Label inactivation method and apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to the communication technical field, discloses a label inactivation method and device, which can reduce the signaling overhead of label inactivation. The method comprises the following steps: a core network device receives a first request from a service requester, the first request is used for requesting a non-inactivation operation on a second label; the core network device determines that there is a first label to be executed with an inactivation operation, wherein the inactivation operation is used for deactivating the first label; the core network device sends random access indication information to an access network device, the random access indication information comprises a first label identification range, and the random access indication information is used for instructing the access network device to trigger the random access of labels in the first label identification range, wherein the first label identification range comprises the label identification of the first label and the label identification of the second label; and the core network device sends an inactivation instruction to the first label after the random access of the first label.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Unlike the Internet of Things (IoT) built on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which is typically deployed only within enterprises, passive IoT (P-IoT; or ambient IoT (A-IoT)) allows IoT technology to be combined with wireless communication systems, such as 5G mobile communication systems, giving IoT a wider range of application deployment prospects.

[0003] However, in P-IoT, core network equipment and access network equipment not only need to carry communication services such as 5G, but also need to carry tag operation services. The number of tags is often large. If a mechanism similar to RFID is adopted, that is, the tag corresponding to the deactivation operation is immediately deactivated, it will consume a lot of resources of core network equipment and access network equipment to page the tag, resulting in large signaling overhead, which may affect normal communication services. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a tag deactivation method and apparatus that can reduce the signaling overhead of tag deactivation.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a tag deactivation method. This method can be executed by a core network device, by a component of the core network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the core network device's functions. Taking the execution of this method by a core network device as an example, the method includes: the core network device receiving a first request from a service requester, the first request being used to request a non-deactivation operation on a second tag; the core network device determining that there is a first tag for which a deactivation operation is to be performed, wherein the deactivation operation is used to deactivate the first tag; the core network device sending random access indication information to an access network device, the random access indication information including a first tag identifier range, the random access indication information being used to instruct the access network device to trigger random access of tags within the first tag identifier range, wherein the first tag identifier range includes the tag identifier of the first tag and the tag identifier of the second tag; after the first tag is randomly accessed, the core network device sending a deactivation command to the first tag.

[0006] Using the above method, the deactivation operation can be performed simultaneously during the process of performing other operations on the tag, avoiding the need for a separate random access process to find the tag corresponding to the deactivation operation. This reduces the signaling overhead of tag deactivation and prevents tag deactivation from affecting other communication services of core network equipment and access network equipment.

[0007] In one possible design, the method further includes: the core network device receiving a second request from a data management function network element, the second request being for requesting a deactivation operation on the first tag, wherein the second request is sent by the data management function network element after the lifecycle of the first tag has ended; or, the core network device receiving a second request from a service requester, the second request being for requesting a deactivation operation on the first tag; the core network device storing the first tag to be deactivated. Optionally, the end of the lifecycle of the first tag includes the survival timer corresponding to the first tag being reset to zero or exceeding a survival time threshold, or the operation counter corresponding to the first tag being reset to zero or exceeding a counting threshold.

[0008] In the above design, the core network equipment can store the first tags to be deactivated from data management function network elements (such as unified data management (UDM)) or from service requesters, waiting for non-deactivation operation processes for other tags (such as second tags). This avoids a separate random access process to find the corresponding tag for deactivation, reducing the signaling overhead of tag deactivation. Furthermore, the scheme where the data management function network element triggers the tag deactivation operation at the end of the tag's lifecycle can adapt to the tag deactivation needs of wireless communication system operators in scenarios combining IoT technology with wireless communication systems. This aligns with the business model of combining IoT technology with operators, increasing the applicability of tag deactivation scenarios.

[0009] In one possible design, the method further includes: the core network device receiving a third request from a service requester, the third request requesting a non-deactivation operation on the first tag; if the core network device determines that no operation has been performed on the first tag, the core network device sends lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; or, if the third request also carries subscription indication information indicating the initial activation of the first tag, the core network device sends lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; wherein the lifecycle trigger information includes the tag identifier of the first tag, used to instruct the data management function network element to start the lifecycle of the first tag. Optionally, starting the lifecycle of the first tag includes starting the survival timer corresponding to the first tag and / or starting the operation counter corresponding to the first tag.

[0010] In the above design, the data management function network element can be notified to start the life cycle of the tag through the tag signing or initial operation. This can support the operator of the wireless communication system to start the life cycle of the tag, which meets the operator's operation needs for tags in the Internet of Things technology and wireless communication system scenario.

[0011] In one possible design, when the lifecycle of the first tag includes the activation of the operation counter corresponding to the first tag, the method further includes: after the core network device performs any non-deactivation operation on the first tag, it sends operation counter update indication information to the data management function network element. The operation counter update indication information includes the tag identifier of the first tag, which is used to indicate that the value of the operation counter corresponding to the first tag is decremented or incremented by one.

[0012] In the above design, after performing a non-deactivation operation on the tag, the operation counter corresponding to the tag is updated, which helps the core network equipment to deactivate the tag in a timely manner and avoids the problem of additional charges due to failure to deactivate the tag in a timely manner.

[0013] In one possible design, the method further includes: when the core network device detects an abnormal behavior of the first tag, determining that the first tag needs to undergo a deactivation operation; and storing the first tag to be deactivated. Optionally, the abnormal behavior includes at least one of access location abnormality and access response abnormality.

[0014] The above design provides a novel tag deactivation triggering method, which deactivates tags when their behavior is abnormal, expanding the applicable scenarios for tag deactivation. Furthermore, the core network device can store the first tag for which a deactivation operation is scheduled, waiting for non-deactivation operation processes on other tags (such as the second tag), avoiding a separate random access process to find the corresponding tag for deactivation, thus reducing the signaling overhead of tag deactivation.

[0015] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that performs the function of the method described in the first aspect. This function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned function, such as an interface unit and a processing unit.

[0016] In one possible design, the device can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0017] In one possible design, the device includes a memory and a processor, the memory for storing instructions executed by the processor, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the device can perform the method described in the first aspect above.

[0018] In one possible design, the device could be a core network device.

[0019] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including an interface circuit and a processor, which are coupled to each other. The processor implements the method described in the first aspect through logic circuits or executing instructions. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. It is understood that the interface circuit can be a transceiver, a transceiver terminal, or an input / output interface.

[0020] Optionally, the communication device may also include a memory for storing instructions executed by the processor, or storing input data required by the processor to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor executes instructions. The memory may be a physically independent unit, or it may be coupled to the processor, or the processor may include the memory.

