Slice identification processing method, network function (NF) and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a slice identifier processing method, a network function (NF) and a computer readable storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining a filling value of a slice differentiator (SD) field of single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) received; and when the filling value of the SD field is a first filling value, setting the filling value of the SD field as a second filling value, wherein the first filling value is a reserved value and the second filling value is empty, or the first filling value is empty and the second filling value is a reserved value. Thus, the check mechanism of the slice identifier SD configuration by the NF improves the specification of the NF equipment, thereby achieving the effect of improving the S-NSSAI identification rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mobile communication technology, and in particular to a slice identification processing method, a network function (NF), and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] The 5G mobile communication system introduces network slicing technology. Network slicing provides isolated network environments for different application scenarios by creating virtual, independent logical networks on the same network infrastructure. This allows different application scenarios to customize network functions and characteristics according to their specific needs, thus ensuring the needs of different services. NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information) consists of a series of Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI). S-NSSAI comprises the SST (Slice / ServiceType) field and the SD (Slice Differentiator) field. The SD field is used to further subdivide network slice subclasses for various requirements under a given SST type. Its specific value is defined and set by the operator within the range of 000000 to FFFFFE. FFFFFF is a reserved value for the SD field.

[0003] In related technologies, communication protocols lack unified and mandatory specifications for S-NSSAI configuration in certain scenarios. This leads to two possible configurations for the same SST: SD value may be configured as FFFFFF or empty. This results in differences in the configuration of the same S-NSSAI between Network Functions (NFs) based on different protocols, causing some S-NSSAIs to be unrecognizable.

[0004] The above content is only used to help understand the technical solution of the present invention and does not represent an admission that the above content is prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a slice identification processing method, a network function (NF), and a computer-readable storage medium, aiming to improve the S-NSSAI recognition rate.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a slice identification processing method, which includes the following steps:

[0007] Obtain the fill value of the SD field of the slice differencer in the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0008] When the padding value of the SD field is the first padding value, the padding value of the SD field is set to the second padding value, wherein the first padding value is a reserved value and the second padding value is empty, or the first padding value is empty and the second padding value is a reserved value.

[0009] Optionally, the S-NSSAI is transmitted by the terminal, other NFs besides the NF that receives the S-NSSAI, and / or NFs of other PLMNs besides the PLMN where the NF that receives the S-NSSAI resides.

[0010] Optionally, after the step of obtaining the fill value of the slice differencer SD field of the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, the method further includes:

[0011] Send a target S-NSSAI to the terminal and / or the NF of the other PLMN, wherein the target S-NSSAI is the same as the padding value of the SD field corresponding to the received S-NSSAI.

[0012] Optionally, before the step of sending the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN, the method further includes:

[0013] Determine the third padding value for the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI;

[0014] When the third padding value is different from the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field, the padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI is set to the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field.

[0015] The step of sending the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN includes:

[0016] Send the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN after setting the padding value of the SD field to the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field.

[0017] Optionally, the S-NSSAI further includes a Slice Service Type (SST) field, and the step of determining the third padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI, and the received fourth padding value of the SD field corresponding to the S-NSSAI, includes:

[0018] Determine the third padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI, and obtain the padding value of the SST field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI;

[0019] Based on the fill value of the SST field, query the fill value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI.

[0020] Optionally, after the step of obtaining the fill value of the slice differencer SD field of the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, the method further includes:

[0021] Obtain the fill value of the SST field of the received S-NSSAI, and associate and save the fill value of the SST field with the fill value of the SD field.

[0022] Optionally, before the step of setting the fill value of the SD field to the second fill value when the fill value of the SD field is the first fill value, the method further includes:

[0023] Determine the target padding value that is compatible with its own communication protocol, wherein the target padding value is a reserved value or empty;

[0024] The first fill value is determined based on the target fill value, wherein when the target fill value is empty, the first fill value is a reserved value, and when the target fill value is a reserved value, the first fill value is empty.

[0025] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a network function (NF), which includes a memory, a processor, and a slice identification processing program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the slice identification processing program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the slice identification processing method as described above.

