Telemedicine point-to-point communication method, device and equipment and storage medium

Abstract

This application provides a remote medical point-to-point communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. The method includes: signing the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function; defining the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing; and forwarding data between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function. This method solves the technical problems of low communication quality, poor security, which affect the doctor's operating experience, leading to low accuracy and low efficiency in remote surgery, and the imperfect forwarding mechanisms of the nineteenth and fourth data interfaces, making it difficult to achieve cross-domain / wide-area point-to-point communication, thus resulting in low efficiency in remote medical operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of telemedicine communication under 5G technology, and in particular to a telemedicine point-to-point communication method, device, equipment and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In remote robotic surgery applications using 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology), at least 4-5 relay servers are required between devices in two locations to achieve long-distance communication, while simultaneously providing public network addresses to both devices. This not only consumes a significant amount of public network address resources but also makes it difficult to select a relay server that can simultaneously meet the transmission link quality requirements of both devices. To address this, the devices in both locations access the 5G public network through a 5G Home Gateway (5G CPE) and send probe ping packets to each relay server. Based on link quality factors such as latency, packet loss rate, and jitter, a specific relay server is selected to establish a connection, thus completing device pairing.

[0003] Link detection and device pairing are time-consuming, affecting doctors' operations. All data needs to be forwarded through a relay server, which can easily lead to problems such as high latency, high packet loss rate, and high jitter, resulting in low communication quality, poor security, and thus affecting the doctor's operating experience, leading to low accuracy and low efficiency in remote surgery.

[0004] Meanwhile, current telemedicine equipment interoperability is generally achieved using technologies such as public network + tunnel, leased line, and SD-WAN, with very little involvement of 5G private network and 5G LAN solutions. Furthermore, existing 5G LAN technologies suffer from imperfect N19 and N4 interface forwarding mechanisms, making cross-domain / wide-area point-to-point communication difficult, thus resulting in low efficiency in telemedicine operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a remote medical point-to-point communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium to address the problems in existing technologies, such as the excessive consumption of public network address resources, the difficulty in selecting a relay server that can simultaneously meet the transmission link quality requirements of hosts in both locations, the long time consumed in link detection and device pairing, the need for all data to be forwarded through a relay server, and the high latency, high packet loss rate, and high jitter in remote medical communication, resulting in low communication quality and poor security. Furthermore, the existing 5G local area network technology has imperfect forwarding mechanisms for the nineteenth and fourth data interfaces, making it difficult to achieve remote cross-domain point-to-point communication. All of these factors contribute to the technical problems of low efficiency in remote operations.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a remote medical point-to-point communication method, including:

[0007] The medical terminal and the patient terminal are signed under the same private network data network name, and the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function.

[0008] Define the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing the medical host and the patient host;

[0009] Data is forwarded between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function.

[0010] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned remote medical point-to-point communication method, data forwarding between the medical host and the patient host is performed through the private network user plane function, including:

[0011] Data forwarding is performed between the medical terminal host and the private network user plane function through a local switch method;

[0012] The method of retrieving the local user plane function through the private network data network name involves forwarding data between the affected host and the private network user plane function, where the local user plane function refers to the private network user plane function.

[0013] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned remote medical point-to-point communication method, the medical host is connected to the medical terminal device, and the patient host is connected to the patient terminal device.

[0014] Data forwarding between the medical terminal host and the private network user plane is performed via a local switch, including:

[0015] Data is forwarded between the medical terminal device and the private network user plane function through the third data interface of the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured local routing rules;

[0016] The method of retrieving the local user plane function through the private network data network name involves data forwarding between the affected host and the private network user plane function, including:

[0017] Data is forwarded between the patient terminal device and the private network user plane function through the ninth data interface of the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured roaming routing rules.

[0018] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned remote medical point-to-point communication method, the medical terminal equipment and the private network user plane function are both deployed in the first region. The first region is also equipped with regional public network session management function and regional public network user plane function.

[0019] The patient terminal equipment is deployed in the second region, which also deploys a regional public network authentication and management framework;

[0020] The roaming routing rules specifically refer to the following: The regional public network authentication management framework uses the regional public network session management function as an enhanced session management function, so that the enhanced session management function uses the regional public network user plane function as a bridging user plane function to establish a routing link between the terminal device and the private network user plane function.

[0021] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned remote medical point-to-point communication method, the medical host and the patient host are defined as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing of the medical host and the patient host, including:

[0022] Configure the member attributes of the virtual network, including: member network address;

[0023] Add medical terminal devices and patient terminal devices to the virtual network;

[0024] Based on the member's network address, obtain the medical terminal network address of the medical terminal device and the patient terminal network address of the patient terminal device;

[0025] The medical terminal device and the patient terminal device are paired based on the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address.

[0026] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned remote medical point-to-point communication method, the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device are paired according to the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address, including:

[0027] When the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address have a specific address prefix, the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device are paired.

