A link state detection method, a communication device and a communication system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a link state detection method, a communication device and a communication system. The method comprises: determining, by a terminal device, a first QoS flow for link state detection, and then requesting a user plane network element to allocate an IP address for link state detection and / or a port number for link state detection for the first QoS flow, so that the terminal device or the user plane network element can detect the link state of the first QoS flow according to the IP address and / or the port number. The method enables the terminal device to flexibly select a QoS flow for link state detection, and improves the flexibility of link state detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a link status detection method, communication device and communication system. Background Technology

[0002] Terminal devices can send and receive data with user plane network elements through user plane links. The condition of these links directly affects performance metrics such as packet loss rate and latency. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the link status to understand its condition.

[0003] However, how to achieve flexible detection of link status remains to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a link status detection method, communication device, and communication system for flexible detection of link status.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a link state detection method, which can be executed by a terminal device or a module (such as a chip) applied in the terminal device. Taking the execution of the method by a terminal device as an example, the method includes: the terminal device determining a first QoS flow for link state detection; the terminal device sending detection indication information and identification information of the first QoS flow to a user plane network element, the detection indication information indicating that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection; the terminal device receiving an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element; the terminal device sending a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number; or the terminal device receiving a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number.

[0006] According to the above scheme, the terminal device determines the first QoS flow for link state detection, and then requests the user plane network element to allocate an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection for this first QoS flow. Subsequently, the terminal device or the user plane network element can detect the link state of the first QoS flow based on the IP address and / or port number. This method enables the terminal device to flexibly select the QoS flow for link state detection, improving the flexibility of link state detection.

[0007] As one possible implementation, the terminal device sends a first message to the user plane network element. The first message includes the identification information of the first QoS flow and is used to instruct link state detection to be performed on the first QoS flow.

[0008] According to the above scheme, the terminal device can instruct the user plane network element to perform link state detection on the first QoS flow through the user plane, and instruct the first QoS flow to perform link state detection through the first message. It is not necessary to carry additional indication information in the first message to instruct the first QoS flow to perform link state detection, which can reduce overhead.

[0009] As one possible implementation, the terminal device sends a first message to the user plane network element. The first message includes a detection indication and identification information of the first QoS flow. The detection indication is used to indicate that link state detection is performed on the first QoS flow.

[0010] According to the above scheme, the terminal device can instruct the user plane network element to perform link state detection on the first QoS flow through the user plane, and instruct the link state detection on the first QoS flow through the detection instruction. There are no requirements on the form of the first message itself, so the applicable scenarios of the scheme can be expanded.

[0011] As one possible implementation, the terminal device sends the first message to the user plane network element on the second QoS stream; the terminal device receives a second message from the user plane network element on the third QoS stream, the second message including the IP address and / or the port number.

[0012] As one possible implementation, the terminal device sends the detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element on the second QoS flow; the terminal device receives the IP address and / or the port number from the user plane network element on the second QoS flow.

[0013] As one possible implementation method, the terminal device sends a detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element through the session management network element.

[0014] According to the above scheme, the terminal device can instruct the user plane network element to perform link state detection on the first QoS flow through the session management network element of the control plane, which can reduce the overhead of the user plane.

[0015] As one possible implementation, the terminal device determines that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection based on local policies.

[0016] As one possible implementation method, the terminal device determines the first QoS flow carrying the service for link state detection based on the service requirements.

[0017] According to the above scheme, since the first QoS flow carrying the service is determined for link state detection based on the needs of the service, the QoS flow used for link state detection can be accurately determined.

[0018] As one possible implementation method, if the terminal device determines that the parameters of the first QoS stream meet the preset requirements, then the first QoS stream is determined to be used for link status detection. The parameters of the first QoS stream include, but are not limited to: 5QI value, latency, and packet loss rate.

[0019] According to the above scheme, since the QoS flow used for link state detection is determined based on the parameters of the QoS flow, the QoS flow used for link state detection can be accurately determined.

[0020] As one possible implementation method, the terminal device generates QoS rules based on the identification information of the first QoS flow, as well as the IP address and / or the port number; the terminal device determines, based on the QoS rules, that the link state detection packet is sent on the first QoS flow; or, the terminal device determines, based on the QoS rules, that the received link state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

[0021] As one possible implementation, the first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the terminal device receives the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number from the user plane network element.

[0022] According to the above scheme, when the user plane network element allocates the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection for the first QoS flow, it also refers to the access technology corresponding to the first QoS flow, which helps to accurately allocate the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection for the first QoS flow.

[0023] As one possible implementation, the link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the performance detection function protocol.

[0024] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a link state detection method, which can be executed by a user plane network element or a module (such as a chip) applied in a user plane network element. Taking the execution of the method by a user plane network element as an example, the method includes: the user plane network element receiving detection indication information and identification information of a first QoS flow from a terminal device, wherein the detection indication information is used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection; the user plane network element allocating an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection to the first QoS flow according to the detection indication information; the user plane network element sending the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device; the user plane network element sending a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, wherein the link state detection packet includes the IP address and / or the port number; or the user plane network element receiving a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, wherein the link state detection packet includes the IP address and / or the port number.

[0025] According to the above scheme, the terminal device requests the user plane network element to allocate an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection for the first QoS flow. Subsequently, the terminal device or the user plane network element can detect the link state of the first QoS flow based on the IP address and / or port number. This method enables the terminal device to flexibly select the QoS flow for link state detection, improving the flexibility of link state detection.

[0026] As one possible implementation, the user plane network element receives a first message from the terminal device, the first message including the identification information of the first QoS flow, the first message being used to indicate link state detection for the first QoS flow.

[0027] According to the above scheme, the terminal device can instruct the user plane network element to perform link state detection on the first QoS flow through the user plane, and instruct the first QoS flow to perform link state detection through the first message. It is not necessary to carry additional indication information in the first message to instruct the first QoS flow to perform link state detection, which can reduce overhead.

[0028] As one possible implementation, the user plane network element receives a first message from the terminal device, the first message including a detection indication and identification information of the first QoS flow, the detection indication being used to instruct link state detection of the first QoS flow.

[0029] According to the above scheme, the terminal device can instruct the user plane network element to perform link state detection on the first QoS flow through the user plane, and instruct the link state detection on the first QoS flow through the detection instruction. There are no requirements on the form of the first message itself, so the applicable scenarios of the scheme can be expanded.

[0030] As one possible implementation, the user plane network element receives the first message from the terminal device on the second QoS flow; the user plane network element sends a second message to the terminal device on the third QoS flow, the second message including the IP address and / or the port number.

[0031] As one possible implementation, the user plane network element receives the detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow from the terminal device on the second QoS flow; the user plane network element sends the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device on the second QoS flow.

[0032] As one possible implementation, the user plane network element receives a detection indication from the terminal device and the identification information of the first QoS flow through the session management network element.

[0033] According to the above scheme, the terminal device can instruct the user plane network element to perform link state detection on the first QoS flow through the session management network element of the control plane, which can reduce the overhead of the user plane.

[0034] As one possible implementation, the user plane network element generates an N4 rule based on the identification information of the first QoS flow, as well as the IP address and / or the port number. The N4 rule includes flow description information and the identification information of the first QoS flow, and the flow description information includes the IP address and / or the port number. Based on the N4 rule, the user plane network element determines that the link state detection packet is sent on the first QoS flow; or, based on the N4 rule, the user plane network element determines that the received link state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

[0035] As one possible implementation, the first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the user plane network element sends the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

[0036] According to the above scheme, when the user plane network element allocates the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection for the first QoS flow, it also refers to the access technology corresponding to the first QoS flow, which helps to accurately allocate the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection for the first QoS flow.

[0037] As one possible implementation, the link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the performance detection function protocol.

[0038] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a link state detection method, which can be executed by a session management network element or a module (such as a chip) applied in the session management network element. Taking the execution of the method by a session management network element as an example, the method includes: the session management network element receiving a detection indication and identification information of a first QoS flow from a terminal device, the detection indication being used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection; the session management network element sending the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to a user plane network element; the session management network element receiving an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element; and the session management network element sending the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

[0039] As one possible implementation, the session management network element receives a session establishment request message from the terminal device, the session establishment request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow; or, the session management network element receives a session modification request message from the terminal device, the session modification request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow.

