the first access network device receives the data of the MEC layer of the SRB, the first access network device can determine the corresponding tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device, and send the data of the MEC layer to the first computing device.

[0631] 602. The first access network device obtains MEC information from the tenth message.

[0632] Below Figure 6B Step 602 is introduced by taking the protocol stack architecture of as an example. After the first access network device receives the tenth message carried on MEC-RB and sent by the first terminal device, the first access network device first parses the PHY layer information, MAC layer information, RLC layer information and PDCP layer information carried by the tenth message respectively; then, the first access network device removes the PHY layer header, MAC layer header, RLC layer header and PDCP layer header of the tenth message to obtain MEC information.

[0633] Below Figure 6C Step 602 is introduced by taking the protocol stack architecture of as an example. After the first access network device receives the tenth message carried on the SRB sent by the first terminal device, the first access network device first parses the PHY layer information, MAC layer information, RLC layer information, PDCP layer information and RRC layer information carried by the tenth message respectively; then, the first access network device removes the PHY layer message header, MAC layer message header, RLC layer message header and PDCP layer message header of the tenth message, and obtains the MEC container, that is, the MEC information, from the RRC layer information.

[0634] 603. The first access network device sends an eleventh message to the first computing device.

[0635] Among them, the eleventh message carries the MEC information of the first terminal device, and the MEC information is a local processing request of the first terminal device.

[0636] Specifically, the eleventh message may be an X-AP message, and the X-AP message carries the following content:

[0637] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0638] >MEC container

[0639] The MEC container includes the MEC information, and the first computing device can obtain the MEC information of the first terminal device, that is, the local processing request of the first terminal device.

[0640] It should be noted that the eleventh message includes the first identifier of the first terminal device. For example, gNB UE X-AP ID, the first identifier is used by the first access network device and the first computing device to identify the first terminal device respectively.

[0641] 604. The first computing device sends a twelfth message to the first terminal device through the first access network device.

[0642] The first computing device determines whether to accept the request of the first terminal device according to the actual situation, and sends the twelfth message to the first terminal device through the first access network device. The twelfth message carries confirmation of the MEC information to indicate which data of the first terminal device the first computing device determines to provide local processing services for. For example, the twelfth message includes the PDU session identifier, DRB identifier, or QoS flow identifier accepted by the first access network device to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0643] Optionally, the twelfth message also includes a rejection indication, which is used to indicate a rejection of providing local processing services for part of the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. For example, the twelfth message includes a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier, or a QoS flow identifier that the first access network device rejects to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0644] 605. The first computing device sends a thirteenth message to the first access network device, where the thirteenth message carries the first identifier, first identifier information, and first processing information of the first terminal device.

[0645] Specifically, the first computing device notifies the first access network device through the thirteenth message to provide a local processing service corresponding to the first processing information for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0646] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Fig. 6A The first access network device shown may be the CU, that is, the CU performs the above Fig. 6A In the embodiment shown, the first access network device performs the steps. Further, if the CU is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-CP performs the above steps. Fig. 6A The steps in the embodiment shown are performed by the first access network device.

[0647] In the embodiment of the present application, the first terminal device sends the tenth message to the first access network device, and the tenth message carries MEC information; then, the first access network device obtains the MEC information from the tenth message, and sends the eleventh message to the first computing device, and the eleventh message carries MEC information, and the eleventh message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, thereby enabling the MEC function of the first computing device. Compared with the existing method of enabling the MEC function through the application layer architecture, the solution of enabling the MEC function of the first computing device through the first access network device in the present application is simpler and more flexible, and the MEC deployment is closer to the access network, reducing signaling delay.

[0648] Above Fig. 6A In step 605 of the illustrated embodiment, a user plane tunnel may be established between the first access network device and the first computing device, or a control plane connection may be established to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the first computing device.

[0649] A method for establishing a user plane tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device:

[0650] In a possible implementation, the first computing device may carry the second address information of the first tunnel corresponding to the first identification information of the first computing device in the thirteenth message in step 605. Then, after the first access network device receives the thirteenth message, the first access network device feeds back the first address information of the first tunnel corresponding to the first identification information of the first access network device to the first computing device.

[0651] In another possible implementation, after step 605, the first computing device sends an eighteenth message to the first access network device, where the eighteenth message carries the first identifier of the first terminal device, the first identifier information, and the second address information of the first tunnel of the first computing device corresponding to the first identifier information; then, after the first access network device receives the eighteenth message, the first access network device feeds back to the first computing device the first address information of the first tunnel of the first access network device corresponding to the first identifier information.

[0652] For the relevant introduction about the second address information of the first computing device in the first tunnel and the first address information of the first access network device in the first tunnel, please refer to the relevant introduction about the aforementioned step 202 and step 203a, which will not be repeated here.

[0653] Optional, above Fig. 6A The twelfth message of step 604 in the illustrated embodiment may be included in the above Fig. 6A In the thirteenth message of step 605 in the embodiment shown. For example, the thirteenth message of step 605 carries the MEC container message to the first terminal device. For example, the thirteenth message may carry the following content:

[0654] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0655] >MEC UE X-AP ID

[0656] >MEC container for UE

[0657] >PDU session ID

[0658] >DRB list

[0659] >>DRB ID

[0660] >>UP TNL Info

[0661] Among them, the first computing device sending data to the first access network device can be understood as downlink transmission, so the first access network device provides the first computing device with DL TNL Info; and the first access network device sending data to the first computing device can be understood as uplink transmission, so the first computing device provides the first access network device with UP TNL Info.

[0662] If a control plane connection is established between the first access network device and the first computing device, the thirteenth message does not carry the tunnel address information, that is, it carries the aforementioned MEC information. For the specific representation of the MEC information carried in the thirteenth message, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2EThen, the first access network device receives the nineteenth message sent by the first computing device to indicate the first access network device's confirmation of the first identifier, the first identifier information and the first processing information.

[0663] It can be seen from this that through the above Figure 2A and Fig. 6A The illustrated embodiment implements negotiation of local processing matters of the first terminal device on the control plane. Fig. 6A The implementation method in the embodiment shown is based on Figure 6B and Figure 6C The protocol stack architecture shown in the figure will also define the MEC protocol in practical applications.

[0664] On the user side, you can Figure 2D and Figure 2E Two different schemes are used to transmit user plane data.

[0665] exist Figure 2D In the process, the first terminal device transmits the data corresponding to the first identification information to the first access network device through the DRB. Then, the first access network device identifies that the data corresponds to the first identification information of the first terminal device; the first access network device sends the data to the first computing device through the user plane tunnel corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device negotiated previously.

