Communication control method and device, electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a communication control method and device, an electronic device, and a storage medium, the method comprising: first obtaining a communication request from a terminal, and obtaining the terminal's tariff information based on the communication request, and then searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the terminal's tariff information from multiple user plane function network elements, so as to provide communication services to the terminal through the target user plane function network element. The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can improve the matching degree between the target user plane function network element and the terminal, meet the needs of different users, and reduce the selection granularity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication control method and device, electronic equipment, storage medium, and program product. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of communication technology, the requirements for communication quality are getting higher and higher. In order to shorten the data transmission delay, user plane functional network elements are deployed in the communication network.

[0003] There are multiple user plane function network elements deployed in the communication network, from which the user plane function network element that provides communication services to the terminal can be selected. In the related art, the user plane function network element is usually selected for the terminal based on the network access location of the terminal. The selection method is single and the granularity is large, which cannot meet the needs of different users. Summary of the invention

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication control method and device, an electronic device, a storage medium, and a program product.

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication control method is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] Obtaining a communication request from a terminal;

[0007] Acquiring tariff information of the terminal based on the communication request;

[0008] Searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from a plurality of user plane function network elements;

[0009] The target user plane functional network element provides communication services for the terminal.

[0010] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication control device is provided, the device comprising:

[0011] A request acquisition module, configured to acquire a communication request from a terminal;

[0012] An information acquisition module, configured to acquire the tariff information of the terminal based on the communication request;

[0013] A search module configured to search for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements;

[0014] The communication module is configured to provide communication services for the terminal through the target user plane functional network element.

[0015] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an electronic device, including:

[0016] one or more processors;

[0017] The storage device is used to store one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the electronic device implements the communication control method as described above.

[0018] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer-readable instructions are stored. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor of an electronic device, the electronic device executes the communication control method as described above.

[0019] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program, wherein when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the communication control method as described above is implemented.

[0020] In the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application, a communication request from a terminal is first obtained, and the tariff information of the terminal is obtained based on the communication request. Then, a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal is searched from multiple user plane function network elements to provide communication services to the terminal through the target user plane function network element. That is to say, the target user plane function network element is selected based on the tariff information of the terminal, and different terminals have different corresponding tariff information, thereby enriching the selection method of the user plane function network element, reducing the selection granularity, and can improve the matching degree between the target user plane function network element and the terminal to meet the needs of different users.

[0021] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a communication control method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A flowchart of step S130 in the illustrated embodiment in an exemplary embodiment;

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2A flowchart of step S220 in the illustrated embodiment in an exemplary embodiment;

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of data network information shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A flow chart of step S130 of the illustrated embodiment in an exemplary embodiment;

[0028] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A flow chart of step S130 of the illustrated embodiment in an exemplary embodiment;

[0029] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A flow chart of step S130 of the illustrated embodiment in an exemplary embodiment;

[0030] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a communication control method shown in another exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication control device shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system suitable for implementing an electronic device of an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Here, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are only examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the attached claims.

[0034] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities may be implemented in software form, or in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0035] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are only exemplary and do not necessarily include all the contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be decomposed, and some operations / steps can be combined or partially combined, so the actual execution order may change according to actual conditions.

[0036] It should also be noted that the "multiple" mentioned in this application refers to two or more than two. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0037] There are multiple user plane function network elements deployed in the communication network, but in the related art, the user plane function network element is usually selected for the terminal based on the network access location of the terminal. The selection method is single and the granularity is large, which cannot meet the needs of different users. Based on this, the embodiments of the present application propose a communication control method and device, an electronic device, a storage medium, and a program product, thereby enriching the selection method of the user plane function network element, reducing the selection granularity, and improving the matching degree between the target user plane function network element and the terminal to meet the needs of different users.

[0038] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a communication control method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment, the communication control method may include steps S110 to S140, which are described in detail as follows:

[0039] Step S110, obtaining a communication request from a terminal.

[0040] It should be noted that a terminal is a device used for communication, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, intelligent voice interaction devices, smart home appliances, vehicle-mounted terminals, aircraft, etc.

[0041] When the terminal needs to communicate with the outside of the terminal, a communication request may be generated, and the communication control device may obtain the communication request from the terminal.

