Method and system for multipath data processing based on near field communication

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a kind of multi-path data processing method and system based on close-range communication, it is related to communication technical field, the method comprises: by session management function SMF entity, the downlink data notification information sent by user plane function UPF entity is received, downlink data notification information is the downlink data packet received by UPF entity triggers, by SMF entity, the connection identification information of close-range communication ProSe's protocol data unit PDU session is sent to access and mobile management function AMF entity, connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between network and terminal.By SMF entity, the connection identification information of PDU session is sent to AMF entity, can make AMF entity determine which path is communicated with terminal, so that network accurately distinguishes the connection condition with terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a multipath data processing method and system based on short-range communication. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of mobile communication networks and the increasing demand for mobile data, mobile networks have become an indispensable part of current social development, technological progress, and the improvement of people's quality of life.

[0003] In related technologies, within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Proximity Based Services (ProSe) scenario, terminals can establish connections with the network via multi-path communication, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the terminal can establish a connection with the network through path #1, or through path #2, via a relay device (UE-to-Network Relay).

[0004] like Figure 2 As shown, a terminal can access the network via 3GPP or via Non-3GPP access within the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN). Both methods of establishing a connection with the network through relay equipment and accessing the network via Non-3GPP access may involve Non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF) devices. In these cases, the network may be unable to accurately distinguish the connection status with the terminal. Figure 2 It includes MF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entity, SMF (Session Management Function) entity, and UPF (User Plane Function) entity.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a multipath data processing method and system based on short-range communication, which at least enables the network to accurately distinguish the connection status with the terminal and accurately communicate with the terminal.

[0007] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication, the method comprising:

[0009] The Session Management Function (SMF) entity receives downlink data notification information sent by the User Plane Function (UPF) entity; the downlink data notification information is triggered by the downlink data packet received by the UPF entity.

[0010] The SMF entity sends connection identification information of the ProSe protocol data unit (PDU) session to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity; the connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between the network and the terminal.

[0011] In one possible embodiment, after the SMF entity sends the connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity, the method further includes:

[0012] The AMF entity determines that the connection path corresponding to the connection identifier information is the first connection path;

[0013] The AMF entity sends paging information or non-access stratum (NAS) signaling to the terminal through the first connection path.

[0014] In one possible embodiment, the step of the AMF entity sending paging information or Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling to the terminal through the first connection path includes:

[0015] If the AMF entity determines that the first connection path is idle based on the connection identifier information, it sends paging information to the terminal through the first connection path;

[0016] If the AMF entity determines that the first connection path is in a connected state based on the connection identifier information, it sends NAS signaling to the terminal through the first connection path.

[0017] In one possible embodiment, the multiple connection paths between the network and the terminal include a first connection path and a second connection path; the method further includes:

[0018] If the AMF entity determines that the first connection path is in an idle state based on the connection identification information, and determines that the second connection path is in a connected state based on the terminal identification information of the terminal, then it sends NAS signaling to the terminal through the second connection path; the NAS signaling is used to instruct the terminal that the network needs to establish a signaling connection or perform data transmission with the terminal on the first connection path.

[0019] In one possible embodiment, the paging information and the NAS signaling include at least the connection identification information of the first connection path.

[0020] In one possible embodiment, after sending NAS signaling to the terminal via the second connection path, the method further includes:

[0021] The AMF entity receives the service request message returned by the terminal and obtains the connection identification information corresponding to the second connection path; the service request message is used to indicate to the network the connection path that the terminal needs to establish a signaling connection or perform data transmission, and is converted from the first connection path to the second connection path; the service request message includes at least the connection identification information of the second connection path reported by the terminal.

[0022] On the second connection path, a data transmission or signaling transmission channel is established between the network and the terminal.

[0023] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0024] After receiving the downlink data notification information sent by the UPF entity, the SMF entity returns data notification confirmation information to the UPF.

