Network access device, system and communication method

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a network access device, a system, and a communication method. Among them, the network access device includes: a processor and at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection; the processor is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface; the processor is configured to: detect whether each communication interface in the at least one communication interface is detachably connected to an external cellular communication device; determine an available cellular communication device according to the detection result; and establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and a target server based on the available cellular communication device. The solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can solve the problems in the prior art that the aggregation device model is single and cannot meet the different networking requirements of customers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and particularly to a network access device, a system, and a communication method. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the high-availability technology for cellular connections is a key research direction, and the multi-link aggregation technology is an important sub-field of the high-availability technology for cellular connections.

[0003] A multi-link aggregation router based on the multi-link aggregation technology can aggregate the bandwidths of multiple Internet access links, which can not only improve the uplink and downlink network bandwidths in a mobile environment, but also reduce the blind spots of mobile network signals and improve network availability because the device supports the simultaneous use of SIM cards of different operators. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a network access device, a system, and a communication method, which are used to solve the problems in the prior art that the types of aggregation devices are single and cannot meet the different networking requirements of customers.

[0005] Thus, in an embodiment of this application, a network access device is provided. The device includes: a processor and at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection; the processor is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface; the processor is used for:

[0006] Detect whether an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to each communication interface in the at least one communication interface;

[0007] Determine an available cellular communication device according to the detection result;

[0008] Based on the available cellular communication device, establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and a target server.

[0009] In another embodiment of this application, a network access system is provided. The system includes:

[0010] The above-mentioned network access device and a cellular communication device for detachably connecting to the communication interface.

[0011] In another embodiment of this application, a communication system is provided. The system includes:

[0012] A network access device, comprising: a processor and at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection; the processor is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface; the processor is configured to: detect whether each communication interface in the at least one communication interface is detachably connected to a cellular communication device; determine an available cellular communication device according to the detection result; and establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and the target server based on the available cellular communication device.

[0013] The available cellular communication device;

[0014] The target server.

[0015] In another embodiment of the present application, a communication method is provided, which is applicable to a network access device; the network access device includes at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection; the method includes:

[0016] Detect whether each communication interface in the at least one communication interface is detachably connected to an external cellular communication device;

[0017] Determine an available cellular communication device according to the detection result;

[0018] Establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and the target server based on the available cellular communication device.

[0019] In the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of communication interfaces for detachably connecting an external cellular communication device are provided on the network access device. That is to say, there is no need to built-in a cellular communication module in the network access device, and only a plurality of communication interfaces for detachably connecting an external cellular communication device need to be reserved. In this way, by providing cellular communication devices of various network systems, a network access device can meet the different networking requirements of various customers in various scenarios. Description of the Drawings

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of a multi-link aggregation server in the prior art;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network access system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a network access device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic flow diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] Currently, a multi-link aggregation router based on multi-link aggregation technology can aggregate the bandwidths of multiple Internet access links, which can not only improve the uplink and downlink network bandwidth in a mobile environment, but also reduce the mobile network signal blind area and improve network availability because the device supports the simultaneous use of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards of different operators.

[0027] Figure 1 The working principle of an existing multi-link aggregation router is shown: An aggregation link is established between the multi-link aggregation router and an aggregation server. Among them, the aggregation link includes multiple sub-links established based on multiple cellular networks and / or a wired network. The user equipment can send the upload data to the multi-link aggregation router through the wifi network provided by the multi-link aggregation router. The multi-link aggregation router distributes the upload data to multiple sub-links in the aggregation link according to a load balancing policy or a distribution policy; the aggregation server aggregates the data transmitted by multiple sub-links in the aggregation link to obtain the upload data, and sends the upload data to the Internet. When the Internet side needs to send the download data required by the user equipment to the user equipment, the Internet side can send the download data to the aggregation server; the aggregation server distributes the download data to multiple sub-links in the aggregation link according to a load balancing policy or a distribution policy; the multi-link aggregation router aggregates the data transmitted by multiple sub-links to obtain the download data, and sends the download data to the user equipment.

[0028] However, the multi-link aggregation routers on the market currently are expensive, have a single model, and poor flexibility, and cannot flexibly meet the needs of customers for various network systems and bandwidths.

[0029] To solve or partially solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application proposes a new network access device, on which several communication interfaces are provided for detachably connecting an external cellular communication device. That is to say, there is no need to build a cellular communication module in the network access device, and only several communication interfaces for the external cellular communication device to be detachably connected need to be reserved. In this way, by providing cellular communication devices of various network systems, a network access device can meet the different networking needs of various customers in various scenarios.