[0021] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0022] Fifthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0023] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a chip system comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is coupled to the memory, and the memory is used to store programs or instructions, wherein when the programs or instructions are executed by the processor, the method described in the first aspect is implemented.

[0024] The technical effects achievable by the second to sixth aspects mentioned above are similar to those achievable by the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of the network architecture provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the RFID system architecture provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the passive Internet of Things (IoT) service provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the label inventory operation and label reading / writing operation process provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 5 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the label inactivation method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 6 This is one of the schematic diagrams for determining the inactivation label provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 7 This is the second schematic diagram illustrating the determination of inactivation labels provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the tag lifecycle activation process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 9 A schematic diagram illustrating the value update process of the operation counter corresponding to the tag provided in this application embodiment;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the operation counter process corresponding to the core network equipment maintenance tag provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 11 This is the second schematic diagram of the label inactivation method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 12 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the communication device structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 13 This is a second schematic diagram of the communication device structure provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5G communication systems and 6th generation (6G) communication systems and other communication systems evolved after 5G. The following describes some network architectures to which this application applies. In the following description, the terminal device is taken as a user equipment (UE).

[0039] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of the network architecture of a 5G communication system based on a service-oriented architecture. Figure 1A The network architecture shown includes a data network (DN) and a carrier network. The functions of some of these network elements are briefly described below.

[0040] A carrier network includes one or more of the following network elements: network slice selection function (NSSF) network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, network repository function (NRF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, application function (AF) network elements, authentication server function (AUSF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, access network (AN) equipment (radio access network (RAN) equipment is used as an example in the diagram), and user plane function (UPF) network elements. In the above-mentioned carrier network, network elements or equipment other than access network equipment can be referred to as core network elements or core network equipment.

[0041] Terminal equipment: Terminal equipment communicates with access network equipment using some kind of air interface technology. This air interface can be a 5G-based wireless air interface, such as New Radio (NR); or it can be an air interface based on the next-generation mobile communication network technology standard of 5G; or it can be an air interface based on the 4G standard (such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system), etc. Terminal equipment can be user equipment (UE), handheld terminal, laptop computer, subscriber unit, cellular phone, smartphone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, tablet computer, wireless modem, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, machine type communication (MTC) terminal, or other devices that can access the network.

[0042] Access network equipment is primarily responsible for functions such as radio resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression, and encryption on the air interface side. Access network equipment can be base stations, pole-mounted stations, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, Node Bs, mobile base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), radio access networks, radio access network equipment, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs) in LTE systems or evolved LTE-A systems, next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, and base stations in future mobile communication systems. It can also be modules or units that perform some of the functions of a base station; for example, it can be a central unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU). Radio access network equipment can be macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), indoor stations, relay nodes, or donor nodes. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used in the access network equipment.

[0043] In addition, access network equipment can also be untrusted non-3GPP access network equipment. Untrusted non-3GPP access network equipment can allow terminal equipment and the 3GPP core network to interconnect using non-3GPP technologies, such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks. In contrast, trusted non-3GPP access network equipment can directly access the 3GPP core network. This network element needs to interconnect with the 3GPP core network through a secure tunnel established by a security gateway. The security gateway can be, for example, an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) or a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) network element.

[0044] AMF network elements are core network elements primarily responsible for signaling processing, such as access control, mobility management, attach and detach, and gateway selection. When an AMF network element provides services to a session in a terminal device, it provides control plane storage resources for that session, as well as storing the session identifier and the SMF network element identifier associated with the session identifier.

[0045] SMF network elements are responsible for user plane network element selection, user plane network element redirection, Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, bearer establishment, modification and release, and QoS control.

[0046] UPF network elements are responsible for forwarding and receiving user data in terminal devices. They can receive user data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal device through the access network equipment; UPF network elements can also receive user data from the terminal device through the access network equipment and forward it to the data network. The transmission resources and scheduling functions that provide services to the terminal device in the UPF network element are managed and controlled by the SMF network element.

[0047] PCF network element: It mainly supports providing a unified policy framework to control network behavior, provides policy rules to the control layer network functions, and is also responsible for obtaining user subscription information related to the policy.

[0048] AUSF network element: mainly provides authentication functions, supporting authentication for 3GPP access and Non-3GPP access.

[0049] NEF network element: Primarily supports secure interaction between 3GPP networks and third-party applications. The NEF network element can securely expose network capabilities and events to third parties to enhance or improve application service quality. Similarly, the 3GPP network can securely obtain relevant data from third parties to enhance network intelligent decision-making. At the same time, this network element supports recovering structured data from a unified database or storing structured data in a unified database.

[0050] UDM network elements: Their main functions include supporting authentication trust processing in 3GPP authentication and key negotiation mechanisms, user identity processing, access authorization, registration and mobility management, subscription management, and short message management.

[0051] UDR network element: mainly responsible for storing structured data, including contract data and policy data, externally exposed structured data and application-related data.

[0052] NRF network elements: Their main functions include service discovery, maintaining the NF text of available network function (NF) instances and the services they support.

[0053] NSSF network elements: Their main functions include selecting a set of network slice instances for terminal devices, determining the allowed NSSAI, and determining the set of AMF network elements that can serve terminal devices.

[0054] AF network element: mainly supports interaction with the 3GPP core network to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing some third-party services to the network side.

[0055] 5G communication systems can also include tag management function (TMF) network elements. Figure 1A (Not shown in the image) The TMF network element can be responsible for functions such as tag access control and mobility management. The TMF network element can be a separate network element, or it can be co-located with the AMF network element, or it can be co-located with the RAN. This application does not limit this.

[0056] Figure 1ANnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Npcf, Nudm, Naf, Nausf, Namf, and Nsmf are the service interfaces provided by the aforementioned NSSF, NEF, NRF, PCF, UDM, AF, AUSF, AMF, and SMF network elements, respectively, used to invoke the corresponding service operations. N1, N2, N3, N4, and N6 are interface sequence numbers, used for the interfaces between the AMF network element and the UE, between the AMF network element and the radio access network device, between the radio access network device and the UPF network element, between the SMF network element and the UPF network element, and between the UPF network element and the DN, respectively.

[0057] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of a 5G communication system based on a point-to-point interface. For a description of the functions of the network elements, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 1A The functions of the corresponding network elements will not be described in detail here. Figure 1B and Figure 1A The main difference is: Figure 1A The interfaces between the various control plane network elements are service-oriented interfaces. Figure 1B The interfaces between the various control plane network elements are point-to-point interfaces. For example, N5 is the interface between the AF network element and the PCF network element, N7 is the interface between the PCF network element and the SMF network element, and so on. The meanings of interface sequence numbers such as N1 and N2 can be found in the definitions in the 3GPP standard protocol, and will not be repeated here.