[0026] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a network function (NF), the network function (NF) comprising:

[0027] The acquisition module is used to acquire the fill value of the SD field of the slice differencer of the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0028] The setting module is used to set the fill value of the SD field to empty when the fill value of the SD field is a reserved value; or, when the fill value of the SD field is empty, set the fill value of the SD field to the reserved value.

[0029] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a slice identification processing program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the slice identification processing method as described above.

[0030] This invention proposes a slice identifier processing method, a Network Function (NF), and a computer-readable storage medium. First, the fill value of the slice differential SD field of the received Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) is obtained. When the fill value of the SD field is a first fill value, the fill value of the SD field is set to a second fill value. The first fill value is a reserved value and the second fill value is empty, or the first fill value is empty and the second fill value is a reserved value. This improves the standardization of NF devices by implementing a verification mechanism for the slice identifier SD configuration within the unified PLMN. Simultaneously, the NF improves device networking compatibility and network and terminal compatibility by adopting a slice identifier optimization processing method. Therefore, based on the scheme provided in the above embodiments, the recognition rate of S-NSSAI by the NF can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the terminal structure of the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the slice identification processing method of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of the slice identification processing method of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the S-NSSAI transmission process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a simplified diagram of the Network Function (NF) architecture involved in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0037] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0038] Because communication protocols in related technologies lack unified and mandatory specifications for S-NSSAI configuration in certain scenarios, the same SST can be configured with either FFFFFF or empty. This leads to differences in the configuration of the same S-NSSAI between Network Functions (NFs) based on different protocols, resulting in some S-NSSAIs being unrecognizable.

[0039] To improve the recognition rate of S-NSSAI by Network Functions (NFs), this invention proposes a slice identification processing method, a NF, and a computer-readable storage medium. The main steps of the method include:

[0040] Obtain the fill value of the SD field of the slice differencer in the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0041] When the padding value of the SD field is the first padding value, the padding value of the SD field is set to the second padding value, wherein the first padding value is a reserved value and the second padding value is empty, or the first padding value is empty and the second padding value is a reserved value.

[0042] This approach, through the verification mechanism of the slice identifier (SD) configuration within the NF (Network Functions) under a unified PLMN, improves the standardization of NF devices. Simultaneously, by employing slice identifier optimization methods, the NF enhances device networking compatibility and network and terminal compatibility. Therefore, based on the solution presented in the above embodiments, the NF's recognition rate of S-NSSAI can be improved.

[0043] The claims of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the terminal structure of the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, the terminal can be a network function (NF).

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the terminal may include: a processor 1001, such as a CPU, a memory 1003, and a communication bus 1002. The communication bus 1002 is used to enable communication between these components. The memory 1003 may be a high-speed RAM or a stable, non-volatile memory, such as a disk drive. Optionally, the memory 1003 may also be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 1 The terminal structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the terminal and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the memory 1003, which serves as a computer storage medium, may include an operating system and a slice identification processing program.

[0049] exist Figure 1 In the terminal shown, the processor 1001 can be used to call the slice identifier processing program stored in the memory 1003 and perform the following operations:

[0050] Obtain the fill value of the SD field of the slice differencer in the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0051] When the padding value of the SD field is the first padding value, the padding value of the SD field is set to the second padding value, wherein the first padding value is a reserved value and the second padding value is empty, or the first padding value is empty and the second padding value is a reserved value.

[0052] Furthermore, the processor 1001 can call the slice identifier processing program stored in the memory 1003 and also perform the following operations:

[0053] Send a target S-NSSAI to the terminal and / or the NF of the other PLMN, wherein the target S-NSSAI is the same as the padding value of the SD field corresponding to the received S-NSSAI.

[0054] Furthermore, the processor 1001 can call the slice identifier processing program stored in the memory 1003 and also perform the following operations:

[0055] Determine the third padding value for the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI;

[0056] When the third padding value is different from the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field, the padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI is set to the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field.

[0057] The step of sending the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN includes:

[0058] Send the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN after setting the padding value of the SD field to the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field.

[0059] Furthermore, the processor 1001 can call the slice identifier processing program stored in the memory 1003 and also perform the following operations:

[0060] Determine the third padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI, and obtain the padding value of the SST field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI;

[0061] Based on the fill value of the SST field, query the fill value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI.

