Communication method, gateway device, and communication system

Abstract

The disclosure provides a communication method, a gateway device and a communication system, relating to the field of communication, the method comprising: receiving, by the gateway device, first session signaling from a first network element, the first session signaling carrying a first identity of the first network element and a second identity of a second network element, the first network element belonging to one of a 5G private network and a 5G public network, and the second network element belonging to the other of the 5G private network and the 5G public network; processing, by the gateway device, the first session signaling to obtain second session signaling, the processing comprising replacing the first identity in the first session signaling with a third identity of the first network element, the third identity being different from the first identity; determining, by the gateway device, a fourth identity of the second network element according to the second identity, the fourth identity being different from the second identity; and sending, by the gateway device, the second session signaling to the second network element according to the fourth identity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to communication methods, gateway devices, and communication systems. Background Technology

[0002] With the intelligent transformation of enterprises, the demand for 5G private networks is gradually increasing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The inventors noted that in related technologies, because the network elements of the dedicated 5G private network directly interact with the network elements of the operator's 5G public network through session signaling, the network topology of the session signaling initiator is exposed to the session signaling receiver, resulting in low security for the interaction between the 5G private network and the 5G public network.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the present disclosure proposes the following solutions.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, comprising: a gateway device receiving a first session signaling from a first network element, the first session signaling carrying a first identifier of the first network element and a second identifier of a second network element, the first network element belonging to one of a 5G private network and a 5G public network, and the second network element belonging to the other of the 5G private network and the 5G public network; the gateway device processing the first session signaling to obtain second session signaling, the processing comprising replacing the first identifier in the first session signaling with a third identifier of the first network element, the third identifier being different from the first identifier; the gateway device determining a fourth identifier of the second network element based on the second identifier, the fourth identifier being different from the second identifier; and the gateway device sending the second session signaling to the second network element based on the fourth identifier.

[0006] In some embodiments, the second network element belongs to a 5G private network, and the method further includes: before receiving the first session signaling, the gateway device receives a first request from the second network element to register with the 5G public network, the first request including the fourth identifier; the gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier to obtain a second request; the gateway device sends the second request to a third network element, the third network element belonging to the 5G public network; the gateway device receives a response message from the third network element, the response message indicating that the second network element has successfully registered, the response message carrying the second identifier; the gateway device determines the fourth identifier based on the second identifier; the gateway device sends the response message to the second network element based on the fourth identifier.

[0007] In some embodiments, replacing the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier by the gateway device includes: the gateway device determining whether the first request includes legality information, wherein the legality information is information generated after the second network element performs an operation specified by the operator; if the first request includes the legality information, the gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first request may further include the slice identifier of the 5G private network, the service type of the second network element, and its geographical location.

[0009] In some embodiments, the third network element is a network warehousing function network element.

[0010] In some embodiments, a field of the first session signaling carries a first signaling specification supported by the first network element, and the second network element supports a second signaling specification; the processing performed by the gateway device on the first session signaling further includes: the gateway device determining whether the first signaling specification and the second signaling specification are the same; if the first signaling specification and the second signaling specification are different, the gateway device modifies the first signaling specification in the field to the second signaling specification.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first network element and the second network element are physically isolated.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first network element is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element of a 5G private network, and the second network element is a Session Management Function (SMS) network element of a 5G public network; the method further includes: before receiving a first session signaling from the first network element, the gateway device receives a third request from the first network element to query the identifier of the second network element; in response to the third request, the gateway device obtains a fourth identifier of the second network element from the 5G public network; the gateway device determines a second identifier of the second network element based on the fourth identifier; and the gateway device sends the second identifier to the first network element.

[0013] In some embodiments, the 5G public network and the 5G private network share a base station, the first network element is an AMF network element of the 5G public network, and the second network element is an AMF network element of the 5G private network; the method further includes: before the gateway device receives a first session signaling from the first network element, the first network element receives an initial session signaling from a user equipment in the 5G private network sent by the base station, the initial session signaling including a fifth identifier of the user equipment; the first network element obtains a second identifier of the second network element in the 5G private network from the 5G public network based on the fifth identifier; the first network element adds the second identifier and the first identifier of the first network element to the initial session signaling to obtain the first session signaling; the first network element reroutes the first session signaling to the gateway device corresponding to the second network element according to the second identifier.

