Base station handover methods, access networks, network elements, devices, and storage media

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to a base station handover method, an access network, a base station functional network element, a communication device, and a storage medium. The base station handover method includes: a target base station functional network element receiving a handover request from a source base station functional network element; sending a user equipment location update request message to a mobility management function (MMU), the handover request requesting a user equipment connected to the source base station functional network element to hand over from the source MMU to the target base station functional network element; sending a PDU session update request message to a connection control function (PDU), the connection control function being determined based on the user equipment's PDU session context; receiving a user equipment location update response message from the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message from the connection control function; and sending a resource release message to the source base station functional network element, instructing the source base station functional network element to release resources associated with the user equipment. This disclosure can improve the interaction efficiency between the radio network and the core network and reduce signaling latency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a base station handover method, an access network, a base station functional network element, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, future 6G networks will show a distributed trend, with core network functions being deployed in a decentralized manner, and even the core network functions and radio network being deployed in the same location. However, the current 5G radio network and core network interaction method is a centralized interaction method. The interaction process relies on centralized nodes (such as AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function)), which leads to unnecessary forwarding in the network, increases signaling latency, and reduces the interaction efficiency between the radio network and the core network.

[0003] It should be noted that the information in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a base station handover method, an access network, a base station functional network element, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium, thereby improving the interaction efficiency between the wireless network and the core network and reducing signaling latency.

[0005] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a base station handover method is provided, comprising:

[0007] The target base station functional network element receives a handover request from the source base station functional network element, sends a user equipment location update request message to the mobility management function, the handover request being used to request the user equipment connected to the source base station functional network element to hand over from the source base station functional network element to the target base station functional network element; sends a protocol data unit (PDU) session update request message to the connection control function, the connection control function being determined based on the user equipment's PDU session context; receives a user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and sends a resource release message to the source base station functional network element to instruct the source base station functional network element to release the resources associated with the user equipment.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, before sending the user equipment location update request message to the mobility management function, the method further includes: receiving the PDU session context of the user equipment sent by the source base station function network element, wherein the PDU session context of the user equipment carries a connection control function identifier; determining the connection control function based on the PDU session context of the user equipment, including: obtaining the connection control function corresponding to the user equipment according to the connection control function identifier.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the PDU session update response message is sent by the connection control function after receiving a session modification response from the user plane function; the session modification response is sent by the user plane function after receiving a session modification request from the connection control function, the session modification request being sent by the connection control function after determining that the user plane function has the capability to serve the user equipment; wherein, the session modification request is used to request the user plane function to switch the user plane function path to the target base station function network element.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: the target base station function network element receiving a data packet carrying an end marker sent by the source base station function network element, the end marker being used to indicate the end of the data flow to the source base station function network element; wherein the data packet carrying the end marker is sent to the source base station function network element after the user plane function sends the session modification response to the connection control function.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if the PDU session update response message indicates that the PDU session update was successful, the PDU session update response message includes a list of PDU sessions that have been switched and a list of PDU sessions that failed to switch.

[0012] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an access network is provided, the access network including a source base station function (BSF) element, a user equipment (UE) connected to the source BSF element, and a target BSF element, wherein the target BSF element is a BSF element to which the UE is switched from the source BSF element; the target BSF element is configured to: receive a handover request from the source BSF element; send a UE location update request message to a mobility management function (MMU), the handover request requesting the UE connected to the source BSF element to switch from the source BSF element to the target BSF element; send a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session update request message to a connection control function (PDU), the connection control function being determined based on the UE's PDU session context; receive a UE location update response message from the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message from the connection control function; and send a resource release message to the source BSF element to instruct the source BSF element to release resources associated with the UE.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the target base station functional network element is further configured to: receive the PDU session context of the user equipment sent by the source base station functional network element, wherein the PDU session context of the user equipment carries a connection control function identifier; and obtain the connection control function corresponding to the user equipment according to the connection control function identifier.

