A method and apparatus for controlling QoS, and a communication device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a quality of service (QoS) control method and device, and a communication device. The method comprises: a first node receiving a first request message sent by a second node, the first request message carrying at least one of: a value of a round-trip QoS parameter, and transmission time information; the first node determining a value of an uplink QoS parameter and a value of a downlink QoS parameter based on the value of the round-trip QoS parameter, and / or determining an uplink transmission time window and a downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mobile communication technology, specifically to a method and apparatus for controlling Quality of Service (QoS), and a communication device. Background Technology

[0002] In the current QoS mechanism, the QoS parameters remain unchanged throughout the entire transmission process of the QoS stream, and the QoS parameters can only meet the QoS requirements in one direction. For example, the QoS parameters can only meet the QoS requirements of uplink transmission or only meet the QoS requirements of downlink transmission.

[0003] However, for certain services, the current QoS mechanism cannot meet their QoS requirements. For example, for interactive services, the current QoS mechanism cannot meet their round-trip QoS requirements; similarly, for services with specific QoS requirements within a specific time range, the current QoS mechanism cannot meet their QoS requirements within that specific time range. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a QoS control method and apparatus, communication equipment, chip, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, and computer program.

[0005] The QoS control method provided in this application includes:

[0006] The first node receives a first request message sent by the second node, the first request message carrying at least one of the following: the value of the round-trip QoS parameter, and transmission time information;

[0007] The first node determines the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS parameters based on the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameters, and / or determines the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

[0008] The QoS control method provided in this application includes:

[0009] The first device determines the first transmission time window corresponding to the first QoS parameter;

[0010] The first device uses the first QoS parameters to transmit data within the first transmission time window.

[0011] The QoS control device provided in this application embodiment is applied to a first node, and the device includes:

[0012] The receiving unit is configured to receive a first request message sent by the second node, wherein the first request message carries at least one of the following: the value of the round-trip QoS parameter and transmission time information;

[0013] The determining unit is configured to determine the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS parameters based on the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameters, and / or to determine the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

[0014] The QoS control device provided in this application embodiment is applied to a first device, and the device includes:

[0015] A determining unit is used to determine the first transmission time window corresponding to the first QoS parameter;

[0016] The transmission unit is used to transmit data using the first QoS parameters within the first transmission time window.

[0017] The communication device provided in this application includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores computer programs, and the processor calls and runs the computer programs stored in the memory to execute the QoS control method described above.

[0018] The chip provided in this application embodiment is used to implement the above-described QoS control method.

[0019] Specifically, the chip includes a processor for calling and running a computer program from memory, causing a device equipped with the chip to perform the aforementioned QoS control method.

[0020] The computer-readable storage medium provided in this application embodiment is used to store a computer program that causes a computer to execute the QoS control method described above.

[0021] The computer program product provided in this application includes computer program instructions that cause a computer to execute the QoS control method described above.

[0022] The computer program provided in this application embodiment, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the QoS control method described above.

[0023] The above technical solution achieves two objectives. First, by determining the values ​​of uplink and downlink QoS parameters based on the round-trip QoS parameters, the uplink and downlink QoS parameters are made compliant with round-trip QoS requirements, thus achieving QoS control for both uplink and downlink round-trip transmissions. Second, a transmission time window is introduced, within which specific QoS parameters are used for data transmission, thereby satisfying specific QoS requirements within a specific time frame. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the total round-trip time provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the model separation scenario provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the QoS flow mapping mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3 ;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the time involved in the round-trip data interaction process provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 ;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 ;

[0035] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of the QoS control device provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of the QoS control device provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0037] Figure 13This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 14 This is a schematic structural diagram of the chip according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 15 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of this application.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 may include a terminal 110 and a network device 120. The network device 120 can communicate with the terminal 110 via an air interface. Multi-service transmission is supported between the terminal 110 and the network device 120.

[0043] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are only illustrated by way of example with communication system 100, but the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. That is to say, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Internet of Things (IoT) system, Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, enhanced Machine-Type Communications (eMTC) system, 5G communication system (also known as New Radio (NR) communication system), or future communication systems, etc.

[0044] exist Figure 1In the communication system 100 shown, network device 120 can be an access network device that communicates with terminal 110. The access network device can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with terminal 110 (e.g., UE) located within that coverage area.

[0045] Network device 120 may be an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG RAN) device, a base station (gNB) in an NR system, a radio controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN), or a relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, hub, switch, bridge, router, or network device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc.

[0046] Terminal 110 can be any terminal, including but not limited to terminals that are connected to network device 120 or other terminals via wired or wireless connections.

[0047] For example, the terminal 110 can refer to an access terminal, user equipment (UE), user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The access terminal can be a cellular phone, cordless phone, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, IoT device, satellite handheld terminal, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal in a 5G network, or terminal in a future evolved network, etc.

[0048] Terminal 110 can be used for device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0049] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a core network device 130 that communicates with the base station. This core network device 130 may be a 5G core network (5G Core, 5GC) device, such as an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a User Plane Function (UPF), or a Session Management Function (SMF). Optionally, the core network device 130 may also be an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) device for an LTE network, such as a Session Management Function + Core Packet Gateway (SMF+PGW-C) device. It should be understood that SMF+PGW-C can simultaneously implement the functions of both SMF and PGW-C. During network evolution, the aforementioned core network device may also be called by other names, or new network entities may be formed by dividing the core network functions; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0050] The various functional units in the communication system 100 can also establish connections and communicate with each other through the next generation (NG) interface.

[0051] For example, the terminal establishes an air interface connection with the access network equipment through the NR interface for transmitting user plane data and control plane signaling; the terminal can establish a control plane signaling connection with the AMF through NG interface 1 (N1); the access network equipment, such as the next-generation radio access base station (gNB), can establish a user plane data connection with the UPF through NG interface 3 (N3); the access network equipment can establish a control plane signaling connection with the AMF through NG interface 2 (N2); the UPF can establish a control plane signaling connection with the SMF through NG interface 4 (N4); the UPF can interact with the data network to exchange user plane data through NG interface 6 (N6); the AMF can establish a control plane signaling connection with the SMF through NG interface 11 (N11); and the SMF can establish a control plane signaling connection with the PCF through NG interface 7 (N7).

[0052] Figure 1An exemplary embodiment shows a base station, a core network device, and two terminals. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple base station devices, and each base station may include other numbers of terminals within its coverage area. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0053] It should be noted that, Figure 1 This application merely illustrates the system to which this application applies; of course, the methods shown in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other systems. Furthermore, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" in this application merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. It should also be understood that "instruction" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a related relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, for example, A instructs C, B can be obtained through C; or it can mean that there is a related relationship between A and B. It should also be understood that "correspondence" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or an related relationship between two things, or a relationship of instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured, etc. It should also be understood that the "predefined" or "predefined rules" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminals and network devices), and this application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to those defined in a protocol. It should also be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the "protocol" can refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as the LTE protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols applied to future communication systems, and this application does not limit this.

