Communication method, device and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, device, and storage medium, relating to the field of communication technology, and capable of resolving the problem of limited coverage of narrowband cluster networks in the prior art. The method comprises: an intelligent convergence gateway receiving a session establishment request message from a first terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway being used to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message being used to request establishment of a service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway sending a session establishment request message to an access and mobility management network element, so that the access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element based on the session establishment request message; the target session management network element being used to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal. The present application can reduce construction costs while achieving wide-range communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous evolution of information technology and application needs, the demand for interconnection, cross-domain cooperation, integrated command, and integrated scheduling among enterprises, institutions, and business departments is becoming increasingly urgent. At present, key factors such as communication distance, network construction cost, and network security have become the main obstacles to narrowband cluster intercommunication.

[0003] Because narrowband private networks require specific base stations and core networks, their construction costs are high. Consequently, existing narrowband private networks can only be used in small, independent communication scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a communication method, device, and storage medium, which can solve the problem of limited coverage of narrowband trunking networks in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, comprising: an intelligent convergence gateway receiving a session establishment request message from a first terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway being used to manage service transmission of terminals in a corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message being used to request establishment of a service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway sending a session establishment request message to an access and mobility management network element, so that the access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element based on the session establishment request message; the target session management network element being used to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, in this application, the first terminal in the narrowband cluster sends a session establishment request message to the intelligent convergence gateway corresponding to the narrowband cluster. Accordingly, the intelligent convergence gateway receives the session establishment request message from the first terminal. Subsequently, the intelligent convergence gateway sends the session establishment request message to the access and mobility management network element. Accordingly, the access and mobility management network element receives the session establishment request message from the intelligent convergence gateway. In this way, the access and mobility management network element can determine the target session management network element based on the session establishment request message, so that the target session management network element instructs the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal. Therefore, the above technical solution of this application can connect the narrowband cluster private network to the mobile communication network. By achieving the integration and interoperability of the narrowband private network and the mobile network, communication connections can be established between terminals in multiple narrowband clusters, eliminating the need for additional network construction investment and greatly reducing construction costs while achieving large-scale communication.

[0008] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in one possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to the second area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the second area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the second area; wherein, the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

[0009] With reference to the foregoing first aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the target user plane network element is configured to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0010] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the first area.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which includes: an access and mobility management network element receives a session establishment request message from an intelligent convergence gateway; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to manage the service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a service session connection between a first terminal and a second terminal; the access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element based on the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is used to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0012] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in one possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to the second area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the second area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the second area; wherein, the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

[0013] In combination with the above second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0014] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the first area.

[0015] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes: a communication unit and a processing unit; the communication unit is used to receive a session establishment request message from a first terminal; the session establishment request message is used to request to establish a service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal; the processing unit is used to manage the service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the communication unit is also used to send a session establishment request message to an access and mobility management network element, so that the access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element based on the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is used to instruct the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0016] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in one possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to the second area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the second area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the second area; wherein, the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

[0017] In combination with the third aspect above, in a possible implementation manner, the target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0018] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the first area.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes: a communication unit and a processing unit; the communication unit is used to receive a session establishment request message from an intelligent convergence gateway; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to manage the service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a service session connection between a first terminal and a second terminal; the processing unit is used to determine a target session management network element based on the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is used to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0020] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in one possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to the second area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the second area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the second area; wherein, the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

[0021] In combination with the fourth aspect above, in a possible implementation manner, the target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0022] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in a possible implementation method, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the first area.

[0023] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface and the processor are coupled, and the processor is used to run a computer program or instructions to implement the communication method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0024] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a terminal, the terminal executes the communication method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0025] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when the computer program product is run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform a communication method as described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0026] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface and the processor are coupled, and the processor is used to run a computer program or instructions to implement the communication method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0027] Specifically, the chip provided in this application also includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions.

[0028] It should be noted that the above-mentioned computer instructions may be stored in whole or in part on a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be packaged together with the processor of the device or separately from the processor of the device, and this application does not limit this.