[0058] It is understood that the aforementioned network element or function can be a network component in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Optionally, the aforementioned network element or function can be implemented by one device, multiple devices working together, or a functional module within a single device; this application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0059] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, some terms used in this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0060] 1) RFID is a type of automatic identification technology. (See example...) Figure 2The diagram illustrates an RFID system architecture. The RFID system comprises four components (or logical functions): RFID tags, RFID readers, middleware, and a server (also known as an application-level event (ALE) client). The RFID tags (such as second-generation RFID tags) and RFID readers can communicate using the Gen 2 air interface protocol; the RFID readers and middleware (such as filtering and collection components) use a low-level reader protocol (LLRP); and the middleware and server use the application-level event (ALE) protocol. The RFID reader can inventory and read / write data from RFID terminal devices (also known as RFID tags), thereby achieving target identification and data exchange. There are two ways RFID access technology works. One is that when an RFID tag enters the effective identification range of an RFID reader, the RFID tag receives the radio frequency signal emitted by the RFID reader and uses the energy obtained by the induced current to emit the information stored in the RFID tag (corresponding to passive RFID tags). The other is that the RFID tag actively sends a radio frequency signal of a certain frequency (corresponding to active RFID tags). The RFID reader receives the radio frequency signal, decodes it, and sends it to middleware or a server for processing.

[0061] 2) Passive IoT (P-IoT; or ambient IoT (A-IoT)) refers to a network where some nodes are passive, obtaining energy through solar, radio frequency, wind, hydro, or tidal power, etc. This application does not specifically limit the energy acquisition method. These network nodes may not be equipped with or rely on power devices such as batteries, but instead obtain energy from the environment to support data sensing, transmission, and distributed computing. Network nodes can also store the acquired energy. The passive IoT architecture may include terminal devices, readers (or read / write devices), and servers. Terminal devices can be in the form of tags or any other type of terminal device, without restriction. Terminal devices can be passive, semi-passive, semi-active, or active. Terminal devices may not have energy storage capabilities (e.g., no capacitors) or may have energy storage capabilities (e.g., capacitors to store electrical energy). Readers can be access network devices, such as base stations, pole stations, micro base stations, macro stations, IAB nodes, and mobile base stations; they can also be terminal devices, such as mobile phones, IoT devices, and handheld readers. This example uses tags as terminal devices, but is not limited to tags. Readers use radio frequency (RF) for contactless two-way data communication, reading and writing electronic tags or RFID cards to identify targets and exchange data. One method involves the tag receiving the RF signal from the reader when it enters the reader's effective identification range, and then transmitting the information stored in the chip using the energy obtained from the induced current (corresponding to passive tags). Another method involves the tag storing some electrical energy through solar energy or other means, enabling it to actively transmit signals at a specific frequency (this can also be called a semi-passive or semi-active tag). The reader receives and decodes the information, then sends it to the central information system for data processing.

[0062] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of passive IoT services is shown. Figure 3 The application will use a reader as a base station (pole station or macro station) as an example to illustrate the concept, but this application does not limit the device form of the reader.

[0063] When the server operates on the tags, it can send operation instructions through the core network (such as AMF or TMF network elements). These instructions can include inventory operations (or stocktaking operations), which can also be understood as obtaining the tag's identification information; each tag has its own identifier. The tag's identifier can be assigned by the enterprise (i.e., written into the tag when it's printed) or by the operator. In one possible implementation, the tag's identifier can be a globally unique code—such as an electronic product code (EPC)—or a temporary identifier or a non-globally unique identifier. During the inventory process, the server can issue inventory instructions. Typically, these instructions include information such as the tag's identification range, reader identifier, and location information. After receiving the inventory instructions, the reader will perform an inventory check on the tags according to the instructions and send the tag's identification information to the server. Alternatively, the server sends an instruction, and the reader forwards the instruction to the tags. The tags, recognizing the instruction as an inventory operation, send their identification information to the reader, and the reader sends the tag's identification information to the server. Alternatively, the tag sends its identification information to the core network via a reader, and the core network then sends the tag's identification information to the server. Read operations (i.e., reading data from the tag. Tags may have storage capabilities, and their storage areas can store data. If the server wants to perform a read operation on the tag, it will send a read command. The reader or core network will then perform the read operation according to the command, reading data from the tag's storage area and sending that data back to the server) and write operations (i.e., writing data to the tag. The server can send a write command, and the reader or core network will then perform a write operation according to the command, writing data to the tag's storage area). The operations include: writing data to the storage area, deactivation (which invalidates or deactivates the tag; the server can send a deactivation command, which may include the tag identifier (i.e., the identifier of the tag to be deactivated or invalidated). The reader or core network performs the deactivation operation on the tag according to the command. After the operation is completed, the tag will be invalidated or deactivated and cannot be inventoried or subjected to other operations), obtaining tag information (which can be understood as a higher-level description of the above operations (e.g., a higher-level description of inventory and read operations). It does not distinguish whether the server is inventorying tags or reading tag data. This operation will obtain tag information, which may be the tag's identification information or information stored in the tag's storage area), and interacting with the tag (which can be understood as a higher-level description of the above operations. After receiving the command sent by the server, the reader interacts with the tag with information or messages and sends information from the tag to the server. This operation is mainly for the above-mentioned operations where the reader does not view the command content and is only responsible for forwarding messages sent by the server to the tag and messages sent by the tag to the server. Therefore, in this scenario, the operation performed by the reader on the tag can be understood as a message interaction operation with the tag). Instructions can include area location information, tag identification information, etc.The base station sends an access command to the tag. After the tag successfully accesses the network randomly, the base station sends a command to the tag (the base station can forward commands sent by the core network to the tag). The tag obtains or sends corresponding information according to the command. For example, when the command is an inventory command or an inventory operation, the tag sends its identification information; when the command is a read command or a read operation, the tag sends the data information stored in the tag's storage area; when the command is a write command or a write operation, the tag stores the data information to be written to the tag, included in the command, in the tag's storage area. The base station sends (or forwards) the information sent by the tag to the core network; the core network sends this information to the server. The core network performs access management operations on the tag based on the server's feedback information. Additionally, it should be understood that the aforementioned tag identification information can also be referred to as the tag's tag identifier, which will not be further explained in the following description of this application.

