Method and terminal device for slice selection

Abstract

This application relates to a method and a terminal device for slice selection. The method includes: the terminal device receiving deployment-related slice information; and the terminal device selecting a slice based on the deployment-related slice information. According to embodiments of this application, based on the deployment-related slice information, a suitable slice can be selected, reducing latency for terminal device access and service delivery.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application filed on May 28, 2020, with application number 202080094507.1 and entitled "Method and Terminal Apparatus for Slice Selection". Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method for slice selection and a terminal device. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, with people's pursuit of speed, latency, high-speed mobility, and energy efficiency, as well as the diversity and complexity of services in future life, 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project, the standardization organization for third-generation mobile communications) has begun to develop next-generation communications (5th-Generation, 5G). The main application scenarios of 5G are: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC).

[0004] In 5G, network slicing primarily involves the core network. Specifically, the User Equipment (UE) reports a slicing request. Based on the slice reported by the UE, the network selects an appropriate Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) to establish a service session between the UE and the network. However, the UE cannot select a slice, which may result in latency in UE access and service delivery. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method and terminal device for selecting slices, which can select suitable slices.

[0006] This application provides a method for slice selection, including:

[0007] The terminal device receives deployment-related slice information;

[0008] The terminal device selects a slice based on the slice information related to the deployment.

[0009] This application provides a terminal device, including:

[0010] The receiving unit is used to receive deployment-related slice information;

[0011] The selection unit is used to select a slice based on the slice information related to the deployment.

[0012] This application provides a terminal device including a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor calls and runs the computer program stored in the memory to cause the terminal device to perform the slice selection method described above.

[0013] This application provides a network device including a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor calls and runs the computer program stored in the memory to cause the network device to perform the slice selection method described above.

[0014] This application provides a chip for implementing the above-described slice selection method.

[0015] Specifically, the chip includes a processor for retrieving and running a computer program from memory, causing a device equipped with the chip to perform the slice selection method described above.

[0016] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when run by a device, causes the device to perform the slice selection method described above.

[0017] This application provides a computer program product including computer program instructions that cause a computer to execute the above-described slice selection method.

[0018] This application provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the above-described slice selection method.

[0019] In this embodiment of the application, based on deployment-related slice information, a suitable slice can be selected to reduce the latency of terminal device access and service delivery. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of a slice selection method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the slice selection results.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating how a user (UE) obtains its own rules.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, evolution system of NR system, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), 5th Generation (5G) system, or other communication systems, etc.

[0031] Traditional communication systems typically support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communication but also, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC) communication, and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. The embodiments of this application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0032] In one implementation, the communication system in this application embodiment can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, or a standalone (SA) network deployment scenario.

[0033] The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum to which the application is applied. For example, the embodiments of this application can be applied to licensed spectrum or unlicensed spectrum.

[0034] This application describes various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices, wherein: the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device, etc. The terminal device may be a station (STAION, ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, and a next-generation communication system, such as a terminal device in an NR network or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, etc.

[0035] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0036] Network devices can be devices used to communicate with mobile devices. Network devices can be access points (APs) in WLANs, base stations (BTSs) in GSM or CDMA, base stations (NodeBs, NBs) in WCDMA, evolved base stations (eNBs or eNodeBs) in LTE, relay stations or access points, or in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, and network devices (gNBs) in NR networks, or network devices in future evolved PLMN networks, etc.

[0037] In this embodiment, the network device provides services to the cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources (e.g., frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) used by the cell. The cell can be the cell corresponding to the network device (e.g., base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or to a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cell can include: metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, femto cell, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage area and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0038] Figure 1 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown. The communication system 100 includes a network device 110 and two terminal devices 120. In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices 110, and the coverage area of ​​each network device 110 may include other numbers of terminal devices 120, which is not limited in this application embodiment.

[0039] In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may also include other network entities such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), which are not limited in this application.

[0040] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this document. The term "and / or" in this document merely 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. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0041] The strong demand for wireless communication in vertical markets is undeniable. To meet the needs of vertical industries for latency, mobility, reliability, and location accuracy, Radio Access Networks (RANs) need to be enhanced to support vertical services. One approach is through network slicing, which provides lower latency, more targeted, more flexible, and more scalable services for multiple applications with different requirements. More specifically, RAN slicing allows application providers to participate in the design, deployment, and operation of the customized RAN to better support their services.

[0042] Therefore, enhancements to access network slicing were introduced, primarily involving improvements to RAN support for network slicing. For example:

[0043] 1. Mechanisms that enable UEs to quickly access cells supporting predetermined slices, including [RAN2].

[0044] a. Cell reselection based on slices under network control.

[0045] b. Slice-based RACH (Random Access) configuration or access restrictions.

[0046] Furthermore, this includes whether there is a mechanism that can meet this scenario or requirement.

[0047] 2. The necessity and mechanisms to support service continuity, including [RAN3]

[0048] a. For handover service interruptions within RAT (Radio Access Technology), such as when the target gNB does not support the UE's persistent slicing, research slice remapping, fallback, and data forwarding processes, coordination with SA2 is required.

[0049] In related technologies, regarding slice identification, the RAN side defines Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) for each slice. The UE side maintains the NSSAI, which is a list of S-NSSAIs, and the UE supports a maximum of 8 S-NSSAIs.

[0050] S-NSSAI consists of SST (Slice / Service Type) and SD (Slice Differentiator). SST represents the service type, and SD represents different UE groups that provide services under the same SST.