[0040] As one possible implementation, the first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the session management network element receives the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number from the user plane network element; the session management network element sends the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

[0041] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which may be a terminal device or a module (such as a chip) applied in a terminal device. The device has the function of implementing any of the methods described in the first aspect. This function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0042] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which may be a user plane network element or a module (such as a chip) applied in a user plane network element. This device has the function of implementing any of the implementation methods of the second aspect described above. This function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0043] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which may be a session management network element or a module (such as a chip) applied in a session management network element. This device has the function of implementing any of the implementation methods of the third aspect described above. This function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0044] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, including a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and when the device is running, the processor executes the computer instructions stored in the memory to cause the device to perform any of the implementation methods in the first to third aspects described above.

[0045] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication apparatus including units or means for performing various steps of any of the implementation methods in the first to third aspects described above.

[0046] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, including a processor and an interface circuit. The processor is configured to communicate with other devices via the interface circuit and execute any of the implementation methods described in the first to third aspects. The processor may include one or more devices.

[0047] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to invoke a program stored in the memory to execute any of the implementation methods described in the first to third aspects. The memory may be located within or outside the device. Furthermore, the processor may be one or more.

[0048] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause any of the implementation methods of the first to third aspects described above to be executed.

[0049] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, which includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, cause any of the implementation methods in the first to third aspects described above to be performed.

[0050] In a thirteenth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a chip system, including: a processor for executing any of the implementation methods in the first to third aspects described above.

[0051] In a fourteenth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a communication system, including a session management network element and a user plane network element. The session management network element is configured to receive a detection indication and identification information of a first QoS flow from a terminal device, the detection indication indicating that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection; send the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element; receive an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element; and send the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device. The user plane network element is configured to receive the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow from the session management network element; allocate the IP address and / or the port number for link state detection to the first QoS flow according to the detection indication; and send the IP address and / or the port number to the session management network element.

[0052] As one possible implementation, the session management network element is specifically configured to receive a session establishment request message from the terminal device, the session establishment request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow; or, to receive a session modification request message from the terminal device, the session modification request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow.

[0053] As one possible implementation, the first QoS flow is a QoS flow within a session supporting multiple access technologies; the user plane network element is further configured to send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number of the user plane network element to the session management network element. The session management network element is further configured to receive the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number from the user plane network element; and to send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number to the terminal device. Attached Figure Description

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture based on a service-oriented architecture.

[0055] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture based on a point-to-point interface.

[0056] Figure 3(a) is a schematic diagram of PDU session support for single access technology;

[0057] Figure 3(b) is a schematic diagram of PDU session support for multiple access technologies;

[0058] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0064] To address the challenges of wireless broadband technology and maintain the leading edge of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network, the 3GPP standards group developed the Next Generation System architecture, known as the 5th generation (5G) network architecture. This architecture not only supports radio access technologies defined by the 3GPP standards group (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G Radio Access Network (RAN)) to access the 5G core network (CN), but also supports access to the core network using non-3GPP access technologies through non-3GPP interworking functions (N3IWF) or next-generation packet data gateways (ngPDG).

[0065] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture based on a service-oriented architecture. Figure 1 The 5G network architecture shown may include terminal devices, access network devices, and core network devices. Terminal devices access the data network (DN) through access network devices and core network devices. The core network devices include, but are not limited to, some or all of the following network elements: unified data management (UDM) network elements, unified data repository (UDR) network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, application function (AF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, user plane function (UPF) network elements, network repository function (NRF) network elements, and authentication server function (AUSF) network elements.

[0066] Terminal devices can be user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can include mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, urban air mobility vehicles (such as drones and helicopters), ships, robots, robotic arms, and smart home devices.

[0067] Access network equipment can be either Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment or Wired Access Network (FAN) equipment. RAN equipment includes 3GPP access network equipment, untrusted non-3GPP access network equipment, and trusted non-3GPP access network equipment. 3GPP access network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs) in LTE, next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, base stations in future mobile communication systems, or modules or units that perform some base station functions, such as central units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs). Untrusted non-3GPP access network equipment includes, but is not limited to: untrusted non-3GPP access gateways or N3IWF devices, untrusted wireless local area network (WLAN) access points (APs), switches, and routers. Trusted non-3GPP access network equipment includes, but is not limited to: trusted non-3GPP access gateways, trusted WLAN APs, switches, and routers. Wired access network equipment includes, but is not limited to: wireline access gateways or fixed-line telephone network equipment, switches, and routers.

[0068] Access network equipment and terminal equipment can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the access network equipment and terminal equipment.

[0069] The AMF (Automatic Mobility Management) network element includes functions such as mobility management and access authentication / authorization. In addition, it is responsible for transmitting user policies between terminal devices and the PCF (Programmable Default Function).

[0070] The SMF network element includes functions such as performing session management, executing control policies issued by the PCF, selecting the UPF, and allocating Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to terminal devices.

[0071] UPF network elements include functions such as user plane data forwarding, session / flow-based billing statistics, and bandwidth limiting.

[0072] UDM network elements include functions such as managing contracted data and authorizing user access.

[0073] UDR includes functions for storing and retrieving data of various types, such as contract data, policy data, and application data.

[0074] NEF network elements are used to support the opening of capabilities and events.

[0075] An AF (Application Provider) element conveys the application's requests to the network, such as QoS requirements or user state event subscriptions. AFs can be third-party functional entities or application services deployed by operators, such as the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice call service.

[0076] PCF network elements include policy control functions responsible for billing at the session and service flow levels, QoS bandwidth guarantee and mobility management, and terminal policy decision-making. PCF network elements include access and mobility management policy control function (AM PCF) network elements and session management policy control function (SM PCF) network elements. AM PCF network elements can provide mobility management policies, while SM PCF network elements can provide session management policies.

[0077] NRF network elements can be used to provide network element discovery functionality, providing network element information corresponding to the network element type based on requests from other network elements. NRF also provides network element management services, such as network element registration, updates, deregistration, and network element status subscription and push.

[0078] The AUSF network element is responsible for authenticating terminal devices and verifying their legitimacy.

[0079] A Data Network (DN) can be used to deploy various services, providing data and / or voice services to terminal devices. For example, a DN might be the private network of a smart factory. Sensors installed in the workshop can act as terminal devices, and a control server for these sensors is deployed within the DN. This control server provides services to the sensors. Sensors can communicate with the control server, receive instructions, and transmit collected sensor data back to the control server accordingly. Another example is a DN serving as an internal office network for a company. Employees' mobile phones or computers can act as terminal devices, accessing information and data resources within the company's internal office network.

[0080] Figure 1 Nausf, Nnef, Nnfr, Namf, Npcf, Nsmf, Nudm, Nudr, and Naf are the service interfaces provided by AUSF, NEF, NRF, AMF, PCF, SMF, UDM, UDR, and AF, respectively, used to invoke the corresponding service operations. N1, N2, N3, N4, and N6 are interface sequence numbers, with the following meanings:

[0081] 1) N1: The interface between the AMF and the terminal device, which can be used to transmit non-access stratum (NAS) signaling (such as QoS rules from the AMF) to the terminal device.

[0082] 2) N2: The interface between the AMF and the access network equipment, which can be used to transmit radio bearer control information from the core network side to the access network equipment.

[0083] 3) N3: The interface between the access network device and the UPF, mainly used to transmit uplink and downlink user plane data between the access network device and the UPF.

[0084] 4) N4: The interface between SMF and UPF, which can be used to transmit information between the control plane and the user plane, including the distribution of forwarding rules, QoS rules, traffic statistics rules, etc. from the control plane to the user plane, as well as the reporting of information from the user plane.

[0085] 5) N6: The interface between UPF and DN, used to transmit uplink and downlink user data streams between UPF and DN.

[0086] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture based on a point-to-point interface. For a description of the functions of the network elements, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 1 The functions of the corresponding network elements will not be described in detail here. Figure 2 and Figure 1 The main difference is: Figure 1 The interfaces between control plane network elements within the core network are service-oriented interfaces. Figure 2 The interfaces between control plane network elements within the core network are point-to-point interfaces.

[0087] and, Figure 2 This illustrates application scenarios where the core network is accessed via 3GPP access technology and / or untrusted non-3GPP access technology. For trusted 3GPP access scenarios, [the following can be done]: Figure 2 Replace "untrusted non-3GPP access" with "trusted non-3GPP access" in the text, and... Figure 2 Replace "N3IWF" with "Trusted Non-3GPP Access Gateway". For wired access scenarios, you can... Figure 2 Replace "untrusted non-3GPP access" with "wired access" and... Figure 2 Replace “N3IWF” with “Wired Access Gateway”.

[0088] It is understood that the aforementioned network element or function can be a network component in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualization function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). As one possible implementation method, the aforementioned network element or function can be implemented by a single device, multiple devices working together, or a functional module within a single device; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0089] As one implementation method, the user plane network element in this application embodiment can be either the aforementioned UPF network element or a network element with the functions of the aforementioned UPF network element in future communications such as 6th generation (6G) networks. For ease of explanation, the following description will take the user plane network element as a UPF network element as an example, and the UPF network element will be abbreviated as UPF.