[0062] Furthermore, the processor 1001 can call the slice identifier processing program stored in the memory 1003 and also perform the following operations:

[0063] Obtain the fill value of the SST field of the received S-NSSAI, and associate and save the fill value of the SST field with the fill value of the SD field.

[0064] Furthermore, the processor 1001 can call the slice identifier processing program stored in the memory 1003 and also perform the following operations:

[0065] Determine the target padding value that is compatible with its own communication protocol, wherein the target padding value is a reserved value or empty;

[0066] The first fill value is determined based on the target fill value, wherein when the target fill value is empty, the first fill value is a reserved value, and when the target fill value is a reserved value, the first fill value is empty.

[0067] Network slicing is an end-to-end logically dedicated network that provides specific network capabilities. A network slice instance is a collection of network functions and the required physical / virtual resources. Specifically, this may include access networks, core networks, transport networks, and applications. Network slices can be built on traditional proprietary hardware or on general infrastructure based on NFV (Network Function Virtualization) / SDN (Software Defined Networking). Understandably, to achieve low-cost and efficient operation, network vendors generally try to use a unified infrastructure. This has led to a diversity of existing networking equipment.

[0068] In 5G mobile communication systems, network slices are identified by S-NSSAIs. These slice identifiers (S-NSSAIs) can associate slice resources from different domains (radio access network, transport network, core network) to form independent logical slice networks. An NSSAI is a collection of S-NSSAIs; a single NSSAI may be a configuration NSSAI, a request NSSAI, or an allow NSSAI. A single NSSAI can be associated with a maximum of eight S-NSSAIs. Request NSSAIs are carried by the terminal during the attach procedure, while configuration and allow NSSAIs are sent to the terminal by the network.

[0069] The 5G core network selects the corresponding network slice instance for the terminal based on the requested S-NSSAI and user subscription information, including control plane and user plane network functions. The radio operator selects the AMF (Access Management Function) based on the requested slice identifier carried in the user terminal's access signaling. After successful terminal registration, the core network sends the permitted NSSAI to both the radio operator and the terminal. The S-NSSAI identifies a specific network slice and is unique within the PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network). It specifically includes two parts: the SST field and the SD field.

[0070] In related technologies, the SST field consists of 8 bits and is used to express different functions and service types of network slices. SST values ​​of 0-127 represent standard slices, valid globally. SST values ​​of 128-255 represent non-standard slices, defined by the operator. The SD field consists of 24 bits and is used to further subdivide network slice subclasses for various needs under a given SST type, applicable to different services, tenants, regions, etc. This identifier is optional and supplements the SST. The SD field ranges from 0 to 16777214 (000000 to FFFFFE), defined by the operator. In some communication protocols, 16777215 (FFFFFF) is defined as a reserved value to indicate that S-NSSAI only contains SST and not SD. In some protocols, when S-NSSAI only contains SST and not SD, the SD field of S-NSSAI is left "empty" (i.e., S-NSSAI does not have an SD field). Therefore, for the same SST, there are currently two configurations for terminal and network devices: one is to set the SD field to empty (S-NSSAI is only 8 bits), and the other is to set the SD field to FFFFFF (S-NSSAI is 32 bits).

[0071] Because there are no uniform and mandatory specifications for S-NSSAI configuration in some scenarios, each equipment manufacturer develops its products based on its own understanding. This can affect the networking of manufacturers' equipment and cause end-to-end network processes to fail. Taking 5GeMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband) standard network slicing as an example: when SST=1, the corresponding SD field value is configured as FFFFFF by some manufacturers and empty by others. This will cause the following problems:

[0072] 1. Inconsistent slice configurations between different Network Slices (NFs) can prevent normal interaction between NFs. For example, during the slice selection process, if the AMF and NSSF have inconsistent understandings of the network slice selection auxiliary information when the AMF obtains the target AMF from the NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function), the NSSF may be unable to process the slice configuration sent by the AMF correctly, thus affecting the slice selection process.

