A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and device are used to determine an anchor point of a terminal device on a satellite. A policy control function network element determines that a type of a terminal device backhaul network is a satellite backhaul type, determines policy information of the terminal device according to the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information, and sends the policy information to the terminal device. The policy information includes a correspondence relationship between a first type of service and a first type of routing policy, the service deployment information includes deployment information of the first type of service deployed on the satellite, and the first type of routing policy is used to determine a user plane function network element on the satellite as a session anchor point of the terminal device. In this way, the policy control function network element can perceive the type of the terminal device backhaul network, determine appropriate policy information for the terminal device when the type of the terminal device backhaul network is the satellite backhaul type, make the terminal device select a routing policy corresponding to a service deployed on the satellite, ensure that the anchor point of the terminal device is determined on the satellite, reduce service communication delay, and improve user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, satellite communication is gradually becoming a research hotspot. Satellite communication can supplement some scenarios where terrestrial communication is difficult to cover, such as deserts and oceans. Satellite communication scenarios may involve the deployment of network elements originally located on the ground to satellites, such as deploying user plane function network elements on satellites. Deploying user plane function network elements on satellites enables access network equipment and user plane function network elements to use satellite as the transmission path, i.e., satellite backhaul.

[0003] Deploying edge services on satellites enables edge computing (EC). For example, user plane function elements deployed on satellites can facilitate edge computing. When a terminal device establishes a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session via satellite backhaul, the user plane path passes through the satellite's user plane function elements. Data packets from the terminal device accessing onboard EC services can be directly routed to the edge computing platform via these elements. This eliminates the need for data packets to pass through ground-based user plane function elements, reducing user plane path latency, improving user experience, and reducing service communication latency.

[0004] In addition, when communicating between two terminal devices, the two terminal devices establish a PDU session through satellite backhaul via user plane function network elements deployed on the satellite. Their respective user plane paths pass through the corresponding user plane function network elements on the satellite, thereby enabling direct communication between the two terminal devices through the user plane function network elements on the satellite, shortening the communication path and improving the user experience.

[0005] However, currently, when determining the PDU session anchor (PSA) of a terminal device, the nearest user plane function network element is usually chosen based on the device's location. This may result in the terminal device's user plane path not passing through user plane function network elements on the satellite, thus failing to achieve the optimal user experience when accessing the network via satellite backhaul. Therefore, a method is urgently needed to ensure that the terminal device's session anchor is located on a satellite. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for determining the anchor point of a terminal device on a satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a communication method, which may include: after a policy control function network element determines that the backhaul network type of a terminal device is satellite backhaul, it determines policy information of the terminal device based on the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information, and sends the policy information to the terminal device. The policy information may include a correspondence between a first type of service and a first type of routing policy; the service deployment information includes deployment information of the first type of service, wherein the first type of service is a service deployed on a satellite; and the first type of routing policy is used to determine a user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device.

[0008] Using the above method, the policy control function network element can sense the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device. When the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul, it can determine the appropriate policy information for the terminal device so that the terminal device can select the routing policy corresponding to the service deployed on the satellite, ensuring that the anchor point of the terminal device is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0009] In one possible design, the policy control function network element can determine the type of the terminal device's backhaul network as the satellite backhaul type by obtaining the satellite backhaul type from the access and mobility management function network element. In this way, the policy control function network element can successfully perceive the type of the terminal device's backhaul network.

[0010] In one possible design, the policy control function network element acquires the service deployment information. In this way, the policy control function network element can determine the policy information of the terminal device by combining the service deployment information with the type of backhaul network of the terminal device.

[0011] In one possible design, the satellite return type can be a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite return type.

[0012] In one possible design, the service deployment information may further include deployment information for a second type of service, which is a service deployed on the ground and differs from the services included in the first type of service. The policy information also includes the correspondence between the second type of service and the second type of routing policy. Furthermore, the policy control function network element can determine the corresponding policy information for the terminal device when the type of the backhaul network device changes to a non-satellite backhaul type.

[0013] In one possible design, the policy control function network element can send subscription information to the access and mobility management function network element. This subscription information is used to subscribe to an indication of a change in the backhaul network type of the terminal device. Then, the policy control function network element receives indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, indicating that the backhaul network type of the terminal device has changed. The policy control network element can update the policy information of the terminal device based on the indication information. In this way, the policy control function network element can update the policy information of the terminal device according to the change in the backhaul network type, ensuring successful service operation.

[0014] Secondly, this application provides a communication method, which may include: a terminal device receiving policy information from a policy control network element, the policy information including a correspondence between a first type of service and a first type of routing policy, the first type of service being a service deployed on a satellite, the first type of routing policy being used to determine a user plane function network element on the satellite as a session anchor point for the terminal device; furthermore, the terminal device may determine the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the policy information.

[0015] Using the above method, the policy control function network element can sense the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device. When the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul, it can determine the appropriate policy information for the terminal device so that the terminal device can select the routing policy corresponding to the service deployed on the satellite, ensuring that the anchor point of the terminal device is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0016] In one possible design, the type of backhaul network for the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0017] In one possible design, the satellite backhaul type is the GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0018] In one possible design, the policy information also includes the correspondence between a second type of service and a second type of routing policy; the second type of service refers to services deployed in locations other than the satellite, and these services differ from those included in the first type of service. This way, when the type of the terminal device's backhaul network changes to a non-satellite backhaul type, a corresponding routing policy can be determined to ensure successful service delivery.

[0019] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method, which may include: a terminal device obtaining first indication information from an access and mobility management function network element, and receiving policy information from a policy control function network element, and then the terminal device determining a first type of routing policy corresponding to a first type of service based on the first indication information and the policy information. Wherein, the first indication information indicates that the type of backhaul network for the terminal device is satellite backhaul; the policy information includes the correspondence between the first type of service, the first type of routing policy, and the second indication information; the first type of service is a service deployed on a satellite, the first type of routing policy is used to determine a user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point for the terminal device, and the second indication information indicates that the policy information is used to indicate that the type of backhaul network is satellite backhaul.

[0020] By using the above method, the terminal device can perceive the type of its own backhaul network, and the routing strategy used when the satellite backhaul type is specified in the terminal device's policy information through the second indication information. This allows the terminal device to select an appropriate routing strategy when accessing the network via satellite backhaul, ensuring that the terminal device's anchor point is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0021] In one possible design, the terminal device stores the first indication information. In this way, the terminal device can determine the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the stored first indication information and the policy information.

[0022] In one possible design, the terminal device can obtain first indication information from the access and mobility management function (AM) network element through the following methods: the terminal device can receive a registration acceptance message from the AM, the registration acceptance message containing the first indication information; or, the terminal device can receive a configuration update message from the AM, the configuration update message containing the first indication information. In this way, the terminal device can successfully perceive the type of its backhaul network through either the registration process or the configuration update process.

[0023] In one possible design, the satellite return type is a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite return type.

[0024] In one possible design, the policy information may further include the correspondence between the first type of service and the second type of routing policy, whereby the second type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the ground as the session anchor point of the terminal device. In this way, when the type of the terminal device's backhaul network changes to a non-satellite backhaul type, the corresponding routing policy can be determined to ensure successful service delivery.

[0025] In one possible design, the terminal device can send a non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function (AM) network element, the non-access stratum message including the first type of routing policy. This ensures that when the AM network element subsequently sends the first type of routing policy to the session management function (SMU) network element, the terminal device's anchor point is determined to be on a satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0026] In one possible design, the second indication information is included within the first type of routing policy. This indicates that the first type of routing policy is used for satellite backhaul scenarios.