[0090] As one implementation method, the session management network element in this application embodiment can be either the aforementioned SMF network element or a network element in future communications such as 6G networks that has the functionality of the aforementioned SMF network element. For ease of explanation, the following description will take the session management network element as an SMF network element as an example, and the SMF network element will be abbreviated as SMF.

[0091] Currently, a PDU session can access the core network through one access technology, or through two or more access technologies. When a PDU session accesses the core network through one access technology, it is also called a PDU session that supports a single access technology, or a single-access PDU session. When a PDU session accesses the core network through two or more access technologies, it is also called a PDU session that supports multiple access technologies, or a multi-access PDU session.

[0092] Figure 3(a) illustrates a PDU session supporting single access technology. One or more QoS flows are established on this PDU session, each corresponding to a link (or transmission path). QoS flows are used to transmit data packets for one or more services. Taking Figure 3(a) as an example, QoS flow 1 transmits data packets for service 1 and service 2, QoS flow 2 transmits data packets for service 3, and QoS flow 3 transmits data packets for service 4, service 5, and service 6.

[0093] Figure 3(b) illustrates a PDU session supporting multiple access technologies. This figure uses a PDU session supporting two access technologies as an example. Each access technology in this multi-access PDU session can establish one or more QoS flows, and each QoS flow corresponds to a link (or transmission path). Each QoS flow is used to transmit data packets for one or more services. For example, this multi-access PDU session carries QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3. QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 are transmitted through access technology 1 and access technology 2, respectively, while QoS flow 3 is transmitted through access technology 1.

[0094] In the example of Figure 3(b), as one implementation method, the two access technologies are any two of 3GPP access technologies, non-3GPP access technologies, and wired access technologies. As another implementation method, one of the two access technologies is a trusted non-3GPP access technology, and the other is a 3GPP access technology, an untrusted non-3GPP access technology, or a wired access technology. As yet another implementation method, one of the two access technologies is an untrusted non-3GPP access technology, and the other is a 3GPP access technology or a wired access technology. As one implementation method, the two access technologies are any two of 5G RAN access technology, LTE access technology, WLAN access technology, or fixed-line telephone network access technology.

[0095] To detect the link status of QoS flows, this application proposes a link status detection method. Specifically, this application can detect the link status of one or more QoS flows, that is, detect the link status at the QoS flow granularity. In one implementation method, the link status of one or more QoS flows can also be used to reflect the connection status of the access technology corresponding to the QoS flow.

[0096] Taking the PDU session supporting single access technology shown in Figure 3(a) as an example, the PDU session carries QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3. For example, the link status of one or more QoS flows among QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, or QoS flow 3 can be detected. Optionally, the link status of one or more QoS flows among QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, or QoS flow 3 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1. For example, the link status of QoS flow 1 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, or the link status of QoS flow 2 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, or the link status of QoS flow 3 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, or the link status of QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, and so on.

[0097] Taking the PDU session supporting multiple access technologies shown in Figure 3(b) as an example, this PDU session corresponds to access technology 1 and access technology 2. QoS stream 1, QoS stream 2 and QoS stream 3 are transmitted on access technology 1, and QoS stream 1 and QoS stream 2 are transmitted on access technology 2. That is, QoS stream 1 and QoS stream 2 are transmitted through two access technologies, while QoS stream 3 is transmitted through one access technology. For example, the link status of one or more QoS flows corresponding to QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, or QoS flow 3 of access technology 1 can be detected. Optionally, the link status of one or more QoS flows corresponding to QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, or QoS flow 3 of access technology 1 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1. For example, the link status of QoS flow 1 of access technology 1 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, or the link status of QoS flow 2 of access technology 1 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, or the link status of QoS flow 3 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, or the link status of QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 of access technology 1 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1, and so on. For example, the link status of QoS flow 1 and / or QoS flow 2 corresponding to access technology 2 can be detected. Optionally, the link status of QoS flow 1 and / or QoS flow 2 corresponding to access technology 2 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 2. For example, the link status of QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 2 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 2, or the link status of QoS flow 2 corresponding to access technology 2 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 2, or the link status of QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 corresponding to access technology 2 can be used to reflect the connection status of access technology 1.

[0098] refer to Figure 4This is a flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0099] Step 401, SMF determines the QoS flow used for link state detection.

[0100] Taking the PDU session supporting single access technology shown in Figure 3(a) as an example, if the SMF determines that the QoS flow used for link state detection includes QoS flow 1, it means that the SMF determines to use QoS flow 1 to send link state detection packets, thereby reflecting the link state of QoS flow 1. If the SMF determines that the QoS flow used for link state detection includes QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2, it means that the SMF determines to use QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 to send link state detection packets, thereby reflecting the link state of QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2.

[0101] Taking the PDU session supporting multiple access technologies shown in Figure 3(b) as an example, for link 1 corresponding to access technology 1, if the SMF determines that the QoS flow used for link state detection includes QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1, then the SMF determines to use QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1 to send link state detection packets, thereby reflecting the link state of QoS flow 1. If the SMF determines that the QoS flow used for link state detection includes QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1 and QoS flow 2 corresponding to access technology 1, then the SMF determines to use QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1 to send link state detection packets, and also uses QoS flow 2 corresponding to access technology 1 to send link state detection packets, thereby reflecting the link state of QoS flow 1 and the link state of QoS flow 2.

[0102] This application does not limit the specific implementation method of the SMF determining the QoS flow used for link state detection. For example, the SMF can determine the QoS flow used for link state detection based on local policies or operator policies.

[0103] Step 402: The SMF sends the identification information of the QoS flow used for link state detection to the UPF.

[0104] The identification information of the QoS flow is also called the QoS flow identity (QFI).

[0105] The SMF can send one or more QFIs for link state detection to the UPF. If multiple QFIs are sent, the SMF can send a list of QFIs to the UPF, which includes multiple QFIs.

[0106] Step 403: The UPF assigns an IP address and / or a port number for the UPF used for link state detection to the QoS flow.

[0107] The QoS flow here is the QoS flow sent by the SMF to the UPF for link state detection.

[0108] As one implementation method, if the QoS flow used for link state detection corresponds to multiple access technologies, the UPF assigns different IP addresses and / or different port numbers to the same QoS flow corresponding to different access technologies. For example, taking Figure 3(b) as an example, the UPF can assign IP address 1 and / or port number 1 of the UPF for link state detection to QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1, and assign IP address 2 and / or port number 2 of the UPF for link state detection to QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 2. In one implementation method, the UPF IP address 1 and UPF IP address 2 are different, and the UPF port number 1 and UPF port number 2 are different. In another implementation method, the UPF IP address 1 and UPF IP address 2 are the same, and the UPF port number 1 and UPF port number 2 are different. In yet another implementation method, the UPF IP address 1 and UPF IP address 2 are different, and the UPF port number 1 and UPF port number 2 are the same.

[0109] Step 404: The UPF sends the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection to the SMF.

[0110] For example, in step 401 above, the identification information of the QoS flows used for link state detection sent by the SMF to the UPF includes QFI1, QFI2, and QFI3, and indicates that these QoS flows correspond to access technology 1. Then, in step 404, the UPF sends to the SMF the IP address and / or port number of the UPF corresponding to QFI1, the IP address and / or port number of the UPF corresponding to QFI2, and the IP address and / or port number of the UPF corresponding to QFI3. Here, QFI1, QFI2, and QFI3 are all different. In a specific implementation, the UPF can send to the SMF the QFI of the QoS flows used for link state detection, as well as the IP address and / or port number of the UPF corresponding to that QFI. For example, the UPF sends (QFI1, the IP address 1 of the UPF corresponding to QFI1 and / or the port number 1 of the UPF), (QFI2, the IP address 2 of the UPF corresponding to QFI2 and / or the port number 2 of the UPF) and (QFI3, the IP address 3 of the UPF corresponding to QFI3 and / or the port number 3 of the UPF) to the SMF.

[0111] In one implementation, when the QoS flow used for link state detection supports multiple access technologies, the UPF can also send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number of the UPF to the SMF.

[0112] Step 405: The SMF sends the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection to the terminal device.

[0113] In one implementation, when the QoS flow used for link state detection supports multiple access technologies, the SMF can also send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number of the UPF to the terminal device.