[0014] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a base station function network element is provided, the base station function network element being a network element that implements base station functions, the base station function network element comprising: a first processing module, configured to receive a handover request from a source base station function network element and send a user equipment location update request message to a mobility management function, the handover request being used to request a user equipment connected to the source base station function network element to hand over from the source base station function network element to the base station function network element; a determining module, configured to determine the connection control function corresponding to the user equipment based on the PDU session context of the user equipment; a second processing module, configured to send a protocol data unit (PDU) session update request message to the connection control function; and a third processing module, configured to receive a user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and send a resource release message to the source base station function network element to instruct the source base station function network element to release resources associated with the user equipment.

[0015] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory storing instructions executable by the processor; the processor being configured to, when executing the instructions, cause the communication device to implement the base station handover method described in any one of the preceding descriptions.

[0016] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the base station handover method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0017] In the exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the base station handover method involves a target base station function network element receiving a handover request from a source base station function network element, sending a user equipment location update request message to a mobility management function (MLM) requesting a user equipment connected to the source base station function network element to hand over to the target base station function network element, and sending a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session update request message to a connection control function (PDU) determined based on the user equipment's PDU session context. The connection control function receives a user equipment location update response message from the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message from the connection control function, and sends a resource release message to the source base station function network element to instruct it to release resources associated with the user equipment.

[0018] On the one hand, during the process of switching user equipment from the source base station function network element to the target base station function network element, the target base station function network element can directly interact with network functions within the core network. It can send UE location update request messages to the mobility management function and PDU session update request messages to the connection control function in parallel, and receive UE location update response messages sent by the mobility management function and PDU session update response messages sent by the connection control function. This triggers the source base station to release the resources associated with the UE, completing the base station handover. This reduces unnecessary forwarding processes at centralized nodes in the network, saves the processing capacity of network functions within the core network, improves the interaction efficiency between the radio network and the core network, and reduces signaling latency. On the other hand, compared with the control method that uses centralized node forwarding, it is less likely to become a performance or security bottleneck, improving network reliability and interaction flexibility.

[0019] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated in the drawings by way of example and not limitation, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the current base station handover process in this field is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A flowchart of a base station handover method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 A system architecture diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 4 An interactive diagram of a base station handover method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an access network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the composition of a base station functional network element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted.

[0030] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0031] 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, or in one or more software-hardened modules, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0032] like Figure 1A flowchart illustrating the current base station handover process in this field is provided. The basic functional modules involved in the current base station handover process include, but are not limited to:

[0033] A terminal (UE, User Equipment) primarily accesses the network and obtains services through the next-generation wireless air interface. The terminal interacts with the base station via the air interface, and also interacts with the common control plane functions and session control plane functions of the core network through non-access stratum signaling. The terminal can also be referred to as a user terminal, user equipment, mobile device, mobile terminal, etc., and this disclosure does not impose any special limitations on these terms.

[0034] Next-generation base stations (NR RAN, Radio Access Network, gNB), also known as NR base stations, are responsible for scheduling air interface resources and managing air interface connections for terminal access to the network.

[0035] The Session Management Function (SMF) interacts with the terminal and is responsible for handling requests to establish, modify, and delete Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions, selecting the User Plane Function (UPF), establishing the user plane connection between the UE and the UPF, and jointly determining the session's quality of service parameters with the Policy Control Function (PCF).

[0036] Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) is a common control plane function within the core network.

[0037] User-facing features (UPF) provide user processing capabilities.

[0038] The base station handover process based on the above basic functional modules may include:

[0039] Step S110: Perform the handover preparation and handover execution phase; Step S120: The target base station sends a path handover request message to the AMF; Steps S130 to S180: The AMF updates the relevant PDU session information through the SMF, including but not limited to rebuilding the N3 connection between the RAN (Radio Access Network) and the UPF; Steps S190 and S200: The AMF responds to the path handover request and triggers the source base station to release the UE-related resources.