[0027] In one possible design, the terminal device can receive third indication information from the access and mobility management function network element. This third indication information indicates the updated backhaul network type of the terminal device. Furthermore, the terminal device can update the routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the third indication information. In this way, the terminal device can update its routing policy according to changes in its backhaul network type to ensure successful service execution.

[0028] Fourthly, this application provides a communication method, which may include: after an access and mobility management function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of a terminal device is satellite backhaul, sending first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0029] By using the above method, terminal devices can perceive the type of their own backhaul network. When a terminal device accesses the network via satellite backhaul, it can choose an appropriate routing strategy to ensure that the terminal device's anchor point is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0030] In one possible design, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMS) network element can send the first indication information to the terminal device through the following methods: the AMS network element can send a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, the registration acceptance message containing the first indication information; or, the AMS network element can send a configuration update message to the terminal device, the configuration update message containing the first indication information. In this way, the AMS network element can notify the terminal device of the backhaul network type during the registration or configuration update process.

[0031] In one possible design, the satellite backhaul type is the GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0032] In one possible design, after the access and mobility management function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device has changed, it sends third indication information to the terminal device. This third indication information indicates the updated type of the backhaul network for the terminal device. This allows the terminal device to determine the corresponding routing strategy when the backhaul network type changes to a non-satellite backhaul type, ensuring successful service delivery.

[0033] Fifthly, this application provides a communication method, which may include: a policy control function network element determining policy information and sending the policy information to a terminal device; wherein the policy information includes a correspondence between a first type of service, a first type of routing policy, and second indication information; the first type of service is a service deployed on a satellite, the first type of routing policy is used to determine a user plane function network element on the satellite as a session anchor point for the terminal device, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the type of network used for backhaul by the policy information is satellite backhaul type.

[0034] By using the above method, the routing strategy used when satellite backhaul type is specified in the policy information of the terminal device through the second indication information, the terminal device can choose an appropriate routing strategy when accessing the network through satellite backhaul, ensuring that the anchor point of the terminal device is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0035] In one possible design, the satellite backhaul type is the GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0036] In one possible design, the policy information may further include the correspondence between the first type of service and the second type of routing policy, whereby the second type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the ground as the session anchor point of the terminal device. Thus, when the type of the terminal device's backhaul network changes to a non-satellite backhaul type, the terminal device can determine the corresponding routing policy to ensure successful service execution.

[0037] In one possible design, the second indication information is included within the first type of routing policy. This indicates that the first type of routing policy is used for satellite backhaul scenarios.

[0038] Sixthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a policy control function network element. This communication device has the function of implementing the methods described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect, or the fifth aspect or various possible design examples of the fifth aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0039] In one possible design, the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. These units can perform the corresponding functions in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect, or in the fifth aspect or various possible design examples of the fifth aspect, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0040] In one possible design, the communication device includes a transceiver and a processor, and optionally a memory. The transceiver is used to send and receive information or data, and to communicate and interact with other devices in the communication system. The processor is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect, or the fifth aspect or various possible design examples of the fifth aspect. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data of the communication device.

[0041] Seventhly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a terminal device, having the functionality to implement the methods described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect, or the third aspect or various possible design examples of the third aspect. The functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functionality.

[0042] In one possible design, the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. These units can perform the corresponding functions in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect, or in the third aspect or various possible design examples of the third aspect, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication device includes a transceiver and a processor, and optionally a memory. The transceiver is used to send and receive information or data, and to communicate and interact with other devices in the communication system. The processor is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect, or the third aspect or various possible design examples of the third aspect. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data of the communication device.

[0044] Eighthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be an access and mobility management function network element. This communication device has the functionality to implement the methods described in the fourth aspect or various possible design examples of the fourth aspect. The functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functionality.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, which can perform the corresponding functions in the fourth aspect or various possible design examples of the fourth aspect, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0046] In one possible design, the communication device includes a transceiver and a processor, and optionally a memory. The transceiver is used to send and receive information or data, and to communicate and interact with other devices in the communication system. The processor is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions in the fourth aspect or various possible design examples of the fourth aspect described above. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0047] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system that may include the aforementioned policy control function network element, terminal equipment, and access and mobility management function network element, etc.

[0048] Tenthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first aspect and any possible design of the embodiments of this application, or in the second aspect and any possible design of the second aspect, or in the third aspect and any possible design of the third aspect, or in the fourth aspect and any possible design of the fourth aspect, or in the fifth aspect and any possible design of the fifth aspect. Exemplarily, the computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer. For example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium can include a non-transient computer-readable medium, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible to a computer.

[0049] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including computer program code or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the methods described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, or in the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect, or in the fourth aspect or any possible design of the fourth aspect, or in the fifth aspect or any possible design of the fifth aspect to be executed.

[0050] In a twelfth aspect, this application also provides a chip including a processor coupled to a memory for reading and executing program instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip to implement the methods described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, or in the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect, or in the fourth aspect or any possible design of the fourth aspect, or in the fifth aspect or any possible design of the fifth aspect.

[0051] For the various aspects of the above-mentioned sixth to twelfth aspects and the technical effects that may be achieved by each aspect, please refer to the above description of the technical effects that may be achieved by the various possible solutions of the first aspect or the first aspect, or the second aspect or the second aspect, or the third aspect or the third aspect, or the fourth aspect or the fourth aspect, or the fifth aspect or the fifth aspect. It will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in this application;

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a satellite backhaul scenario provided in this application;

[0054] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating another satellite backhaul scenario provided in this application;

[0055] Figure 4 A flowchart of a communication method provided in this application;

[0056] Figure 5 A flowchart of another communication method provided in this application;

[0057] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example of a communication method provided in this application;

[0058] Figure 7A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application;

[0060] Figure 9 A structural diagram of a communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to determine the anchor point of a terminal device on a satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience. The method and apparatus described in this application are based on the same technical concept. Since the principles by which the method and apparatus solve the problem are similar, their implementations can be mutually referred to, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0063] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

[0064] In the description of this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0065] In the description of this application, "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. " / " means "or", for example, a / b means a or b.

[0066] To more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the communication methods and devices provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0067] Figure 1This illustrates a possible example of the architecture of a fifth-generation (5G) communication system. This architecture may include: terminal equipment (also known as user equipment, UE), radio access network (RAN) equipment, user plane function (UPF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, application function (AF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, and a data network (DN), etc. Specifically, the AMF network element and the RAN device can be connected via interface N2; the RAN device and the UPF network element can be connected via interface N3; the SMF network element and the UPF network element can be connected via interface N4; the AMF network element and the UE can be connected via interface N1; the AMF network element and the SMF network element can be connected via interface N11; the SMF network element and the PCF network element can be connected via interface N7; the PCF network element and the AF network element can be connected via interface N5; the AMF network element and the UDM network element can be connected via interface N8; and the SMF network element and the UDM network element can be connected via interface N10. The above interface names are merely illustrative examples; other interface names are possible, and this application does not specifically limit them.

[0068] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited to those described above. Figure 1 The communication system shown Figure 1 The names of the network elements shown here are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the network elements included in the communication system architecture to which the method of this application applies. The functions of each network element or device in the communication system are described in detail below:

[0069] Terminal equipment, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., is a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users. For example, terminal equipment can include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, etc. Currently, terminal equipment can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes, etc. Figure 1 The terminal device shown is a UE, which is only an example and does not limit the terminal device.