[0014] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a gateway device is provided, comprising: a receiving module configured to receive a first session signaling from a first network element, the first session signaling carrying a first identifier of the first network element and a second identifier of a second network element, the first network element belonging to one of a 5G private network and a 5G public network, and the second network element belonging to the other of the 5G private network and the 5G public network; a processing module configured to process the first session signaling to obtain a second session signaling, the processing including replacing the first identifier in the first session signaling with a third identifier of the first network element, the third identifier being different from the first identifier; a determining module configured to determine a fourth identifier of the second network element based on the second identifier, the fourth identifier being different from the second identifier; and a sending module configured to send the second session signaling to the second network element based on the fourth identifier.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a gateway device is provided, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute the method described in any of the above embodiments based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising: a gateway device as described in any of the above embodiments; and one of the first network element and the second network element belonging to a 5G public network.

[0017] In some embodiments, the system further includes the other of the first network element and the second network element that belongs to the 5G private network.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first network element is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element of a 5G private network, and the second network element is a Session Management Function (SMS) network element of a 5G public network; the gateway device is further configured to: before receiving a first session signaling from the first network element, receive a third request from the first network element to query the identifier of the second network element; in response to the third request, obtain a fourth identifier of the second network element from the 5G public network; determine a second identifier of the second network element based on the fourth identifier; and send the second identifier to the first network element.

[0019] In some embodiments, the 5G public network and the 5G private network share a base station, the first network element is an AMF network element of the 5G public network, and the second network element is an AMF network element of the 5G private network; the first network element is further configured to: receive initial session signaling from the user equipment of the 5G private network sent by the base station before the gateway device receives the first session signaling from the first network element, the initial session signaling including the fifth identifier of the user equipment; obtain the second identifier of the second network element of the 5G private network from the 5G public network based on the fifth identifier; add the second identifier and the first identifier of the first network element to the initial session signaling to obtain the first session signaling; and reroute the first session signaling to the gateway device corresponding to the second network element according to the second identifier.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0021] In this embodiment, network elements of the 5G private network and network elements of the 5G public network exchange session signaling via a gateway device. Since the gateway device replaces the first identifier of the session signaling initiator with a third identifier, the session signaling receiver will not know the first identifier of the session signaling initiator, thus preventing the network topology of the session signaling initiator from being exposed to the session signaling receiver. This achieves secure isolation between the 5G private network and the 5G public network, improving the security of interactions between them. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1This is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a communication method according to other embodiments of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gateway device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gateway device according to other embodiments of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0031] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0032] At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual scale.

[0033] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0034] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0035] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication method includes steps 102 to 108.

[0038] In step 102, the gateway device receives the first session signaling from the first network element.

[0039] Here, the first session signaling carries the first identifier of the first network element and the second identifier of the second network element. The first network element belongs to one of the 5G private network and the 5G public network, while the second network element belongs to the other of the 5G private network and the 5G public network.

[0040] For example, if the first network element belongs to the 5G public network, then the second network element belongs to the 5G private network. The first network element initiates a signaling process related to the 5G private network. The first session signaling related to this signaling process is received by the gateway device.

[0041] For example, if the first network element belongs to a 5G private network, then the second network element belongs to a 5G public network. The first network element initiates a signaling process related to the 5G public network. The first session signaling related to this signaling process is received by the gateway device.

[0042] In some embodiments, 5G public networks and 5G private networks share base stations. This can reduce the deployment cost of 5G private networks.

[0043] In some other embodiments, the first network element and the second network element are physically isolated. In other words, the network elements of the 5G private network do not share hardware equipment with the network elements of the 5G public network. This ensures the security of service data within the 5G private network.

[0044] In step 104, the gateway device processes the first session signaling to obtain the second session signaling.

[0045] Here, the process includes replacing the first identifier of the first network element in the first session signaling with the third identifier of the first network element. It should be understood that the third identifier of the first network element is different from the first identifier of the first network element.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first network element and the second network element are provided by different vendors. The inventors noted that in this case, there may be an interface communication failure between the first network element and the second network element. This interface communication failure can be resolved by using a gateway device to adapt the first session signaling.

[0047] For example, a field in the first session signaling carries the first signaling specification supported by the first network element. The second network element supports the second signaling specification. The gateway device's processing of the first session signaling also includes determining whether the first and second signaling specifications are the same. Then, if the first and second signaling specifications are different, the gateway device modifies the first signaling specification in that field to the second signaling specification. In this way, the gateway device can solve the problem of incompatibility in session signaling between 5G private network network elements and 5G public network network elements.

