Network switching processing method and apparatus, computer readable medium, and electronic device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a network switching processing method and device, a computer readable medium and an electronic device. The network switching processing method comprises: receiving service flow characteristic information provided by an application side, the service flow characteristic information being used to indicate characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and a user equipment; generating a switching policy to be followed when switching of an access network entity to which the user equipment is connected occurs, based on the service flow characteristic information; and sending the switching policy to a session management function entity, so that the session management function entity configures the switching policy to other network entities. The technical solution of the embodiments of the present application can ensure that the switching policy matches the actual service flow characteristic information, and avoid generating a large switching cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the fields of computer and communication technology, and more specifically, to a network switching processing method, apparatus, computer-readable medium, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] 5G systems have two network deployment modes: NSA (Non-Standalone) and SA (Standalone). Both modes introduce handover mechanisms, such as when a user equipment (UE) switches between connected access network devices (e.g., base stations). To ensure handover performance, various handover mechanisms have been introduced, but all suffer from excessive costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of this application provide a network handover processing method, apparatus, computer-readable medium, and electronic device, which can at least to some extent ensure that the handover strategy matches the actual service flow characteristic information and avoid generating large handover costs.

[0004] Other features and advantages of this application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this application.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a network handover processing method, comprising: receiving service flow characteristic information provided by an application side, the service flow characteristic information being used to indicate the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment; generating a handover strategy to be followed when a handover occurs in the access network entity connected to the user equipment; and sending the handover strategy to a session management function entity so that the session management function entity configures the handover strategy to other network entities.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a network handover processing method, comprising: receiving a handover policy sent by a policy control function entity, wherein the handover policy represents a policy to be followed when a handover occurs in an access network entity connected to a user equipment, the handover policy being generated by the policy control function entity after receiving service flow characteristic information provided by an application side, the service flow characteristic information being used to indicate the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment; configuring the handover policy to other network entities, so that the other network entities perform a handover operation based on the handover policy when a handover occurs in the access network entity.

[0007] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a network handover processing apparatus, comprising: a first receiving unit configured to receive service flow characteristic information provided by an application side, the service flow characteristic information being used to indicate the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment; a generating unit configured to generate a handover strategy to be followed when a handover occurs in the access network entity connected to the user equipment, based on the service flow characteristic information; and a sending unit configured to send the handover strategy to a session management function entity, so that the session management function entity configures the handover strategy to other network entities.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first receiving unit is configured to: receive service flow feature information forwarded by the Network Open Functions Entity from the application side; or receive service flow feature information directly sent by the application side.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the switching strategy includes at least one of the following:

[0010] Does data forwarding processing need to be performed during switching?

[0011] The tolerable handover latency during handover;

[0012] The context transfer requirements between the source and destination ends during switching include full configuration, partial configuration, or incremental configuration.

[0013] During handover, should the user device implement a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting, or disconnecting first and then connecting?

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the service flow feature information includes at least one of the following: the transmission interval of the service data packet, the packet size of the service data packet, and the importance of the service data packet.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the service flow feature information includes the transmission interval of service data packets; the generation unit is configured to generate a handover strategy that includes the handover delay that can be tolerated during handover, according to the transmission interval of the service data packets.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the tolerable handover delay during the handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of the service data packets.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the service flow feature information includes at least the importance of the service data packet; the generation unit is configured to generate a switching strategy that includes at least whether data forwarding processing is required during switching, based on the importance of the service data packet.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the handover strategy includes whether the user equipment executes a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting or a strategy of disconnecting first and then connecting during handover; before generating the handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity connected to the user equipment undergoes handover, the generation unit obtains the network connectivity information of the user equipment, the network connectivity information being used to indicate the number of access network entities that the user equipment can connect to simultaneously.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the generation unit is configured to: obtain the handover policies configured in the other network entities; and generate a handover policy to be followed when the access network entity undergoes a handover, based on the service flow feature information and the handover policies configured in the other network entities.