[0028] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned remote medical point-to-point communication method, the remote medical point-to-point communication system includes: an edge computing platform;

[0029] Before signing the medical host and the patient host to the same private network name, the method also includes:

[0030] Deploy applications and private network user plane functions to the edge computing platform. The applications are used to pair medical host and patient host, while the private network user plane functions are used for interactive session management functions and applications.

[0031] Secondly, this application provides a remote medical point-to-point communication device, including: a communication connection establishment device, a communication host pairing device, and a communication data forwarding device;

[0032] A communication connection establishment device is used to sign the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function;

[0033] A communication host pairing device is used to define the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network, so as to facilitate pairing of the medical host and the patient host.

[0034] The communication data forwarding device is used to forward data between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function.

[0035] Thirdly, this application provides a remote medical point-to-point communication system, including: an edge computing platform, wherein the edge computing platform is deployed with application programs and private network user plane functions;

[0036] The application is used to pair the medical host and the patient host;

[0037] The private network user plane function is used for interactive session management functions and applications.

[0038] Fourthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement a remote medical point-to-point communication method according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0039] Fifthly, this application provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, is used to implement a remote medical point-to-point communication method according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0040] This application provides a remote medical point-to-point communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium, including: signing the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function; defining the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing of the medical host and the patient host; and forwarding data between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function. Compared to existing technologies that require at least 4-5 relay servers between devices in different locations to achieve long-distance communication, and also require public network addresses to be provided to both devices, this not only consumes a huge amount of public network address resources but also makes it difficult to select a relay server that can simultaneously meet the transmission link quality requirements of the hosts in both locations. Link detection and device pairing are time-consuming, and all data needs to be forwarded through relay servers, which can easily lead to problems such as high latency, high packet loss rate, and high jitter, resulting in low communication quality and poor security. This negatively impacts the doctor's operating experience and reduces the accuracy of remote surgery. Furthermore, in existing 5G local area network technology, the forwarding mechanisms of the 19th and 4th data interfaces are imperfect, making it difficult to achieve remote cross-domain point-to-point communication. All of these factors contribute to the inefficiency of remote operations. At a lower level, this application, based on the local forwarding capability of the 5G local area network (LAN) local switch, enables device pairing and data interaction between medical and patient hosts on the private network user plane, transforming cross-domain interconnection into local switching and realizing remote cross-domain point-to-point communication. Simultaneously, the application for pairing medical and patient hosts is moved to the edge computing platform, replacing the original relay server's link detection and device pairing, and avoiding the need for all data control and data links to pass through the relay server, thus reducing costs and improving communication quality and the doctor's operating experience. Furthermore, based on the unicast, broadcast, and multicast characteristics of the 5G LAN virtual network, it also enables pairing of a doctor's end with multiple patient hosts within a virtual network, achieving a one-to-many effect and further improving the efficiency of remote medical operations. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of remote robotic surgery communication methods provided by existing technologies;

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a 5G local area network (LAN) point-to-point networking scheme provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a remote medical point-to-point communication method provided in this application;

[0045] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a remote medical point-to-point communication method provided in this application;

[0046] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of a remote medical point-to-point communication method provided in this application;

[0047] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a remote medical point-to-point communication device embodiment provided in this application;

[0048] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a remote medical point-to-point communication system embodiment provided in this application.

[0049] The accompanying drawings have illustrated specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to specific embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0050] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, nor do they necessarily imply difference. It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more.

[0052] It should be noted that the phrase "at...time" in the embodiments of this application can refer to the instant at which a certain situation occurs, or to a period of time after the occurrence of a certain situation; the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this. Furthermore, the remote medical point-to-point communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is merely an example; a remote medical point-to-point communication method may include more or less content.

[0053] To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, some terms and technologies involved in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below:

[0054] 5G Local Area Network (5G LAN) technology is a private mobile LAN service based on 5G terminal access capabilities and 5G networks. It utilizes 5G technology to "group" and "create clusters" of terminals, forming a LAN network. Bypassing a service server, it provides flexible communication services such as inter-terminal communication and isolation for terminals within the group. In a 5G LAN, terminals can locate each other using MAC addresses. Therefore, 5G LAN technology can connect terminals within a region together, forming a "group," facilitating data transmission between them and saving on external network access points.

[0055] In 3GPP Release 16 (3GPP R16), three user plane traffic forwarding methods are defined for 5G LAN functionality based on different scenario requirements: local forwarding based on the local switch (LS): suitable for forwarding scenarios between user plane functions (UPFs) within the same campus and anchor point; server forwarding based on network interface 6 (N6): suitable for forwarding scenarios between user equipment (UE) and data network (DN) side devices; and UPF element forwarding based on network interface 19 (N19): suitable for forwarding scenarios between UPFs across provinces and anchor points.

[0056] A 5G private network refers to a local area network (LAN) that uses 5G technology to create a dedicated network with unified connectivity, optimized services, and secure communication within a specific area. A private network is a specialized network that provides network signal coverage to specific users in a designated area.

[0057] 5G LAN Layer 2 communication capability (5GL2CC) refers to the data transmission and communication capabilities implemented at the Layer 2 network layer of a 5G LAN. This capability primarily relies on Layer 2 protocols and communication technologies in 5G networks, such as Ethernet, Virtual LANs (VLANs), and MAC address filtering, to enable data transmission and communication between devices within the LAN.