[0051] This application's embodiments consider the limitations of network slice deployment. Slice deployment may be related to factors such as location, with specific slices available under specific deployments. Therefore, by considering relevant mechanisms, UEs can rationally select the slices they need for rapid access, avoiding latency in UE access and service delivery.

[0052] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of a slice selection method 200 according to an embodiment of this application. In one implementation, this method can be applied to... Figure 1 The system shown is not limited to this. The method includes at least a portion of the following.

[0053] S210, The terminal device receives deployment-related slice information.

[0054] S220. The terminal device selects a slice based on the slice information related to the deployment.

[0055] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes:

[0056] The terminal device performs at least one of the following based on the selected slice: reporting the required slice, camping, cell selection, cell reselection, and establishing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session.

[0057] In one implementation, according to an embodiment of this application, the terminal device receives deployment-related slice information, including:

[0058] The terminal device receives a first indication message from a network device, the first indication message including deployment-related slice information, the first indication message being carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, dedicated radio resource control (RRC) message, and non-access-stratum (NAS) message.

[0059] In one implementation, according to this application embodiment, the deployment-related slice information includes at least one of the following:

[0060] Slice label;

[0061] The correspondence between business functions and business slices;

[0062] The correspondence between frequency bands and video slices;

[0063] The correspondence between applications and slices;

[0064] The correspondence between operator or service provider identifiers and video slices;

[0065] The correspondence between frequency points and slices;

[0066] Slice deployment location information;

[0067] Cell group or tracking area (TA) corresponding to the same slice

[0068] The slices supported by this cell;

[0069] Slices supported by neighboring cells.

[0070] In one embodiment of this application, the slice identifier includes at least one of Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI), Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI), and Network Slice Identification (NSID).

[0071] In one implementation, according to this application embodiment, the slice deployment location information includes at least one of the following:

[0072] The correspondence between location and slice;

[0073] The correspondence between overlay and slice;

[0074] The deployment scope or coverage area of ​​the slice;

[0075] The deployment radius or coverage radius of the slice.

[0076] The above correspondence between coverage and slices can include the correspondence between the coverage range of a slice and the slice itself, the correspondence between the coverage radius of a slice and the slice itself, the correspondence between the deployment range of a slice and the slice itself, and the correspondence between the deployment radius of a slice and the slice itself, etc.

[0077] In one implementation, according to this application embodiment, the terminal device selects a slice based on the deployment-related slice information, including at least one of the following:

[0078] The terminal device selects at least one of the following based on its current location and slice deployment location information: the slice that can be accessed, the slice that can be selected or reported, whether the first cell can be selected as the cell to be camped on or a suitable cell, and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0079] Based on its current location, slice deployment location information, and required slices, the terminal device determines at least one of the following: which slices can be selected or reported, whether the first cell can be selected as the cell to be camped on or a suitable cell, and whether cell reselection should be performed.

[0080] Based on the required slices and the correspondence between frequency points and slices, the terminal device determines at least one of the following: the slices that can be selected or reported; the frequency point to be selected or the cell corresponding to the selected frequency point; whether the first cell can be selected as the cell to be selected or a suitable cell; and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0081] Based on the required slices and the correspondence between frequency bands and slices, the terminal device determines at least one of the following: the slices that can be selected or reported; the frequency band to be selected or the cell corresponding to the frequency band to be selected; whether the first cell can be selected as the cell to be selected or a suitable cell; and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0082] Based on the required services and the correspondence between services and slices, the terminal device selects the slice corresponding to the required services, determines the slices that can be selected or reported, determines whether the first cell can be selected as the stationing cell or a suitable cell, and determines at least one of the following: whether to perform cell reselection.

[0083] Based on the application requirements and the correspondence between the application and the slice, the terminal device selects the slice corresponding to the application requirements, determines the slice that can be selected or reported, determines whether the first cell can be selected as the cell to be camped or a suitable cell, and determines at least one of the following: whether to perform cell reselection.

[0084] The terminal device determines, based on the required slice, the slices supported by the current cell, and the slices supported by neighboring cells, at least one of the following: the slice that can be selected or reported, whether to select the first cell as the cell to be camped or a suitable cell, and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0085] Based on the required slices and the correspondence between the operator or service provider identifier and the slices, the terminal device determines at least one of the following: the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) to be selected, the slices that can be selected or reported, whether to select the first cell as the cell to be camped or a suitable cell, and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0086] Optionally, if the current slice is not the slice that the terminal device wants, the UE in the cell corresponding to the slice can only be provided with limited services.

[0087] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes: the terminal device receiving slice priority information and / or slice selection weight.

[0088] In one implementation, according to an embodiment of this application, the terminal device receives slice priority information and / or slice selection weight, including:

[0089] The terminal device receives a second indication information from a network device, the second indication information including slice priority information and / or slice selection weight, the second indication information being carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, dedicated RRC message, NAS message.

[0090] In one implementation, in this application embodiment, the slice priority information corresponds to at least one of the following: information of the serving cell, information of other cells, information of the PLMN, and information of the operator or provider; or, the slice selection weight corresponds to at least one of the following: information of the serving cell, information of other cells, PLMN, and information of the operator or provider.

[0091] In one implementation, according to an embodiment of this application, the terminal device selects a slice based on the deployment-related slice information, including:

[0092] The terminal device selects a slice based on the slice information related to the deployment, as well as slice priority information and / or slice selection weight from the network device.