[0020] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a network handover processing apparatus, comprising: a second receiving unit configured to receive a handover policy sent by a policy control function entity, wherein the handover policy represents the policy to be followed when a handover occurs in the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected, and the handover policy is generated by the policy control function entity after receiving service flow characteristic information provided by the application side, wherein the service flow characteristic information is used to indicate the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment; and a processing unit configured to configure the handover policy to other network entities, so that the other network entities perform a handover operation based on the handover policy when the access network entity undergoes a handover.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the processing unit is configured to: configure the handover policy to the access and mobility management function entity and the user equipment, so as to instruct the access and mobility management function entity to update the handover policy for the user equipment and the service data packet based on the handover policy, and to instruct the access and mobility management function entity to configure the handover policy to the connected access network entity.

[0022] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the network switching processing method as described in the above embodiments.

[0023] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including: one or more processors; and a storage device for storing one or more programs, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to implement the network switching processing method as described in the above embodiments.

[0024] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product or computer program that includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the network handover processing methods provided in the various optional embodiments described above.

[0025] In some embodiments of this application, the policy control function entity receives service flow characteristic information provided by the application side, generates a handover policy to be followed when the access network entity connected to the user equipment undergoes a handover based on the service flow characteristic information, and then sends the handover policy to the session management function entity so that the session management function entity can configure the handover policy to other network entities. This allows the handover policy to be flexibly adjusted according to the service flow characteristic information when the access network entity undergoes a handover, thereby ensuring that the handover policy matches the actual service flow characteristic information and avoiding large handover costs.

[0026] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates one networking mode of a 5G system.

[0029] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates one networking mode of a 5G system.

[0030] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a network handover process in a 5G system.

[0031] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a network handover process in a 5G system.

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a network handover process is shown;

[0033] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the data packet transmission interval and the interruption time caused by switching is shown;

[0034] Figure 7 A flowchart of a network handover processing method according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0035] Figure 8 A flowchart of a network handover processing method according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0036] Figure 9 A flowchart of a network handover processing method according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0037] Figure 10 A block diagram of a network switching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0038] Figure 11 A block diagram of a network switching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0039] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system suitable for implementing the electronic device of the present application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in a more comprehensive manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to these examples; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0041] Furthermore, the features, structures, or characteristics described in this application can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that when implementing the technical solutions of this application, not all the detailed features in the embodiments may be used, one or more specific details may be omitted, or other methods, elements, devices, steps, etc., may be employed.

[0042] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0043] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative and do not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor do they necessarily have to be performed in the described order. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, while others can be combined or partially combined; therefore, the actual execution order may change depending on the specific circumstances.

[0044] It should be noted that "multiple" in this article refers to 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. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0045] Such as proposed in 5G systems Figure 1 and Figure 2 The two networking modes shown are: Figure 1 The network configuration shown is NSA, or Non-Standalone. The dashed lines represent the control plane, which is the channel used to send signaling required for management and resource scheduling; the solid lines represent the user plane, which is the channel used to send actual data. NSA uses a dual-connectivity approach, with the 5G NR (New Radio) control plane anchored to 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) and requiring the use of the 4G core network EPC (Evolved Packet Core).

[0046] Figure 2 The network mode shown is SA, which stands for standalone. 5G NR directly accesses the 5G core network (NR Core) and no longer depends on 4G. It is a complete and independent 5G network.

[0047] 5G systems also introduce a handover mechanism to facilitate the switching between access network devices connected to the UE. For Non-Standalone (NSA) mode, handover is more complex due to the interoperability between 5G and 4G at the access network level. This is because 5G NR is anchored to 4G LTE, and if the LTE anchor changes during NR-to-NR handover, multiple steps are required to complete the process. Specifically... Figure 3 As shown, when switching between NR and NR, the source subcarrier needs to be deleted first to release the source NR resources, and then the LTE-to-LTE handover needs to be performed. Then the target subcarrier needs to be added and the target NR resources need to be newly allocated. The whole process is quite cumbersome and has a large delay.

[0048] For standalone (SA) networking, such as Figure 4 As shown, NR to NR handover is independent of LTE handover, relatively simple, and has low latency.

[0049] Furthermore, to ensure handover performance, related technologies have proposed a handover mechanism based on a dual-connectivity architecture. This involves the access network equipment employing an MN (Master Node) and SN (Secondary Node) architecture. During MN handover, the SN can remain unchanged, thus ensuring that data can continue to be forwarded through the SN. The specific process is as follows: Figure 5As shown, it includes:

[0050] S501, the source MN sends a handover request to the target MN.

[0051] S502, the target MN sends an SN addition request to the SN.

