5g-based user information management method and system, pcf network element, and electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses a user information management method based on 5G, comprising the following steps: accepting a service flow sent by an AF network element and saving the service flow, wherein the service flow comprises information types and address information of user information of authorized users stored by the AF network element; accepting a first subscription request sent by an AF network element, wherein the first subscription request comprises information requests of authorized users; and feeding back service flows of other AF network elements of the authorized users stored to the AF network element sending the first subscription request, so that the AF network element can access and obtain user information of authorized users stored in corresponding AF network elements according to the address information. The application further discloses a corresponding user information management system, a PCF network element and an electronic device. Compared with the prior art, the application does not need to store user information in the PCF network element, thereby reducing the data storage amount of the cloud and the data amount uploaded on the AF network element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of 5G mobile communications, and more particularly to the access of user information between different AF network elements. Background Technology

[0002] Metaverse services typically involve the use of virtual avatars. Users can use different virtual avatars for different scenarios (e.g., a realistic avatar for online shopping, a cartoon avatar for games). Often, different metaverse servers need to retrieve virtual avatars from other servers. Referring to Chinese patent CN116249113A, existing technologies often store virtual avatars in a blockchain storage network. After authentication and authorization by the AF network element, the corresponding virtual avatar is then retrieved from the blockchain storage network. This technology not only results in a large amount of information being stored in the cloud, but also requires users to send both stored and updated virtual avatars to the blockchain storage network, increasing the amount of data uploaded by the AF network element.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method and system that can solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a 5G-based user information management method, system, PCF network element, and electronic device, which effectively reduces the amount of data stored in the cloud and the amount of data uploaded by the AF network element.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention discloses a 5G-based user information management method, comprising: receiving a service flow sent by an AF network element and saving the service flow, wherein the service flow includes information type and address information of authorized user user information stored by the AF network element; receiving a first subscription request sent by an AF network element, wherein the first subscription request includes an information request of an authorized user; and feeding back the service flows of other AF network elements storing the authorized user to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request, so that the AF network element can access and obtain the user information of the authorized user stored in the corresponding AF network element based on the address information.

[0006] Preferably, the system accepts the session establishment request containing the service flow sent by the AF network element, saves the service flow, and establishes a session with the AF network element according to the session establishment request.

[0007] Preferably, when receiving a session establishment request from a new AF network element, it is determined whether there is a service flow associated with the user of the first subscription request. If so, the service flow is notified to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request.

[0008] Preferably, the first subscription request is an information request from an authorized user in another AF network element that is different from the first AF network element; feeding back the service flow of the stored authorized user to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request specifically includes feeding back the service flow of the authorized user stored in another AF network element to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request.

[0009] Preferably, the user information includes one or more of the following: user avatar information, user address book information, user historical access time, user historical access duration, user access address, etc.

[0010] This invention also discloses a 5G-based user information management system, comprising: an AF network element that sends a service flow to a PFC network element, the service flow including the information type and address information of authorized user user information stored in the AF network element; and an PCF network element that uploads a first subscription request to the PCF network element as needed, the first subscription request including an information request of an authorized user; and a PCF network element that stores the service flow sent by the AF network element and feeds back the service flows of other AF network elements of the authorized user stored therein to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request, so that the AF network element can access and obtain the user information of the authorized user stored in the corresponding AF network element based on the address information.

[0011] Preferably, when the AF network element establishes a session with the PCF network element, it sends a session establishment request containing a service flow to the PCF network element, and the PCF network element establishes a session with the AF network element based on the session establishment request.

[0012] Preferably, when the PCF network element receives a session establishment request from a new AF network element, it determines whether the service flow of the AF network element is the service flow of the user associated with the first subscription request. If so, it notifies the AF network element that sent the first subscription request of the service flow.

[0013] Preferably, the user information includes one or more of the following: user avatar information, user contact information, user historical access time, user historical access duration, user access address, etc. When the user information is user avatar information, this invention enables network operators to support the management of diverse avatars for metaverse services, storing avatars on different metaverse servers. Network operators utilize the extensive network of existing metaverse servers and leverage 5GS authentication and authorization capabilities for third-party entities to provide access to avatars on these servers, acting as proxies.

[0014] The first subscription request is an information request from an authorized user in another AF network element that is different from its AF network element; the PFC network element feeds back the service flow of the authorized user stored in the other AF network element to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request.

[0015] The present invention also discloses an electronic device, including a communication interface, a communication bus, one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs. The processors, the memory, and the communication interface communicate with each other through the communication bus. The one or more programs are stored in the memory, and the programs are configured to be executed by the processor as described above using the 5G-based user information management method.