[0666] exist Figure 2E In the example, the first terminal device transmits the data corresponding to the first identification information to the first access network device through the DRB. After the first access network device identifies that the data corresponds to the first identification information of the first terminal device, the first access network device sends the data to the first computing device through an X-AP message. Specifically, it can be sent in the following form:

[0667] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0668] >MEC UE X-AP ID

[0669] >PDU session ID / DRB ID / QoS flow ID

[0670] >MEC data

[0671] The MEC data is the data corresponding to the first identification information. Figure 2EWhen the data corresponding to the first identification information is transmitted between the first access network device and the first computing device, the first identification of the first terminal device, i.e., the gNBUE X-AP ID and the MEC UE X-AP ID, needs to be carried. Optionally, the PDU session ID, or the PDU session ID and the DRB ID, or the PDU session ID, the DRB ID and the QoS flow ID need to be carried.

[0672] Based on the above Figure 2A and Fig. 6A The embodiment shown in the figure realizes the negotiation of the local processing matters of the first terminal device on the control plane. Figure 7 and Figure 8 This section describes the local processing of uplink or downlink data. Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the description, the local processing of data is introduced by taking the method of establishing a tunnel between the first access network device and the first computing device to realize the transmission of data corresponding to the first identification information as an example.

[0673] After the first access network device and the first computing device establish a connection, the data of the first terminal device can be sent to the first computing device for local processing. Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application embodiment, which is applied to a scenario where a first computing device processes first data sent by a first terminal device. Figure 7 The method comprises:

[0674] 701. A first terminal device sends first data to a first access network device.

[0675] The first data is data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0676] like Figure 2D As shown, the first terminal device sends first data to the first access network device through the DRB. The first data can be understood as uplink data sent by the first terminal device.

[0677] Specifically, the first terminal device sends first data to the first access network device through the time-frequency resources configured by the first access network device. The first data carries an LCID, and the LCID is associated with the DRB.

[0678] Optionally, the first data also carries the QFI of the QoS flow to which the first data belongs.

[0679] The first terminal is configured to obtain a mapping relationship between DRB and LCID and a mapping relationship between DRB and QFI through an RRC message of a first access network device.

[0680] 702. The first access network device determines that the first data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identifier information.

[0681] Specifically, the first access network device can determine that the first data is of the first terminal device through the time-frequency resources. The first access network device stores the mapping relationship between PDU sessions, DRBs and QoS flows, and the mapping relationship between DRBs and LCIDs. Therefore, the first access network device can determine which PDU session of the first terminal device the first data belongs to through the LCID carried by the first data, or determine which DRB of the first terminal device the first data belongs to. Alternatively, the first access network device can determine which PDU session of the first terminal device, which DRB of the first terminal device, and which QoS flow of the first data the first data belongs to through the LCID carried by the first data and the QFI.

[0682] 703. The first access network device determines a first tunnel according to the first identifier and the first identifier information.

[0683] By the above Figure 2A It can be seen from the embodiment shown that the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device. That is, there is a corresponding relationship between the first tunnel and the first identification and first identification information of the terminal device, so the first access network device finds the first tunnel according to the first identification and the first identification information.

[0684] For example, the first identification information includes the PDU session identifier. The first access network device determines the DRB data of the first terminal device through the LCID carried by the first data in the above step 702, and determines that the first data is the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device through the mapping relationship between the DRB and the PDU session. The first access network device determines the first tunnel through the PDU session identifier and the first identifier. The first tunnel is established for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device, and is used to transmit the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device.

[0685] For another example, the first identification information includes a DRB identifier. The first access network device determines the LCID carried by the first data through the above step 702 to determine that the first data is the data corresponding to the DRB identifier. The first access network device determines the first tunnel through the DRB identifier and the first identifier. The first tunnel is established for the data corresponding to the DRB identifier of the first terminal device, and is used to transmit the data corresponding to the DRB identifier of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device.

[0686] For another example, the first identification information includes a PDU session identifier, a DRB identifier and a QoS flow identifier. The first access network device determines the LCID carried by the first data through the above step 702, and determines that the first data is the data corresponding to the DRB identifier. The first access network device determines the QFI carried by the first data based on the mapping relationship between the PDU session, DRB and QoS flow, and determines that the first data is the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier in the PDU session identifier. The first access network device determines the first tunnel through the PDU session identifier, the DRB identifier and the QoS flow identifier. The first tunnel is established for the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device, and is used to transmit the data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the first computing device.

[0687] 704. The first access network device sends first data to the first computing device through the first tunnel.

[0688] The first access network device sends the first data to the first computing device through the first tunnel. Specifically, the first access network device encapsulates a data packet header outside the first data, which contains the second address information of the first computing device in the first tunnel. Optionally, the first tunnel can be a first user plane tunnel, that is, the TNL information corresponding to the first computing device in the first user plane tunnel provided by the first computing device. For example, the IP address of the first computing device and the TEID of the first computing device in the first user tunnel. Specifically, the data packet header encapsulated outside the first data includes an IP packet header, a UDP packet header and a GTP-U packet header. Among them, the IP packet header contains the IP address of the first computing device, and the GTP-U packet header contains the TEID of the first computing device in the first user tunnel.

[0689] 705. The first computing device determines first processing information corresponding to the first data according to the first tunnel.

[0690] As can be seen from step 703, the first tunnel corresponds to the first identification information and the first identification, and the first identification information corresponds to the first processing information. The first processing information is local processing information used to perform local processing on the data of the first identification information of the first terminal device. Therefore, after the first computing device receives the first data through the first tunnel, the first computing device can determine that the local processing information corresponding to the first data is the first processing information according to the first tunnel.

[0691] For example, the first computing device determines the first processing information corresponding to the first data according to the TNL information included in the data packet header of the first data and the mapping relationship between the TNL information and the first identifier, first identifier information and first processing information of the first terminal device.

[0692] 706. The first computing device locally processes the first data according to the first processing information to obtain second data.

[0693] The second data is the result obtained after the first computing device locally processes the first data.

[0694] For example, the first processing information includes an image recognition function requested by the first terminal device, and the first data is the image source data. The first computing device recognizes the image and obtains the recognition result. For example, the animal in the image is recognized, and the recognition result is "tiger", then the second data is the data of the image "tiger". For another example, the first processing information is a request by the first terminal device to perform bit rate correction on the image, and the first data is the image source data. The first computing device corrects the image and obtains the corrected image. That is, the recognition result is the corrected image, and the second data is the corrected image data.

[0695] 707. The first computing device sends second data to the first access network device through the first tunnel.

[0696] After the first access network device receives the second data, the first access network device may send the second data to the UPF network element; or, the first access network device may send the second data to the first terminal device; or, the first access network device does not process the second data and stores the second data in the memory of the first access network device, which may be a cache of the first access network device or other memory of the first access network device, such as a hard disk, etc. The following illustrates the manner in which the first access network device sends the second data to the first terminal device in conjunction with step 708, and illustrates the manner in which the first access network device sends the second data to the UPF network element in step 709.