[0052] S503, SN sends an SN addition request ACK message to the target MN.

[0053] S504, the target MN sends a handover request ACK message to the source MN.

[0054] S505, the source MN sends an SN release request to the SN.

[0055] S506, SN sends an SN release request ACK message to the source MN.

[0056] S507, the source MN sends an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection reconfiguration message to the UE.

[0057] S508, the UE initiates a random access procedure to the target MN.

[0058] S509, the RRC connection reconfiguration process between the UE and the target MN is complete.

[0059] S510, the UE initiates a random access procedure to the SN.

[0060] S511, the target MN sends a reconfiguration complete message to the SN (i.e., SN reconfiguration complete).

[0061] S512, the target MN sends a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session path switch request to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function).

[0062] S513, AMF modifies the UPF (User Plane Function) that carries the PDU session, i.e., the bearer modification process.

[0063] S514, AMF sends a PDU session pathswitch request ACK message to the target MN.

[0064] S515, the target MN sends a UE context release message to the source MN.

[0065] S516, the source MN initiates a UE release request to the SN.

[0066] exist Figure 5 The handover process shown requires configuring dual connectivity to ensure handover performance, which is costly. Other technical solutions, to guarantee handover performance, also propose using data caching and data forwarding mechanisms during handover to ensure data transmission without loss. The data forwarding mechanism involves the pre-handover base station forwarding cached data to the post-handover base station, thus ensuring no data loss.

[0067] With the development and popularization of real-time multimedia services and services such as XR (Extended Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality), the transmission rates required by real-time multimedia services and XR services are high, and the amount of buffering and data is large. Therefore, if caching and data forwarding mechanisms are used indiscriminately for these services, the real-time, lossless and out-of-order transmission will lead to excessive network resource costs.

[0068] However, since there is a transmission interval during the transmission of data packets, as long as the handover occurs within the transmission time and the handover delay does not exceed the transmission interval, the handover performance will not be affected. In this case, pursuing excessively low handover delay does not help improve the user experience at the application layer, but it wastes network resources.

[0069] Specifically, as Figure 6 shown, the transmission interval (i.e., arrival interval) of data packets is T1, and the interruption time caused by handover is T2. As long as the handover occurs within the transmission interval of data packets and T2 < T1, it does not affect the characteristics of the service side. Therefore, in order to optimize and reduce the handover interruption delay to a cost smaller than T2 is not worthwhile, as these handover mechanisms all occupy additional resources and the cost is too high.

[0070] Based on this, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application proposes a new network handover processing scheme, which can flexibly adjust the handover strategy that the access network entity needs to follow when a handover occurs according to the service flow characteristic information, and then can ensure that the handover strategy matches the actual service flow characteristic information, avoiding a large handover cost.

[0071] The implementation details of the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application are elaborated in detail as follows:

[0072] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of a network handover processing method according to an embodiment of the present application. This network handover processing method can be executed by a policy control function entity. Referring to Figure 7 shown, this network handover processing method at least includes S710 to S730, which are introduced in detail as follows:

[0073] In S710, receive the service flow characteristic information provided by the application side, and this service flow characteristic information is used to indicate the characteristics of the service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present application, the application side can be AF (Application Function), or it can also be AS (Application Server). If mutual trust is reached through negotiation between the application side and the PCF (Policy Control Function), then the application side can directly send the service flow characteristic information to the PCF, that is, the PCF can receive the service flow characteristic information directly sent by the application side. If mutual trust has not been reached between the application side and the PCF, then the application side can send the service flow characteristic information to the NEF (Network Exposure Function), and then the NEF forwards it to the PCF, that is, the PCF can receive the service flow characteristic information from the application side forwarded by the NEF.

[0075] Optionally, the user equipment can be a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smart speaker, a smart watch, a smart home, a vehicle terminal, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0076] In one embodiment of this application, the service flow characteristic information includes at least one of the following: the transmission interval of the service data packet, the packet size of the service data packet, and the importance of the service data packet.

[0077] Optionally, the transmission interval of the service data packet refers to the transmission interval when the service data packet is sent, or it can be the reception interval when the service data packet is received. For example, if the service data packet is sent periodically, then the period is the transmission interval of the service data packet.

[0078] The packet size of a service data packet refers to the amount of data in the service data packet. The importance of a service data packet can be reflected by its type, for example, key frames (such as I-frames) are more important than non-key frames (such as P-frames).

