Data synchronization method and device

Abstract

The present application provides a data synchronization method and related equipment, including: obtaining indication information from a network element of a core network, the indication information indicating that the delay of a data stream of a first mode and a data stream of a second mode in a multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold, and then configuring resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information. In this way, the delay of different data streams can be shortened to ensure the synchronization of data streams of different modes, meet service requirements, and improve user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a data synchronization method, an electronic device, a communication system, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the development of mobile communication technology, especially the fifth generation mobile networks (5G) and other new generation mobile communication technologies, the functions of communication systems are constantly being enhanced. Specifically, 5G communication systems can provide enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), with faster connections, higher throughput and greater capacity, as well as ultra-reliable low-latency communications (uRLLC), so that the network can be applied in mission-critical scenarios that require uninterrupted and stable data links, such as extended reality (XR) scenarios or cloud gaming scenarios, meeting the ultra-high reliability and low latency requirements of wireless communication networks in the scenarios.

[0003] The services in the above scenarios may include multi-modal services. Multi-modal services refer to services that transmit data streams in multiple modes, and multiple modes can be any combination of audio, video, touch, etc. Taking the XR scenario as an example, XR services usually need to transmit data streams including audio, video, and touch.

[0004] At present, the network side usually adopts independent scheduling schemes for different data streams, which leads to large delays in data streams of different modes in multimodal business scenarios, making it difficult to meet business needs and affecting user experience. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a data synchronization method and related equipment, the purpose of which is to solve the problem that in a multimodal business scenario, data streams of different modes may have a large delay, making it difficult to meet business needs and affecting user experience.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] The first aspect of the present application provides a data synchronization method. The method can be performed by an access network device. The access network device refers to a network device of the access network, including but not limited to a base station, a wireless access point, a transmission receiving point, a wireless relay node, and a wireless backhaul node.

[0008] Specifically, the access network device can obtain indication information from the network element of the core network, which indicates that the delay of the data flow of the first mode and the data flow of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold, and then configure the resources of the data flow of the first mode and / or the data flow of the second mode according to the indication information.

[0009] In this method, the access network device can obtain indication information from the network element of the core network, and the indication information indicates that the delay of the data flow of the first mode and the data flow of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold. The access network device adaptively configures the resources of the data flow of the first mode and / or the data flow of the second mode according to the indication information to ensure the synchronization of data flows of different modes, meet service requirements, and improve user experience.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the indication information includes:

[0011] an identifier of a data stream of a first modality and an identifier of a data stream of a second modality; or,

[0012] an identifier of a data stream of a first mode, an identifier of a data stream of a second mode, and a delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode; or,

[0013] an identifier of the first modality and an identifier of the second modality; or,

[0014] an identifier of the first modality, an identifier of the second modality, and a delay between a data stream of the first modality and a data stream of the second modality; or,

[0015] An enumeration value indicating that the delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold; or,

[0016] An enumeration value and a delay between a data stream of a first mode and a data stream of a second mode, wherein the enumeration value indicates that the delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0017] The method supports indicating that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold through diversified information, can adapt to the requirements of different scenarios or different businesses, and has high availability.

[0018] In some possible implementations, an access network device may receive a first message sent by a session management function (SMF) network element of a core network, and the first message carries indication information. Specifically, data streams of multimodal services may converge on the network side, and the convergence point on the network side may perform synchronization calculations based on the timestamps of the data streams of the multimodal services to obtain the delays of different data streams. When the delay is greater than or equal to a threshold, a network element of the core network, such as an SMF network element, may send indication information to the access network device, so that the access network device may configure resources for the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information, thereby achieving synchronization between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode.

[0019] Regardless of whether it is a multimodal service based on the same terminal or a multimodal service based on different terminals, the data stream can be converged on the network side, and the delay of different data streams can be perceived by the core network. Therefore, this method can be applied to multimodal service scenarios based on the same terminal or multimodal service scenarios based on different terminals, and has high availability.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the first message sent by the SMF network element is generated in the following manner: receiving a second message sent by an application function (AF) network element through a policy control function (PCF) network element, and generating according to indication information in the second message.

[0021] This method can be used in scenarios where terminals are relatively dispersed. Data streams transmitted by different terminals can be converged at the AF network element. The AF network element senses that the delay of different data streams is greater than or equal to the threshold, and sends indication information to the SMF network element through the PCF network element. The SMF sends the indication information to the access network device, thereby enabling the terminal to configure resources according to the indication information to shorten the delay of different data streams.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the first message sent by the SMF network element is generated in the following manner: receiving a second message sent by a user plane function (UPF) network element, and generating according to indication information in the second message.

[0023] This method can be used in scenarios where terminals are relatively concentrated. Data streams transmitted by different terminals can converge at the UPF network element. When the UPF network element senses that the delay of different data streams is greater than or equal to a threshold, it can directly send indication information to the SMF network element, which then sends the indication information to the access network device. This enables the terminal to configure resources according to the indication information to shorten the delay of different data streams.

[0024] In some possible implementations, when configuring resources, the access network device may configure the priority, priority bit rate (PBR) or bucket size duration (BSD) of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the first modality according to the indication information; and / or, the access network device may configure the priority, priority bit rate PBR or bucket size duration (BSD) of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the second modality according to the indication information.

[0025] The method supports configuring the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the second mode according to the stream granularity, such as the data stream granularity, has good flexibility, and can meet the needs of different scenarios or different businesses.

[0026] In some possible implementations, the access network device may increase the resources specified by the uplink authorization of the multimodal service according to the indication information.

[0027] The method supports resource configuration according to the granularity of multimodal services, for example, increasing the resources specified by the uplink authorization of the multimodal service so that each data stream of the multimodal service can obtain more resources for transmission, thereby shortening the delay of different data streams.

[0028] In some possible implementations, the access network device may also receive synchronization capability information reported by the terminal. The synchronization capability information indicates the terminal's ability to support data stream synchronization in a multimodal service.

[0029] The access network device can configure the resources of the first mode data stream and / or the second mode data stream for the terminal that supports data stream synchronization in multimodal services. For the terminal that does not support data stream synchronization in multimodal services, the access network device can use the original method for resource scheduling and data transmission. This can improve the overall compatibility.

[0030] In some possible implementations, multimodal services can be based on multimodal services of different terminals. Data flows in multimodal services can be reported by different terminals. In this way, resource allocation of data flows in multimodal service scenarios based on different terminals can be achieved, and the delay of different data flows can be shortened.

[0031] A second aspect of the present application provides a data synchronization method, which is applied to a core network, wherein the core network includes a session management function SMF network element, and the method includes:

[0032] The SMF network element sends a first message to the access network device, where the first message carries indication information, and the indication information indicates that the delay between the data flow of the first mode and the data flow of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0033] In some possible implementations, the core network further includes a policy control function PCF network element, and the method further includes:

[0034] The PCF network element receives the indication information sent by the application function AF network element;

[0035] The PCF network element sends a second message to the SMF network element, where the second message carries the indication information;

[0036] The SMF network element generates the first message according to the indication information in the second message.