[0697] Optionally, 708, the first access network device sends second data to the first terminal device.

[0698] Optionally, 709, the first computing device sends second data to the UPF network element.

[0699] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, step 701, the DU of the first access network device receives the first data, and then the DU of the first access network device sends the first data to the CU of the first access network device. Then the CU executes the above steps 702 to 704 and step 707. The CU of the first access network device sends the second data to the DU of the first access network device, and then the DU of the first access network device executes step 708; or, the CU of the first access network device executes step 709.

[0700] Furthermore, if the CU is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-UP performs the above Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, steps 702 to 704 , step 707 and step 709 are shown.

[0701] In an embodiment of the present application, a first terminal device sends first data to a first access network device; then, the first access network device determines that the first data corresponds to a first identifier and first identification information, and determines a first tunnel based on the first identifier and first identification information, and then sends the first data to a first computing device through the first tunnel. In this way, the first computing device can determine the first processing information corresponding to the first data based on the first tunnel, and then locally process the first data based on the first processing information, thereby providing local processing services for the first data sent by the first terminal device. Based on the MEC architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application, the process of implementing a first computing device providing local processing services for the uplink data of the first terminal device.

[0702] exist Figure 7 In the described embodiment, the first computing device processes the first data sent by the first terminal device. In addition, the first computing device can also process the third data sent by the network side for the first terminal device.

[0703] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application embodiment, which is applied to a scenario in which a first computing device processes third data sent by a network side for a first terminal device. Figure 8 In, the method comprises:

[0704] 801. The UPF network element sends third data to the first access network device.

[0705] Among them, the third data is the data corresponding to the PDU session of the first terminal device.

[0706] The core network device sends the third data to the first terminal device through the UPF network element, and the third data can be understood as the downlink data sent by the UPF network element. The UPF network element can send the third data to the first access network device through the third user plane tunnel, and the third user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel established between the first access network device and the UPF network element for the PDU session of the first terminal device. The third user plane tunnel is used to transmit the data of the PDU session of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the UPF network element. The third data is encapsulated with a data packet header, which contains the TNL information of the UPF network element in the second user plane tunnel, and the TNL information includes the IP address provided by the first access network device and the TEID of the first access network device in the third user plane tunnel. Specifically, the data packet header encapsulated outside the third data includes an IP packet header, a UDP packet header and a GTP-U packet header. Among them, the IP packet header contains the IP address of the first access network device, and the GTP-U header contains the TEID of the first access network device in the third user plane tunnel. Optionally, the GTP-U packet header also contains the QFI of the QoS flow to which the third data belongs.

[0707] 802. The first access network device determines that the third data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identifier information.

[0708] Specifically, the first access network device can determine which PDU session data of the first terminal device the third data is based on the TNL information of the first access network device in the third user plane tunnel carried by the third data. For example, the first identification information includes the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device; the first access network device determines that the third data is the data of the PDU session identifier through the TNL information of the third user plane tunnel, then the first access network device can determine that the third data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identification information.

[0709] Optionally, the third data also carries a QFI, so the first access network device can determine that the third data is data of which QoS flow of which PDU session of the first terminal device. For example, the first identification information includes a PDU session identifier and a QFI, and the first access network device determines that the third data corresponds to the data of the QFI carried by the first identification information through the TNL information of the third user plane tunnel and the QFI, then the first access network device can determine that the third data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identification information.

[0710] Since there is a mapping relationship between the QoS flow of the PDU session and the DRB on the first access network device, the first access network device can also determine which DRB of the first terminal device the third data belongs to based on the PDU session identifier and QFI. For example, if the first identification information includes a DRB identifier, the first access network device can determine that the third data corresponds to the DRB identifier based on the TNL information of the first access network device in the third user plane tunnel, the QFI, and the mapping relationship between the QoS flow of the PDU session and the DRB.

[0711] 803. The first access network device determines a first tunnel according to the first identifier and the first identifier information.

[0712] 804. The first access network device sends third data through the first tunnel.

[0713] 805. The first computing device determines, according to the first tunnel, that the third data corresponds to the first processing information.

[0714] 806. The first computing device locally processes the third data according to the first processing information to obtain fourth data.

[0715] 807. The first computing device sends fourth data to the first access network device.

[0716] 808. The first access network device sends fourth data to the first terminal device.

[0717] 809. The first access network device sends fourth data to the UPF network element.

[0718] Steps 803 to 809 are the same as those described above. Figure 7 Steps 703 to 709 in the embodiment shown are similar, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 7 The related introduction of steps 703 to 709 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0719] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the CU executes the above steps 801 to 804 and 807; the CU of the first access network device sends the second data to the DU of the first access network device, and then the DU of the first access network device executes step 808; or, the CU of the first access network device executes step 809.

[0720] Furthermore, if the CU of the first access network device is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-UP performs the above Figure 8In the illustrated embodiment, steps 801 to 804 , step 807 and step 809 are shown.

[0721] In the embodiment of the present application, the UPF network element sends the third data to the first access network device; then, the first access network device determines that the third data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identification information, and determines the first tunnel according to the first identifier and the first identification information, and then sends the third data to the first computing device through the first tunnel. Then, the first computing device determines that the third data corresponds to the first processing information according to the first tunnel, and locally processes the third data according to the first processing information, thereby providing local processing services for the third data sent by the first UPF network element. Based on the MEC architecture provided in the embodiment of the present application, the process of providing local processing services for the downlink data of the first terminal device is realized.

[0722] Based on the above Figure 2A and Fig. 6A The embodiment shown in the figure realizes the negotiation of the local processing matters of the first terminal device on the control plane. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 This section describes the local processing of uplink or downlink data. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 In the description, the local processing process of data is introduced by taking the method of establishing a control plane connection between a first access network device and a first computing device to realize transmission of data corresponding to the first identification information as an example.

[0723] See also Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application, which is applied to a scenario where a first computing device processes first data sent by a first terminal device. Fig. 9 In, the method comprises:

[0724] 901. A first terminal device sends first data to a first access network device.

[0725] 902. The first access network device determines that the first data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identifier information.

[0726] Step 901 to step 902 are the same as the above Figure 7 Steps 701 to 702 in the embodiment shown are similar, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 7 The related introduction from step 701 to step 702 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0727] 903. The first access network device sends a fourteenth message to the first computing device, where the fourteenth message carries the first identifier, first identifier information, and first data of the first terminal device.