[0064] The server can send commands through the control plane channel, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the server sends instructions to the AMF network element; at this time, the server can be an AF network element, an application server (AS), or a passive IoT application function (P-IoT AF). One possible implementation is that the P-IoT AF sends instructions to the AMF network element. Another possible implementation is that the P-IoT AF sends instructions to the AMF network element through a control plane device. This control plane device can be a NEF network element, SMF network element, PCF network element, UDM network element, network slice-specific and SNPN authentication and authorization function (NSSAAF) network element, etc. In addition, the server can also send instructions to the reader through the user plane channel. One possible implementation is that the server sends instructions to the base station through a UPF network element. Another possible implementation is that the server sends instructions to the AMF network element through UPF and SMF network elements, and the AMF network element then sends instructions to the tag through RAN equipment (such as a base station). Another possible implementation is that the server sends instructions to the reader (when the reader is a terminal) through user plane devices and access network devices, such as RAN devices.

[0065] 3) Label operation process. Regarding the label inventory process, during the inventory process, the labels need to undergo... Figure 4AThe system performs random access (steps 1 to 4) and, upon successful random access, sends the EPC code to the reader so that the reader can know which tags are within its coverage area. This information is ultimately reported by the reader to the middleware and server. The read / write process is roughly as follows:

[0066] Step 1. The reader receives the inventory command from the server (this command can be sent from the server to the middleware, and then from the middleware to the reader), generates a Select command, which carries the range of tags (such as certain specific ranges of EPC codes), and sends the Select command. After hearing the Select command, the tags determine whether they belong to the tag range that the Select command needs to determine. If they do, they will provide feedback after hearing the Query command. If they do not belong, they will not take any further action.

[0067] Step 2. The reader sends a Query command; the Query command can include a numerical value (denoted as Q value). The tag can generate a random number based on the Q value, for example, a random number between 0 and 2 to the power of Q. Subsequently, the tag decrements this random number by one after each Query command sent by the reader. When the random number reaches zero, the tag initiates random access.

[0068] Step 3. When a tag finds itself within the range of tags selected in the Select command, it will send a random number RN16 (which can be understood as a random number of 16 bits) back to the reader through a competition mechanism. For example, when the random number in Step 2 decreases to zero, a random number RN16 will be sent back to the reader through a competition mechanism.

[0069] Step 4. After the reader receives the random number sent by the tag, it will send an acknowledgment (ACK) command, which contains the random number (RN16) that was just received.

[0070] Step 5. When the tag receives the ACK command sent by the reader and verifies that the random number is correct, it will send its EPC code back to the reader, thus completing the inventory process.

[0071] Regarding the tag reading and writing process, the reader will set the tag range in the Select command to the range of tags to be read and written (for example, if the range in the Select command is a certain EPC code, then the tag corresponding to that EPC code will be read and written). Figure 4B Steps 1 through 5 constitute the inventory process, but this inventory process is not for a group of tags; rather, it involves inventorying a specific tag. From step 6 onwards, it becomes the read / write process, roughly as follows:

[0072] Step 6. The reader sends an RN request (Req_RN) command to the tag, which carries the previously received random number RN16.

[0073] Step 7. If the tag verifies that the random number is correct, it sends a handle to the reader. This handle needs to be carried in subsequent read / write processes.

[0074] Step 8. The reader sends a read or write command to the tag, which must include a handle. If it is a write command, it must also include the data to be written to the tag's storage area.

[0075] Step 9. If step 8 is a read command, the tag needs to return the data in its own storage area, and also needs to carry the handle.

[0076] It should be noted that the tag inactivation process is similar. In step 8, the tag receives the inactivation instruction and performs inactivation. Then, in step 9, the handle is optionally returned.

[0077] While both RFID-based IoT and P-IoT can perform operations such as tag inventory, P-IoT allows for wider coverage and larger-scale deployment compared to RFID, as it can be integrated with wireless communication systems. However, in P-IoT, core network and access network devices not only need to carry communication services such as 5G but also tag operation services. Given the large number of tags, using a mechanism similar to RFID's instant activation and deactivation (i.e., immediately deactivating tags corresponding to deactivation operations) would consume significant resources from core and access network devices to page tags, resulting in high signaling overhead and impacting normal communication services.

[0078] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a tag deactivation method and apparatus to reduce the signaling overhead of tag deactivation and avoid tag deactivation affecting communication services.

[0079] Additionally, it should be understood that the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first label and the second label do not indicate a difference in priority or importance between the two labels.

[0080] The following describes the embodiments of this application in detail, taking the access network equipment as RAN equipment and the core network equipment and data management function network elements as AMF network elements and UDR / UDM network elements in 5G as examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the core network equipment can also be TMF network elements, NEF network elements, or other core network elements in 5G, or the core network equipment and data management function network elements can also be AMF / TMF / NEF network elements and UDR / UDM network elements in future communication systems (such as 6G communication systems), or other network elements in future communication systems that have AMF / TMF / NEF network element and UDR / UDM network element functions.

[0081] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a tag inactivation method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes:

[0082] S501: The AMF network element receives a first request from the service requester. The first request is used to request a non-deactivation operation on the second tag.

[0083] S502: The AMF network element determines that there is a first tag to be deactivated, wherein the deactivation operation is used to deactivate the first tag.

[0084] In this embodiment, the tag can be a passive, semi-passive, semi-active, or active P-IoT tag. When the AMF network element receives a first request to perform a non-deactivation operation (such as read, write, or disk storage) on the second tag, it can query whether there is a first tag corresponding to the deactivation operation, and then randomly access the first and second tags together to save signaling overhead. That is, after the AMF network element receives a request to perform a deactivation operation on the first tag, if there is no second tag that needs to be non-deactivated, the AMF network element can temporarily store / record the information for performing a deactivation operation on the first tag, wait for the first request to perform a non-deactivation operation on the second tag, and then randomly access the first and second tags together after receiving the first request to perform a non-deactivation operation on the second tag to save signaling overhead.

[0085] Specifically, for the first tag (one or more) corresponding to the deactivation operation, the AMF network element can determine it based on information from the service requester (such as the AF network element or AS to which the tag belongs) or the UDR / UDM network element, etc. Alternatively, when abnormal behavior of the tag is detected, such as abnormal access location or abnormal access response, the AMF network element can determine the first tag to be deactivated, corresponding to the deactivation operation. The following explains the different determination methods.

[0086] Method 1: Refer to Figure 6In the illustrated deactivation tag determination method one, the UDR / UDM network element can maintain the tag's lifecycle. The tag's lifecycle can refer to a count threshold (also called an operation count threshold) for non-deactivation operations such as inventory management, or a survival time threshold for the tag from activation (or enabling) to deactivation. After the first tag's lifecycle ends (e.g., the first tag's operation counter exceeds the count threshold, or the survival timer exceeds the survival time threshold), the UDR / UDM network element can send a second request to the AMF network element requesting deactivation of the first tag. For example, after the first tag's lifecycle ends, the UDR / UDM network element can send a second request to the AMF network element carrying the first tag's identification information and the operation type as deactivation, requesting deactivation of the first tag. Upon receiving the second request from the UDR / UDM network element, the AMF network element can determine that the first tag needs to undergo deactivation and store / record the deactivation information, which, for example, can be stored in the first tag's context.