[0042] The communication control device is a device that processes the communication request of the terminal and selects a user plane function network element for the terminal, and its specific type can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, the communication control device can be a session management function (SMF) network element.

[0043] The specific method by which the communication control device obtains the communication request from the terminal can be flexibly set according to actual needs. Optionally, the terminal can send a communication request to the communication control device through an intermediate device. For example, the terminal can send a communication request to an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element through a base station, and the AMF network element sends the communication request to the communication control device. Alternatively, the terminal can also send a communication request directly to the communication control device.

[0044] Step S120: acquiring terminal tariff information based on the communication request.

[0045] It should be noted that for communication services, communication operators can provide different billing methods for users to choose from, and different users can choose different billing methods. For example, for data transmission services, communication operators can provide different tariff packages based on different data transmission rates, and users can choose the corresponding tariff packages based on their own needs. Correspondingly, tariff information refers to information that characterizes the billing method (or, tariff package) of the communication service.

[0046] Since different users have different requirements for the service quality of communication services, for example, different requirements for latency, different users select different billing methods or tariff packages. Therefore, in this embodiment, after obtaining a communication request from a terminal, the tariff information of the terminal can be obtained based on the communication request.

[0047] Among them, the specific method of obtaining the terminal's tariff information based on the communication request can be flexibly set according to actual needs. In an optional implementation, the data storage network element stores the tariff information of different terminals, and the communication control network element can obtain the terminal's tariff information from the data storage network element, and the data storage network element includes but is not limited to the unified data management function (UDM) network element. Optionally, the communication control network element can obtain the terminal's tariff information from the data storage network element after receiving the communication request sent by the terminal. Alternatively, the communication control network element can obtain the terminal's tariff information from the data storage network element and store it in a designated storage area when the terminal is powered on. After obtaining the terminal's communication request, the communication control network element can obtain the terminal's tariff information from the designated storage area. In one example, the data storage network element can be a UDM network element, and the communication control network element can be an SMF network element. When the terminal is powered on, the base station can send a power-on notification to the AMF network element. The AMF sends an authentication request to the UDM network element based on the power-on notification. The UDM network element authenticates the terminal based on the authentication request, and after the authentication is passed, sends the terminal's tariff information and other data to the AMF network element. The AMF network element sends the received terminal's tariff information and other data to the SMF network element. The SMF network element stores the received terminal's tariff information and other data in the designated storage area. In addition, after obtaining the communication request from the terminal, the SMF network element obtains the terminal's tariff information from the designated storage area based on the communication request.

[0048] Step S130: searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements.

[0049] It should be noted that the user plane function (UPF) is mainly responsible for external connection to the data network (DN) and data packet routing and forwarding, message filtering, and execution of quality of service (QoS) control related functions on the user plane.

[0050] There are multiple user plane function network elements deployed in the communication network. The performance of different user plane function network elements is different. Different user plane function network elements are set for different tariff information. After obtaining the tariff information of the terminal, the user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal can be selected from the multiple user plane function network elements deployed in the communication network. The selected user plane function network element is the target user plane function network element.

[0051] The specific method of searching for the target user plane function network element that matches the terminal's tariff information can be flexibly set according to actual needs. In an optional implementation, the performance requirements of the terminal for the user plane function network element can be determined according to the terminal's tariff information, and then the user plane function network element that can meet the performance requirements of the terminal is screened out from multiple user plane function network elements deployed in the communication network, and the screened user plane function network element is used as the target user plane function network element. The specific method of determining the performance requirement of the terminal for the user plane function network element according to the terminal's tariff information can be flexibly set according to actual needs. Optionally, a mapping table between the tariff information and the performance requirement can be pre-set. After the tariff information of the terminal is obtained, the performance requirement corresponding to the tariff information of the terminal is found from the mapping table. For example, assuming that the communication service is a data transmission service, for tariff information 1, its performance requirement is a data transmission rate greater than 2Mbit / s, for tariff information 2, its performance requirement is a data transmission rate greater than 5Mbit / s, and for tariff information 3, its performance requirement is a data transmission rate greater than 10Mbit / s. Assuming that the tariff information of the terminal is tariff information 2, the performance requirement of the terminal for the user plane function network element is a data transmission rate greater than 5Mbit / s. Therefore, a target user plane function network element with a data transmission rate greater than 5Mbit / s is selected from multiple user plane function network elements deployed in the communication network. In another optional implementation, the user type can be determined according to the terminal's tariff information, and the target user plane function network element can be selected according to the user type. For example, for 2C (To For 2B (To Business) users, that is, individual users, who have high requirements for data transmission latency, etc., they can choose to sink user plane function network elements (that is, user plane function network elements deployed at the edge of the network). For 2B (To Business) users, that is, business / enterprise users, they can choose other types of user plane function network elements. Therefore, the user type can be determined according to the terminal's tariff information, and the target user plane function network element that matches the user type can be selected.