[0114] After receiving the IP address and / or port number of the UPF corresponding to the QoS flow used for link state detection, the terminal device can use this IP address and / or port number to send link state detection packets to detect the link state of the QoS flow. Alternatively, the UPF can also use this IP address and / or port number to send link state detection packets to detect the link state of the QoS flow. The following describes these two methods for detecting the QoS flow state.

[0115] For ease of explanation, the following example uses the detection of the link status of QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1 in Figure 3(b) to illustrate Method 1 and Method 2. Specifically, the identification information of this QoS flow 1 is QFI1.

[0116] Method 1 involves the terminal device initiating the detection of the QoS flow status, specifically including the following steps 406 to 409.

[0117] Step 406: The terminal device sends a first link state detection packet to the UPF via the QoS flow to be detected. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the first link state detection packet.

[0118] The first link-state detection packet includes a header and a first detection message. The header carries QFI1, a destination IP address, and a destination port number. QFI1 is used to identify the QoS flow transmitting the first link-state detection packet, which is the QoS flow to be detected. The destination IP address is the IP address of the UPF used for link-state detection, and / or the destination port number is the port number of the UPF used for link-state detection.

[0119] As one implementation method, the header of the first link-state detection packet also carries a source port number and / or a source IP address. The source port number is the port number of the terminal device, and the source IP address is the IP address of the terminal device. As another implementation method, any QoS flow on the terminal device corresponds to the same port number and / or the same IP address of that terminal device.

[0120] This can be understood as a special data packet that is not used to transmit service data, but to detect the link status of the QoS flow.

[0121] As one implementation method, the first link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the performance measurement function (PMF) protocol. The first link state detection packet can also be called a PMF data packet or a PMF link state detection packet, and the first detection message in the first link state detection packet can be called a PMF message or a PMF detection message.

[0122] In step 407, the UPF sends a second link state detection packet to the terminal device via the QoS flow to be detected. The terminal device then receives this second link state detection packet.

[0123] After receiving the first link-state detection packet, the UPF determines that the destination IP address in the first link-state detection packet is the IP address of the UPF used for link-state detection, and / or determines that the destination port number in the first link-state detection packet is the port number of the UPF used for link-state detection. If so, the first link-state detection packet is determined to be a data packet used to detect the link state of a QoS flow. Therefore, the UPF immediately generates a second link-state detection packet and then sends the second link-state detection packet to the terminal device through the QoS flow to be detected (i.e., the QoS flow carrying the first link-state detection packet).

[0124] The second link-state detection packet includes a header and a second detection message. The header carries QFI1, source IP address, source port number, destination IP address, and destination port number. QFI1 is used to identify the QoS flow transmitting the second link-state detection packet, which is the QoS flow to be detected. The destination IP address is the IP address of the terminal device, the destination port number is the port number of the terminal device, the source IP address is the IP address of the UPF used for link-state detection, and the source port number is the port number of the UPF used for link-state detection.

[0125] This can be understood as a special data packet that is not used to transmit service data, but to detect the link status of the QoS flow.

[0126] After receiving the second link state detection packet, if the terminal device determines that the source IP address in the second link state detection packet is the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection, and / or determines that the source port number in the second link state detection packet is the port number of the UPF used for link state detection, then the terminal device determines that the second link state detection packet is a data packet used to detect the link state of QoS flow.

[0127] As one implementation method, if the first link-state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the PMF protocol, then the second link-state detection packet is also a data packet corresponding to the PMF protocol. This second link-state detection packet can also be called a PMF data packet or a PMF link-state detection packet, and the second detection message in this second link-state detection packet can be called a PMF message or a PMF detection message.

[0128] Step 408: The terminal device determines the link status of the QoS flow to be detected.

[0129] For example, the terminal device can determine the link status of the QoS flow based on the time of sending the first link status detection packet and the time of receiving the second link status detection packet. The link status includes information such as latency, packet loss rate, and load.

[0130] Method 2 involves the UPF initiating the detection of the QoS flow status, specifically including the following steps 410 to 413.

[0131] In step 409, the UPF sends a first link state detection packet to the terminal device through the QoS flow to be detected. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first link state detection packet.

[0132] The first link-state detection packet includes a header and a first detection message. The header carries QFI1, source IP address, source port number, destination IP address, and destination port number. QFI1 is used to identify the QoS flow transmitting the first link-state detection packet, which is the QoS flow to be detected. The destination IP address is the IP address of the terminal device, the destination port number is the port number of the terminal device, the source IP address is the IP address of the UPF used for link-state detection, and the source port number is the port number of the UPF used for link-state detection.

[0133] This can be understood as a special data packet that is not used to transmit service data, but to detect the link status of the QoS flow.

[0134] As one implementation method, the first link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the PMF protocol. The first link state detection packet can also be called a PMF data packet or a PMF link state detection packet. The first detection message in the first link state detection packet can be called a PMF message or a PMF detection message.

[0135] In step 410, the terminal device sends a second link-state detection packet to the UPF via the QoS flow to be detected. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the second link-state detection packet.

[0136] After receiving the first link state detection packet, the terminal device determines that the source IP address in the first link state detection packet is the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection, and / or determines that the source port number in the first link state detection packet is the port number of the UPF used for link state detection. Then, it determines that the first link state detection packet is a data packet used to detect the link state of the QoS flow. Therefore, the terminal device immediately generates a second link state detection packet and then sends the second link state detection packet to the UPF through the QoS flow to be detected (i.e., the QoS flow carrying the first link state detection packet).

[0137] The second link-state detection packet includes a header and a second detection message. The header carries QFI1, a destination IP address, and a destination port number. QFI1 is used to identify the QoS flow transmitting the second link-state detection packet, which is the QoS flow to be detected. The destination IP address is the IP address of the UPF used for link-state detection, and the destination port number is the port number of the UPF used for link-state detection.

[0138] As one implementation method, the header of the second link-state detection packet also carries a source port number and / or a source IP address. The source port number is the port number of the terminal device, and the source IP address is the IP address of the terminal device. As another implementation method, any QoS flow on the terminal device corresponds to the same port number and / or the same IP address of that terminal device.

[0139] This can be understood as a special data packet that is not used to transmit service data, but to detect the link status of the QoS flow.

[0140] Upon receiving the second link-state detection packet, if the UPF determines that the destination IP address in the second link-state detection packet is the IP address of the UPF used for link-state detection, and / or determines that the destination port number in the second link-state detection packet is the port number of the UPF used for link-state detection, then the second link-state detection packet is determined to be a data packet used to detect the link state of QoS flows.

[0141] As one implementation method, if the first link-state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the PMF protocol, then the second link-state detection packet is also a data packet corresponding to the PMF protocol. This second link-state detection packet can also be called a PMF data packet or a PMF link-state detection packet, and the second detection message in this second link-state detection packet can be called a PMF message or a PMF detection message.

[0142] Step 411, UPF determines the link status of the QoS flow to be detected.

[0143] The implementation method of step 411 is similar to that of step 408 above, and can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0144] The above scheme involves the SMF determining the QoS flows used for link state detection, then instructing the UPF to generate IP addresses and / or port numbers for these QoS flows to be used for link state detection. The SMF then sends the IP addresses and / or port numbers generated by the UPF to the terminal device. This allows the terminal device and the UPF to detect the link state of the QoS flows based on the IP addresses and / or port numbers of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0145] However, the above scheme still has some problems. For example, the above scheme involves the SMF determining the QoS flow used for link state detection, and then the SMF instructing the UPF to generate the IP address and / or port number of the UPF for link state detection for that QoS flow. The terminal device will receive the IP address and / or port number of the UPF for link state detection corresponding to that QoS flow. Consequently, the terminal device can only detect link state based on these QoS flows, and the terminal device cannot freely select the QoS flow used for link state detection.

[0146] Taking Figure 3(a) as an example, if the SMF determines that the link status of QoS flow 1 is to be detected, the terminal device can receive the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link status detection corresponding to QoS flow 1. Subsequently, the terminal device detects the link status of QoS flow 1 based on the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link status detection corresponding to QoS flow 1. The terminal device cannot detect the link status of other QoS flows, such as the link status of QoS flow 2 or QoS flow 3.

[0147] Taking Figure 3(b) as an example, if the SMF determines to detect the link status of QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1, the terminal device can receive the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link status detection corresponding to QoS flow 1, and the IP address and / or port number corresponds to access technology 1. Subsequently, the terminal device can only detect the link status of QoS flow 1 corresponding to access technology 1, but cannot detect the link status of other QoS flows corresponding to access technology 1, such as the link status of QoS flow 2 or QoS flow 3 corresponding to access technology 1.

[0148] To address this problem, embodiments of this application provide corresponding solutions. (See reference...) Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0149] Step 501: The terminal device determines the first QoS flow for link state detection.