[0087] In one possible implementation, the lifecycle of the tag can be obtained by the UDR / UDM network element from the tag's subscription information. The tag information may include the tag identifier, tag type, lifecycle, and the identifier of the service requester (such as the identifier of the AF network element or AS to which the tag belongs). The operator can save the tag's subscription information to the UDR / UDM network element after the tag is subscribed, or it can be provided to the UDR / UDM network element by the service requester or AMF network element, or it can be obtained by the UDR / UDM network element from the service requester or AMF network element. This application does not limit this.

[0088] Method 2: Refer to Figure 6 In the second method illustrated in the deactivation tag determination diagram, the AMF network element can also determine that the first tag needs to undergo a deactivation operation when it detects abnormal behavior of the first tag during operation. It then stores / records the deactivation information of the first tag, for example, in the context of the first tag. As an example, when the AMF network element performs a read operation on tag 1 with tag identifier 0001, if it sends a read command to tag 1 but does not receive an operation response from tag 1 within the response time threshold, it determines that tag 1's behavior is abnormal and a deactivation operation is needed for tag 1 with tag identifier 0001; that is, it determines that tag 1 with tag identifier 0001 needs to undergo a deactivation operation. The AMF network element stores / records the deactivation information of tag 1.

[0089] Alternatively, when the AMF network element detects that the RAN device accessed by tag 1 with tag identifier 0001 is not a RAN device within the service area specified in the tag 1 subscription information, it can determine that the access location of tag 1 is abnormal and may have illegally moved out of the service area. Therefore, tag 1 with tag identifier 0001 needs to be deactivated. In other words, it can determine that tag 1 with tag identifier 0001 needs to be deactivated and can store / record the deactivation information of tag 1.

[0090] In some implementations, refer to, for example Figure 7 The diagram shows another type of deactivation tag determination. After detecting abnormal behavior of the first tag, the AMF network element can send abnormal behavior information, including the tag identifier of the first tag, to the service requester to which the first tag belongs. The abnormal behavior information may also include information such as the tag type of the first tag. The service requester determines whether the first tag needs to be deactivated. After receiving the tag identifier of the first tag and the request tag information for deactivation operation from the service requester, the AMF network element determines that the first tag needs to be deactivated.

[0091] It is important to understand that if there are multiple first tags with abnormal behavior, and if these multiple first tags belong to the same service requester, the behavior abnormality information sent by the AMF network element to the service requester can carry the tag identifiers of the multiple first tags with abnormal behavior. If the multiple first tags belong to different service requesters, the AMF network element can send behavior abnormality information to the service requesters to which the multiple first tags belong respectively, and the service requesters to which the multiple first tags belong respectively can determine whether to perform an inactivation operation on the corresponding first tags.

[0092] Method 3: Refer to Figure 6 In the schematic diagram illustrating inactivation tag determination, in method three, after receiving a user's request to inactivate the first tag, the service requester can send a second request to the AMF network element via request tag information sent from the NEF network element to the AMF network element, requesting the inactivation operation of the first tag. The request tag information may carry the tag identifier corresponding to the first tag undergoing the inactivation operation, the operation type (e.g., inactivation), and information such as the service requester's identifier and tag type. Upon receiving the request tag information from the service requester, the AMF network element can determine the first tag to be inactivated and store / record the inactivation information of that first tag; for example, this information can be stored in the context of the first tag.

[0093] It is understandable that the service requester may also send a second request to inactivate the first tag and a request to operate on other tags (such as a first request to perform a non-inactivation operation on the second tag) together to the AMF network element through the request tag information.

[0094] As an example, the request tag information sent by the service requester to the AMF network element can be as shown in Table 1. This includes the tag identifier of the tag requiring operation, the operation type, and may also carry information such as the identifier and tag type of the service requester. As shown in Table 1, the request tag information may include: tag identifier 0001 for tag 1 requiring operation, operation type "disk storage," tag type "passive," and service requester identifier 1; tag identifier 0002 for tag 2 requiring operation, corresponding operation type "disk storage," tag type "passive," and service requester identifier 1; tag identifier 0010 for tag 10 requiring operation, corresponding operation type "deactivation," tag type "semi-passive," and service requester identifier 1; and tag identifier 0011 for tag 11 requiring operation, corresponding operation type "read," tag type "semi-passive," and service requester identifier 1. After receiving the request tag information shown in Table 1, the AMF network element can determine that the service requester requests to perform an inactivation operation on tag 10 with tag identifier 0010, to perform an inventory operation (non-inactivation operation) on tag 1 with tag identifier 0001 and tag 2 with tag identifier 0002, and to perform a read operation (non-inactivation operation) on tag 11 with tag identifier 0011.

[0095] Table 1

[0096]

[0097] As another example, the request tag information sent by the service requester to the AMF network element can also be as shown in Table 2, including the tag identifier range to be operated, the operation type, and information such as the identifier and tag type of the service requester. As shown in Table 2, the request tag information can include a tag identifier range less than 0050, operation type of inactivation, tag type of passive, and service requester identifier of 1; or a tag identifier range greater than 0100 and less than 0200, corresponding to operation type of inventory, tag type of passive, and service requester identifier of 1.

[0098] Table 2

[0099]

[0100] It should be understood that, for cases where the request tag information only contains a tag identifier range, the AMF network element can filter out the tag identifiers of the tags to be operated on based on the tag identifier range in the request tag information and the tag range corresponding to the service requester (the service requester can be determined based on the service requester's identifier in the request tag information). The tag range corresponding to the service requester can be stored in the AMF network element or in network elements such as UDM / UDMR, and obtained by the AMF network element from the UDM / UDMR, etc. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0101] For example, if the tag identifier range corresponding to the service requester with identifier 1 is 0001-0002 or 0101-0102, then after receiving the request tag information carrying the information shown in Table 2, the AMF network element can determine that the service requester requests to perform an inactivation operation on the tag with tag identifiers 0001 and 0002 (the first tag) and requests to perform an inventory operation in the non-inactivation operation on the tag with tag identifiers 0101 and 0102 (the second tag).

[0102] S503: The AMF network element sends random access indication information to the RAN device. The random access indication information includes a first label identifier range. The random access indication information is used to instruct the RAN device to trigger random access of labels within the first label identifier range. The first label identifier range includes the label identifier of the first label and the label identifier of the second label.