[0048] In some embodiments, the gateway device may also perform other processing on the first session signaling, such as signaling transmission encryption and message filtering, to improve the security of the session signaling.

[0049] In step 106, the gateway device determines the fourth identifier of the second network element based on the second identifier of the second network element carried in the first session signaling. Here, the fourth identifier of the second network element is different from the second identifier of the second network element.

[0050] It should be understood that steps 104 and 106 can be executed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0051] In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, the first network element is designated as the signaling initiator, and the second network element as the signaling receiver.

[0052] It should be understood that in applications, the second network element can also act as the signaling initiator, while the first network element can act as the signaling receiver. In this case, the first session signaling received by the gateway device carries the fourth identifier of the second network element and the third identifier of the first network element. The gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first session signaling with the second identifier and determines the first identifier based on the third identifier, thereby routing the second session signaling to the first network element.

[0053] The first identifier and third identifier of the first network element, and the second identifier and fourth identifier of the second network element will be described below with reference to some embodiments.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first identifier of the first network element may include various identification information such as the ID of the first network element, its IP address, and the port number through which the first network element interacts with the gateway device. The third identifier of the first network element may be a virtual identifier assigned to the first network element by the gateway device. The first identifier can reflect the topology of the network to which the first network element belongs, while the third identifier cannot reflect the topology of the network to which the first network element belongs.

[0055] For example, when the first network element is a signaling receiver, the gateway device cannot route session signaling to the first network element solely based on the third identifier. The gateway device can map the third identifier to determine the first identifier, thereby routing the session signaling to the first network element based on the first identifier. When the first network element is a signaling initiator, the gateway device replaces the first identifier in the first session signaling with the third identifier. Thus, regardless of whether the first network element is a signaling receiver or a signaling initiator, the topology of the network to which the first network element belongs will not be exposed to the second network element.

[0056] Similarly, in some embodiments, the fourth identifier of the second network element may include various identification information such as the ID of the second network element, its IP address, and the port number through which the second network element interacts with the gateway device. The second identifier of the second network element may be a virtual identifier assigned to the second network element by the gateway device.

[0057] For example, when the second network element is a signaling receiver, the gateway device cannot route session signaling to the second network element solely based on the second identifier. The gateway device can map the second identifier to determine a fourth identifier, thereby routing the session signaling to the second network element based on the fourth identifier. The fourth identifier reflects the topology of the network to which the second network element belongs, while the second identifier does not. When the second network element is a signaling initiator, the gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first session signaling with the second identifier. Thus, regardless of whether the second network element is a signaling receiver or a signaling initiator, the topology of the network to which the second network element belongs will not be exposed to the first network element.

[0058] Then, in step 108, the gateway device sends a second session signaling to the second network element based on the fourth identifier of the second network element.

[0059] In some embodiments, after receiving the second session signaling, the second network element can subsequently interact with the first network element via a gateway device to exchange service data.

[0060] It should be understood that the gateway device can interact with the first or second network element via any suitable interface (e.g., the N4 interface).

[0061] In the above embodiments, network elements of the 5G private network and network elements of the 5G public network exchange session signaling via a gateway device. Since the gateway device replaces the first identifier of the session signaling initiator with a third identifier, the session signaling receiver will not know the first identifier of the session signaling initiator, thus preventing the network topology of the session signaling initiator from being exposed to the session signaling receiver. This achieves secure isolation between the 5G private network and the 5G public network, improving the security of interactions between them.

[0062] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a communication method according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0063] like Figure 2 As shown, the communication method also includes steps 202 to 212, which are performed before steps 102 to 108.

[0064] For ease of explanation, the following text will discuss... Figure 2 In the description of the embodiments, the first network element will represent the network element of the 5G public network, and the second network element will represent the network element of the 5G private network.

[0065] In step 202, the gateway device receives a first request from the second network element to register with the 5G public network. Here, the first request includes the fourth identifier of the second network element.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first request may also include information such as the slice identifier of the 5G private network to which the second network element belongs, the service type of the second network element, and its geographical location.

[0067] It should be understood that different 5G private networks have different slice identifiers. The slice identifier of a 5G private network can be a slice identifier based on network slices or a data network name (DNN) identifier.

