Automatic neighbor cell discovery method, device, communication equipment and storage medium

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic neighbor cell discovery method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium. The method includes: a terminal device sends first information to a first network device, the first information including a non-public network identifier of a first cell, the first information also including whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; and / or the terminal device sends second information to the first network device, the second information including a non-public network identifier of the first cell, the second information also being used to indicate that the terminal device does not support an online signing function and / or does not support a third-party entity access function, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or a third-party entity access service.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to an automatic neighbor cell discovery method, apparatus, communication equipment, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] 5G networks introduce non-public networks (NPNs) or private networks (PRNs), including stand-alone NPNs (SNPNs) and public network integrated NPNs (PNI-NPNs). The automatic neighbor cell discovery (ANR) function is enhanced in R16, allowing the UE to report the NPN identifier (ID) of the new cell to the serving base station. R17 further enhances the NPN feature, with the cell also broadcasting information about whether each SNPN supports access using a third-party entity's certificate and the group IDs (GIDs) it supports, whether it supports online subscription and the group IDs it supports, or a list of subscription owner-standalone non-public networks (SO-SNPNs). If the serving base station wants to obtain information about the NPN enhancement, it needs to establish an Xn interface with the new cell and exchange relevant information on the Xn interface, which will result in a certain amount of latency. Furthermore, if a user equipment (UE) needs to perform NPN enhanced services during the interaction process, the serving base station cannot quickly learn which neighboring cell supports the service and may switch the UE to a neighboring cell that does not support the service, causing service interruption for the UE. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve existing technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium for automatic neighbor discovery.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic neighbor discovery method, the method comprising:

[0006] The terminal device sends first information to the first network device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or a subscription owner-standalone non-public network (SO-SNPN, Subscription Owner-Stand-alone NPN) list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier;

[0007] And / or, the terminal device sends second information to the first network device, the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support the online signing function and / or does not support the third-party entity access function, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate online signing and / or third-party entity access services, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services.

[0008] In the above solution, the method further includes: the terminal device receiving a first request message from the first network device, where the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0009] In the above solution, the terminal device sends the first information to the first network device, including:

[0010] The terminal device sends the first information to the first network device when performing or initiating an online contract and / or using a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

[0011] In the above scheme, the method also includes: the terminal device establishes a wireless resource control connection with the first network device, and the terminal device sends a first indication information to the first network device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to conduct online signing and / or use a third-party entity's certificate to access a non-public network.

[0012] In the above solution, the method also includes: the terminal device obtains the first information from the first cell.

[0013] In the above solution, the terminal device obtains the first information from the first cell, including:

[0014] The terminal device receives a broadcast message of the first cell, where the broadcast message includes the first information;

[0015] Alternatively, the terminal device requests the first information from the first cell, and the terminal device receives the first information sent by the first cell.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an automatic neighbor discovery method, the method comprising:

[0017] The first network device receives first information sent by the terminal device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier;

[0018] And / or, the first network device receives second information sent by the terminal device, where the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services;

[0019] The first network device updates the neighbor list based on the first information and / or the second information.

[0020] In the above solution, the method further includes: the first network device sends a first request message to the terminal device, where the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0021] In the above scheme, the method also includes: the first network device obtains the capability information of the terminal device, and determines whether to send the first request message to the terminal device based on the capability information, or determines whether the first request message is used to request whether the first cell supports online signing and supported group identifiers or SO-SNPN lists, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and supported group identifiers.

[0022] In the above scheme, the method also includes: the first network device receives the first indication information sent by the terminal device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to conduct online signing and / or use the certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network; the first indication information is also used to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0023] In the above scheme, the method also includes: the first network device receives a first notification message from the second network device, and sends a first request message to the terminal device based on the first notification message; the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating the certificate for online signing and / or updating the certificate for third-party entity access; the first notification message is also used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0024] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an automatic neighbor discovery method, the method comprising:

[0025] The second network device sends a first notification message to the first network device, where the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or updating a certificate for third-party entity access, and the first notification message is further used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message sent to the terminal device is used to request the terminal device to send first information and / or second information;

[0026] The first information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and the supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier; the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services.

[0027] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention also provides an automatic neighbor cell discovery device, which includes a first sending unit for sending first information to a first network device, wherein the first information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of a third-party entity access and a supported group identifier; and / or, sending second information to the first network device, wherein the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support the online signing function and / or does not support the third-party entity access function, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or a third-party entity access service.

[0028] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an automatic neighboring cell discovery device, the device comprising a second receiving unit and a second processing unit; wherein,

[0029] The second receiving unit is configured to receive first information sent by a terminal device, the first information including a non-public network identifier of a first cell, the first information also including whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; and / or, receive second information sent by a terminal device, the second information including a non-public network identifier of the first cell, the second information further being used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services;

[0030] The second processing unit is configured to update the neighbor list based on the first information and / or the second information.