[0058] A ping (in communications, it's a command used in computer networks to test network connectivity and performance by sending ICMP echo request messages and waiting for responses to measure round-trip latency to a target host) is a technique for testing network connectivity and performance. It uses ICMP echo request messages to test and measure round-trip latency to a target host. Sending ping packets can test the stability and availability of a network connection. If the target host fails to respond to the ping packet, it may indicate a problem with the network connection or that the target host is unreachable.

[0059] A Data Network Name (DNN) is a name used in a 5G network to identify and distinguish different services or devices. By signing up for a dedicated DNN, a dedicated data network can be provided for specific services or devices, ensuring the stability and security of data transmission.

[0060] The Session Management Function (SMF) is a functional unit in the 5G core network that is primarily responsible for managing, controlling, and operating sessions within the 5G core network, including the establishment, modification, and release of sessions.

[0061] The User Plane Function (UPF) is a crucial component of the 5G core network system architecture, primarily responsible for routing and forwarding user plane data packets. Private network UPFs can provide more secure and stable data transmission services, making them suitable for scenarios with high requirements for data security and stability. UPFs interact with the Service Provider Function (SMF) through the N4 interface and are directly controlled and managed by the SMF, executing service flow processing according to various policies issued by the SMF.

[0062] A Virtual Network (VN) group refers to a network used to group specific users into a virtual network for point-to-point communication based on network addresses. 5G systems provide private mobile communication services by allowing a limited group of terminals to communicate within a 5G LAN virtual network.

[0063] Local Switching (LS) is a network switching technology that improves network performance and efficiency by implementing packet switching and routing on local devices, avoiding packet forwarding and transmission through the core network.

[0064] A 5G CPE (Content Premises Equipment) is a combination of a 5G modem and a WiFi router, which can easily connect 5G signals to various terminal devices. With a standalone 5G CPE, devices can directly access the internet via WiFi or the CPE's LAN port. Of course, a 5G SIM card needs to be inserted into the CPE's SIM card slot.

[0065] The Authentication Management Framework (AMF) is a functional unit in the 5G core network, primarily responsible for managing user authentication and authorization control within the 5G network. The AMF selects the appropriate Service Provider (SMF) based on the terminal's subscription information, including DNN and slicing information. The AMF communicates with the SMF, transmitting the terminal's access requests and mobility information to the SMF, which then provides the corresponding services and resources.

[0066] The Enhanced Session Management Function (I-SMF) is responsible for managing and controlling the connection and mobility between the terminal and the core network, and can select a suitable UPF as the bridging I-UPF based on location information.

[0067] The Bridging User Plane Function (UPF), also known as a relay UPF, is a functional node in 5G networks that implements traffic bridging and routing. Its role is to establish connections between different UPFs, enabling traffic forwarding and routing. When a UE moves between different UPFs, to ensure service continuity, a connection needs to be established between the source and destination UPFs to forward the UE's traffic from the source UPF to the destination UPF. This process is accomplished by the bridging UPF.

[0068] Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) refers to a technology that moves cloud computing and storage capabilities to the edge of mobile networks, enabling more efficient and lower-latency computing and storage closer to the user's network location. The main advantages of MEC include low latency, high availability, and localized services.

[0069] The N3 interface (N3 interface) between 5G(R)AN and UPF refers to an interface in a 5G network located on the user plane, used to connect user equipment (such as 5G CPE) and UPF (User Plane Functions). It transmits data traffic from user equipment to the UPF for processing and forwarding; it also supports slicing, dividing data traffic into different slices according to different service requirements to provide differentiated network services.

[0070] The user plane interface between UPF and UPF (N9 interface) refers to the user plane interface between UPFs, used to transmit uplink and downlink user data streams between UPFs.

[0071] The communication interface between UPF and SMF (N19 interface) refers to the communication interface between UPF and SMF. To ensure the stability and reliability of communication, equipment from the same manufacturer should be used to ensure the consistency and compatibility of the interface.

[0072] The control plane interface between SMF and UPF (N4 interface) refers to the control plane interface between SMF and UPF. It is mainly used for communication during session management and traffic redirection to UPF, and in specific scenarios, SMF uses this interface to pass packet flow descriptions to UPF.

[0073] The Message Passing Interface Version 2 (MP2 interface) refers to an interface designed for high-performance parallel computing that supports point-to-point and aggregate communication. Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a remote robotic surgery communication method provided by existing technology.

[0074] With the continuous development of information and communication technologies, 5G brings more possibilities to the development of telemedicine, including remote surgical guidance, remote examination and control, and remote robotic surgery.

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, the remote robotic surgery communication method consists of two parts: the doctor's end 101 and the patient's end 108, which supports point-to-point direct communication.

[0076] Typically, the doctor's end is deployed in a higher-level hospital, and the patient's end is deployed in a primary care hospital. The specific implementation method of remote robotic surgery communication is as follows:

[0077] First, the doctor's end 101 and the patient's end 108 establish a communication connection through 5G terminal equipment 102 and 5G terminal equipment 107, 5G base station 103 and 5G base station 106. 5G base station 103 and 5G base station 106 establish a session with public network user plane function 104 and public network user plane function 105, thereby accessing the 5G public network.