[0068] For example, a gateway device can manage multiple 5G private networks (e.g., a first 5G private network and a second 5G private network). The first 5G private network may include two network elements (A and B), while the second 5G private network may include three network elements (C, D, and E). Network elements A and B may have the same slice identifier. Network elements C, D, and E may have the same slice identifier. However, the slice identifiers of network elements A and B are different from those of network elements C, D, and E.

[0069] In step 204, the gateway device replaces the fourth identifier of the second network element in the first request with the second identifier of the second network element to obtain the second request.

[0070] In some implementations, the gateway device can determine whether the first request includes legitimacy information. Here, legitimacy information is information generated after the second network element performs operator-specified operations. Then, if the first request includes legitimacy information, the gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier, thereby executing subsequent steps 206 to 212.

[0071] In other words, if the first request does not include legitimacy information or includes information generated after performing non-operator-specified operations on the second network element, the gateway device will not execute subsequent steps 206 to 212. Thus, the gateway device can filter out the first request from the second network element that does not meet the legitimacy requirements, thereby reducing the load on the third network elements related to the registration of the second network element.

[0072] In step 206, the gateway device sends a second request to the third network element. Here, the third network element belongs to the 5G public network.

[0073] It should be understood that a third gateway can be the first network element in the 5G public network, or it can be a different network element than the first network element.

[0074] In some embodiments, the third network element is a Network Repository Function (NRF) network element. If the second network element registers successfully, the information in the second request will be stored in the NRF network element of the 5G public network. Thus, when a network element in the 5G public network initiates a signaling process related to a network element in the 5G private network, it can obtain the second identifier of the 5G private network element from the NRF network element, thereby routing the session signaling to the gateway device corresponding to the 5G private network element.

[0075] For example, the second identifier of each network element in a 5G private network can correspond to a gateway device, and a gateway device can correspond to multiple second identifiers of multiple network elements in a 5G private network.

[0076] In step 208, the gateway device receives a response message from the third network element. The response message indicates that the second network element has successfully registered. It should be understood that the response message carries the second identifier of the second network element.

[0077] In step 210, the gateway device determines the fourth identifier based on the second identifier.

[0078] In step 212, the gateway device sends a response message to the second network element based on the fourth identifier.

[0079] In the above embodiments, the gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first request for the second network element to register with the 5G public network with the second identifier, thereby enabling the 5G public network element to correctly route session signaling related to the second network element to the corresponding gateway device based on the second identifier. The gateway device can also subsequently determine the fourth identifier based on the second identifier, thereby correctly routing the session signaling to the second network element.

[0080] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] like Figure 3 As shown, the communication method also includes steps 302 to 308, which are performed before steps 102 to 108.

[0082] Here, we will take the example of the first network element being the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element of the 5G private network and the second network element being the Session Management Function (SMF) network element of the 5G public network.

[0083] When the first network element needs to initiate a signaling process related to the second network element, the first network element can obtain the identifier of the second network element from the gateway device to interact with the second network element through session signaling. Specific implementation methods can be as described in steps 302 to 308.

[0084] In step 302, the gateway device receives a third request from the first network element to query the identifier of the second network element.

[0085] In step 304, in response to the third request, the gateway device obtains the fourth identifier of the second network element from the 5G public network.

[0086] In some embodiments, the gateway device obtains the fourth identifier of the second network element from the NRF network element of the 5G public network.

[0087] In step 306, the gateway device determines the second identifier of the second network element based on the fourth identifier of the second network element.

[0088] In step 308, the gateway device sends a second identifier to the first network element. For example, after the first network element receives the second identifier of the second network element, the first network element can send a first session signaling to the gateway device, thereby executing subsequent steps 102 to 108.

[0089] In the above embodiments, the gateway device replaces the queried fourth identifier with the second identifier and sends it to the first network element, thereby realizing the topology hiding of the 5G public network to the 5G private network.

[0090] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0091] like Figure 4 As shown, the communication method also includes steps 402 to 408, which are performed before steps 102 to 108.

[0092] Here, we will take an example where the first network element is an AMF network element of a 5G public network and the second network element is an AMF network element of a 5G private network. We assume that the 5G public network and the 5G private network share a base station.