[0031] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an automatic neighbor discovery device, the device including a third sending unit, configured to send a first notification message to a first network device, the first notification message being used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or updating a certificate for third-party entity access, the first notification message being further used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message sent to the terminal device is used to request the terminal device to send first information and / or second information;

[0032] The first information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and the supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier; the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services.

[0033] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] In the eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and runnable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the program, the steps of the method described in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect of the embodiment of the present invention are implemented.

[0035] An embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic neighbor discovery method, apparatus, communication equipment, and storage medium, wherein a terminal device sends first information to a first network device, wherein the first information includes a non-public network (NPN) identifier of a first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; and / or the terminal device sends second information to the first network device, wherein the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support an online signing function and / or does not support a third-party entity access function, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing and / or third-party entity access service, or is not interested in an online signing and / or third-party entity access service; the first network device updates the neighbor list based on the first information and / or the second information. According to the technical solution of an embodiment of the present invention, when the initial automatic neighboring cell is established, the terminal device reports the above-mentioned first information and / or second information of the first cell; after the first network device obtains this information of the neighboring cell, if the terminal that is currently performing online contract signing and / or third-party entity access services switches, the first network device can know whether the target cell supports online contract signing and / or third-party entity access before the switch occurs, thereby avoiding switching the terminal device to a cell that does not support these two services. In addition, by having the terminal report the above-mentioned information, there is no need to exchange information with the neighboring cell's Xn interface to obtain the above-mentioned information, which can reduce latency and save the related signaling overhead on the Xn interface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0038] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 ;

[0039] Figure 4a and Figure 4b Schematic diagram of the interaction process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0040] Figure 5a and Figure 5b Schematic diagram of the interaction process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0041] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the interaction process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 ;

[0042] Figure 7 The structure diagram of the automatic neighboring cell discovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1 ;

[0043] Figure 8 The structure diagram of the automatic neighboring cell discovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 2 ;

[0044] Figure 9 The structure diagram of the automatic neighboring cell discovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 3 ;

[0045] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0047] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention can be applied to various communication systems, such as a Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) system, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or a 5G system. Optionally, the 5G system or 5G network may also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) system or NR network.

[0048] Exemplarily, the communication system applied in the embodiment of the present invention may include a network device and a terminal device (also referred to as a terminal, a communication terminal, etc.); the network device may be a device that communicates with the terminal device. The network device may provide communication coverage within a certain area and may communicate with terminals located in the area. Optionally, the network device may be a base station in each communication system, such as an evolved base station (eNB, Evolutional Node B) in an LTE system, or a base station (gNB) in a 5G system or NR system.

[0049] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, devices having communication functions in the network / system may be referred to as communication devices. Communication devices may include network devices and terminals having communication functions. The network devices and terminal devices may be the specific devices described above and will not be described in detail here. Communication devices may also include other devices in the communication system, such as network controllers, mobility management entities, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0050] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0051] An embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic neighbor cell discovery method. Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;like Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0052] Step 101: The terminal device sends first information to the first network device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of a first cell, and further includes whether the first cell supports online subscription and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier;

[0053] And / or, the terminal device sends second information to the first network device, the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support the online signing function and / or does not support the third-party entity access function, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate online signing and / or third-party entity access services, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services.

[0054] In a conventional technical solution, during the ANR process, the terminal device measures the signal of the cell and reports the measurement result to the first network device; wherein the reported measurement result may include the physical cell identifier (PCI) of the cell. If the first network device finds that the cell is the first cell, the first network device may instruct the terminal device to read the NR cell global identifier (NCGI, NG-RAN Cell Global Identifier), tracking area identifier (TAC, Tracking Area Code), radio access network area identifier (RANAC, RAN Area Code), public land mobile network (PLMN ID, Public Land Mobile Network) and NR frequency of the first cell, and report them to the first network device.

[0055] After the introduction of NPN or PRN in 5G networks, terminal devices can report the NPN identifier of the cell (denoted as NPN ID) in addition to the above information. However, NPN has been enhanced accordingly. Cells can also broadcast whether online signing (onboarding) is supported, as well as the supported group identifiers (Group ID) or SO-SNPN list (SO-SNPN list), and / or whether third-party entity access is supported and the supported group identifiers (Group ID).

[0056] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the initial automatic neighboring cell is established, the terminal device reports the above-mentioned first information and / or second information of the first cell. As an implementation method, the terminal device may report to the network device whether the first cell supports online signing and the supported group identifiers or SO-SNPN list, and / or the terminal device may report to the network device whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifiers. As another implementation method, the terminal may also choose to report the first information or the second information according to its own situation. After the first network device obtains this information of the neighboring cell, if the terminal that is currently performing online signing and / or third-party entity access services switches, the first network device can know whether the target cell supports online signing and / or third-party entity access before the switching occurs, thereby avoiding switching the terminal device to a cell that does not support these two services. In addition, by reporting the above information by the terminal, there is no need to exchange information with the neighboring cell on the Xn interface to obtain the above information, which reduces latency and saves the related signaling overhead on the Xn interface.