[0073] 2. After the NF completes the slice-related signaling process, if the slice identifier in the sent message is inconsistent with the slice identifier in the request message, the reply messages from preceding or subsequent NFs may not be correctly recognized, resulting in signaling processing abnormalities. Taking AMF as an example, if the slice identifier sent by AMF to the terminal is inconsistent with the slice identifier requested by the terminal, the terminal may be unable to complete the slice processing process normally.

[0074] Therefore, the aforementioned defects exist in the relevant S-NSSAI processing methods. To address these defects, this invention proposes a slice identifier processing method applied to NFs. This method aims to improve the standardization of NF devices through a verification mechanism for the slice identifier (SD) configuration within the NF within a unified PLMN, and to enhance the networking compatibility of devices and the compatibility of networks and terminals by adopting a slice identifier optimization processing method.

[0075] The following explanation, through specific exemplary solutions, clarifies the scope of protection claimed in the claims of this invention, so that those skilled in the art can better understand the scope of protection of the claims. It is understood that the following exemplary solutions do not limit the scope of protection of this invention, but are only used to explain this invention.

[0076] For example, refer to Figure 2 In one embodiment of the slice identification processing method of the present invention, the slice identification processing method includes the following steps:

[0077] Step S10: Obtain the fill value of the SD field of the slice differential in the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0078] Step S20: When the fill value of the SD field is the first fill value, set the fill value of the SD field to the second fill value, wherein the first fill value is a reserved value and the second fill value is empty, or the first fill value is empty and the second fill value is a reserved value.

[0079] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the slice identification processing method can be applied to NFs. An NF can be configured to interact directly with the terminal (such as an AMF) or to interact with other NFs. Of course, in roaming scenarios, an NF can also be configured to interact with NFs of other PLMNs. This embodiment does not specifically limit this. Furthermore, in this embodiment, each NF in the network is compatible with SD field padding values ​​other than empty or reserved values. Therefore, the first padding value can be set to a reserved value, and the second padding value can be set to empty. That is, after obtaining the padding value of the received S-NSSAI SD field, when the SD field padding value is a reserved value, the reserved value is set to empty.

[0080] For example, during interactions with terminals, other NFs, and / or NFs of other PLMNs, an NF can receive S-NSSAI transmitted by the terminal, other NFs, and / or NFs of other PLMNs. Upon receiving an S-NSSAI, the NF can verify it to obtain the fill value of the slice differential SD field of the received single network slice selection auxiliary information (S-NSSAI). Since the NF is configured to be compatible with SD field fill values ​​other than empty or reserved values, the NF may be unable to process a received S-NSSAI with a reserved value. Therefore, if the SD field fill value of the received S-NSSAI is a reserved value, the NF can empty the SD field and then perform subsequent processing based on the S-NSSAI with the SD field empty. If the SD field fill value of the received S-NSSAI is empty or another optional value, no processing is performed.

[0081] It should be noted that in this embodiment, each NF in the network has a verification function, enabling the NF to set the SD field of the S-NSSAI (which has a reserved value) to empty, regardless of the protocol used to generate the received S-NSSAI. This improves the compatibility of the NF with S-NSSAI and enhances the standardization of NF devices. Furthermore, the operation of setting the SD bit in this embodiment does not change the filling value of the corresponding SST field of the S-NSSAI.

[0082] To facilitate understanding, the following specific application scenario illustrates this solution:

[0083] Scenario 1: In this scenario, all NF devices in the network are uniformly configured to recognize the format SST+empty S-NSSAI. The following explanation uses AMF as an example.

[0084] The AFM is configured to interact with terminal A. When the AFM can only recognize S-NSSAI in the format SST + empty, if terminal A sends an S-NSSAI in the format SST + reserved value to the AFM, the AFM will be unable to process the S-NSSAI sent by terminal A. For example, terminal A sends an S-NSSAI to the AFM with SST = 1 and SD = FFFFFF. Without processing, the AFM cannot process this S-NSSAI. Therefore, after receiving the S-NSSAI, the AFM can verify it to determine whether the SD field is empty or a value other than a reserved value. If so, it directly performs subsequent processing based on the received S-NSSAI. If not, it sets the SD field of the S-NSSAI to empty and then performs subsequent processing based on the empty S-NSSAI. This makes the AFM compatible with terminals of various protocol types.