[0052] Optionally, after step S130, the identification information of the terminal may be associated with the target user plane function network element and stored, so that when a communication request sent by the terminal is subsequently received, the target user plane function network element may be found from the associated stored data based on the identification information of the terminal. If there are different types of communication requests, the identification information of the terminal, the type of communication request, and the target user plane function network element may be associated with each other and stored, and when a communication request sent by the terminal is subsequently received, the target user plane function network element corresponding to the communication request may be first found from the associated stored data, and if not found, the target user plane function network element may be determined based on the tariff information of the terminal.

[0053] Step S140: providing communication services to the terminal through the target user plane functional network element.

[0054] In this embodiment, after selecting a target user plane functional network element for the terminal, the target user plane functional network element can provide communication services for the terminal. For example, the target user plane functional network element can provide the terminal with communication services such as routing forwarding of user plane data, message filtering, and execution of service quality control.

[0055] In this embodiment, a communication request from the terminal is first obtained, and the terminal's tariff information is obtained based on the communication request. Then, a target user plane function network element that matches the terminal's tariff information is searched from multiple user plane function network elements, so as to provide communication services to the terminal through the target user plane function network element. That is to say, the target user plane function network element is selected based on the terminal's tariff information, and different terminals have different corresponding tariff information, thereby enriching the selection method of the user plane function network element, reducing the selection granularity, and improving the matching degree between the target user plane function network element and the terminal to meet the needs of different users.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, see Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 for Figure 1 The step S130 in the illustrated embodiment is a flow chart in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the process of searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements may include steps S210 to S220, which are described in detail as follows:

[0057] Step S210, obtaining data network information of the terminal.

[0058] It should be noted that data network information refers to the relevant parameters of the data network supported by the terminal (i.e., data network parameters), which include but are not limited to data network name (DNN) information. The data network information may include at least one of the data network parameters such as the terminal's home network information, the terminal's location information, the terminal's identification information (e.g., the terminal's telephone number, international mobile subscriber identity code, etc.), and the communication operator's information.

[0059] There are multiple user plane function network elements deployed in the communication network, and different user plane function network elements can access different data networks. For example, user plane function network elements deployed by different communication operators can only access data networks deployed by corresponding communication operators, and user plane function network elements deployed in different regions can only access data networks deployed in their corresponding regions. Therefore, in order to find out the user plane function network element that matches the terminal, in this embodiment, the data network information of the terminal can also be obtained.

[0060] Step S220: determining a target user plane function network element from a plurality of user plane function network elements according to the data network information and the tariff information of the terminal.

[0061] After acquiring the data network information and the tariff information of the terminal, the target user plane function network element can be found from the multiple user plane function network elements included in the communication network according to the data network information and the tariff information of the terminal.

[0062] Among them, the specific method of searching for the target user plane functional network element can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0063] For example, in an optional implementation, a user plane function network element that matches the data network information of the terminal can be searched from multiple user plane function network elements first, and then a target user plane function network element that matches the terminal's tariff information can be searched from the user plane function network elements that match the terminal's data network information. The specific method of searching for a user plane function network element that matches the terminal's data network information can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, if the terminal's data network information includes the terminal's location information, the user plane function network element that matches the terminal's location information can be searched from multiple user plane function network elements based on the principle of proximity. For another example, if the terminal's data network information includes communication operator information, the user plane function network element that matches the terminal's communication operator information can be searched from multiple user plane function network elements. For another example, the mapping relationship between the data network information and the user plane function network element can be pre-set, and the corresponding user plane function network element can be searched from the mapping relationship based on the terminal's data network information.