[0040] During the aforementioned base station handover process, all interactions between the base station and the core network control plane require a unified centralized node (such as AMF) for forwarding. However, other functions of the radio network and the core network cannot communicate directly, resulting in a significant waste of processing power by the centralized node. Since the interaction method is serial, the interaction efficiency is low and the signaling latency is increased.

[0041] Based on one or more problems caused by the centralized interaction method between the wireless network and the core network in related technologies, this exemplary embodiment first provides a base station handover method. This base station handover method is applied to a target base station functional network element in the wireless network. This target base station functional network element is a network element that implements base station functions, and is the base station functional network element that the user equipment switches to from the source base station functional network element.

[0042] The entire base station handover process typically includes a handover preparation phase, a handover execution phase, and a handover completion phase. During the handover preparation phase, the source base station functional network element (BSN) determines whether to hand over the UE to the selected target BSN based on the measurement report and other information sent by the UE (such as cell load, terminal mobility restrictions, and radio capabilities). The source BSN then sends an Xn AP handover request message to the target BSN via a relevant interface (such as the Xn interface). If the target BSN accepts the handover, it sends a handover request confirmation message to the source BSN.

[0043] The base station handover method of this disclosure begins when the target base station functional network element receives the handover request from the source base station functional network element during the handover preparation stage described above. The steps prior to this are the same as those described above and will not be repeated here.

[0044] See Figure 2 As shown, the base station handover method of this disclosure embodiment may include steps S210 to S230:

[0045] Step S210: The target base station functional network element receives the handover request from the source base station functional network element and sends a user equipment location update request message to the mobility management function. The handover request is used to request the user equipment connected to the source base station functional network element to hand over from the source base station functional network element to the target base station functional network element.

[0046] Step S220: Send a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session update request message to the connection control function: The connection control function determines this based on the user equipment's PDU session context;

[0047] Step S230: Receive the user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and the PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and send a resource release message to the source base station function element to instruct the source base station function element to release the resources associated with the user equipment.

[0048] The base station handover method of this disclosure, during the process of switching a user equipment from a source base station function network element to a target base station function network element, allows the target base station function network element to directly interact with network functions within the core network. It can send UE location update request messages to the mobility management function and PDU session update request messages to the connection control function in parallel, and receive UE location update response messages from the mobility management function and PDU session update response messages from the connection control function. This triggers the source base station to release resources associated with the UE, completing the base station handover. This reduces unnecessary forwarding processes at centralized nodes in the network, saves processing power of network functions within the core network, improves the interaction efficiency between the radio network and the core network, and reduces signaling latency.

[0049] Compared to the control method using centralized node forwarding, the embodiments disclosed herein are less likely to become performance and security bottlenecks, thereby improving network reliability and interactive flexibility.

[0050] It should be noted that the present invention does not impose any special restrictions on the execution order of steps S210 and S220. Step S210 can be executed first, followed by step S220; step S220 can be executed first; or steps S210 and S220 can be executed simultaneously.

[0051] First, the basic functional modules involved in the embodiments of this disclosure will be described.

[0052] The target base station functional network element is a network element used to implement base station functions, and can also be the base station itself. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the target base station functional network element is the base station functional network element that the user equipment switches to from the source base station.

[0053] The source base station functional network element is also a network element used to implement base station functions, and can also be the base station itself. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the source base station functional network element is the base station functional network element currently accessed by the user equipment.

[0054] Mobility management is a common control plane function within the core network, responsible for processing mobility-related functions, including but not limited to location registration and temporary identifier allocation.

[0055] Connection control functions are functions within the core network responsible for controlling communication connections.

[0056] User plane functionality provides user plane processing functions, including but not limited to data forwarding and QoS (Quality of Service) enforcement.

[0057] Figure 3The system architecture diagram involved in the embodiments of this disclosure is shown, including user equipment functions (UE), base station function network elements, and other network functions (such as mobility management functions, connection control functions, user plane functions, etc. in the core network of the embodiments of this disclosure).