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0031] In addition, in some processes described in the specification, claims and the above-mentioned drawings of the present application, a plurality of operations that appear in a specific order are included. These operations may not be executed in the order in which they appear in this text or may be executed in parallel. The serial numbers of the operations, such as 101, 102, etc., are only used to distinguish the different operations, and the serial numbers themselves do not represent any execution order. In addition, these processes may include more or fewer operations, and these operations may be executed in sequence or in parallel. It should be noted that the descriptions such as "first" and "second" in this text are used to distinguish different messages, devices, modules, etc., and do not represent a sequence, nor do they limit that "first" and "second" are of different types.

[0032] Figure 2 The block diagram of the network access system provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown. Among them, the system includes: a network access device 11 and a cellular communication device 12 detachably connected to the communication interface 110 on the network access device 11.

[0033] Among them, the number of the communication interfaces 110 on the network access device 11 can be at least one; the number of the cellular communication devices 12 can be at least one. The number of the communication interfaces 110 on the network access device 11 and the number of the cellular communication devices 12 can be the same or different, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0034] The above network access device can provide network access functions to user terminals. The network access device can be an electronic device such as a CPE (Customer Premise Equipment), a gateway device, a wireless router, etc. It can receive cellular signals (also known as mobile signals) from a base station through a detachable cellular communication device thereon, and convert the cellular signals into WIFI signals or Ethernet signals. Of course, it can also receive WIFI signals or wired signals. The network access device can convert high-speed 4G or 5G network signals into WIFI signals or Ethernet signals for communication with terminals. The network access device can be widely used in rural areas, cities, hospitals, factories, communities, etc. as a wireless network access device, which can greatly save the cost of laying network lines. Of course, the network access device can also access 6G or higher-level cellular signals, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0035] The communication interfaces include, but are not limited to, USB (Universal Serial Bus) interfaces, Thunderbolt interfaces, and FireWire interfaces. The cellular communication device is provided with a communication interface that cooperates with the communication interfaces. In one example, the above communication interfaces can specifically be pluggable communication interfaces, for example: hot-pluggable communication interfaces.

[0036] The above cellular communication device includes: a cellular communication module. Among them, the cellular communication module is used for communicating with a base station. Specifically, the cellular communication module is used for communicating with a user identification card SIM card and a base station.

[0037] The specific implementation of the above network access device 11 and the cellular communication module 12 and the interaction process between the two will be introduced in detail in the following embodiments.

[0038] Figure 3 Fig. shows a schematic structural diagram of a network access device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device 11 includes a processor 111 and at least one communication interface 110 for realizing detachable connection; the processor 111 is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface 110. As Figure 4 shown, the processor 111 is used to perform the following operations:

[0039] 101. Detect whether each communication interface in the at least one communication interface is detachably connected to an external cellular communication device.

[0040] 102. Determine an available cellular communication device according to the detection result.

[0041] 103. Based on the available cellular communication device, establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and a target server.

[0042] In the above 101, the cellular communication device includes a cellular communication module. In one example, the cellular communication device may further include a SIM card slot connected to the cellular communication module, and the SIM card slot is used to insert an external SIM card. The connection between the SIM card slot and the cellular communication module may include: a communication connection and a power connection. The cellular communication module powers the SIM card inserted in the SIM card slot through the power connection. In practical applications, the user can first insert the SIM card into the SIM card slot of the cellular communication device, and then detachably connect the cellular communication device to the communication interface of the network access device.

[0043] In another example, the cellular communication device may further include a virtual SIM card or an embedded SIM card that communicates with the cellular communication module. In this embodiment, the virtual SIM card or the embedded SIM card is integrally provided with the cellular communication device.

[0044] In the above two embodiments, the SIM card is disposed on the side of the cellular communication device. Of course, the SIM card can also be disposed on the side of the network access device. Specifically, the network access device is further provided with at least one SIM card slot, and the at least one SIM card slot corresponds to the at least one communication interface one by one, wherein each SIM card slot in the at least one SIM card slot is connected to the corresponding communication interface. In practical applications, the SIM card inserted in the SIM card slot communicates with the cellular communication device connected to the communication interface opposite to the SIM card slot.

[0045] In the above 101, the at least one communication interface includes a first communication interface. The first communication interface is any one of the at least one communication interfaces.