[0037] In some possible implementations, the core network further includes a user plane function UPF network element;

[0038] The method further comprises:

[0039] The UPF network element sends a second message to the SMF network element, where the second message carries the indication information;

[0040] The SMF network element generates the first message according to the indication information in the second message.

[0041] In some possible implementations, the indication information includes:

[0042] an identifier of the data stream of the first modality and an identifier of the data stream of the second modality; or,

[0043] an identifier of the data stream of the first modality, an identifier of the data stream of the second modality, and a delay between the data stream of the first modality and the data stream of the second modality; or,

[0044] an identifier of the first modality and an identifier of the second modality; or,

[0045] an identifier of the first modality, an identifier of the second modality, and a delay between a data stream of the first modality and a data stream of the second modality; or,

[0046] An enumeration value indicating that the delay between the data stream of the first modality and the data stream of the second modality is greater than or equal to a threshold; or,

[0047] An enumeration value and a delay between the data stream of the first modality and the data stream of the second modality, wherein the enumeration value indicates that the delay between the data stream of the first modality and the data stream of the second modality is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0048] The third aspect of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising: a memory and at least one processor. The memory is used to store programs, and the at least one processor is used to run programs, so that the electronic device implements the data synchronization method provided by the first aspect of the present application.

[0049] The fourth aspect of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising: a memory and at least one processor. The memory is used to store programs, and the at least one processor is used to run programs, so that the electronic device implements the data synchronization method provided by the second aspect of the present application.

[0050] The fifth aspect of the present application provides a communication system, including a first device and a second device. The first device and the second device are used to execute the data synchronization method provided in the third aspect or the fourth aspect of the present application.

[0051] The sixth aspect of the present application is a computer storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed, is used to implement the data synchronization method provided in the first aspect or the second aspect of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 An example diagram of a communication system architecture disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 2 An application scenario diagram disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 3 Another application scenario diagram disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Figure 4 A flowchart of a data synchronization method disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Figure 5 A flowchart of another data synchronization method disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 6 An interactive flow chart of a data synchronization method disclosed in an embodiment of the present application applied to a terminal decentralized setting scenario;

[0058] Figure 7 An interactive flow chart of a data synchronization method disclosed in an embodiment of the present application applied to a terminal centralized setting scenario;

[0059] Figure 8 This is a structural example diagram of an electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Fig. 9 This is a structural example diagram of another electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. The terms used in the following embodiments are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be used as limitations on the present application. As used in the specification and the appended claims of the present application, the singular expressions "one", "a kind", "said", "above", "the" and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more", unless there is a clear contrary indication in the context. It should also be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, "one or more" refers to one, two or more; "and / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0062] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear at different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0063] The multiple involved in the embodiments of the present application means greater than or equal to two. It should be noted that in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the words "first", "second", etc. are only used for the purpose of distinguishing the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying an order.

[0064] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: global system for mobile communications (GSM) system, code division multiple access (CDMA) system, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, general packet radio service (GPRS), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), and future communication systems.

[0065] In order to meet the challenges of wireless broadband technology and maintain the leading edge of 3GPP network, 3GPP standard group has formulated the next generation mobile communication network architecture (next generation system), called 5G network architecture. This architecture not only supports wireless technologies defined by 3GPP standard group, such as LTE, to access 5G core network (5GC), but also supports non-3GPP access technology to access 5GC through non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF), trusted non-3GPP gateway function (TNGF), trusted WLAN interworking function (TWIF) or next generation packet data gateway (NG-PDG). Among them, the core network functions are divided into user plane function (UPF) network elements and control plane function (CPF) network elements. UPF is mainly responsible for packet forwarding, quality of service (QoS) control, billing information statistics, etc. CPF is mainly responsible for user registration and authentication, mobility management, and issuing data packet forwarding policies and QoS control policies to UPF. It can be further subdivided into access and mobility management function (AMF) and session management function (SMF).

[0066] The core network equipment includes, for example, a mobility management entity (MME), a broadcast multicast service center (BMSC), etc., or may also include corresponding functional entities in the 5G system, such as a core network control plane (CP) or a user plane (UP) network function, such as SMF, AMF, etc. Among them, the core network control plane can also be understood as a core network control plane function (CPF) entity.

[0067] Figure 1 This is an example of a communication system architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application. The functions of the user equipment and each network entity are as described below.

[0068] Terminal: can be called terminal equipment, terminal equipment unit (subscriber unit), terminal equipment station, terminal equipment agent, terminal equipment device, access terminal, terminal in V2X communication, user unit, user equipment (user equipment, UE), user station, mobile station, mobile station (mobile station, MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent or user device.

[0069] The user device in the embodiments of the present application may also be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a holographic projector, a video player, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, an extended reality (XR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a tactile terminal device, a vehicle-mounted terminal device, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless communication device, a cellular phone, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication device assistant, PDA), handheld devices with wireless communication function, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, terminals in 5G networks or terminals in future evolution networks, etc.

[0070] Among them, wearable devices can also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for the intelligent design of daily wearables and the development of wearable devices, such as XR glasses, gloves, watches, clothing and shoes, etc. Among them, XR glasses can include AR glasses or VR glasses. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also powerful functions achieved through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include full-featured, large-size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, etc., as well as those that focus on a certain type of application functions and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various types of smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring. It should be noted that wearable devices, such as XR glasses and other XR devices, can also integrate the functions of smartphones. For example, XR devices can also integrate subscriber identity modules (Subscriber Identity Module, SIM) or embedded SIM (Embedded-SIM, e SIM) for cellular communication.

[0071] Radio access network (RAN): A network composed of multiple 5G-RAN nodes that implements wireless physical layer functions, resource scheduling and wireless resource management, wireless access control, and mobility management functions. 5G-RAN is connected to UPF through the user plane interface N3 to transmit data from terminal devices; 5G-RAN establishes a control plane signaling connection with AMF through the control plane interface N2 to implement functions such as wireless access bearer control. RAN can be any device with wireless transceiver functions, including but not limited to 5G base stations (5G node base, gNB), evolutionary node base (eNB), wireless access point (WiFi AP), world interoperability for microwave access base station (WiMAX BS), transmission receiving point (TRP), wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, etc.

[0072] The access network device in the embodiment of the present application, that is, the network device of the access network can also be a device used to communicate with the terminal device. The access network device can be a base station (base transceiver station, BTS) in the global system of mobile communication (global system of mobile communication, GSM) system or code division multiple access (code division multiple access, CDMA), or a base station (nodeB, NB) in the wideband code division multiple access (wideband code division multiple access, WCDMA) system, or an evolutionary base station (evolutional node base, eNB) in the LTE system, or a wireless controller in the cloud radio access network (cloud radio access network, CRAN) scenario, or the access network device can be a relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, and access network equipment in the future 5G network or access network equipment in the future evolved PLMN network, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited.