[0150] In one implementation method, the terminal device determines a first QoS flow for link state detection based on a local policy.

[0151] In another implementation method, the terminal device determines the first QoS flow carrying the service for link state detection based on the service requirements. For example, if a service is latency-sensitive and / or packet loss-sensitive, then the first QoS flow carrying that service is determined to be used for link state detection.

[0152] In another implementation method, if the terminal device determines that the parameters of the first QoS flow meet preset requirements, then the first QoS flow is determined to be used for link state detection. The parameters of the first QoS flow include, but are not limited to, the 5G QoS identifier (5QI) value, latency, and packet loss rate. For example, the preset requirements here could be that the packet loss rate is higher than a certain threshold, the latency is greater than a certain threshold, or the 5QI value is a specific value.

[0153] Step 502: The terminal device sends detection indication information and identification information of the first QoS flow to the UPF. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow.

[0154] The detection indication information is used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection, or the detection indication information is used to indicate that the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection is assigned to the first QoS flow, or the detection indication information is used to indicate that link state detection is performed on the first QoS flow.

[0155] Step 503: The UPF assigns an IP address and / or a port number for the UPF used for link state detection to the first QoS flow based on the detection indication information.

[0156] The IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection can also be referred to as the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow.

[0157] Step 504: The UPF sends the IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0158] In a specific implementation, the UPF can send the identification information of the first QoS flow and the IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0159] As one implementation method, if the first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session supporting multiple access technologies, i.e., the first QoS flow corresponds to multiple access technologies, then the UPF also sends the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number used for link state detection to the terminal device. Specifically, the UPF can send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number used for link state detection to the terminal device through the user-facing interface, or it can send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number used for link state detection to the terminal device through the SMF in the control plane.

[0160] According to the above scheme, the terminal device determines the first QoS flow for link state detection, and then requests the UPF to allocate an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection for this first QoS flow. Subsequently, the terminal device or the UPF can detect the link state of the first QoS flow based on the IP address and / or port number. This method enables the terminal device to flexibly select the QoS flow for link state detection, improving the flexibility of link state detection.

[0161] As one implementation method, after the terminal device receives the IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow, the terminal device can generate QoS rules based on the identification information of the first QoS flow and the IP address and / or port number for link state detection. These QoS rules include flow description information and the identification information of the first QoS flow. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number for link state detection. Subsequently, if the terminal device needs to send a link state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number, it can determine, based on the QoS rules, that the link state detection packet is sent on the first QoS flow. Alternatively, the terminal device can determine, based on the QoS rules, that the received link state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number is a detection packet on the first QoS flow. Or, if the received link state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number also carries the first QFI, the terminal device can determine, based on the first QFI in the link state detection packet, that the link state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

[0162] As one implementation method, after the UPF generates the IP address and / or port number for link-state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow, the UPF can generate an N4 rule based on the identification information of the first QoS flow and the IP address and / or port number for link-state detection. This N4 rule includes flow description information and the identification information of the first QoS flow. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number for link-state detection. Subsequently, if the UPF needs to send a link-state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number, it can determine, based on the N4 rule, that the link-state detection packet is sent on the first QoS flow. Alternatively, the UPF can determine, based on the N4 rule, that the received link-state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number is a detection packet on the first QoS flow. Or, if the received link-state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number also carries the first QFI, the UPF can determine, based on the first QFI in the link-state detection packet, that the link-state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

[0163] As one implementation method, after the terminal device receives the IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow, the terminal device can proactively initiate the detection of the link state of the first QoS flow based on the IP address and / or port number, or the UPF can proactively initiate the detection of the link state of the first QoS flow based on the IP address and / or port number.

[0164] If the terminal device actively initiates the detection of the link status of the first QoS flow, then after step 504 above, the following steps 505 and 506 are also included.

[0165] Step 505: The terminal device sends a link state detection packet (hereinafter referred to as the first link state detection packet) to the UPF on the first QoS flow. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the link state detection packet.

[0166] The first link-state detection packet includes an IP address and / or a port number for link-state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow.

[0167] Step 506: The UPF sends a link state detection packet (hereinafter referred to as the second link state detection packet) to the terminal device on the first QoS flow. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the link state detection packet.

[0168] The second link-state detection packet includes an IP address and / or a port number for link-state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow.

[0169] As one implementation method, the specific implementation of steps 505 and 506 above can be referred to the description of steps 406 and 407 above.

[0170] After steps 505 and 506, the terminal device can determine the link status of the first QoS flow. For example, the terminal device can determine the link status of the first QoS flow based on the time of sending the first link status detection packet and the time of receiving the second link status detection packet. The link status includes information such as latency, packet loss rate, load, and jitter.

[0171] If the link status of the first QoS flow is detected by the UPF, then after step 504 above, the following steps 507 and 508 are also included.

[0172] Step 507: The UPF sends a link state detection packet (hereinafter referred to as the first link state detection packet) to the terminal device on the first QoS flow. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the link state detection packet.

[0173] The first link-state detection packet includes an IP address and / or a port number for link-state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow.

[0174] Step 508: The terminal device sends a link state detection packet (hereinafter referred to as the second link state detection packet) to the UPF on the first QoS flow. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the link state detection packet.

[0175] The second link-state detection packet includes an IP address and / or a port number for link-state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow.

[0176] As one implementation method, the specific implementation of steps 507 and 508 above can be referred to the description of steps 409 and 410 above.

[0177] After steps 507 and 508, the UPF can determine the link state of the first QoS flow. For example, the UPF can determine the link state of the first QoS flow based on the time of sending the first link state detection packet and the time of receiving the second link state detection packet. The link state includes information such as latency, packet loss rate, load, and jitter.

[0178] Steps 502 and 504 above can be implemented using either the user plane method or the control plane method, which will be explained below.

[0179] I. User-facing approach

[0180] As one implementation method, step 502 specifically involves the terminal device sending a first message to the UPF. This first message includes identification information for a first QoS flow and is used to indicate link state detection for the first QoS flow. The detection indication information in step 502 specifically refers to the name of the first message. For example, the terminal device can send the first message to the UPF on a second QoS flow. Correspondingly, step 504 specifically involves the terminal device receiving a second message from the UPF on a third QoS flow. This second message includes an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow. The second QoS flow can be a default QoS flow or any QoS flow. Similarly, the third QoS flow can be a default QoS flow or any QoS flow. The second QoS flow and the third QoS flow can be the same QoS flow or different QoS flows.

[0181] As another implementation method, step 502 above specifically involves the terminal device sending a first message to the UPF. This first message includes a detection indication and identification information of a first QoS stream. The detection indication is used to instruct link-state detection of the first QoS stream. Specifically, the detection indication information in step 502 refers to this detection indication, which can be bit information or special characters, etc. For example, the terminal device can send this first message to the UPF on a second QoS stream. Correspondingly, step 504 above specifically involves the terminal device receiving a second message from the UPF on a third QoS stream. This second message includes an IP address and / or a port number for link-state detection corresponding to the first QoS stream. The second QoS stream can be a default QoS stream or any QoS stream. The third QoS stream can also be a default QoS stream or any QoS stream. The second QoS stream and the third QoS stream can be the same QoS stream or different QoS streams.

[0182] As another implementation method, step 502 above specifically involves the terminal device sending detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the UPF on the second QoS flow. Correspondingly, step 504 specifically involves the terminal device receiving the IP address and / or port number from the UPF on the second QoS flow. This second QoS flow can be a default QoS flow or any QoS flow.

[0183] II. Control Surface Method

[0184] As one implementation method, step 502 above specifically involves: the terminal device sending a detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the UPF via the SMF. This detection indication is used to instruct link-state detection of the first QoS flow. The detection indication information in step 502 specifically refers to this detection indication, which can be bit information or special characters, etc. Correspondingly, step 504 above specifically involves: the UPF sending the IP address and / or port number corresponding to the first QoS flow for link-state detection to the terminal device via the SMF.

[0185] Specifically, the terminal device sends a detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the UPF via the SMF. This means that the terminal device sends the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the SMF, and then the SMF sends the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the UPF. For example, the terminal device can include the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow in a session establishment request message and send it to the SMF during the session establishment process; alternatively, the terminal device can include the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow in a session modification request message and send it to the SMF during the session modification process.

[0186] Specifically, the UPF sends the IP address and / or port number corresponding to the first QoS flow for link state detection to the terminal device via the SMF.

[0187] As one implementation method, the SMF can generate QoS rules based on the identification information of the first QoS flow, and the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow. The QoS rules include flow description information and the identification information of the first QoS flow. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection. Then, the SMF sends the QoS rules to the terminal device.