[0025] After the SMF entity sends the connection identification information of the ProSe protocol data unit (PDU) session to the AMF entity, it receives the connection identification information response information returned by the AMF entity.

[0026] In one possible embodiment, the connection identification information includes at least one of the following: path identification information, connection identification information, and ProSe indication information.

[0027] Secondly, the embodiments of this disclosure provide a multipath data processing system based on short-range communication, including an SMF entity, a UPF entity, and an AMF entity;

[0028] The SMF entity is used to receive downlink data notification information sent by the UPF entity; the downlink data notification information is triggered by a downlink data packet received by the UPF entity.

[0029] The SMF entity is used to send connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session of the Near Field Communication (ProSe) to the AMF entity; the connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between the network and the terminal.

[0030] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an electronic device, including: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect above by executing the executable instructions.

[0031] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the first aspect above.

[0032] Fifthly, according to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product or computer program is also provided, the computer program product or computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the methods described in any of the preceding claims.

[0033] The embodiments of this disclosure provide a multipath data processing method based on near-field communication (NFC). The Session Management Function (SMF) entity receives downlink data notification information sent by the User Plane Function (UPF) entity. This downlink data notification information is triggered by downlink data packets received by the UPF entity. The SMF entity then sends connection identification information for a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session of Near-Field Communication (ProSe) to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity. This connection identification information identifies the connection path between the network and the terminal. By sending the connection identification information of the PDU session to the AMF entity, the SMF entity can determine which path to use to communicate with the terminal, allowing the network to accurately distinguish the connection status with the terminal.

[0034] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0036] Figure 1This diagram illustrates multiple connection paths between a terminal and a network in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a network architecture in which a terminal connects to a network via 3GPP and Non-3GPP in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 3 This illustration shows one of the network architecture diagrams for terminal-network connection in a 3GPP short-range communication scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a second schematic diagram of the network architecture for terminal-network connection in a 3GPP short-range communication scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 5 This is the third schematic diagram of the network architecture for terminal-network connection in a 3GPP short-range communication scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the structure of a multipath data processing system based on short-range communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 7 This illustration shows one of the flowcharts of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0043] Figure 8 This illustration shows one of the interactive diagrams of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a second schematic flowchart of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0045] Figure 10 This is a second interactive schematic diagram of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0048] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0049] This paper introduces the possible deployment methods for terminal and network connections in related technologies.

[0050] Figure 3 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a terminal network architecture based on L3 (network layer) UE-to-Network Relay and N3IWF in an embodiment of this disclosure. The remote UE can connect to the network through relay devices and N3IWF devices, or it can directly access the 5G Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) and connect to the network. Figure 3 The diagram illustrates two connection paths for a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session established by the terminal.

[0051] Figure 4 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture based on L3UE-to-Network Relay that does not involve N3IWF devices, according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 The network architecture includes two connection paths. One path connects to the network via NG-RAN, and this connection is a PDU session established by the Remote UE. The other path connects to the network via L3 UE-to-Network Relay, and then to the corresponding PDU session via the Relay UE UPF. This connection path is essentially the PDU session of the Relay UE. Figure 4 The AMF entities corresponding to the two connection paths can be the same or different. In this disclosure, we can... Figure 4 The AMF entities corresponding to the two connection paths are considered to be the same.

[0052] Figure 5 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture based on L2 (data link layer) UE-to-Network Relay according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5The network architecture includes two connection paths. One path connects to the network via NG-RAN. The other path connects to the network via L2 UE-to-Network Relay and then via Remote UPF. These two connection paths belong to different PDU sessions. Figure 5 The AMF entities corresponding to the two connection paths can be the same or different. In this disclosure, we can... Figure 5 The AMF entities corresponding to the two connection paths are considered to be the same.