[0046] In a feasible solution, the following method can be used to detect whether an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to the first communication interface: The processor can periodically send first detection information to the first communication interface. If the first response information corresponding to the first detection information is received through the first communication interface, it is determined that an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to the first communication interface. The corresponding relationship between the first detection information and the first response information can be pre-stored in the network access device.

[0047] In the above 102, according to the detection result of the above 101, the non-idle communication interfaces among the at least one communication interfaces that are detachably connected to external cellular communication devices can be determined, and the cellular communication devices detachably connected to the non-idle communication interfaces are determined as available cellular communication devices.

[0048] The number of the above non-idle communication interfaces can be at least one, that is, one or more. Correspondingly, the number of the available cellular communication devices is at least one, that is, one or more.

[0049] In the above 103, the aggregated link refers to a link formed by combining multiple sub-links established between the network access device and the target server. The aggregated link includes a first sub-link established between the network access device and the target server based on an available cellular communication device, that is, the first sub-link is included in the multiple sub-links. The above first sub-link is established based on the cellular network accessed by the available cellular communication device.

[0050] The number of the available cellular communication devices can be at least one. Correspondingly, the aggregated link includes: a first sub-link established between the network access device and the target server based on each cellular communication device among at least one cellular communication device. When the available cellular communication device is one, the first sub-link is one; when the available cellular communication device is multiple, the first sub-links are multiple.

[0051] In actual application, in addition to including the first sub-link, the aggregated link (or the multiple sub-links) may further include a second sub-link established between the network access device and the target server based on the wired communication module on the network access device. Among them, the wired communication module is used to provide communication for the network access device based on a wired network. Specifically, a wired wide area network interface is further provided on the network access device; the wired wide area network interface is connected to the wired communication module. When a network cable of a wired network is inserted into the wired wide area network interface, the wired communication module can provide communication for the network access device based on the wired network. That is to say, the above second sub-link is based on the wired network accessed by the wired communication module.

[0052] In an implementable solution, the above network access device may further include: a wired wide area network interface. The processor is further used for:

[0053] A. Detect whether the wired wide area network interface is connected to a wired network.

[0054] B. When it is detected that the wired wide area network interface is connected to a wired network, based on the available cellular communication device and the wired network, establish an aggregated link for data transmission between the network access device and the target server.

[0055] That is, the above first sub-link is established based on the cellular network accessed by the available cellular communication device, and the above second sub-link is established based on the wired network.

[0056] In the above 103, "establish a first sub-link for data transmission between the network access device and the target server based on the available cellular communication device", specifically: send a link establishment request to the available cellular communication device; the available cellular communication device sends the link establishment request to the target server through the cellular network it accesses to establish a first sub-link between the network access device and the target server. In practical applications, after receiving the link establishment request, the target server may return a link establishment response message to the cellular communication device, and the cellular communication device sends the link establishment response message to the processor, thereby completing the establishment of the first sub-link.

[0057] In one example, the above available cellular communication device may automatically perform the operation of accessing the cellular network after detecting that it is detachably connected to the communication interface of the network access device. The specific access process may include stages such as cell search, system information transfer, and random access. The specific implementation processes of each stage can refer to the prior art and will not be elaborated here.

[0058] In another example, the processor may send a network access request to the available cellular communication device; after receiving the network access request, the available cellular communication device performs the operation of accessing the cellular network.

[0059] It should be added that the above target server may be a service node in a content delivery network; the network access device may send an aggregation link request to the scheduling center in the content delivery network after startup. After receiving the aggregation link request, the scheduling center selects a service node from the content delivery network as the target server according to a preset scheduling policy; and sends the address information of the target server, such as the IP address, to the network access device. The network access device can then establish an aggregation link with the target server according to the address information of the target server.

[0060] Of course, the address information of the target server may be stored in the network access device in advance, for example: the address information of the target server may be default configured in the memory of the network access device before leaving the factory.

[0061] In the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, several communication interfaces for detachably connecting an external cellular communication device are provided on the network access device. That is to say, there is no need to build a cellular communication module in the network access device, and only several communication interfaces for the external cellular communication device to be detachably connected need to be reserved. In this way, by providing cellular communication devices of various network systems, a network access device can meet the different networking needs of various customers in various scenarios.

[0062] Optionally, the processor may also be used for:

[0063] 104. Generate a list of available cellular communication devices according to the available cellular communication devices.

[0064] 105. When receiving the data to be transmitted sent by the terminal device, distribute the data to be transmitted to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices, so that each available cellular communication device transmits the data to the target server through the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server.