[0070] RAN equipment: Equipment that provides access for terminal devices, primarily responsible for functions such as radio resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression, and encryption on the air interface side. RAN equipment can include various types of base stations, such as macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, and access points. In systems employing different radio access technologies, the names of equipment with base station functions may differ; for example, in 5G systems, it is called RAN or gNB (5G NodeB).

[0071] AMF network elements can be used to manage the access control and mobility of terminal devices. In practical applications, they include the mobility management functions in the mobility management entity (MME) of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) network framework, and add access management functions. Specifically, they can be responsible for terminal device registration, mobility management, tracking area update procedures, reachability detection, selection of session management function network elements, and mobile state transition management.

[0072] SMF network elements can be used to manage the sessions of terminal devices (including the establishment, modification and release of sessions), select and reselect user plane function network elements, allocate Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for terminal devices, control the quality of service (QoS), and select UPF network elements that provide packet forwarding functions.

[0073] UPF network elements are responsible for forwarding and receiving user data in terminal devices. They can receive user data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal device through the access network equipment; UPF network elements can also receive user data from the terminal device through the access network equipment and forward it to the data network. The transmission resources and scheduling functions that provide services to the terminal device in the UPF network element are managed and controlled by the SMF network element.

[0074] PCF network elements primarily support providing a unified policy framework to control network behavior, providing policy rules to control layer network functions, and acquiring user subscription information related to policy decisions. For example, PCF network elements can provide policies such as QoS policies and slice selection policies to AMF and SMF network elements.

[0075] AF network element: mainly supports interaction with the 3GPP core network to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing some third-party services to the network side.

[0076] UDM network elements are used for generating authentication credentials, processing user identifiers (such as storing and managing permanent user identities), controlling access authorization, and managing subscription data.

[0077] DN: refers to the service network that provides data transmission services to users, such as IP multi-media service (IMS) and the Internet.

[0078] The UE accesses the DN by establishing a protocol data unit (PDU) session between the UE, the RAN, and the DN.

[0079] In the core network, each network element can also be called a functional entity or device. It can be a network element implemented on dedicated hardware, a software instance running on dedicated hardware, or an instance of virtualized function on an appropriate platform. For example, the virtualization platform mentioned above can be a cloud platform.

[0080] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The architecture of the communication system shown is not limited to the network elements shown in the figure, but may also include other devices not shown in the figure. These will not be listed here.

[0081] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the distribution form of each network element. Figure 1 The distribution shown is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0082] For ease of explanation, all subsequent references to this application will be made in the form of "...". Figure 1 The network element shown is used as an example for illustration, and network element XX is directly abbreviated as XX. For example, SMF network element is abbreviated as SMF. It should be understood that all network element names in this application are merely examples and may be referred to by other names in future communications, or the network element involved in this application may be replaced by other entities or devices with the same function in future communications. This application does not limit these possibilities. This is a unified explanation here and will not be repeated later.

[0083] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The communication system shown does not constitute a limitation on the communication systems applicable to the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 The communication system architecture shown is a 5G system architecture. Optionally, the method of this application embodiment is also applicable to various future communication systems, such as 6G or other communication networks.

[0084] It should be noted that all names of messages and information in this application are merely examples and may be other names; this application does not limit them. It should be understood that a message or information from network element 1 to network element 2 can be sent directly from network element 1 to network element 2, or it can be sent indirectly. For example, network element 1 first sends a message or information to network element 3, and then network element 3 sends a message or information to network element 2. Ultimately, the message or information is sent to network element 2 through one or more network elements.

[0085] In some embodiments, when Figure 1 In the communication system shown, when satellite is used as the transmission path between the RAN and UPF, it can be called a satellite backhaul (SATB) scenario.

[0086] For example, Figure 2This diagram illustrates a possible satellite backhaul scenario. In this scenario, deploying edge services on the satellite enables edge computing (EC). The UE accesses the 5G core network (5Gcore, 5GC) via satellite, where a UPF is deployed. The user plane path for establishing a PDU session by the UE can be UE, RAN, and the UPF on the satellite. The UPF on the satellite enables edge computing. Thus, when the UE accesses data packets for EC services on the satellite, they can be directly routed to the edge computing platform via the satellite's UPF. This eliminates the need for data packets to pass through a ground-based UPF to reach the edge computing platform, reducing the user plane path, decreasing service communication latency, and improving user experience.

[0087] For example, Figure 3 This diagram illustrates another possible satellite backhaul scenario. In this scenario, UE 1 establishes PDU session 1 via satellite backhaul, with the user plane path being UE 1, RAN 1, and IPF 1 on the satellite; UE 2 establishes PDU session 2 via satellite backhaul, with the user plane path being UE 2, RAN 2, and UPF 2 on the satellite. Direct communication between UE 1 and UE 2 is possible via UPF1 and UPF 2 on the satellite, effectively enabling local switching. This shortens the communication path between UE 1 and UE 2, improving the user experience.

[0088] It should be noted that, Figure 3 This example illustrates the situation where UE 1 and UE 2 correspond to the same satellite. It should be understood that UE 1 and UE 2 may correspond to different satellites. Optionally, when UE 1 and UE 2 correspond to the same satellite, the UPF 1 corresponding to UE 1 and the UPF 2 corresponding to UE 2 may be the same or different, and this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0089] It should be noted that, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The satellites shown may be, but are not limited to, geostationary earth orbit (GEO).

[0090] for Figure 2 and Figure 3In scenarios where satellite communication can shorten communication paths, reduce service latency, and improve user experience, it's possible to ensure the terminal device's session anchor (PSA) is on the satellite, provided the satellite can support the services the terminal device needs. However, currently, when determining the terminal device's PSA, the nearest UPF (User-Defined Frame) is typically chosen based on the terminal device's location. This doesn't guarantee that the terminal device's PSA is anchored on the satellite, thus failing to achieve a better user experience when accessing the network via satellite backhaul.

[0091] Based on this, this application proposes a communication method that can ensure that the anchor point of the terminal device is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing business communication latency and improving user experience.

[0092] Based on the above description, such as Figure 4 As shown in the figure, this application provides a communication method, the specific process of which may include:

[0093] Step 401: The policy control function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0094] For example, the type of backhaul network for a terminal device can represent the type of backhaul link of the terminal device, which may include satellite backhaul type and non-satellite backhaul type. Satellite backhaul type indicates that the terminal device accesses the network via satellite backhaul, while non-satellite backhaul type indicates that the terminal device does not access the network via satellite backhaul.

[0095] In one optional implementation, when the policy control function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is the satellite backhaul type, it can obtain the satellite backhaul type from the access and mobility management function network element.

[0096] For example, in the registration process of a terminal device, when the access and mobility management function network element determines that the terminal device accesses the network via satellite backhaul, it can send an instruction to the policy control function network element indicating that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul, so that the policy control function network element can determine that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0097] Optionally, when determining whether the terminal device accesses the network via satellite backhaul, the access and mobility management function network element may determine this based on information received from the access network device, or the access and mobility management function network element may determine this based on local configuration information.

[0098] For example, for different backhaul links, access network devices send different transport layer information to the access and mobility management function (MLM) network elements. Upon receiving the transport layer information from the access network devices, the MLM network elements can determine the type of backhaul network for the terminal device based on the locally stored correspondence between transport layer information and backhaul network types. When the MLM network elements receive transport layer information from the access network devices corresponding to a satellite backhaul type, they can determine that the type of backhaul network for the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0099] Optionally, the satellite backhaul type can include multiple types, and different transport layer information can correspond to different satellite backhaul types. For example, the satellite backhaul type can refer to geostationary orbit satellite backhaul or low Earth orbit satellite backhaul, etc.