[0054] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of this application are described below. The following relevant technologies are optional solutions and can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application in any way, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0055] Many services require consideration of the total round-trip time for uplink and downlink, which includes uplink computation time, uplink transmission time, downlink computation time, and downlink transmission time. For example... Figure 2As shown, the terminal first processes the acquired data, sends the processing result to the application server via the communication network, and then the application server processes the data to obtain the result, which is then sent back to the terminal via the communication network. In this process, the total time = terminal processing time + uplink transmission time + server processing time + downlink transmission time. Similarly, the data can also be processed by the application server first and then sent to the terminal, and the terminal then sends the processed result back to the application server.

[0056] In some alternative implementations, Figure 2 The core network in this context can specifically refer to the UPF (User Platform Provider) within the core network. Taking the UPF in the core network as an example, the uplink transmission time can be the transmission time from the terminal to the UPF, and the downlink transmission time can be the transmission time from the UPF to the terminal. Alternatively, the uplink transmission time can be the transmission time from the terminal to the application server, and the downlink transmission time can be the transmission time from the application server to the terminal. In some cases, when the application server and UPF are close, such as when deployed in the same area, the transmission time between the core network and the application server can be ignored. In this case, the uplink or downlink transmission time refers to the transmission time between the terminal and the UPF. In other cases, the transmission time between the UPF and the application server can be considered outside the scope of 3GPP latency considerations. In this case, the uplink or downlink transmission time refers to the transmission time between the terminal and the UPF.

[0057] It should be noted that in the "transmission time window" related schemes described later in this application, the duration of the transmission time window may or may not consider the transmission time from the core network to the application server. For example, the duration of the uplink transmission time window corresponds to the transmission time from the terminal to the UPF, or the duration of the uplink transmission time window corresponds to the transmission time from the terminal to the application server. As another example, the duration of the downlink transmission time window corresponds to the transmission time from the UFP to the terminal, or the duration of the downlink transmission time window corresponds to the transmission time from the application server to the terminal.

[0058] Based on the above principles, a detailed example will be provided, using a common scenario in Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) reasoning. To improve the effectiveness of big data analysis and user experience, a multi-level AI / ML approach can be considered, where network elements and terminals on the network side perform big data analysis. A typical division of labor is as follows: Figure 3As shown, the terminal performs partial calculations on the data to form intermediate data, and then sends the intermediate data to the application server through the mobile network for further calculation. Finally, the application server calculates that the image captured by the terminal is "a cat" and returns this result to the terminal.

[0059] When a model has many layers, the layer at which the split occurs (called the split point) will result in different computational resource consumption, computation time, transmission rate, and transmission latency for the terminal and application server. As an example, as shown in Table 1 below, for a VGG-16 model with a refresh rate of 30 frames per second, different split point positions will lead to different data sizes output from the terminal and different uplink transmission rates required to be sent to the server.

[0060]

[0061] Table 1

[0062] For businesses operating in this scenario, the most important factors are the total processing time for uplink and downlink, and the total transmission time for uplink and downlink. If the total time is within a certain range (e.g., 1 second), it means that any image captured by the terminal can obtain the corresponding text annotation result within one second.

[0063] To ensure data transmission, mobile communication networks typically use QoS mechanisms. For example... Figure 4As shown, in order to transmit user plane data in a mobile communication network, one or more QoS flows need to be established, and different QoS flows correspond to different QoS parameters. As an important metric for communication quality, QoS parameters are typically used to indicate the characteristics of QoS flows. QoS parameters may include, but are not limited to: 5G QoS Identifier (5QI), Allocation Retension Priority (ARP), Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate (GFBR), Maximum Flow Bit Rate (MFBR), Maximum Packet Loss Rate (UL / DL MPLR), Packet Delay Budget (PDB), AN-PDB, Packet Error Rate (PER), Priority Level, Averaging Window, Resource Type, Maximum Data Burst Volume, UE Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate (UE-AMBR), and Session Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate (Session-AMBR).

[0064] A filter (or SDF template) contains characteristic parameters describing data packets, used to filter out specific packets to bind to a specific QoS flow. The most commonly used filter is the IP 5-tuple, which includes the source IP address, destination IP address, source port number, destination port number, and protocol type.

[0065] Network-side user plane network elements (such as UPF) and terminals will form filters based on combinations of data packet characteristic parameters (such as... Figure 4The leftmost trapezoid and the rightmost parallelogram represent filters. These filters filter uplink or downlink data packets that match the packet's characteristic parameters transmitted at the user plane and bind them to a specific QoS flow. Uplink QoS flows are bound by the terminal, while downlink QoS flows are bound by network-side user plane elements (such as UPFs). In the QoS mechanism, one or more QoS flows can be mapped to an air interface resource for transmission. For example, the air interface resource can be a Data Resource Bearer (DRB). For a QoS flow, there is a corresponding set of QoS parameters. The access network establishes a DRB based on these parameters and binds the QoS flow to a specific DRB.

[0066] QoS flows are established by the Session Management Function (SMF). When QoS needs to be adjusted, both the terminal and the network can trigger a PDU session modification process to change the QoS. Taking the terminal as an example, the terminal can modify the QoS parameters of the QoS flow or establish a new QoS flow by sending a PDU Session Modification Request message. In other words, when the terminal adjusts the QoS, a session modification process needs to be executed, and the network's consent must be obtained. Since the PDU session modification process takes a long time and cannot guarantee successful modification, it will affect the behavior of applications. That is, applications cannot accurately determine whether and for how long they can use the desired QoS, which will have a significant impact on many real-time services, such as machine learning and neural network analysis. There are many situations that can cause QoS changes. As examples, the following situations can cause QoS changes: 1) Base station handover occurs; 2) Network congestion occurs (such as a sudden increase in the number of users); 3) The terminal moves into or out of a specific area (such as the service area of ​​an edge server).

[0067] Currently, QoS mechanisms are designed for unidirectional transmissions; for example, uplink transmissions have separate QoS parameters, and downlink transmissions have separate QoS parameters. Furthermore, these QoS parameters remain unchanged within the same QoS stream. However, many interactive services prioritize total round-trip time (latency) and are less concerned with the magnitude of unidirectional time (latency). Therefore, a QoS control mechanism for both uplink and downlink round-trip transmissions is needed to more rationally and dynamically allocate uplink and downlink transmission resources, achieving the goal of meeting QoS requirements for total round-trip latency. To this end, the following technical solution, as proposed in this application, is presented.