[0073] In NR, the functions of the base station are divided into two parts, called centralized unit (CU)-distributed unit (DU) separation. From the perspective of the protocol stack, the CU includes the radio resource control (RRC) layer and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer of the LTE base station, and the DU includes the radio link control (RLC) layer, the media access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer of the LTE base station. In ordinary 5G base station deployments, the CU and DU can be physically connected via optical fiber, and there is a specially defined F1 interface logically for communication between the CU and DU. From a functional perspective, the CU is mainly responsible for radio resource control and configuration, cross-cell mobility management, bearer management, etc. The DU is mainly responsible for scheduling, physical signal generation and transmission.

[0074] Among them, the above-mentioned base stations can be macro base stations, micro base stations, pico base stations, small stations, relay stations, balloon stations, etc.

[0075] SMF: Mainly responsible for the control plane functions of terminal device session management, including the selection and control of user plane function (UPF), Internet protocol (IP) address allocation, session QoS management, obtaining policy and charging control (PCC) policy from PCF, etc.

[0076] UPF: As the anchor point of the protocol data unit (PDU) session connection, it is responsible for data packet filtering, data transmission / forwarding, rate control, generation of billing information, etc. for terminal devices, and provides connection with the data network (DN).

[0077] PCF: Provides configuration policy information for terminal devices and provides policy information for managing and controlling terminal devices for network control plane elements, such as SMF elements; generates terminal device access policies and QoS flow control policies.

[0078] AF: interacts with network elements of the core network to provide some services, for example, interacts with PCF to perform service policy control, interacts with NEF to obtain some network capability information or provide some application information to the network, and provides some data network access point information to PCF to generate routing information for corresponding data services.

[0079] The terminal device in the embodiment of the present application is connected to the RAN device by wireless means, and the RAN network element is connected to the 5GC device by wireless or wired means. The 5GC device and the RAN network element can be independent and different physical devices, or the functions of the 5GC device and the logical functions of the RAN network element can be integrated on the same physical device, or the functions of some 5GC devices and some RAN network elements can be integrated on one physical device. The terminal device can be fixed or movable.

[0080] 5GC equipment mainly includes the above-mentioned PCF network elements, SMF network elements and UPF network elements.

[0081] It should be noted that the above-mentioned "network element" may also be referred to as an entity, device, apparatus or module, etc., which is not specifically limited in this application. Moreover, in this application, for the sake of ease of understanding and explanation, the description of "network element" is omitted in some descriptions. For example, the NEF network element is referred to as NEF. In this case, the "NEF" should be understood as the NEF network element or NEF entity. Hereinafter, the description of the same or similar situations is omitted.

[0082] It should be noted that Figure 1The naming of each network element included in is just a name, and the name does not limit the function of the network element itself. In 5G networks and other future networks, the above-mentioned network elements may also have other names, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above-mentioned network elements may use the terminology in 5G, or may be other names, etc., which are uniformly explained here and will not be repeated below.

[0083] It should be noted that Figure 1 The network elements in the network do not have to exist at the same time, and the required network elements can be determined based on the needs. Figure 1 The connection relationship between each network element in the network is not uniquely determined and can be adjusted according to needs.

[0084] It is understandable that the above-mentioned network elements or functions can be network elements in hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, or platforms, such as virtualized functions instantiated on cloud platforms.

[0085] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by this application and applicable to this application. Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a multimodal business scenario. The multimodal business scenario includes an AF network element and multiple XR devices, such as XR device 1 and XR device 2. Among them, the AF network element can be an XR server, the XR device can be an XR head-mounted display (HMD), an XR glasses, and the XR device can also include a controller, such as a handle. In this example, XR device 1 can be an XR glasses, and XR device 2 can be a handle. The user can wear XR glasses and hold the handle to play cloud games. The XRserver can receive video frames (video frame), audio data (audio data), haptic data (haptic data) or pose and control data (pose & control) on the XR device side, such as video frames and audio data collected by XR glasses, and haptic data, pose and control data collected by the handle, and then return the processed video frames, audio data, haptic data or pose and control data to the XR device. Among them, the XR server and the XR device interact with various commands and data through the communication link in the network architecture to form a global control loop.

[0086] In multimodal business application scenarios, multiple data streams, such as QoS flows, are required to transmit different data types such as video, audio, touch, or gesture and control. The data streams are correlated in space and time. For example, when the human body touches objects with different surface textures and materials, the touch sensation is also different. There is a certain correlation between tactile data and the surface image of the object, and this correlation is also a specific form of correlation. This correlation between different data streams can assist in data reconstruction, also known as signal reconstruction.

[0087] For example, when tactile data is transmitted over the network, some data packets are lost due to channel fluctuations or network congestion. At this time, the correlation information between the data of the multimodal service can be used to restore and reconstruct the damaged data. In this example, the tactile data can be restored using video frames to ensure the user experience of the multimodal service.

[0088] exist Figure 2 In the example, the data collected by the XR device, such as video frames, audio data, tactile data, gesture and control data, can be transmitted to the access network through the terminal, for example, it is transmitted to the access network device, such as gNB, and the access network device can transmit the above data to 5GC through QoS flow, and then 5GC transmits the above data to the XR server. It should be noted that the XR device can also communicate directly with the access network device. For example, when the XR device integrates eSIM, or the function of UE is integrated into the XR device, the XR device can be directly connected to the access network device, and accordingly, the XR device can transmit the collected data directly to the access network device, for example, directly to the access network device in the form of QoS flow without passing through the UE. Alternatively, the terminal can also be located inside the XR device, for example, terminal 1 is located inside XR device 1, terminal 2 is located inside XR device 2, and XR device 1 and XR device 2 interact directly with the access network device.

[0089] Correspondingly, the XR server can return a multimodal data stream to the XR device. Specifically, the XR server can first return a multimodal data stream to the 5GC, and the 5GC transmits the multimodal data stream to the access network device in the form of QoS flow. The access network device transmits the multimodal data stream to the corresponding UE, and then the UE transmits the received data stream to the XR device.

[0090] It should be noted that Figure 2The multimodal scenario in which multiple XR devices are connected to the network through different terminals, such as an inter-UE multimodal scenario, is used as an example. In other possible implementations of the embodiments of the present application, the application scenario of the present application may also include a multimodal scenario in which multiple XR devices are connected to the network through the same terminal, such as an intra-UE multimodal scenario. Figure 3 As shown, multiple XR devices can be connected to the network through the same terminal, and the terminal can serve as a unified entrance or exit for multiple XR devices to interact with the XR server. The multiple XR devices may include XR device 1 and XR device 2. Figure 3 In the example, XR device 1 may be XR glasses, which can collect video data and audio data, and XR device 2 may be a handle, which can collect tactile data, gesture and control data. XR device 1 and XR device 2 are connected to the same terminal, and the data collected by XR device 1 and XR device 2 can be transmitted to the access network device through the terminal.

[0091] Above Figure 2 , Figure 3 Only two XR devices are used as an example, and the present application can be applied to multiple XR devices, not limited to two. Furthermore, the above XR devices can also be replaced with other sensor devices, and the present application does not limit this.