[0100] One optional satellite backhaul type is the GEO satellite backhaul type. This application only uses the GEO satellite backhaul type as an example for illustration and is not intended to limit this application.

[0101] For example, the policy control function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal equipment is GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0102] Step 402: The policy control function network element determines the policy information of the terminal device according to the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information. The policy information includes the correspondence between the first type of service and the first type of routing policy. The service deployment information includes the deployment information of the first type of service (i.e., the service deployment information includes the information of the satellite-deployed service). The first type of service is the service deployed on the satellite. The first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device.

[0103] Optionally, the first type of service refers to services deployed on satellites, specifically services deployed on GEO satellites. Further, a GEO satellite refers to a satellite on the satellite backhaul link currently accessed by the terminal device.

[0104] The routing policy represents the routing selection parameters corresponding to accessing services, such as single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and data network name (DNN). The first type of routing policy represents the routing selection parameters corresponding to the first type of service, such as S-NSSAI and DNN for the first type of service.

[0105] Optionally, the service deployment information may further include deployment information for a second type of service (i.e., the service deployment information also includes information on services deployed outside of satellites). This second type of service refers to services deployed at locations other than the satellite, such as services deployed on the ground. The first and second types of services may each include one or more services. The second type of service differs from the services included in the first type of service; that is, the second type of service comprises services other than those in the first type.

[0106] When the service deployment information also includes deployment information for a second type of service, the policy information may further include the correspondence between the second type of service and the second type of routing policy. The second type of routing policy represents the routing selection parameters corresponding to the second type of service, such as S-NSSAI and DNN corresponding to the second type of service.

[0107] For example, suppose the first type of service includes service 1 and service 2, and the second type of service includes other services. Other services are those other than service 1 and service 2. For example, if service 1 to service 10 are deployed, other services refer to service 3 to service 10. When the policy information includes the correspondence between the first type of service and the first type of routing policy, and the correspondence between the second type of service and the second type of routing policy, the policy information can be as shown in Table 1 below.

[0108] Table 1

[0109]

[0110] As can be seen from Table 1, the routing strategies (i.e., the first type of routing strategies) corresponding to Service 1 and Service 2 include (DNN, S-NSSAI)-1, which can be understood as DNN 1 and S-NSSAI 1; the routing strategies (i.e., the second type of routing strategies) corresponding to other services include (DNN, S-NSSAI)-2, which can be understood as DNN 2 and S-NSSAI 2.

[0111] Based on Table 1, when a terminal device accesses Service 1 or Service 2, the terminal device can establish a session according to (DNN, S-NSSAI)-1, that is, establish a session with the anchor point located on a satellite, i.e., determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device. When the terminal device accesses other services, the terminal device establishes a session according to (DNN, S-NSSAI)-2, that is, establish a session with the anchor point located on a non-satellite (e.g., ground).

[0112] It should be understood that when the policy information does not contain the correspondence between the second type of service and the second type of routing policy, the content of the policy information does not include (DNN, S-NSSAI)-2 corresponding to other services and other services in Table 1.

[0113] It should be noted that the correspondence between Service 1 and Service 2 and (DNN, S-NSSAI)-1 in Table 1 only represents one type of service and its corresponding DNN and S-NSSAI. Optionally, the correspondence between Service 1 and Service 2 and (DNN, S-NSSAI)-1 can include Service 1 and its corresponding DNN and S-NSSAI, and Service 2 and its corresponding DNN and S-NSSAI, respectively. Similarly, the correspondence between other services and (DNN, S-NSSAI)-2 can also include different services and their respective specific DNNs and S-NSSAIs. In this application, only the routing strategy corresponding to one type of service is used as an example.

[0114] In some embodiments, some services may be deployed on satellites or at locations other than satellites (e.g., on the ground). That is, when the same service is deployed on both satellites and locations other than satellites, the routing policy included in the policy information for these services is the routing policy corresponding to the service deployed on a satellite.

[0115] In one optional implementation, the service deployment information can be represented by the mapping between data network access identifiers (DNAIs) and fully qualified domain names (FQDNs). Furthermore, the service deployment information may also include other information such as DNNs and S-NSSAIs. For example, satellite service deployment information can be represented by the mapping between satellite-related DNAIs and FQDNs. It should be noted that satellite-related DNAIs can also be described as satellite identifiers (SAT IDs), etc., and this application does not limit this description.

[0116] For example, when the policy control function network element determines the policy information of the terminal device based on the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information, it can determine policy information containing the correspondence between the first type of service and the first type of routing policy based on the satellite backhaul type and satellite service deployment information. Assuming the terminal device accesses the network via GEO satellite backhaul, and the service deployment information includes the deployment information of service 1 and service 2, then in the policy information determined by the policy control function network element, (DNN, S-NSSAI)-1 is used for service 1 and service 2; for other services, such as service 3-10, (DNN, S-NSSAI)-2 is used.

[0117] It is understandable that the policy information determined by the policy control function network element conforms to the subscription of the terminal device. For example, if the UE is subscribed to only allow access to service 1, then the policy information only contains service 1 and the corresponding routing policy.

[0118] In one optional implementation, before the policy control function network element determines the policy information of the terminal device based on the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information, the policy control function network element obtains the service deployment information.

[0119] For example, the policy control function network element can obtain the service deployment information by means of the following methods: the policy control function network element can obtain the service deployment information from the application function network element; or, the policy control function network element can obtain the service deployment information from the unified data repository (UDR), wherein the service deployment information in the UDR is stored in the UDR by the application function network element.

[0120] It should be noted that UDR and UDM are not distinguished in this application; the above explanation only uses UDR as an example.

[0121] Optionally, the first and second categories of services can be edge computing services.

[0122] Step 403: The policy control function network element sends the policy information to the terminal device.

[0123] For example, the policy control function network element can send the policy information to the terminal device through network elements such as access and mobility management function network elements.

[0124] Step 404: The terminal device determines the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the policy information.

[0125] Subsequently, the terminal device can establish a session according to the first type of routing policy, that is, establish a session with the anchor point located on the satellite. Specifically, the terminal device can send the first type of routing policy to the session management function network element through the access and mobility management function network element. The session management function network element selects the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device according to the first type of routing policy.

[0126] In one optional implementation, when the access and mobility management function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device has changed, the policy control function network element receives indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, the indication information being used to indicate that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device has changed; then, the policy control network element updates the policy information of the terminal device according to the indication information.

[0127] Furthermore, the policy control function network element can send subscription information to the access and mobility management function network element, the subscription information being used to subscribe to the change indication of the type of backhaul network of the terminal device.

[0128] The change indicator is used to indicate a change in the type of backhaul network, such as a change from satellite backhaul to non-satellite backhaul. Alternatively, the change indicator may also indicate the changed backhaul network type.

[0129] Optionally, when the policy control function network element receives the indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, indicating that the type of backhaul network of the terminal device has changed, it can directly indicate that the type of backhaul network has changed, or it can indicate the change through the type of backhaul network after the change.