[0068] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the technical solutions of this application are described in detail below through specific embodiments. The above-mentioned related technologies are optional solutions and can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, all of which fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application include at least some of the following contents.

[0069] It should be noted that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to any communication system, including but not limited to 5G system (5GS), 6G system (6GS), etc.

[0070] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ,like Figure 5 As shown, the QoS control method includes the following steps:

[0071] Step 501: The first node receives a first request message sent by the second node, the first request message carrying at least one of the following: the value of the round-trip QoS parameter, and transmission time information.

[0072] Step 502: The first node determines the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS parameters based on the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameters, and / or determines the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

[0073] In some alternative implementations, the first node is a policy control element. As an example, the first node is a policy control function (PCF) element.

[0074] In some alternative implementations, the second node is a terminal or an application server.

[0075] As an example, the policy control network element receives a first request message sent by the terminal, the first request message carrying at least one of the following: the value of the round-trip QoS parameter and transmission time information. Based on the value of the round-trip QoS parameter, the policy control network element determines the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter, and / or determines the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

[0076] As an example, the policy control network element receives a first request message sent by the application server, the first request message carrying at least one of the following: the value of the round-trip QoS parameter and transmission time information. Based on the value of the round-trip QoS parameter, the policy control network element determines the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter, and / or determines the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

[0077] QoS parameter related schemes

[0078] In this embodiment of the application, the first node determines the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS parameters based on the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameters.

[0079] In some alternative implementations, the QoS parameters include at least one of the following: latency and rate.

[0080] In this embodiment of the application, the sum of the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameter and the downlink QoS parameter is less than or equal to the value of the round-trip QoS parameter.

[0081] As an example, taking latency as a QoS parameter, the sum of the uplink latency and downlink latency values ​​is less than or equal to the round-trip latency (RTD). Here, the round-trip latency is also known as RTD.

[0082] As an example, taking the QoS parameter as the rate, the sum of the uplink rate and the downlink rate is less than or equal to the round-trip rate. Here, the round-trip rate is also known as the RTBR (Round Trip Bit Rate).

[0083] In the above scheme, the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameter and the downlink QoS parameter need to be less than or equal to the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameter to ensure the round-trip QoS requirements.

[0084] In this embodiment, the uplink QoS parameters are applied to the transmission of uplink data, and the downlink QoS parameters are applied to the transmission of downlink data. In some optional embodiments, the uplink data and the downlink data belong to the same service or application. Here, uplink data and downlink data belonging to the same service or application can be configured with corresponding SDF templates in the core network. Each SDF template corresponds to different QoS parameters, wherein the SDF template contains characteristic parameters describing the data packets. Further, the policy control network element can determine the filters corresponding to the uplink data packets and downlink data packets respectively according to the SDF templates. Data packets filtered by the filters will be bound to the corresponding QoS streams for transmission.

[0085] In this embodiment of the application, after the first node determines the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS parameters based on the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameters, the first node determines a first rule, which includes the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS parameters; the first node sends the first rule to the third node, and the first rule is used by the third node to establish and / or bind QoS flows.

[0086] In some alternative implementations, the third node is a session management network element. As an example, the third node is an SMF.

[0087] In this embodiment, after the third node obtains the first rule, it establishes and / or binds QoS flows based on the first rule. Here, the QoS flows include uplink QoS flows and downlink QoS flows, the QoS parameters used by the uplink QoS flows are the uplink QoS parameters, and the QoS parameters used by the downlink QoS flows are the downlink QoS parameters.

[0088] In some alternative implementations, the uplink QoS stream and the downlink QoS stream are the same QoS stream.

[0089] In some alternative implementations, the uplink QoS stream and the downlink QoS stream are different QoS streams.

[0090] In some optional implementations, the first rule may be a Policy Control Service (PCC) rule. Furthermore, the first rule also includes an SDF template. Uplink and downlink data belonging to the same service or application can be configured with corresponding SDF templates, each SDF template corresponding to different QoS parameters. The third node determines the filters corresponding to the uplink and downlink data packets based on the SDF templates. Data packets filtered by the filters are bound to the corresponding QoS streams for transmission.

[0091] Related solutions for transmission time windows

[0092] In this embodiment of the application, the first node determines the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

[0093] In some alternative implementations, the uplink transmission time window is determined by at least one of the following: the start position of the uplink transmission time window, the end position of the uplink transmission time window, and the duration of the uplink transmission time window.

[0094] In some alternative implementations, the downlink transmission time window is determined by at least one of the following: the start position of the downlink transmission time window, the end position of the downlink transmission time window, and the duration of the downlink transmission time window.

[0095] Therefore, transmission time information may include one or more of the above-mentioned information. For example, transmission time information may include the duration of the uplink transmission time window and the duration of the downlink transmission time window.

[0096] In this embodiment of the application, after the first node determines the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information, the first node indicates the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window to at least one of the following devices: terminal, access network element (such as base station), core network element (such as UPF).

[0097] In the above scheme, the uplink transmission time window is applicable to uplink data transmission using the uplink QoS parameters, and the downlink transmission time window is applicable to downlink data transmission using the downlink QoS parameters. Thus, uplink and downlink data can be transmitted according to their corresponding QoS parameters based on the transmission time window mechanism.

[0098] The technical solution of this application embodiment allows the terminal and network to control the transmission of uplink and downlink data according to time windows, ensuring the overall QoS requirements of uplink and downlink data. Furthermore, the technical solution of this application embodiment is simple to implement, requiring no additional work from third parties or deep packet inspection capabilities. Moreover, the technical solution of this application embodiment fully utilizes existing architecture and signaling, minimizing the impact on existing protocols.

[0099] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ,like Figure 6 As shown, the QoS control method includes the following steps:

[0100] Step 601: The first device determines the first transmission time window corresponding to the first QoS parameter.

[0101] Step 602: The first device uses the first QoS parameters to transmit data within the first transmission time window.

[0102] In this embodiment, the first transmission time window can be an uplink transmission time window or a downlink transmission time window. The uplink transmission time window is suitable for uplink data transmission using uplink QoS parameters, and the downlink transmission time window is suitable for downlink data transmission using downlink QoS parameters. Thus, uplink and downlink data can be transmitted according to their corresponding QoS parameters using the transmission time window mechanism.

[0103] Option 1

[0104] In this embodiment, the first device includes at least one of the following: a terminal, an access network element, and a core network element, and the first transmission time window is an uplink transmission time window. The first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window and opens the uplink transmission time window when the start time is reached. Here, the access network element is, for example, a base station. The core network element is, for example, a UPF.