[0188] As one implementation method, the SMF can generate an N4 rule based on the identification information of the first QoS flow and the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow. The N4 rule includes flow description information and the identification information of the first QoS flow. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection. Then the SMF sends the N4 rule to the UPF.

[0189] The following is combined Figure 6 Corresponding embodiments and Figure 7 The corresponding embodiments are described in detail above. Figure 5 The corresponding implementation scheme.

[0190] refer to Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method involves a terminal device requesting a UPF (User-Generated Function) to allocate an IP address and / or port number for a link state detection UPF to a specific QoS flow via the user plane.

[0191] The method includes the following steps:

[0192] Step 601: The terminal device initiates a PDU session establishment request message.

[0193] This PDU session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a PDU session.

[0194] The PDU session establishment request message is carried in the NAS transmission message and sent to the AMF through the access network device. Then, the AMF sends the PDU session establishment request message in the NAS message to the SMF. The access network device can be a 3GPP access network device, a non-3GPP access network device, or a wired access network device; this application does not limit it.

[0195] One implementation method involves a PDU session establishment request message carrying a multi-access PDU session request indication to indicate that the requested PDU session is a multi-access PDU session. If the PDU session establishment request message does not carry a multi-access PDU session request indication, it indicates that the PDU session establishment request message is used to request the establishment of a single-access PDU session.

[0196] Step 602: The SMF sends a policy request message to the PCF. Correspondingly, the PCF receives the policy request message.

[0197] This policy request message is used to request policy information related to this PDU session.

[0198] Step 603: The PCF sends a policy response message to the SMF. The SMF then receives the policy response message.

[0199] The policy response message includes policy information, which includes a QoS policy. Optionally, this policy information may also include a traffic splitting policy. The traffic splitting policy indicates the traffic splitting mode for the service flow, which may include load balancing mode, minimum latency mode, primary / backup mode, redundant transmission mode, or priority mode.

[0200] SMF generates N4 rules and QoS rules based on the policy information issued by PCF. Optionally, it also generates traffic steering, switching, and splitting (ATSSS) rules.

[0201] The N4 rule includes flow description information for matching data packets, such as IP 5-tuples, and also includes forwarding rules that indicate how data packets are sent.

[0202] The traffic splitting rule is used to indicate the traffic splitting mode of the business flow. The traffic splitting rule includes business flow description information and traffic splitting mode. The business flow description information is used to match the business flow.

[0203] Step 604: The SMF sends the N4 rule to the UPF. The UPF then receives the N4 rule.

[0204] Specifically, the SMF sends N4 rules to the UPF through the N4 interface between the SMF and the UPF.

[0205] Step 605: The SMF sends a PDU session establishment acceptance message to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the PDU session establishment acceptance message.

[0206] Specifically, the SMF sends a PDU session establishment accept message to the AMF, and the AMF sends a NAS message carrying the PDU session establishment accept message to the terminal device via the access network equipment.

[0207] The PDU session establishment message carries QoS rules, and optionally also traffic splitting rules.

[0208] Through steps 601 to 605 above, a single-access PDU session or a multi-access PDU session is successfully established. Hereinafter, single-access PDU sessions and multi-access PDU sessions will be collectively referred to as PDU sessions.

[0209] After the PDU is established, one or more QoS flows can be established within the PDU session. Each QoS flow is used to transmit data packets for one or more services. The relationship between the QoS flows in this PDU session can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0210] Step 606: The terminal device determines the first QoS flow for link state detection in the PDU session.

[0211] The specific implementation method of this step can be found in the description of step 501 above.

[0212] In step 607, the terminal device sends a first data packet to the UPF via the second QoS flow. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the first data packet.

[0213] The first data packet includes a header and a first message. The header includes a second QFI, and the first message contains the first QFI. Optionally, the first message also includes a detection indication, which is used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link-state detection. If the first message does not include the detection indication, then the first message is used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link-state detection.

[0214] The first QFI is the identification information for the first QoS flow, which is a QoS flow used for link state detection. The second QFI is the identification information for the second QoS flow, which is either the default QoS flow or any QoS flow in the PDU session. The first QoS flow and the second QoS flow may be the same or different.

[0215] Step 608: The UPF assigns an IP address and / or a port number for the UPF used for link state detection to the first QFI.

[0216] If the first message carries a detection instruction, the UPF assigns an IP address and / or a port number for the UPF used for link-state detection to the first QFI based on the detection instruction. If the first message does not carry a detection instruction, the UPF assigns an IP address and / or a port number for the UPF used for link-state detection to the first QFI based on the name of the first message.

[0217] If the established PDU session is a multi-access PDU session, the IP address and / or port number assigned by the UPF to the first QFI is also related to the access technology. Specifically, if the first QoS flow corresponds to two or more access technologies, the IP address and / or port number assigned by the UPF to the first QoS flow corresponding to different access technologies will be different.

[0218] Step 609: The UPF generates an N4 rule based on the first QFI, the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection, and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0219] The N4 rule includes flow description information and a first QFI. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link-state detection. The N4 rule is used to associate link-state detection packets with the first QoS flow. That is, if the UPF subsequently generates a link-state detection packet corresponding to the first QoS flow, the UPF can determine, according to the N4 rule, that the link-state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number corresponds to the first QFI, and thus transmit the link-state detection packet on the first QoS flow indicated by the first QFI, thereby achieving link detection of the first QoS flow.

[0220] In step 610, the UPF sends a second data packet to the terminal device through the third QoS flow. The terminal device then receives the second data packet.

[0221] The second data packet includes a header and a second message. The header includes a third QFI, and the second message contains a first QFI, as well as the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0222] One implementation method is that if the above-mentioned PDU session is a multi-access PDU session, the second message further includes the access technology corresponding to the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0223] The third QFI is the identification information of the third QoS flow. This third QoS flow is either the default QoS flow, any QoS flow in the PDU session, or the second QoS flow.

[0224] Step 611: The terminal device stores the correspondence between the first QFI and the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0225] Subsequently, if the terminal device needs to send a link state detection packet on the first QoS stream, it can determine, based on this correspondence, to carry in the generated link state detection packet the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the first QFI and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0226] In one implementation, the terminal device further stores the access technology corresponding to the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0227] Step 612: The terminal device generates QoS rules based on the first QFI, the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection, and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0228] The QoS rule includes flow description information and a first QFI. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link-state detection. This QoS rule is used to associate link-state detection packets with the first QoS flow. That is, if the terminal device subsequently generates a link-state detection packet corresponding to the first QoS flow, the terminal device can determine, according to the QoS rule, that the link-state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number corresponds to the first QFI, and thus transmit the link-state detection packet on the first QoS flow indicated by the first QFI, thereby achieving link detection of the first QoS flow.

[0229] According to the above scheme, the terminal device determines the QoS flow used for link state detection and requests the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection from the network side through the user. This scheme allows the terminal device to flexibly select the QoS flow used for link state detection, which helps to improve the flexibility and accuracy of link state detection.

[0230] Following step 612 above, the terminal device can initiate the detection of the link status of the first QoS flow. The specific implementation process of this method is similar to steps 406 to 408 above, and can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0231] Following step 612 above, the UPF can also initiate the detection of the link status of the first QoS flow. The specific implementation process of this method is similar to steps 409 to 411 above, and can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0232] refer to Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a link state detection method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method involves a terminal device requesting a UPF (User-Generated Function) to allocate an IP address and / or port number for a link state detection UPF to a specific QoS flow via the control plane.

[0233] The method includes the following steps:

[0234] Step 701: The terminal device determines the first QoS flow for link state detection in the PDU session.

[0235] This PDU session is a successfully established PDU session that carries one or more QoS flows. This PDU session can be a single-access PDU session or a multi-access PDU session. The QoS flows carried by this PDU include the first QoS flow.

[0236] The method by which the terminal device determines the first QoS flow can be referred to the description of step 606 above.

[0237] Step 702: The terminal device initiates a PDU session modification request message.

[0238] This PDU session modification request message is used to request modifications to the PDU session.

[0239] The PDU session modification request message is carried in a NAS transport message and sent to the AMF via the access network device. The AMF then sends the PDU session modification request message from the NAS message to the SMF. The access network device can be a 3GPP access network device, a non-3GPP access network device, or a wired access network device; this application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0240] The PDU session modification request message carries a first QFI and a detection indication. The first QFI is the identification information of a first QoS flow, which is a QoS flow used for link state detection. The detection indication is used to indicate that the first QoS flow corresponding to the first QFI is a QoS flow used for link state detection.