[0130] In one example, when the policy control network element updates the policy information of the terminal device according to the instruction information, if the backhaul network type of the terminal device changes from satellite backhaul type to non-satellite backhaul type or if the backhaul network type of the terminal device changes from GEO satellite backhaul to low earth orbit (LEO) satellite backhaul, the policy control network element may no longer include the first type of service and the corresponding routing policy in the updated policy information of the terminal device, so that the terminal device can establish a session for the first type of service with the anchor point located on a non-satellite (e.g., ground) or non-GEO satellite.

[0131] Understandably, for an established session anchored to a satellite, the terminal device can either immediately release the session or wait until the service on that session ends before releasing it.

[0132] Using the above communication method, the policy control function network element can sense the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device. When the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul, it can determine the appropriate policy information for the terminal device so that the terminal device can select the routing policy corresponding to the service deployed on the satellite, ensuring that the anchor point of the terminal device is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0133] Based on the above description, such as Figure 5As shown in the embodiment of this application, another communication method is provided, the specific process of which may include:

[0134] Step 501: The access and mobility management function network element determines that the type of the terminal device's backhaul network is satellite backhaul.

[0135] For a detailed description of the types of backhaul networks for terminal devices, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 The relevant descriptions involved in the illustrated embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0136] Optionally, the method by which the access and mobility management function network element determines that the type of the terminal device's backhaul network is satellite backhaul can be found in the relevant description in step 401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0137] As an example, the satellite backhaul type can be a GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0138] Step 502: The access and mobility management function network element sends a first indication information to the terminal device, the first indication information being used to indicate that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0139] In one optional implementation, the access and mobility management function network element can send the first indication information to the terminal device in two ways:

[0140] Method a1: The access and mobility management function network element sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, and the registration acceptance message includes the first indication information.

[0141] Method a2: The access and mobility management function network element sends a configuration update message to the terminal device, and the configuration update message includes the first indication information.

[0142] In the above method a1, after the terminal device initiates the registration process, the access and mobility management function network element, after determining that the type of the terminal device's backhaul network is satellite backhaul, can send the first instruction information to the terminal device through method a1.

[0143] In the above method a2, during the configuration update process of the terminal device, after the access and mobility management function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul, it can send the first indication information to the terminal device through the method a2.

[0144] Optionally, the operations in method a1 and method a2 can coexist or exist separately, and this application does not limit this.

[0145] For example, after receiving the first indication information, the terminal device saves the first indication information.

[0146] Step 503: The policy control function network element determines the policy information, which includes the correspondence between a first type of service, a first type of routing policy, and a second indication information; the first type of service is a service deployed on a satellite, the first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the policy information is used for satellite backhaul type.

[0147] Wherein, the second indication information is used to indicate that the type of the backhaul network used by the policy information is satellite backhaul type, which means that the first type of routing policy in the policy information is used in the scenario where the type of the backhaul network is satellite backhaul type. That is, the second indication information indicates that the corresponding first type of service and the corresponding first type of routing policy can be used or are effective under the satellite backhaul type.

[0148] In an optional implementation, the policy information may further include the correspondence between the first type of service and the second type of routing policy, wherein the second type of routing policy is used to determine user plane function network elements at locations other than the satellite (e.g., the ground) as session anchor points for the terminal device.

[0149] The routing policy represents the routing selection parameters corresponding to accessing the service, such as S-NSSAI and DNN parameters. The first type of routing policy and the second type of routing policy represent the routing selection parameters corresponding to the first type of service, such as S-NSSAI and DNN for the first type of service.

[0150] In one example, the second indication information may be included in the first type of routing policy, or the second indication information may also be included in the first type of service, or the second indication information may also be included in the policy information alongside the first type of routing policy.

[0151] For example, suppose the first type of service includes service 1 and service 2. When the policy information includes the correspondence between the first type of service, the first type of routing policy, and the second indication information, as well as the correspondence between the first type of service and the second type of routing policy, and the second indication information is included in the first type of routing policy, the policy information can be as shown in Table 2 below. When the policy information includes the correspondence between the first type of service, the first type of routing policy, and the second indication information, as well as the correspondence between the first type of service and the second type of routing policy, and the second indication information is included in the policy information alongside the first type of routing policy, the policy information can be as shown in Table 3 below. When the policy information includes the first type of service, the first type of routing policy, and the second indication information, and the second indication information is included in the first type of service, the policy information can be as shown in Table 4 below. In Tables 2, 3, and 4, the second indication information is illustrated using SATB indication as an example.

[0152] Table 2

[0153]

[0154] Table 3

[0155]

[0156] Table 4

[0157]

[0158] Table 2 shows that the first-type routing policies corresponding to Services 1 and 2 include the second indication information. Table 3 shows that the first-type routing policies and the second indication information exist side-by-side for Services 1 and 2. Table 4 shows that the first-type routing policies apply to Services 1 and 2, and the terminal device accesses the network via satellite backhaul (i.e., the second indication information is included in the first-type service). In this case, the terminal device stores the first-type service, the first-type routing policy, and the second indication information.

[0159] Based on Tables 2, 3, and 4, when a terminal device accesses Service 1 or Service 2, if the terminal device's backhaul network type is satellite backhaul, the terminal device selects the first type of routing policy based on the SATB instruction. The terminal device can then establish a session according to (DNN, S-NSSAI)-1 or policy A, i.e., establish a session with the anchor point on a satellite, that is, determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point for the terminal device. When the terminal device's backhaul network type is non-satellite backhaul, the terminal device selects the second type of routing policy. The terminal device then establishes a session according to (DNN, S-NSSAI)-2 or policy B, i.e., establish a session with the anchor point on a non-satellite (e.g., ground) location.

[0160] Step 504: The policy control function network element sends the policy information to the terminal device.

[0161] For example, the policy control function network element can send the policy information to the terminal device through network elements such as access and mobility management function network elements.

[0162] It should be noted that the order of steps 501 and 502, and steps 503 and 504, is not limited in this application.

[0163] Step 505: The terminal device determines the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the first indication information and the policy information.

[0164] For example, when the terminal device determines the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the first indication information and the policy information, the terminal device determines to select the first type of routing policy corresponding to the second indication information in the policy information based on the first indication information.

[0165] Furthermore, the terminal device can initiate a session establishment process by sending a non-access stratum message (NAS message) to the access and mobility management function network element. This NAS message includes the first type of routing policy. Subsequently, the access and mobility management function network element sends the first type of routing policy to the session management function network element, enabling the session management function network element to select a user plane function network element on the satellite as the terminal device's session anchor point based on the first type of routing policy.

[0166] In one optional implementation, after the access and mobility management function network element determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device has changed, it can send third indication information to the terminal device. This third indication information indicates the updated type of the backhaul network for the terminal device. Subsequently, the terminal device can update the routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the third indication information.

[0167] The access and mobility management function network element can send third indication information to the terminal device during the configuration update process of the terminal device. For example, the third indication information indicates that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is updated to non-satellite backhaul type.

[0168] In one example, when the policy control network element updates the routing policy corresponding to the first type of service according to the third indication information, if the backhaul network type of the terminal device changes from satellite backhaul to non-satellite backhaul, the terminal device re-determines the second routing policy corresponding to the first type of service, thereby establishing a session according to the second routing policy, so that the terminal device establishes a session with the anchor point located on a non-satellite (e.g., ground). For example, the first indication information is used to indicate that the backhaul network type of the terminal device is satellite backhaul, and the terminal device determines the routing policy corresponding to the first type of service as routing policy 1; when the terminal device receives the third indication information, which indicates that the terminal device no longer accesses the network via satellite backhaul or indicates that the terminal device accesses the network via LEO satellite backhaul, the terminal device determines the routing policy corresponding to the first type of service as routing policy 2.