[0064] In another optional implementation, a user plane function network element that matches the terminal's tariff information can be first searched from multiple user plane function network elements, and then a target user plane function network element that matches the terminal's data network information can be searched from the user plane function network elements that match the terminal's tariff information.

[0065] In another optional implementation, the data network information and the tariff information of the terminal may be spliced ​​to obtain spliced ​​information, and then a target user plane function network element matching the spliced ​​information may be searched from multiple user plane function network elements. Optionally, a mapping relationship between the splicing information and the user plane function network element may be preset, and the corresponding user plane function network element may be searched from the mapping relationship based on the splicing information of the terminal.

[0066] In this embodiment, data network information of the terminal is obtained, and a target user plane function network element is determined from multiple user plane function network elements based on the data network information and tariff information of the terminal, thereby improving the matching degree between the target user plane function network element and the terminal and reducing the selection granularity. In addition, by selecting a user plane function network element for the terminal based on the two parameters of the terminal's data network information and tariff information, the number of user plane function network elements providing communication services for the terminal can be expanded, thereby improving the communication quality.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, see Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 for Figure 2 The step S220 in the embodiment shown is a flow chart in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, under the condition that the data network information of the terminal includes the tariff information of the terminal, the process of determining the target user plane function network element from multiple user plane function network elements according to the data network information and the tariff information of the terminal may include steps S310-S320, which are described in detail as follows:

[0068] Step S310, searching for a user plane function network element corresponding to the data network information of the terminal from a specified mapping relationship table; wherein the specified mapping relationship table includes a mapping relationship between the data network information and the user plane function network element.

[0069] It should be noted that the data network information of the terminal may include the terminal's tariff information, that is, the terminal's data network information includes not only the terminal's data network parameters, but also the terminal's tariff information. Optionally, the terminal's data network parameters and the terminal's tariff information may be presented in a coded form. Assuming that the terminal's data network parameters are 8-bit hexadecimal numbers, a 4-bit hexadecimal number representing the terminal's tariff information may be added to this basis to obtain a 12-bit hexadecimal number, which is used as the data network information.

[0070] The specified mapping relationship table contains the mapping relationship between different data network information and user plane function network elements, and its specific content can be flexibly set according to actual needs. After obtaining the data network information containing the terminal's tariff information, the user plane function network element corresponding to the terminal's data network information can be found in the specified mapping relationship table. For example, in an optional implementation, see Figure 4 As shown, based on the original data network information DNN1, the tariff information CC0 and CC1 can be added respectively to obtain new data network information DNNXX1 and DNNXX2. For DNNXX1, the target user plane function network element UPFxx1 is found; for DNNXX2, the target user plane function network element UPFxx2 is found.

[0071] Step S320: Use the found user plane function network element as the target user plane function network element.

[0072] After finding out the user plane function network element corresponding to the data network information of the terminal from the specified preset relationship table, the found user plane function network element is used as the target user plane function network element.

[0073] Optionally, after determining the target user plane functional network element, the identification information of the target user plane functional network element can be added to the data network information. In this way, if the same type of communication request sent by the terminal is received subsequently, the target user plane functional network element can be directly determined from the data network information.

[0074] In this embodiment, the terminal's tariff information is added to the terminal's data network information, which improves the speed of information acquisition, and the user plane function network element corresponding to the terminal's data network information is searched from a specified mapping relationship table, the specified mapping relationship table contains a mapping relationship between the data network information and the user plane function network element, and the user plane function network element found is used as the target user plane function network element, which improves the speed of determining the target user plane function network element.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, see Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 for Figure 1 The step S130 of the embodiment shown is a flow chart in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 As shown, the process of searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements may include steps S510 to S520, which are described in detail as follows:

[0076] Step S510: determining the importance level of the terminal according to the tariff information of the terminal.

[0077] In this embodiment, a plurality of importance levels are set, and different tariff information corresponds to different importance levels. The importance level of a terminal can be determined according to the tariff information of the terminal.

[0078] The specific method of determining the importance level of the terminal according to the tariff information of the terminal can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, the higher the tariff corresponding to the tariff information, the higher the importance level.