[0016] This invention also discloses a PCF network element, comprising: a first transceiver module for receiving a service flow sent by an AF network element, the service flow including information type and address information of user information of authorized users stored in the AF network element; a second transceiver module for receiving a first subscription request sent by an AF network element, the first subscription request including information request of authorized users; and a processing module for saving the service flow sent by the AF network element; and feeding back the service flows of other AF network elements of the stored authorized users to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request, so that the AF network element can access and obtain the user information of the authorized users stored in the corresponding AF network element based on the address information.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, this invention enables network operators to support user information interaction between multiple AF network elements. User information is stored in its own AF network element, and then the ability of 5GS to verify and authorize third-party entities is used to provide any AF network element with the address of user information stored in other AF network elements that matches the currently authorized user. This allows the AF network element to access another AF network element to obtain the user information of the authorized user in that other AF network element, effectively reducing the amount of data storage in the cloud and the amount of data uploaded by the AF network elements. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the user management method executed by the 5G-based user information management system of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the electronic device of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a structural block diagram of the PCF network element of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To illustrate the technical content, structural features, objectives, and effects of the present invention in detail, the following description is provided in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0022] refer to Figure 1 This invention discloses a 5G-based user information management method, including the following steps 1-5.

[0023] Within the AF network element, a service flow for its authorized users is established. This service flow includes the information type and address information of the authorized users stored in the AF network element. The service flow is a JSON list of data. The user information includes one or more combinations of user avatar information, user address book information, user historical access time, user historical access duration, user access address, etc. In other words, the service flow includes different types of service flows, such as one or more combinations of user avatar service flow, user address book service flow, user historical access time service flow, user historical access duration service flow, user access address service flow, etc.

[0024] The table below is a form for defining service flow types:

[0025] Attribute name Data type P Cardinality Description services flow array(ser Flow) O 0..1 Service flow information array

[0026] The specific content of the form for defining service flow types is shown in the table below. This table shows the form for defining a specific type of service flow (last access time):

[0027]

[0028] The specific steps of the 5G-based user information management method are as follows:

[0029] 1. When an AF network element accesses 5GC, it adds the service flow to the session establishment request context (App SessionContext Req Data) via the PCF policy authentication creation (Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Create) action and stores it in the PCF session context. Specifically, the session establishment request formed after adding the service flow to the PCF policy authentication creation (Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Create) action contains application session context requirement data (App Session Context Req Data). This application session context requirement data is a data form containing service flow information, as shown below:

[0030]

[0031] 2. The AF network element sends a session establishment request to the PCF network element. The PCF network element accepts the service flow sent by the AF network element and saves the service flow. Specifically, the PCF network element accepts the session establishment request containing the service flow sent by the AF network element, saves the service flow, and establishes a PDU session with the AF network element based on the session establishment request. When saving the service flow, a mapping relationship between the authorized user of the service flow and the PDU session is also established.

[0032] In this way, a PDU session is established between the AF network element and the PCF network element, and the AF network element allocates its own service flow to the PDU session.

[0033] If an AF (Automatic Feeder) network element needs to receive service flows from other AF network elements of an authorized user corresponding to the service flow in this PDU session, or service flows from other AF network elements of an authorized user it has authorized, then this AF network element needs to initiate an event subscription for this PDU session or initiate a service flow subscription for the corresponding authorized user. Specifically:

[0034] 3. When an AF network element needs to obtain user information for an authorized user from other AF network elements, the AF network element will send a first subscription request based on its own needs. This first subscription request includes the information request for the authorized user. The PCF network element accepts this first subscription request. The authorized user is obtained by the AF network element through the 5GC authentication and authorization process, which verifies the authorized user of the AF network element, ensuring the user identity of the AF network element is secure and trustworthy. Generally, when the PCF network element receives the first subscription request, it will check whether the user corresponding to the AF network element sending the first subscription request is an authorized user. That is, it will authenticate and authorize the AF network element sending the first subscription request before sending service flows that meet its permissions.

[0035] The user information includes user avatar information, user contact information, user historical access time, user historical access duration, user access address, etc. The first subscription request includes an information request for a certain type of user information authorized by the user, such as an information request for user avatar information or an information request for user historical access time, etc. Of course, the user request of the authorized user can also be a user request for a certain default user information.

[0036] The first subscription request is an information request from an authorized user in another AF network element that is different from its AF network element.