[0169] Understandably, for an established session anchored to a satellite, the terminal device can immediately release the session, or wait until the service on the session ends before releasing the session.

[0170] By employing the above communication method, the terminal device can perceive the type of its own backhaul network and specify the routing strategy used when the satellite backhaul type is defined in the terminal device's policy information through the second indication information. This allows the terminal device to select an appropriate routing strategy when accessing the network via satellite backhaul, ensuring that the terminal device's anchor point is determined on the satellite, thereby reducing service communication latency and improving user experience.

[0171] Based on the above embodiments, the communication method provided in this application will be described in detail below through specific examples. In the following examples, the terminal device is UE, the access and mobility management function network element is AMF, and the policy control function network element is PCF, for detailed explanation.

[0172] Figure 6 An example of a communication method is shown, in which the PCF (Programmable Component Function) senses the UE's backhaul type and adjusts the UE's policy information, so that when the UE accesses the network via satellite backhaul, it selects the corresponding routing policy to ensure the establishment of a session anchored to the satellite UPF. The specific process of this example may include:

[0173] Step 601: PCF obtains service deployment information.

[0174] The service deployment information may include information on satellite-deployed services, or information on non-satellite-deployed services (such as terrestrial deployments). Specifically, the service deployment information may include deployment information for edge computing services.

[0175] For example, edge service deployment information can be represented by the mapping between DNAI and FQDN. Specifically, satellite edge service deployment information can be represented by the mapping between satellite identification (SAT ID) and FQDN.

[0176] Step 602: The UE initiates a registration process and registers with the network. In this registration process, after the AMF determines that the UE is accessing the network via Satellite Backhaul (SATB), it sends an SATB indication to the PCF to indicate that the UE is accessing the network via satellite backhaul. Figure 6 Step 602 shown: AMF sends the satellite backhaul type to PCF to indicate that the backhaul network type of the terminal device is satellite backhaul type.

[0177] Optionally, the PCF can send subscription information to the AMF, which is used to subscribe to an indication of a change in the type of backhaul network for the terminal device. This change in backhaul network type includes changes between satellite backhaul and non-satellite backhaul types.

[0178] Specifically, the method by which the AMF determines whether a UE accesses the network via SATB can be found in [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4 The method used by the access and mobility management function network element in the illustrated embodiment to determine whether the terminal device accesses the network via satellite backhaul is not described in detail here.

[0179] It should be noted that the order of steps 601 and 602 is not limited.

[0180] Step 603: After receiving the satellite backhaul type from the AMF, the PCF determines the UE policy information based on the service deployment information and sends the UE policy information to the UE. The UE policy information contains the correspondence between service information and routing policies.

[0181] The services corresponding to the service information can include two categories: satellite services (i.e., the first category of services mentioned above) and other services besides satellite services (i.e., the second category of services mentioned above), such as terrestrial services.

[0182] For services that are available both on the ground and via satellite, the UE policy information only includes the routing policy corresponding to the satellite service.

[0183] Optionally, when the satellite backhaul type is GEO satellite backhaul, that is, when the PCF determines that the UE accesses the network through GEO satellite backhaul, the PCF determines the UE policy information based on the service deployment information.

[0184] For example, UE policy information can be shown in Table 1 above. Related descriptions are mutually referential and will not be repeated here.

[0185] Step 604: UE initiates service. For example, UE initiates service 1 (Category 1 service).

[0186] Step 605: The UE determines the routing policy corresponding to service 1 (i.e., the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service) based on the UE policy information. For example, as shown in Table 1, the routing policy determined by the UE is (DNN,SNSSAI)-1.

[0187] Step 606: The UE initiates a session establishment procedure, sending access network information (ANmessage) to the RAN. This AN information carries NAS information. The NAS information carries (DNN, SNSSAI)-1 and a session establishment request.

[0188] Step 607: The RAN sends an N2 message to the AMF, which carries the aforementioned NAS message.

[0189] The N2 information may also include AN parameters.

[0190] Step 608: AMF sends (DNN,SNSSAI)-1 and a session establishment request to SMF.

[0191] For example, the AMF can send (DNN,SNSSAI)-1 and a session establishment request to the SMF through the Nsmf_createSMconext_request service.

[0192] Step 609: The SMF selects the satellite UPF as the session anchor point for the UE based on the received information (such as (DNN,SNSSAI)-1).

[0193] Among them, the satellite UPF can be the GEO UPF, that is, the UPF on the GEO satellite corresponding to the satellite currently accessed by the UE.

[0194] When the UE's backhaul type changes, for example, from GEO satellite backhaul to LEO satellite backhaul, or from satellite backhaul to non-satellite backhaul, the PCF receives the changed satellite backhaul type from the AMF. The PCF updates the UE policy information. This updated UE policy information no longer includes routing policies corresponding to services on the satellite. After receiving the updated UE policy information, the UE establishes a session based on it. For existing sessions used to access services on the satellite, the UE can either immediately release the session or wait until the service ends before releasing it.

[0195] Figure 7An example of another communication method is shown, in which the UE perceives its backhaul type and specifies the routing policy used when the satellite backhaul type is defined in the UE's policy information. This allows the UE to select an appropriate routing policy when accessing the network via satellite backhaul, ensuring the establishment of a session anchored to the satellite UPF. The specific process of this example may include:

[0196] Step 701: The UE initiates the registration process. The UE sends an AN message to the RAN, which carries NAS information. The NAS message carries a registration request.

[0197] Step 702: The RAN sends N2 information to the AMF, which carries the aforementioned NAS information.

[0198] Step 703: The AMF determines that the type of the UE's backhaul network is satellite backhaul, that is, the AMF determines that the UE accesses the network through SATB.

[0199] Step 704a: The AMF sends a registration acceptance message to the UE, which carries first indication information, indicating that the UE accesses the network through SATB.

[0200] Optionally, when the AMF determines that the satellite backhaul type is GEO satellite backhaul type, that is, when it determines that the UE accesses the network through GEO SATB, the AMF sends a registration acceptance message carrying the first indication information to the UE.

[0201] Step 704b: In the configuration update process, the AMF sends a configuration update message to the UE, which carries the first indication information.

[0202] Optionally, when the AMF determines that the satellite backhaul type is GEO satellite backhaul type, that is, when it determines that the UE accesses the network through GEO SATB, the AMF sends a configuration update message carrying the first indication information to the UE.

[0203] It should be noted that steps 704a and 704b can be performed using either one of the following methods: the AMF can send the first indication information to the UE through a registration acceptance message or through a configuration update message.

[0204] Optionally, the AMF can also send updated indication information (i.e., the third indication information mentioned above) to the UE using the UE configuration update procedure. For example, if the AMF determines that the type of the UE's backhaul network has changed, the AMF sends updated indication information to the UE. For example, if the AMF determines that the type of the backhaul network accessed by the UE has changed from GEO SATB to another type, such as non-satellite backhaul or LEO SATB, the AMF sends indication information 1 to the UE to indicate that the type of backhaul network accessed by the UE is no longer GEO SATB.

[0205] Step 705: The UE saves the first indication information.

[0206] Step 706: PCF determines the UE policy information and sends the UE policy information to the UE.

[0207] UE policy information includes the correspondence between service information (such as Category I services), routing policies (such as Category I routing policies), and STAB indications (i.e., the second indication information mentioned above).