[0057] Among them, the terminal device does not want to initiate online signing and / or third-party entity access services, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services. Specifically, it may mean that the terminal device supports online signing functions and / or supports third-party entity access functions, but the terminal device may currently not want to initiate online signing and / or third-party entity access services due to certain reasons (such as large resource occupation, high energy consumption, etc.), or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services (uninterested), that is, in this case the terminal does not initiate online signing and / or third-party entity access services.

[0058] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes: the terminal device obtaining the first information from the first cell.

[0059] Optionally, the terminal device obtains the first information from the first cell, including: the terminal device receives a broadcast message from the first cell, the broadcast message includes the first information; or, the terminal device requests the first information from the first cell, and the terminal device receives the first information sent by the first cell.

[0060] In this embodiment, in one example, the terminal device may obtain the first information by broadcasting, i.e., the first cell broadcasts the first information, and the terminal device receives the broadcast message from the first cell, thereby obtaining the first information. In another example, the terminal device may obtain the first information by on-demand, i.e., the terminal device requests the first information from the first cell, and the first cell sends the first information to the terminal device after receiving the request.

[0061] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the terminal device receiving a first request message from the first network device, where the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0062] In this embodiment, the terminal device may send the first information and / or second information to the first network device after receiving the first request message from the first network device.

[0063] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the terminal device sends the first information to the first network device, including: the terminal device sends the first information to the first network device when conducting or initiating online signing and / or using the certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

[0064] In this embodiment, the terminal device may also send the first information to the first network device without the request of the first network device, if the terminal device satisfies certain conditions. For example, when the terminal device performs or initiates online contract signing and / or uses a third-party entity's certificate to access a non-public network (herein, not limited to before, after, or during the process of performing or initiating a service), the first information is triggered to be sent to the first network device.

[0065] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the method also includes: during the process of establishing a wireless resource control connection between the terminal device and the first network device, the terminal device sends a first indication message to the first network device, and the first indication message is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to conduct online signing and / or use a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

[0066] In this embodiment, during the process of establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a first network device, the terminal device can indicate that the purpose of RRC access is to conduct online signing and / or access a non-public network using a certificate of a third-party entity; in this case, after receiving the first indication information, the first network device can send a first request message to the terminal device and can determine the content of the request in the first request message.

[0067] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an automatic neighbor cell discovery method. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;like Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0068] Step 201: A first network device receives first information sent by a terminal device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of a first cell, and further includes whether the first cell supports online subscription and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier.

[0069] And / or, the first network device receives second information sent by the terminal device, where the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing and / or third-party entity access service, or is not interested in the online signing and / or third-party entity access service;

[0070] Step 202: The first network device updates a neighbor list based on the first information and / or the second information.

[0071] In this embodiment, the first network device may be an access network device in a communication system or a communication network; illustratively, the first network device may specifically be a base station, such as a base station (gNB) of a 5G network.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the initial automatic neighboring cell is established, the terminal device reports the above-mentioned first information and / or second information of the first cell. After the first network device obtains this information of the neighboring cell, if the terminal that is currently performing online contract signing and / or third-party entity access services switches, the first network device can know whether the target cell supports online contract signing and / or third-party entity access before the switching occurs, thereby avoiding switching the terminal device to a cell that does not support these two services. In addition, by reporting the above information through the terminal, there is no need to exchange information on the Xn interface with the neighboring cell to obtain the above information, which can reduce latency and save related signaling overhead on the Xn interface.

[0073] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: the first network device sending a first request message to the terminal device, where the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0074] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the method also includes: the first network device obtains the capability information of the terminal device, and determines whether to send the first request message to the terminal device based on the capability information, or determines whether the first request message is used to request whether the first cell supports online signing and supported group identifiers or SO-SNPN lists, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and supported group identifiers.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first network device may obtain capability information of the terminal device, where the capability information of the terminal device includes whether the terminal device supports online signing and / or whether it supports access using a third-party entity. Furthermore, the first network device may determine whether to send a first request message to the terminal device based on the capability information of the terminal device. Alternatively, if it is determined that the first request message is to be sent to the terminal device, the content of the first request message may be determined based on the capability information of the terminal device, specifically determining whether the first request message is used to request whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier.

[0076] Exemplarily, the first network device may obtain the capability information of the terminal device from the terminal device, or may also obtain the capability information of the terminal device from the core network device.

[0077] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the method also includes: the first network device receives first indication information sent by the terminal device, the first indication information is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to conduct online signing and / or use a third-party entity's certificate to access a non-public network; the first indication information is also used to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0078] In this embodiment, during the process of establishing an RRC connection between the terminal device and the first network device, the terminal device can indicate that the purpose of RRC access is to sign a contract online and / or access a non-public network using a certificate of a third-party entity, that is, the first network device receives the first indication information sent by the terminal device; in this case, after receiving the first indication information, the first network device can determine the content requested in the first request message based on the first indication information, and then send the first request message to the terminal device.