[0728] Optionally, the fourteenth message is an X-AP message, and the content carried by the fourteenth message may be in the form of:

[0729] >gNB UE X-AP ID

[0730] >MEC UE X-AP ID

[0731] >PDU session ID / DRB ID / QoS flow ID

[0732] >MEC data

[0733] MEC data includes the first data.

[0734] In the manner of establishing a control plane connection between the first access network device and the first computing device, each time the first access network device and the first computing device transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, the first identification of the first terminal device needs to be carried. Optionally, the first identification information also needs to be carried.

[0735] 904. The first computing device obtains the first data from the fourteenth message.

[0736] 905. The first computing device determines first processing information corresponding to the first data according to the first identifier and the first identifier information.

[0737] Since the first identification information and the first identification correspond to the first processing information, the first computing device can determine the first processing information through the first identification and the first identification information carried by the eleventh message. The first processing information is local processing information for locally processing the first data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0738] 906. The first computing device locally processes the first data according to the first processing information to obtain second data.

[0739] Step 906 and the above Figure 7 Step 706 in the embodiment shown is similar, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 7 The relevant introduction of step 706 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0740] 907. The first computing device sends a fifteenth message to the first access network device, where the fifteenth message carries the first identifier, first identifier information, and second data of the first terminal device.

[0741] The first access network device obtains the second data through the fifteenth message. After the first access network device obtains the second data, the first access network device can send the second data to the UPF network element; or, the first access network device sends the second data to the first terminal device; or, the first access network device does not process the second data and stores the second data in the cache of the first access network device. The following is combined with step 908 to illustrate the way in which the first access network device sends the second data to the first terminal device, and step 909 to illustrate the way in which the first access network device sends the second data to the UPF network element.

[0742] Optionally, 908, the first access network device sends second data to the first terminal device.

[0743] Optionally, 909, the first access network device sends second data to the UPF network element.

[0744] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown, step 901, the DU receives the first data, and then the DU sends the first data to the CU. Then the CU executes the above steps 902 to 904 and step 907. The CU of the first access network device sends the second data to the DU of the first access network device, and then the DU of the first access network device executes step 908; or, the CU of the first access network device executes step 909.

[0745] Furthermore, if the CU of the first access network device is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-UP performs the above Fig. 9 In the illustrated embodiment, steps 902 to 904 , step 907 and step 909 are shown.

[0746] In an embodiment of the present application, a first terminal device sends first data to a first access network device; then, the first access network device determines that the first data corresponds to a first identifier and first identification information, and then sends a fourteenth message to the first computing device, the fourteenth message carrying the first identifier, first identification information, and first data. The first computing device obtains the first data from the fourteenth message, and determines the first processing information corresponding to the first data based on the first identifier and the first identification information, and then locally processes the first data based on the first processing information, thereby providing local processing services for the first data sent by the first terminal device. Based on the MEC architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application, the process of implementing the first computing device providing local processing services for the uplink data of the first terminal device.

[0747] exist Fig. 9In the described embodiment, based on the way that the data corresponding to the first identification information is transmitted by establishing a control plane connection between the first access network device and the first computing device, the first computing device processes the first data sent by the first terminal device. In addition, the first computing device can also process the third data sent by the network side for the first terminal device.

[0748] See also Fig.10 , Fig.10 This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application embodiment, which is applied to a scenario in which a first computing device processes third data sent by a network side for a first terminal device. Fig.10 The method comprises:

[0749] 1001. The UPF network element sends third data to the first access network device.

[0750] 1002. The first access network device determines that the third data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identifier information.

[0751] Step 1001 to step 1002 are the same as the above Figure 8 Steps 801 to 802 in the embodiment shown are similar, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 8 The related introduction from step 801 to step 802 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0752] 1003. The first access network device sends a sixteenth message to the first computing device, where the sixteenth message carries the first identifier, first identifier information and third data of the first terminal device.

[0753] 1004. The first computing device obtains the third data from the sixteenth message.

[0754] 1005. The first computing device determines, according to the first identifier and the first identifier information, that the third data corresponds to the first processing information.

[0755] 1006. The first computing device locally processes the third data according to the first processing information to obtain fourth data.

[0756] 1007. The first computing device sends a seventeenth message to the first access network device, where the seventeenth message carries the first identifier, first identifier information and fourth data of the first terminal device.

[0757] Optionally, 1008, the first access network device sends fourth data to the first terminal device.

[0758] Optionally, 1109, the first access network device sends fourth data to the UPF network element.

[0759] Steps 1003 to 1109 are the same as those described above. Fig. 9 Steps 903 to 909 in the embodiment shown are similar, please refer to the aforementioned Fig. 9 The related introduction of steps 903 to 909 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0760] Optionally, if the first access network device is composed of a CU and a DU, that is, the first access network device includes a CU and a DU, then the above Fig.10 In the embodiment shown, the CU performs the above steps 1001 to 1003 and 1007. The CU of the first access network device sends the second data to the DU of the first access network device, and then the DU of the first access network device performs step 1008; or, the CU of the first access network device performs step 1009.

[0761] Furthermore, if the CU is further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-UP performs the above Fig.10 In the illustrated embodiment, steps 1001 to 1003 , step 1007 and step 1009 are shown.

[0762] In the embodiment of the present application, the UPF network element sends the third data to the first access network device; then, the first access network device determines that the third data corresponds to the first identifier and the first identification information, and then sends the sixteenth message to the first computing device, the sixteenth message carrying the first identifier, the first identification information and the third data. The first computing device obtains the third data from the sixteenth message, and determines the first processing information corresponding to the third data according to the first identifier and the first identification information, and then processes the third data locally according to the first processing information, thereby providing local processing services for the third data sent by the UPF network element. Based on the MEC architecture provided in the embodiment of the present application, the process of implementing the first computing device providing local processing services for the downlink data of the first terminal device.

[0763] In mobile communications, a terminal device can move in the network, such as moving from the coverage of a first cell to the coverage of a second cell. At this time, the access network device that provides services to the terminal device may change from the first access network device that controls the first cell to the second access network device that controls the second cell. Due to the mobility of the first terminal device, there are two possible situations.

[0764] Case 1: The anchor point providing local processing services for the first terminal device changes, that is, the computing device providing local processing services for the first terminal device changes from the original first computing device to the second computing device.

[0765] The first computing device is connected to the first access network device, and the second computing device is connected to the second access network device. The first computing device and the second computing device are two different computing devices. The first access network device is the source access network device that the first terminal device accesses before switching, and the second access network device is the target access network device that the first terminal device switches to.

[0766] For example, Fig.11A As shown, if the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device. The MEC controller of the first computing device is different from the MEC controller of the second computing device, that is, the first access network device and the second access network device are connected to different MEC controllers. Therefore, when the first terminal device moves, the anchor point providing local processing services for the first terminal device can be changed from the first computing device to the second computing device.