[0092] In addition to the application scenarios constructed between the above-mentioned application server and terminal devices, the application scenarios of the present application can also be constructed by multiple terminal devices. In the scenarios constructed by multiple terminal devices, the terminal device on one side may include an XR HMD and a controller, and the terminal device on the other side may include a remote robot. The user can control the remote robot through the controller in combination with the content presented by the XR HMD. The construction of the application scenarios of the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned scenarios, and the application scenarios that can be applied to the technical solution of the present application are all within the protection scope of the present application.

[0093] It should be noted that when there is a multimodal service demand in the communication system, SMF will establish a corresponding PDU session. Generally, one multimodal service corresponds to one PDU session. One PDU session can correspond to multiple radio bearers (RBs), and one PDU session can have multiple data flows with different QoS requirements.

[0094] The synchronization between data streams greatly affects the user experience. For example, when the audio data stream and the video data stream are not synchronized, the lip shape of the video screen may not correspond to the audio. At present, the network side usually adopts independent scheduling schemes for different data streams, resulting in large delays in data streams of different modes in multimodal business scenarios. For example, when a user is using XR glasses and a controller for cloud gaming services, when a new user joins, the resources configured by the network device for the original user may be affected, resulting in delays in the video data stream transmitted by the original user's XR glasses and the tactile data stream transmitted by the controller. The synchronization of data streams of different modes is difficult to meet business needs and affects user experience.

[0095] In view of this, the present application provides a data synchronization method. Specifically, the data streams of multimodal services can be converged on the network side, and the convergence point on the network side, such as AF or UPF, can perform synchronization calculations based on the timestamps of the data streams of the multimodal services to obtain the delays of different data streams. When the delay is greater than or equal to a threshold, the network element of the core network, such as SMF, can send an indication message to the access network device, wherein the indication message indicates that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to the threshold. Accordingly, the access network device can configure the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication message to synchronize the data stream of the first mode with the data stream of the second mode.

[0096] In this method, the access network device can obtain indication information from the network element of the core network, and the indication information indicates that the delay of the data flow of the first mode and the data flow of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold. The access network device can adaptively configure the resources of the data flow of the first mode and / or the data flow of the second mode according to the indication information to ensure the synchronization of data flows of different modes, meet service requirements, and improve user experience.

[0097] In order to make the technical solution of the present application clearer and easier to understand, the data synchronization method of the embodiment of the present application is introduced below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0098] See also Figure 4 A flow chart of a data synchronization method is shown, the method comprising:

[0099] S402: The access network device obtains indication information from a network element of the core network.

[0100] For multimodal services, for example, when a user is using XR glasses and a handle for cloud gaming services, when a new user joins, the resources configured by the network for the original user may be affected, resulting in delays in the video data stream transmitted by the original user's XR glasses and the tactile data stream transmitted by the handle. When the XR glasses and the handle are connected to the access device through different terminals, or the XR glasses and the handle are directly connected to the network access device respectively, the data stream transmitted by the XR glasses and the data stream transmitted by the handle can be converged on the network side, for example, at the AF network element, or at the UPF network element. The network elements of the core network, such as the SMF network elements, can sense the delay and send indication information to the access network device. It should be noted that when the XR glasses and the handle are connected to the access network device through the same terminal, the data stream transmitted by the XR glasses and the data stream transmitted by the handle can still be converged on the network side, and the SMF network element can still sense the delay and send indication information to the access network device.

[0101] The indication information indicates that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to the threshold. Among them, the multimodal service may include multiple interrelated data streams, and the multiple data streams may come from different data sources. Each data stream can be regarded as a type of data stream or a modal data stream associated with the same service, such as an audio data stream, a video data stream, a gesture and control data stream, and a tactile data stream. Each data stream in a multimodal service is also referred to as a multimodal service stream. In some examples, multimodal services may include but are not limited to XR services and cloud gaming services. The first modality and the second modality refer to different service types in the same multimodal service. For example, the first modality may be video, and the second modality may be audio. For another example, in a cloud gaming scenario, the first modality may be video, and the second modality may be tactile.

[0102] The indication information may indicate in different implementation modes that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0103] In a first implementation, the indication information may include an identifier of a data flow of a first mode and an identifier of a data flow of a second mode. The data flow of the first mode and the data flow of the second mode may be transmitted in the form of a QoS flow, and accordingly, the identifier of the data flow of the first mode and the identifier of the data flow of the second mode may be a QoS flow identifier (QoS flow identifier, QFI), such as QFI 1 and QFI 2.

[0104] In this implementation, the indication information may be sent to the access network device in the form of an array or a sequence. For example, the indication information may be in the following format:

[0105] Instructions {

[0106] Data flow sequence {QFI 1, QFI 2}

[0107] }

[0108] Among them, QFI 1 and QFI 2 are flow identifiers of data flows. It should be noted that, in this example, sequence{QFI1, QFI 2} indicates that the delay of data flow 1 relative to data flow 2 is greater than or equal to a threshold. In other possible implementations of the embodiment of the present application, sequence{QFI 1, QFI 2} may also indicate that the delay of data flow 2 relative to data flow 1 is greater than or equal to a threshold. In this case, if there is a delay in data flow 1 relative to data flow 2, it can be indicated by sequence{QFI 2, QFI 1}.

[0109] In a second implementation, the indication information may include an identifier of a data stream of the first mode and an identifier of a data stream of the second mode and a delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode. Among them, the delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode may be the delay of the data stream of the first mode relative to the data stream of the second mode, or the delay of the data stream of the second mode relative to the data stream of the first mode. The delay may be determined by a system frame number (SFN), a subframe, a time slot or an absolute time, and the delay unit may be a symbol, a time slot, a subframe, a frame or a millisecond (ms). For ease of description, the following example is given by determining the delay by absolute time and the delay unit is milliseconds.

[0110] In this implementation, the indication information may be sent to the access network device in the form of an array or a sequence. For example, the indication information may be in the following format:

[0111] Instructions {

[0112] Data flow sequence {QFI 1, QFI 2}

[0113] Delay sequence {t delay}

[0114] }

[0115] Among them, QFI 1 and QFI 2 are the flow identifiers of the data flow, t delay is the delay, where the delay can be measured in milliseconds.

[0116] This example uses two arrays to provide the identifier and delay of the data stream respectively. In actual applications, the identifier and delay of the data stream can also be provided by one array, as shown below:

[0117] Instructions {

[0118] Data flow and delay sequence {QFI 1, QFI 2, t delay}

[0119] }

[0120] In a third implementation, the indication information may include an identifier of the first modality and an identifier of the second modality. The identifier of the modality may be a modality name or a modality type. For example, the identifier of the first modality may be visual, and the identifier of the second modality may be tactile.

[0121] In this implementation, the indication information may be sent to the access network device in the form of an array or a sequence. For example, the indication information may be in the following format:

[0122] Instructions {

[0123] Modal sequence{modal type 1, modal type 2}

[0124] }

[0125] Among them, modal type 1 and modal type 2 are identifiers of the modalities, for example, the identifier of the first modality and the identifier of the second modality.