[0079] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the method also includes: the first network device receives a first notification message from the second network device, and sends a first request message to the terminal device based on the first notification message; the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating the certificate for online signing and / or updating the certificate for third-party entity access; the first notification message is also used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0080] In this embodiment, while the second network device is updating the certificate for online contract signing and / or updating the certificate for third-party entity access for the terminal device, the second network device may also notify the first network device via the NG interface to inform the first network device that the terminal device is updating the certificate for online contract signing and / or updating the certificate for third-party entity access. When the first network device learns that the terminal device may perform online contract signing or use third-party entity access, the first network device may send a first request message to the terminal device and may determine the content requested in the first request message based on the first notification message.

[0081] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an automatic neighbor cell discovery method. Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 ;like Figure 3 As shown, the method includes:

[0082] Step 301: A second network device sends a first notification message to a first network device, where the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or a certificate for third-party entity access. The first notification message is also used by the first network device to determine whether a first request message sent to the terminal device is for requesting the terminal device to send first information and / or second information.

[0083] The first information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and the supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier; the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate online signing services and / or third-party entity access services, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services.

[0084] In this embodiment, the second network device is a core network device.

[0085] In various embodiments of the present invention, the first cell may also be referred to as a new cell (New Cell), and specifically may be a cell reported by a terminal device that is not in the neighboring cell list. For example, the terminal device reports measurement results to a first network device (such as a base station), and the reported measurement results include the PCI of the cell. The first network device searches the neighboring cell list and determines that the PCI of the cell is not in the neighboring cell list. The first network device may then request the terminal to obtain the cell global identity (CGI) and other information of the cell to identify the cell. In this case, the cell may be referred to as a new cell or a target cell during the automatic neighboring cell discovery process.

[0086] The following describes the automatic neighbor cell discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to specific examples. In the following examples, UE represents a terminal device, 5G radio access network (NG-RAN) represents a first network device, and core network (CN) represents a second network device. In the following examples, the new cell is the first cell in the above embodiment.

[0087] Example 1

[0088] In this example, when the CN updates the credentials for the UE for online signing (onboarding) and / or is updating the credentials for third-party entity access, the CN notifies the NG-RAN through the NG interface; the NG-RAN knows that the UE may perform online signing or use the credentials of a third-party entity to access a non-public network, so the NG-RAN configures the UE to report the NPN ID of the new cell (if any), and if the NPN ID of the new cell is an SNPN ID, it also reports whether the new cell supports online signing (onboarding), and the supported group identifier (Group ID) or SO-SNPN list (SO-SNPN list), and / or whether the new cell supports access using a third-party entity and the supported group identifier (Group ID).

[0089] Figure 4a Schematic diagram of the interaction process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;like Figure 4a As shown, the method includes:

[0090] Step 400: The CN updates the credentials used for onboarding for the UE.

[0091] Here, the CN updates the credentials used for onboarding to the UE through the NG-RAN; the NG-RAN transparently transmits the message and is unaware of the content of the message.

[0092] Step 401: CN sends a first notification message to NG-RAN, i.e., CN notifies NG-RAN and UE that they are updating credentials used for onboarding.

[0093] Step 402: The UE reports the PCI information of the new cell.

[0094] It should be noted that the order of step 402 and step 401 is not limited to the above description, and step 402 may also be performed before step 401.

[0095] Step 403: The NG-RAN sends a first request message to the UE to request the UE to report the NPN ID of the new cell (if any), and if the NPN ID is a SNPN ID, to report whether the SNPN of the new cell supports onboarding and its supported Group ID or SO-SNPN list.

[0096] Step 404: The UE obtains first information from the new cell, where the first information includes the non-public network identifier of the new cell. The first information also includes whether the new cell supports online subscription and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list.

[0097] In this embodiment, the UE may read the broadcast system information of the new cell to obtain the first information, or obtain the first information in an on-demand manner.

[0098] Step 405: The UE reports the first information to the NG-RAN, that is, reports the relevant information of the new cell, including the NPN ID of the new cell, and may also include, when the NPN ID is the SNPN ID, whether the SNPN supports online signing (onboarding) and its supported Group ID or SO-SNPN list.

[0099] Here, if the new cell has no SNPN information, the UE will not report the relevant NPN information.

[0100] Step 406: NG-RAN updates the neighbor cell list.

[0101] Here, the NG-RAN adds the relevant information of the new cell to the neighbor relationship of the current cell, saves the above information received from the UE, and updates the neighbor list.

[0102] like Figure 4b As shown, Figure 4a The difference is that Figure 4b Examples of third-party entity access include:

[0103] Step 500: The CN updates the credentials for the UE used for third-party entity access.

[0104] Step 501: The CN sends a first notification message to the NG-RAN, where the first notification message notifies the NG-RAN and the UE that credentials for third-party entity access are being updated.

[0105] Step 502: The UE reports the PCI information of the new cell.

[0106] It should be noted that the order of step 502 and step 501 is not limited to the above description, and step 502 may also be before step 501.