[0105] Here, the first device can refer to one of the following: a terminal, an access network element, and a core network element. For example, the first device may be a terminal. Alternatively, the first device may include at least two of the following: a terminal, an access network element, and a core network element. In this case, at least two devices will determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window and open the uplink transmission time window when the start time is reached. Taking a terminal as an example, after opening the uplink transmission time window, the terminal sends uplink data to the access network element within the uplink transmission time window. Taking an access network element as an example, after opening the uplink transmission time window, the access network element sends uplink data to the core network element within the uplink transmission time window. Taking a core network element as an example, after opening the uplink transmission time window, the core network element sends uplink data to the application server within the uplink transmission time window.

[0106] In this embodiment of the application, the first device can determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window in the following way:

[0107] Method 1: The first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window based on the network configuration information.

[0108] Method 2: The first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window based on predefined information.

[0109] Method 3: The first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0110] In some alternative implementations, the first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window as the time when the first device sends the first uplink data packet in the first QoS stream.

[0111] In some optional implementations, during the uplink transmission time window, uplink data packets in the first QoS stream are transmitted using the first QoS parameter; outside the uplink transmission time window, uplink data packets in the first QoS stream are transmitted using the second QoS parameter or not transmitted at all. Here, the second QoS parameter can be a lower-level QoS parameter compared to the first QoS parameter.

[0112] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, after performing uplink transmission within an uplink transmission time window, the first device can also perform downlink transmission within a downlink transmission time window. To this end, the first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window and opens the downlink transmission time window when the start time is reached. In some optional embodiments, the downlink data transmitted within the downlink transmission time window and the uplink data transmitted within the uplink transmission time window belong to the same service or application.

[0113] In this embodiment of the application, the first device can determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window in the following way:

[0114] Method A: The first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window as the time after the first device sends the first uplink data packet, after a first delay.

[0115] Method B: The first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window as the time after the first device receives the first uplink data packet and then delays for a second duration.

[0116] In the above scheme, the first duration and the second duration can be configured by the network or predefined by the protocol.

[0117] Option 2

[0118] In this embodiment, the first device includes at least one of the following: a terminal, an access network element, and a core network element, and the first transmission time window is a downlink transmission time window. The first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window and opens the downlink transmission time window when the start time is reached. Here, the access network element is, for example, a base station. The core network element is, for example, a UPF.

[0119] Here, the first device can refer to one of the following: a terminal, an access network element, or a core network element. For example, the first device may be a core network element. Alternatively, the first device may include at least two of the following: a terminal, an access network element, and a core network element. In this case, at least two devices will determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window and open the downlink transmission time window when the start time is reached. Taking a core network element as an example, after opening the downlink transmission time window, the core network element sends downlink data to the access network element within the downlink transmission time window. Taking an access network element as an example, after opening the downlink transmission time window, the access network element sends downlink data to the terminal within the downlink transmission time window. Taking a terminal as an example, after opening the downlink transmission time window, the terminal receives downlink data sent by the access network element within the downlink transmission time window.

[0120] Here, when both the core network element and the access network element open the downlink transmission time window, the time when the core network element opens the downlink transmission time window is the same as the time when the access network element opens the downlink transmission time window; or, the time when the core network element opens the downlink transmission time window is different from the time when the access network element opens the downlink transmission time window.

[0121] It should be noted that, when time precision requirements are low, the time when the core network element opens its downlink transmission window can be considered the same as the time when the access network element opens its downlink transmission window. When time precision requirements are high, the time when the core network element opens its downlink transmission window can be considered different from the time when the access network element opens its downlink transmission window. This is because the transmission time between the core network element and the access network element is in the millisecond range, while the downlink transmission window time is in the second range.

[0122] In this embodiment of the application, the first device can determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window in the following way:

[0123] Method 1: The first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window based on the network configuration information.

[0124] Method 2: The first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window based on predefined information.

[0125] Method 3: The first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0126] In some alternative implementations, the first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window as the time when the first device sends the first downlink data packet in the first QoS stream.

[0127] In some alternative implementations, the first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window as the time when the first device receives the first downlink data packet.

[0128] In some alternative implementations, the first device determines the start time of the downlink transmission time window as the time when the first device receives the second downlink data packet within a first time range after receiving the first downlink data packet.

[0129] In one implementation, when the first device receives the first downlink data packet, it opens the downlink transmission time window. If the first device does not receive the second downlink data packet within a first time range after receiving the first downlink data packet, the first device closes the downlink transmission time window.

[0130] As another implementation, when the first device receives the first downlink data packet, it detects whether a second downlink data packet has been received within a first time range; if the first device receives the second downlink data packet, the first device opens the downlink transmission time window when it receives the second downlink data packet or at the end of the first time range; if the first device does not receive the second downlink data packet, the first device determines not to open the downlink transmission time window.

[0131] In some alternative implementations, downlink data packets are transmitted using the first QoS parameter within the downlink transmission time window; outside the downlink transmission time window, downlink data packets are transmitted using the second QoS parameter or not transmitted at all. Here, the second QoS parameter can be a lower-level QoS parameter compared to the first QoS parameter.

[0132] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, the first device uses a first tag to mark downlink data packets transmitted within the downlink transmission time window, wherein the downlink data packets marked with the first tag are transmitted over the air interface using the first QoS parameter. Specifically, the downlink data packets marked with the first tag are transmitted over the air interface using the air interface bearer corresponding to the first QoS parameter.

[0133] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, after the first device performs downlink transmission within a downlink transmission time window, it can also perform uplink transmission within an uplink transmission time window. To this end, the first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window and opens the uplink transmission time window when the start time is reached. In some optional embodiments, the uplink data transmitted within the uplink transmission time window and the downlink data transmitted within the downlink transmission time window belong to the same service or application.

[0134] In this embodiment of the application, the first device can determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window in the following way:

[0135] Method A: The first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window as the time after the first device sends the first downlink data packet, after a delay of three time periods.

[0136] Method B: The first device determines the start time of the uplink transmission time window as the time after the first device receives the first downlink data packet, after a delay of four time periods.

[0137] In the above scheme, the third and fourth durations can be configured by the network or predefined by the protocol.

[0138] In some optional implementations, after the first transmission time window ends, the first device starts a first timer; the first transmission time window cannot be opened during the operation of the first timer, and can be opened after the first timer expires. Specifically, the first transmission time window is not opened during the operation of the first timer, and is opened after its start time is reached after the first timer expires. Here, the method for determining the start time of the first transmission time window can be understood with reference to the aforementioned schemes for "the first device determining the start time of the uplink transmission time window" and "the first device determining the start time of the downlink transmission time window".

[0139] It should be noted that, in the above technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, Figure 5 The technical solutions shown and Figure 6 The technical solutions shown can be implemented individually or in combination.