[0079] Step S520: searching for a target user plane function network element whose corresponding performance matches the importance level of the terminal from among multiple user plane function network elements, wherein the importance level of the terminal is positively correlated with the performance of the target user plane function network element.

[0080] It should be noted that the performance of the user plane functional network element refers to the communication capability of the user plane functional network element, including but not limited to the load, data transmission efficiency, latency, etc. of the user plane functional network element.

[0081] After determining the importance level of the terminal, a target user plane function network element whose performance matches the importance level of the terminal can be searched from multiple user plane function network elements, wherein the higher the importance level of the terminal, the better the performance of the target user plane function network element.

[0082] In this embodiment, the importance level of the terminal is determined based on the terminal's tariff information, and a target user plane function network element whose corresponding performance matches the importance level of the terminal is searched from multiple user plane function network elements, wherein the importance level of the terminal is positively correlated with the performance of the target user plane function network element, thereby further improving the matching degree between the target user plane function network element and the terminal.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, see Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 for Figure 1 The step S130 of the embodiment shown is a flow chart in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, the process of searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements may include steps S610 to S630, which are described in detail as follows:

[0084] Step S610: Determine the communication service corresponding to the communication request.

[0085] It should be noted that users have different needs for different communication services, so the communication service corresponding to the communication request can be determined according to the communication request.

[0086] Among them, the specific method of determining the communication service corresponding to the communication request based on the communication request can be flexibly set according to actual needs. For example, the terminal's tariff information usually includes the service and the tariff corresponding to the service. Therefore, the communication service corresponding to the communication request can be obtained from the terminal's tariff information; or, the terminal's communication request usually includes information about the service that needs to be accessed, and the communication request can be parsed to obtain the communication service corresponding to the communication request.

[0087] Step S620, determining whether the communication service is a designated type of service.

[0088] The designated type of business is a pre-set business, and its specific business type can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0089] After the communication service corresponding to the communication request is determined, it may be determined whether the communication service corresponding to the communication request is a designated type of service.

[0090] Step S630: If not, select a target user plane function network element that matches the terminal's tariff information from multiple user plane function network elements.

[0091] If the communication service corresponding to the communication request is not a designated type of service, the target user plane function network element is selected according to the terminal's tariff information. In other words, if the communication service corresponding to the communication request is a designated type of service, the target user plane function network element may not be selected according to the terminal's tariff information. For example, for instant messaging services, which have high latency requirements, in order to ensure communication quality, the user plane function network element may not be selected according to the tariff information.

[0092] Optionally, if the communication service corresponding to the communication request is a specified type of service, the target user plane function network element can be selected according to the specified service policy. For example, the target user plane function network element can be selected according to at least one of the parameters such as the location of the terminal and the performance of the user plane function network element. The specified service policy can be stored in a policy control function (PCF) network element. Correspondingly, the specified service policy can be obtained from the PCF network element, and a policy and charging control (PCC) process can be initiated to select the target user plane function network element based on the specified service policy.

[0093] In this embodiment, the communication service corresponding to the communication request is determined; it is determined whether the communication service is a specified type of service; if not, a target user plane function network element that matches the terminal's tariff information is screened out from multiple user plane function network elements, that is, the user plane function network elements corresponding to different communication services are selected in different ways, thereby improving the matching degree between the terminal and the target user plane function network element.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment, see Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 for Figure 1 The step S130 in the illustrated embodiment is a flow chart in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 7 As shown, under the condition that the number of communication requests is multiple, the process of searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements may include steps S710 to S720, which are described in detail as follows:

[0095] Step S710: Obtain the tariff information corresponding to each communication request.

[0096] It should be noted that the same terminal may need to carry multiple communication services at the same time. For example, a user can send emails and do live broadcasts while playing games. Correspondingly, the terminal needs to access game services, email services, and live broadcast services. In this embodiment, multiple communication requests from the same terminal can be received.

[0097] Step S720: Select a target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request from multiple user plane function network elements according to the tariff information corresponding to each communication request, so as to provide communication services for the communication business corresponding to each communication request through the target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request.