[0107] Step 503: The NG-RAN sends a first request message to the UE, requesting the UE to report the NPN ID of the new cell (if any), and requesting, if the NPN ID is an SNPN ID, whether the SNPN of the new cell supports access using a third-party entity and the Group ID it supports.

[0108] Step 504: The UE obtains first information from the new cell, where the first information includes the NPN ID of the new cell (if any). When the NPN ID is the SNPN ID, the first information also includes whether the SNPN of the new cell supports access using a third-party entity and the supported group identifier.

[0109] Step 505: The UE reports the first information to the NG-RAN, that is, reports the relevant information of the new cell, including the NPN ID of the new cell, and may also include whether the SNPN supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier when the NPN ID is the SNPN ID.

[0110] Here, if the new cell has no SNPN information, the UE will not report the relevant NPN information.

[0111] Step 506: NG-RAN updates the neighbor cell list.

[0112] Here, NG-RAN adds the new cell to the neighbor relationship of its own cell, saves the above information received from the UE, and updates the neighbor list.

[0113] Exemplarily, the neighbor cell list may be as shown in Table 1, wherein the "group identifier or SO-SNPN list supporting online signing" and the "group identifier supporting third-party entity access" are defined separately and reported by the UE separately.

[0114] Table 1

[0115]

[0116] In this example, if the above-mentioned group identifier (Group ID) is broadcast through other SIBs other than the system information block (SIB, System Information Block) 1, and if the reported information includes the association or mapping relationship between the group identifier and the SNPN, the UE also needs to report the association or mapping relationship between the above-mentioned group identifier and the SNPN to the NG-RAN.

[0117] Example 2

[0118] In this example, when the UE is performing online signing (onboarding) or accessing using the credentials of a third-party entity, it actively reports the NPN ID of the new cell (if any). If the NPN ID of the new cell is an SNPN ID, it also reports whether the SNPN of the new cell supports online signing (onboarding) and the Group ID or SO-SNPN list it supports, and / or whether the new cell supports access through a third-party entity and the Group ID it supports. Alternatively, if the UE indicates during the RRC connection establishment process that its access is for online signing (onboarding) or that it is accessing using the credentials of a third-party entity, after receiving the indication, the NG-RAN may request the UE to report whether the SNPN of the new cell supports online signing (onboarding) and the Group ID or SO-SNPN list it supports, and / or whether the SNPN of the new cell supports access using a third-party entity and the Group ID it supports.

[0119] Figure 5a Schematic diagram of the interaction process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;like Figure 5a As shown, the method includes:

[0120] Step 601: The UE sends first indication information during the RRC connection establishment process to indicate that the purpose of establishing the RRC connection is for onboarding or that the UE is using credentials of a third-party entity for access.

[0121] Step 602: The UE reports the PCI information of the new cell.

[0122] Step 603: After receiving the first indication information from the UE, the NG-RAN may send a first request message to the UE to request the UE to report the information of the new cell, including reporting the NPN ID of the new cell (if any), and requesting that if the NPN ID is a SNPN ID, whether the SNPN of the new cell supports online subscription (onboarding) and its supported Group ID or SO-SNPN list.

[0123] This step is optional.

[0124] Step 604: The UE obtains first information from the new cell, where the first information includes the NPN ID of the new cell (if any). When the NPN ID is an SNPN ID, the first information also includes whether the new cell supports online subscription and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list.

[0125] In this embodiment, the UE may read the broadcast system information of the new cell to obtain the first information, or obtain the first information in an on-demand manner.

[0126] Step 605: The UE reports the first information to the NG-RAN, that is, reports the relevant information of the new cell, including the NPN ID of the new cell, and may also include, when the NPN ID is the SNPN ID, whether the SNPN supports online signing (onboarding) and its supported Group ID or SO-SNPN list.

[0127] Here, if the new cell has no SNPN information, the UE will not report the relevant NPN information.

[0128] Optionally, if there is no step 603 in this example, the UE can actively report the relevant information of the above-mentioned new cell, including the NPN ID of the new cell, and also including whether the SNPN supports online signing (onboarding) and its supported Group ID or SO-SNPN list when the NPN ID is the SNPN ID.

[0129] Step 606: NG-RAN updates the neighbor cell list.

[0130] Here, similar to Example 1, the NG-RAN adds the relevant information of the new cell to the neighbor relationship of the current cell, saves the above information received from the UE, and updates the neighbor list.

[0131] like Figure 5b As shown, Figure 5a The difference is that Figure 5b Examples of third-party entity access include:

[0132] Step 701: The UE sends first indication information during the RRC connection establishment process to indicate that the purpose of establishing the RRC connection is to access using credentials of a third-party entity.

[0133] Step 702: The UE reports the PCI information of the new cell.

[0134] Step 703: After receiving the first indication information from the UE, the NG-RAN may send a first request message to the UE to request the UE to report the information of the new cell, including reporting the NPN ID of the new cell (if any), and requesting that if the NPN ID is the SNPN ID, whether the SNPN of the new cell supports access by a third-party entity and its supported Group ID.