[0085] It should be emphasized that, in the technical solution disclosed in this embodiment, the SD field of S-NSSAI with an SD value of FFFFFF can be set to null before subsequent processing actions are performed. Therefore, the overhead of transmitting S-NSSAI between NFs is reduced, and the data processing overhead during the processing of S-NSSAI is also reduced.

[0086] In this implementation, the fill value of the slice differential SD field of the received Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) is first obtained. Then, when the fill value of the SD field is a reserved value, the fill value of the SD field is set to empty. This improves the standardization of NF devices through the verification mechanism of the slice identifier SD configuration in the unified PLMN. Simultaneously, the NF improves device networking compatibility and network and terminal compatibility by adopting a slice identifier optimization processing method. Therefore, based on the scheme given in the above embodiment, the recognition rate of S-NSSAI by the NF can be improved.

[0087] In another optional implementation of this embodiment, each NF in the network is an S-NSSAI that is compatible with the SD field being a reserved value or other optional values. The first padding value is then set to empty, and the second padding value is set to a reserved value. Upon receiving an S-NSSAI, if the SD field of the received S-NSSAI is empty, the SD field of the received S-NSSAI is set to a reserved value.

[0088] For example, after the NF receives the S-NSSAI, it can verify the received S-NSSAI to determine the padding value of the SD field of the currently received S-NSSAI. Once the padding value of the SD field of the currently received S-NSSAI is determined, it can be judged whether the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI is a reserved value. If the SD field of the received S-NSSAI is a reserved value or another optional value, no processing is performed on the received S-NSSAI. The corresponding slice event handling action is directly executed based on the received S-NSSAI. If the SD field of the received S-NSSAI is empty, the padding value of the SD field is set to a reserved value. Then, the corresponding slice event handling action is executed based on the S-NSSAI after the SD field has been set to a reserved value.

[0089] In the technical solution disclosed in this embodiment, when the NF receives the S-NSSAI, it first obtains the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI. If the padding value of the SD field is a first padding value, the padding value of the SD field is set to a second padding value. The first padding value is a reserved value and the second padding value is empty, or the first padding value is empty and the second padding value is a reserved value. This improves the standardization of NF devices through the verification mechanism of the slice identifier SD configuration in the NF within the unified PLMN. Simultaneously, by adopting the slice identifier optimization processing method, the NF improves the network compatibility of devices and the compatibility of the network and terminals.

[0090] Optionally, refer to Figure 3 Based on any of the above embodiments, in another embodiment of the slice identification processing method of the present invention, the slice identification processing method includes:

[0091] Step S10: Obtain the fill value of the SD field of the slice differential in the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI;

[0092] Step S10: Obtain the fill value of the SD field of the slice differencer in the received single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI.

[0093] Step S30: Determine the target padding value that is compatible with its own communication protocol, wherein the target padding value is a reserved value or empty;

[0094] Step S40: Determine the first filling value based on the target filling value, wherein when the target filling value is empty, the first filling value is a reserved value, and when the target filling value is a reserved value, the first filling value is empty;

[0095] Step S20: When the fill value of the SD field is the first fill value, set the fill value of the SD field to the second fill value, wherein the first fill value is a reserved value and the second fill value is empty, or the first fill value is empty and the second fill value is a reserved value.

[0096] To achieve low-cost and efficient operation, network providers typically build networks based on existing infrastructure as much as possible. This results in a diverse range of existing network equipment. Consequently, even network equipment within the same PLMN may use different communication protocols. This makes it impossible to configure all network nodes (NFs) to be compatible with the same S-NSSAI format. Replacing a large number of network devices, on the other hand, increases costs.

[0097] Therefore, in the technical solution disclosed in this embodiment, after receiving an S-NSSAI, a target padding value compatible with its own communication protocol can be determined. Then, the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI can be obtained. The target padding value can be a reserved value or empty.

[0098] It should be noted that in some implementations, after receiving an S-NSSAI, the NF may first obtain the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI, and then determine the target padding value compatible with its own communication protocol. Alternatively, after receiving an S-NSSAI, the NF may simultaneously perform the actions of obtaining the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI and determining the target padding value compatible with its own communication protocol. This embodiment does not limit this. Figure 3 It is also not used to limit the execution order between steps S10 and S30.