[0065] In the above 104, the list of available cellular communication devices may record the device information of the available cellular communication devices and / or the interface information of the communication interfaces connected by the available cellular communication devices. The device information is used to uniquely identify the corresponding available cellular communication device; the interface information is used to uniquely identify the corresponding communication interface. The device information may include, but is not limited to: name, identity identification information. The interface information may include the interface number. For example, there are three communication interfaces on the network access device, and the three communication interfaces can be numbered in advance, for example: number 1, number 2, number 3.

[0066] In the above 105, when receiving the data to be transmitted sent by the terminal device, the data to be transmitted may be distributed to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices, so that each available cellular communication device transmits the data it is responsible for transmitting to the target server through the respective corresponding first sub-link in the aggregation link.

[0067] In one example, the list of available cellular communication devices records multiple available cellular communication devices. The data to be transmitted can be distributed to the multiple available cellular communication devices recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices, so that the multiple available cellular communication devices transmit the data they are responsible for transmitting to the target server through the respective corresponding first sub-links in the aggregation link.

[0068] In another example, the list of available cellular communication devices records at least one available cellular communication device. In addition, a wired communication module is also provided on the network access device, where the wired communication module has accessed the wired network. The data to be transmitted can be distributed to at least one available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices and the wired communication module provided on the network access device, so that each available cellular communication device transmits the data it is responsible for transmitting to the target server through the respective corresponding first sub-link in the aggregation link and the wired communication module transmits the data it is responsible for transmitting to the target server through the second sub-link in the aggregation link.

[0069] In actual application, the user can insert a new cellular communication device into the idle communication interface on the network access device at any time according to actual needs to increase the overall bandwidth of the aggregation link. Specifically, the processor can also be used for:

[0070] 106. Determine an idle communication interface from the at least one communication interface according to the list of available cellular communication devices.

[0071] 107. When it is detected that an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to the idle communication interface, update the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server based on the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface.

[0072] 108. Update the list of available cellular communication devices according to the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface.

[0073] In the above 106, in one example, the list of available cellular communication devices records the interface information of the communication interfaces to which the available cellular communication devices are connected. Therefore, according to the interface information of the communication interfaces to which the available cellular communication devices are connected recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices, non-idle communication interfaces and idle communication interfaces can be determined from the at least one communication interface.

[0074] In the above 107, when it is detected that an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to the idle communication interface, it means that a new cellular communication device is connected to the idle communication interface. Therefore, it is necessary to update the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server based on the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface. Specifically, update the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server based on the cellular communication devices recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices and the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface.

[0075] In a feasible solution, a new first sub-link can be established between the network access device and the target server based on the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface, which is equivalent to adding a new first sub-link to the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server, and the original sub-links in the aggregation link remain unchanged.

[0076] In the above 108, relevant records of the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface can be added to the list of available cellular communication devices. For example: the device information of the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface and / or the interface information of the idle communication interface can be added to the list of available cellular communication devices.

[0077] In this way, when there is new data to be transmitted subsequently, the processor of the network access device performs data distribution or load balancing according to the updated list of available cellular communication devices to ensure that the newly added cellular communication device can achieve data transmission.

[0078] Optionally, the above-mentioned processor can also be used for:

[0079] 109. Determine a non-idle communication interface from the at least one communication interface.

[0080] 110. When it is detected that the cellular communication device detachably connected to the non-idle communication interface has been detached, update the list of available cellular communication devices.

[0081] When it is detected that the cellular communication device detachably connected to the non-idle communication interface has been detached, the record of the detached cellular communication device can be deleted from the list of available cellular communication devices, for example: deleting the device information of the detached cellular communication device and / or the interface information of the non-idle communication interface; or, a detached mark can be set for the record of the detached cellular communication device in the list of available cellular communication devices.

[0082] In this way, when there is new data to be transmitted subsequently, the processor of the network access device performs data distribution or load balancing according to the updated list of available cellular communication devices, so as to avoid distributing data to the detached cellular communication device and causing data loss problems.

[0083] In one example, in the above 105, "when receiving the data to be transmitted sent by the terminal device, distribute the data to be transmitted to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices, so that each available cellular communication device transmits it to the target server through the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server", which can be specifically implemented by the following steps:

[0084] 1051. When receiving the data to be transmitted sent by the terminal device, obtain the link quality of the first sub-link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices.

[0085] 1052. According to the link quality, distribute the data to be transmitted to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices.

[0086] Wherein, the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server includes the sub-links corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices.