[0093] In step 402, the first network element receives the initial session signaling from the user equipment (UE) of the 5G private network sent by the base station. Here, the initial session signaling also includes the UE's fifth identifier.

[0094] In some embodiments, the fifth identifier may be the UE's User Permanent Identifier (SUPI).

[0095] In step 404, the first network element obtains the second identifier of the second network element of the 5G private network to which the UE device belongs from the 5G public network based on the fifth identifier.

[0096] For example, the first network element of the 5G public network (i.e., the AMF network element) can send a fifth identifier to the Unified Data Management Function (UDM) network element of the 5G public network to obtain the slice identifier of the UE. Then, the first network element can send this slice identifier to the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) network element of the 5G public network. The NSSF network element can determine the second network element of the 5G private network (i.e., the AMF network element) corresponding to this slice identifier based on it. Then, the NSSF network element can obtain the second identifier of the second network element from the NRF network element of the 5G public network and send the obtained second identifier to the first network element.

[0097] In some embodiments, the NSSF network element can determine multiple AMF network elements of the 5G private network corresponding to the slice identifier based on the slice identifier, and obtain the second identifier of one of the multiple AMF network elements from the NRF network element.

[0098] In step 406, the first network element adds a second identifier and a first identifier of the first network element to the initial session signaling to obtain the first session signaling.

[0099] In step 408, the first network element reroutes the first session signaling to the gateway device corresponding to the second network element based on the second identifier.

[0100] It should be understood that after receiving the first session signaling, the gateway device processes the first session signaling as described above and then sends the second session signaling to the second network element.

[0101] In the above embodiments, the AMF network element of the 5G public network determines the AMF network element of the 5G private network corresponding to the UE, and reroutes the first session signaling to the corresponding gateway device. In this way, the AMF network element of the 5G public network can be used to achieve traffic offloading without the need for the base station to offload the session signaling between the 5G private network and the 5G public network, thereby reducing the workload of the base station.

[0102] In some embodiments, during execution Figure 2 After the steps shown, you can proceed. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The steps are shown. In other words, after a 5G private network element successfully registers with the 5G public network via a gateway device, the 5G public network element can interact with the 5G private network element through session signaling.

[0103] It should be understood that Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is merely an example of the communication method disclosed herein. In practical applications, the first and second network elements can also be various other types of network elements.

[0104] For example, the second network element could be a User Plane Function (UPF) network element in a 5G private network. The first network element could be a Policy Control Function (PCF) network element in a 5G public network. The second network element can interact with the first network element through a gateway device to obtain policy information related to the UE accessing the second network element.

[0105] For example, the second network element can still be a User Plane Function (UPF) network element of a 5G private network. The first network element can be a Unified Data Management (UDM) network element of a 5G public network. The second network element can interact with the first network element through a gateway device to obtain subscription information (e.g., slice identifier) ​​related to the UE accessing the second network element.

[0106] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gateway device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0107] like Figure 5 As shown, the gateway device 500 includes a receiving module 501, a processing module 502, a determining module 503, and a sending module 504.

[0108] The receiving module 501 is configured to receive a first session signaling from a first network element. The first session signaling carries a first identifier of the first network element and a second identifier of the second network element. The first network element belongs to either a 5G private network or a 5G public network. The second network element belongs to the other of the 5G private network and the 5G public network.

[0109] Processing module 502 is configured to process the first session signaling to obtain the second session signaling. The processing includes replacing the first identifier in the first session signaling with a third identifier of the first network element. The third identifier is different from the first identifier.

[0110] The determination module 503 is configured to determine the fourth identifier of the second network element based on the second identifier. The fourth identifier is different from the second identifier.

[0111] The sending module 504 is configured to send a second session signaling to the second network element based on the fourth identifier.

[0112] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gateway device according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0113] like Figure 6 As shown, the gateway device 600 includes a memory 601 and a processor 602 coupled to the memory 601. The processor 602 is configured to execute the communication method described in any of the foregoing embodiments based on instructions stored in the memory 601.

[0114] The memory 601 may include, for example, system memory, fixed non-volatile storage media, etc. The system memory may store, for example, an operating system, application programs, a boot loader, and other programs.

[0115] The gateway device 600 may also include an input / output interface 603, a network interface 604, and a storage interface 605. These interfaces 603, 604, and 605, as well as the memory 601 and processor 602, can be connected via, for example, a bus 606. The input / output interface 603 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as monitors, mice, keyboards, and touchscreens. The network interface 604 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. The storage interface 605 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as SD cards and USB flash drives.