[0029] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication system comprising: an intelligent convergence gateway and an access and mobility management network element, wherein the intelligent convergence gateway is used to execute the communication method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the access and mobility management network element is used to execute the communication method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0030] The descriptions of the second to ninth aspects of this application can refer to the detailed description of the first aspect; and the beneficial effects of the descriptions of the second to ninth aspects can refer to the analysis of the beneficial effects of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0031] In this application, the names of the aforementioned communication devices do not limit the devices or functional modules themselves. In actual implementation, these devices or functional modules may appear with other names. As long as the functions of each device or functional module are similar to those of this application, they fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents.

[0032] These and other aspects of the present application will become more readily apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an intelligent convergence gateway provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a converged communication server provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a 5G communication process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a process flow for inter-regional communication of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 6 A flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] The term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone.

[0043] The terms "first" and "second" and the like in the specification and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, or to distinguish different processing of the same object, rather than to describe a specific order of objects.

[0044] Furthermore, the terms "including," "having," and any variations thereof, as used in the description of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0045] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0046] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, “plurality” means two or more.

[0047] The following explains the terms involved in the embodiments of the present application to facilitate readers' understanding.

[0048] (1) Narrowband cluster

[0049] A narrowband cluster is a device cluster consisting of multiple terminals that communicate using narrow bandwidth resources. For example, narrow bandwidth can be divided into 25 kHz, 12.5 kHz, or 6.25 kHz bandwidths based on frequency.

[0050] Exemplarily, the narrowband trunking may be police digital trunking (PDT), trans European trunked radio (TETRA), and public switched telephone network (PSTN).

[0051] (2) Mobile edge computing (MEC)

[0052] MEC is a communication architecture protocol proposed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

[0053] Mobile edge computing, also known as multi-access edge computing (MEC), is a method that places computing devices at nodes in a communication network, allowing the communication nodes to provide the required service resources to terminal devices. This allows the terminal to obtain the required service resources through the MEC devices installed at the network nodes, reducing service latency for the terminal devices.

[0054] With the continuous evolution of information technology and application requirements, the demand for interconnection, cross-domain cooperation, integrated command, and integrated scheduling among enterprises, institutions, and business departments is becoming increasingly urgent. Key factors such as communication distance, network construction costs, and network security have become the main obstacles to narrowband cluster intercommunication.

[0055] At present, narrowband cluster network systems are usually relatively independent. If you want to achieve large-scale communication, you need to overcome problems such as high construction costs and limited coverage.

[0056] Because narrowband private networks require specific base stations and core networks, their construction costs are high. Consequently, existing narrowband private networks can only be used in small, independent communication scenarios.

[0057] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method, in which a first terminal in a narrowband cluster sends a session establishment request message to the intelligent convergence gateway corresponding to the narrowband cluster, and accordingly, the intelligent convergence gateway receives the session establishment request message from the first terminal. Afterwards, the intelligent convergence gateway sends the session establishment request message to the access and mobility management network element, and accordingly, the access and mobility management network element receives the session establishment request message from the intelligent convergence gateway. In this way, the access and mobility management network element can determine the target session management network element based on the session establishment request message, so that the target session management network element instructs the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal. Therefore, the above-mentioned technical solution of the present application can connect the narrowband cluster private network to the mobile communication network. By realizing the integration and intercommunication of the narrowband private network and the mobile network, communication connections can be established between terminals in multiple narrowband clusters, thereby eliminating the need for additional network construction investment and greatly reducing construction costs when achieving large-scale communication.

[0058] The following will describe in detail the implementation of the embodiment of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0059] Figure 1This is an architecture diagram of a communication system 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 10 includes: an intelligent convergence gateway 101, terminals 102 in multiple narrowband clusters, access network equipment 103, MEC 104 and relay network elements 105.

[0060] Among them, the narrowband cluster corresponds to the intelligent convergence gateway 101 one by one, the terminal 102 in each narrowband cluster is connected to the corresponding intelligent convergence gateway 101 through a communication link, the intelligent convergence gateway 101 is connected to the access network device 103 through a communication link, the access network devices 103 in the same area are connected through MEC 104, and the access network devices 103 in different areas are connected through relay network elements 105 and MEC 104. The communication link can be a wired communication link or a wireless communication link, and this application does not limit this.

[0061] The intelligent convergence gateway 101 may be an independent communication device, such as a server, access device 103, maintenance platform, etc. The intelligent convergence gateway 101 may also be a functional module coupled to the access network device 103 or a communication device maintenance platform in the communication system.