[0098] Different communication requests correspond to different communication services, and different communication services correspond to different tariff information. Therefore, after receiving multiple communication requests from the same terminal, for each communication request, the corresponding tariff information can be obtained, and the target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request can be selected from multiple user plane function network elements. In this way, the communication service corresponding to the communication request can be accessed through the network through the target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request. For example, for the game service, if the user selects a tariff with a higher billing standard, the user plane function network element 1 with a lower latency can be selected. For the email service, if the user selects a tariff with a lower billing standard, the user plane function network element 2 with a higher latency can be selected. Then, the user plane function network element 1 provides communication services for the game service, and the user plane function network element 2 provides communication services for the email service.

[0099] In this embodiment, the tariff information corresponding to each communication request is obtained, and according to the tariff information corresponding to each communication request, the target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request is selected from multiple user plane function network elements, so that the target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request provides communication service for the communication service corresponding to each communication request, so that different target user plane function network elements can be selected for different communication services, thereby improving the matching degree between the target user plane function network element and the terminal communication service, and increasing the number of target user plane function network elements providing communication services for the terminal, thereby improving the communication quality.

[0100] The following is a detailed description of a specific application scenario of the embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 The application scenario provided for an exemplary embodiment of the present application includes: a terminal, a base station, an AMF network element, an SMF network element, a UPF network element, a UDM network element, and an Internet Technology (IT) system. In this application scenario, see Figure 8 As shown, the communication control method includes steps S801 to S808, which are described in detail as follows:

[0101] Step S801: The IT system obtains a data network information template and sends the data network information template to a UDM network element.

[0102] The data network information template describes which parameters the data network information includes, the position of each parameter, and the length of each parameter.

[0103] Optionally, the data network information template includes data network parameters and tariff information. The data network parameters include the data network location. The format of the data network parameters may be "dnn-x.smfg1.xx.iot", where "xx" is the area number, for example, test.smfg1.bj.iot, where bj is the number of Beijing; the tariff information may be a CC value (charging-characteristics-value) representing the tariff parameter, and the CC value may be a 4-digit hexadecimal number, that is, the CC value range is 0-65535. In the process of setting the CC value, 0-256 may be a reserved field and is not allowed to be used; if the service corresponding to the terminal's tariff information is a specified service type, its CC value may be set to be greater than 256 and less than or equal to 10000; if the service type corresponding to the terminal's tariff information is not a specified service type, the CC value may be determined from a number greater than 10000 and less than or equal to 65535 according to its tariff information.

[0104] Step S802: The IT system receives an account registration request from the terminal and sends the account registration request to the UDM network element.

[0105] If the terminal needs to use communication services, it needs to register in the IT system, wherein the account registration request includes the identification information of the terminal (eg, telephone number), data network parameters of the terminal, and tariff information.

[0106] Step S803: The UDM network element obtains data network parameters and tariff information of the terminal based on the account registration request, and generates data network information matching the data network information template based on the data network parameters and tariff information.

[0107] After receiving the account registration request, the UDM network element can parse the terminal identification information, data network parameters and tariff information from the account registration request, and generate data network information matching the data network information template based on the data network parameters and tariff information. Optionally, the CC values ​​corresponding to the data network parameters and tariff information can be spliced ​​to obtain the data network information.

[0108] Step S804: The terminal sends a power-on notification to the AMF network element through the base station.

[0109] After the terminal is powered on, it can send a power-on notification to the AMF network element through the base station.

[0110] Optionally, when the user triggers a communication service on the terminal, a communication request corresponding to the triggered communication service is sent to the AMF network element through the base station.

[0111] Step S805: The AMF network element sends an authentication request to the UDM network element based on the power-on notification.

[0112] After receiving the power-on notification, the AMF network element can send an authentication request to the UDM network element.

[0113] Step S806, the UDM network element authenticates the terminal based on the authentication request, and after the authentication is passed, sends the terminal's data network information to the AMF network element.

[0114] The UDM network element stores the terminal's data network information. The UDM network element can authenticate the terminal based on the authentication request. After the authentication is passed, the terminal's data network information is sent to the AMF network element.

[0115] Step S807, the AMF network element sends the data network information of the terminal to the SMF network element.

[0116] The AMF network element sends the terminal's data network information to the SMF network element.

[0117] Step S808, the SMF network element selects the target UPF network element according to the data network information, and provides communication services to the terminal through the target UPF network element.