[0126] In a fourth implementation, the indication information may include an identifier of the first modality, an identifier of the second modality, and a delay between a data stream of the first modality and a data stream of the second modality. The delay between a data stream of the first modality and a data stream of the second modality may be a delay between the data stream of the first modality and the data stream of the second modality, or a delay between the data stream of the second modality and the data stream of the first modality.

[0127] In this implementation, the indication information may be sent to the access network device in the form of an array or a sequence. For example, the indication information may be in the following format:

[0128] Instructions {

[0129] Modal sequence{modal type 1, modal type 2}

[0130] Delay sequence {t delay}

[0131] }

[0132] Among them, modal type 1 and modal type 2 are the identifiers of the modalities. delay It is a delay, for example, the delay of the data stream of the first mode relative to the data stream of the second mode.

[0133] This example uses two arrays to provide the modality identification and delay respectively. In actual applications, the modality identification and delay can also be provided through one array, as shown below:

[0134] Instructions {

[0135] modal and delay sequence {modal type 1, modal type 2, t delay}

[0136] }

[0137] In a fifth implementation, the indication information includes an enumeration value, which indicates that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to the threshold. Specifically, the enumeration is a user-defined type, consisting of multiple string constants separated by commas. These constants are called enumeration values.

[0138] In this application, users can define string constants 1, string constants 2, ... string constants n, indicating that the delay of data streams of different modes is greater than or equal to a threshold. For example, users can define warning1, warning2, warning3, warning4, warning5, and warning6 to respectively indicate that the delay between data streams of three modes is greater than or equal to 1 threshold, wherein warning1 indicates that the delay of the data stream of mode 1 relative to the data stream of mode 2 is greater than or equal to the threshold, warning2 indicates that the delay of the data stream of mode 1 relative to the data stream of mode 3 is greater than or equal to the threshold, warning3 indicates that the delay of the data stream of mode 2 relative to the data stream of mode 1 is greater than or equal to the threshold, warning4 indicates that the delay of the data stream of mode 2 relative to the data stream of mode 3 is greater than or equal to the threshold, warning5 indicates that the delay of the data stream of mode 3 relative to the data stream of mode 1 is greater than or equal to the threshold, and warning6 indicates that the delay of the data stream of mode 3 relative to the data stream of mode 2 is greater than or equal to the threshold. Among them, the number of modes and the number of delays can be arbitrary, and this application does not limit this.

[0139] The example can take an array to provide enumeration values, as follows:

[0140] Instructions {

[0141] Enum value sequence{warning1, warning6}

[0142] }

[0143] In a sixth implementation, the indication information includes an enumeration value and a delay of a data stream of a first mode relative to a data stream of a second mode, wherein the enumeration value indicates that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0144] This example can use an array to provide the enumeration value and delay, as shown below:

[0145] Instructions {

[0146] Enum value sequence{warning1, warning6}

[0147] Delay sequence {t1 delay , t2 delay}

[0148] }

[0149] Among them, warning1 and warning6 are enumeration values, t1 delay , t2 delay The above enumeration values ​​have a corresponding relationship with the delay. In this example, warning1 and t1 delay Correspondingly, the delay of the data stream of mode 1 relative to the data stream of mode 2 is t1 delay , warning6 and t2 delay Correspondingly, the delay of the data stream of mode 3 relative to the data stream of mode 2 is t2 delay .

[0150] This example uses two arrays to provide enumeration values ​​and delays respectively. In actual applications, you can also use one array to provide enumeration values ​​and delays, as shown below:

[0151] Instructions {

[0152] Enumeration value and delay sequence {warning1, warning6, t1 delay , t2 delay}

[0153] }

[0154] In this example, the first half of the sequence represents the enumeration value, and the second half of the sequence represents the delay corresponding to each enumeration value. In actual application, the delay corresponding to each enumeration value can also be set after the enumeration value, as shown below:

[0155] Instructions {

[0156] Enumeration value and delay sequence {warning1, t1 delay , warning6, t2delay}

[0157] }

[0158] It should be noted that the indication information can indicate the delay of multiple data streams, not limited to two or three data streams. In addition, it can also indicate that there is a delay in different data streams of the current service, and the specific delay may not be indicated, or it may be indicated through other messages.

[0159] The above indication information can be encapsulated in a message for transmission. Specifically, the access network device can receive a first message sent by the SMF network element of the core network, and the first message carries the indication information. According to different application scenarios, the access network device can obtain the indication information through different implementation methods.

[0160] In some possible implementations, UEs are dispersed in different areas, such as different cells. Data streams of different modes in a multimodal service may converge at an AF network element. The AF network element may extract the timestamps of the data streams of different modes for synchronization calculation to obtain the delays of the data streams of different modes. The AF network element may make synchronization judgments based on the delays of the data streams of different modes. Specifically, if the delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode in a multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold, the AF network element may send a second message through a policy control function PCF network element. The second message carries a new indication, and the indication information indicates that the delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold. Accordingly, the SMF receives the second message and may generate a first message based on the indication information in the second message.

[0161] In some other possible implementations, the UEs are relatively concentrated, and the data streams of different modes in the multimodal service can converge at the UPF network element. The UPF network element can extract the timestamps of the data streams of different modes for synchronization calculation to obtain the delays of the data streams of different modes. The UPF network element can make synchronization judgments based on the delays of the data streams of different modes. Specifically, if the delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold, the UPF network element can send a second message, and the second message carries an indication that the delay between the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold. Accordingly, the SMF receives the second message and can generate a first message based on the indication information in the second message.

[0162] It should be noted that in the scenario where data streams of different modes converge in the UPF network element, the UPF web page can also extract the timestamps of the data streams of different modes for synchronous calculation, obtain the delay of the data streams of different modes, and make synchronous judgments based on the delays of the data streams of different modes. Then, it sends indication information directly to the RAN side, such as the access network device, for example, by sending indication information to the RAN side through the data plane.

[0163] S404. The access network device configures resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information.

[0164] When the access network device receives the above-mentioned indication information, it may configure the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode, or may not configure the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode. For example, when the access network device reaches the maximum service capacity, it may not configure the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode. Among them, the purpose of configuring the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode is to synchronize the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode, and the actual result may be synchronization or asynchrony. The synchronization of data streams of different modes may also be affected by other factors. It should be noted that the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode may also be configured for other purposes, such as improving the quality of service and service experience, and this application does not limit this.

[0165] The following is an example of an access network device configuring resources for a data stream of a first mode and / or a data stream of a second mode according to indication information.

[0166] The transmission of data streams in multimodal services depends on the resource configuration of data streams in multimodal services, such as time-frequency resource configuration. Based on this, the access network device can configure the resources of at least one data stream in the multimodal service according to the indication information. The configuration process can be divided into initialization configuration and reconfiguration. Reconfiguration is also called reconfiguration and adjustment configuration.