[0140] It should be noted that in the above technical solutions of this application embodiment, the QoS control method can be applied to the following transmission path: terminal → uplink data transmission → application server → downlink data transmission, thereby realizing an uplink and downlink QoS guarantee mechanism. The QoS control method can also be applied to the following transmission path: application server → downlink data transmission → terminal → uplink data transmission, thereby realizing an uplink and downlink QoS guarantee mechanism.

[0141] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to specific application examples.

[0142] Application Example 1

[0143] The PCF sets the uplink and downlink QoS parameters based on the requested RTD and / or RTBR, and sends them to the SMF for QoS flow establishment and / or binding. Furthermore, the PCF can determine the uplink and downlink transmission time windows based on the requested time information. For example, if the start and end times of the uplink transmission time window are t1 and t2 respectively, the uplink transmission time window can be denoted as (t1 to t2); and the start and end times of the downlink transmission time window are t3 and t4 respectively, the downlink transmission time window can be denoted as (t3 to t4).

[0144] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3 ,like Figure 7 As shown, the QoS control method includes the following steps:

[0145] Step 701a / b: The terminal or application server sends a request message to the PCF, which carries the RTD and / or RTBR.

[0146] Here, the request message is used to request the establishment of a QoS flow under specific QoS parameters and / or to ensure the transmission of specific service data flows through specific QoS parameters.

[0147] Here, the request message carries specific QoS parameters, namely RTD and / or RTBR, where RTD is the round-trip time delay and RTBR is the round-trip rate.

[0148] Step 702: PCF determines PCC rules based on RTD and / or RTBR.

[0149] Here, the PCF determines the uplink QoS parameters and downlink QoS parameters based on the RTD and / or RTBR, and then determines the PCC rules. Here, the PCC rules include uplink QoS parameters and downlink QoS parameters. As an example, the uplink QoS parameters include uplink latency and / or uplink rate, and the downlink QoS parameters include downlink latency and / or downlink rate.

[0150] Here, PCF can define the values ​​of uplink QoS parameters and downlink QoS parameters separately based on the values ​​of round-trip QoS parameters (such as RTD and RTBR) provided by a third party (such as a terminal or application server), as long as the values ​​of the uplink and downlink QoS parameters are less than or equal to the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameters. For example: Uplink latency + downlink latency ≤ RTD. Another example: Uplink rate + downlink rate ≤ RTBR.

[0151] Furthermore, optionally, the PCC rule also includes an SDF template. Here, the SDF template contains characteristic parameters describing the service data flow. Uplink and downlink data belonging to the same service or application can be configured with corresponding SDF templates in the core network, and each SDF template corresponds to different QoS parameters.

[0152] Step 703: The PCF sends a request message to the SMF, which carries the PCC rule.

[0153] Step 704: The SMF interacts with the UPF, base station, and terminal to establish and / or bind QoS flows.

[0154] Here, the filters and corresponding QoS parameters of the business data stream are determined based on the PCC rules. Specifically, the filters and QoS parameters are determined for uplink and downlink respectively. The specific data packets selected by the filters are bound to the QoS stream corresponding to the QoS parameters for transmission, or a new QoS stream is established based on the QoS parameters to transmit the data packets.

[0155] Here, two QoS streams can be used to transmit uplink and downlink data of the same service or application respectively; or, a single QoS stream can be used with two sets of QoS parameters (such as uplink QoS parameters and downlink QoS parameters) to transmit uplink and downlink data of the same service or application respectively.

[0156] Application Example 2

[0157] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the time involved in a complete round-trip data exchange, including terminal processing time, uplink transmission time, application server processing time, and downlink transmission time. The uplink transmission time corresponds to the uplink transmission time window (t1 to t2), and the downlink transmission time corresponds to the downlink transmission time window (t3 to t4).

[0158] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 ,like Figure 9 As shown, the QoS control method includes the following steps:

[0159] Step 901: The terminal opens an uplink transmission time window and transmits uplink data packets in the QoS stream using uplink QoS parameters within the uplink transmission time window.

[0160] Here, the terminal can determine the start time t1 of the uplink transmission time window based on the network configuration information, or it can determine the start time t1 of the uplink transmission time window based on predefined information, or it can determine the start time t1 of the uplink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0161] As one implementation, when the terminal sends the first uplink data packet in the QoS stream, it opens an uplink transmission time window and uses uplink QoS parameters to transmit the data packet within the uplink transmission time window. Further, optionally, at other times (i.e., outside the uplink transmission time window), the uplink data packets of this QoS stream may be transmitted using other QoS parameters (such as lower-level QoS parameters) or not transmitted at all.

[0162] Step 902: UPF opens the downlink transmission time window and uses downlink QoS parameters to transmit downlink data packets in the QoS stream within the downlink transmission time window.

[0163] Here, the UPF can determine the start time t3 of the downlink transmission time window based on the network configuration information, or it can determine the start time t3 of the downlink transmission time window based on predefined information, or it can determine the start time t3 of the downlink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0164] As one implementation, after detecting the first uplink data packet, the UPF delays for a certain period of time before opening a downlink transmission time window. Within this window, downlink QoS parameters are used to transmit data packets. Optionally, at other times (i.e., outside the downlink transmission time window), the downlink data packets of this QoS stream may be transmitted using other QoS parameters (such as lower-level QoS parameters) or not transmitted at all.

[0165] It should be noted that the terminal and / or UPF consider the downlink data within the downlink transmission time window to correspond to the uplink data transmitted within the uplink transmission time window. This "correspondence" can mean the downlink data that the application server receives, processes, and then sends after receiving the uplink data.

[0166] Optionally, the UFP can tag each downlink data packet with a label indicating that the packet should be transmitted using specific downlink QoS parameters. For example, the UFP can tag the GTP-U header of the data packet to enable the base station and / or terminal to use the corresponding downlink QoS parameters for data transmission.

[0167] Step 903: After receiving the downlink data packet sent by the UPF, the base station can use the corresponding downlink QoS parameters to transmit data according to the tag on the downlink data packet.

[0168] Specifically, data transmission can be performed using the air interface bearer corresponding to this QoS parameter. Here, the label can be a newly designed label or a referenced existing label.

[0169] Optionally, when the transmission time window ends, the terminal and / or UPF can start a timer. After the timer expires (i.e., after a certain period of time), a new transmission time window can be started again.

[0170] Application Example 3

[0171] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the time involved in a complete round-trip data exchange, including terminal processing time, uplink transmission time, application server processing time, and downlink transmission time. The uplink transmission time corresponds to the uplink transmission time window (t1 to t2), and the downlink transmission time corresponds to the downlink transmission time window (t3 to t4).

[0172] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the QoS control method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 ,like Figure 10 As shown, the QoS control method includes the following steps:

[0173] Step 1001: The terminal opens an uplink transmission time window and transmits uplink data packets in the QoS stream using uplink QoS parameters within the uplink transmission time window.