[0767] For situation 1, the subsequent Fig. 11C Step 1101, step 1102, and steps 1103a to 1103g in the illustrated embodiment are described.

[0768] Case 2: The anchor point providing the local processing service for the first terminal device remains unchanged, that is, the computing device providing the local processing service for the first terminal device is still the first computing device.

[0769] For situation 2, there are two possible scenarios:

[0770] Scenario 1: Fig. 11B As shown, the first access network device and the second access network device are connected to the same computing device, that is, the same MEC controller. Even if the first terminal device moves to the vicinity of the second access network device, the first computing device still provides local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0771] Scenario 2: Fig.11A As shown, the computing devices connected to the first access network device and the second access network device are different. However, from the perspective of security policy, the network decides that the first computing device still provides local processing services for the first terminal device; or, when the second computing device does not support the MEC function required by the first terminal device or the current load of the second computing device is large, the second access network device decides that the first computing device still provides local processing services for the first terminal device. For scenario 2, the subsequent Fig. 11C Step 1101, step 1102, and steps 1104a to 1104c in the embodiment shown, and Fig.12 The illustrated embodiment is described.

[0772] In the embodiment of the present application, in the subsequent Fig. 11CIn the embodiment shown, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is introduced by taking the second access network device and the second computing device as an example to realize the transmission of the data corresponding to the first identification information of the terminal device between the second access network device and the second computing device by establishing a third tunnel. In actual application, the control plane connection can also be established between the second access network device and the second computing device. The specific establishment method is the same as the above Figure 2A In the embodiment shown in FIG. 202 and FIG. 203b, the process of establishing a control plane connection between the first access network device and the first computing device is similar. For details, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2A The process of establishing a control plane connection between the first access network device and the first computing device in step 202 and step 203b in the illustrated embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0773] See also Fig. 11C , Fig. 11C This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application embodiment. Fig. 11C In the switching scenario of the first terminal device, the method is applied to a scenario where the anchor point providing the local processing service for the first terminal device changes or does not change, and includes:

[0774] 1101. A first access network device sends a first handover request message to a second access network device. The first handover request message carries a sixth identifier of a first terminal device, first identifier information, and first processing information.

[0775] The sixth identifier is used by the first access network device and the second access network device to identify the first terminal device respectively. For example, the sixth identifier is the gNB UE X-AP ID. For the relevant introduction of the first identification information and the first processing information, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2A The relevant introduction in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0776] For example, the first identification information includes a DRB identifier. Then, the Handover Request message is introduced by taking the DRB granularity as an example. The Handover Request message may include the following information:

[0777] >PDU session list

[0778] >>PDU ID

[0779] >>DRB list

[0780] >>>DRB ID

[0781] >>>local processing info

[0782] Optionally, the first switching request message also carries an identifier of the first computing device, which may be an identifier of a MEC controller connected to the first access network device (mainly for the case where the first access network device and the second access network device are connected to different MEC controllers).

[0783] 1102. The second access network device performs admission control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the first switching request message.

[0784] The second access network device performs access control on the PDU session of the first terminal device. If the first terminal device is allowed to switch to the second access network device, the first access network device allows the access of the PDU session of the first terminal device, which means that the second access network device agrees that the first terminal device switches to the second access network device. When the terminal device has multiple PDU sessions, the second access network device may accept some PDU sessions and refuse to accept other PDU sessions.

[0785] It should be noted that if the second access network device does not allow the first terminal device to access the PDU session, the second access network device can feedback the switching failure to the first access network device to indicate that the second access network device does not agree to the first terminal device switching to the second access network device.

[0786] In this embodiment, if the second access network device allows the PDU session access of the first terminal device, then the execution of the second access network device includes the following two situations:

[0787] Case 1: The second access network device agrees that the first terminal device switches to the second access network device, and accepts the local processing request of the first terminal device. This is specifically described through steps 1103a to 1103d.

[0788] Case 2: The second access network device agrees that the first terminal device switches to the second access network device, and the second access network device still determines that the first access network device provides local processing services for the first terminal device. This is specifically described through steps 1104a to 1104c.

[0789] If the second access network device agrees that the first terminal device switches to the second access network device and accepts the local processing request of the first terminal device, the second access network device executes steps 1103a to 1103d.

[0790] 1103a. The second access network device sends a first request to the second computing device, where the first request is used by the second computing device to provide a local processing service for data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0791] The first request carries the seventh identification of the terminal device, the first identification information, the first processing information, and the fifth address information of the third tunnel of the second access network device corresponding to the first identification information.

[0792] The seventh identification of the first terminal device is used by the second access network device and the second computing device to identify the first terminal device respectively. The third tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the second access network device and the second computing device.

[0793] Optionally, the first request is a first path switch request.

[0794] For the introduction of the first identification information and the first processing information, please refer to the above Figure 2A The relevant introduction in the embodiment shown in the figure will not be repeated here. Figure 2A The first address information in the embodiment shown is similar, and can be specifically referred to in the aforementioned Figure 2A Related introduction to the first address information in the illustrated embodiment.

[0795] 1103b. The second computing device sends, to the second access network device, sixth address information of the third tunnel of the second computing device corresponding to the first identification information.

[0796] The construction of the third tunnel is similar to the above Figure 2A The process of establishing the first tunnel in the embodiment shown is similar. For details, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2A The process of establishing the first tunnel in the illustrated embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0797] 1103c. When access is allowed, the second access network device determines to accept the local processing request of the first terminal device according to the first identification information and the first processing information.

[0798] If the first terminal device allows the PDU session access of the first terminal device, the second access network device can determine whether to accept the local processing request of the first terminal device according to the first identification information and the first processing information. If accepted, the second access network device can perform step 1103d.

[0799] It should be noted that, if not accepted, the second access network device may determine that the first access network device still provides local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0800] 1103d. The second access network device sends a first handover response message to the first access network device, where the first handover response message carries a confirmation indication of the first identification information and the first processing information.

[0801] After the second access network device agrees that the first terminal device switches to the second access network device, the second access network device determines to accept the local processing request of the first terminal device. Then, the second access network device can send the first switching response message to the first access network device, and the first switching response message is used to indicate that the second access network device agrees that the first terminal device switches to the second access network device. In addition, the first switching response message carries a confirmation indication of the first identification information and the first processing information. The confirmation indication is used to indicate to the first access network device that the second access network device accepts the local processing request of the first terminal device.