[0118] After receiving the data network information of the terminal, the SMF network element can select a target UPF network element for the terminal based on the data network information to provide communication services for the terminal through the target UPF network element.

[0119] Optionally, in the process of selecting a target UPF network element for the terminal, it is possible to first determine whether the service is a designated type of service based on the CC value contained in the data network information. If the CC value is greater than 256 and less than or equal to 10000, the corresponding service is determined to be a designated type of service, and the target user plane function network element is selected according to the designated service policy; if the CC value is greater than 10000 and less than or equal to 65535, the target UFP network element is selected from the designated mapping relationship table based on the data network information. Optionally, assuming that in the data network information, the first 4 bits represent the data network parameters and the last 5 bits represent the CC value, the designated mapping relationship table is shown in Table 1 below. If the data network information of the terminal is 100025678 (i.e., the CC value is 25678), the target UPF network element is UPF network element 2.

[0120] Data network information (data network parameters + CC value) UPF Network Elements 000010000-100010000 UPF network element 1 100010001-200050000 UPF network element 2 200050001-800050000 UPF network element 3 …… ……

[0121] Table 1

[0122] Optionally, after determining the target UPF network element, the data network information of the terminal can be updated according to the target UPF network element. For example, the format of the updated data network information can be: test.upfABCD.bj.iot, where ABCD is the identification information of the target UPF network element. Subsequently, when the communication request of the terminal is received, the target UPF network element can be directly determined according to the updated data network information.

[0123] In the communication control method provided in this embodiment, the target user plane functional network element is selected for the terminal according to the data network information including the tariff information and the communication service type, so as to improve the matching degree between the selected target user plane functional network element and the terminal, meet the needs of different users, reduce the selection granularity, expand the number of target user plane functional network elements providing communication services for the terminal, and thus improve the communication quality of the terminal.

[0124] See also Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication control device shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 As shown, the device comprises:

[0125] A request acquisition module 901 is configured to acquire a communication request from a terminal;

[0126] The information acquisition module 902 is configured to acquire the terminal's tariff information based on the communication request;

[0127] A search module 903 is configured to search for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements;

[0128] The communication module 904 is configured to provide communication services for the terminal through the target user plane functional network element.

[0129] It should be noted that Fig. 9 The communication control device shown may also include corresponding modules to implement other steps in the communication control method provided in the aforementioned embodiment, and the communication control device provided in the aforementioned embodiment and the communication control method provided in the aforementioned embodiment belong to the same concept, wherein the specific manner in which each module and unit performs the operation has been described in detail in the method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0130] An embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device, comprising: one or more processors; a storage device for storing one or more programs, when the one or more programs are executed by one or more processors, the electronic device implements the communication control method provided in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0131] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system suitable for implementing an electronic device of an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0132] It should be noted that Fig.10 The computer system 1000 of the electronic device shown is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present application.

[0133] like Fig.10 As shown, the computer system 1000 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1001, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the program stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or the program loaded from the storage part 1008 to the random access memory (RAM) 1003, such as executing the method in the above embodiment. In the RAM 1003, various programs and data required for system operation are also stored. The CPU 1001, the ROM 1002 and the RAM 1003 are connected to each other through the bus 1004. The input / output (I / O) interface 1005 is also connected to the bus 1004.

[0134] The following components are connected to the I / O interface 1005: an input section 1006 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 1007 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 1008 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 1009 including a network interface card such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card, a modem, etc. The communication section 1009 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 1010 is also connected to the I / O interface 1005 as needed. A removable medium 1011, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 1010 as needed, so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage section 1008 as needed.

[0135] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present application, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present application includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, and the computer program includes a computer program for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network through a communication section 1009, and / or installed from a removable medium 1011. When the computer program is executed by a central processing unit (CPU) 1001, various functions defined in the system of the present application are executed.

[0136] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in the embodiment of the present application can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium or any combination of the above two. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media can include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present application, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which can be used by an instruction execution system, device or device or used in combination with it. In the present application, a computer-readable signal medium can include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as a part of a carrier wave, wherein a computer-readable computer program is carried. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, which may send, propagate, or transmit programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer program contained on the computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wired, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0137] The flowchart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present application. Wherein, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of the code, and the above-mentioned module, program segment, or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram or flowchart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0138] The units involved in the embodiments described in this application may be implemented by software or hardware, and the units described may also be set in a processor. The names of these units do not, in some cases, constitute limitations on the units themselves.