[0174] Here, the terminal can determine the start time t1 of the uplink transmission time window based on the network configuration information, or it can determine the start time t1 of the uplink transmission time window based on predefined information, or it can determine the start time t1 of the uplink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0175] As one implementation, when the terminal sends the first uplink data packet in the QoS stream, it opens an uplink transmission time window and uses uplink QoS parameters to transmit the data packet within the uplink transmission time window. Further, optionally, at other times (i.e., outside the uplink transmission time window), the uplink data packets of this QoS stream may be transmitted using other QoS parameters (such as lower-level QoS parameters) or not transmitted at all.

[0176] Step 1002: The base station opens the downlink transmission time window and transmits downlink data packets in the QoS stream using downlink QoS parameters within the downlink transmission time window.

[0177] Here, the base station can determine the start time t3 of the downlink transmission time window based on the network configuration information, or it can determine the start time t3 of the downlink transmission time window based on predefined information, or it can determine the start time t3 of the downlink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0178] As one implementation, after detecting the first uplink data packet, the base station delays for a certain period of time before opening a downlink transmission time window. Within the downlink transmission time window, downlink QoS parameters are used to transmit data packets. Further, optionally, at other times (i.e., outside the downlink transmission time window), the downlink data packets of this QoS stream may be transmitted using other QoS parameters (such as lower-level QoS parameters) or not transmitted at all.

[0179] It should be noted that the terminal and / or base station consider the downlink data within the downlink transmission time window to correspond to the uplink data transmitted within the uplink transmission time window. This "correspondence" can mean the downlink data that the application server receives, processes, and then sends after receiving the uplink data.

[0180] Optionally, the base station can tag each downlink data packet with a label indicating that the packet will be transmitted using specific downlink QoS parameters. For example, the base station can tag the packet header to enable the base station and / or terminal to use the corresponding downlink QoS parameters for data transmission. Specifically, data transmission can be performed using the air interface bearer corresponding to those QoS parameters. Here, the label can be a newly designed label or a reference to an existing label.

[0181] Optionally, when the transmission time window ends, the terminal and / or base station can start a timer. After the timer expires (i.e., after a certain period of time), a new transmission time window can be started again.

[0182] It should be noted that the technical solutions described in Application Example 2 and Application Example 3 can be implemented individually or in combination. When implemented together, for applications with low time precision requirements, the times when the UPF and the base station open their downlink transmission time windows can be considered the same. For applications with high time precision requirements, the times when the UPF and the base station open their downlink transmission time windows can be considered different. This is because the time it takes for a data packet to be sent from the UPF to the base station is generally in the millisecond range, while the transmission time window is generally in the second range. If the transmission time from the UPF to the base station is negligible, then the times when the UPF and the base station open their downlink transmission time windows are considered the same. If the transmission time from the UPF to the base station is not negligible, then the times when the UPF and the base station open their downlink transmission time windows are considered different.

[0183] It should be noted that the technical solutions described in Application Example 2 and Application Example 3 are illustrated using the transmission path as: terminal → uplink data transmission → application server → downlink data transmission. However, the technical solutions of this application can also be applied to the reverse transmission path: application server → downlink data transmission → terminal → uplink data transmission, and both can achieve the purpose of ensuring round-trip QoS requirements.

[0184] The preferred embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this application, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this application, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this application. For example, the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, this application will not describe the various possible combinations separately. Furthermore, various different embodiments of this application can also be arbitrarily combined, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this application, they should also be considered as the content disclosed in this application. Moreover, without conflict, the various embodiments and / or the technical features in the various embodiments described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with the prior art, and the resulting technical solutions should also fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0185] It should also be understood that in the various method embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the terms "downlink," "uplink," and "sidelink" are used to indicate the transmission direction of signals or data. "Downlink" indicates that the transmission direction of signals or data is a first direction from the site to the user equipment in the cell; "uplink" indicates that the transmission direction of signals or data is a second direction from the user equipment in the cell to the site; and "sidelink" indicates that the transmission direction of signals or data is a third direction from user equipment 1 to user equipment 2. For example, "downlink signal" indicates that the transmission direction of the signal is the first direction. Additionally, in the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. Specifically, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0186] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of the QoS control device provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 Applied to the first node, such as Figure 11 As shown, the QoS control device includes:

[0187] The receiving unit 1101 is used to receive a first request message sent by the second node, wherein the first request message carries at least one of the following: the value of the round-trip QoS parameter and transmission time information;

[0188] The determining unit 1102 is used to determine the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS parameters based on the values ​​of the round-trip QoS parameters, and / or to determine the uplink transmission time window and the downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

[0189] In some alternative implementations, the sum of the values ​​of the uplink QoS parameter and the downlink QoS parameter is less than or equal to the value of the round-trip QoS parameter.

[0190] In some optional implementations, the uplink QoS parameters are applied to the transmission of uplink data, the downlink QoS parameters are applied to the transmission of downlink data, and the uplink data and the downlink data belong to the same service or application.

[0191] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1102 is used to determine a first rule, the first rule including the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter;

[0192] The device further includes a sending unit 1103, configured to send the first rule to a third node, wherein the first rule is used by the third node to establish and / or bind QoS flows.

[0193] In some optional implementations, the QoS flow includes an uplink QoS flow and a downlink QoS flow, wherein the uplink QoS flow uses the uplink QoS parameters and the downlink QoS flow uses the downlink QoS parameters.

[0194] In some alternative implementations, the uplink QoS stream and the downlink QoS stream are the same QoS stream; or, the uplink QoS stream and the downlink QoS stream are different QoS streams.

[0195] In some alternative implementations, the third node is a session management network element.

[0196] In some alternative implementations, the uplink transmission time window is suitable for uplink data transmission using the uplink QoS parameters, and the downlink transmission time window is suitable for downlink data transmission using the downlink QoS parameters.

[0197] In some alternative implementations, the round-trip QoS parameters include at least one of the following: round-trip delay and round-trip rate.

[0198] In some alternative implementations, the uplink QoS parameters include at least one of the following: uplink latency and uplink rate.

[0199] In some alternative implementations, the downlink QoS parameters include at least one of the following: downlink latency and downlink rate.

[0200] In some alternative implementations, the first node is a policy control network element.

[0201] In some alternative implementations, the second node is a terminal or an application server.

[0202] Those skilled in the art should understand that the description of the QoS control device in the embodiments of this application can be understood by referring to the description of the QoS control method in the embodiments of this application.

[0203] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of the QoS control device provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 Applied to the first device, such as Figure 12 As shown, the QoS control device includes:

[0204] Determining unit 1201 is used to determine the first transmission time window corresponding to the first QoS parameter;

[0205] The transmission unit 1202 is used to transmit data using the first QoS parameters within the first transmission time window.