[0802] Optionally, the first switching response message further includes a first list of local processing services accepted by the second access network device, and / or, further includes a second list of local processing services rejected by the second access network device. The first list includes the PDU session identifier, or the DRB identifier, or the QoS flow identifier, for which the second access network device accepts to provide local processing services for the first terminal device. The second list includes the PDU session identifier, or the DRB identifier, or the QoS flow identifier, for which the second access network device refuses to provide local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0803] For example, the first identification information includes a DRB identification, and the handover response message is introduced by taking the DRB granularity as an example. The handover response message may include the following information:

[0804] >PDU session list

[0805] >>PDU ID

[0806] >>DRB list

[0807] >>>DRB ID

[0808] >>>local processing confirmed

[0809] Then, the second access network device sends the switching related information to the first terminal device through the first access network device. That is, the second access network device sends the switching related information of the first terminal device to the first access network device, and the first access network device includes the switching related information in the RRC reconfiguration message and sends it to the first terminal device. For example, the C-RNTI, random access channel (RACH) resources, etc. allocated by the second access network device to the first terminal device. Then, the first terminal device initiates a random access RACH process to the second access network device.

[0810] Optionally, the first identification information includes second identification information and third identification information, the second identification information corresponds to the fourth processing information, and the third identification information corresponds to the fifth processing information.

[0811] The fourth processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the second identification information. The fifth processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the third identification information.

[0812] If the second computing device does not support the local processing function corresponding to the fourth processing information, this embodiment further includes step 1103e. In addition, the first request in the aforementioned step 1103a should carry the seventh identifier, the third identifier information, the fifth processing information and the fifth address information of the second access network device in the third tunnel.

[0813] For example, the first identification information includes the QoS flow identification of QoS flow 1 and the QoS flow identification of QoS flow 2. The fourth processing information corresponding to the QoS flow identification of QoS flow 1 is the image recognition function, and the fifth processing information corresponding to the QoS flow identification of QoS flow 2 is the video analysis function. If the second computing device does not support the video analysis function, the second access network device can request the AMF network element on the core network side to provide the video analysis function for the data of the QoS flow 2 of the first terminal device.

[0814] 1103e. The second access network device sends a second request to the AMF network element, where the second request is used to request the AMF network element to request other devices in the core network to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the second identification information of the first terminal device.

[0815] The second request carries the eighth identification of the first terminal device, second identification information and fourth processing information.

[0816] The eighth identifier is used for the second access network device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively. For example, if the fourth processing information indicates that an image processing function is required to be performed on the data corresponding to QoS flow 2 of the PDU session of the first terminal device, and the second computing device does not support the image processing function, then the second access network device can request the AMF network element to provide the image processing function for the data corresponding to QoS flow 2 of the PDU session of the first terminal device.

[0817] Optionally, the second request is a second path switch request.

[0818] Step 1103e may be performed before step 1103c to step 1103d, or after step 1103c to step 1103d, or, depending on the circumstances, step 1103e and step 1103c to step 1103d may be performed simultaneously, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0819] Optionally, if the first access network device has fifth data to be processed locally, this embodiment further includes step 1103f and step 1103g.

[0820] 1103f. The first access network device sends fifth data to the second access network device.

[0821] 1103g. The second access network device sends fifth data to the second computing device.

[0822] The second computing device receives the fifth data and locally processes the fifth data.

[0823] Fig. 11C In the illustrated embodiment, if the second access network device allows the PDU session access of the first terminal device, the second access network device may also still determine that the first access network device provides local processing services for the first terminal device, then the second access network device executes steps 1104a to 1104c.

[0824] 1104a. When access is allowed, the second access network device determines, based on the first identification information and the first processing information, that the first computing device provides local processing services for the first terminal device.

[0825] After the second access network device agrees that the first terminal device switches to the second access network device, the second access network device allows the first terminal device to access the PDU session. The second access network device determines that the first access network device still provides local processing services for the first terminal device based on its actual situation, the first identification information and the first processing information. The following shows several possible situations in which the second access network device determines that the first access network device provides local processing services for the first terminal device:

[0826] Case 1: The current load of the second access network device is large and cannot meet the local processing requirements of the first terminal device.

[0827] Case 2: The second access network device does not support the local processing function required by the first terminal device.

[0828] 1104b. The second access network device sends a first switching response message to the first access network device.

[0829] The first switching response message carries the eighth identification of the terminal device, the first identification information and the seventh address information of the fourth tunnel of the second access network device corresponding to the first identification information. The fourth tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the second access network device.

[0830] 1104c. The first access network device sends, to the second access network device, eighth address information of the fourth tunnel of the first access network device corresponding to the first identification information.

[0831] The construction process of the fourth tunnel is similar to the above Figure 2A The process of establishing the first tunnel in the embodiment shown is similar, and the seventh address information and the eighth address information are the same as those in the above Figure 2A The first address information and the second address information in the embodiment shown are similar. Figure 2A The related introduction of the establishment process of the first tunnel in the embodiment shown in the figure and the aforementioned Figure 2A The related introduction of the first address information and the second address information in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0832] The above-mentioned process of step 1104b and step 1104c is a process of establishing a fourth tunnel between the first access network device and the second access network device when the computing device connected to the first access network device and the computing device connected to the second access network device are two different computing devices. Fig.11A , the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device. Therefore, the fourth tunnel established between the first access network device and the second access network device is used for the first access network device and the second access network device to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0833] If the computing device connected to the first access network device and the computing device connected to the second access network device are the same computing device, the second access network device establishes a tunnel with the computing device connected to the second access network device to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. That is, if the computing device connected to the first access network device and the computing device connected to the second access network device are the same computing device, there is no need to establish a tunnel between the first access network device and the second access network device.

[0834] Optionally, if the first access network device and the second access network device are composed of a CU and a DU, the CU of the first access network device executes the above Fig. 11C In the embodiment shown in the figure, the first access network device performs the steps, and the CU of the second access network device performs the above steps. Fig. 11C The steps are performed by the second access network device in the illustrated embodiment.

[0835] If the CU of the first access network device and the CU of the second access network device are further divided into a gNB-CU-CP (or CU-CP) and at least one gNB-CU-UP (or CU-UP), the CU-CP of the first access network device performs the above Fig. 11CIn the embodiment shown in the figure, steps 1101, 1103d, 1104b and 1104c are performed by the CU-UP of the first access network device. Fig. 11C In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1103f, the CU-CP of the second access network device executes the above Fig. 11C In the illustrated embodiment, steps 1102, 1103a, 1103b, 1103c, 1103e, and 1104a to 1104c are performed by the CU-UP of the second access network device and step 1103g is performed.