[0103] S504: After the AMF network element randomly accesses the first tag, it sends an inactivation command to the first tag.

[0104] In this embodiment, the first tag identifier range indicated by the random access indication information sent by the AMF network element to the access network device, or the first tag identifier range indicated by the mask information in the random access indication information, includes the tag identifier of the first tag to be deactivated and the tag identifier of the corresponding second tag not to be deactivated. The random access indication information is used to instruct the RAN device to trigger random access for tags within the first tag range. After the first tag accesses the network (e.g., establishes a connection with the AMF network element) and sends the tag identifier to the AMF network element, the AMF network element can send a deactivation command to the first tag via downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) transport, instructing the first tag to perform a deactivation operation to deactivate the first tag, for example, to disable the first tag so that the first tag will no longer respond to random access requests. Optionally, after the first tag performs the deactivation operation, it can also send deactivation response information to the AMF network element via uplink (UL) NAS transport, etc. The deactivation response information can carry information on whether the deactivation of the first tag was successful. After the AMF network element sends an inactivation command to the first tag, it can also delete the stored first tag context. In addition, after the second tag accesses the network (such as establishing a connection with the AMF network element) and sends the tag identifier to the AMF network element, the AMF network element can also send non-inactivation commands such as disk storage to the second tag through downlink (DL) NAS transport, and perform non-inactivation operations such as reading, writing, and disk storage on the second tag.

[0105] Furthermore, regarding the aforementioned situation where the UDR / UDM network element maintains the tag's lifecycle, in one possible implementation, the UDR / UDM network element can initiate the tag's lifecycle after obtaining subscription information such as the tag's lifecycle. For example, after obtaining the tag's lifecycle and other subscription information, it can start the tag's survival timer and / or operation counter. In another possible implementation, the UDR / UDM network element can also, upon receiving lifecycle trigger information from the AMF network element, initiate the lifecycle of the corresponding tag based on the tag identifier included in the lifecycle trigger information. For example, the UDR / UDM network element can start the survival timer and / or operation counter of the first tag based on the tag identifier of the first tag included in the lifecycle trigger information.

[0106] Implementation method 1: such as Figure 8As shown, when a service requester needs to perform non-deactivation operations such as tag inventory, it can send a tag request message to the AMF network element through the NEF network element, requesting the AMF network element to perform such operations. The tag request message can carry the tag identifier of the tag to be operated on, the operation type, the service requester's identifier, subscription indication information, and tag type. The subscription indication information can indicate whether the tag is initially enabled; for example, a 1 indicates initial enabling, and a 0 indicates non-initial enabling. Upon receiving the tag request message from the service requester, the AMF network element recognizes that the subscription indication information for a specific tag (e.g., the first tag) indicates initial enabling. The AMF network element then sends a lifecycle trigger message to the UDR / UDM network element, carrying the tag identifier of that tag (e.g., the first tag) in the lifecycle trigger message to instruct the UDR / UDM network element to start the lifecycle of that tag (e.g., the first tag).

[0107] As an example, the request tag information sent by the service requester to the AMF network element can be as shown in Table 3. This includes the tag identifier of the tag requiring operation, the operation type, and may also carry information such as the service requester's identifier, subscription indication information, and tag type. As shown in Table 3, the request tag information may include the tag identifier 0001 for tag 1 requiring operation, the operation type being inventory, the tag type being passive, the service requester's identifier being 1, and the subscription indication information being 1 (indicating initial activation); and the tag identifier 0002 for tag 2 requiring operation, the corresponding operation type being inventory, the tag type being passive, the service requester's identifier being 1, and the subscription indication information being 0 (indicating non-initial activation).

[0108] Table 3

[0109]

[0110] As another example, the request tag information sent by the service requester to the AMF network element can also be as shown in Table 4, including the tag identifier range to be operated, the operation type, and information such as the service requester's identifier, subscription indication information, and tag type. As shown in Table 4, the request tag information can include a tag identifier range less than 0050, operation type as inventory, tag type as passive, service requester's identifier as 1, and subscription indication information as 1 (indicating initial activation); or a tag identifier range greater than 0100 and less than 0200, corresponding to operation type as read, tag type as passive, service requester's identifier as 1, and subscription indication information as 0 (indicating non-initial activation).

[0111] Table 4

[0112]

[0113] It should be understood that, for cases where the request tag information only contains a tag identifier range, the AMF network element can filter out the tag identifiers of the tags to be operated on based on the tag identifier range in the request tag information and the tag range corresponding to the service requester (the service requester can be determined based on the service requester's identifier in the request tag information). The tag range corresponding to the service requester can be stored in the AMF network element or in network elements such as UDM / UDMR, and obtained by the AMF network element from the UDM / UDMR, etc. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0114] For example, if the tag identifier range corresponding to the service requester with identifier 1 is 0001-0002 or 0101-0102, then after receiving the request tag information as shown in Table 4, the AMF network element can determine that the tags with identifiers 0001 and 0002 need to be inventoried, the tags with identifiers 0001 and 0002 are initially enabled, the tags with identifiers 0101 and 0102 need to be read, and the tags with identifiers 0101 and 0102 are not initially enabled.

[0115] Implementation method 2: The contract instruction information of the tag can also be omitted in the request tag information.

[0116] When a service requester needs to perform non-deactivation operations such as tag inventory, it can send a tag request message to the AMF network element, requesting the AMF network element to perform such operations. The request tag can carry the tag identifier of the tag to be operated on, the operation type, and information such as the service requester's identifier and tag type. Upon receiving the tag request message from the service requester, if the AMF network element recognizes that a certain tag has never been operated on before (e.g., the AMF network element does not have an operation record for a certain tag (or tag identifier) ​​stored in its memory), the AMF network element can determine that the tag is initially activated and sends a lifecycle trigger message to the UDR / UDM network element. This lifecycle trigger message includes the tag identifier and instructs the UDR / UDM network element to start the tag's lifecycle. After receiving the lifecycle trigger message containing the tag identifier from the AMF network element, the UDR / UDM network element identifies whether the corresponding tag's lifecycle is started. If not, it starts the tag's lifecycle.