[0062] For example, Figure 2 As shown, the intelligent convergence gateway 101 includes a PDT gateway 1011 , a TETRA gateway 1012 and a SIP gateway 1013 .

[0063] Among them, the PDT gateway 1011 is responsible for managing the PDT narrowband trunking service, the TETRA gateway 1012 is responsible for managing the TETRA narrowband trunking service, and the SIP gateway 1013 is responsible for managing the PSTN narrowband trunking service.

[0064] The intelligent convergence gateway 101 connects to various narrowband clusters through the PDT gateway 1011, the TETRA gateway 1012 and the SIP gateway 1013, thereby converting the service signaling in the various narrowband clusters into a unified signaling and connecting it to the mobile communication system.

[0065] It should be noted that the intelligent convergence gateway 101 in the embodiment of the present application can access various mobile communication systems, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) and other systems. The term "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably. The CDMA system can implement wireless technologies such as universal terrestrial radio access (UTRA) and CDMA2000. UTRA can include wideband CDMA (WCDMA) technology and other CDMA variant technologies. CDMA2000 can cover interim standard (IS) 2000 (IS-2000), IS-95 and IS-856 standards. The TDMA system can implement wireless technologies such as the global system for mobile communications (GSM). The OFDMA system can implement wireless technologies such as evolved universal radio terrestrial access (E-UTRA), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE802.20, Flash OFDMA, etc. UTRA and E-UTRA are UMTS and UMTS evolved versions. 3GPP's long term evolution (LTE) and various versions based on LTE evolution are new versions of UMTS using E-UTRA. 5G communication system and new radio (NR) are communication systems under study. In addition, the communication system can also be applied to future-oriented communication technologies, and the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are applicable.

[0066] Terminal 102 is a device with wireless communication capabilities that can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted. It can also be deployed on water (such as on ships). It can also be deployed in the air (for example, on aircraft, balloons, and satellites). Terminal 102, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), or terminal device, is a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users. For example, terminals include handheld devices with wireless connectivity and vehicle-mounted devices. Currently, the terminal 102 can be: a walkie-talkie, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device (such as a smart watch, a smart bracelet, a pedometer, etc.), an in-vehicle device (such as a car, a bicycle, an electric car, an airplane, a ship, a train, a high-speed train, etc.), a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a smart home device (such as a refrigerator, a television, an air conditioner, an electric meter, etc.), an intelligent robot, workshop equipment, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, an aerial device (such as an intelligent robot, a hot air balloon, a drone, an airplane), etc. In one possible application scenario of the present application, the terminal device is a terminal device that often operates on the ground, such as an in-vehicle device. In this application, for ease of description, the chip deployed in the above-mentioned device, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a baseband chip, etc., or other chips with communication functions may also be referred to as terminal 102.

[0067] The terminal 102 may be a vehicle with corresponding communication functions, or a vehicle-mounted communication device, or other embedded communication devices, or a user's handheld communication device, including a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc.

[0068] As an example, in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal 102 may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be referred to as wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0069] The access network device 103 is a device located on the access network side of the above-mentioned communication system and has a wireless transceiver function, or a chip or chip system that can be set in the device. The access network device 103 includes but is not limited to: an access point (AP) in a WiFi system, such as a home gateway, a router, a server, a switch, a bridge, etc., an evolved NodeB (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a NodeB (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (for example, home evolved NodeB, or home NodeB, HNB), a base band unit (BBU), a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TRP or transmission point, TP), etc. It can also be a 5G base station, such as a new air interface (NAIR). The access network device 103 may be a gNB in ​​a 5G radio (NR) system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU), or a distributed unit (DU), a roadside unit (RSU) with base station function, or a 5G access network (NG radio access network, NG-Ran) device. The access network device 103 also includes base stations in different networking modes, such as a master evolved NodeB (MeNB), a secondary eNB (SeNB, or a secondary gNB, SgNB). The access network device 103 also includes different types, such as ground base stations, air base stations, and satellite base stations.

[0070] MEC 104 is a device platform close to the core network in the communication system. MEC 104 can deploy various servers for computing and processing to provide corresponding network services. Under the control of the core network, the user plane network elements in MEC 104 offload the service data of terminal 102 to the corresponding service servers in MEC 104.