[0087] In the above 1051, in practical applications, the network speed V of the first sub-link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices can be tested and obtained by using a network speed measurement algorithm; the network delay T of the first sub-link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices can be tested and obtained by using a network delay algorithm; and / or, the network jitter D of the first sub-link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices can be tested and obtained by using a network jitter algorithm.

[0088] The network quality Q of the first sub - link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the available cellular communication device list can be determined according to the network rate V, network latency T, and / or network jitter D of the first sub - link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the available cellular communication device list.

[0089] In an implementable solution, the network quality Q of the first sub - link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the available cellular communication device list can be determined according to the network rate V, network latency T, and network jitter D of the first sub - link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the available cellular communication device list.

[0090] For example: Q = xV + yT+zD, where the sum of x, y, and z is 1. The specific values of x, y, and z can be set according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0091] In the above 1052, in an example, according to the link quality and the total amount of data to be transmitted, the transmission amount allocated to the first sub - link corresponding to each available cellular communication device is determined, where the better the link quality, the larger the allocated transmission amount. According to the transmission amount allocated to the first sub - link corresponding to each available cellular communication device, the data to be transmitted is distributed to each available cellular communication device recorded in the available cellular communication device list.

[0092] Considering that in practical applications, users are very likely to use two or more SIM cards of the same operator at the same time. If the cellular communication devices connected by these two or more SIM cards independently select the access cell, the following problem will occur: The cell with the strongest signal scanned by the cellular communication devices connected by two or more SIM cards of the same operator at the same location is usually the same. That is to say, after the cellular communication devices connected by two or more SIM cards of the same operator make an optimal choice, they will access the same cell, that is, the cellular communication devices connected by two or more SIM cards of the same operator will access the same base station. Once this base station fails, it will cause the entire network access device to be unable to provide network access for end - users, and the availability or reliability is relatively poor.

[0093] To improve usability or reliability, the processor in the network access device can make an overall decision on which cell each cellular communication device accesses. In this way, the cellular communication devices connected to two or more SIM cards of the same operator can be actively dispersed and connected to different base stations of the same operator. In this way, when one of the base stations fails, the network access device can still provide network access capabilities for user terminals based on other base stations, ensuring the reliability of communication. Specifically, there are multiple available cellular communication devices; the processor can also be used for:

[0094] 111. Obtain the wireless network modes supported by each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices and the operator information supported by the user identification cards communicatively connected to the available cellular communication devices as a first acquisition result.

[0095] 112. Obtain the cell information of the available cells scanned by each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices as a second acquisition result.

[0096] 113. Determine the cell access indication information of each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices according to the first acquisition result and the second acquisition result.

[0097] 114. Send the cell access indication information of each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices to the corresponding available cellular communication device, so that each available cellular communication device accesses the corresponding cell according to the received cell access indication information.

[0098] In the above 111, the wireless network mode refers to the type of wireless network, including but not limited to: 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, Cat1, Cat4. The operator information may include but not limited to: China Mobile, China Telecom, China Mobile. The wireless network modes supported by different cellular communication devices may be different. Similarly, the operator information supported by different user identification cards (SIM cards) may be different.

[0099] In an example, the operator information supported by different cellular communication devices may also be different. Therefore, in the above 111, the operator information supported by each available cellular communication device can also be obtained.

[0100] In the above 112, a scan command can be sent to each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices, so that each available cellular communication device obtains the cell information of the available cells through scanning; after each available cellular communication device obtains the cell information of the available cells through scanning, it sends it to the processor of the network access device.

[0101] Among them, the cell information may include but is not limited to: base station information, radio network mode, effective band Band, and operator information.

[0102] In the above 113, according to the first acquisition result and the second acquisition result, determine the cell access indication information of each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices.

[0103] Specifically, according to the operator information supported by the user identification cards connected to each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices, determine whether there are two or more SIM cards belonging to the same operator. If there are two or more SIM cards belonging to the same operator, then according to the radio network mode supported by the available cellular communication devices connected to the two or more SIM cards and the cell information of the available cells scanned by them, determine the target cells of the available cellular communication devices connected to each of the two or more SIM cards; according to the cell information of the target cells of the available cellular communication devices connected to each of the two or more SIM cards, determine the cell access indication information of the available cellular communication devices connected to each of the two or more SIM cards. The cell access indication information includes the cell information of the target cell; among them, the cell information of the target cell is used to indicate the corresponding available cellular communication device to access the target cell. The cell access indication information of the available cellular communication devices connected to each of the two or more SIM cards is used to indicate the available cellular communication devices connected to the two or more SIM cards to access different cells, and the base stations corresponding to different cells are different.