[0078] Secondly, the doctor's terminal 101 and the patient's terminal 108 send probe ping packets to each relay server 109 through 5G terminal devices 102 and 107 to find several relay servers 109 that can be connected. Then, based on link quality such as latency, packet loss rate, and jitter, a relay server 109 that can simultaneously meet the transmission link quality requirements of the hosts of both devices is selected to establish a connection.

[0079] Next, complete the pairing between the doctor's 101 device and the patient's 108 device.

[0080] Finally, the doctor's end 101, 5G terminal equipment 102, 5G base station 103, public network user plane function 104, patient end 108, 5G terminal equipment 107, 5G base station 106, and public network user plane function 105 operate on the international network (Internet) 110 through the selected relay server 109 to relay and transmit all audio and video signals, control signals, and feedback signals.

[0081] Remote robotic surgery aims to minimize the movement of medical personnel, reduce the probability of infection, and address the uneven distribution of medical resources in remote areas. However, existing remote robotic surgery methods face the following technical challenges:

[0082] First, medical equipment manufacturers need to establish at least 4 to 5 relay servers across the country, which consumes a lot of public network address resources. At the same time, doctors and patients may be thousands of kilometers apart, making it difficult to select a relay server that can simultaneously meet the transmission link quality requirements of both the doctor's and patient's hosts.

[0083] Secondly, link detection and device pairing take a long time, which affects the doctor's operating experience.

[0084] Finally, all data (control link and data link) needs to be forwarded through a relay server, resulting in high latency, high packet loss rate, and high jitter, making it difficult to meet the stringent requirements of remote robotic surgery for communication network bandwidth, latency, packet loss rate, and jitter. Furthermore, communication between the doctor's and patient's terminals via a public network server results in high latency, unstable links, and poor security.

[0085] To address the technical challenges in remote robotic surgery communication, such as high consumption of public network address resources, the need for all data to be forwarded through relay servers, and the long time required for link detection and device pairing, resulting in high costs, low communication quality, poor security, poor doctor's operating experience, and low precision in remote surgery, this application introduces 5G local area network technology to achieve point-to-point communication in remote medical care.

[0086] In version 16 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, three user plane traffic forwarding methods are defined for the functions of 5G local area network technology according to different scenario requirements: local forwarding based on local switch: suitable for forwarding scenarios between user plane functions within the same campus and anchor point; server forwarding based on network interface 6: suitable for forwarding scenarios between user equipment and data network side equipment; and user plane function network element forwarding based on network interface 19: suitable for forwarding scenarios between user plane functions across provinces and anchor points.

[0087] 5G local area network technology eliminates the need for relay servers and public network address resources. Through the Layer 2 communication capabilities of 5G private networks and 5G local area networks, it can achieve the needs of doctors and patients for rapid connection establishment, low latency, low cost, and secure transmission.

[0088] However, in current 5G LAN technology, the fourth data interface between user plane functions and session management functions is not completely decoupled and still retains some coupling. This means that data transmission and processing between user plane functions and session management functions still need to be carried out through fixed paths and methods, lacking flexibility and scalability. The nineteenth data interface is the communication interface between user plane functions and session management functions, and to ensure communication stability and reliability, equipment from the same vendor needs to be used to ensure interface consistency and compatibility. These factors contribute to the technical problem that 5G LAN technology cannot achieve cross-domain point-to-point communication in remote medical care.

[0089] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a remote medical point-to-point communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium, which can be used in the field of remote medical communication and aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems of the prior art.

[0090] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a 5G local area network (LAN) point-to-point networking scheme provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0091] like Figure 2 As shown, the 5G local area network (LAN) point-to-point networking scheme includes a patient terminal 21 and a doctor terminal 28.

[0092] In this embodiment, the doctor's terminal 28 is deployed in a higher-level hospital, and the patient's terminal 21 is deployed in a primary-level hospital, which are thousands of kilometers apart (this is just an example).

[0093] Higher-level hospitals generally have abundant medical resources and complete network infrastructure, and have already deployed a 5G hybrid private network with the private network user plane function 25 deployed downwards. The 5G terminal device 27 of the doctor's end 28 inserts a private network IoT card and signs a private network data name, allowing access to the private network user plane function 25 via the private network data network name and the private network base station 26. Based on the intelligent metropolitan area network 29, the private network user plane function 25 receives data sent from the 5G terminal device 27 of the doctor's end 28 through a third data interface.

[0094] Grassroots hospitals are generally located in remote areas with a shortage of high-quality medical resources and inadequate network infrastructure, and can only use the 5G public network for data transmission. The 5G terminal device 22 of the patient end 21 is inserted with a private network IoT card opened in the same province as the 5G terminal device 27 of the doctor end 28. The 5G terminal device 27 of the doctor end 28 is registered with the same private network data network name, and can access the public network user plane function 24 through the private network data network name and the public network base station 23.