[0079] Continue to refer to Figure 7 As shown, in S720, based on the service flow characteristic information, a handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity connected to the user equipment undergoes a handover is generated.

[0080] Optionally, for a 5G network, the access network entity can be an NR base station. For a 4G network, the access network entity can be an LTE base station.

[0081] In one embodiment of this application, the handover strategy includes at least one of the following: whether data forwarding processing is required during handover; the tolerable handover latency during handover; the context transfer requirements for the source and destination ends during handover, including full configuration, partial configuration, or incremental configuration; and whether the user equipment executes a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting or disconnecting first and then connecting during handover.

[0082] Optionally, whether or not data forwarding is required is equivalent to whether or not data forwarding is needed. For example, if data forwarding is performed due to real-time business requirements, it would not help the real-time business and would only waste resources. In this case, data forwarding is not necessary.

[0083] The tolerable handover latency indicates the maximum latency requirement during the handover process; that is, the maximum handover latency should be less than or equal to the tolerable handover latency. Context transfer requirements between the source and destination ends during handover can include full configuration, partial configuration, or delta configuration.

[0084] "Make before break" and "break before make" are equivalent to "connect first, then disconnect," respectively. The "make before break" strategy ensures a smooth handover process, but requires the UE to have the ability to connect to multiple access network devices simultaneously. It should be noted that both "make before break" and "break before make" strategies can be based on a dual-connectivity architecture (i.e., the access network devices use an MN and SN architecture) or a non-dual-connectivity architecture. Furthermore, the technical solutions in this application are applicable not only to dual-connectivity architectures but also to non-dual-connectivity architectures.

[0085] In one embodiment of this application, if the service flow characteristic information includes the transmission interval of service data packets, then when generating the handover strategy, a handover strategy containing the tolerable handover delay can be generated based on the transmission interval of the service data packets. Specifically, as shown... Figure 6 As shown, if the tolerable handover delay during handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of service data packets, then handover performance can be guaranteed. Therefore, a handover strategy containing the tolerable handover delay can be generated based on the transmission interval of service data packets. Optionally, the tolerable handover delay during handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of service data packets.

[0086] In one embodiment of this application, if the service flow characteristic information includes at least the importance of the service data packets, then when generating the switching strategy, a switching strategy can be generated that includes at least whether data pre-processing is required during switching, based on the importance of the service data packets. Specifically, if the service data packets are important, the generated switching strategy may require data pre-processing; if the service data packets are not important, then to reduce resource waste, the generated switching strategy may not require data pre-processing; if some service data packets are important and others are not, then the generated switching strategy may require data pre-processing for some service data packets (i.e., important service data packets), while other service data packets (i.e., unimportant service data packets) do not need to undergo data pre-processing.

[0087] In one embodiment of this application, if the generated handover policy includes whether the user equipment executes a policy of connecting first and then disconnecting or disconnecting first and then connecting during handover, then before generating the handover policy, it is necessary to obtain the network connectivity information of the user equipment. This network connectivity information is used to indicate the number of access network entities that the user equipment can connect to simultaneously.

[0088] In one embodiment of this application, when generating a handover policy, the handover policies already configured in other network entities can also be obtained. Then, based on the service flow characteristic information and the handover policies already configured in other network entities, a handover policy to be followed when a handover occurs in the access network entity can be generated. For example, based on the service flow characteristic information and the handover policies already configured in other network entities, it can be determined whether the handover policies already configured in other network entities need to be updated. If an update is required, then a new handover policy is generated.

[0089] Continue to refer to Figure 7 As shown, in S730, the generated handover policy is sent to the session management function entity so that the session management function entity can configure the handover policy to other network entities.

[0090] Optionally, other network entities may include the AMF, access network entities (such as base station equipment), and user equipment. Specifically, the PCF can send the generated handover policy to the SMF, which then sends it to the AMF. The AMF can then configure the handover policy for the access network entities and user equipment. It should be noted that the handover policy in this embodiment may include handover policies for individual network entities or a handover policy for the entire network entity.