[0135] Step 704: The UE obtains first information from the new cell, where the first information includes the NPN ID of the new cell (if any). When the NPN ID is the SNPN ID, the first information also includes whether the SNPN of the new cell supports third-party entity access and the supported group identifier.

[0136] Step 705: The UE reports the first information to the NG-RAN, that is, reports the relevant information of the new cell, including the NPN ID of the new cell, and may also include whether the SNPN supports access using a third-party entity and the supported group identifier when the NPN ID is the SNPN ID.

[0137] Here, if the new cell has no SNPN information, the UE will not report the relevant NPN information.

[0138] Step 706: NG-RAN updates the neighbor cell list.

[0139] Example 3

[0140] In this example, the NG-RAN configures the UE to report the NPN ID of the new cell (if any). If the NPN ID of the new cell is an SNPN ID, it also reports whether the new cell supports online contract signing (onboarding), and the supported group identifier (GroupID) or SO-SNPN list (SO-SNPN list), and / or whether the new cell supports access using a third-party entity and the supported group identifier (Group ID). If the UE does not support third-party entity access or does not support online contract signing (onboarding) or currently does not want to initiate at least one of the above services, it can choose not to report the corresponding information, and can indicate to the NG-RAN that it does not support this function or does not want to initiate this service or is not interested in this service.

[0141] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the interaction process of the automatic neighbor discovery method according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 ;like Figure 6 As shown, the method includes:

[0142] Step 801: The UE reports the PCI information of the new cell.

[0143] Step 802: The NG-RAN sends a first request message to the UE to request the UE to report the NPN ID of the new cell (if any), and if the NPN ID is a SNPN ID, to report whether the SNPN of the new cell supports onboarding and its supported Group ID or SO-SNPN list, and / or to report whether the SNPN of the new cell supports access using a third-party entity and its supported Group ID.

[0144] Step 803: The UE obtains first information from the new cell, where the first information includes the non-public network identifier of the new cell (if any). When the NPN ID is the SNPN ID, the first information also includes whether the new cell supports online signing, and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or, the first information also includes whether the SNPN of the new cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier.

[0145] Step 804: If the UE does not support online signing (onboarding) and / or third-party entity access, or the UE is not interested in any of the above services, the UE may report second information to the NG-RAN, that is, not report relevant information of the new cell. The second information may include the NPN ID of the new cell. The second information may also indicate that the UE does not support online signing and / or the UE does not support third-party entity access function, or the second information is also used to indicate that the UE does not want to initiate online signing service and / or third-party entity access service, or the UE is not interested in online signing service and / or third-party entity access service.

[0146] Here, if the new cell has no SNPN information, the UE will not report the relevant NPN information.

[0147] Step 805: NG-RAN updates the neighbor cell list.

[0148] Here, NG-RAN records whether the SNPN supports the online signing (onboarding) function and / or whether it supports the use of a third-party entity access, and can subsequently obtain the corresponding information through other UEs. For example, the neighbor list can be as shown in Table 2, where the "group identifier or SO-SNPN list supporting online signing" and the "group identifier supporting third-party entity access" are defined separately and reported by the UE separately.

[0149] Table 2

[0150]

[0151] Example 4

[0152] In this example, the NG-RAN determines whether to configure the UE to report relevant information about the new cell based on the UE's capabilities (i.e., whether the UE supports the online onboarding function or the third-party entity access function). That is, the NG-RAN determines whether to send a first request message to the UE based on the UE's capabilities, and determines the content of the first request message based on the UE's capabilities, whether it is used to request whether the new cell supports online onboarding and a list of supported group identifiers or SO-SNPNs, and / or whether the new cell supports the use of a third-party entity access and supported group identifiers. If the UE does not support the online onboarding function and the third-party entity access function, the NG-RAN may not send the first request message to the UE. If the UE only supports the online onboarding function or the third-party entity access function, the NG-RAN may send the first request message to the UE, where the first request message is only used to request whether the new cell supports online onboarding and a list of supported group identifiers or SO-SNPNs, or is only used to request whether the new cell supports the use of a third-party entity access and supported group identifiers.

[0153] An embodiment of the present invention also provides an automatic neighboring cell discovery device. Figure 7 The structure diagram of the automatic neighboring cell discovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1 ;like Figure 7 As shown, the device includes a first sending unit 11, which is used to send first information to the first network device, the first information including the non-public network identifier of the first cell, the first information also including whether the first cell supports online signing, and the supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or, whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier; and / or, sending second information to the first network device, the second information including the non-public network identifier of the first cell, the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support the online signing function and / or does not support the third-party entity access function, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate the online signing function and / or the third-party entity access service, or is not interested in the online signing and / or the third-party entity access service.

[0154] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a first receiving unit 13, configured to receive a first request message from the first network device, wherein the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0155] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a first processing unit 12, configured to send first information to the first network device through the first sending unit 11 when conducting or initiating online signing and / or using a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

[0156] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the first sending unit 11 is further used to send first indication information to the first network device during the process of establishing a wireless resource control connection with the first network device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to perform online signing and / or use a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

[0157] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus further includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire the first information from the first cell.