[0071] For example, a converged communication server is deployed in MEC104, such as Figure 3As shown, the converged communication server 30 includes a voice service engine 301 , a message service engine 302 , a location service engine 303 , a storage service engine 304 and a data warehouse module 305 .

[0072] The voice service engine 301 is used to process the voice service data of the terminal, the message service engine 302 is used to process the message service data of the terminal, the location service engine 303 is used to process the location service data of the terminal, the storage service engine 304 is used to process the service resources required by the terminal, and the data warehouse module 305 is used to store the service information of the terminal. It should be noted that other service engines, such as a voice service engine, can also be integrated into the converged communication server 30 to support corresponding service services, and this application does not limit this.

[0073] In this way, the converged communication server 30, by integrating multiple service engines such as voice, messaging, video, and location, can achieve interconnection and interoperability across business systems, as well as service scheduling and management. Furthermore, the converged communication server 30 can provide standardized service capabilities and data interaction interfaces for related applications, enabling the functional support required for services such as voice dispatch, emergency command, panoramic intercom, and real-time video.

[0074] Exemplarily, the converged communication server 30 may be composed of the following structures:

[0075] The processor may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of the program of the present application.

[0076] Transceiver: A transceiver can be any device that uses a transceiver to communicate with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0077] Memory, which may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor via a communication line. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0078] In addition, the core network devices in the core network side of the above-mentioned communication system can be physical devices or virtual devices. The core network devices of the 4G network include but are not limited to: mobility management entity (MME), serving gateway (SGW), and public data network gateway (PGW). The core network devices of the 5G network include but are not limited to: access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), user plane function (UPF), and policy control function (PCF).

[0079] As a possible embodiment, the communication between terminals in this application can be divided into intra-region communication and inter-region communication, such as Figure 4 As shown, taking the 5G communication system as an example, area A includes PCF, A-SMF, UPF-A, access network equipment and terminals in narrowband cluster 1, and area B includes I-SMF, I-UPF, access network equipment and terminals in narrowband cluster 2.

[0080] Among them, UPF-A belongs to A-SMF in area A, and I-UPF belongs to I-SMF in area B. Each UPF corresponds to a network slice and can provide business services for different data network identifiers (DNN). Each UPF has a relay function, and UPFs can establish a communication connection through the N9 air interface. AMF can determine the target SMF based on DNN or network slice, and instruct UPF to establish a business session connection for the terminal through the target SMF. A communication connection is established between A-SMF and I-SMF through the N16a air interface.

[0081] The communication between terminals is as follows:

[0082] In the scenario of intra-region communication, the terminal initiates a session establishment request to the AMF. The AMF determines the A-SMF based on the DNN or network slice. The A-SMF instructs the UPF-A in area A to establish a service session connection for the terminal.

[0083] It should be noted that the scenario of the intra-area communication may be communication between terminals in the same narrowband cluster, or communication between terminals in different narrowband clusters in the same area.

[0084] In the inter-region communication scenario, the terminal initiates a session establishment request to the AMF. The AMF determines the A-SMF based on the DNN or network slice. Since the terminal needs to communicate with a terminal in region B, the A-SMF cannot provide service for the terminal. Therefore, the AMF can determine the I-SMF in region B based on the location information. The I-SMF instructs the I-UPF in region B to act as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the terminal.

[0085] For example, the business data transmission process in the inter-regional communication scenario is as follows: Figure 5 As shown:

[0086] After a service session connection is established between a terminal in the narrowband cluster in area A and a terminal in the narrowband cluster in area B, the data in the terminals in the narrowband cluster in area B is transmitted by the intelligent convergence gateway to the 5G private network in area B. The UPF in the 5G private network in area B then acts as a relay network element to forward the data to the 5G private network in area A. The UPF in the 5G private network in area A sends the data to the intelligent convergence gateway in area A, which in turn sends the data to the terminals in the narrowband cluster, thus enabling inter-area communication between the terminals.

[0087] Among them, the converged communication server deployed on MEC in the 5G private network of area A is used to schedule the communication services of the terminal, and the UPF in the 5G private network of area B enables the relay function.

[0088] It should be pointed out that the various embodiments of the present application can refer to each other, for example, the same or similar steps, method embodiments, system embodiments and device embodiments can refer to each other without limitation.

[0089] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0090] Step 601: A first terminal sends a session establishment request message to an intelligent convergence gateway. Correspondingly, the intelligent convergence gateway receives the session establishment request message from the first terminal.