[0099] Furthermore, after determining whether a value is to be reserved or empty, a first padding value can be determined based on the target padding value. That is, the target padding value is used as the aforementioned second padding value. This ensures that when the received S-NSSAI's SD field has the first padding value, its SD field can be set to the target padding value. Specifically, when the target padding value is empty, the first padding value is a reserved value; when the target padding value is a reserved value, the first padding value is empty.

[0100] For example, when the target padding value is a reserved value, it can be checked whether the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI is empty. If the padding value of the SD field is empty, then the padding value of its SD field is set to a reserved value. Otherwise, no processing is performed on the currently received S-NSSAI. The S-NSSAI is responded to directly.

[0101] When the target padding value is empty, check if the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI is a reserved value. If the padding value of its SD field is a reserved value, set the padding value of its SD field to empty. Otherwise, do not process the currently received S-NSSAI. Respond directly to the S-NSSAI.

[0102] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the decision to process the received S-NSSAI can be determined based on the target padding value compatible with the NF's own communication protocol. That is, if the format of the received S-NSSAI differs from the target SD field type compatible with its own communication protocol, it is first converted to the target SD field type compatible with its own communication protocol before responding to the S-NSSAI. This avoids the occurrence of incompatibility between the NF and the received S-NSSAI.

[0103] Optionally, based on any of the above embodiments, in another embodiment, after obtaining the fill value of the slice differential SD field of the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, the method further includes sending the target S-NSSAI to the NF of the terminal and / or the other PLMN, wherein the target S-NSSAI is the same as the fill value of the SD field corresponding to the received S-NSSAI.

[0104] Reference Figure 4 When an NF (Network Function) directly interacts with the NFs of a terminal and / or other PLMNs, after receiving the S-NSSAI (Short Message Signal Access Adapter) from the terminal and / or other PLMNs, the NF also needs to output its own S-NSSAI to the terminal and / or other PLMNs during the interaction. However, since the communication protocols compatible with the terminal and / or other PLMNs' NFs are uncontrollable, in order for the S-NSSAI output to the terminal and / or other PLMNs' NFs to be recognizable, it is necessary to ensure that the format of the output S-NSSAI is consistent with that of the S-NSSAI transmitted from the terminal and / or other PLMNs' NFs to the NF. For example, if the terminal sends SST+empty to the AMF (Application Manager Function), the AMF, upon receiving it, sets it to SST+FFFFFF. Then, it executes a preset processing procedure based on SST+FFFFFF. It is necessary to set SST+FFFFFF to SST+empty before sending it to the terminal to ensure the consistency of input and output. If other PLMNs send SST+FFFFFF to AMF, then AMF will directly execute a preset procedure based on SST+FFFFFF and then send SST+FFFFFF back to it. This ensures the consistency of input and output.

[0105] When an NF processes S-NSSAI to improve compatibility, the target S-NSSAI to be sent to the terminal and / or other PLMNs may differ in format from the S-NSSAI transmitted from the terminal and / or other PLMNs to the NF. Therefore, before outputting the target S-NSSAI, the third padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI and the received padding value of the SD field corresponding to the S-NSSAI can be determined. Then, it is determined whether the third padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI to be sent is the same as the received padding value of the SD field corresponding to the S-NSSAI. If the third padding value is different from the received padding value of the SD field corresponding to the S-NSSAI, the padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI is set to the received padding value of the SD field corresponding to the S-NSSAI, and then the target S-NSSAI with the SD field padding value set to the received padding value of the SD field corresponding to the S-NSSAI is sent to the terminal or the other PLMN NF. Otherwise, the target S-NSSAI is sent directly to the terminal and / or the NF of the other PLMN.

[0106] Optionally, to determine the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI, after obtaining the padding value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI, the padding value of the SST field of the received S-NSSAI can be obtained, and the padding value of the SST field can be associated and saved with the padding value of the SD field. This allows, when a target S-NSSAI needs to be sent, the padding value corresponding to the SD field of the received S-NSSAI can be queried based on the padding value of the SST field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI.