[0093] In one implementation, in an embodiment of this application, when a network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment, the terminal device selects the preferred slice according to the slice priority information or slice selection weight from the network device.

[0094] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes: the terminal device reporting multiple required slices, so that the network device provides slice services to the terminal device based on load, slice priority information, or slice selection weight.

[0095] In one implementation, according to an embodiment of this application, the method further includes: the terminal device acquiring at least one of its own slice priority rules, slice selection weights, interests, and preferences.

[0096] For example, the slice priority rule may include the priorities of multiple slices that the terminal device can select. For instance, if slice A has the highest priority, slice B has the lowest priority, and slice C has a priority between slice A and slice B, then the terminal device will select slice A, which has the highest priority.

[0097] The slice selection weight can include the weights of multiple slices that the terminal device can choose from. For example, if slice A has a weight of 0.2, slice B has a weight of 0.5, and slice C has a weight of 0.3, then the terminal device will choose slice B, which has the highest weight.

[0098] Interests can include the varying degrees of demand from terminal devices for services corresponding to different slices when multiple slices are available.

[0099] The preference may include different priorities or weights for the terminal device in selecting services corresponding to different slices when multiple slices are available.

[0100] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes:

[0101] The terminal device receives a third indication message from the network device, which indicates whether the terminal device is allowed to select a slice according to at least one of its own slice priority rules, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences. The third indication message is carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, dedicated RRC message, and NAS message.

[0102] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes:

[0103] Based on the third instruction information, the terminal device determines whether it can select a slice according to at least one of its slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences.

[0104] If the third instruction indicates that the terminal device can select a slice according to its own rules, then the terminal device can use its own rules to select a slice if its own rules conflict with the network side's rules.

[0105] In one implementation, in this embodiment of the application, at least one of the terminal device's own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences is obtained by the terminal device's access layer from its non-access layer, or determined by the access layer. For example, the terminal device's access layer (AS) receives its own slice priority rules from its own non-access layer (NAS). As another example, the terminal device's access layer (AS) determines its own slice selection weight.

[0106] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes:

[0107] The terminal device selects a slice based on at least one of the following: slice information related to the deployment, slice priority information and / or slice selection weight from the network device, and slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences of the terminal device itself.

[0108] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes:

[0109] If the terminal device determines, based on at least one of its own slice priority information, interests, and preferences, that the slice priority information from the network device is different from its own slice priority information, then the terminal device selects the preferred slice according to its own slice priority information.

[0110] For example, if slice A has the highest priority based on slice priority information from the network device, but slice C has the highest priority based on its own slice priority information, then the terminal device can choose slice C.

[0111] In one embodiment of this application, the method further includes:

[0112] If the terminal device determines, based on at least one of its slice priority information, interests, and preferences, that the slice selection weight from the network device is different from its own slice selection weight, then the terminal device selects the preferred slice according to its own slice selection weight.

[0113] For example, if slice A has the highest selection weight based on the slice selection weight from the network device, but slice B has the highest selection weight based on its own slice priority information, then the terminal device can choose slice B.

[0114] In one implementation, in an embodiment of this application, when a network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment, the terminal device selects the preferred slice according to at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences.

[0115] In one implementation, according to this application embodiment, the terminal device determines whether multiple slices are supported under the same deployment based on the slice information related to the deployment. If supported, the terminal device can select a preferred slice according to the slice priority information or slice selection weight from the network device, or it can select a preferred slice according to at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences.

[0116] Example 1

[0117] The UE receives deployment-related slice information from the network. The UE further receives slice priority information, or selection weights for different slices, from the network. Based on the deployment-related slice information and / or slice priority information, the UE selects a slice. Then, it performs at least one of the following: camping, reporting the requested slice, cell selection, cell reselection, or establishing a PDU session. Furthermore, when the UE reports multiple slice requests, the network provides slice services to the UE based on factors such as load, slice priority information, and slice selection weights.

[0118] The specific process for this example is as follows:

[0119] S1: The UE receives deployment-related slice information indicated by the network. For example, the UE receives deployment-related slice information broadcast by the serving cell.

[0120] For example, deployment-related slice information may include at least one of the following:

[0121] (1) Slice identifier, for example, slice identifier includes at least one of: NSSAI, S-NSSAI, NSID;

[0122] (2) The correspondence between business segments and slices;

[0123] (3) The correspondence between frequency bands and slices;

[0124] (4) The correspondence between applications and slices.

[0125] (5) The correspondence between operator / service provider identifiers (such as PLMN, CAG (Closed Access Group) identifiers) and slices;

[0126] (6) Correspondence between frequency points and slices;

[0127] (7) The correspondence between location (e.g., geographical area) and slice;

[0128] (8) The deployment range of the slice, the deployment radius of the slice, the coverage range of the slice, or the coverage radius of the slice;

[0129] (9) The correspondence between coverage (such as the coverage range of a slice, the coverage radius of a slice) and slices;

[0130] (10) Cell group or tracking area (TA) corresponding to the same slice;

[0131] (11) Slices supported by this cell and slices supported by neighboring cells.

[0132] The above (7) to (9) can be referred to as slice deployment location information.

[0133] The deployment-related slice information mentioned above may include slices supported by the serving cell, or slices supported by other cells.

[0134] The deployment-related slice information mentioned above can be indicated through broadcasts, dedicated RRC messages, or NAS messages. An example of a dedicated RRC message is an RRC release message. An example of a NAS message is a registration message.