[0037] 4. If an AF network element needs to receive service flows from other AF network elements corresponding to the service flows of an authorized user in its own PDU session, and initiates an event subscription for that PDU session to send a first subscription request to the PCF network element, then when the PCF network element detects a new PDU session for that authorized user, i.e., when it detects the newly added service flow association for that authorized user, the PCF network element will add the corresponding service flow to the AF event notification (AF Events Notification) to the AF network elements subscribing to that PDU session through the PCF Policy Authorization Notification (Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify) action. In other words, the PDF network element will feed back the service flows of other AF network elements of the authorized user stored in its database to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request.

[0038] If an AF (Automatic Activated Flow) network element needs service flows from authorized users in other AF network elements and initiates an event subscription for those authorized users' service flows to send a first subscription request to the PCF (Public Activated Flow) network element, the PCF network element searches its own PDU sessions, queries for PDU sessions matching the authorized user, obtains the corresponding service flows from other AF network elements within those PDU sessions, and adds the corresponding service flows to the AF event notifications (AF Events Notification) of the subscribed AF network elements via the PCF Policy Authorization Notification (Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify) action. Furthermore, in the future, when the PCF network element detects a new PDU session for that authorized user, i.e., detects a new association with the authorized user's service flows, it will add the corresponding service flows to the AF event notifications (AF Events Notification) of the subscribed AF network elements via the PCF Policy Authorization Notification (Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify) action.

[0039] The above-mentioned subscription of service flow or PDU session is only targeted at authorized users. In another embodiment, the AF network element may also obtain the subscription of service flow or PDU session of authorized users in a specific AF network element as needed, so as to obtain the service flow of the authorized user in a specific AF network element.

[0040] 5. After receiving the service flow sent by the PCF network element through the PCF policy authentication notification (Npcf_PolicyAuthorization_Notify), the AF network element will obtain the corresponding user information based on the address information (resource URL) in the service flow. It will then access the user information of the corresponding AF network element through the address information, ultimately obtaining the user information of the authorized user stored in the corresponding AF network element, thus achieving the purpose of sharing user information. For example... Figure 1 As shown, AF1 obtains the user information of the authorized user in AF2 based on the address information.

[0041] refer to Figure 1 This invention also discloses a 5G-based user information management system, comprising: an AF network element and a PCF network element. The AF network element sends a service flow to the PCF network element, the service flow including the information type and address information of the authorized user's user information stored in the AF network element; it also uploads a first subscription request to the PCF network element, the first subscription request including the authorized user's information request; the PCF network element stores the service flow sent by the AF network element, and feeds back the stored service flows of other AF network elements of the authorized user to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request. The AF network element can access and obtain the user information of the authorized user stored in the corresponding AF network element based on the address information. There are one or more AF network elements.

[0042] When the AF network element establishes a PDU session with the PCF network element, it sends a session establishment request containing the service flow to the PCF network element, and the PCF network element establishes a PDU session with the AF network element according to the session establishment request.

[0043] When the PCF network element receives a session establishment request from a new AF network element, it determines whether the service flow of the AF network element is the service flow of the user associated with the first subscription request. If so, it notifies the AF network element that sent the first subscription request of the service flow.

[0044] The user information includes one or more of the following: user virtual avatar information, user address book information, user historical access time, user historical access duration, user access address, etc.

[0045] refer to Figure 2 The present invention also discloses an electronic device, including a communication interface 11, a communication bus 12, one or more processors 13, a memory 14, and one or more programs 15. The processors 13, the memory 14, and the communication interface 11 communicate with each other through the communication bus 12. The one or more programs 15 are stored in the memory 14. The programs 15 are configured to be executed by the processors 13 to perform the 5G-based user information management method as described above.

[0046] refer to Figure 3The present invention also discloses a PCF network element, including a first transceiver module 21, a second transceiver module 22, and a processing module 23. The first transceiver module 21 receives a service flow sent by an AF network element, the service flow including the information type and address information of the authorized user's user information stored in the AF network element; the second transceiver module 22 receives a first subscription request sent by an AF network element, the first subscription request including the authorized user's information request; the processing module 23 saves the service flow sent by the AF network element and feeds back the service flows of other AF network elements of the stored authorized user to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request, so that the AF network element can access and obtain the user information of the authorized user stored in the corresponding AF network element according to the address information.

[0047] Among them, AF network element stands for Application Function, which is the PDU session resource application program, and PCF network element stands for Policy Control Function.

[0048] This invention is used for access and interaction of user information between multiple AF network elements. For example, when user A logs into a first APP, the first APP establishes a first service flow including the virtual avatar (information type) and address information of the first APP. When the first APP establishes a session with a PCF network element, the first service flow is sent to the PCF network element, and the PCF network element then stores the virtual avatar (information type) and address information of the first APP. When user A logs into a second APP, the second APP establishes a second service flow including the virtual avatar (information type) and address information of the second APP. When the second APP establishes a session with a PCF network element, the second service flow is sent to the PCF network element, and the PCF network element then stores the virtual avatar (information type) and address information of the second APP.