[0208] The SATB indication indicates that the UE policy applies only to scenarios where the UE accesses the network via satellite backhaul. Alternatively, the SATB indication can be described as indicating the routing policy corresponding to the service specified in the SATB indication, which is only usable or effective during satellite backhaul.

[0209] The UE policy information can be found in Tables 2, 3, and 4 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0210] Step 707: UE starts the service, such as starting the first type of service.

[0211] Step 708: The UE determines the first type of routing policy corresponding to the service based on the first indication information and the UE policy information. For example, the first type of routing policy determined by the UE is (DNN,SNSSAI)-1.

[0212] Steps 709 to 712 are similar to steps 606 to 609 above and can be referred to each other, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0213] It should be noted that when the UE policy information is as shown in Table 1, the NAS information carried by the UE in step 709 may not carry the STAB indication, but only other information in the first type of routing policy, such as (DNN,SNSSAI)-1.

[0214] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, see below. Figure 8As shown, the communication device 800 may include a transceiver unit 801 and a processing unit 802. The transceiver unit 801 is used for receiving or sending information (messages or data) to the communication device 800, and the processing unit 802 is used for controlling and managing the operations of the communication device 800. The processing unit 802 can also control the steps performed by the transceiver unit 801.

[0215] For example, the communication device 800 may specifically be a policy control function network element (such as PCF) in the above embodiments, a processor, chip, chip system, or a functional module in the policy control function network element; or, the communication device 800 may specifically be a terminal device (such as UE) in the above embodiments, a processor, chip, chip system, or a functional module in the terminal device; or, the communication device 800 may specifically be an access and mobility management function network element (such as AMF) in the above embodiments, a processor, chip, chip system, or a functional module in the access and mobility management function network element.

[0216] In one embodiment, the communication device 800 is used to implement the above. Figure 4 or Figure 6 In the embodiments described, the function of the Policy Control Function (PCF) may specifically include: the processing unit 802 may be used to determine that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul, and to determine the policy information of the terminal device according to the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information. The policy information includes the correspondence between a first type of service and a first type of routing policy. The service deployment information includes the deployment information of the first type of service, which is a service deployed on a satellite. The first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device. The transceiver unit 801 may be used to send the policy information to the terminal device.

[0217] In an optional implementation, when the processing unit 802 determines that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is the satellite backhaul type, it can be used to: control the transceiver unit 801 to obtain the satellite backhaul type from the access and mobility management function network element.

[0218] Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 is also used to obtain the service deployment information.

[0219] For example, the satellite backhaul type is the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite backhaul type.

[0220] In one example, the service deployment information may further include deployment information for a second type of service, which is a service deployed on the ground and is different from the services included in the first type of service; the policy information may further include the correspondence between the second type of service and the second type of routing policy.

[0221] In an optional implementation, the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to send subscription information to the access and mobility management function network element, the subscription information being used to subscribe to a change indication of the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device; and to receive indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, the indication information being used to indicate that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device has changed; the processing unit 802 is further configured to update the policy information of the terminal device according to the indication information.

[0222] In another embodiment, the communication device 800 is used to implement the above. Figure 4 or Figure 6 In the embodiments described, the functions of the terminal device (UE) may specifically include: the transceiver unit 801 may be used to receive policy information from the policy control network element, the policy information including the correspondence between a first type of service and a first type of routing policy, the first type of service being a service deployed on a satellite, and the first type of routing policy being used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device; the processing unit 802 may be used to determine the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the policy information.

[0223] Optionally, the type of backhaul network for the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0224] For example, the satellite backhaul type is a GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0225] In one example, the policy information also includes the correspondence between a second type of service and a second type of routing policy; the second type of service is a service deployed in a location other than the satellite, and the services included in the second type of service are different from those included in the first type of service.

[0226] In another embodiment, the communication device 800 is used to implement the above. Figure 5 or Figure 7In the embodiments described, the functions of the terminal device (UE) may specifically include: the transceiver unit 801 may be used to obtain first indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, the first indication information being used to indicate that the type of backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul; and to receive policy information from the policy control function network element, the policy information including the correspondence between a first type of service, a first type of routing policy, and second indication information; the first type of service is a service deployed on a satellite, the first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the type of backhaul network used by the policy information is satellite backhaul; the processing unit 802 may be used to determine the first type of routing policy corresponding to the first type of service based on the first indication information and the policy information.

[0227] Optionally, the processing unit 802 can also be used to save the first indication information.

[0228] For example, when the transceiver unit 801 obtains the first indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, it can be used to: receive a registration acceptance message from the access and mobility management function network element, wherein the registration acceptance message contains the first indication information; or receive a configuration update message from the access and mobility management function network element, wherein the configuration update message contains the first indication information.

[0229] For example, the satellite backhaul type is the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite backhaul type.

[0230] In one example, the policy information may further include the correspondence between the first type of service and the second type of routing policy, wherein the second type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the ground as the session anchor point of the terminal device.

[0231] In an optional implementation, the transceiver unit 801 can also be used to send non-access stratum messages from access and mobility management function network elements, the non-access stratum messages including the first type of routing policy.

[0232] Optionally, the second indication information is included in the first type of routing policy.

[0233] In one possible approach, the transceiver unit 801 can also be used to receive third indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, the third indication information being used to indicate the type of backhaul network updated by the terminal device; the processing unit 802 can also be used to update the routing policy corresponding to the first type of service according to the third indication information.

[0234] In another embodiment, the communication device 800 is used to implement the above. Figure 5 or Figure 7 In the embodiments described, the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element may specifically include: the processing unit 802 is used to determine that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul; the transceiver unit 801 is used to send first indication information to the terminal device, the first indication information being used to indicate that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul.

[0235] Optionally, when sending the first indication information to the terminal device, the transceiver unit 801 may be used to: send a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, the registration acceptance message containing the first indication information; or, send a configuration update message to the terminal device, the configuration update message containing the first indication information.

[0236] For example, the satellite backhaul type is a GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0237] In one example, the processing unit 802 can also be used to determine that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device has changed; the transceiver unit 801 can also be used to send third indication information to the terminal device, the third indication information being used to indicate the updated type of the backhaul network of the terminal device.

[0238] In another embodiment, the communication device 800 is used to implement the above. Figure 5 or Figure 7 In the embodiments described, the function of the Policy Control Function (PCF) may specifically include: the processing unit 802 may be used to determine policy information, the policy information including the correspondence between a first type of service, a first type of routing policy, and second indication information; the first type of service is a service deployed on a satellite, the first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the policy information is used for satellite backhaul type; the transceiver unit 801 may be used to send the policy information to the terminal device.

[0239] Optionally, the satellite backhaul type is a GEO satellite backhaul type.

[0240] In one example, the policy information also includes the correspondence between the first type of service and the second type of routing policy, wherein the second type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the ground as the session anchor point of the terminal device.

[0241] For example, the second indication information is included in the first type of routing policy.

[0242] It should be noted that the division of units in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The functional units in the embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0243] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0244] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, see below. Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 900 may include a transceiver 901 and a processor 902. Optionally, the communication device 900 may also include a memory 903. The memory 903 may be located inside or outside the communication device 900. The processor 902 can control the transceiver 901 to receive and send information, messages, or data.

[0245] Specifically, the processor 902 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor 902 may further include a hardware chip. The hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0246] The transceiver 901, processor 902, and memory 903 are interconnected. Optionally, the transceiver 901, processor 902, and memory 903 are interconnected via bus 904; bus 904 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 9 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0247] In one optional implementation, the memory 903 is used to store programs, etc. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. The memory 903 may include RAM, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices. The processor 902 executes the application program stored in the memory 903 to implement the above-mentioned functions, thereby realizing the function of the communication device 900.