[0206] In some optional implementations, the first device includes at least one of the following: a terminal, an access network element, and a core network element, wherein the first transmission time window is an uplink transmission time window.

[0207] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window and open the uplink transmission time window when the start time is reached.

[0208] In some optional implementations, the determining unit 1201 is configured to determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window based on network configuration information; or, determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window based on predefined information; or, determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0209] In some optional implementations, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window as the time when the first device sends the first uplink data packet in the first QoS stream.

[0210] In some alternative implementations, during the uplink transmission time window, uplink data packets in the first QoS stream are transmitted using the first QoS parameter; outside the uplink transmission time window, uplink data packets in the first QoS stream are transmitted using the second QoS parameter or are not transmitted.

[0211] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window and open the downlink transmission time window when the start time is reached; wherein the downlink data transmitted within the downlink transmission time window and the uplink data transmitted within the uplink transmission time window belong to the same service or application.

[0212] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window as: the time after the first device sends the first uplink data packet and then delays for a first duration; or, the time after the first device receives the first uplink data packet and then delays for a second duration.

[0213] In some alternative implementations, the first device includes at least one of the following: a terminal, an access network element, and a core network element, wherein the first transmission time window is a downlink transmission time window.

[0214] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window and open the downlink transmission time window when the start time is reached.

[0215] In some optional implementations, the determining unit 1201 is configured to determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window based on network configuration information; or, determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window based on predefined information; or, determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window based on its own implementation.

[0216] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the downlink transmission time window as: the time when the first device sends the first downlink data packet in the first QoS stream, or the time when the first device receives the first downlink data packet; or the time when the first device receives the second downlink data packet within a first time range after receiving the first downlink data packet.

[0217] In some optional embodiments, the device further includes: a control unit 1203, configured to open the downlink transmission time window when the first downlink data packet is received, and close the downlink transmission time window if no second downlink data packet is received within a first time range after the first downlink data packet is received; or, upon receiving the first downlink data packet, detect whether a second downlink data packet is received within the first time range; if a second downlink data packet is received, open the downlink transmission time window upon receiving the second downlink data packet or at the end of the first time range; if no second downlink data packet is received, do not open the downlink transmission time window.

[0218] In some alternative embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a tagging unit 1204, used to tag downlink data packets transmitted within the downlink transmission time window with a first tag, wherein the downlink data packets tagged with the first tag are transmitted over the air interface using the first QoS parameter.

[0219] In some optional implementations, the downlink data packet marked with the first tag is transmitted over the air interface using the first QoS parameter, which means:

[0220] Downlink data packets marked with the first tag are transmitted over the air interface using the air interface bearer corresponding to the first QoS parameter.

[0221] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window and open the uplink transmission time window when the start time is reached; wherein the uplink data transmitted within the uplink transmission time window and the downlink data transmitted within the downlink transmission time window belong to the same service or application.

[0222] In some optional embodiments, the determining unit 1201 is used to determine the start time of the uplink transmission time window as: the time after the first device sends the first downlink data packet and then delays for a third time period; or, the time after the first device receives the first downlink data packet and then delays for a fourth time period.

[0223] In some alternative implementations, downlink data packets are transmitted using the first QoS parameter within the downlink transmission time window; outside the downlink transmission time window, downlink data packets are transmitted using the second QoS parameter or are not transmitted.

[0224] In some optional implementations, the core network element opens the downlink transmission time window at the same time as the access network element opens the downlink transmission time window; or, the core network element opens the downlink transmission time window at a different time than the access network element opens the downlink transmission time window.

[0225] In some optional embodiments, the control unit 1203 is configured to start a first timer after the first transmission time window ends; the first transmission time window is not opened during the operation of the first timer, and the first transmission time window is opened after its start time is reached after the first timer expires.

[0226] Those skilled in the art should understand that the description of the QoS control device in the embodiments of this application can be understood by referring to the description of the QoS control method in the embodiments of this application.

[0227] Figure 13 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be the first node in the above scheme, or it can be the first device in the above scheme. Figure 13 The communication device 1300 shown includes a processor 1310, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0228] Optionally, such as Figure 13 As shown, the communication device 1300 may further include a memory 1320. The processor 1310 can retrieve and run computer programs from the memory 1320 to implement the methods described in this embodiment.

[0229] The memory 1320 can be a separate device independent of the processor 1310, or it can be integrated into the processor 1310.

[0230] Optionally, such as Figure 13 As shown, the communication device 1300 may also include a transceiver 1330, and the processor 1310 may control the transceiver 1330 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, it may send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0231] The transceiver 1330 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1330 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0232] Optionally, the communication device 1300 may specifically be the first node in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 1300 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first node in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0233] Optionally, the communication device 1300 may specifically be the first device in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 1300 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0234] Figure 14 This is a schematic structural diagram of the chip according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 14 The chip 1400 shown includes a processor 1410, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0235] Optionally, such as Figure 14 As shown, chip 1400 may further include memory 1420. Processor 1410 can retrieve and run computer programs from memory 1420 to implement the methods described in this embodiment.

[0236] The memory 1420 can be a separate device independent of the processor 1410, or it can be integrated into the processor 1410.

[0237] Optionally, the chip 1400 may also include an input interface 1430. The processor 1410 can control the input interface 1430 to communicate with other devices or chips; specifically, it can acquire information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0238] Optionally, the chip 1400 may also include an output interface 1440. The processor 1410 can control the output interface 1440 to communicate with other devices or chips, specifically, to output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0239] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the first node in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first node in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0240] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the first device in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0241] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0242] Figure 15 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 1500 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 15 As shown, the communication system 1500 includes a terminal 1510 and a network device 1520.

[0243] The terminal 1510 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the terminal in the above method, and the network device 1520 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the network device in the above method. For the sake of brevity, these will not be described in detail here.

[0244] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor described above can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0245] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0246] It should be understood that the above-described memory is exemplary and not a limiting description. For example, the memory in the embodiments of this application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DR RAM), etc. That is to say, the memory in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0247] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer programs.

[0248] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the first node in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first node in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0249] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the first device in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0250] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions.

[0251] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the first node in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program instructions cause the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first node in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0252] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the first device in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program instructions cause the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0253] This application also provides a computer program.

[0254] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the first node in the embodiments of this application. When the computer program is run on the computer, it causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first node in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0255] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the first device in the embodiments of this application. When the computer program is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0256] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0257] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0258] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0259] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0260] In addition, the functional units in the various 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.

[0261] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they 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 a portion 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.) 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.