[0107] In the technical solution disclosed in this embodiment, when sending the target S-NSSAI to the terminal and / or the NF of the other PLMN, the target S-NSSAI is the same as the filling value of the SD field corresponding to the received S-NSSAI, so that the NF that processes the slice identifier based on the slice identifier processing method of the present invention can be compatible with terminal interaction scenarios and roaming scenarios.

[0108] Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention also proposes a network function (NF), which includes a memory, a processor, and a slice identification processing program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the slice identification processing program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the slice identification processing method described in the above embodiments.

[0109] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also propose a Network Function (NF), exemplarily, referring to... Figure 5The network function NF100 includes:

[0110] The system includes an acquisition module 101 and a setting module 102. The acquisition module 101 is used to acquire the fill value of the slice differential SD field of the received Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI). The setting module 102 is used to set the fill value of the SD field to empty when the fill value of the SD field is a reserved value, or to set the fill value of the SD field to the reserved value when the fill value of the SD field is empty.

[0111] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also propose a computer-readable storage medium storing a slice identification processing program, wherein when the slice identification processing program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the slice identification processing method described in the above embodiments.

[0112] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0113] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0114] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes several instructions to cause the network function NF to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0115] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A slice identification processing method, characterized in that, When applied to Network Function (NF), the slice identification processing method includes the following steps: Obtain the fill value of the SD field of the slice differencer in the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI; Determine the target padding value that is compatible with its own communication protocol, wherein the target padding value is a reserved value or empty; A first fill value is determined based on the target fill value, wherein when the target fill value is empty, the first fill value is a reserved value, and when the target fill value is a reserved value, the first fill value is empty; When the padding value of the SD field is the first padding value, the padding value of the SD field is set to the second padding value, wherein the first padding value is a reserved value and the second padding value is empty, or the first padding value is empty and the second padding value is a reserved value.

2. The slice identification processing method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The S-NSSAI is transmitted by the terminal, other NFs besides the NF that receives the S-NSSAI, and / or NFs of other PLMNs besides the NF that receives the S-NSSAI.

3. The slice identification processing method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, After the step of obtaining the fill value of the slice differential SD field of the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, the method further includes: Send a target S-NSSAI to the terminal and / or the NF of the other PLMN, wherein the target S-NSSAI is the same as the padding value of the SD field corresponding to the received S-NSSAI.

4. The slice identification processing method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Before the step of sending the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN, the method further includes: Determine the third padding value for the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI; When the third padding value is different from the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field, the padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI is set to the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field. The step of sending the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN includes: Send the target S-NSSAI to the terminal or the NF of the other PLMN after setting the padding value of the SD field to the padding value of the S-NSSAISD field.

5. The slice identification processing method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The S-NSSAI also includes a Slice Service Type (SST) field. The steps of determining the third padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI and the received fourth padding value of the SD field corresponding to the S-NSSAI include: Determine the third padding value of the SD field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI, and obtain the padding value of the SST field corresponding to the target S-NSSAI; Based on the fill value of the SST field, query the fill value of the SD field of the received S-NSSAI.

6. The slice identification processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, After the step of obtaining the fill value of the slice differential SD field of the received single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, the method further includes: Obtain the fill value of the SST field of the received S-NSSAI, and associate and save the fill value of the SST field with the fill value of the SD field.

7. A network function (NF), characterized in that, The network function (NF) includes: a memory, a processor, and a slice identification processing program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the slice identification processing program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the slice identification processing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A Network Function (NF), characterized in that, The network function (NF) includes: The acquisition module is used to acquire the padding value of the SD field of the slice differential in the received Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI); determine the target padding value that is compatible with its own communication protocol, wherein the target padding value is a reserved value or empty; and determine a first padding value based on the target padding value, wherein when the target padding value is empty, the first padding value is a reserved value, and when the target padding value is a reserved value, the first padding value is empty. The setting module is used to set the fill value of the SD field to empty when the fill value of the SD field is a reserved value; or, when the fill value of the SD field is empty, set the fill value of the SD field to the reserved value.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a slice identification processing program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the slice identification processing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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