[0091] Figure 8 A flowchart of a network handover processing method according to an embodiment of this application is shown. This network handover processing method can be executed by a session management function entity. (Refer to...) Figure 8 As shown, this network handover process includes at least S810 to S820, which are detailed below:

[0092] In S810, a handover policy sent by the policy control function entity is received. This handover policy indicates the policy to be followed when the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected undergoes a handover. This handover policy is generated by the policy control function entity after receiving service flow characteristic information provided by the application side. This service flow characteristic information is used to indicate the characteristics of the service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment.

[0093] In one embodiment of this application, the handover strategy includes at least one of the following: whether data forwarding processing is required during handover; the tolerable handover latency during handover; the context transfer requirements for the source and destination ends during handover, including full configuration, partial configuration, or incremental configuration; and whether the user equipment executes a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting or disconnecting first and then connecting during handover.

[0094] In one embodiment of this application, the service flow characteristic information includes at least one of the following: the transmission interval of the service data packet, the packet size of the service data packet, and the importance of the service data packet.

[0095] For detailed explanations of the switching strategy and service flow characteristic information, please refer to the technical solution in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0096] In S820, the handover policy is configured for other network entities so that they can perform handover operations based on the handover policy when a handover occurs in the access network entity.

[0097] Specifically, the session management function entity can configure the handover policy to the access and mobility management function entity and the user equipment. Then, the access and mobility management function entity updates the handover policy for the user equipment and service data packets based on the handover policy, and the access and mobility management function entity configures the handover policy to the connected access network entity (for example, the access network entity before and after the handover).

[0098] The technical solution of this application embodiment can flexibly adjust the handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity is switched according to the service flow characteristic information, thereby ensuring that the handover strategy matches the actual service flow characteristic information and avoiding large handover costs.

[0099] Specifically, for multimedia services and services such as XR and AR, considering their extremely high bandwidth, caching or data forwarding would require significant resources. Therefore, through interaction between the application side and the network side, service flow characteristic information, such as packet intervals, is obtained. This information is then provided to the control plane network elements to form corresponding handover strategies. The following section combines... Figure 9 Taking 5G networks as an example, the implementation details of the technical solution of this application embodiment are described in detail, specifically including the following steps:

[0100] In S901, application data is forwarded via the end-to-end path before the handover. Specifically, the UE connects to the UPF through the old base station, and then connects to the Application Server through the UPF. Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, AF and AS are drawn together, but in reality, they are the control plane network element and the user plane network element, respectively, and can also be deployed separately.

[0101] S902 obtains service flow characteristic information through the interaction between the application side and the network side.

[0102] Optionally, in embodiments of this application, if the AF / AS and 5GC (5G Core, 5G core network) reach mutual trust through negotiation or other means, then the AF / AS can directly send service flow characteristic information to the 5GC network element, such as the PCF.

[0103] If the AF / AS and 5GC are not trusted entities, the AF / AS can provide the service flow characteristic information to the 5GC network element NEF, which will then forward it to the PCF.

[0104] Optionally, the business flow characteristic information includes, but is not limited to: the arrival interval of periodic business data flows, packet size characteristics, importance, etc.

[0105] S903, PCF generates corresponding handover strategies based on the obtained service flow characteristic information and information from other 5GC network elements.

[0106] Optionally, information from other 5GC network elements includes, but is not limited to, handover policy information for specific UEs already configured on network elements such as SMF and AMF.

[0107] Optionally, the handover strategy includes at least one of the following: whether data forwarding processing is required during handover; the tolerable handover latency during handover; the context transfer requirements for the source and destination ends during handover, including full configuration, partial configuration, or incremental configuration; and whether the user equipment executes a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting or disconnecting first and then connecting during handover.

[0108] Optionally, whether or not data forwarding is required is equivalent to whether or not data forwarding is needed. For example, if data forwarding is performed due to real-time business requirements, it would not help the real-time business and would only waste resources. In this case, data forwarding is not necessary.

[0109] The tolerable handover latency indicates the maximum latency requirement during the handover process; that is, the maximum handover latency should be less than or equal to the tolerable handover latency. Context transfer requirements between the source and destination ends during handover can include full configuration, partial configuration, and Delta configuration.

[0110] "Make before break" means connecting first and then disconnecting, while "break before make" means disconnecting first and then connecting. If the strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting is adopted, the smoothness of the handover process can be guaranteed, but the UE needs to have the ability to connect to multiple access network devices at the same time.