[0095] The naming rules for 5G private network data networks include information such as region, province, city, and customer identifier. Whether the 5G terminal device is located within the 5G private network park or roaming in another province, it can automatically achieve a return-to-home route based on the private network data network name. Therefore, when the 5G terminal device 22 of patient terminal 21 roams across provinces in a primary hospital, it automatically returns to its home private network user plane function 25 from the public network user plane function 24 using the private network data network name. Based on the intelligent metropolitan area network 29, the private network user plane function 25 receives data sent by the 5G terminal device 22 of patient terminal 21, forwarded by the public network user plane function 24, through the ninth data interface.

[0096] Finally, the private network user plane function 25 forwards the data information to the corresponding patient terminal 21 or doctor terminal 28 based on the internal interface data information, thus completing the data interaction.

[0097] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a remote medical point-to-point communication method provided in this application is shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0098] Step S101: Sign the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function.

[0099] In this embodiment, the medical host and the patient host are registered under the same private network data network name. The private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function via a network address. Therefore, the private network user plane function can be accessed through the private network data network name, thereby enabling the connection between the medical host and the patient host.

[0100] Specifically, a dedicated network IoT SIM card (part of the medical service area) is inserted into both the medical and patient 5G terminal devices, and both are registered under the same dedicated network name. The naming convention for this dedicated network name includes, optionally, a network ID and a carrier ID. The network ID must contain at least one tag with information such as region, province, city, and customer identifier. The dedicated network name is bound to the network address of the dedicated network user plane function, enabling access to this function and thus facilitating the connection between the medical and patient hosts.

[0101] Among them, a private network IoT card is a type of SIM card designed for communication with IoT devices. It leverages the operator's dedicated IoT network to provide mobile communication access services for IoT devices.

[0102] Step S102: Define the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing of the medical host and the patient host.

[0103] In this embodiment, the medical host and the patient host are defined as members of the same virtual network. At the same time, the medical 5G terminal device and the patient 5G terminal device are added to the virtual network so that the pairing between the medical host and the patient host can be completed later through the network address and private network data network name allocated by the session management function.

[0104] Step S103: Data forwarding is performed between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function.

[0105] In this embodiment, the remote medical point-to-point communication device uses a local switch method and a private network data network name return location user plane function method to realize data forwarding between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function.

[0106] It should be noted that in step S101, the medical host and the patient host are signed as the same private network data network name. Before the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function, the application and the private network user plane function must be deployed to the edge computing platform. The application is used to pair the medical host and the patient host, and the private network user plane function is used for interactive session management functions and the application.

[0107] In this embodiment, the applications of the medical host and the patient host, as well as the private network user plane function, are deployed to the edge computing platform using a sinking method. The applications of the medical host and the patient host are used to pair the medical host and the patient host and to forward data. The private network user plane function is used to interact with the session management function to establish a connection between the medical host and the patient host; the private network user plane function is also used to interact with the applications to realize data forwarding between the medical host and the patient host.

[0108] Specifically, the applications on the medical and patient hosts, as well as the private network user plane functions, are packaged into containers and deployed to the edge computing platform using appropriate tools. The network connection and communication interfaces between the medical and patient host applications, the private network user plane functions, and the edge computing platform are configured to ensure that these applications and functions can operate normally and interact with the edge computing platform.

[0109] Alternatively, moving applications closer to the user or data source onto devices or systems, i.e., edge computing platforms, can reduce data transmission latency and overhead, thereby improving application performance and responsiveness.

[0110] Optionally, the applications, private network user plane functions, and MCE platform of the medical host and patient host can all share the same 5G hybrid private network in the same region as the medical host.

[0111] This application provides a remote medical point-to-point communication method, including: signing the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function; defining the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing of the medical host and the patient host; and forwarding data between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function. Compared to existing technologies that require at least 4-5 relay servers between devices in different locations to achieve long-distance communication, and also require public network addresses to be provided to both devices, this not only consumes a huge amount of public network address resources but also makes it difficult to select a relay server that can simultaneously meet the transmission link quality requirements of the hosts in both locations. Link detection and device pairing are time-consuming, and all data needs to be forwarded through relay servers, which can easily lead to problems such as high latency, high packet loss rate, and high jitter, resulting in low communication quality and poor security. This negatively impacts the doctor's operating experience and reduces the accuracy of remote surgery. Furthermore, in existing 5G local area network technology, the forwarding mechanisms of the 19th and 4th data interfaces are imperfect, making it difficult to achieve remote cross-domain point-to-point communication. All of these factors contribute to the inefficiency of remote operations. At a lower level, this application, based on the local forwarding capability of the 5G local area network (LAN) local switch, enables device pairing and data interaction between medical and patient hosts on the private network user plane, transforming cross-domain interconnection into local switching and realizing remote cross-domain point-to-point communication. Simultaneously, the application for pairing medical and patient hosts is moved to the edge computing platform, replacing the original relay server's link detection and device pairing, and avoiding the need for all data control and data links to pass through the relay server, thus reducing costs and improving communication quality and the doctor's operating experience. Furthermore, based on the unicast, broadcast, and multicast characteristics of the 5G LAN virtual network, it also enables pairing of a doctor's end with multiple patient hosts within a virtual network, achieving a one-to-many effect and further improving the efficiency of remote medical operations.