[0158] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the acquisition unit is used to receive a broadcast message of the first cell through the first receiving unit 13, where the broadcast message includes the first information; or, request the first information from the first cell through the first sending unit 11, and receive the first information sent by the first cell through the first receiving unit 13.

[0159] In an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic neighboring cell discovery device is applied to a terminal device. The first processing unit 12 in the device can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in actual applications; the first sending unit 11, the first receiving unit 13, and the acquisition unit in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: a basic communication kit, an operating system, a communication module, a standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in actual applications.

[0160] An embodiment of the present invention also provides an automatic neighboring cell discovery device. Figure 8 The structure diagram of the automatic neighboring cell discovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 2 ;like Figure 8 As shown, the device includes a second receiving unit 21 and a second processing unit 22; wherein,

[0161] The second receiving unit 21 is configured to receive first information sent by a terminal device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of a first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing, and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; and / or, receive second information sent by a terminal device, where the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services;

[0162] The second processing unit 22 is configured to update the neighbor list based on the first information and / or the second information.

[0163] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a second sending unit 23, configured to send a first request message to the terminal device, wherein the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0164] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the second processing unit 22 is further used to obtain capability information of the terminal device, and determine whether to send the first request message to the terminal device based on the capability information, or determine whether the first request message is used to request whether the first cell supports online signing and supported group identifiers or SO-SNPN lists, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and supported group identifiers.

[0165] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the second receiving unit 21 is further used to receive first indication information sent by the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to perform online signing and / or use a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network; the first indication information is also used to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

[0166] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the second receiving unit 21 is further configured to receive a first notification message from a second network device, where the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or updating a certificate for third-party entity access; the first notification message is further used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or the second information;

[0167] The apparatus further includes a second sending unit 23, configured to send a first request message to the terminal device based on the first notification message.

[0168] In an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic neighbor discovery device is applied to a first network device. The second processing unit 22 in the device can be implemented by a CPU, DSP, MCU, or FPGA in practical applications. The second sending unit 23 and the second receiving unit 21 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including a basic communication suite, an operating system, a communication module, standardized interfaces and protocols, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0169] An embodiment of the present invention also provides an automatic neighboring cell discovery device. Figure 9 The structure diagram of the automatic neighboring cell discovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 3 ;like Figure 9 As shown, the apparatus includes a third sending unit 31, configured to send a first notification message to a first network device, where the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or updating a certificate for third-party entity access. The first notification message is also used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message sent to the terminal device is for requesting first information and / or second information;

[0170] The first information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing, and the supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier; the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services.

[0171] In an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic neighbor discovery device is applied to a second network device. In actual application, the third sending unit 31 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: a basic communication suite, an operating system, a communication module, a standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna.

[0172] It should be noted that the automatic neighboring area discovery device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above program modules as an example to illustrate when performing automatic neighboring area discovery. In actual applications, the above processing can be assigned to different program modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different program modules to complete all or part of the processing described above. In addition, the automatic neighboring area discovery device provided in the above embodiment and the automatic neighboring area discovery method embodiment belong to the same concept. The specific implementation process is detailed in the method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0173] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, which may be the terminal device, the first network device, or the second network device in the aforementioned embodiment. Figure 10 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 As shown, the communication device includes a memory 42, a processor 41, and a computer program stored in the memory 42 and executable on the processor 41. When the processor 41 executes the program, the steps of the method described in the embodiment of the present invention are implemented.

[0174] Optionally, the communication device further includes one or more network interfaces 43. It is understood that the various components in the communication device are coupled together via a bus system 44. It is understood that the bus system 44 is used to achieve connection and communication between these components. In addition to the data bus, the bus system 44 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for the sake of clarity, Figure 10 Various buses are labeled as bus system 44 .

[0175] It is understood that the memory 42 can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic random access memory (FRAM), a flash memory, a magnetic surface memory, an optical disc, or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); the magnetic surface memory can be a magnetic disk memory or a magnetic tape memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous static random access memory (SSRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus random access memory (DRRAM).The memory 42 described in the embodiments of the present invention is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0176] The methods disclosed in the above embodiments of the present invention can be applied to or implemented by processor 41. Processor 41 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in processor 41 or by software instructions. The above processor 41 may be a general-purpose processor, a DSP, or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc. Processor 41 can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention can be directly implemented and executed by a hardware decoding processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module may be located in a storage medium located in memory 42. Processor 41 reads the information in memory 42 and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0177] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), FPGAs, general-purpose processors, controllers, MCUs, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the aforementioned method.

[0178] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory 42 including a computer program. The computer program can be executed by a processor 41 of a communication device to perform the steps of the aforementioned method. The computer-readable storage medium can be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface mount storage, optical disk, or CD-ROM; or various devices including any one or any combination of the aforementioned memories.