[0135] S2: The UE receives slice priority information and / or slice selection weights from the network. This step is optional. Slice priority information can also be called slice priority rules.

[0136] The priority information or selection weight can correspond to at least one of the following: information about the serving cell, information about other cells, information about the PLMN, and information about the operator or provider.

[0137] S3: The UE selects a slice based on deployment-related slice information and / or slice priority (selection weight of different slices). Then, it performs at least one of the following: reporting the slice to be camped or requested, cell selection, cell reselection, or establishing a PDU session.

[0138] For example:

[0139] (1) The UE selects the slice that can be accessed based on its current location and slice deployment location information (such as the correspondence between location and slice), and requests or establishes a PDU session corresponding to the slice. Alternatively, it can report the required slice.

[0140] (2) Based on the current location and slice deployment location information (such as the correspondence between location and slice), the UE determines whether it can select the cell (e.g., whether to select the cell as the cell to camp on or a suitable cell) based on the required slice.

[0141] (3) The UE determines which frequency point or frequency band corresponds to the cell based on the required slice, the correspondence between frequency point and slice, or the correspondence between frequency band and slice.

[0142] (4) The UE selects the corresponding slice based on the required services and the correspondence between services and slices, and reports or selects the cell to camp on, or establishes a PDU session.

[0143] (5) The UE selects the corresponding slice based on the application requirements, the correspondence between the application and the slice, and reports or selects the cell to camp on, or establishes a PDU session.

[0144] (6) The UE determines whether to select the cell and whether to perform cell reselection based on the required slice, the slice supported by the current cell, and the slice supported by neighboring cells.

[0145] (7) The UE determines the PLMN to be selected based on the required slice, the operator / service provider identifier (such as PLMN, CAG identifier) ​​and the correspondence between the slice. Alternatively, the UE further determines whether to select the cell or whether to perform cell reselection.

[0146] (8) The UE determines which frequency point or which frequency band corresponds to the cell based on the correspondence between frequency point and slice, or the correspondence between frequency band and slice.

[0147] Furthermore, in addition to any of the above, if there are multiple slices supported by the network under the same deployment, the UE can select the preferred slice according to the slice priority information or the selection weight of different slices.

[0148] S4: If a UE reports multiple slice requests, the network will provide slice services to the UE based on at least one of the following factors: load, slice priority information, and slice selection weight. Correspondingly, a PDU session will be established for the selected slice.

[0149] like Figure 3 As shown, an example of dwelling based on slice selection results is as follows:

[0150] UE A1 and UE B1 reside in frequency band F1, which provides slice M for UE A1 and UE B1.

[0151] UE A2 resides in frequency band F1, but UE A2 requires slice N. At this moment, UE A2 is only provided with limited services.

[0152] UE B2 resides in frequency band F2, which provides UE B2 with slice N.

[0153] UE A3 resides in frequency band F1, and frequency band F1 provides UE A3 with slice M.

[0154] UE B3 is located in frequency bands F1 and F2. Since UE B3 prefers slice M, UE B3 resides in frequency band F1, and frequency band F1 provides slice M for UE B3.

[0155] UE B4 is located in frequency bands F1 and F2. Since UE B4 prefers slice N, UE B4 resides in frequency band F2, and frequency band F2 provides slice N for UE B4.

[0156] In this embodiment, the UE can select a slice based on the deployed slice information, report the required slice, or camp (such as performing cell selection / reselection), thereby enabling the UE to select a suitable slice for access.

[0157] Example 2

[0158] The UE receives deployment-related slice information from the network. The UE further receives slice priority information, or selection weights for different slices, from the network. Based on the deployment-related slice information and / or slice priority information, the UE selects a slice. Then, it performs at least one of the following: camping, reporting of required slices, cell selection, cell reselection, and establishing a PDU session. Furthermore, if more than one slice is supported under the same distribution, the UE further selects a slice based on its own slice priority information, slice selection weights, or interests or preferences, and performs at least one of the following: camping, reporting of required slices, cell selection, cell reselection, and establishing a PDU session. Correspondingly, the UE receives network indication information indicating whether the UE is allowed to follow its own slice priority information, interests, or preferences.

[0159] The specific process for this example is as follows:

[0160] S1: The UE receives deployment-related slice information indicated by the network. For example, the UE receives deployment-related slice information broadcast by the serving cell. Specifically:

[0161] For example, deployment-related slice information may include at least one of the following:

[0162] (1) Slice identifier, for example, slice identifier includes at least one of: NSSAI, S-NSSAI, NSID;

[0163] (2) The correspondence between business segments and slices;

[0164] (3) The correspondence between frequency bands and slices;

[0165] (4) The correspondence between applications and slices.

[0166] (5) The correspondence between operator / service provider identifiers (such as PLMN, CAG identifiers) and slices;

[0167] (6) Correspondence between frequency points and slices;

[0168] (7) The correspondence between location (e.g., geographical area) and slice;

[0169] (8) The deployment range of the slice, the deployment radius of the slice, the coverage range of the slice, or the coverage radius of the slice;

[0170] (9) The correspondence between coverage (such as the coverage range of a slice, the coverage radius of a slice) and slices;

[0171] (10) Cell group or tracking area (TA) corresponding to the same slice;

[0172] (11) Slices supported by this cell and slices supported by neighboring cells.

[0173] The above (7) to (9) can be referred to as slice deployment location information.

[0174] The deployment-related slice information mentioned above may include slices supported by the serving cell, or slices supported by other cells.