[0053] Because in related technologies, terminals can establish connections to the network through multiple paths, and these connection methods may all involve N3IWF devices, for example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The terminal shown is connected to the network via an N3IWF device. If the terminal is connected via... Figure 2 When connecting to the network, it also uses... Figure 3 When a terminal connects to the network via an N3IWF device, the network side cannot accurately distinguish the terminal's connection status. It is important to understand that the above... Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is merely an illustrative representation.

[0054] Based on this, this disclosure provides a multipath data processing method based on near-field communication (NFC). After the Session Management Function (SMF) entity receives downlink data notification information from the User Plane Function (UPF) entity (triggered by downlink data packets received by the UPF entity), the SMF entity sends connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session of Near-Field Communication (ProSe) to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity. This allows the AMF entity to determine which path to use for communication with the terminal based on the connection identification information. The connection identification information identifies the connection path between the network and the terminal. Through this method, the network can accurately distinguish the connection status with the terminal and accurately determine which path to use for communication.

[0055] The multipath data processing method based on short-range communication disclosed herein can be applied to electronic devices or to multipath data processing systems based on short-range communication.

[0056] Figure 6 A schematic diagram is shown of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication that can be applied to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0057] like Figure 6 As shown, the multipath data processing system 100 based on short-range communication may include the following network-side devices: SMF entity 101, UPF entity 102, and AMF entity 103.

[0058] Specifically, the SMF entity is used to receive downlink data notification information sent by the UPF entity; the downlink data notification information is triggered by the downlink data packets received by the UPF entity.

[0059] The SMF entity is used to send connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session of the ProSe short-range communication to the AMF entity. The connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between the network and the terminal. There may be multiple connection paths between the network and the terminal, and the connection identification information can be used to identify any one of the connection paths.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will know that Figure 6 The number of entities shown is merely illustrative; any number of entities can be included as needed. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0061] The following detailed description of this exemplary implementation method is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0062] First, this disclosure provides a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication, which can be executed by a multipath data processing system based on short-range communication.

[0063] Figure 7 This illustration shows one of the flowcharts of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication in an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0064] S702: The Session Management Function (SMF) entity receives downlink data notification information sent by the User Plane Function (UPF) entity. The downlink data notification information is triggered by the downlink data packet received by the UPF entity.

[0065] In one possible embodiment, after the UPF entity receives the downlink data packet, it triggers a data notification, in which the UPF entity sends downlink data notification information to the SMF entity. After the SMF entity receives the downlink data notification information, it can return data notification confirmation information to the UPF entity.

[0066] The downlink data packets received by the UPF entity can be understood as downlink data sent to the terminal. For example, it can be downlink data sent to the user's terminal by certain communication software, such as pictures and videos.

[0067] S704: The SMF entity sends the connection identification information of the ProSe protocol data unit (PDU) session to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity. The connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between the network and the terminal.

[0068] Furthermore, there may be multiple connection paths between the network and the terminal, and this connection identification information can be used to identify any one of the connection paths.

[0069] In one possible embodiment, the SMF entity sends connection identification information for the ProSe protocol data unit (PDU) session to the AMF entity. Specifically, the connection identification information can be sent to the AMF entity via N1N2 message transmission. After receiving the N1N2 message transmission information, the AMF entity can return N1N2 message transmission response information to the SMF entity. The N1N2 message transmission response information may include connection identification information.

[0070] The connection identification information may include, but is not limited to, any one of the following: path identification information (PathID), connection identification information (Connection ID), and ProSe indication information (Prose Indication). The connection identification information is used to indicate the connection path between the network and the terminal.

[0071] Furthermore, after receiving the connection identification information, the AMF entity can page the terminal.

[0072] For example, the AMF entity determines the connection path corresponding to the connection identification information as the first connection path, and the AMF entity sends paging information or Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling to the terminal through the first connection path.

[0073] Optionally, the paging information may include at least the connection identification information of the first connection path. The non-access stratum (NAS) signaling may include at least the connection identification information of the first connection path.