[0104] For example: among the multiple available cellular communication devices, there are a first available cellular communication device and a second available cellular communication device. The SIM cards connected to the first available cellular communication device and the second available cellular communication device both belong to China Mobile. The radio network modes supported by the first available cellular communication device are 4G and 5G, and the available cells scanned by it are: the 4G cell of China Mobile and the 5G cell of China Mobile; the radio network mode supported by the second available cellular communication device is 4G, and the available cells scanned by it are: the 4G cell of China Mobile and the 5G cell of China Mobile. Therefore, it can be determined that the cell access indication information of the second available cellular communication device is used to indicate the second available cellular communication device to access the 4G cell of China Mobile, and the cell access indication information of the first available cellular communication device is used to indicate the first available cellular communication device to access the 5G cell of China Mobile.

[0105] For another example: among multiple available cellular communication devices, there are a first available cellular communication device and a second available cellular communication device. The SIM cards connected to the first available cellular communication device and the second available cellular communication device both belong to China Mobile. The wireless network modes supported by the first available cellular communication device are 4G and 5G, and the available cells scanned by it are: 4G cells of China Mobile and 5G cells of China Mobile; the wireless network modes supported by the second available cellular communication device are 4G and 5G, and the available cells scanned by it are: 5G cells of China Mobile. Therefore, it can be determined that the cell access indication information of the second available cellular communication device is used to indicate the second available cellular communication device to access the 5G cell of China Mobile, and the cell access indication information of the first available cellular communication device is used to indicate the first available cellular communication device to access the 4G cell of China Mobile.

[0106] In practical applications, if there is a SIM card belonging to only one operator among the SIM cards connected by multiple available cellular communication devices, the available cell with the strongest signal among the multiple available cells scanned by the available cellular communication device connected to the SIM card belonging to only one operator can be determined as the target cell corresponding to the available cellular communication device.

[0107] In the above step 114, the cell access indication information of each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices is sent to the corresponding available cellular communication device, so that each available cellular communication device accesses the corresponding cell according to the received cell access indication information. Each available cellular communication device accesses the target cell indicated by the received cell access indication information.

[0108] That is to say, in the embodiment of the present application, the processor of the network access device makes an overall decision on the cells to be accessed by each available cellular communication device, rather than being determined by each available cellular communication device itself. By adopting the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, multiple cellular communication devices can be actively and dispersedly connected to different cells, that is, different base stations.

[0109] Further, in a feasible solution, in the above step 107, "updating the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server based on the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface" can be implemented by the following steps:

[0110] 1071. Obtain the wireless network modes supported by each cellular communication device in the list of available cellular communication devices and the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface, as well as the operator information supported by the user identification card communicatively connected to each cellular communication device, as the third acquisition result.

[0111] 1072. Obtain the cell information of the available cells scanned by each cellular communication device in the list of available cellular communication devices and the cellular communication devices that can be detachably connected to the idle communication interface, as the fourth acquisition result.

[0112] 1073. According to the third acquisition result and the fourth acquisition result, re-determine the cell access indication information of each cellular communication device in the list of available cellular communication devices and the cellular communication devices that can be detachably connected to the idle communication interface.

[0113] 1074. Send the cell access indication information of each cellular communication device in the list of available cellular communication devices and the cellular communication devices that can be detachably connected to the idle communication interface, which is re-determined, to the corresponding cellular communication device, so that each cellular communication device accesses the corresponding cell according to the received cell access indication information.

[0114] For the specific implementation of the above 1071, 1072, 1073, and 1074, reference may be made to the corresponding content in the above embodiments, and details are not described herein again.

[0115] Figure 5 The figure shows a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 5 shown, the communication system includes: a network access device 31, including: a processor and at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection; the processor is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface; the processor is configured to: detect whether each communication interface in the at least one communication interface is detachably connected to a cellular communication device; according to the detection result, determine an available cellular communication device 32; based on the available cellular communication device 32, establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device 31 and the target server 33; the available cellular communication device 32; the target server 33.

[0116] In the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of communication interfaces for detachably connecting external cellular communication devices are provided on the network access device. That is to say, there is no need to built-in a cellular communication module in the network access device, and only a plurality of communication interfaces for external cellular communication devices to be detachably connected need to be reserved. In this way, by providing cellular communication devices of various network systems, a network access device can meet the different networking requirements of various customers in various scenarios.