[0836] In an embodiment of the present application, the first access network device sends a first switching request message to the second access network device, and the first switching request message carries the sixth identification, first identification information and first processing information of the first terminal device. Then, the second access network device performs access control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the first switching request message; when access is allowed, the second access network device determines to accept the local processing request of the first terminal device according to the first identification information and the first processing information, and sends a first switching response message to the first access network device. The first switching response message carries a confirmation indication of the first identification information and the first processing information. The second access network device sends a first request to the second computing device to request the second computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, thereby realizing the switching scenario of the first terminal device and the situation where the anchor point providing local processing services for the first terminal device changes, and the second access network device enables the changed anchor point to provide local processing services for the first terminal device. When the second access network device performs access control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the first switching request message; when access is allowed, the second access network device determines that the first computer device provides local processing services for the first terminal device according to the first identification information and the first processing information, then the second access network device sends a first switching response message to the first access network device, and the first switching response message carries the seventh address information of the second access network device on the fourth tunnel; then, the first access network device sends the eighth address information of the first access network device on the fourth tunnel to the second access network device, thereby realizing the switching scenario of the first terminal device and the anchor point for providing local processing services to the first terminal device does not change, and the fourth tunnel is established between the first access network device and the second access network device to realize the transmission of data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device between the first access network device and the second access network device, so as to realize the provision of local processing services to the first terminal device through the original anchor point.

[0837] See also Fig.12 , Fig.12This is another embodiment schematic diagram of the communication method of the present application, which is applied to a switching scenario of a first terminal device and a scenario in which the anchor point providing local processing services for the first terminal device changes. Fig.12 The method comprises:

[0838] 1201. A first access network device sends a second handover request message to a second access network device. The second handover request message carries the sixth identifier of the first terminal device, the first identifier information, the sixth indication information, and the eighth address information of the fourth tunnel of the first access network device corresponding to the first identifier information. Correspondingly, the second access network device receives the second handover request message from the first access network device.

[0839] The sixth identification is used by the first access network device and the second access network device to identify the first terminal device. The sixth indication information is used to indicate that the local processing service of the data corresponding to the first identification information is provided by the first computing device.

[0840] The construction process of the fourth tunnel is similar to the above Figure 2A The process of establishing the first tunnel in the embodiment shown is similar. For details, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2A The relevant introduction of the establishment process of the first tunnel in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0841] It should be noted that the first access network device decides that the first computing device still provides local processing services for the first terminal device. The specific decision reason may be that the first access network device determines that the first computing device still provides local processing services for the first terminal device based on the user contract information or security policy signed by the first terminal device.

[0842] 1202. The second access network device performs admission control on the PDU session of the first terminal device according to the second switching request message.

[0843] Step 1202 is similar to the above Fig.11A In the embodiment shown, step 1102 is similar, and please refer to the aforementioned Fig.11A The relevant introduction of step 1102 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0844] 1203. The second access network device sends a second switching response message to the first access network device, where the second switching response message carries the seventh address information of the fourth tunnel corresponding to the first identification information of the second access network device. Correspondingly, the first access network device receives the second switching response message from the second access network device.

[0845] The construction process of the fourth tunnel is similar to the above Figure 2A The process of establishing the first tunnel in the embodiment shown is similar. For details, please refer to the aforementioned Figure 2AThe relevant introduction of the establishment process of the first tunnel in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0846] It should be noted that the second access network device determines which PDU session data or which QoS flow data or which DRB data of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally through the first identification information and the sixth indication information.

[0847] For example, the data of the PDU session 1 of the first terminal device needs to be processed locally, which means that all QoS flows contained in the PDU session 1 of the first terminal device need to be processed locally. For example, the data of the PDU session 1 of the first terminal device in DRB1 needs to be processed locally, which means that all QoS flows of the PDU session 1 of the first terminal device in DRB1 need to be processed locally.

[0848] The process from step 1201 to step 1203 is a process of establishing a fourth tunnel between the first access network device and the second access network device when the computing device connected to the first access network device and the computing device connected to the second access network device are two different computing devices. Fig.11A , the first access network device is connected to the first computing device, and the second access network device is connected to the second computing device. Therefore, the fourth tunnel established between the first access network device and the second access network device is used for the first access network device and the second access network device to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

[0849] If the computing device connected to the first access network device and the computing device connected to the second access network device are the same computing device, the second access network device establishes a tunnel with the computing device connected to the second access network device to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device. That is, if the computing device connected to the first access network device and the computing device connected to the second access network device are the same computing device, there is no need to establish a tunnel between the first access network device and the second access network...

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The communication method is applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising a first terminal device, a first access network device and a first computing device, the first access network device being connected to the first computing device; the method comprising: The first access network device determines first identification information and first processing information, where the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device; The first access network device sends a first message to the first computing device, the first message carrying a first identifier of the first terminal device, the first identifier information and the first processing information, the first identifier is used by the first access network device and the first computing device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the first message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a protocol data unit PDU session identifier, a data radio bearer DRB identifier and a quality of service QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; The first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type, processing algorithm, traffic model, data packet size, and processing time requirement of the local processing requested by the first terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first message also carries first address information of a first tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, where the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the first computing device; The first access network device receives a second message from the first computing device, where the second message carries second address information of the first computing device corresponding to the first tunnel.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first access network device sends a third message to an access and mobility management function AMF network element, where the third message is used by the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device; The first access network device receives a fourth message from the AMF network element, where the fourth message carries first indication information; The first indication information carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information, the second identifier is used by the first access network device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the second processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device; The first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information, including: The first access network device determines the PDU session identifier and the second processing information according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the PDU session identifier corresponds to the first identifier information, and the second processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first access network device sends a third message to an access and mobility management function AMF network element, where the third message is used by the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device; The first access network device receives a fourth message from the AMF network element, where the fourth message carries first indication information; The first indication information carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the QoS flow identifier and third processing information, and the third processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; The first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information, including: The first access network device determines the QoS flow identifier and the third processing information according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the QoS flow identifier corresponds to the first identification information, and the third processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The third message carries a local processing request for the first terminal device, and the local processing request carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information. The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the local processing request is used to request local processing service for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first access network device receives a fifth message from the first terminal device, the fifth message carrying a third identifier of the first terminal device, the first identifier information, and the first processing information, the third identifier is used by the first access network device and the first terminal device to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the fifth message is used by the first terminal device to request the first access network device to provide a local processing service for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device; The first access network device determines the first identification information and the first processing information of the first terminal device, including: The first access network device obtains the first identification information and the first processing information from the fifth message.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first access network device sends a second indication message to the AMF network element, the second indication message carries the fourth identifier of the first terminal device and the first identifier information, the second indication message is used to instruct the first computing device to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device, and the fourth identifier is used by the first access network device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: The communication method is applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising a first terminal device, a first access network device and a first computing device, the first access network device being connected to the first computing device; the method comprising: The first computing device receives a first message from the first access network device, the first message carrying a first identifier of a first terminal device, first identifier information, and first processing information, the first identifier being used by the first access network device and the first computing device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the first processing information being local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device; The first computing device determines, based on the first identification and the first processing information, to provide a local processing service for the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a protocol data unit PDU session identifier, a data radio bearer DRB identifier and a quality of service QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; The first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type, processing algorithm, traffic model, data packet size, and processing time requirement of the local processing requested by the first terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first message also carries first address information of a first tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, where the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the first computing device; The first computing device sends a second message to the first access network device, where the second message carries second address information of the first computing device corresponding to the first tunnel.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: The communication method is applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising a first terminal device, a first access network device, an access and mobility management function AMF network element and a first computing device, the first access network device being connected to the first computing device; the method comprising: The first terminal device sends a third message to the AMF network element through the first access network device, and the third message is used to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device. The third message carries a local processing request for the first terminal device, and the local processing request is used to request to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device. The local processing request carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device and second processing information. The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively. The second processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device. The PDU session identifier and the second processing information are used by the first access network device to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device.