[0074] Specifically, after the AMF entity determines that the path for communicating with the terminal is the first connection path, it can determine the state of the first connection path for communicating with the terminal. If the first connection path is determined to be in an idle state, it sends paging information to the terminal through the first connection path so that the terminal can initiate a service request based on the paging information and establish a connection with the network. Only then can the network send downlink data packets to the terminal.

[0075] If the AMF entity determines that the first connection path is in a connected state based on the connection identification information, it can communicate directly with the terminal through the first connection path without paging. In this case, it sends NAS signaling to the terminal through the first connection path. The NAS signaling is used to inform the terminal that there is data transmission on the first connection path. Then, it can directly send downlink data packets to the terminal through the first connection path that is in a connected state.

[0076] Furthermore, after receiving a paging message, the terminal can initiate a service request process to the network through the first connection path indicated by the connection identification information included therein, and establish a signaling connection with the network.

[0077] Figure 8 An interactive schematic diagram of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 8 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0078] S802: The UPF entity receives downlink data packets.

[0079] S804: The UPF entity sends downlink data notification information to the SMF entity.

[0080] S806: The SMF entity returns a data notification confirmation message to the UPF entity.

[0081] S808: The SMF entity sends N1N2 messages to the AMF entity to transmit information.

[0082] The N1N2 message transmission information includes connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session of the ProSe short-range communication, which is the identification information of the first connection path.

[0083] S810: The AMF entity returns N1N2 messages to the SMF entity to transmit response information.

[0084] The N1N2 message transmission response information may include connection identification information response information.

[0085] S812: The AMF entity sends a paging message to the terminal.

[0086] Optionally, the paging information may include connection identification information, which is the identification information of the first connection path.

[0087] Using the above method, when multiple connection paths exist within the same PDU session, if the SMF entity receives downlink data notification information, it will send a message to the AMF entity, including an access technology type indication, such as 3GPP or Non-3GPP. In this case, if the terminal's connection to the network is... Figure 3 When the access technology type is 3GPP, the AMF entity cannot determine whether the terminal connects to the network via Non-3GPP or 3GPP, because in this case, both the terminal and network connections are processed through the N3IWF device. If the terminal connects via either Non-3GPP or 3GPP, the AMF entity cannot determine the connection method. Figure 3The network is connected via a non-3GPP method and accesses the 5G core network. In this case, the AMF entity can only determine that there are two situations where the network is connected through the N3IWF device, but cannot determine which connection path is used to communicate with the terminal. The method provided in this embodiment can effectively solve this problem, enabling the network to accurately determine the connection status with the terminal.

[0088] Furthermore, the multipath connection methods between terminals and the network may include many other scenarios, and the following problems may also exist. For example, when a terminal connects to the network directly via NG-RAN and when it connects to the network via a relay device, there are two connection paths. If both paths are attached to the same AMF entity, when one of the two connection paths connects, for example... Figure 1 When connection #1 is in an idle state, if the idle connection path receives downlink data notification or needs to establish a signaling connection, the network needs to initiate a paging process to the terminal. However, if another connection path, such as connection #2, is in a connected state at this time, the downlink data can be processed in the following way.

[0089] Figure 9 The second flowchart illustrates a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication. Figure 9 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0090] S902: The Session Management Function (SMF) entity receives downlink data notification information sent by the User Plane Function (UPF) entity. The downlink data notification information is triggered by the downlink data packet received by the UPF entity.

[0091] S904: The SMF entity sends the connection identification information of the ProSe protocol data unit (PDU) session to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity. The connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between the network and the terminal.

[0092] S906: The AMF entity determines that the first connection path is in an idle state based on the connection identification information, and determines that the second connection path is in a connected state based on the terminal identification information of the terminal. Then, it sends NAS signaling to the terminal through the second connection path. The NAS signaling is used to instruct the terminal that the network needs to establish a signaling connection or perform data transmission with the terminal on the first connection path.

[0093] Optionally, the NAS signaling may include at least the connection identification information of the first connection path.