[0248] For example, the communication device 900 may be a policy control function network element (such as PCF) in the above embodiments; it may also be a terminal device (such as UE) in the above embodiments; or it may be an access and mobility management function network element (such as AMF) in the above embodiments.

[0249] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 implements Figure 4 or Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, when the policy control function network element (such as PCF) is functioning, the transceiver 901 can implement the following: Figure 4 or Figure 6 The transmit / receive operations in the illustrated embodiment are performed by a policy control function network element (such as a PCF); the processor 902 can implement... Figure 4 or Figure 6 The embodiments shown refer to operations other than transmit / receive operations performed by policy control function network elements (such as PCF). For detailed descriptions, please refer to the above. Figure 4 or Figure 6 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments will not be detailed here.

[0250] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 implements Figure 4 or Figure 6 In the embodiments shown, when the terminal device (such as UE) performs its functions, the transceiver 901 can implement... Figure 4 or Figure 6 The transmit / receive operations performed by a terminal device (such as a UE) in the illustrated embodiment; the processor 902 can implement Figure 4 or Figure 6 The embodiments shown refer to operations performed by the terminal device (such as UE) other than transmission and reception operations. For detailed descriptions, please refer to the above. Figure 4 or Figure 6 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments will not be detailed here.

[0251] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 implements Figure 5 or Figure 7 In the embodiments shown, when the terminal device (such as UE) performs its functions, the transceiver 901 can implement... Figure 5 or Figure 7 The transmit / receive operations performed by a terminal device (such as a UE) in the illustrated embodiment; the processor 902 can implement Figure 5 or Figure 7 The embodiments shown refer to operations performed by the terminal device (such as UE) other than transmission and reception operations. For detailed descriptions, please refer to the above. Figure 5 or Figure 7 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments will not be detailed here.

[0252] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 implements Figure 5 or Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, when accessing and performing mobility management function (AMF) network elements, transceiver 901 can implement... Figure 5 or Figure 7The transmit / receive operations in the illustrated embodiment are performed by an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element; the processor 902 can implement... Figure 5 or Figure 7 The embodiments shown refer to operations other than transmit and receive operations performed by access and mobility management function network elements (such as AMF). For detailed descriptions, please refer to the above. Figure 5 or Figure 7 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments will not be detailed here.

[0253] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 implements Figure 5 or Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, when the policy control function network element (such as PCF) is functioning, the transceiver 901 can implement the following: Figure 5 or Figure 7 The transmit / receive operations in the illustrated embodiment are performed by a policy control function network element (such as a PCF); the processor 902 can implement... Figure 5 or Figure 7 The embodiments shown refer to operations other than transmit / receive operations performed by policy control function network elements (such as PCF). For detailed descriptions, please refer to the above. Figure 5 or Figure 7 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments will not be detailed here.

[0254] Based on the above embodiments, this application provides a communication system that may include the policy control function network element, terminal equipment, and access and mobility management function network element involved in the above embodiments.

[0255] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0256] This application also provides a computer program product for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0257] This application also provides a chip, including a processor coupled to a memory, for calling a program in the memory to enable the chip to implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0258] This application also provides a chip coupled to a memory, which is used to implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0259] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0260] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0261] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0262] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0263] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The policy control function network element determines that the type of backhaul network for the terminal equipment is satellite backhaul. The policy control function network element determines the policy information of the terminal device based on the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information. The service deployment information includes information on the services deployed on the satellite. The policy information includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the satellite and the first type of routing policy. The first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device. The policy control function network element sends the policy information to the terminal device.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The policy control function network element determines the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device as the satellite backhaul type, including: The policy control function network element obtains the satellite backhaul type from the access and mobility management function network element.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The policy control function network element obtains the service deployment information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The satellite return type is the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite return type.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The service deployment information also includes information on services deployed on the ground, which are different from the services deployed on satellites; The policy information also includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the ground and the second type of routing policy.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The policy control function network element sends subscription information to the access and mobility management function network element, and the subscription information is used to subscribe to the change indication of the type of backhaul network of the terminal device; The policy control function network element receives indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, the indication information being used to indicate that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device has changed; The policy control network element updates the policy information of the terminal device according to the instruction information.

7. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The processing unit is configured to determine that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is satellite backhaul; and to determine the policy information of the terminal device based on the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information, wherein the service deployment information includes information on the services deployed on the satellite, and the policy information includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the satellite and a first type of routing policy, wherein the first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device. The transceiver unit sends the policy information to the terminal device.

8. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The processing unit is configured to determine that the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device is the satellite backhaul type, including controlling the transceiver unit to obtain the satellite backhaul type from the access and mobility management function network element.

9. The communication device as described in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used to: obtain the service deployment information.

10. The communication device according to any one of claims 7-8, characterized in that, The satellite return type is the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite return type.

11. The communication device according to any one of claims 7-8, characterized in that, The service deployment information also includes information on services deployed on the ground, which are different from the services deployed on satellites; the policy information also includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the ground and the second type of routing policy.

12. The communication device according to any one of claims 7-8, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send subscription information to the access and mobility management function network element, the subscription information being used to subscribe to a change indication of the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device; and to receive indication information from the access and mobility management function network element, the indication information being used to indicate a change in the type of the backhaul network of the terminal device. The processing unit is also configured to update the policy information of the terminal device according to the instruction information.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes memory, processor, and transceiver, wherein: The memory is used to store computer instructions; The transceiver is used to receive and send information; The processor is coupled to the memory and is used to invoke computer instructions in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-6 via the transceiver.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when invoked by the computer, perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

16. A chip, characterized in that, The system includes a processor coupled to a memory for reading and executing program instructions stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

17. A communication system, characterized in that, include: Policy control function network elements and access and mobility management function network elements, The access and mobility management function network element is used to send the satellite backhaul type to the policy control function network element; The policy control function network element is used to obtain the satellite backhaul type from the access and mobility management function network element; determine the policy information of the terminal device according to the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information, wherein the service deployment information includes information on the services deployed on the satellite, and the policy information includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the satellite and the first type of routing policy, wherein the first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device; The policy information is sent to the terminal device.

18. The communication system as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The policy control function network element is also used to obtain the service deployment information.

19. The communication system as described in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The satellite return type is the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite return type.

20. The communication system according to any one of claims 17-18, characterized in that, The service deployment information also includes information on services deployed on the ground, which are different from the services deployed on satellites; The policy information also includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the ground and the second type of routing policy.

21. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The access and mobility management function network element sends the satellite backhaul type to the policy control function network element; The policy control function network element obtains the satellite backhaul type from the access and mobility management function network element; and determines the policy information of the terminal device based on the satellite backhaul type and service deployment information. The service deployment information includes information on the services deployed on the satellite, and the policy information includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the satellite and the first type of routing policy. The first type of routing policy is used to determine the user plane function network element on the satellite as the session anchor point of the terminal device. The policy information is sent to the terminal device.

22. The communication method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, Also includes: The policy control function network element obtains the service deployment information.

23. The communication method as described in claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, The satellite return type is the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite return type.

24. The communication method according to any one of claims 21-22, characterized in that, The service deployment information also includes information on services deployed on the ground, which are different from the services deployed on satellites; the policy information also includes the correspondence between the services deployed on the ground and the second type of routing policy.

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