[0111] In one embodiment of this application, if the service flow characteristic information includes the transmission interval of service data packets, then when generating the handover strategy, a handover strategy containing the tolerable handover delay can be generated based on the transmission interval of the service data packets. Specifically, as shown... Figure 6As shown, if the tolerable handover delay during handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of service data packets, then handover performance can be guaranteed. Therefore, a handover strategy containing the tolerable handover delay can be generated based on the transmission interval of service data packets. Optionally, the tolerable handover delay during handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of service data packets.

[0112] In one embodiment of this application, if the service flow characteristic information includes at least the importance of the service data packets, then when generating the switching strategy, a switching strategy can be generated that includes at least whether data pre-processing is required during switching, based on the importance of the service data packets. Specifically, if the service data packets are important, the generated switching strategy may require data pre-processing; if the service data packets are not important, then to reduce resource waste, the generated switching strategy may not require data pre-processing; if some service data packets are important and others are not, then the generated switching strategy may require data pre-processing for some service data packets (i.e., important service data packets), while other service data packets (i.e., unimportant service data packets) do not need to undergo data pre-processing.

[0113] In one embodiment of this application, when generating a handover policy, it can be determined whether to update the handover policies configured in other network entities based on service flow characteristic information and the handover policies already configured in other network entities. If an update is required, then a new handover policy is generated.

[0114] S904, the generated handover policy is configured from PCF to AMF and base station.

[0115] Specifically, in S904a, the PCF configures the handover policy to the SMF; in S904b, the SMF configures the handover policy to the AMF, and after configuration, the handover policy for the specific UE and specific service in the AMF needs to be updated; in S904c, the AMF configures the handover policy to the base station (including the old base station and the new base station). This step will configure or update the context information of the gNB, thereby affecting the UE's handover policy.

[0116] S905 generates a handover policy for a specific UE and configures it to the UE via the AMF. The handover policy configured on the UE will affect the corresponding caching and data forwarding policies.

[0117] S906 executes the handover process according to the configured policy. This handover process updates the handover policy configuration, including whether data caching and forwarding are enabled, and whether a lossless handover is required.

[0118] In S907, application data is forwarded via the new end-to-end path after the handover. Specifically, the UE connects to the UPF through the new base station, and then connects to the Application Server through the UPF.

[0119] The technical solution of this application can solve the problem of high network resource costs caused by large caching and data forwarding volumes in real-time multimedia, XR and other services, and can save the cost of data caching and forwarding operations required for lossless switching.

[0120] The following describes an embodiment of the apparatus described in this application, which can be used to execute the network handover processing method described above. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this application, please refer to the embodiments of the network handover processing method described above.

[0121] Figure 10 A block diagram of a network handover processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The network handover processing apparatus may be disposed within a policy control function entity.

[0122] Reference Figure 10 As shown, a network switching processing apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of this application includes: a first receiving unit 1002, a generating unit 1004, and a sending unit 1006.

[0123] The first receiving unit 1002 is configured to receive service flow feature information provided by the application side, the service flow feature information being used to indicate the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment; the generating unit 1004 is configured to generate a handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity connected to the user equipment undergoes a handover based on the service flow feature information; and the sending unit 1006 is configured to send the handover strategy to the session management function entity, so that the session management function entity configures the handover strategy to other network entities.

[0124] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first receiving unit 1002 is configured to: receive service flow feature information forwarded by the Network Open Functions Entity from the application side; or receive service flow feature information directly sent by the application side.

[0125] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the switching strategy includes at least one of the following:

[0126] Does data forwarding processing need to be performed during switching?

[0127] The tolerable handover latency during handover;

[0128] The context transfer requirements between the source and destination ends during switching include full configuration, partial configuration, or incremental configuration.

[0129] During handover, should the user device implement a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting, or disconnecting first and then connecting?

[0130] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the service flow feature information includes at least one of the following: the transmission interval of the service data packet, the packet size of the service data packet, and the importance of the service data packet.

[0131] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the service flow feature information includes the transmission interval of service data packets; the generation unit 1004 is configured to generate a handover strategy that includes the handover delay that can be tolerated during handover, according to the transmission interval of the service data packets.

[0132] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the tolerable handover delay during the handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of the service data packets.

[0133] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the service flow feature information includes at least the importance of the service data packet; the generation unit 1004 is configured to generate a switching strategy that includes at least whether data forwarding processing is required during switching, based on the importance of the service data packet.