[0117] In addition, such as Figure 9As shown, after determining the tag identifier of the tag requiring operation based on the request tag information from the service requester, the AMF network element can send random access indication information to the RAN device. This random access indication information can be used to instruct the RAN device to broadcast a Select command. The Select command carries a mask containing the tag identifier information of the tag requiring operation. After receiving the random access indication information, the RAN device can perform random access on the corresponding tag. After the tag accesses the network (e.g., establishes a connection with the RAN device), it can also send its tag identifier to the AMF network element. If the tag is a passive tag, it can send its tag identifier to the AMF network element through a registration request; if the tag is a semi-passive tag, it can send its tag identifier to the AMF network element through NAS transport. After the tag accesses the network, the AMF network element can send operation commands such as inventory management to the tag (e.g., the first tag) to perform operations on the tag.

[0118] When a UDR / UDM network element activates the operation counter corresponding to a tag to enable the tag's lifecycle, the AMF network element can also send an operation counter update instruction message containing the tag identifier (such as the first tag) to the UDR / UDM network element after performing any non-deactivation operation (such as disk storage or read operation) on the tag (such as the first tag). This instruction is used to decrement or increment the value of the operation counter corresponding to the tag (such as the first tag) so that the UDR / UDM network element can perceive the update of the operation counter value of the tag and maintain the tag's lifecycle.

[0119] Alternatively, for cases where the UDR / UDM network element activates the tag's lifecycle via an operation counter corresponding to the tag, the AMF network element can also maintain an operation counter for that tag. For example, the AMF network element can activate an operation counter corresponding to the tag (e.g., the first tag) when sending the lifecycle trigger information for the tag (e.g., the first tag) to the UDR / UDM network element. Alternatively, before performing an operation on a tag (e.g., the first time), the AMF network element can send operation counter acquisition information, including the tag identifier (e.g., the first tag), to the UDR / UDM network element, receive operation counter value information from the UDR / UDM network element including the value of the operation counter corresponding to the tag, and activate an operation counter corresponding to the tag (e.g., the first tag) in the AMF network element based on the value of the operation counter corresponding to the tag (e.g., the first tag).

[0120] like Figure 10As shown, after activating the operation counter corresponding to the tag (such as the first tag), the AMF network element will decrement or increment the value of the operation counter maintained for that tag after performing any non-deactivation operation on the tag (such as the first tag). The AMF network element can also send the value of the operation counter corresponding to the tag (such as the first tag) to the UDR / UDM network element at a set period, so that the UDR / UDM network element can update the value of the operation counter corresponding to the tag (such as the first tag) maintained in the UDR / UDM network element. In addition, during the tag's lifecycle, there may be a change in the AMF network element it accesses. When the AMF network element accessed by the tag changes, the UDR / UDM network element can also send operation counter reporting information including the tag identifier of the tag (such as the first tag) to the AMF network element previously accessed by the tag (such as the first tag). After receiving the operation counter reporting information including the tag identifier of the tag (such as the first tag) from the UDR / UDM network element, or when the operation counter corresponding to the tag (such as the first tag) is set to zero, the AMF network element can also send the value of the operation counter corresponding to the tag (such as the first tag) to the UDR / UDM network element so that the UDR / UDM network element can update the value of the operation counter corresponding to the tag (such as the first tag) maintained in the UDR / UDM network element.

[0121] As the number of operations on the tag increases, the corresponding operation counter / survival timer is continuously updated. When the operation counter starts from zero and exceeds the counting threshold, or the survival timer starts from zero and exceeds the survival time threshold, the UDR / UDM network element sends a request to the AMF network element to request the tag to be deactivated. Alternatively, the UDR / UDM network element can send the request to the AMF network element to request the tag to be deactivated when the operation counter starts from the counting threshold and is reset to zero, or when the survival timer starts from the survival time threshold and is reset to zero.

[0122] It should be understood that the AMF network element accessed by the tag may switch during its life cycle. For example, for the first tag, the AMF network element accessed when the first tag is initially enabled and the AMF network element accessed when the first tag is deactivated may be two different AMF network elements, such as AMF network element 1 and AMF network element 2 respectively. This application does not make specific restrictions on whether the AMF network element accessed by the tag changes during its life cycle.

[0123] Furthermore, unlike RFID-based IoT, which is typically deployed only within enterprises and does not involve billing for tag operations, P-IoT combines IoT technology with wireless communication systems, raising the issue of wireless communication operators billing for tag operations. Therefore, to align with operator operating models and ensure timely tag deactivation, avoiding additional billing issues due to delayed tag deactivation by operators, in some implementations, the AMF network element can also immediately deactivate the first tag upon receiving a second request from the UDR / UDM network element requesting deactivation of the first tag. For example... Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another label inactivation method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes:

[0124] S1101: The UDR / UDM network element determines that the lifecycle of the first tag has ended.

[0125] S1102: The UDR / UDM network element sends a second request to the AMF network element. Correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the second request, which is used to request the inactivation operation of the first tag.

[0126] S1103: The AMF network element sends an inactivation command to the first tag.

[0127] Reference Figure 11 As shown, after performing several non-deactivation operations on the first tag, the UDR / UDM network element determines that the lifecycle of the first tag has ended. The UDR / UDM network element can then send a second request to the AMF network element requesting deactivation of the first tag. Upon receiving the second request from the UDR / UDM network element, the AMF network element can send random access indication information, including the first tag identifier, to the RAN device, instructing the RAN device to perform random access on the first tag. After the first tag accesses the network (e.g., establishes a connection with the AMF network element) and sends its tag identifier to the AMF network element, the AMF network element can send a deactivation command to the first tag via DL NAS transport, instructing the first tag to perform a deactivation operation, thus deactivating the first tag, such as preventing the first tag from responding to random access requests subsequently. Optionally, after performing the deactivation operation, the first tag can also send deactivation response information to the AMF network element via UL NAStransport, etc., which can carry information on whether the deactivation of the first tag was successful. Alternatively, the AMF network element can also store / record the inactivation information of the second tag after receiving the second request, and wait for the arrival of subsequent non-inactivation requests before performing the operation together.

[0128] It is understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, core network equipment (such as AMF network elements) includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0129] Figure 12 and Figure 13 The diagram illustrates the possible communication devices provided in the embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the core network equipment in the above method embodiments, and thus also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In one possible implementation, the communication device can be a core network equipment, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the core network equipment.

[0130] like Figure 12 As shown, the communication device 1200 includes a processing unit 1210 and an interface unit 1220, wherein the interface unit 1220 may also be a transceiver unit or an input / output interface. The communication device 1200 can be used to implement the above-mentioned... Figure 5 The method embodiments shown depict the functions of core network devices (such as AMF network elements).