[0175] The deployment-related slice information mentioned above can be indicated through broadcasts, dedicated RRC messages, or NAS messages. An example of a dedicated RRC message is an RRC release message. An example of a NAS message is a registration message.

[0176] S2: The UE receives slice priority information and / or slice selection weights from the network, such as the gNB. This step is optional.

[0177] The priority information or selection weight can correspond to at least one of the following: information about the serving cell, information about other cells, information about the PLMN, and information about the operator or provider.

[0178] S3: The UE selects a slice based on its own slice priority information, interests, or preferences, and then either camps on the slice or reports the required slice. This includes the following examples:

[0179] (1) The UE's own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, or preferences can be provided by the UE NAS to the UE AS, or determined by the UE AS, such as... Figure 4As shown.

[0180] (2) Supports more than one slice under the same deployment. The UE selects a slice based on its own slice priority information, interests or preferences, and then performs at least one of the following: camping, reporting the required slice, cell selection, cell reselection, and establishing a PDU session.

[0181] (3) The UE determines whether more than one slice is supported under the same deployment based on the deployment-related slice information in S1.

[0182] (4) The UE determines, based on the network indication information, whether it can select a slice according to its own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, or preferences. For example, the UE receives network indication information, which indicates whether the UE is allowed to select a slice according to its own slice priority information, interests, or preferences. This indication information may be provided through broadcast, dedicatedRRC (such as RRCrelease), or NAS messages (such as Registration messages).

[0183] (5) Supports more than one slice under the same deployment. The UE selects a slice based on its own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests or preferences, and then performs at least one of the following: camping, reporting the required slice, cell selection, cell reselection, and establishing a PDU session. For example, for slices 1 and 2, the UE's selection weights are 3 and 7, and the UE selects slice 2 according to its own rules.

[0184] (6) If the network indicates the priority information of the slice, and the UE also has its own slice priority information. And according to the UE's own slice priority information, interests or preferences, its own slice priority information is different from that indicated by the network. For example, for slice 1 and slice 2, the network indicates that the priority of 1 is higher than that of 2, but the UE's own priority is that slice 2 is higher than slice 1, and the UE selects slice 2 according to its own rules.

[0185] (7) If the network indicates different slice selection weights, and the UE also has its own different slice selection weights, and the UE's own slice selection weights are different from those indicated by the network based on its own slice priority information, interests or preferences. For example, for slice 1 and slice 2, the network indicates selection weights of 5 and 2, and the UE's own selection weights are 3 and 7. The UE selects slice 2 according to its own rules.

[0186] In this embodiment, the UE can select a slice or camp on a site based on its own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests or preferences, which improves the flexibility of slice selection, gives the UE more autonomy, and also objectively realizes the randomization of slice selection or access.

[0187] Figure 5 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 400 according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 400 may include:

[0188] The receiving unit 410 is used to receive deployment-related slice information;

[0189] Selection unit 420 is used to select a slice based on the slice information related to the deployment.

[0190] In one implementation, as described in the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 6 As shown, the terminal device also includes:

[0191] Processing unit 430 is used to perform at least one of the following based on the selected slice: reporting the required slice, camping, cell selection, cell reselection, and establishing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session.

[0192] In one embodiment, according to this application, the receiving unit 410 is further configured to receive first indication information from a network device, the first indication information including deployment-related slice information, the first indication information being carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, dedicated radio resource control (RRC) message, and non-access stratum (NAS) message.

[0193] In one implementation, according to this application embodiment, the deployment-related slice information includes at least one of the following:

[0194] Slice label;

[0195] The correspondence between business functions and business slices;

[0196] The correspondence between frequency bands and video slices;

[0197] The correspondence between applications and slices;

[0198] The correspondence between operator or service provider identifiers and video slices;

[0199] The correspondence between frequency points and slices;

[0200] Slice deployment location information;

[0201] The cell group or tracking area TA corresponding to the same slice

[0202] The slices supported by this cell;

[0203] Slices supported by neighboring cells.

[0204] In one embodiment of this application, the slice identifier includes at least one of Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI), Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI), and Network Slice Identifier (NSID).

[0205] In one implementation, according to this application embodiment, the slice deployment location information includes at least one of the following:

[0206] The correspondence between location and slice;

[0207] The correspondence between overlay and slice;

[0208] The deployment scope or coverage area of ​​the slice;

[0209] The deployment radius or coverage radius of the slice.

[0210] In one implementation, according to an embodiment of this application, the selection unit is used to perform at least one of the following:

[0211] Based on the current location and slice deployment location information, select the slice that can be accessed, determine whether the first cell can be selected as the stationing cell or a suitable cell, and determine whether to perform cell reselection, at least one of the following:

[0212] Based on the current location, slice deployment location information, and required slices, determine at least one of the following: whether the first cell can be selected as the stationing cell or a suitable cell, and whether cell reselection should be performed.

[0213] Based on the required slices and the correspondence between frequency points and slices, determine at least one of the following: which frequency point to select for camping or which cell corresponding to which frequency point to select; whether the first cell can be selected as the camping cell or a suitable cell; and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0214] Based on the required slices and the correspondence between frequency bands and slices, determine at least one of the following: which frequency band to select for camping or which cell corresponding to which frequency band to select; whether the first cell can be selected as the camping cell or a suitable cell; and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0215] Based on the required business and the correspondence between the business and the slice, select the slice corresponding to the required business, determine whether the first cell can be selected as the stationing cell or a suitable cell, and determine at least one of the following: whether to perform cell reselection.