[0117] In one example, the network access device 31 may further include a wired wide area network interface. In this way, the network access device 31 can be connected to a wired network through the wired wide area network interface, and a second sub-link can be established between the network access device and the target server through the wired network. For the relevant content, reference can be made to the corresponding content in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0118] It should be noted here that for the content not elaborated in detail regarding the specific implementation of each unit in the system provided in the embodiments of the present application, reference can be made to the corresponding content in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0119] Figure 4 The flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. This method is applicable to a network access device; the network access device includes at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection. As Figure 4 shown, the method includes:

[0120] 101. Detect whether each communication interface in at least one communication interface is detachably connected to an external cellular communication device.

[0121] 102. Determine an available cellular communication device according to the detection result.

[0122] 103. Based on the available cellular communication device, establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and the target server.

[0123] For the specific implementation processes of the above steps 101, 102, and 103, reference can be made to the corresponding content in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0124] In the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, several communication interfaces for detachably connecting an external cellular communication device are provided on the network access device. That is to say, there is no need to built-in a cellular communication module in the network access device, and only several communication interfaces for the external cellular communication device to be detachably connected need to be reserved. In this way, by providing cellular communication devices of various network systems, a network access device can meet the different networking requirements of various customers in various scenarios.

[0125] It should be noted here that for the content not elaborated in detail regarding each step in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application, reference can be made to the corresponding content in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here. In addition, in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application, in addition to the above steps, other parts or all of the steps in the above embodiments may also be included. For the specific content, reference can be made to the corresponding content in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0126] The solution provided in this embodiment is applicable to live broadcast scenarios, such as exhibition live broadcast, outdoor live broadcast, business live broadcast, etc. The network access device can provide a wifi network for one or more live broadcast terminals. The live broadcast terminal in this embodiment can be any device capable of live broadcast, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0127] The solution provided in this embodiment is also applicable to intelligent driving or assisted driving scenarios. The above network access device can be installed on a vehicle.

[0128] The solution provided in this embodiment is also applicable to remote consultation scenarios. The diagnostic device can access the wifi network or Ethernet provided by the network access device.

[0129] Next, an example introduction to the live broadcast scenario will be given in combination with Figure 5 :

[0130] As Figure 5 shown, there are four USB interfaces 311 on the network access device 31. Among them, three USB interfaces 311 are connected to cellular communication devices 32. After the network access device 31 is started, a first sub-link is established between the network access device 31 and the target server 33 through the cellular networks accessed by the cellular communication devices 32 connected to each USB interface in the three USB interfaces 311, and three first sub-links are obtained; the three first sub-links form an aggregation link between the network access device 31 and the target server 33.

[0131] The live broadcast terminal (i.e., the Figure 5 terminal device in) sends the video data to be uploaded to the network access device 31 through the wifi network provided by the network access device 31. The network access device 31 distributes the video data to be uploaded to multiple first sub-links for uploading to the target server. The target server aggregates the data transmitted by the multiple first sub-links to obtain the video data to be uploaded; the target server sends the aggregated video data to be uploaded to the video server ( Figure 5 the Internet in includes a video server).

[0132] In summary, by making a pluggable cellular connection module with unified wireless network systems such as Cat1 / Cat4 / 5G and its switching control logic, a router can meet the different networking needs of various customers. By automatically configuring the target cells corresponding to each cellular communication module by the network access device, different connections under the same operator can be effectively dispersed to different base stations to enhance the high-availability ability.

[0133] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without creative work.

[0134] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on such an understanding, the essence of the above technical solution, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiments.

[0135] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A network access device, wherein, Comprising: A processor and at least one communication interface for implementing detachable connection; The processor is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface; The processor is configured to: Detect whether an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to each communication interface in the at least one communication interface; According to the detection result, determine a plurality of available cellular communication devices, the plurality of available cellular communication devices including a first available cellular communication device and a second available cellular communication device, the first available cellular communication device being communicatively connected to a first user identification card, the second available cellular communication device being communicatively connected to a second user identification card, and the first user identification card and the second user identification card belonging to the same operator; The processor controls the first available cellular communication device and the second available cellular communication device to connect to different base stations of the same operator according to a first acquisition result and a second acquisition result, the first acquisition result including the wireless network systems supported by each available cellular communication device among the plurality of available cellular communication devices and the operator information supported by the user identification card communicatively connected to each available cellular communication device, and the second acquisition result including the cell information of the available cells scanned by each available cellular communication device among the plurality of available cellular communication devices; Based on the available cellular communication devices, establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and the target server.