[0116] It should be understood that in related technologies, a large number of 5G private network elements directly interface with 5G public network elements. This complex networking may affect the normal operation of the 5G public network and reduce its availability. Utilizing the gateway device 500 / 600 provided in this disclosure to isolate the 5G private network and the 5G public network simplifies the network architecture, improves the availability of the 5G public network, and ensures the security of interaction between the 5G private network and the 5G public network.

[0117] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0118] In some embodiments, the communication system includes gateway devices 500 / 600 and one of the first network element and the second network element that belongs to the 5G public network.

[0119] In some other embodiments, the communication system also includes another of the first and second network elements that belong to the 5G private network.

[0120] For example, the first network element is a 5G private network element, and the second network element is a 5G public network element. The gateway device 500 / 600 is also configured to: before receiving the first session signaling from the first network element, receive a third request from the first network element to query the identifier of the second network element; in response to the third request, obtain a fourth identifier of the second network element from the 5G public network; determine a second identifier of the second network element based on the fourth identifier; and send the second identifier to the first network element.

[0121] Figure 7 For example, the first network element 701 ( Figure 7 The diagram schematically shows three network elements representing the 5G public network, with the second network element 702 (…). Figure 7 Five network elements of a 5G private network are schematically shown (two of which belong to the first 5G private network and three to the second 5G private network).

[0122] In some embodiments, the 5G public network can share a base station with a first 5G private network or a second 5G private network. The first network element 701 is an AMF (Advanced Feature Component) network element of the 5G public network, while the second network element 702 is an AMF network element of the 5G private network. The first network element 701 is further configured to: receive initial session signaling from a user equipment (UE) in the 5G private network sent by the base station before the gateway device 500 / 600 receives the first session signaling from the first network element 701; the initial session signaling includes a fifth identifier of the UE; obtain the second identifier of the second network element 702 of the 5G private network from the 5G public network based on the fifth identifier; add the second identifier and the first identifier of the first network element 701 to the initial session signaling to obtain the first session signaling; and reroute the first session signaling to the gateway device 500 / 600 corresponding to the second network element 702 according to the second identifier.

[0123] It should be understood that the communication system may include one or more gateway devices 500 / 600. Each gateway device 500 / 600 may access one or more 5G private networks with different slice identifiers. It should also be understood that each 5G private network may include one or more 5G private network elements 702.

[0124] It should also be understood that, Figure 7 In the communication system shown, the session signaling between network elements of the 5G private network and the 5G public network must be processed by the gateway device 500 / 600.

[0125] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, implement the methods of any of the above embodiments.

[0126] The embodiments of this disclosure have now been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0127] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the gateway device and communication system embodiments, since they largely correspond to the method embodiments, the descriptions are relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0128] Furthermore, in the description of this disclosure, the terms “first,” “second,” etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