[0131] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement Figure 5 The core network device in the method embodiment shown functions as follows:

[0132] Interface unit 1220 is used to receive a first request from the business requester, the first request being used to request a non-deactivation operation on the second tag;

[0133] Processing unit 1210 is configured to determine that there is a first tag for which an inactivation operation is to be performed, wherein the inactivation operation is used to deactivate the first tag;

[0134] Interface unit 1220 is further configured to send random access indication information to the access network device, the random access indication information including a first tag identifier range, the random access indication information being used to instruct the access network device to trigger random access of tags within the first tag identifier range, wherein the first tag identifier range includes the tag identifier of the first tag and the tag identifier of the second tag; and after the first tag is randomly accessed, to send an inactivation command to the first tag.

[0135] In one possible design, the interface unit 1220 is further configured to receive a second request from the data management function network element, the second request being used to request a deactivation operation on the first tag, wherein the second request is sent by the data management function network element after the life cycle of the first tag ends; or, receive a second request from the service requester, the second request being used to request a deactivation operation on the first tag; the processing unit 1210 is further configured to store the first tag to be deactivated.

[0136] In one possible design, interface unit 1220 is further configured to receive a third request from a service requester, the third request being for requesting a non-deactivation operation on the first tag; and, if processing unit 1210 determines that no operation has been performed on the first tag, send lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; or, if the third request also carries subscription indication information for instructing the initial activation of the first tag, send lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; wherein the lifecycle trigger information includes the tag identifier of the first tag, for instructing the data management function network element to start the lifecycle of the first tag.

[0137] In one possible design, enabling the lifecycle of the first tag includes enabling the survival timer corresponding to the first tag and / or enabling the operation counter corresponding to the first tag; the end of the lifecycle of the first tag includes resetting the survival timer corresponding to the first tag to zero or exceeding the survival time threshold, or resetting the operation counter corresponding to the first tag to zero or exceeding the counting threshold.

[0138] In one possible design, the interface unit 1220 is further configured to send operation counter update indication information to the data management function network element after performing any non-deactivation operation on the first tag when the lifecycle of the first tag includes the activation of the operation counter corresponding to the first tag. The operation counter update indication information includes the tag identifier of the first tag, which is used to indicate that the value of the operation counter corresponding to the first tag is decremented or incremented by one.

[0139] In one possible design, the processing unit 1210 is further configured to determine, upon detecting an abnormal behavior of the first tag, that a deactivation operation needs to be performed on the first tag; and to store the first tag for which the deactivation operation needs to be performed. Optionally, the abnormal behavior includes at least one of an access location abnormality and an access response abnormality.

[0140] like Figure 13As shown, this application also provides a communication device 1300, including a processor 1310 and an interface circuit 1320. The processor 1310 and the interface circuit 1320 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1320 can be a transceiver, an input / output interface, an input interface, an output interface, a communication interface, etc. Optionally, the communication device 1300 may further include a memory 1330 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1310, or storing input data required by the processor 1310 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1310 executes instructions. Optionally, the memory 1330 may also be integrated with the processor 1310.

[0141] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement Figure 5 In the method shown, processor 1310 can be used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1210, and interface circuit 1320 can be used to implement the functions of the interface unit 1220.

[0142] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0143] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in an access network device. Of course, the processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the access network device.

[0144] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, an access network device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one access network device, computer, server, or data center to another access network device, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0145] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0146] Additionally, it should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the term "exemplary" is used to indicate that it is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "exemplary" is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner.

[0147] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A method for tag inactivation, characterized in that, include: The core network equipment receives a first request from the service requester, the first request being used to request a non-deactivation operation on the second tag; The core network device determines that there is a first tag to be deactivated, wherein the deactivation operation is used to deactivate the first tag. The core network device sends random access indication information to the access network device. The random access indication information includes a first tag identifier range. The random access indication information is used to instruct the access network device to trigger random access of tags within the first tag identifier range. The first tag identifier range includes the tag identifier of the first tag and the tag identifier of the second tag. After the first tag is randomly accessed, the core network device sends an inactivation command to the first tag.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The core network device receives a second request from a data management function network element, the second request being used to request a deactivation operation on the first tag, wherein the second request is sent by the data management function network element after the lifecycle of the first tag has ended; or The core network device receives a second request from the service requester, the second request being used to request the deactivation operation of the first tag; The core network device stores the first tag of the inactivation operation to be performed.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The core network device receives a third request from the service requester, the third request being used to request a non-deactivation operation on the first tag; If the core network device determines that no operation has been performed on the first tag, the core network device sends lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; or, If the third request also carries subscription indication information for indicating the initial activation of the first tag, the core network device sends lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; The lifecycle triggering information includes the tag identifier of the first tag, which is used to instruct the data management function network element to start the lifecycle of the first tag.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the core network device detects abnormal behavior of the first tag, it determines that the first tag needs to be deactivated. The core network device stores the first tag of the inactivation operation to be performed.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The abnormal behavior includes at least one of the following: abnormal access location or abnormal access response.

6. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes interface units and processing units; The interface unit is used to receive a first request from the business requester, the first request being used to request a non-deactivation operation on the second tag; The processing unit is configured to determine that there is a first tag for which an inactivation operation is to be performed, wherein the inactivation operation is used to deactivate the first tag. The interface unit is further configured to send random access indication information to the access network device, the random access indication information including a first tag identifier range, the random access indication information being used to instruct the access network device to trigger random access of tags within the first tag identifier range, wherein the first tag identifier range includes the tag identifier of the first tag and the tag identifier of the second tag; and after the first tag is randomly accessed, to send an inactivation command to the first tag.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The interface unit is further configured to receive a second request from the data management function network element, the second request being used to request an inactivation operation on the first tag, wherein the second request is sent by the data management function network element after the life cycle of the first tag ends; Alternatively, receive a second request from the service requester, the second request being used to request an inactivation operation on the first tag; The processing unit is also used to store the first tag of the inactivation operation to be performed.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The interface unit is further configured to receive a third request from the service requester, the third request being for requesting a non-deactivation operation on the first tag; and, if the processing unit determines that no operation has been performed on the first tag, to send lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; or, if the third request also carries subscription indication information for instructing the initial activation of the first tag, to send lifecycle trigger information to the data management function network element; wherein the lifecycle trigger information includes the tag identifier of the first tag, for instructing the data management function network element to start the lifecycle of the first tag.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The processing unit is further configured to determine, when an abnormal behavior of the first tag is detected, that the first tag needs to undergo an inactivation operation; and to store the first tag for which the inactivation operation needs to be performed.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The abnormal behavior includes at least one of the following: abnormal access location or abnormal access response.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices besides the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices besides the communication device. The processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 through logic circuits or execution instructions.

12. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 to be implemented.

13. A chip system, characterized in that, The chip system includes: A processor and a memory, the processor being coupled to the memory, the memory being used to store a program or instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 to be implemented.

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