2. The network access device according to claim 1, wherein The processor is further configured to: Generate a list of available cellular communication devices according to the available cellular communication devices; When receiving data to be transmitted sent by the terminal device, distribute the data to be transmitted to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices, so that each available cellular communication device transmits the data to the target server through the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server.

3. The network access device according to claim 2, wherein, The processor is further configured to: Determine an idle communication interface from the at least one communication interface according to the list of available cellular communication devices; When it is detected that an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to the idle communication interface, update the aggregation link between the network access device and the target server based on the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface; Update the list of available cellular communication devices according to the cellular communication device detachably connected to the idle communication interface.

4. The network access device according to claim 2, wherein, The processor is further configured to: Determine a non-idle communication interface from the at least one communication interface according to the list of available cellular communication devices; When it is detected that the cellular communication device detachably connected to the non-idle communication interface has been detached, update the list of available cellular communication devices.

5. The network access device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, The processor is specifically configured to: When receiving data to be transmitted sent by the terminal device, obtain the link quality of a first sub-link corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices; Distribute the data to be transmitted to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices according to the link quality; Among them, the aggregated link between the network access device and the target server includes first sub-links corresponding to each available cellular communication device recorded in the list of available cellular communication devices.

6. The network access device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, There are multiple available cellular communication devices; The processor is further configured to: Obtain the wireless network modes supported by each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices and the operator information supported by the user identification card communicatively connected to each available cellular communication device, as the first acquisition result; Obtain the cell information of the available cells scanned by each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices, as the second acquisition result; Determine the cell access indication information of each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices according to the first acquisition result and the second acquisition result; Send the cell access indication information of each available cellular communication device among the multiple available cellular communication devices to the corresponding available cellular communication device, so that each available cellular communication device accesses the corresponding cell according to the received cell access indication information.

7. The network access device according to claim 6, wherein, The cell access indication information includes the cell information of the target cell; Among them, the cell information of the target cell is used to instruct the corresponding available cellular communication device to access the target cell.

8. The network access device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The communication interface includes: a universal serial bus interface, a Thunderbolt interface or a FireWire interface.

9. The network access device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, It further includes: a wired wide area network interface; Detect whether a wired network is connected to the wired wide area network interface; The processor is specifically configured to: When it is detected that a wired network is connected to the wired wide area network interface, establish an aggregated link for data transmission between the network access device and the target server based on the available cellular communication device and the wired network.

10. A network access system, wherein, It includes the network access device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 above and a cellular communication device detachably connected to the communication interface.

11. A communication system, wherein, It includes: A network access device, comprising: a processor and at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection; the processor is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface; the processor is configured to: detect whether a cellular communication device is detachably connected to each communication interface in the at least one communication interface; according to the detection result, determine a plurality of available cellular communication devices, the plurality of available cellular communication devices including a first available cellular communication device and a second available cellular communication device, the first available cellular communication device being communicatively connected to a first user identification card, the second available cellular communication device being communicatively connected to a second user identification card, the first user identification card and the second user identification card belonging to the same operator; the processor controls the first available cellular communication device and the second available cellular communication device to connect to different base stations of the same operator according to a first acquisition result and a second acquisition result; the first acquisition result includes the wireless network modes supported by each available cellular communication device in the plurality of available cellular communication devices and the operator information supported by the user identification card communicatively connected to each available cellular communication device, and the second acquisition result includes the cell information of available cells scanned by each available cellular communication device in the plurality of available cellular communication devices; based on the available cellular communication devices, establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and a target server; The available cellular communication device; The target server.

12. A communication method, wherein, A processor applicable to a network access device; the network access device includes at least one communication interface for realizing detachable connection; The processor is respectively connected to the at least one communication interface; the method includes: Detect whether an external cellular communication device is detachably connected to each communication interface in the at least one communication interface; According to the detection result, determine a plurality of available cellular communication devices, the plurality of available cellular communication devices including a first available cellular communication device and a second available cellular communication device, the first available cellular communication device being communicatively connected to a first user identification card, the second available cellular communication device being communicatively connected to a second user identification card, the first user identification card and the second user identification card belonging to the same operator; According to a first acquisition result and a second acquisition result, control the first available cellular communication device and the second available cellular communication device to connect to different base stations of the same operator, the first acquisition result includes the wireless network modes supported by each available cellular communication device in the plurality of available cellular communication devices and the operator information supported by the user identification card communicatively connected to each available cellular communication device, and the second acquisition result includes the cell information of available cells scanned by each available cellular communication device in the plurality of available cellular communication devices; Based on the available cellular communication devices, establish an aggregation link for data transmission between the network access device and a target server.

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