[0129] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this disclosure can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this disclosure can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable non-transitory storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0130] This disclosure is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that the functions specified in one or more flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks in a block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate functions for implementing the functions in the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0131] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0132] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0133] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising: The gateway device receives a first session signaling from a first network element. The first session signaling carries a first identifier of the first network element and a second identifier of the second network element. The first network element belongs to one of the 5G private network and the 5G public network, and the second network element belongs to the other of the 5G private network and the 5G public network. The gateway device processes the first session signaling to obtain the second session signaling. The processing includes replacing the first identifier in the first session signaling with a third identifier of the first network element, wherein the third identifier is different from the first identifier. The gateway device determines a fourth identifier for the second network element based on the second identifier, wherein the fourth identifier is different from the second identifier; The gateway device sends the second session signaling to the second network element based on the fourth identifier. When the second network element belongs to the 5G private network, the communication method further includes: Before receiving the first session signaling, the gateway device receives a first request from the second network element to register with the 5G public network, the first request including the fourth identifier; The gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier to obtain the second request; The gateway device sends the second request to a third network element, which belongs to the 5G public network; The gateway device receives a response message from the third network element, the response message indicating that the second network element has successfully registered, and the response message carries the second identifier; The gateway device determines the fourth identifier based on the second identifier; The gateway device sends the response message to the second network element based on the fourth identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier, including: The gateway device determines whether the first request includes legality information, which is information generated after the second network element performs an operation specified by the operator. If the first request includes the legitimacy information, the gateway device replaces the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first request also includes the slice identifier of the 5G private network, the service type of the second network element, and its geographical location.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The third network element is a network warehousing function network element.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, A certain field of the first session signaling carries the first signaling specification supported by the first network element, and the second network element supports the second signaling specification; The processing performed by the gateway device on the first session signaling also includes: The gateway device determines whether the first signaling specification and the second signaling specification are the same; If the first signaling specification and the second signaling specification are different, the gateway device will modify the first signaling specification in the field to the second signaling specification.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first network element and the second network element are physically isolated.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the first network element is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element of a 5G private network and the second network element is a Session Management Function (SMS) network element of a 5G public network, The method further includes: Before receiving the first session signaling from the first network element, the gateway device receives a third request from the first network element to query the identifier of the second network element; In response to the third request, the gateway device obtains the fourth identifier of the second network element from the 5G public network; The gateway device determines the second identifier of the second network element based on the fourth identifier; The gateway device sends the second identifier to the first network element.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the 5G public network and the 5G private network share a base station, wherein the first network element is an AMF network element of the 5G public network and the second network element is an AMF network element of the 5G private network, The method further includes: Before the gateway device receives the first session signaling from the first network element, the first network element receives the initial session signaling from the user equipment of the 5G private network sent by the base station, and the initial session signaling includes the fifth identifier of the user equipment; The first network element obtains the second identifier of the second network element of the 5G private network from the 5G public network based on the fifth identifier; The first network element adds the second identifier and the first identifier of the first network element to the initial session signaling to obtain the first session signaling; The first network element reroutes the first session signaling to the gateway device corresponding to the second network element based on the second identifier.

9. A gateway device, comprising: The receiving module is configured to receive a first session signaling from a first network element, the first session signaling carrying a first identifier of the first network element and a second identifier of a second network element, the first network element belonging to one of a 5G private network and a 5G public network, and the second network element belonging to the other of the 5G private network and the 5G public network; The processing module is configured to process the first session signaling to obtain the second session signaling, the processing including replacing the first identifier in the first session signaling with a third identifier of the first network element, the third identifier being different from the first identifier; The determining module is configured to determine a fourth identifier of the second network element based on the second identifier, wherein the fourth identifier is different from the second identifier; The sending module is configured to send the second session signaling to the second network element based on the fourth identifier. When the second network element belongs to the 5G private network. Before receiving the first session signaling, the receiving module receives a first request from the second network element to register with the 5G public network, the first request including the fourth identifier; The processing module replaces the fourth identifier in the first request with the second identifier to obtain the second request; The sending module sends the second request to a third network element, which belongs to the 5G public network. The receiving module receives a response message from the third network element, the response message indicating that the second network element has successfully registered, and the response message carries the second identifier; The determining module determines the fourth identifier based on the second identifier; The sending module sends the response message to the second network element according to the fourth identifier.

10. A gateway device, comprising: Memory; and A processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-6 based on instructions stored in the memory.

11. A communication system, comprising: The gateway device according to claim 9 or 10; and One of the first network element and the second network element belongs to the 5G public network.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising: The other of the first network element and the second network element belongs to the 5G private network.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first network element is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element of a 5G private network and the second network element is a Session Management Function (SMS) network element of a 5G public network, The gateway device is further configured to: receive a third request from the first network element to query the identifier of the second network element before receiving a first session signaling from the first network element; and in response to the third request, obtain a fourth identifier of the second network element from the 5G public network. The second identifier of the second network element is determined according to the fourth identifier; Send the second identifier to the first network element.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the 5G public network and the 5G private network share a base station, the first network element is an AMF network element of the 5G public network, and the second network element is an AMF network element of the 5G private network; The first network element is also configured to: receive initial session signaling from the user equipment of the 5G private network sent by the base station before the gateway device receives the first session signaling from the first network element, wherein the initial session signaling includes the fifth identifier of the user equipment; The second identifier of the second network element of the 5G private network is obtained from the 5G public network based on the fifth identifier; The second identifier and the first identifier of the first network element are added to the initial session signaling to obtain the first session signaling; The first session signaling is rerouted to the gateway device corresponding to the second network element based on the second identifier.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of claims 1-8.

Images