[0167] For initial configuration, the access network device can configure the resources of each data stream in the multimodal service according to the indication information. For reconfiguration, the access network device can configure the resources of at least one data stream in the multimodal service according to the indication information. For example, if the delay of the data stream of the first mode relative to the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to the threshold, the access network device can reconfigure the resources of the data stream of the first mode, or reconfigure the resources of the data stream of the second mode. In some cases, the access network device can also reconfigure the resources of both the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode.

[0168] When configuring resources, the access network device can configure the data stream, such as QoS stream, as the granularity. Specifically, the access network device can configure the priority, priority bit rate (PBR) or bucket depth (Bucket Size Duration, BSD) of the logical channel of the data stream of the first mode according to the indication information. Alternatively, the access network device can configure the priority, priority bit rate PBR or bucket depth BSD of the logical channel of the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information.

[0169] For example, when the indication information indicates that the time delay of the data stream of the first mode relative to the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the access network device can configure the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the first mode to be high priority, or the access network device can configure the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the second mode to be low priority. In some examples, the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the first mode is 3, and the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the second mode is 2. In this example, the smaller the value, the higher the priority. When the indication information indicates that the time delay of the data stream of the first mode relative to the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the access network device can configure the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the first mode to be 1, or configure the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the second mode to be 4.

[0170] Furthermore, the access network device may also configure the priority, priority bit rate PBR or BSD of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the first mode, and configure the priority, priority bit rate PBR or BSD of the token bucket of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information. For example, the indication information not only indicates that the delay of the data stream of the first mode relative to the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to the threshold, but also indicates the delay of the data stream of the first mode relative to the data stream of the second mode. If the delay is much greater than the threshold, the access network device may reconfigure the resources of the data stream of the first mode and the resources of the data stream of the second mode, for example, configuring the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the first mode to be high priority, and configuring the priority of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the second mode to be low priority.

[0171] The access network device can also be configured with multimodal services as the granularity. Specifically, the access network device can increase the resources specified by the uplink grant (UL grant) of the multimodal service according to the indication information. The uplink grant, also known as the uplink scheduling grant, is a physical control information from the access network device, indicating that the UE can transmit data through the resources specified by the UL grant after receiving the UL grant.

[0172] Taking into account the possible differences in capabilities of different terminals, the access network device can also receive synchronization capability information reported by the terminal, wherein the synchronization capability information indicates the terminal's ability to support data stream synchronization in multimodal services. The terminal's ability to support data stream synchronization in multimodal services may include supporting data stream synchronization in multimodal services, or not supporting data stream synchronization in multimodal services. Accordingly, the access network device can configure resources for the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode for terminals that support data stream synchronization in multimodal services, so as to synchronize the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode. For terminals that do not support data stream synchronization in multimodal services, the access network device can use the original method for resource scheduling and data transmission. This can improve overall compatibility.

[0173] In some cases, configuring resources for data streams or synchronizing different data streams may also be performed by the core network. After configuring resources for data streams, the core network may send resource configuration information to the access network device. The access network device may send resource configuration information to the terminal. Accordingly, the terminal may determine the resources configured by the core network and perform data transmission based on the resources, such as the re-determined resources or the re-configured resources.

[0174] Based on the above description, the present application provides a data synchronization method. In this method, an access network device can obtain indication information from a network element of a core network, and the indication information indicates that the delay of a data stream of a first mode and a data stream of a second mode in a multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold value. The access network device can adaptively configure resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information to ensure the synchronization of data streams of different modes, meet service requirements, and improve user experience.

[0175] Figure 4 The data synchronization method has been introduced from the perspective of the access network device. The data synchronization method of the present application will be introduced from the perspective of the core network.

[0176] See also Figure 5 A flow chart of a data synchronization method is shown, the method is applied to a core network, the core network includes an SMF network element, and the method includes:

[0177] S502. The SMF network element obtains indication information.

[0178] For multi-modal services, data streams in different modes may be delayed in some cases. For specific scenarios, see Figure 4Description of the relevant content of the cloud gaming scenario in the embodiment. On the network side, for example, the AF network element and the UPF network element can sense the delay and send indication information to the access network device. Among them, when the AF network element or the UPF network element sends the indication information to the access network device, the indication information can be first sent to the SMF network element of the core network, and the SMF network element sends the indication information to the access network device.

[0179] The indication information indicates that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to the threshold. The indication information can indicate that the delay of the data stream of the first mode and the data stream of the second mode is greater than or equal to the threshold through different implementation methods. For related implementation methods, please refer to the relevant content description above.

[0180] In specific implementation, the SMF network element can obtain indication information from different network elements according to different data flow convergence points. The following are explained separately.

[0181] When the distribution of UEs is relatively dispersed, the data flow of multimodal services can be converged in the AF network element. The core network also includes a policy control function PCF network element. Accordingly, the PCF network element receives the indication information sent by the application function AF network element, and then the PCF network element sends a second message to the SMF network element, and the second message carries the indication information. The SMF network element can obtain the indication information according to the second message. For example, the SMF network element unpacks the second message to obtain the indication information.

[0182] When the UEs are distributed in a relatively concentrated manner, the data streams of the multimodal services may be aggregated at the UPF network element. The UPF network element may send a second message to the SMF network element, and the second message carries indication information. The SMF network element may obtain the indication information according to the second message. For example, the SMF network element may obtain the indication information by unpacking the second message.

[0183] S504. The SMF network element sends a first message to the access network device, where the first message carries indication information.

[0184] Specifically, the SMF network element can generate a first message carrying the indication information based on the indication information in the second message, and then send the first message to the access network device, thereby sending the indication information to the access network device.

[0185] Based on the above description, the present application provides a data synchronization method. In this method, the convergence point of the data flow in the multimodal service such as the AF network element and the UPF network element on the network side performs synchronization calculation and synchronization judgment, and when the delay between the service flows of different modes is greater than the threshold, an indication information is sent to the RAN side, so that the RAN side can adaptively configure the resources of the data flow in the multimodal service according to the indication information to ensure the synchronization of data flows of different modes, meet business requirements, and improve user experience. Moreover, this method is applicable to intra-UE multimodal scenarios and inter-UE multimodal scenarios, that is, the data flow of the multimodal service can come from a single terminal or from multiple terminals, and has high availability.

[0186] Next, in combination with specific application scenarios, the data synchronization method of the present application is introduced from an interactive perspective.

[0187] In the scenario where UEs are dispersed, the data streams of multimodal services can be aggregated at the AF network element. The process of the data synchronization method in this scenario can be found in Figure 6 , specifically including the following steps:

[0188] S602. The AF network element sends an AF request message to the PCF network element.

[0189] For multi-modal services, data streams in different modes may be delayed in some cases. For specific scenarios, see Figure 4 The relevant content description of the cloud gaming scenario in the embodiment. The AF network element can sense the delay of different data streams and send indication information to the access network device. Among them, when the AF network element sends the indication information to the access network device, it can first send the indication information to the PCF network element of the core network, and the PCF network element then sends the indication information to the SMF network element, and the SMF network element sends the indication information to the access network device. It should be noted that the PCF network element and the SMF network element can be Figure 2 or Figure 3 The network element in the 5GC shown, the AF network element can also be Figure 2 or Figure 3 For more information about PCF network elements, SMF network elements, and AF network elements, refer to Figure 1 The relevant content description will not be repeated here.