[0091] The intelligent convergence gateway is used to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster. The session establishment request message is used to request to establish a service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0092] Exemplarily, the session establishment request message may include at least one of a data network identifier (DNN), a network slice identifier, and location information of the second terminal.

[0093] The intelligent convergence gateway manages service transmission for each terminal in the corresponding narrowband cluster. It may include a built-in subscriber identity module (SIM) to connect to the mobile communication network. The intelligent convergence gateway is also configured with a common network slice and DNN. The first terminal can communicate with the mobile communication network through the network slice and DNN configured by the intelligent convergence gateway.

[0094] In one possible implementation, the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located may both belong to the first area. Alternatively, the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located may belong to the second area, and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located may belong to an area different from the second area.

[0095] Step 602: The intelligent convergence gateway sends a session establishment request message to the access and mobility management network element. Correspondingly, the access and mobility management network element receives the session establishment request message from the intelligent convergence gateway.

[0096] The access and mobility management network element is the access and mobility management network element in the area where the intelligent convergence gateway is located.

[0097] Exemplarily, the access and mobility management network element may be an AMF network element in a 5G network.

[0098] For the content related to the session establishment request message, please refer to the above step 601 and will not be repeated here.

[0099] Step 603: The access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element according to the session establishment request message.

[0100] The target session management network element is used to instruct the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0101] Exemplarily, the target session management network element may be an SMF network element in a 5G network, and the target user plane network element may be a UPF network element in a 5G network.

[0102] Based on the above technical solution, in this application, the first terminal in the narrowband cluster sends a session establishment request message to the intelligent convergence gateway corresponding to the narrowband cluster. Accordingly, the intelligent convergence gateway receives the session establishment request message from the first terminal. Subsequently, the intelligent convergence gateway sends the session establishment request message to the access and mobility management network element. Accordingly, the access and mobility management network element receives the session establishment request message from the intelligent convergence gateway. In this way, the access and mobility management network element can determine the target session management network element based on the session establishment request message, so that the target session management network element instructs the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal. Therefore, the above technical solution of this application can connect the narrowband cluster private network to the mobile communication network. By achieving the integration and interoperability of the narrowband private network and the mobile network, communication connections can be established between terminals in multiple narrowband clusters, eliminating the need for additional network construction investment and greatly reducing construction costs while achieving large-scale communication.

[0103] As a possible embodiment, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to the second area, the target session management network element is a session management network element in the second area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element in the second area.

[0104] The narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area. The target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0105] It should be noted that when the first terminal and the second terminal are in different areas, the first terminal and the second terminal need to communicate across areas. At this time, the session management network element in the area where the first terminal is located cannot provide business services for the first terminal. Therefore, the access and mobility management network element can use the session management network element in the second area as the target session management network element based on the location information of the second terminal carried in the session establishment request message.

[0106] In this case, the target session management network element may instruct the user plane network element in the second area to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0107] Exemplarily, after the target session management network element instructs the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal, the policy control network element redetermines the routing selection strategy of the first terminal, that is, the user plane network element in the second area is used as the relay network element, and the user plane network element in the first area is used as the anchor network element to realize the service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0108] The policy control network element may be a PCF network element in a 5G network.

[0109] At this time, the data of the first terminal can be sent to the user plane network element in the second area through the user plane network element in the first area, and the user plane network element in the second area forwards the data to the second terminal. Similarly, the data of the second terminal can be sent to the user plane network element in the first area through the user plane network element in the second area, and the user plane network element in the first area forwards the data to the first terminal.

[0110] Based on the above technical solution, in this application, when a first terminal needs to establish a service session connection with a second terminal in another area, the access and mobility management network element can use the session management network element in the second area as the target session management network element based on the session establishment request message, so that the target session management network element instructs the user plane network element in the second area to establish a service session connection for the first terminal. In this way, the above technical solution of this application can realize cross-regional service session connections between terminals, thereby breaking through the distance limitation of small-scale communication in narrowband cluster networks and realizing cross-domain intercommunication.

[0111] As a possible embodiment, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the first area.

[0112] It should be noted that, when the first terminal and the second terminal are in the same area, the access and mobility management network element may use the session management network element in the first area as the target session management network element according to the session establishment request message.