[0241] Step 703: The SMF sends an N4 message to the UPF. The UPF then receives the N4 message.

[0242] Specifically, based on the received detection indication, the SMF determines to send an N4 message to the UPF through the N4 interface between the SMF and the UPF. This N4 message carries the first QFI and the detection indication. In other words, the detection indication triggers the SMF to send an N4 message carrying the first QFI and the detection indication to the UPF.

[0243] Step 704: According to the detection instruction, the UPF assigns an IP address and / or a port number for the UPF used for link state detection to the first QFI.

[0244] If the established PDU session is a multi-access PDU session, the IP address and / or port number assigned by the UPF to the first QFI is also related to the access technology. Specifically, if the first QoS flow corresponds to two or more access technologies, the IP address and / or port number assigned by the UPF to the first QoS flow corresponding to different access technologies will be different.

[0245] One implementation method involves the UPF assigning an IP address and / or port number for the UPF used for link-state detection to the first QFI. Simultaneously, it can update previously assigned IP addresses and / or port numbers for the UPF used for link-state detection, for example, updating the IP address and / or port number for the UPF corresponding to the second QFI. Here, the QoS flow indicated by the second QFI refers to any one or more QoS flows other than the first QoS flow.

[0246] In step 705, the UPF sends an N4 message to the SMF. The SMF then receives the N4 message.

[0247] The N4 message carries the first QFI, as well as the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0248] One implementation method is that if the PDU session containing the first QoS flow is a multi-access PDU session, the N4 message also includes the access technology corresponding to the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0249] One implementation method is that the N4 message also carries the updated IP address and / or updated port number of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the second QFI.

[0250] Step 706: SMF generates QoS rules and N4 rules.

[0251] The QoS rule includes flow description information and a first QFI. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link-state detection. This QoS rule is used to associate link-state detection packets with the first QoS flow. That is, if the terminal device subsequently generates a link-state detection packet corresponding to the first QoS flow, the terminal device can determine, according to the QoS rule, that the link-state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number corresponds to the first QFI, and thus transmit the link-state detection packet on the first QoS flow indicated by the first QFI, thereby achieving link detection of the first QoS flow.

[0252] The N4 rule includes flow description information and a first QFI. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link-state detection. The N4 rule is used to associate link-state detection packets with the first QoS flow. That is, if the UPF subsequently generates a link-state detection packet corresponding to the first QoS flow, the UPF can determine, according to the N4 rule, that the link-state detection packet carrying the IP address and / or port number corresponds to the first QFI, and thus transmit the link-state detection packet on the first QoS flow indicated by the first QFI, thereby achieving link detection of the first QoS flow.

[0253] Optionally, if the N4 message in step 705 above also carries the updated IP address and / or updated port number of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the second QFI, then in this step, the SMF can update the QoS rules and / or N4 rules corresponding to the second QFI to obtain the updated QoS rules and / or N4 rules corresponding to the second QFI.

[0254] Step 707: The SMF sends the N4 rule to the UPF. The UPF then receives the N4 rule.

[0255] The N4 rule is the N4 rule generated by SMF in step 706 above that corresponds to the first QFI.

[0256] Optionally, in this step, the SMF also sends the updated N4 rule corresponding to the second QFI to the UPF.

[0257] After receiving the N4 rule corresponding to the first QFI, UPF stores the N4 rule.

[0258] After receiving the updated N4 rule corresponding to the second QFI, UPF updates the original N4 rule corresponding to the second QFI stored locally according to the updated N4 rule corresponding to the second QFI.

[0259] Step 708: The SMF sends a PDU session modification response message to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the PDU session modification response message.

[0260] Specifically, the SMF sends a PDU session modification response message to the AMF, and the AMF sends a NAS message carrying the PDU session modification response message to the terminal device via the access network equipment.

[0261] The PDU session modification response message carries the first QFI, the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the first QFI and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection, and the QoS rules. The QoS rules are the QoS rules generated by the SMF in step 705 above that correspond to the first QFI.

[0262] Optionally, the PDU session modification response message may also carry the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection. Optionally, the PDU session modification response message may also carry a second QFI, the updated IP address and / or port number of the UPF corresponding to the second QFI, and the updated QoS rules corresponding to the second QFI.

[0263] After receiving the first QFI, the IP address of the corresponding UPF used for link state detection, and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection, the terminal device stores the correspondence between the first QFI and the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection. Subsequently, if the terminal device needs to send a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, it can determine, based on this correspondence, to include the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection corresponding to the first QFI in the generated link state detection packet.

[0264] In one implementation, the terminal device further stores the access technology corresponding to the IP address of the UPF used for link state detection and / or the port number of the UPF used for link state detection.

[0265] In one implementation, the terminal device further stores the QoS rules corresponding to the first QFI.

[0266] In one implementation method, the terminal device further locates the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection before the update corresponding to the second QFI, and updates the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection before the update corresponding to the second QFI.

[0267] According to the above scheme, the terminal device determines the QoS flow used for link state detection and requests the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection from the network side through control. This scheme allows the terminal device to flexibly select the IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection, which helps to improve the flexibility and accuracy of link state detection.

[0268] As one implementation method, the PDU session establishment process can also allocate an IP address and / or port number of the UPF used for link state detection to the first QoS flow. For example, the PDU session modification request message in step 702 can be replaced with a PDU session establishment request message, which is used to request the establishment of a PDU session. Correspondingly, the PDU session modification response message in step 706 can be replaced with a PDU session establishment acceptance message or a PDU session establishment reply message.

[0269] Following step 708 above, the terminal device can initiate the detection of the link status of the first QoS flow. The specific implementation process of this method is similar to steps 406 to 408 above, and can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0270] Following step 708 above, the UPF can also initiate the detection of the link status of the first QoS flow. The specific implementation process of this method is similar to steps 409 to 411 above, and can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0271] It is understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device, session management network element, and user plane network element include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0272] Figure 8 and Figure 9 The diagram illustrates the possible structures of communication devices provided in the embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device, session management network element, or user plane network element in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be a terminal device, session management network element, or user plane network element, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal device, session management network element, or user plane network element.

[0273] like Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 includes a processing unit 810 and a transceiver unit 820. The communication device 800 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device, session management network element, or user plane network element in the above method embodiments.

[0274] In the first embodiment, the communication device is used to perform the operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment, including: a processing unit 810, used to determine a first QoS flow for link state detection; a transceiver unit 820, used to send detection indication information and identification information of the first QoS flow to a user plane network element, the detection indication information being used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection; receiving an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element; sending a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number; or receiving a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number.

[0275] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is used to send a first message to a user plane network element. The first message includes the identification information of the first QoS flow and is used to indicate link state detection for the first QoS flow.

[0276] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is used to send a first message to a user plane network element. The first message includes a detection indication and identification information of the first QoS flow. The detection indication is used to indicate that link state detection is performed on the first QoS flow.

[0277] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is configured to send the first message to the user plane network element on a second QoS stream; and receive a second message from the user plane network element on a third QoS stream, the second message including the IP address and / or the port number.

[0278] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is configured to send the detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element on the second QoS flow; and to receive the IP address and / or the port number from the user plane network element on the second QoS flow.

[0279] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is used to send a detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element through the session management network element.

[0280] As one possible implementation, the processing unit 810 is used to determine, based on a local policy, whether the first QoS flow is used for link state detection.

[0281] As one possible implementation, the processing unit 810 is used to determine the first QoS flow carrying the service for link state detection based on the service requirements.

[0282] As one possible implementation method, the processing unit 810 is used to determine that the parameters of the first QoS stream meet the preset requirements, and then determines that the first QoS stream is used for link state detection. The parameters of the first QoS stream include, but are not limited to: 5QI value, latency, and packet loss rate.

[0283] As one possible implementation, the processing unit 810 is configured to generate QoS rules based on the identification information of the first QoS flow, as well as the IP address and / or the port number; determine, based on the QoS rules, that the link state detection packet is sent on the first QoS flow; or, based on the QoS rules, determine that the received link state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

[0284] As one possible implementation, the first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the transceiver unit 820 is used to receive the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number from the user plane network element.

[0285] As one possible implementation, the link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the performance detection function protocol.

[0286] In the second embodiment, the communication device is used to perform the operations performed by the user plane network element in the above method embodiment, including: a transceiver unit 820, used to receive detection indication information and identification information of a first QoS flow from a terminal device, the detection indication information being used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection; a processing unit 810, used to allocate an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection to the first QoS flow according to the detection indication information; the transceiver unit 820 is further used to send the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device; send a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number; or receive a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number.