[0134] In some embodiments of this application, based on the aforementioned scheme, the handover strategy includes whether the user equipment executes a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting or a strategy of disconnecting first and then connecting during handover; before generating the handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity connected to the user equipment undergoes handover, the generation unit 1004 obtains the network connectivity information of the user equipment, the network connectivity information being used to indicate the number of access network entities that the user equipment can connect to simultaneously.

[0135] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the generation unit 1004 is configured to: obtain the handover policies configured in the other network entities; and generate a handover policy to be followed when the access network entity undergoes a handover, based on the service flow feature information and the handover policies configured in the other network entities.

[0136] Figure 11 A block diagram of a network switching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The network switching processing apparatus may be disposed within a session management function entity.

[0137] Reference Figure 11As shown, a network switching processing apparatus 1100 according to an embodiment of this application includes: a second receiving unit 1102 and a processing unit 1104.

[0138] The second receiving unit 1102 is configured to receive a handover policy sent by a policy control function entity. The handover policy represents the policy to be followed when the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected undergoes a handover. The handover policy is generated by the policy control function entity after receiving service flow feature information provided by the application side. The service flow feature information is used to indicate the characteristics of the service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment. The processing unit 1104 is configured to configure the handover policy to other network entities so that the other network entities perform a handover operation based on the handover policy when the access network entity undergoes a handover.

[0139] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the processing unit 1104 is configured to: configure the handover policy to the access and mobility management function entity and the user equipment, so as to instruct the access and mobility management function entity to update the handover policy for the user equipment and the service data packet based on the handover policy, and to instruct the access and mobility management function entity to configure the handover policy to the connected access network entity.

[0140] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system suitable for implementing the electronic device of the present application is shown.

[0141] It should be noted that, Figure 12 The computer system 1200 of the electronic device shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of this application.

[0142] like Figure 12 As shown, the computer system 1200 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 1201, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on programs stored in Read-Only Memory (ROM) 1202 or programs loaded from storage portion 1208 into Random Access Memory (RAM) 1203, such as performing the methods described in the above embodiments. Various programs and data required for system operation are also stored in RAM 1203. The CPU 1201, ROM 1202, and RAM 1203 are interconnected via bus 1204. An Input / Output (I / O) interface 1205 is also connected to bus 1204.

[0143] The following components are connected to I / O interface 1205: an input section 1206 including a keyboard, mouse, etc.; an output section 1207 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and speakers, etc.; a storage section 1208 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 1209 including a network interface card such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card, modem, etc. The communication section 1209 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 1210 is also connected to I / O interface 1205 as needed. Removable media 1211, such as a disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc., are installed on drive 1210 as needed so that computer programs read from them can be installed into storage section 1208 as needed.

[0144] Specifically, according to embodiments of this application, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments of this application include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program including a computer program for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via communication section 1209, and / or installed from removable medium 1211. When the computer program is executed by central processing unit (CPU) 1201, it performs various functions defined in the system of this application.

[0145] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in the embodiments of this application can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example,—but not limited to—an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, optical fiber, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this application, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In this application, a computer-readable signal medium can include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying a computer-readable computer program. The transmitted data signal can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. The computer-readable signal medium can also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer program contained on the computer-readable medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0146] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this application. Each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in a block diagram or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram or flowchart, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0147] The units described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in software or hardware, and the described units can also be located in a processor. The names of these units do not necessarily limit the specific unit itself.

[0148] In another aspect, this application also provides a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiments; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the electronic device. The computer-readable medium carries one or more programs, which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods described in the above embodiments.

[0149] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of this application, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0150] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, touch terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the embodiments of this application.

[0151] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein.

[0152] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A network handover processing method, characterized in that, include: The application receives service flow characteristic information provided by the application side, the service flow characteristic information being used to indicate the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment; wherein, the service flow characteristic information includes the transmission interval of the service data packets; Based on the service flow characteristic information, a handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity connected to the user equipment is switched is generated; The handover policy is sent to the session management function entity so that the session management function entity can configure the handover policy to other network entities; Specifically, based on the service flow characteristic information, a handover strategy is generated to be followed when the access network entity connected to the user equipment undergoes a handover, including: generating a handover strategy containing the tolerable handover delay during the handover according to the transmission interval of the service data packets, wherein the handover occurs within the transmission interval of the service data packets, and the tolerable handover delay during the handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of the service data packets.