[0139] Another aspect of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable instructions are stored. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor of an electronic device, the electronic device implements the above method. The computer-readable storage medium may be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiment, or may exist independently without being assembled into the electronic device.

[0140] Another aspect of the present application further provides a computer program product or a computer program, which includes a computer instruction, and when the computer instruction is executed by a processor, the method provided in each of the above embodiments is implemented. The computer instruction can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium; the processor of the electronic device can read the computer instruction from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the electronic device performs the method provided in each of the above embodiments.

[0141] The above content is only a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the implementation scheme of the present application. A person skilled in the art can easily make corresponding changes or modifications based on the main concept and spirit of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be based on the scope of protection required by the claims.

Claims

1. A communication control method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining a communication request from a terminal; Acquiring tariff information of the terminal based on the communication request; Searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from a plurality of user plane function network elements; Providing communication services for the terminal through the target user plane functional network element; The step of searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from a plurality of user plane function network elements includes: Determine the communication service corresponding to the communication request, and judge whether the communication service is a designated type of service; wherein the designated type of service includes an instant messaging service; If not, obtaining data network information of the terminal; Determine a target user plane function network element from multiple user plane function network elements according to the data network information and tariff information of the terminal, and update the identification information of the target user plane function network element to the data network information of the terminal to obtain updated data network information, so as to determine the user plane function network element for other communication requests of the terminal according to the identification information of the user plane function network element contained in the updated data network information; If so, the target user plane function network element is selected from a plurality of user plane function network elements based on a designated service policy corresponding to the designated type of service.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The data network information of the terminal includes the tariff information of the terminal, and determining the target user plane function network element from a plurality of user plane function network elements according to the data network information and the tariff information of the terminal includes: Searching for a user plane function network element corresponding to the data network information of the terminal from a specified mapping relationship table; wherein the specified mapping relationship table contains a mapping relationship between the data network information and the user plane function network element; The found user plane function network element is used as the target user plane function network element.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The searching, from a plurality of user plane function network elements, for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal includes: Determining the importance level of the terminal according to the tariff information of the terminal; A target user plane function network element whose corresponding performance matches the importance level of the terminal is searched from a plurality of user plane function network elements, wherein the importance level of the terminal is positively correlated with the performance of the target user plane function network element.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The number of the communication requests is multiple; and searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from the multiple user plane function network elements includes: Obtaining the tariff information corresponding to each communication request; According to the tariff information corresponding to each communication request, a target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request is selected from multiple user plane function network elements, so as to provide communication services for the communication business corresponding to each communication request through the target user plane function network element corresponding to each communication request.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that After searching for a target user plane function network element matching the tariff information of the terminal from the multiple user plane function network elements, the method further includes: The identification information of the terminal is associated with the target user plane function network element and stored.

6. A communication control device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A request acquisition module, configured to acquire a communication request from a terminal; An information acquisition module, configured to acquire the tariff information of the terminal based on the communication request; A search module configured to search for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from multiple user plane function network elements; A communication module, configured to provide communication services for the terminal through the target user plane functional network element; The step of searching for a target user plane function network element that matches the tariff information of the terminal from a plurality of user plane function network elements includes: Determine the communication service corresponding to the communication request, and judge whether the communication service is a designated type of service; wherein the designated type of service includes an instant messaging service; If not, obtaining data network information of the terminal; Determine a target user plane function network element from multiple user plane function network elements according to the data network information and tariff information of the terminal, and update the identification information of the target user plane function network element to the data network information of the terminal to obtain updated data network information, so as to determine the user plane function network element for other communication requests of the terminal according to the identification information of the user plane function network element contained in the updated data network information; If so, the target user plane function network element is selected from a plurality of user plane function network elements based on a designated service policy corresponding to the designated type of service.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; A storage device for storing one or more computer programs, which, when executed by the one or more processors, enables the electronic device to implement the communication control method described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A computer program is stored thereon, and when the computer program is executed by a processor of an electronic device, the electronic device implements the communication control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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