[0216] Based on the application requirements and the correspondence between the application and the slice, select the slice corresponding to the application requirements, determine whether the first cell can be selected as the cell to be camped or a suitable cell, and determine at least one of the following: whether to perform cell reselection.

[0217] Based on the required slice, the slices supported by this cell, and the slices supported by neighboring cells, determine at least one of the following: whether to select the first cell as the cell to be stationed or a suitable cell, and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0218] Based on the required slices and the correspondence between the operator or service provider identifier and the slices, determine at least one of the following: the public land mobile network (PLMN) to be selected, whether to select the first cell as the cell to be camped or a suitable cell, and whether to perform cell reselection.

[0219] In one embodiment, according to this application, the receiving unit 410 is further configured to receive slice priority information and / or slice selection weight.

[0220] In one embodiment, according to this application, the receiving unit 410 is further configured to receive second indication information from a network device, the second indication information including slice priority information and / or slice selection weight, the second indication information being carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, dedicated RRC message, NAS message.

[0221] In one implementation, in this application embodiment, the slice priority information corresponds to at least one of the following: information of the serving cell, information of other cells, information of the PLMN, and information of the operator or provider; or, the slice selection weight corresponds to at least one of the following: information of the serving cell, information of other cells, PLMN, and information of the operator or provider.

[0222] In one implementation, according to this application embodiment, the selection unit is further configured to select a slice based on the slice information related to the deployment, as well as slice priority information and / or slice selection weight from the network device.

[0223] In one implementation, in an embodiment of this application, when a network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment, the selection unit 420 is further configured to select a preferred slice according to slice priority information or slice selection weight from the network device.

[0224] In one implementation, the processing unit is further configured to report multiple required slices, so that the network device can provide slice services to the terminal device based on load, slice priority information, or slice selection weight.

[0225] In one embodiment of this application, the terminal device further includes:

[0226] The acquisition unit 440 is used to acquire at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences.

[0227] In one embodiment, the receiving unit 410 is further configured to receive third indication information from a network device. The third indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device allows the selection of a slice according to at least one of its slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences. The third indication information is carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, dedicated RRC message, and NAS message.

[0228] In one implementation, according to the embodiments of this application, the selection unit is further configured to determine whether it can select a slice based on at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interest, and preference, according to the third indication information.

[0229] In one implementation, in the embodiments of this application, at least one of the terminal device’s own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests and preferences is obtained by the terminal device’s access layer from the terminal device’s non-access layer, or determined by the access layer.

[0230] In one implementation, the selection unit is further configured to select a slice based on at least one of the deployment-related slice information, slice priority information and / or slice selection weight from the network device, and the terminal device's own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interests, and preferences.

[0231] In one embodiment of this application, the selection unit is further configured to select a preferred slice according to the slice priority information of the terminal device if it is determined that the slice priority information from the network device is different from the slice priority information of the terminal device itself based on at least one of the slice priority information, interests, and preferences of the terminal device.

[0232] In one embodiment of this application, the selection unit is further configured to select a preferred slice according to the slice selection weight of the terminal device if it is determined that the slice selection weight from the network device is different from the slice selection weight of the terminal device itself based on at least one of the slice priority information, interests, and preferences of the terminal device.

[0233] In one implementation, in this embodiment of the application, the selection unit is further configured to select a preferred slice according to at least one of the following when the network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment: slice priority information of the terminal device, slice selection weight, interest, and preference.

[0234] In one implementation, according to an embodiment of this application, the processing unit is further configured to determine whether multiple slices are supported under the same deployment based on the slice information related to the deployment.

[0235] The terminal device 400 of this application embodiment can realize the corresponding functions of the terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments. The processes, functions, implementation methods, and beneficial effects of each module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.) in the terminal device 400 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0236] It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (sub-modules, units, or components, etc.) of the terminal device 400 in the application embodiment can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units, or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.).

[0237] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 600 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 600 includes a processor 610, which can call and run computer programs from memory to enable the communication device 600 to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0238] In one implementation, such as Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 600 may further include a memory 620. The processor 610 can retrieve and run computer programs from the memory 620 to enable the communication device 600 to implement the methods described in the embodiments of this application.

[0239] The memory 620 can be a separate device independent of the processor 610, or it can be integrated into the processor 610.

[0240] In one implementation, such as Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 600 may also include a transceiver 630, and the processor 610 may control the transceiver 630 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, it may send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0241] The transceiver 630 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 630 may further include antennas, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0242] In one embodiment, the communication device 600 may be a network device in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 600 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0243] In one embodiment, the communication device 600 may be a terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 600 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0244] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 700 according to an embodiment of this application. The chip 700 includes a processor 710, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0245] In one implementation, such as Figure 8 As shown, chip 700 may further include memory 720. Processor 710 can retrieve and run computer programs from memory 720 to implement the methods executed by the terminal device or network device in this embodiment.

[0246] The memory 720 can be a separate device independent of the processor 710, or it can be integrated into the processor 710.

[0247] In one embodiment, the chip 700 may further include an input interface 730. The processor 710 can control the input interface 730 to communicate with other devices or chips; specifically, it can acquire information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0248] In one embodiment, the chip 700 may further include an output interface 740. The processor 710 can control the output interface 740 to communicate with other devices or chips; specifically, it can output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0249] In one implementation, the chip can be applied to the network device in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0250] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0251] The chips used in network equipment and terminal equipment can be the same chip or different chips.