[0112] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a remote medical point-to-point communication method provided in this application. Figure 3 Based on the embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the medical host and the medical terminal device are connected in communication, and the patient host and the patient terminal device are connected in communication. Therefore, the specific implementation steps of step S103 above include:

[0113] Step S201: Data forwarding is performed between the medical terminal host and the private network user plane function through a local switch.

[0114] In this embodiment, the remote medical point-to-point communication device configures a local switch function on the private network user plane function, and realizes data forwarding between the medical host and the private network user plane function through the local switch method.

[0115] Specifically, data is forwarded between the medical terminal device and the private network user plane function through the third data interface of the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured local routing rules.

[0116] First, the third data interface is configured, and then the corresponding local routing rules are configured in the local network. This allows data from the 5G terminal device at the medical end to be routed to the private network user plane function through the third data interface, thereby realizing data forwarding between the medical terminal device and the private network user plane function.

[0117] Step S202: Using the method of retrieving the local user plane function through the private network data network name, data forwarding is performed between the patient host and the private network user plane function, where the local user plane function refers to the private network user plane function.

[0118] In this embodiment, in the remote medical point-to-point communication device, the private network data network name is bound to the local user plane function. The patient host can use the private network data network name to return to the local user plane function, thereby realizing data forwarding between the patient host and the private network user plane function. Here, the local user plane function is the private network user plane function.

[0119] Specifically, through the ninth data interface of the private network user plane function, data is forwarded between the patient terminal device and the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured roaming routing rules.

[0120] First, the ninth data interface is configured. Then, according to the pre-configured roaming routing rules, the data from the patient's 5G terminal device is routed through the ninth data interface to the private network user plane function, thereby realizing data forwarding between the patient's terminal device and the private network user plane function.

[0121] Optionally, both the medical terminal equipment and the private network user plane functions are deployed in the first region. The first region also deploys regional public network session management functions and regional public network user plane functions. Among them, the first region generally has abundant medical resources and complete network infrastructure, and both the medical terminal equipment and the private network user plane functions are deployed on the 5G hybrid private network in the first region.

[0122] Optionally, the patient-side terminal equipment is deployed in a second region, which also has a local public network authentication and management framework. This second region is typically located in remote areas with a shortage of high-quality medical resources and inadequate network infrastructure, requiring the use of the 5G public network for data transmission.

[0123] Furthermore, the roaming routing rules specifically refer to the following: The regional public network authentication management framework uses the regional public network session management function as an enhanced session management function, so that the enhanced session management function uses the regional public network user plane function as a bridging user plane function to establish a routing link between the terminal device and the private network user plane function.

[0124] For example, when a 5G terminal device is roaming across provinces in a second region, it will initiate an access request to the public network authentication management framework of that second region. The second region's public network authentication management framework selects the second region's public network session management function based on the private network data network name in the 5G terminal device's subscription information and establishes a session between the 5G terminal device and the second region's public network session management function. During session establishment, the second region's public network session management function assigns a suitable user plane function based on the 5G terminal device's location and network resource conditions, and establishes a session with the user plane function. However, the second region's public network session management function may find that it needs to point to the first region's public network user plane function. Therefore, the second region's public network authentication management framework will determine that the second region's public network session management function cannot serve the 5G terminal device's current location. Then, the second region's public network authentication management framework selects the first region's public network session management function as an enhanced session management function based on the location information of the first region's public network user plane function, and the enhanced session management function selects the first region's public network user plane function as a bridging user plane function based on the location information. The bridging user plane function updates its routing table and forwarding policy based on the information provided by the second regional public network authentication management framework, and returns the routing policy to the local user plane function, thereby establishing a routing link between the terminal 5G device and the local user plane function, which is the private network user plane function.

[0125] It should be noted that when configuring the local switch function on the private network user plane function, the private network user plane function forwards data packets to the corresponding destination medical host and patient host through the local switch function based on the ID, network address, port number and other information of the medical host and patient host received by the internal interface, thereby completing the data interaction.

[0126] In this embodiment, a local switch-based method is used to achieve data forwarding between the medical host and the private network user plane function, i.e., local forwarding. A private network data network name regression method is used to transform the data interaction between the patient host and the medical host from cross-provincial transmission to local communication between the patient host and the private network user plane function. This solves the problem of imperfect forwarding mechanisms for the nineteenth and fourth data interfaces in current 5G local area network technology, thereby enabling cross-domain and wide-area point-to-point communication for remote medical care.

[0127] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of a remote medical point-to-point communication method provided in this application. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Based on the embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the specific implementation steps of step S102 above include:

[0128] Step S301: Configure the member attributes of the virtual network, wherein the member attributes include: member network address.

[0129] In this embodiment, the medical host and the patient host are defined as members of the same virtual network. Then, the member attributes of the virtual network in the 5G network are configured. In a 5G network, different devices or users can be grouped together by configuring virtual networks. Simultaneously, member attributes can be defined within the virtual network, such as member network address, subnet mask, gateway, etc. These attributes will be applied to devices belonging to this group.