[0287] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is configured to receive a first message from the terminal device, the first message including the identification information of the first QoS flow, the first message being used to indicate link state detection for the first QoS flow.

[0288] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is configured to receive a first message from the terminal device, the first message including a detection indication and identification information of the first QoS flow, the detection indication being used to indicate link state detection of the first QoS flow.

[0289] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is configured to receive the first message from the terminal device on a second QoS stream; and send a second message to the terminal device on a third QoS stream, the second message including the IP address and / or the port number.

[0290] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is configured to receive the detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS stream from the terminal device on the second QoS stream; and to send the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device on the second QoS stream.

[0291] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is used to receive a detection indication from the terminal device and the identification information of the first QoS flow through the session management network element.

[0292] As one possible implementation, the processing unit 810 is configured to generate an N4 rule based on the identification information of the first QoS flow, and the IP address and / or the port number, wherein the N4 rule includes flow description information and the identification information of the first QoS flow, and the flow description information includes the IP address and / or the port number; determine, based on the N4 rule, that the link state detection packet is sent on the first QoS flow; or, determine, based on the N4 rule, that the received link state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

[0293] As one possible implementation, the first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the transceiver unit 820 is used to send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

[0294] As one possible implementation, the link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the performance detection function protocol.

[0295] In the third embodiment, the communication device is used to perform the operations performed by the session management network element in the above method embodiments, including: a transceiver unit 820, used to receive a detection indication and identification information of a first QoS flow from a terminal device, the detection indication being used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection; send the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to a user plane network element; receive an IP address and / or a port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element; and send the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

[0296] As one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 820 is configured to receive a session establishment request message from the terminal device, the session establishment request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow; or, to receive a session modification request message from the terminal device, the session modification request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow.

[0297] As one possible implementation, the first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the transceiver unit 820 is used to receive the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number from the user plane network element; and to send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

[0298] A more detailed description of the processing unit 810 and the transceiver unit 820 can be obtained directly from the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0299] like Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 900 includes a processor 910. As one implementation, the communication device 900 also includes an interface circuit 920, which is coupled to the processor 910. It is understood that the interface circuit 920 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. As another implementation, the communication device 900 may also include a memory 930 for storing instructions executed by the processor 910, or storing input data required by the processor 910 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 910 executes instructions.

[0300] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the above method embodiment, the processor 910 is used to implement the function of the processing unit 810, and the interface circuit 920 is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit 820.

[0301] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0302] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. Of course, the processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the base station or terminal.

[0303] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a base station, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0304] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0305] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates a "division" relationship between the preceding and following related objects.

[0306] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A link state detection method, characterized in that, include: The terminal device determines the first Quality of Service (QoS) flow used for link state detection; The terminal device sends detection indication information and identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element. The detection indication information is used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link status detection. The link status includes at least one of packet loss rate, load, and jitter. The terminal device receives the Internet Protocol IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element. The terminal device sends a link state detection packet on the first QoS stream, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number; or The terminal device receives a link state detection packet on the first QoS stream, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal device sends detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element, including: The terminal device sends a first message to the user plane network element. The first message includes the identification information of the first QoS flow and is used to instruct link state detection to be performed on the first QoS flow.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal device sends the identification information and detection indication information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element, including: The terminal device sends a first message to the user plane network element. The first message includes a detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow. The detection indication is used to instruct link state detection to be performed on the first QoS flow.

4. The method as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The terminal device sends a first message to the user plane network element, including: The terminal device sends the first message to the user plane network element on the second QoS flow; The terminal device receives the IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element, including: The terminal device receives a second message from the user plane network element on a third QoS stream, the second message including the IP address and / or the port number.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The terminal device sends detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element, including: The terminal device sends the detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element on the second QoS flow; The terminal device receives the IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element, including: The terminal device receives the IP address and / or port number from the user plane network element on the second QoS stream.

6. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal device sends the identification information and detection indication information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element, including: The terminal device sends a detection instruction and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element through the session management network element.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The terminal device determines a first QoS flow for link state detection, including: The terminal device determines, based on its local policy, that the first QoS stream is used for link status detection.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The terminal device determines a first QoS flow for link state detection, including: The terminal device determines, based on the service requirements, that the first QoS stream carrying the service is used for link state detection.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The terminal device determines a first QoS flow for link state detection, including: If the terminal device determines that the parameters of the first QoS stream meet the preset requirements, then it determines that the first QoS stream is used for link status detection. The parameters of the first QoS stream include, but are not limited to: 5QI value, latency, and packet loss rate.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal device generates QoS rules based on the identifier information of the first QoS flow, as well as the IP address and / or the port number; The terminal device determines, according to the QoS rules, to send the link state detection packet on the first QoS stream; or, The terminal device determines, according to the QoS rules, that the received link state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the method further includes: The terminal device receives access technology from the user plane network element corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the performance detection function protocol.

13. A link state detection method, characterized in that, include: The user plane network element receives detection indication information and identification information of a first quality of service (QoS) flow from the terminal device. The detection indication information is used to indicate that the first QoS flow is used for link state detection. The link state includes at least one of packet loss rate, load, and jitter. The user plane network element allocates an Internet Protocol IP address for link state detection and / or a port number for link state detection to the first QoS flow according to the detection indication information. The user plane network element sends the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device; The user plane network element sends a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number; or The user plane network element receives a link state detection packet on the first QoS flow, the link state detection packet including the IP address and / or the port number.

14. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The user plane network element receives detection indication information and identification information of the first Quality of Service (QoS) flow from the terminal device, including: The user plane network element receives a first message from the terminal device. The first message includes the identification information of the first QoS flow and is used to indicate link state detection for the first QoS flow.

15. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The user plane network element receives detection indication information and identification information of the first Quality of Service (QoS) flow from the terminal device, including: The user plane network element receives a first message from the terminal device. The first message includes a detection indication and identification information of the first QoS flow. The detection indication is used to instruct link state detection to be performed on the first QoS flow.

16. The method as described in claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The user plane network element receives a first message from the terminal device, including: The user plane network element receives the first message from the terminal device on the second QoS stream; The user plane network element sends the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device, including: The user plane network element sends a second message to the terminal device on the third QoS flow, the second message including the IP address and / or the port number.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that, The user plane network element receives detection indication information and identification information of the first QoS flow from the terminal device, including: The user plane network element receives the detection indication information and the identification information of the first QoS flow from the terminal device on the second QoS flow; The user plane network element sends the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device, including: The user plane network element sends the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device on the second QoS flow.

18. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The user plane network element receives detection indication information and identification information of the first QoS flow from the terminal device, including: The user plane network element receives the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow from the terminal device through the session management network element.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The user plane network element generates an N4 rule based on the identifier information of the first QoS flow, as well as the IP address and / or the port number. The N4 rule includes flow description information and the identifier information of the first QoS flow. The flow description information includes the IP address and / or the port number. The user plane network element determines, according to the N4 rule, that the link state detection packet should be sent on the first QoS flow; or, The user plane network element determines, according to the N4 rule, that the received link state detection packet is a detection packet on the first QoS flow.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that, The first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; the method further includes: The user plane network element sends the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that, The link state detection packet is a data packet corresponding to the performance detection function protocol.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer-readable instructions, and the processor is used to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory to cause the device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 12, or the method of any one of claims 13 to 21.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer-readable program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, or perform the method as described in any one of claims 13 to 21.

24. A communication system, characterized in that, include: The session management network element is used to receive a detection indication and identification information of a first QoS flow from a terminal device. The detection indication is used to instruct the first QoS flow to be used for link state detection. The link state includes at least one of packet loss rate, load, and jitter. Send the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow to the user plane network element; receive the Internet Protocol IP address and / or port number for link state detection corresponding to the first QoS flow from the user plane network element; send the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device; The user plane network element is configured to receive the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow from the session management network element; allocate the IP address and / or the port number for link state detection to the first QoS flow according to the detection indication; and send the IP address and / or the port number to the session management network element.

25. The system as described in claim 24, characterized in that, The session management network element is specifically configured to receive a session establishment request message from the terminal device, the session establishment request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow; or, to receive a session modification request message from the terminal device, the session modification request message including the detection indication and the identification information of the first QoS flow.

26. The system as described in claim 24 or 25, characterized in that, The first QoS flow is a QoS flow in a session that supports multiple access technologies; The user plane network element is also used to send the access technology of the user plane network element corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number to the session management network element; The session management network element is further configured to receive access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number from the user plane network element; and to send the access technology corresponding to the IP address and / or the port number to the terminal device.

27. A communication system, characterized in that, include: User plane network element, used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 13 to 21; as well as The session management network element is used to select the user plane network element.

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