[0190] Specifically, the AF network element can use the interface with the PCF network element to send an AF request message to the PCF network element, and the AF request message can carry indication information. The indication information indicates that the delay of the data flow of the first mode and the data flow of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to the threshold. For example, the AF request message can be expressed as AF Request (QFI 1, QFI 2, t delay ).

[0191] S604. The PCF network element sends a policy association modification message to the SMF network element.

[0192] Specifically, the PCF network element receives the AF request message and can unpack the AF request message to obtain the indication information. Then the PCF network element can use the interface with the SMF network element to send a policy association modification message to the SMF network element, such as a session management policy association modification SM Policy Association Modification message. The SM Policy Association Modification message can carry the indication information. For example, the SM Policy Association Modification message can be expressed as SM Policy Association Modification (QFI 1, QFI 2, t delay ).

[0193] S606. The SMF network element sends an N2 session management message to the access network device.

[0194] Specifically, the SMF network element receives the SM Policy Association Modification message from the PCF network element, and can unpack the SM Policy Association Modification message to obtain the prompt information. Then, the SMF network element can use the interface with the access network device to send an N2 session management message, namely, an N2 SM message, to the access network device. The N2 SM message can carry indication information. For example, the N2 SM message can be expressed as N2 SM (QFI 1, QFI 2, t delay ).

[0195] S608. The access network device configures resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information.

[0196] The specific implementation of the access network device configuring the resources of the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information can refer to the description of the relevant content above, for example, Figure 4 The description of the relevant contents of S404 in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0197] In the scenario where UEs are concentrated, the data streams of multimodal services can be aggregated in the UPF network element. The process of the data synchronization method in this scenario can be found in Figure 7 , specifically including the following steps:

[0198] S702. The UPF network element sends an N4 session report message to the SMF network element.

[0199] For multi-modal services, data streams in different modes may be delayed in some cases. For specific scenarios, see Figure 4 The relevant content description of the cloud gaming scenario in the embodiment. The UPF network element of the core network can sense the delay and send indication information to the access network device. Among them, when the UPF network element sends the indication information to the access network device, it can first send the indication information to the SMF network element of the core network, and the SMF network element sends the indication information to the access network device. It should be noted that the UPF network element and the SMF network element can be Figure 2 or Figure 3 The network elements in the 5GC are shown in Figure 2. For the description of UPF network elements and SMF network elements, please refer to Figure 1 The relevant content description will not be repeated here.

[0200] Specifically, the UPF network element can obtain the delay between service flows of different modes based on the timestamps of multiple data flows of the multimodal service. When the delay of the data flow of the first mode relative to the data flow of the second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold, the UPF network element can use the interface between the UPF network element and the SMF network element to send an N4 session report (Session Report) message to the SMF network element. The N4 session report message can carry indication information, which indicates that the delay between the data flow of the first mode and the data flow of the second mode in the multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold. For example, the N4 Session Report message can be expressed as N4 Session Report (QFI 1, QFI 2, t delay ).

[0201] S704. The SMF network element sends an N2 session management message to the access network device.

[0202] S706. The access network device configures resources for the data stream of the first mode and / or the data stream of the second mode according to the indication information.

[0203] The specific implementation of S704 to S706 can refer to the above description of the relevant content, for example Figure 6 The description of the relevant contents of S606 and S608 of the embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0204] The aforementioned embodiments, for example, Figures 2 to 7The embodiments are mainly explained with the delay of data streams of different modes being greater than or equal to a threshold. In other embodiments of the present application, data synchronization can also be performed when the delay of data streams of the same mode is greater than or equal to a threshold. Specifically, the access network device obtains indication information from a network element of the core network, and the indication information indicates that the delay of the first data stream and the second data stream is greater than or equal to a threshold, wherein the first data stream and the second data stream may be data streams of the same mode. The access network device configures resources for the first data stream and / or the second data stream according to the indication information. The difference between this embodiment and the aforementioned embodiment mainly lies in that the modes of the data streams are the same mode, and the specific implementation of obtaining the indication information and configuring the resources according to the indication information can be referred to. Figures 2 to 7 The relevant content description of the embodiments of the present invention will not be repeated here.

[0205] Figure 8 An example of the composition of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The electronic device may be a first device, including but not limited to a base station and a core network unit. Figure 8 A simplified schematic diagram of the base station structure is shown. The base station includes part 810, part 820 and part 830. Part 810 is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the base station, etc.; part 810 is usually the control center of the base station, which can be usually called a processor, and is used to control the base station to perform the processing operations on the first device side in the above method embodiment. Part 820 is mainly used to store computer program code and data. Part 830 is mainly used for receiving and sending radio frequency signals and converting radio frequency signals into baseband signals; part 830 can usually be called a transceiver module, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, etc. The transceiver module of part 830, which can also be called a transceiver or a transceiver, etc., includes an antenna 833 and a radio frequency circuit, Figure 8 830 is not shown, wherein the RF circuit is mainly used for RF processing. Optionally, the device for implementing the receiving function in part 830 can be regarded as a receiver, and the device for implementing the transmitting function can be regarded as a transmitter, that is, part 830 includes a receiver 832 and a transmitter 831. The receiver can also be called a receiving module, a receiver, or a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitter can be called a transmitting module, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0206] Part 810 and part 820 may include one or more single boards, each of which may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The processor is used to read and execute the program in the memory to realize the baseband processing function and the control of the base station. If there are multiple single boards, each single board can be interconnected to enhance the processing capability. As an optional implementation, multiple single boards may share one or more processors, or multiple single boards may share one or more memories, or multiple single boards may share one or more processors at the same time.

[0207] For example, in one implementation, the transceiver module of part 830 is used to execute the transceiver-related process executed by the base station in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processor of part 810 is used to execute the processing-related process executed by the base station in the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0208] It should be understood that Figure 8 This is only an example and not a limitation. The network device including the processor, memory and transceiver may not rely on Figure 8 The structure shown.

[0209] Fig. 9 Another example of the composition of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The electronic device may be a second device, and the second device may be a terminal, including but not limited to a mobile phone, a smart wearable device, such as a smart watch and other electronic devices. Taking a mobile phone as an example, the electronic device may include a processor 310, an external memory interface 320, an internal memory 321, a display screen 330, a camera 340, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, a mobile communication module 350, and a wireless communication module 360, etc.

[0210] It is to be understood that the structure illustrated in this embodiment does not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device. In other embodiments, the electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine some components, or split some components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0211] The processor 310 may include one or more processing units, for example, the processor 310 may include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processor (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0212] It is understandable that the interface connection relationship between the modules illustrated in this embodiment is only a schematic illustration and does not constitute a structural limitation of the electronic device. In other embodiments of the present application, the electronic device may also adopt different interface connection methods in the above embodiments, or a combination of multiple interface connection methods.