[0130] Step S302: Add the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device to the virtual network.

[0131] In this embodiment, after configuring the virtual network, the medical 5G terminal device and the patient 5G terminal device are added to the virtual network. This can be achieved by performing corresponding add or modify operations in the 5G network configuration management system. When adding a device, it is necessary to specify the device's network address, subnet mask, and other relevant configuration parameters.

[0132] Step S303: Obtain the medical terminal network address of the medical terminal device and the patient terminal network address of the patient terminal device based on the member network address.

[0133] In this embodiment, based on the member network address, the session management function assigns 5G private network addresses to both the medical and patient 5G terminal devices, namely, the medical network address and the patient network address. When the session management function assigns network addresses, it ensures that both the medical and patient 5G terminal devices have specific address prefixes.

[0134] Step S304: Pair the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device according to the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address.

[0135] In this embodiment, traffic filtering rules are configured on the private network user plane function. Based on the medical device network address and the patient network address, only medical device 5G terminal devices and patient 5G terminal devices with matching network addresses are allowed to pair and communicate.

[0136] In addition, when the medical 5G terminal device and the patient 5G terminal device attempt to connect to the network, the patient 5G terminal device completes host pairing through the private network data network name return-to-local user plane function.

[0137] It should be noted that pairing of medical and patient 5G terminal devices is only possible when the medical network address and the patient network address have specific address prefixes.

[0138] In this embodiment, the medical host and the patient host are defined as members of the same virtual network. The virtual network has characteristics such as unicast, broadcast and multicast, which can realize the pairing of medical hosts with multiple patient hosts within a virtual network, thereby achieving a one-to-many effect and improving the efficiency of remote medical operations.

[0139] Figure 6 This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a remote medical point-to-point communication device embodiment, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the device includes: a communication connection establishment device 61, a communication host pairing device 62, and a communication data forwarding device 63.

[0140] The communication connection establishment device 61 is used to sign the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function.

[0141] The communication host pairing device 62 is used to define the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network, so as to facilitate pairing of the medical host and the patient host.

[0142] The communication data forwarding device 63 is used to forward data between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function.

[0143] In this embodiment of the application, the communication data forwarding device 63 is further configured to:

[0144] Data forwarding is performed between the medical terminal host and the private network user plane function through a local switch method;

[0145] The method of retrieving the local user plane function through the private network data network name involves forwarding data between the affected host and the private network user plane function, where the local user plane function refers to the private network user plane function.

[0146] In this embodiment of the application, the medical host is communicatively connected to the medical terminal device, and the patient host is communicatively connected to the patient terminal device.

[0147] The communication data forwarding device 63 is also used for:

[0148] Data is forwarded between the medical terminal device and the private network user plane function through the third data interface of the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured local routing rules;

[0149] Data is forwarded between the patient terminal device and the private network user plane function through the ninth data interface of the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured roaming routing rules.

[0150] In this embodiment of the application, both the medical terminal device and the private network user plane function are deployed in the first region. The first region also has a regional public network session management function and a regional public network user plane function.

[0151] The patient terminal equipment is deployed in the second region, which also deploys a regional public network authentication and management framework;

[0152] The roaming routing rules specifically refer to the following: The regional public network authentication management framework uses the regional public network session management function as an enhanced session management function, so that the enhanced session management function uses the regional public network user plane function as a bridging user plane function to establish a routing link between the terminal device and the private network user plane function.

[0153] In this embodiment of the application, the communication host pairing device 62 is further configured to:

[0154] Configure the member attributes of the virtual network, including: member network address;

[0155] Add medical terminal devices and patient terminal devices to the virtual network;

[0156] Based on the member's network address, obtain the medical terminal network address of the medical terminal device and the patient terminal network address of the patient terminal device;

[0157] The medical terminal device and the patient terminal device are paired based on the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address.

[0158] In this embodiment of the application, the communication host pairing device 62 is further configured to:

[0159] When the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address have a specific address prefix, the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device are paired.

[0160] In this embodiment of the application, a point-to-point communication system for remote medical care is provided, comprising: an edge computing platform;

[0161] The communication connection establishment device 61 is also used for:

[0162] The application and private network user plane functions are deployed to the edge computing platform. The application is used to pair the medical host and the patient host, while the private network user plane functions are used for interactive session management and the application. The remote medical point-to-point communication device of this embodiment can perform the above-described functions. Figures 3 to 5 The implementation principles and effects of any of the method embodiments are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0163] Figure 7 This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a remote medical point-to-point communication system embodiment, as shown below. Figure 7 As shown, the system includes an edge computing platform 71, wherein the edge computing platform 71 is deployed with an application 711 and a private network user plane function 712 for processing remote medical point-to-point communication methods as described in the above embodiments.

[0164] Optional application 711 is used to pair the medical host and the patient host.

[0165] Optionally, the private network user plane function 712 is used for interactive session management functions and applications.