[0179] The computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiment of the present invention stores a computer program, which implements the steps of the method described in the embodiment of the present invention when executed by a processor.

[0180] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0181] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0182] The features disclosed in the several method or device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments or device embodiments.

[0183] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. 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 can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the devices or units can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0184] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units; some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0185] In addition, all functional units in the embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may be separately used as a unit, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit; the above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0186] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware related to program instructions, and the aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiment; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, disks or optical disks, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0187] Alternatively, if the above-mentioned integrated unit of the present invention is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks or optical disks.

[0188] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic neighboring cell discovery method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal device sends first information to the first network device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or a subscription owner-independent networking non-public network SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; And / or, the terminal device sends second information to the first network device, where the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support an online signing function and / or does not support a third-party entity access function, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing and / or third-party entity access service, or is not interested in the online signing and / or third-party entity access service; The terminal device sending the first information to the first network device includes: the terminal device sending the first information to the first network device when performing or initiating online signing and / or using a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal device receives a first request message from the first network device, where the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal device establishes a wireless resource control connection with the first network device, and the terminal device sends a first indication message to the first network device, wherein the first indication message is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to perform online signing and / or use a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: The terminal device obtains the first information from the first cell.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The terminal device obtaining the first information from the first cell includes: The terminal device receives a broadcast message of the first cell, where the broadcast message includes the first information; Alternatively, the terminal device requests the first information from the first cell, and the terminal device receives the first information sent by the first cell.

6. An automatic neighboring cell discovery method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The first network device receives first information sent by the terminal device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; wherein the first information is sent by the terminal device to the first network device when performing or initiating online signing and / or using a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network; And / or, the first network device receives second information sent by the terminal device, where the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services; The first network device updates the neighbor list based on the first information and / or the second information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network device sends a first request message to the terminal device, where the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network device obtains the capability information of the terminal device, and determines whether to send the first request message to the terminal device based on the capability information, or determines whether the first request message is used to request whether the first cell supports online signing and supported group identifiers or SO-SNPN lists, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and supported group identifiers.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network device receives first indication information sent by the terminal device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the purpose of establishing the wireless resource control connection is to perform online signing and / or use the certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network; the first indication information is also used to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

10. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network device receives a first notification message from the second network device, and sends a first request message to the terminal device based on the first notification message; the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or updating a certificate for third-party entity access; the first notification message is also used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the first information and / or second information.

11. An automatic neighboring cell discovery method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The second network device sends a first notification message to the first network device, where the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or updating a certificate for third-party entity access, and the first notification message is further used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message sent to the terminal device is used to request the terminal device to send first information and / or second information; The first information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and the supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier; the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate online signing function and / or third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access service; wherein, the first information is sent by the terminal device to the first network device when conducting or initiating online signing and / or using the certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

12. An automatic neighboring cell discovery device, characterized in that: The device includes a first sending unit and a first processing unit; wherein, The first sending unit is configured to send first information to the first network device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; and / or, send second information to the first network device, where the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support an online signing function and / or does not support a third-party entity access function, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or a third-party entity access service; The first processing unit is configured to send the first information to the first network device through the first sending unit when performing or initiating an online contract and / or using a certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

13. An automatic neighboring cell discovery device, characterized in that: The device includes a second receiving unit and a second processing unit; wherein, The second receiving unit is configured to receive first information sent by a terminal device, where the first information includes a non-public network identifier of a first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing and a supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports access using a third-party entity and a supported group identifier; and / or, receive second information sent by a terminal device, where the second information includes a non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is further used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate an online signing function and / or a third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access services; wherein the first information is sent by the terminal device to the first network device when performing or initiating online signing and / or using a third-party entity's certificate to access a non-public network; The second processing unit is configured to update the neighbor list based on the first information and / or the second information.

14. An automatic neighboring cell discovery device, characterized in that: The apparatus includes a third sending unit, configured to send a first notification message to a first network device, wherein the first notification message is used to notify the first network device that the terminal device is updating a certificate for online signing and / or updating a certificate for third-party entity access, and the first notification message is further used by the first network device to determine whether the first request message sent to the terminal device is used to request the terminal device to send first information and / or second information; The first information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the first information also includes whether the first cell supports online signing, and the supported group identifier or SO-SNPN list, and / or whether the first cell supports the use of third-party entity access and the supported group identifier; the second information includes the non-public network identifier of the first cell, and the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not support online signing and / or does not support third-party entity access, or the second information is also used to indicate that the terminal device does not want to initiate online signing function and / or third-party entity access service, or is not interested in online signing and / or third-party entity access service; wherein, the first information is sent by the terminal device to the first network device when conducting or initiating online signing and / or using the certificate of a third-party entity to access a non-public network.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are implemented; or When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 6 to 10 are implemented; or When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to claim 11 are implemented.

16. A communication device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein: When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are implemented; or When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 6 to 10 are implemented; or, When the processor executes the program, the steps of the method according to claim 11 are implemented.

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