[0058] See Figure 3 In this communication system, end-to-end service can be achieved between UE functions, base station functions, and other network functions to reduce forwarding by a single centralized node in the network, improve the interaction efficiency between the radio network and the core network, and reduce signaling latency.

[0059] The following is combined Figure 2 and Figure 3 The base station handover method according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail.

[0060] The user equipment location update request sent by the target base station function element to the mobility management function in step S210 includes UE location information and the identification information of the target base station function element.

[0061] In one exemplary embodiment, during the handover preparation phase, i.e. before the target base station network element function sends the user equipment location update request message to the mobility management function, the method further includes: receiving the user equipment's PDU session context sent by the source base station function network element, wherein the user equipment's PDU session context carries a connection control function identifier.

[0062] Based on this, during the handover execution phase, the target base station functional network element can obtain the connection control function corresponding to the user equipment based on the connection control function identifier.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, step S220 involves the target base station functional network element switching the user plane functional path from the source base station functional network element to the target base station functional network element via the core network. The PDU session update request message sent by the target base station functional network element includes a list of PDU sessions ready for handover, a list of PDU sessions that failed to handover, the reason for the handover failure, UE location information, and the identification information of the target base station functional network element. The PDU session list involved in the PDU session update request message can be a list related to air interface handover.

[0064] After the target base station functional network element sends a PDU session update request message to the connection control function in step S220, and before receiving the user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and the PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function in step S230, the other functional modules besides the target base station functional network element and the source base station functional network element perform the following interactions:

[0065] If the connection control function confirms that the user plane function has the capability to serve the user equipment, that is, if it determines that the user plane function can continue to serve the user equipment, then it sends a connection control function-user plane function session modification request to the user plane function; the session modification request is used to request the user plane function to switch the user plane function path to the target base station function network element.

[0066] The user plane function sends a connection control function-user plane function session modification response to the connection control function.

[0067] The connection control function can send a PDU session update response message to the target base station function element at any time after receiving the connection control function-user plane function session modification response.

[0068] The PDU session update can be either successful or failed. If the PDU session update response message indicates that the PDU session update was successful, the PDU session update response message includes a list of PDU sessions that have been switched over and a list of PDU sessions that failed to switch over.

[0069] After the user plane function sends a connection control function-user plane function session modification response to the connection control function, the user plane function also sends a data packet containing an end marker to the source base station function network element. The end marker is used to indicate the end of the data flow to the source base station function network element, and the source base station function network element sends the data packet carrying the end marker to the target base station function network element.

[0070] Furthermore, after the target base station function element sends a UE location update request message to the mobility management function, the mobility management function performs the UE location update and sends a UE location update response message to the target base station function element at any time after the location update is completed. In other words, the UE location update process and the PDU session update process are independent of each other and do not affect each other.

[0071] Subsequently, step S230 is executed. After receiving the user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and the PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, the target base station functional network element sends a resource release message to the source base station functional network element to instruct the source base station functional network element to release the resources associated with the user equipment, thereby triggering the source base station functional network element to release the resources associated with the user equipment and completing the handover of the base station.

[0072] In one exemplary embodiment, after base station handover is completed, if the user equipment meets the registration update conditions for the mobility type, the user equipment initiates a registration update for the mobility type in the target base station functional network element. The mobility type registration update process is performed in accordance with the relevant communication protocols, and will not be described in detail here.

[0073] Figure 4An interactive diagram of a base station handover method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown below, in conjunction with... Figure 4 The base station handover method according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be fully described.

[0074] In step S0, during the handover preparation and execution phase, the source base station functional network element sends the user equipment's PDU session context, etc., to the target base station functional network element.

[0075] The UE was switched to the target base station functional element by information exchange between the source base station functional element and the target base station functional element. The content of the handover preparation and execution phases that is consistent with the existing technology will not be described in detail.

[0076] In step S1, the target base station functional network element receives the handover request from the source base station functional network element and sends a user equipment location update request message to the mobility management function.