2. The network handover processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Receive service flow characteristic information provided by the application side, including: Receive service flow characteristic information from the application side forwarded by the Network Open Functions Entity; or Receive service flow feature information directly sent by the application side.

3. The network handover processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switching strategy also includes at least one of the following: Does data forwarding processing need to be performed during switching? The context transfer requirements between the source and destination ends during switching include full configuration, partial configuration, or incremental configuration. During handover, should the user device implement a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting, or disconnecting first and then connecting? 4. The network handover processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The service flow characteristic information also includes at least one of the following: the packet size of the service data packet and the importance of the service data packet.

5. The network handover processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The service flow characteristic information includes at least the importance of the service data packets; Based on the service flow characteristic information, a handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected undergoes a handover is generated, including: generating a handover strategy that includes at least whether data forwarding processing is required during the handover, based on the importance of the service data packets.

6. The network handover processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The handover strategy also includes whether the user equipment should execute a strategy of connecting first and then disconnecting or a strategy of disconnecting first and then connecting during the handover. Before generating the handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected undergoes a handover based on the service flow characteristic information, the network handover processing method further includes: Obtain the network connectivity information of the user equipment, which indicates the number of access network entities that the user equipment can connect to simultaneously.

7. The network handover processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Based on the service flow characteristic information, a handover strategy is generated to be followed when the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected undergoes a handover, including: Obtain the switching policies configured in the other network entities; Based on the service flow characteristic information and the handover policies configured in the other network entities, a handover policy to be followed when the access network entity undergoes a handover is generated.

8. A network handover processing method, characterized in that, include: The system receives a handover policy sent by a policy control function entity. This handover policy represents the policy to be followed when a handover occurs in the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected. The handover policy is generated by the policy control function entity after receiving service flow characteristic information provided by the application side. This service flow characteristic information indicates the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment. The service flow characteristic information includes the transmission interval of the service data packets. The handover policy includes a tolerable handover delay, where the handover occurs within the transmission interval of the service data packets, and the tolerable handover delay is less than or equal to the transmission interval of the service data packets. The handover policy is configured for other network entities so that the other network entities perform handover operations based on the handover policy when the access network entity undergoes a handover.

9. The network handover processing method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Configuring the switching policy for other network entities includes: The handover policy is configured to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity and the user equipment (UE) to instruct the AMF entity to update the handover policy for the UE and the service data packets based on the handover policy, and to instruct the AMF entity to configure the handover policy to the connected access network entity.

10. A network switching processing device, characterized in that, include: The first receiving unit is configured to receive service flow feature information provided by the application side, wherein the service flow feature information is used to indicate the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment; wherein the service flow feature information includes the transmission interval of the service data packets; The generation unit is configured to generate a handover strategy to be followed when the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected undergoes a handover, based on the service flow feature information. The sending unit is configured to send the handover policy to the session management function entity, so that the session management function entity can configure the handover policy to other network entities; The generation unit is configured to generate a handover strategy that includes a tolerable handover delay during handover, based on the transmission interval of the service data packets. The handover occurs within the transmission interval of the service data packets, and the tolerable handover delay during handover is less than or equal to the transmission interval of the service data packets.

11. A network switching processing device, characterized in that, include: The second receiving unit is configured to receive a handover policy sent by a policy control function entity. The handover policy represents the policy to be followed when a handover occurs in the access network entity to which the user equipment is connected. The handover policy is generated by the policy control function entity after receiving service flow characteristic information provided by the application side. The service flow characteristic information indicates the characteristics of service data packets transmitted between the application side and the user equipment. The service flow characteristic information includes the transmission interval of the service data packets. The handover policy includes a tolerable handover delay during the handover, where the handover occurs within the transmission interval of the service data packets, and the tolerable handover delay is less than or equal to the transmission interval of the service data packets. The processing unit is configured to configure the handover policy to other network entities, so that the other network entities perform a handover operation based on the handover policy when the access network entity undergoes a handover.

12. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the network switching processing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; A storage device for storing one or more programs, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the electronic device to implement the network switching processing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

14. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the processor of the computer device reads from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer program, causing the computer device to perform the network handover processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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