[0166] Alternatively, the private network user plane function 712 is connected to the application program 711 via the MP2 interface to enable 5G private network related capabilities; the private network user plane function 712 is connected to the session management function via the fourth data interface to receive control information such as forwarding policy.

[0167] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the above-described remote medical point-to-point communication method.

[0168] The aforementioned readable storage medium can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. The readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0169] An exemplary readable storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the readable storage medium. Of course, the readable storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the readable storage medium can reside in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, the processor and the readable storage medium can exist as discrete components in an electronic device or a host device.

[0170] This application also provides a computer program product, comprising: a computer program stored in a readable storage medium, wherein at least one processor of an electronic device can read the computer program from the readable storage medium, and the at least one processor executes the computer program to cause the electronic device to perform the scheme provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0171] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above method embodiments; and the aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0172] The technical solutions of this application have been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it is readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A method for telemedicine point-to-point communication, characterized in that, The method includes: The medical terminal host and the patient terminal host are signed under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function; The medical host and the patient host are defined as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing of the medical host and the patient host; Data forwarding is performed between the medical terminal host and the patient terminal host through the private network user plane function; The data forwarding between the medical host and the patient host via the private network user plane function includes: Data forwarding is performed between the medical host and the private network user plane function using a local switch method; data forwarding is also performed between the patient host and the private network user plane function using the private network data network name regression local user plane function method, wherein the local user plane function refers to the private network user plane function. The medical host and the medical terminal device are communicatively connected, and the patient host and the patient terminal device are communicatively connected; the data forwarding between the medical host and the private network user plane function via a local switch includes: Data is forwarded between the medical terminal device and the private network user plane function through the third data interface of the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured local routing rules. The method for retrieving the user plane function through the private network data network name, which forwards data between the affected host and the private network user plane function, includes: Through the ninth data interface of the private network user plane function, data is forwarded between the affected terminal device and the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured roaming routing rules; The medical terminal equipment and the private network user plane function are both deployed in the first region. The first region also deploys the regional public network session management function and the regional public network user plane function. The patient terminal device is deployed in a second region, which also has a regional public network authentication management framework deployed in the second region; The roaming routing rules specifically refer to the following: the regional public network authentication management framework uses the regional public network session management function as an enhanced session management function, so that the enhanced session management function uses the regional public network user plane function as a bridging user plane function to establish a routing link between the patient terminal device and the private network user plane function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of defining the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network to facilitate pairing the medical host and the patient host includes: Configure the member attributes of the virtual network, wherein the member attributes include: member network address; Add the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device to the virtual network; Based on the member network address, the medical terminal address of the medical terminal device and the patient terminal address of the patient terminal device are obtained. The medical terminal device and the patient terminal device are paired based on the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The step of pairing the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device based on the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address includes: When the medical terminal network address and the patient terminal network address have a specific address prefix, the medical terminal device and the patient terminal device are paired.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, A point-to-point communication system for remote medical care, the system comprising: an edge computing platform; Before signing the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, the method further includes: The application and the private network user plane function are deployed to the edge computing platform, wherein the application is used to pair the medical host and the patient host, and the private network user plane function is used for interactive session management functions and the application.

5. A remote medical point-to-point communication device, characterized in that, include: Communication connection establishment device, communication host pairing device, and communication data forwarding device; The communication connection establishment device is used to sign the medical host and the patient host under the same private network data network name, wherein the private network data network name is bound to the private network user plane function. The communication host pairing device is used to define the medical host and the patient host as members of the same virtual network, so as to facilitate pairing the medical host and the patient host. The communication data forwarding device is used to forward data between the medical host and the patient host through the private network user plane function. The communication data forwarding device is further configured to: Data forwarding is performed between the medical host and the private network user plane function using a local switch method; data forwarding is also performed between the patient host and the private network user plane function using the private network data network name regression local user plane function method, wherein the local user plane function refers to the private network user plane function. The medical terminal host is communicatively connected to the medical terminal device, and the patient terminal host is communicatively connected to the patient terminal device; the communication data forwarding device is further used for: Data is forwarded between the medical terminal device and the private network user plane function through the third data interface of the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured local routing rules. Through the ninth data interface of the private network user plane function, data is forwarded between the affected terminal device and the private network user plane function according to the pre-configured roaming routing rules; The medical terminal equipment and the private network user plane function are both deployed in the first region. The first region also deploys the regional public network session management function and the regional public network user plane function. The patient terminal device is deployed in a second region, which also has a regional public network authentication management framework deployed in the second region; The roaming routing rules specifically refer to the following: the regional public network authentication management framework uses the regional public network session management function as an enhanced session management function, so that the enhanced session management function uses the regional public network user plane function as a bridging user plane function to establish a routing link between the patient terminal device and the private network user plane function.

6. A telemedicine point-to-point communication system for carrying out the telemedicine point-to-point communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by include: An edge computing platform, wherein the edge computing platform is deployed with applications and private network user plane functions; The application is used to pair the medical host and the patient host. The private network user plane function is used for interactive session management functions and applications.

7. A computer readable storage medium characterized by The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the remote medical point-to-point communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

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