[0077] A handover request is used to request a user equipment (UE) connected to a source base station functional network element to hand over from the source base station functional network element to a target base station functional network element. The handover request may include, but is not limited to, UE location information and the target base station functional network element identifier.

[0078] In step S2, the target base station functional network element sends a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session update request message to the connection control function.

[0079] The connection control function is a connection control function corresponding to the user equipment, determined based on the connection control function identifier in the PDU session context of the user equipment.

[0080] The PDU session update request message includes, but is not limited to, a list of PDU sessions ready for handover, a list of PDU sessions that failed to handover, the reason for the handover failure, UE location information, and target base station functional element identifier.

[0081] It should be noted that the execution order of steps S1 and S2 is not important, and they can be executed simultaneously.

[0082] In step S3, the connection control function confirms that the user plane function has the capability to serve the user equipment and sends a connection control function-user plane function session modification request to the user plane function.

[0083] The session modification request is used to request the user plane function to switch the user plane function path to the target base station function network element.

[0084] In step S4, the user plane function sends a connection control function-user plane function session modification response to the connection control function.

[0085] In this embodiment, before the user plane function sends the connection control function-user plane function session modification response to the connection control function, N4 session modification is performed. This embodiment does not impose any special restrictions on the session modification process.

[0086] In step S5, the user plane function sends a data packet containing an end marker to the source base station function network element. The end marker is used to indicate the end of the data flow to the source base station function network element, and the source base station function network element sends the end marker to the target base station function network element.

[0087] In step S6, the connection control function sends a PDU session update response message to the target base station functional network element to confirm whether the session update was successful or failed.

[0088] If the PDU session update response message indicates that the PDU session update was successful, the PDU session update response message includes a list of PDU sessions that have been switched over and a list of PDU sessions that failed to switch over.

[0089] Step S6 can occur at any time after the connection control function receives the connection control function-user plane function session modification response.

[0090] In step S7, the mobility management function sends a user equipment location update response message to the target base station functional network element.

[0091] Step S7 can occur at any time after the user equipment location update is completed.

[0092] In step S8, after receiving the user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and the PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, the target base station functional network element sends a resource release message to the source base station functional network element to instruct the source base station functional network element to release the resources associated with the user equipment.

[0093] After the source base station functional network element receives the resource release message from the target base station functional network element, it triggers the process of releasing the resources associated with the user equipment.

[0094] In step S9, if the user equipment meets the registration update conditions for the mobility type, the user equipment initiates a registration update for the mobility type in the target base station functional network element.

[0095] During the aforementioned base station handover process, when switching the user equipment from the source base station functional network element to the target base station functional network element, the target base station functional network element can directly interact with network functions within the core network. It can send UE location update request messages to the mobility management function and PDU session update request messages to the connection control function in parallel, and receive UE location response messages sent by the mobility management function and PDU session update response messages sent by the connection control function. This triggers the source base station to release resources associated with the UE, completing the base station handover. This reduces unnecessary forwarding processes at centralized nodes in the network, saves processing power of network functions within the core network, improves the interaction efficiency between the radio network and the core network, and reduces signaling latency. Compared to the control method using centralized node forwarding, the target base station functional network element in this embodiment can directly interact with network functions of the core network through a service-oriented interface, without going through a unified centralized node. This makes it less likely to become a performance or security bottleneck, improves network reliability and interaction flexibility, and even if new functions are added to the network later, complex network configuration is not required.

[0096] Furthermore, according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, an access network is also provided, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the access network 500 includes a source base station function network element 510, a user equipment 520 connected to the source base station function network element 510, and a target base station function network element 530. The target base station function network element 530 is the base station function network element that the user equipment 520 switches to from the source base station function network element 510. It is worth noting that... Figure 5 The connection relationships between the modules shown are only partially exemplary. Specifically, the target base station functional network element 530 is configured as follows:

[0097] The system receives a handover request from the source base station function element 510 and sends a user equipment location update request message to the mobility management function. The handover request is used to request the user equipment 520 connected to the source base station function element 510 to hand over from the source base station function element 510 to the target base station function element 530.