[0262] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling quality of service (QoS), the method comprising: receiving, by a policy control network element, a first request message sent by an application server, the first request message carrying a value of a round-trip QoS parameter; determining, by the policy control network element, a value of an uplink QoS parameter and a value of a downlink QoS parameter based on the value of the round-trip QoS parameter, the uplink QoS parameter comprising an uplink packet delay budget (PDB) and the downlink QoS parameter comprising a downlink packet delay budget (PDB), wherein a sum of the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter is less than or equal to the value of the round-trip QoS parameter; determining, by the policy control network element, a first rule, the first rule comprising the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter; sending, by the policy control network element, the first rule to a third node, the first rule being used by the third node to establish and / or bind a QoS flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of uplink data, and the downlink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of downlink data, the uplink data and the downlink data belonging to data of a same service or application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The QoS flow comprises an uplink QoS flow and a downlink QoS flow, the uplink QoS flow adopting the uplink QoS parameter as a QoS parameter, and the downlink QoS flow adopting the downlink QoS parameter as a QoS parameter. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein The uplink QoS flow and the downlink QoS flow are a same QoS flow; or The uplink QoS flow and the downlink QoS flow are different QoS flows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The third node is a session management network element.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The first request message further carries transmission time information. The method further comprises: determining, by the policy control network element, an uplink transmission time window and a downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The uplink transmission time window is applicable to transmission of uplink data using the uplink QoS parameter, and the downlink transmission time window is applicable to transmission of downlink data using the downlink QoS parameter.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The round-trip QoS parameter comprises at least one of: a round-trip delay, a round-trip rate.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter further comprises at least one of: an uplink delay, an uplink rate.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The downlink QoS parameter further comprises at least one of: a downlink delay, a downlink rate. 11.A method for controlling quality of service (QoS), the method comprising: sending, by an application server, a first request message to a policy control network element, the first request message carrying a value of a round-trip QoS parameter, The value of the round-trip QoS parameter is used by the policy control network element to determine a value of an uplink QoS parameter and a value of a downlink QoS parameter, the uplink QoS parameter including an uplink packet delay budget PDB and the downlink QoS parameter including a downlink packet delay budget PDB, a sum of the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter being less than or equal to the value of the round-trip QoS parameter; and to determine a first rule for the policy control network element and send the first rule to a third node, the first rule including the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter, the first rule being used by the third node to establish and / or bind a QoS flow.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of uplink data, and the downlink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of downlink data, the uplink data and the downlink data belonging to data of a same service or application.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein, The first request message further carries transmission time information, the transmission time information being used by the policy control network element to determine an uplink transmission time window and a downlink transmission time window.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The uplink transmission time window is applicable to transmission of uplink data using the uplink QoS parameter, and the downlink transmission time window is applicable to transmission of downlink data using the downlink QoS parameter.

15. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein, The round-trip QoS parameter includes at least one of a round-trip delay and a round-trip rate.

16. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter includes at least one of an uplink delay and an uplink rate.

17. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein, The downlink QoS parameter includes at least one of a downlink delay and a downlink rate.

18. A device for controlling QoS, applied to a policy control network element, the device comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a first request message sent by an application server, the first request message carrying a value of a round-trip QoS parameter; a determining unit configured to determine, based on the value of the round-trip QoS parameter, a value of an uplink QoS parameter and a value of a downlink QoS parameter, the uplink QoS parameter including an uplink packet delay budget PDB and the downlink QoS parameter including a downlink packet delay budget PDB, wherein a sum of the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter is less than or equal to the value of the round-trip QoS parameter; the determining unit is further configured to determine a first rule, the first rule including the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter; a sending unit configured to send the first rule to a third node, the first rule being used by the third node to establish and / or bind a QoS flow.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of uplink data, and the downlink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of downlink data, the uplink data and the downlink data belonging to data of a same service or application.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, The QoS flow includes an uplink QoS flow and a downlink QoS flow, the uplink QoS flow adopting the uplink QoS parameter as a QoS parameter, and the downlink QoS flow adopting the downlink QoS parameter as a QoS parameter.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein, The uplink QoS flow and the downlink QoS flow are the same QoS flow; or The uplink QoS flow and the downlink QoS flow are different QoS flows.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, The third node is a session management network element.

23. The apparatus of any one of claims 18-22, wherein, The first request message further carries transmission time information, The determination unit is further configured to determine an uplink transmission time window and a downlink transmission time window based on the transmission time information.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, The uplink transmission time window is applicable to uplink data transmission using the uplink QoS parameter, and the downlink transmission time window is applicable to downlink data transmission using the downlink QoS parameter.

25. The apparatus of any one of claims 18-22, wherein, The round-trip QoS parameter includes at least one of: round-trip delay, round-trip rate.

26. The apparatus of any one of claims 18-22, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter includes at least one of: uplink delay, uplink rate.

27. The apparatus of any one of claims 18-22, wherein, The downlink QoS parameter includes at least one of: downlink delay, downlink rate.

28. A quality of service (QoS) control apparatus applied to an application server, the apparatus comprising: a sending unit configured to send a first request message to a policy control network element, the first request message carrying a value of a round-trip QoS parameter, wherein the value of the round-trip QoS parameter is used by the policy control network element to determine a value of an uplink QoS parameter and a value of a downlink QoS parameter, the uplink QoS parameter including an uplink packet delay budget (PDB) and the downlink QoS parameter including a downlink packet delay budget (PDB), a sum of the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter being less than or equal to the value of the round-trip QoS parameter; and to determine a first rule by the policy control network element and send the first rule to a third node, the first rule including the value of the uplink QoS parameter and the value of the downlink QoS parameter, the first rule being used by the third node to establish and / or bind a QoS flow.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of uplink data, and the downlink QoS parameter is applied to transmission of downlink data, the uplink data and the downlink data belonging to data of the same service or application.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The first request message further carries transmission time information, the transmission time information being used by the policy control network element to determine an uplink transmission time window and a downlink transmission time window.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein, The uplink transmission time window is applicable to uplink data transmission using the uplink QoS parameter, and the downlink transmission time window is applicable to downlink data transmission using the downlink QoS parameter.

32. The apparatus of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The round-trip QoS parameter includes at least one of: round-trip delay, round-trip rate.

33. The apparatus of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The uplink QoS parameter includes at least one of: uplink delay, uplink rate.

34. The apparatus of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The downlink QoS parameter includes at least one of: downlink delay, downlink rate.

35. A communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory, the memory being configured to store a computer program, and the processor being configured to invoke and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the method of any one of claims 1 to 10, or the method of any one of claims 11 to 17.

36. A chip comprising: a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, such that a device in which the chip is installed performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

37. A computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program, the computer program causing a computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

38. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions causing a computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

Images