[0094] In one possible embodiment, two connection paths exist simultaneously between the terminal and the network: a first connection path and a second connection path. After receiving the connection identification information of the first connection path, the AMF entity can determine the state of the first connection path based on the connection identification information, and determine whether the terminal has another connection path through the terminal's terminal identifier. After determining the existence of the second connection path, it further determines how to proceed based on the state of the second connection path. If the first connection path is in an idle state and the second connection path is in a connected state, it can send NAS signaling to the terminal through the second connection path to inform the terminal that data transmission exists between the terminal and the network on the first connection path.

[0095] Furthermore, after receiving the NAS signaling, the terminal can establish a data transmission channel or signaling connection to the network on the first connection path based on the connection identification information, that is, initiate a service request process on the first connection path.

[0096] Furthermore, in addition to the connection identification information of the first connection path, the NAS signaling may also include the connection identification information of the second connection path.

[0097] Following S906, the terminal determines whether to transmit data with the network via a first connection path or a second connection path.

[0098] If the terminal relocates the data transmission from the first connection path notified in the received NAS signaling to the second connection path which is currently in a connected state, the terminal can notify the network of the connection identification information on the second connection path, thereby enabling the network to establish a data transmission channel or signaling transmission channel for the terminal on the second connection path.

[0099] Specifically, the AMF entity receives the service request message sent by the terminal and obtains the connection identification information corresponding to the second connection path; the service request message is used to indicate to the network the connection path that needs to be established with the terminal for signaling connection or data transmission, and to migrate from the first connection path to the second connection path; the service request message includes at least the connection identification information of the second connection path reported by the terminal; on the second connection path, a data transmission or signaling transmission channel is established between the network and the terminal.

[0100] pass Figure 10 This is the second interactive schematic diagram of a multipath data processing method based on short-range communication;

[0101] S1002: The UPF entity receives downlink data packets.

[0102] S1004: The UPF entity sends downlink data notification information to the SMF entity.

[0103] S1006: The SMF entity returns data notification confirmation information to the UPF entity.

[0104] S1008: The SMF entity sends N1N2 message to the AMF entity to transmit information.

[0105] The N1N2 message transmission information includes connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session of the ProSe short-range communication, which is the identification information of the first connection path.

[0106] S1010: The AMF entity returns N1N2 messages to the SMF entity to transmit response information.

[0107] The N1N2 message transmission response information may include connection identification information response information.

[0108] S1012: The AMF entity determines that the first connection path is in an idle state based on the connection identifier information, and determines that the second connection path is in a connected state based on the terminal identifier information of the terminal.

[0109] S1014: The AMF entity sends NAS signaling to the terminal through the second connection path.

[0110] The NAS signaling is used to instruct the terminal that the network needs to establish a signaling connection or transmit data with the terminal on the first connection path; the NAS signaling may include at least the connection identification information of the first connection path.

[0111] In this way, communication can be established with the terminal through the connection path in the connected state, directly instructing the terminal to establish a data transmission channel with the network, without needing to send paging information to the terminal, thus saving air interface resources.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, or program product. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0113] The following reference Figure 11 To describe an electronic device 1100 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 The electronic device 1100 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0114] like Figure 11As shown, the electronic device 1100 is manifested in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 1100 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 1110, at least one storage unit 1120, and a bus 1130 connecting different system components (including storage unit 1120 and processing unit 1110).

[0115] The storage unit stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 1110, causing the processing unit 1110 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. For example, the processing unit 1110 can perform the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0116] Storage unit 1120 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as random access memory (RAM) 11201 and / or cache memory 11202, and may further include a read-only memory (ROM) 11203.

[0117] Storage unit 1120 may also include a program / utility 11204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 11205, such program modules 11205 including but not limited to: operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0118] Bus 1130 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0119] Electronic device 1100 can also communicate with one or more external devices 1140 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), and with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 1100, and / or with any device that enables electronic device 1100 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 1150. Furthermore, electronic device 1100 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 1160. As shown, network adapter 1160 communicates with other modules of electronic device 1100 via bus 1130. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 1100, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0120] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0121] In particular, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as a computer program product or a computer program, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the method of any of the above embodiments.