[0213] The external memory interface 320 can be used to connect an external memory card, such as a Micro SD card, to expand the storage capacity of the electronic device. The external memory card communicates with the processor 310 through the external memory interface 320 to implement a data storage function. For example, files such as music and videos can be stored in the external memory card.

[0214] The internal memory 321 can be used to store computer executable program codes, and the executable program codes include instructions. The processor 310 executes various functional applications and data processing of the electronic device by running the instructions stored in the internal memory 321. The internal memory 321 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. Among them, the program storage area may store an operating system, an application required for at least one function, such as an application required for a sound playback function, an image playback function, and the like. The data storage area may store data created during the use of the electronic device, such as audio data, a phone book, and the like. In addition, the internal memory 321 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, a universal flash storage (UFS), and the like. The processor 310 executes various functional applications and data processing of the electronic device by running the instructions stored in the internal memory 321, and / or the instructions stored in the memory provided in the processor.

[0215] The wireless communication function of the electronic device can be implemented through antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 350, wireless communication module 360, modem processor and baseband processor.

[0216] Antenna 1 and antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in the electronic device can be used to cover a single or multiple communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be reused to improve the utilization of the antennas. For example, antenna 1 can be reused as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antenna can be used in combination with a tuning switch.

[0217] The mobile communication module 350 can provide solutions for wireless communications including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G applied in electronic devices. The mobile communication module 350 may include at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 350 can receive electromagnetic waves from the antenna 1, and filter, amplify, and process the received electromagnetic waves, and transmit them to the modulation and demodulation processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 350 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modulation and demodulation processor, and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna 1. In some embodiments, at least some of the functional modules of the mobile communication module 350 can be set in the processor 310. In some embodiments, at least some of the functional modules of the mobile communication module 350 can be set in the same device as at least some of the modules of the processor 310.

[0218] In some embodiments, the electronic device initiates or receives a call request through the mobile communication module 350 and the antenna 1 .

[0219] In addition, an operating system is running on the above components. For example, an iOS operating system, an Android operating system, a Windows operating system, etc. Applications can be installed and run on the operating system. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, the explanation and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the electronic devices provided above can refer to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0220] The present application also provides a communication system, which may include: Figure 8 The first device shown is, for example, a network device such as a base station, and Fig. 9 The second device shown is, for example, a terminal such as a mobile phone.

[0221] In the present application, a terminal or network device may include a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. Among them, the hardware layer may include hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and a memory. Among them, the memory is also called main memory. The operating system of the operating system layer may be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as Linux operating system, Unix operating system, Android operating system, iOS operating system, or Windows operating system. The application layer may include applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software.

[0222] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and modules described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0223] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the modules is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0224] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0225] In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0226] If the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part that essentially contributes to the technical solution of the present application or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device, which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc., to execute all or part of the process of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory, a random access memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0227] As described above, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments can still be modified, or some of the technical features therein can be replaced by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A data synchronization method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtain indication information from a network element of a core network, where the indication information indicates that a delay of a data flow of a first mode relative to a data flow of a second mode in a multimodal service is greater than or equal to a threshold, and the delay is obtained by synchronously calculating a timestamp of the data flow of the first mode and a timestamp of the data flow of the second mode at a convergence point on a network side, where the convergence point on the network side includes an application function network element or a user plane function network element; According to the indication information, resources of the data stream of the first modality and / or the data stream of the second modality are configured.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The instruction information includes: an identifier of the data stream of the first modality and an identifier of the data stream of the second modality; or, an identifier of the data stream of the first modality, an identifier of the data stream of the second modality, and a delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality; or, an identifier of the first modality and an identifier of the second modality; or, an identifier of the first modality, an identifier of the second modality, and a delay of a data stream of the first modality relative to a data stream of the second modality; or, An enumeration value indicating that a delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality is greater than or equal to a threshold; or, An enumeration value and a delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality, the enumeration value indicating that the delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality is greater than or equal to a threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The obtaining of indication information from a network element of the core network includes: A first message sent by a session management function network element of a core network is received, where the first message carries the indication information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first message sent by the session management function network element is generated in the following manner: A second message is received that is sent by the application function network element through the policy control function network element, and is generated according to the indication information in the second message.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first message sent by the session management function network element is generated in the following manner: A second message sent by the user plane function network element is received, and generated according to the indication information in the second message.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The configuring, according to the indication information, resources of the data stream of the first modality and / or the data stream of the second modality includes: According to the indication information, configure the priority, priority bit rate PBR or bucket depth BSD of the logical channel for transmitting the data stream of the first modality; and / or, According to the indication information, the priority, priority bit rate PBR or bucket depth BSD of the logical channel transmitting the data stream of the second modality is configured.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The configuring, according to the indication information, resources of the data stream of the first modality and / or the data stream of the second modality includes: According to the indication information, resources specified by the uplink authorization of the multimodal service are increased.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The synchronization capability information reported by the terminal is received, where the synchronization capability information indicates the terminal's support capability for data stream synchronization in a multimodal service.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The data streams in the multimodal service are reported through different terminals.

10. A data synchronization method, characterized in that: Applied to a core network, the core network includes a session management function network element, and the method includes: The session management function network element sends a first message to the access network device, where the first message carries indication information, where the indication information indicates that a delay of a data stream of a first mode in a multimodal service relative to a data stream of a second mode is greater than or equal to a threshold, and the delay is obtained by synchronously calculating at a convergence point on the network side based on a timestamp of the data stream of the first mode and a timestamp of the data stream of the second mode, and the convergence point on the network side includes an application function network element or a user plane function network element.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The core network further includes a policy control function network element, and the method further includes: The policy control function network element receives the indication information sent by the application function network element; The policy control function network element sends a second message to the session management function network element, where the second message carries the indication information; The session management function network element generates the first message according to the indication information in the second message.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The core network also includes the user plane function network element; The method further comprises: The user plane function network element sends a second message to the session management function network element, where the second message carries the indication information; The session management function network element generates the first message according to the indication information in the second message.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The instruction information includes: an identifier of the data stream of the first modality and an identifier of the data stream of the second modality; or, an identifier of the data stream of the first modality, an identifier of the data stream of the second modality, and a delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality; or, an identifier of the first modality and an identifier of the second modality; or, an identifier of the first modality, an identifier of the second modality, and a delay of a data stream of the first modality relative to a data stream of the second modality; or, An enumeration value indicating that a delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality is greater than or equal to a threshold; or, An enumeration value and a delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality, the enumeration value indicating that the delay of the data stream of the first modality relative to the data stream of the second modality is greater than or equal to a threshold.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: Memory for storing computer programs or computer instructions; A processor, configured to execute a computer program or computer instruction stored in the memory, so that the electronic device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

15. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: Memory for storing computer programs or computer instructions; A processor, configured to execute a computer program or computer instruction stored in the memory, so that the electronic device executes the method according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

16. A communication system, characterized in that: The system comprises a first device and a second device, wherein the first device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the second device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

17. A computer storage medium for storing a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed, the computer program is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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