[0098] Send a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session update request message to the connection control function, which is determined based on the PDU session context of the user equipment 520;

[0099] The system receives a user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and sends a resource release message to the source base station function element 510 to instruct the source base station function element 510 to release the resources associated with the user equipment 520.

[0100] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the target base station functional network element 530 is further configured as follows:

[0101] The user equipment 520 receives the PDU session context sent by the source base station functional network element 510. The PDU session context of the user equipment 520 carries a connection control function identifier. The connection control function corresponding to the user equipment 520 is obtained according to the connection control function identifier.

[0102] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the target base station functional network element 530 is further configured as follows:

[0103] The system receives a data packet carrying an end marker sent by the source base station function network element 510. The end marker is used to indicate the end of the data flow to the source base station function network element 510. The data packet carrying the end marker is sent to the source base station function network element 510 after the user plane function sends a session modification response to the connection control function.

[0104] Since the specific details of the various functional modules (units) involved in the access network of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail in the exemplary embodiments of the base station handover method described above, they will not be repeated here.

[0105] Furthermore, according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a base station functional network element is also provided, which is a network element that implements base station functions. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the base station functional network element 600 in this embodiment of the present disclosure may include:

[0106] The first processing module 610 is used to receive a handover request from the source base station functional network element and send a user equipment location update request message to the mobility management function. The handover request is used to request the user equipment connected to the source base station functional network element to hand over from the source base station functional network element to the base station functional network element.

[0107] The determination module 620 is used to determine the connection control function corresponding to the user equipment based on the PDU session context of the user equipment.

[0108] The second processing module 630 is used to send a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session update request message to the connection control function.

[0109] The third processing module 640 is used to receive the user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and the PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and send a resource release message to the source base station function element to instruct the source base station function element to release the resources associated with the user equipment.

[0110] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the third processing module 640 is further configured to receive a data packet carrying an end marker sent by the source base station function network element, the end marker being used to indicate the end of the data flow to the source base station function network element; wherein, the data packet carrying the end marker is sent to the source base station function network element after the user plane function sends a session modification response to the connection control function.

[0111] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if a PDU session update response message indicates that the PDU session update was successful, the PDU session update response message includes a list of PDU sessions that have been switched and a list of PDU sessions that failed to switch.

[0112] It should be noted that although several modules or units of base station functional network elements have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, 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.

[0113] Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer storage medium capable of implementing the above-described methods is also provided. A program product capable of implementing the methods described in this specification is stored thereon. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of this disclosure can also be implemented as a program product including program code, which, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0114] This disclosure also provides a program product for implementing the above methods, which may employ a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and can run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this document, a readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0115] The program product may employ any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may 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 readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0116] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0117] The program code contained on the readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0118] Program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0119] Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a communication device capable of implementing the above-described method is also provided. Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, or program product. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented as: a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0120] The following reference Figure 7 To describe a communication device 700 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The communication device 700 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0121] like Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 700 includes a processor 701 and a memory 702; the memory 702 stores instructions executable by the processor 701; when the processor 701 is configured to execute the instructions, the communication device 700 performs the method described in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0122] From 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 disclosure 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, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0123] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0124] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