[0252] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0253] The processors mentioned above can be general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. Among them, the general-purpose processors mentioned above can be microprocessors or any conventional processor.

[0254] The aforementioned memory can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or a combination of both. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM).

[0255] It should be understood that the above-described memory is exemplary and not a limiting description. For example, the memory in the embodiments of this application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DR RAM), etc. That is to say, the memory in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0256] Figure 9 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 800 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication system 800 includes a terminal device 810 and a network device 820.

[0257] Terminal device 810 is used to receive deployment-related slice information and select slices based on the deployment-related slice information.

[0258] In one implementation, network device 820 is used to send deployment-related slice information to terminal devices.

[0259] In one implementation, network device 820 is also used to send slice priority information and / or slice selection weight to terminal devices.

[0260] In one implementation, network device 820 is also used to provide slicing services to terminal device 810 based on factors such as load, slice priority information, and slice selection weight.

[0261] Specifically, the terminal device 810 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the terminal device in the above method, and the network device 820 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the network device in the above method. For the sake of brevity, further details are omitted here.

[0262] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state drives (SSDs)).

[0263] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0264] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0265] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of slice selection, comprising: receiving, by a terminal device, deployment-related slice information from a core network device, wherein the deployment-related slice information comprises slice identification; selecting, by the terminal device, a slice based on the deployment-related slice information; performing, by the terminal device, cell reselection based on the selected slice; wherein the receiving, by the terminal device, deployment-related slice information from a core network device, comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, first indication information from the core network device, wherein the first indication information comprises deployment-related slice information, and wherein the first indication information is carried by a non-access stratum (NAS) message; wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, slice priority information corresponding to information of an operator or a provider, and wherein the selecting, by the terminal device, a slice based on the deployment-related slice information, comprises selecting a slice based on the deployment-related slice information and the slice priority information from a network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: performing, by the terminal device, at least one of reporting a required slice, camping, cell selection, and establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session based on the selected slice.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first indication information is further carried by at least one of broadcasting and a dedicated radio resource control (RRC) message.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The deployment-related slice information further comprises at least one of: a correspondence between a service and a slice; a correspondence between a frequency band and a slice; a correspondence between an application and a slice; a correspondence between an operator or a provider identification and a slice; a correspondence between a frequency point and a slice; slice deployment location information; a cell group or a tracking area (TA) corresponding to a slice; a slice supported by a current cell; a slice supported by a neighboring cell.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The slice identification comprises at least one of network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), and network slice identification (NSID).

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, The slice deployment location information comprises at least one of: a correspondence between a location and a slice; a correspondence between coverage and a slice; a deployment range or a coverage range of a slice; a deployment radius or a coverage radius of a slice.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, slice selection weights.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The receiving, by the terminal device, slice priority information, comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, second indication information from a network device, wherein the second indication information comprises slice priority information, and wherein the second indication information is carried by at least one of broadcasting, a dedicated RRC message, and a NAS message. 9.The method of claim 7, wherein: The receiving, by the terminal device, slice selection weights, comprises: receiving, by the terminal device, second indication information from a network device, wherein the second indication information comprises slice selection weights, and wherein the second indication information is carried by at least one of broadcasting, a dedicated RRC message, and a NAS message.

10. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The slice priority information further corresponds to at least one of information of a serving cell, information of another cell, and information of a public land mobile network (PLMN).

11. The method of claim 7, wherein, The slice selection weights correspond to at least one of information of a serving cell, information of another cell, information of a PLMN, and information of an operator or a provider.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein, The terminal device selects a slice based on the deployment-related slice information, and the method further comprises: The terminal device selects a slice based on the deployment-related slice information and slice selection weights from a network device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein, In a case where the network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment, the terminal device selects a slice with priority according to slice priority information or slice selection weights from the network device.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: The terminal device reports multiple required slices to the network device, so that the network device provides slice services for the terminal device based on load, slice priority information or slice selection weights.

15. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method further comprises: The terminal device acquires at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weights, interests and inclinations.

16. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method further comprises: The terminal device receives third indication information from the network device, the third indication information being used to indicate whether the terminal device is allowed to select a slice according to at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weights, interests and inclinations, and the third indication information being carried through at least one of the following: broadcast, dedicated RRC message and NAS message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The method further comprises: The terminal device determines whether it can select a slice according to at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weights, interests and inclinations according to the third indication information.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein, At least one of the terminal device's own slice priority information, slice selection weights, interests and inclinations is acquired by an access layer of the terminal device from a non-access layer of the terminal device or determined by the access layer.

19. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising: The terminal device selects a slice based on the deployment-related slice information, slice priority information and / or slice selection weights from a network device, and at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weights, interests and inclinations.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein, The method further comprises: If the terminal device determines that the slice priority information from the network device is different from the terminal device's own slice priority information according to at least one of its own slice priority information, interests and inclinations, the terminal device selects a slice with priority according to its own slice priority information.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein, The method further comprises: If the terminal device determines that the slice selection weights from the network device are different from the terminal device's own slice selection weights according to at least one of its own slice priority information, interests and inclinations, the terminal device selects a slice with priority according to its own slice selection weights.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein, In a case where the network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment, the terminal device selects a slice with priority according to at least one of its own slice priority information, slice selection weights, interests and inclinations.

23. The method of claim 13 or 22, wherein, The terminal device determines whether multiple slices are supported under the same deployment based on the deployment-related slice information.