[0113] At this point, the target session management network element can instruct the user plane network element in the first area to establish a service session connection for the first terminal. Data from the first terminal can be sent to the second terminal via the user plane network element in the first area. Similarly, data from the second terminal can also be sent to the first terminal via the user plane network element in the first area.

[0114] Based on the above technical solution, in this application, when a first terminal needs to establish a service session connection with a second terminal in the same area, the access and mobility management network element can use the session management network element in the area as the target session management network element based on the session establishment request message, so that the target session management network element instructs the user plane network element in the area to establish the service session connection for the first terminal. In this way, the above technical solution of this application can realize service session connection between terminals in the same area.

[0115] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device can be divided into functional modules or functional units according to the above method example. For example, each functional module or functional unit can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above-mentioned integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules or functional units. Among them, the division of modules or units in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0116] Taking the communication device as the intelligent convergence gateway in the above method embodiment as an example, Figure 7 FIG2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 70 , which includes a processing unit 701 and a communication unit 702 .

[0117] The communication unit 702 is configured to receive a session establishment request message from a first terminal; the session establishment request message is used to request establishment of a service session connection between the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0118] The processing unit 701 is configured to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster.

[0119] The communication unit 702 is further used to send a session establishment request message to the access and mobility management network element, so that the access and mobility management network element determines the target session management network element according to the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is used to instruct the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0120] In one possible implementation, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to the second area, the target session management network element is a session management network element in the second area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element in the second area; wherein the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

[0121] In a possible implementation manner, the target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0122] In a possible implementation, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the first area.

[0123] Taking the communication device as the access and mobility management network element in the above method embodiment as an example, Figure 7 FIG2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 70 , which includes a processing unit 701 and a communication unit 702 .

[0124] The communication unit 702 is configured to receive a session establishment request message from an intelligent convergence gateway; the intelligent convergence gateway is configured to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message is configured to request establishment of a service session connection between a first terminal and a second terminal.

[0125] The processing unit 701 is configured to determine a target session management network element according to a session establishment request message; the target session management network element is configured to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for a first terminal.

[0126] In one possible implementation, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to the second area, the target session management network element is a session management network element in the second area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element in the second area; wherein the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

[0127] In a possible implementation manner, the target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

[0128] In a possible implementation, when the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is the session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is the user plane network element in the first area.

[0129] When implemented by hardware, the communication unit 702 in the embodiment of the present application can be integrated on the communication interface, and the processing unit 701 can be integrated on the processor. Figure 8 shown.

[0130] Figure 8Schematic diagram of another possible structure of the communication device involved in the above embodiment is shown. The communication device 80 includes a processor 802 and a communication interface 803. The processor 802 is used to control and manage the operation of the communication device, for example, executing the steps performed by the processing unit 701 and / or performing other processes of the technology described herein. The communication interface 803 is used to support communication between the communication device and other network entities, for example, executing the steps performed by the communication unit 702. The communication device may also include a memory 801 and a bus 804. The memory 801 is used to store program code and data of the communication device.

[0131] Among them, the memory 801 can be a memory in a communication device, etc., and the memory can include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory; the memory can also include a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory, a flash memory, a hard disk or a solid-state drive; the memory can also include a combination of the above types of memory.

[0132] The processor 802 may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, or a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor.

[0133] The bus 804 may be an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus or the like. The bus 804 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, or the like. For ease of representation, Figure 8 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0134] Figure 8 The communication device in the embodiment may also be a chip. The chip includes one or more (including two) processors 802 and a communication interface 803.

[0135] In some embodiments, the chip further includes a memory 801, which may include a read-only memory and a random access memory and provides operation instructions and data to the processor 802. A portion of the memory 801 may also include a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM).

[0136] In some embodiments, the memory 801 stores the following elements, execution modules or data structures, or a subset thereof, or an extended set thereof.

[0137] In the embodiment of the present application, the corresponding operation is performed by calling the operation instruction stored in the memory 801 (the operation instruction may be stored in the operating system).

[0138] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The specific working processes of the above-described systems, devices, and units can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0139] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the communication method in the above method embodiment.

[0140] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the communication method in the method flow shown in the above method embodiment.