Claims

1. A base station handover method, characterized by, The method comprises the following steps: The target base station function network element receives a handover request of a source base station function network element, sends a user equipment location update request message to a mobility management function, and the handover request is used to request the user equipment connected to the source base station function network element to be handed over from the source base station function network element to the target base station function network element; wherein the source base station function network element is a network element or a base station used to implement base station functions, and the source base station function network element is a base station function network element currently accessed by the user equipment; the target base station function network element is a network element or a base station used to implement base station functions, and the target base station function network element is a base station function network element to which the user equipment is handed over from the source base station function network element; and the mobility management function is a common control plane function in a core network, and is used to process mobility related functions; The target base station function network element sends a protocol data unit (PDU) session update request message to a connection control function, and the connection control function is determined based on a PDU session context of the user equipment; wherein the connection control function is a function in the core network used to be responsible for related control of communication connection; The target base station function network element receives a user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and sends a resource release message to the source base station function network element to instruct the source base station function network element to release resources associated with the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before the user equipment location update request message is sent to the mobility management function, the method further comprises the following steps: The target base station function network element receives a PDU session context of the user equipment sent by the source base station function network element, and the PDU session context of the user equipment carries a connection control function identifier; The target base station function network element determines the connection control function based on the PDU session context of the user equipment, comprising the following steps: The connection control function corresponding to the user equipment is acquired according to the connection control function identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The PDU session update response message is sent by the connection control function after receiving a session modification response sent by a user plane function; The session modification response is sent by the user plane function after receiving a session modification request sent by the connection control function, and the session modification request is sent by the connection control function after determining that the user plane function has the capability to serve the user equipment; The session modification request is used to request the user plane function to switch a user plane function path to the target base station function network element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method further comprises the following steps: The target base station function network element receives a data packet carrying an end marker sent by the source base station function network element, and the end marker is used to indicate the end of a data flow to the source base station function network element; The data packet carrying the end marker is sent to the source base station function network element by the user plane function after sending the session modification response to the connection control function.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein If the PDU session update response message indicates that the PDU session update is successful, the PDU session update response message comprises a list of PDU sessions that have been successfully switched and a list of PDU sessions that have failed to be switched.

6. An access network, characterized by The access network comprises a source base station function network element, a user equipment connected to the source base station function network element, and a target base station function network element, which is a base station function network element to which the user equipment is switched from the source base station function network element; the target base station function network element is configured to: receive a switching request of the source base station function network element, and send a user equipment location update request message to a mobility management function, the switching request being used to request the user equipment connected to the source base station function network element to switch from the source base station function network element to the target base station function network element; send a protocol data unit (PDU) session update request message to a connection control function, which is determined based on a PDU session context of the user equipment; receive a user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and send a resource release message to the source base station function network element to instruct the source base station function network element to release resources associated with the user equipment; The source base station function network element is a network element or a base station for implementing base station functions, and is a base station function network element to which the user equipment is currently accessed. The target base station function network element is a network element or a base station for implementing base station functions, and is a base station function network element to which the user equipment is switched from the source base station function network element; the mobility management function is a common control plane function in a core network, and is used to process mobility-related functions; and the connection control function is a function in the core network for controlling communication connection.

7. The access network of claim 6, wherein, The target base station function network element is further configured to: receive a PDU session context of the user equipment sent by the source base station function network element, the PDU session context of the user equipment carrying a connection control function identifier; obtain the connection control function corresponding to the user equipment according to the connection control function identifier.

8. A base station function network element, characterized by, The base station function network element is a network element or a base station for implementing base station functions, and comprises: a first processing module configured to receive a switching request of a source base station function network element, and send a user equipment location update request message to a mobility management function, the switching request being used to request a user equipment connected to the source base station function network element to switch from the source base station function network element to the base station function network element; the source base station function network element is a network element or a base station for implementing base station functions, and is a base station function network element to which the user equipment is currently accessed; and the mobility management function is a common control plane function in a core network, and is used to process mobility-related functions; a determination module configured to determine a connection control function corresponding to the user equipment based on a PDU session context of the user equipment; and the connection control function is a function in the core network for controlling communication connection. The second processing module is configured to send a protocol data unit (PDU) session update request message to the connection control function. The third processing module is configured to receive a user equipment location update response message sent by the mobility management function and a PDU session update response message sent by the connection control function, and send a resource release message to the source base station function network element to instruct the source base station function network element to release resources associated with the user equipment.

9. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises: a processor and a memory; the memory stores instructions executable by the processor; the processor is configured to execute the instructions, so that the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 10.A computer readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program, the computer program being executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images