24. A terminal device, comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive deployment-related slice information from a core network device, wherein the deployment-related slice information comprises slice identification; The selecting unit is configured to select a slice based on the deployment-related slice information. The terminal device further comprises: The processing unit is configured to perform cell reselection based on the selected slice. The receiving unit is further configured to receive, from the core network device, first indication information from a network device, wherein the first indication information comprises the deployment-related slice information, and the first indication information is carried by a non-access stratum (NAS) message. The receiving unit is further configured to receive slice priority information corresponding to information of an operator or a provider, and the selecting unit is further configured to select a slice based on the deployment-related slice information and the slice priority information from the network device.

25. The terminal device of claim 24, wherein, The processing unit is further configured to: perform at least one of reporting, camping, cell selection, and establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session of a required slice based on the selected slice.

26. The terminal device of claim 24 or 25, wherein, The first indication information is carried by at least one of the following: broadcast or a dedicated radio resource control (RRC) message.

27. The terminal device of claim 24 or 25, wherein, The deployment-related slice information further comprises at least one of the following: a correspondence between a service and a slice; a correspondence between a frequency band and a slice; a correspondence between an application and a slice; a correspondence between an operator or a provider identifier and a slice; a correspondence between a frequency point and a slice; slice deployment location information; a cell group or a tracking area (TA) corresponding to a slice; a slice supported by a current cell; a slice supported by a neighboring cell.

28. The terminal device of claim 27, wherein, The slice identifier comprises at least one of the following: network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), and network slice identifier (NSID).

29. The terminal device of claim 27, wherein, The slice deployment location information comprises at least one of the following: a correspondence between a location and a slice; a correspondence between coverage and a slice; a deployment range or a coverage range of a slice; a deployment radius or a coverage radius of a slice.

30. The terminal device of claim 24 or 25, wherein, The receiving unit is further configured to receive slice selection weights.

31. The terminal device of claim 24 or 25, wherein, The receiving unit is further configured to receive, from the network device, second indication information comprising slice priority information, wherein the second indication information is carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, a dedicated RRC message, or a NAS message.

32. The terminal device of claim 30, wherein, The receiving unit is further configured to receive, from the network device, second indication information comprising slice selection weights, wherein the second indication information is carried by at least one of the following: broadcast, a dedicated RRC message, or a NAS message.

33. The terminal device of claim 24 or 25, wherein, The slice priority information further corresponds to at least one of the following: information of a serving cell, information of another cell, or information of a public land mobile network (PLMN).

34. The terminal device of claim 30, wherein, The slice selection weights correspond to at least one of the following: information of a serving cell, information of another cell, information of a PLMN, or information of an operator or a provider.

35. The terminal device of claim 30, wherein, The selecting unit is further configured to select a slice based on the deployment-related slice information and the slice selection weights from the network device.

36. The terminal device of claim 30, wherein, In a case where a network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment, the selecting unit is further configured to select a slice with priority according to slice priority information or slice selection weights from the network device.

37. The terminal device of claim 30, wherein, The processing unit is further configured to report multiple required slices, so that the network device provides slice services for the terminal device based on load, slice priority information, or slice selection weight.

38. The terminal device of claim 24 or 25, wherein, The terminal device further includes: An obtaining unit, configured to obtain at least one of own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interest, and inclination.

39. The terminal device of claim 24 or 25, wherein, The receiving unit is further configured to receive third indication information from the network device, the third indication information being used to indicate whether the terminal device is allowed to select a slice according to at least one of own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interest, and inclination, and the third indication information being carried through at least one of the following: broadcast, a dedicated RRC message, and a NAS message.

40. The terminal device of claim 39, wherein, The selecting unit is further configured to determine, according to the third indication information, whether a slice can be selected according to at least one of own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interest, and inclination.

41. The terminal device of claim 38, wherein, The at least one of own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interest, and inclination of the terminal device is obtained by an access layer of the terminal device from a non-access layer of the terminal device, or determined by the access layer.

42. The terminal device of claim 38, wherein the selecting unit is further configured to select a slice based on the deployment-related slice information, slice priority information and / or slice selection weight from the network device, and at least one of own slice priority information, slice selection weight, interest, and inclination of the terminal device.

43. The terminal device of claim 38, wherein, The selecting unit is further configured to select a slice with priority according to slice priority information of the terminal device, if it is determined according to at least one of slice priority information, interest, and inclination of the terminal device that slice priority information from the network device is different from own slice priority information of the terminal device.

44. The terminal device of claim 38, wherein, The selecting unit is further configured to select a slice with priority according to slice selection weight of the terminal device, if it is determined according to at least one of slice priority information, interest, and inclination of the terminal device that slice selection weight from the network device is different from own slice selection weight of the terminal device.

45. The terminal device of claim 38, wherein, The selecting unit is further configured to select a slice with priority according to at least one of slice priority information, slice selection weight, interest, and inclination of the terminal device, in a case where the network device supports multiple slices under the same deployment.

46. The terminal device of claim 36 or 45, wherein, The processing unit is further configured to determine whether multiple slices are supported under the same deployment based on the deployment-related slice information.

47. A terminal device comprising: A processor and a memory, the memory being configured to store a computer program, and the processor being configured to invoke and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the terminal device performs the method of any of claims 1 to 23.

48. A chip comprising: A processor, configured to invoke and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device in which the chip is installed performs the method of any of claims 1 to 23.

49. A computer-readable storage medium, configured to store a computer program, which, when run by a device, causes the device to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 23.

50. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions adapted to cause a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 23.

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