[0141] Among them, the computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: 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 register, a hard disk, an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above, or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In the embodiments of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0142] Since the communication device, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the above-mentioned method, the technical effects that can be obtained can also refer to the above-mentioned method embodiments, and the embodiments of the present application will not be repeated here.

[0143] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0144] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0145] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0146] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The intelligent convergence gateway receives a session establishment request message from a first terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message is used to request establishment of a service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway includes a PDT gateway, a TETRA gateway, and a SIP gateway, the PDT gateway is used to manage PDT narrowband cluster services, the TETRA gateway is used to manage TETRA narrowband cluster services, and the SIP gateway is used to manage PSTN narrowband cluster services; the network management in the intelligent convergence gateway corresponds one-to-one to the terminals in the narrowband cluster; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to convert service signaling in the narrowband cluster into unified signaling and access the mobile communication system; The intelligent convergence gateway sends a session establishment request message to the access and mobility management network element, so that the access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element according to the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is used to instruct the target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal; When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to a second area, the target session management network element is a session management network element within the second area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element within the second area; wherein the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is a session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element in the first area.

4. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The access and mobility management network element receives a session establishment request message from an intelligent convergence gateway; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message is used to request establishment of a service session connection between a first terminal and a second terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway includes a PDT gateway, a TETRA gateway, and a SIP gateway; the PDT gateway is used to manage PDT narrowband cluster services, the TETRA gateway is used to manage TETRA narrowband cluster services, and the SIP gateway is used to manage PSTN narrowband cluster services; the network management in the intelligent convergence gateway corresponds one-to-one to the terminals in the narrowband cluster; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to convert service signaling in the narrowband cluster into unified signaling and access the mobile communication system; The access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element according to the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is used to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal; When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to a second area, the target session management network element is a session management network element within the second area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element within the second area; wherein the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 4-5, characterized in that When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is a session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element in the first area.

7. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a communication unit and a processing unit; The communication unit is configured to receive a session establishment request message from the first terminal; The session establishment request message is used to request establishment of a service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal; the communication device includes a PDT gateway, a TETRA gateway, and a SIP gateway, the PDT gateway is used to manage PDT narrowband trunking services, the TETRA gateway is used to manage TETRA narrowband trunking services, and the SIP gateway is used to manage PSTN narrowband trunking services; the network management in the communication device corresponds one-to-one to the terminals in the narrowband trunking; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to convert service signaling in the narrowband trunking into unified signaling and access the mobile communication system; The processing unit is used to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; The communication unit is further configured to send a session establishment request message to an access and mobility management network element, so that the access and mobility management network element determines a target session management network element according to the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is configured to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal; When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to a second area, the target session management network element is a session management network element within the second area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element within the second area; wherein the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein: The target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

9. The communication device according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that: When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is a session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element in the first area.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a communication unit and a processing unit; The communication unit is configured to receive a session establishment request message from the intelligent convergence gateway; The intelligent convergence gateway is used to manage service transmission of terminals in the corresponding narrowband cluster; the session establishment request message is used to request establishment of a service session connection between the first terminal and the second terminal; the intelligent convergence gateway includes a PDT gateway, a TETRA gateway, and a SIP gateway; the PDT gateway is used to manage PDT narrowband cluster services, the TETRA gateway is used to manage TETRA narrowband cluster services, and the SIP gateway is used to manage PSTN narrowband cluster services; the network management in the intelligent convergence gateway corresponds one-to-one to the terminals in the narrowband cluster; the intelligent convergence gateway is used to convert service signaling in the narrowband cluster into unified signaling and access the mobile communication system; The processing unit is configured to determine a target session management network element according to the session establishment request message; the target session management network element is configured to instruct a target user plane network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal; When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located belongs to a second area, the target session management network element is a session management network element within the second area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element within the second area; wherein the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located belongs to an area different from the second area. The communication device according to claim 10 , wherein: The target user plane network element is used to serve as a relay network element to establish a service session connection for the first terminal.

12. The communication device according to any one of claims 10-11, characterized in that: When the narrowband cluster where the second terminal is located and the narrowband cluster where the first terminal is located both belong to the first area, the target session management network element is a session management network element in the first area, and the target user plane network element is a user plane network element in the first area.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a communication interface; the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is configured to run a computer program or instruction to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 or claims 4 to 6.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions. When a computer executes the instructions, the computer executes the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 or claims 4 to 6.

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