[0122] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A program product capable of implementing the methods described above is stored thereon. In some possible implementations, various aspects of this disclosure may also be implemented as a program product including program code, which, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0123] More specific examples of computer-readable storage media in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0124] In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of transmitting, propagating, or transmitting a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0125] Optionally, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0126] In practical implementation, program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0127] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0128] Furthermore, although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0129] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, mobile terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0130] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for multipath data processing based on near field communication, characterized in that, The method includes: The Session Management Function (SMF) entity receives downlink data notification information sent by the User Plane Function (UPF) entity; the downlink data notification information is triggered by the downlink data packet received by the UPF entity. The SMF entity sends connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session of Near Field Communication (ProSe) to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity; the connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between the network and the terminal. The plurality of connection paths includes at least two connection paths whose access technology type is indicated as non-3GPP; and / or two connection paths whose access technology type is indicated as 3GPP.

2. The multipath data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the SMF entity sends the connection identification information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity, the method further includes: The AMF entity determines that the connection path corresponding to the connection identifier information is the first connection path; The AMF entity sends paging information or non-access stratum (NAS) signaling to the terminal through the first connection path.

3. The multipath data processing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of the AMF entity sending paging information or non-access stratum (NAS) signaling to the terminal through the first connection path includes: If the AMF entity determines that the first connection path is idle based on the connection identifier information, it sends paging information to the terminal through the first connection path; If the AMF entity determines that the first connection path is in a connected state based on the connection identifier information, it sends NAS signaling to the terminal through the first connection path.

4. The multipath data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple connection paths between the network and the terminal include a first connection path and a second connection path; the method further includes: If the AMF entity determines that the first connection path is in an idle state based on the connection identification information, and determines that the second connection path is in a connected state based on the terminal identification information of the terminal, then it sends NAS signaling to the terminal through the second connection path; the NAS signaling is used to instruct the terminal that the network needs to establish a signaling connection or perform data transmission with the terminal on the first connection path.

5. The multipath data processing method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The paging information and the NAS signaling include at least the connection identification information of the first connection path.

6. The multipath data processing method according to claim 4, characterized in that, After sending NAS signaling to the terminal via the second connection path, the method further includes: The AMF entity receives the service request message returned by the terminal and obtains the connection identification information corresponding to the second connection path; the service request message is used to indicate to the network the connection path that the terminal needs to establish a signaling connection or perform data transmission, and is converted from the first connection path to the second connection path; the service request message includes at least the connection identification information of the second connection path reported by the terminal. On the second connection path, a data transmission or signaling transmission channel is established between the network and the terminal.

7. The multipath data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After receiving the downlink data notification information sent by the UPF entity, the SMF entity returns data notification confirmation information to the UPF. After the SMF entity sends the connection identification information of the ProSe protocol data unit (PDU) session to the AMF entity, it receives the connection identification information response information returned by the AMF entity.

8. The multipath data processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 6, characterized in that, The connection identification information includes at least one of the following: path identifier, connection identifier, and ProSe indication.

9. A multipath data processing system based on short-range communication, characterized in that, Includes SMF entities, UPF entities, and AMF entities; The SMF entity is used to receive downlink data notification information sent by the UPF entity; the downlink data notification information is triggered by a downlink data packet received by the UPF entity. The SMF entity is used to send connection identification information of the ProSe protocol data unit (PDU) session of near-field communication to the AMF entity; The connection identification information is used to identify the connection path between the network and the terminal; The plurality of connection paths includes at least two connection paths whose access technology type is indicated as non-3GPP; And / or, the access technology type indicates two connection paths in 3GPP.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; as well as Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 by executing the executable instructions.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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