13. A communication method, characterized in that: The communication method is applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising a first terminal device, a first access network device and a first computing device, the first access network device being connected to the first computing device; the method comprising: The first terminal device sends a fifth message to the first access network device, and the fifth message carries a third identifier, first identifier information and first processing information of the first terminal device. The third identifier is used by the first terminal device and the first access network device to identify the first terminal device respectively. The first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device. The fifth message is used by the first terminal device to request the first access network device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device. The first identifier information and the first processing information are used by the first access network device to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a first terminal device, the communication device and a first computing device, the communication device is connected to the first computing device; the communication device includes: a processing unit, configured to determine first identification information and first processing information, wherein the first processing information is local processing information for locally processing data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device; A transceiver unit is used to send a first message to the first computing device, where the first message carries a first identifier of the first terminal device, the first identifier information and the first processing information, where the first identifier is used by the communication device and the first computing device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the first message is used to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a protocol data unit PDU session identifier, a data radio bearer DRB identifier and a quality of service QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; The first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type, processing algorithm, traffic model, data packet size, and processing time requirement of the local processing requested by the first terminal device.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The first message also carries first address information of a first tunnel corresponding to the communication device, and the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the communication device and the first computing device; the transceiver unit is also used to: A second message is received from the first computing device, where the second message carries second address information of the first computing device corresponding to the first tunnel.

17. The communication device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that: The transceiver unit is also used for: Sending a third message of the first terminal device to an access and mobility management function AMF network element, where the third message is used by the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device; receiving a fourth message from the AMF network element, where the fourth message carries the first indication information; The first indication information carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information, the second identifier is used by the communication device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the second processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device; The processing unit is specifically used for: The PDU session identifier and the second processing information are determined according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the PDU session identifier corresponds to the first identifier information, and the second processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

18. The communication device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that: The transceiver unit is also used for: Sending a third message of the first terminal device to an access and mobility management function AMF network element, where the third message is used by the first terminal device to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the first terminal device; receiving a fourth message from the AMF network element, where the fourth message carries the first indication information; The first indication information carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the QoS flow identifier and third processing information, and the third processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; The processing unit is specifically used for: The QoS flow identifier and the third processing information are determined according to the first indication information carried by the fourth message, the QoS flow identifier corresponds to the first identification information, and the third processing information corresponds to the first processing information.

19. The communication device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The third message carries a local processing request for the first terminal device, and the local processing request carries the second identifier of the first terminal device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information. The second identifier is used by the first terminal device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the local processing request is used to request local processing service for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device.

20. The communication device according to claim 16, characterized in that The transceiver unit is also used for: receiving a fifth message from the first terminal device, the fifth message carrying a third identifier of the first terminal device, the first identifier information, and the first processing information, the third identifier being used by the communication device and the first terminal device to identify the first terminal device respectively, and the fifth message being used by the first terminal device to request the communication device to provide a local processing service for data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device; The processing unit is specifically used for: The first identification information and the first processing information are acquired from the fifth message.

21. The communication device according to claim 20, characterized in that: The transceiver unit is also used for: A second indication message is sent to the AMF network element, wherein the second indication message carries the fourth identification of the first terminal device and the first identification information, the second indication message is used to instruct the first computing device to perform local processing on the data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device, and the fourth identification is used by the communication device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a first terminal device, a first access network device and the communication device, the first access network device is connected to the communication device; the communication device includes: a transceiver unit, configured to receive a first message sent by the first access network device, the first message carrying a first identifier, first identification information, and first processing information of a first terminal device, the first identifier being used by the first access network device and the first computing device to respectively identify the first terminal device, and the first processing information being local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device; A processing unit is used to determine, based on the first identification and the first processing information, that data corresponding to the first identification information of the first terminal device provides a local processing service.

23. The communication device according to claim 22, characterized in that: The first identification information includes at least one of the following information: a protocol data unit PDU session identifier, a data radio bearer DRB identifier and a quality of service QoS flow identifier of the first terminal device; The first processing information includes at least one of the following information: the processing type, processing algorithm, traffic model, data packet size, and processing time requirement of the local processing requested by the first terminal device.

24. The communication device according to claim 23, characterized in that The first message also carries first address information of a first tunnel corresponding to the first access network device, and the first tunnel is used to transmit data corresponding to the first identification information between the first access network device and the communication device; the transceiver unit is also used to: A second message is sent to the first access network device, where the second message carries second address information of the communication device corresponding to the first tunnel.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising the communication device, a first access network device, an access and mobility management function AMF network element and a first computing device, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the communication device comprises: A transceiver unit is used to send a third message to the AMF network element through the first access network device, the third message is used to request the AMF network element to establish a PDU session for the communication device, the third message carries a local processing request of the communication device, the local processing request is used to request to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the communication device, the local processing request carries the second identifier of the communication device, the PDU session identifier of the communication device and the second processing information, the second identifier is used by the communication device and the AMF network element to identify the first terminal device respectively, the second processing information is local processing information used to locally process the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the communication device, the PDU session identifier and the second processing information are used by the first access network device to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the PDU session identifier of the first terminal device.

26. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising the communication device, a first access network device, an access and mobility management function AMF network element and a first computing device, the first access network device is connected to the first computing device; the communication device comprises: A transceiver unit is used to send a fifth message to the first access network device, the fifth message carries a third identifier, first identifier information and first processing information of the communication device, the third identifier is used by the communication device and the first access network device to respectively identify a first terminal device, the first processing information is local processing information used to locally process data corresponding to the first identifier information of the communication device, the fifth message is used by the communication device to request the first access network device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identifier information of the communication device, and the first identifier information and the first processing information are used by the first access network device to request the first computing device to provide local processing services for the data corresponding to the first identifier information of the first terminal device.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The method comprises computer instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, or cause the computer to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, or cause the computer to execute the method as claimed in claim 12 or 13.

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