[0049] When the first app needs to obtain virtual avatar information from the second app, it sends a request to obtain a first subscription request for a service flow that corresponds to user A in the first service flow and is related to the virtual avatar (information type) of the second app. The PCF network element authenticates the first app based on the first subscription request and the user identity of the first app. If the authentication is successful, the second service flow of the second app regarding user A's virtual avatar (information type) is sent to the first app. The first app obtains the address information of user A's virtual avatar in the second app and accesses the second app based on the address information to obtain information about user A's specific virtual avatar in the second app.

[0050] Of course, a third APP that has not sent a corresponding service flow to the PCF network element can also send the first subscription information to the PCF network element to obtain the service flow in the first APP or the second APP (not limited to the AF network element that sends the service flow to the PCF network element). The PCF network element only needs to perform authentication judgment on the AF network element that sends the first subscription request to determine whether its identity is qualified. In general, it is necessary to determine whether the user of the AF network element that sends the first subscription request is the authorized user corresponding to the service flow or whether the user's permissions of the AF network element that sends the first subscription request include the permissions of the authorized user corresponding to the service flow.

[0051] Based on the foregoing description of the embodiments, the present invention can be implemented using only hardware or by using software and a necessary general-purpose hardware platform. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention can be embodied in the form of a software product. The software product can be stored in a non-volatile or non-transitory storage medium, such as a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB flash drive, or a removable hard drive. The software product includes multiple instructions that enable a computer device (personal computer, server, or network device) to perform the methods provided in the embodiments of the present invention. For example, such execution may correspond to the simulation of logical operations as described herein. The software product may additionally or alternatively include multiple instructions that enable a computer device to perform operations for configuring or programming digital logic devices according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 5G-based user information management method, characterized in that: include: Receive a service flow sent by an AF network element and save the service flow, wherein the service flow includes the information type and address information of the authorized user stored by the AF network element; Receive a first subscription request sent by an AF network element, wherein the first subscription request includes an information request for an authorized user; The service flow of other AF network elements storing authorized users is fed back to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request.

2. The 5G-based user information management method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The system accepts a session establishment request containing a service flow sent by the AF network element, saves the service flow, and establishes a session with the AF network element based on the session establishment request.

3. The 5G-based user information management method as described in claim 2, characterized in that: When receiving a session establishment request from a new AF network element, it is determined whether there is a service flow associated with the user of the first subscription request. If so, the service flow is notified to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request.

4. The 5G-based user information management method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The user information includes one or more of the following: user avatar information, user address book information, user historical access time, user historical access duration, and user access address.

5. A 5G-based user information management system, characterized in that: include: The AF network element sends the service flow to the PFC network element, and the service flow includes the information type and address information of the authorized user stored in the AF network element; The first subscription request is uploaded to the PCF network element as needed. The first subscription request includes the information request of the authorized user. The PCF network element stores the service flow sent by the AF network element, and feeds back the service flow of other AF network elements of the authorized user to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request. The AF network element can access and obtain the user information of the authorized user stored in the corresponding AF network element based on the address information.

6. The user information management system as described in claim 5, characterized in that: When the AF network element establishes a session with the PCF network element, it sends a session establishment request containing a service flow to the PCF network element, and the PCF network element establishes a session with the AF network element according to the session establishment request.

7. The user information management system as described in claim 5, characterized in that: When the PCF network element receives a session establishment request from a new AF network element, it determines whether the service flow of the AF network element is the service flow of the user associated with the first subscription request. If so, it notifies the AF network element that sent the first subscription request of the service flow.

8. The user information management system as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The user information includes one or more of the following: user avatar information, user address book information, user historical access time, user historical access duration, and user access address.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: The system includes a communication interface, a communication bus, one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs. The processors, the memory, and the communication interface communicate with each other through the communication bus. The one or more programs are stored in the memory and are configured to be executed by the processor as described in any one of claims 1-4.

10. A PCF network element, characterized in that: include: The first transceiver module receives a service stream sent by an AF network element, the service stream including the information type and address information of the authorized user stored in the AF network element; The second transceiver module receives a first subscription request sent by an AF network element, the first subscription request including an information request from an authorized user; The processing module saves the service flow sent by the AF network element; and feeds back the service flow of other AF network elements of the authorized user to the AF network element that sent the first subscription request.

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