Network slice sharing method and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a network slice sharing method and electronic equipment. Belongs to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the steps that information of second equipment is acquired, first equipment is connected with the second equipment through a local area network, the second equipment is signed with a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice which is not signed by the first equipment; sending a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second equipment based on the information of the second equipment; under the condition that first response information sent by the second equipment is received, configuring a first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information; and communicating with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and specifically to a network slice sharing method and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the fifth generation wireless systems (5G), network slicing technology has also emerged. Different network slices usually have different characteristics, for example, they may include low-latency network slices, high-bandwidth network slices, etc. After the user signs a network slice with the operator through a specific SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module), the corresponding network slice can be used through the device with the card inserted.

[0003] In the prior art, if a device A needs to use a network slice that it has not signed a contract with, the user needs to perform network settings on device A and another device B that has signed a contract with the network slice, so that device B shares the network slice in the form of Wi-Fi (wireless network communication technology) and is connected by device A. In this process, the user needs to manually perform network settings, and device A cannot actively select the network slice and its contracted device to be used, resulting in low efficiency in sharing network slices. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a network slice sharing method and electronic device that can improve the utilization rate of network resources.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network slice sharing method, which is executed by a first device, and the method includes: obtaining information of a second device, the first device and the second device are connected through a local area network, the second device is subscribed to a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not subscribed to; based on the information of the second device, sending a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device; upon receiving first response information sent by the second device, configuring a first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information; and communicating with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

[0006] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network slice sharing device, which is executed by a first device, and the device includes: an acquisition module, used to query and obtain information of a second device, the first device and the second device are connected through a local area network, the second device is signed with a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed; a first sending module, used to send a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device based on the information of the second device; a configuration module, used to configure a first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information sent by the second device when receiving the first response information; a communication module, used to communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

[0007] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores programs or instructions that can be run on the processor, and when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the method described in the first aspect are implemented.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in the first aspect above are implemented.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run a program or instruction to implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which is stored in a storage medium and is executed by at least one processor to implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present application, the first device first obtains information about the second device connected via local area network communication, the second device has signed a contract with the first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed a contract with; then, based on the information of the second device, the first sharing request for the first network slice is sent to the second device; then, upon receiving the first response information sent by the second device, the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice is configured based on the first response information, thereby communicating with the first network slice through the first virtual network card. Since the first device can actively obtain the information of the second device and request the second device to share the first slice network based on the information, and can actively configure the first virtual network card to achieve communication with the first network slice, it can actively select the network slice and its contracted device to be used, eliminating the need for users to manually perform network settings, and improving the efficiency of sharing network slices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a network slice sharing method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the network slice sharing method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of a network slice sharing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments in the present application belong to the scope of protection of this application.

[0018] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of one type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0019] The network slice sharing method and device provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below through specific embodiments and their application scenarios in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Please refer to Figure 1 , which shows one of the flow charts of the network slice sharing method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The network slice sharing method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be executed by a first device. The devices in the above-mentioned device cluster are connected via a local area network communication. The devices in the above-mentioned device cluster may include but are not limited to mobile phones.

[0021] The process of the network slice sharing method provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0022] Step 101, obtain information of the second device, the first device and the second device are connected through a local area network, the second device is signed with a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed.

[0023] In this embodiment, network slices can be divided into two categories: default slices and business slices. Default slices are basic slices in the network, and business slices are slices created based on business requirements. The main difference between business slices and default slices is that business slices are network slices that are logically or physically isolated according to specific business requirements, while default slices are used to provide basic network services. In addition to using the default slices provided by the operator, users can also sign different types of business slices with the operator according to their own needs. For example, high-bandwidth network slices, low-latency network slices, etc.

[0024] In this embodiment, the first device and the second device may be any electronic device with a network connection function. The first device and the second device may be connected via a local area network. The second device may sign a contract with a first network slice. The first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed a contract with. The first device may obtain information about the second device. The information of the second device may include but is not limited to the local area network IP (Internet Protocol) address of the second device. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the network slice signed by the device may specifically refer to the network slice signed by the SIM card inserted into the device.

[0025] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the above-mentioned first device and the above-mentioned second device are both devices belonging to a device cluster. As an example, a user has multiple mobile phones in total, and the above-mentioned multiple mobile phones can be used as a device cluster. The device cluster includes device A, device B and device C, and the three can communicate through a local area network. Device A, device B, and device C are all signed up for a default slice, device B is also signed up for a high-bandwidth network slice, and device C is also signed up for a low-latency network slice. When device A is used as the first device, the first network slice may include at least one of the following: a high-bandwidth network slice, a low-latency network slice. When device B is used as the first device, the first network slice may include a low-latency network slice. When device C is used as the first device, the first network slice may include a high-bandwidth network slice.

[0026] The device cluster may include a central machine, and the central machine stores mapping information, and the mapping information is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the devices in the device cluster and the contracted network slice. On this basis, the first device can query the information of the second device that has signed the first network slice from the mapping information stored in the central machine.

[0027] Continuing with the above example, any one of device A, device B and device C can be used as the central machine. First, the central machine can create a local area network. Then, each device can start the local area network card in the network configuration to access the local area network as a node machine. Each node machine can apply to the central machine for the allocation of a local area network IP address for communication within the local area network. After each node machine joins the local area network, it can report the relevant information of the network slice it has signed to the central machine. In this way, the central machine can maintain the mapping relationship between each device in the device cluster and the network slice signed by the device. When a new device reports the relevant information of the network slice as a node machine, a new mapping relationship can be established. If a device exits the local area network, the relevant mapping relationship can be deleted. The network slices involved in each maintained mapping relationship can be used for sharing. When any device in the local area network (for example, device A) needs to use the first network slice (for example, a high-bandwidth network slice) signed by other devices (for example, device B), the device can first query the central machine whether there is a first network slice that can be shared. If so, the central machine can return information about the device (e.g., device B) that has signed a contract for the first network slice to the device (e.g., device A), such as its local area network IP address.

[0028] Through the mapping relationship between each device in the central computer storage device cluster and the contracted network slice, any device in the device cluster can query the network slices contracted by other devices and provide its own sharable network slices, thereby improving the convenience of network slice sharing.

[0029] Step 102: Based on the information of the second device, send a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first device may send a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device through the local area network based on information of the second device, for example, the local area network IP address of the second device. The first sharing request may be used to request the use of the first network slice for data transmission. The above-mentioned first sharing request may include but is not limited to information such as the local area network IP address of the first device.

[0031] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the central computer may store the LAN IP address of each device in the device cluster, so the first device may first query the LAN IP address of the second device from the central computer, and then send a first sharing request for the first network slice to the LAN IP address of the second device, so as to send the first sharing request to the second device.

[0032] Step 103: Upon receiving the first response information sent by the second device, configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information.

[0033] In this embodiment, after the first device sends a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device, the second device may respond to the first sharing request and return a first response message. The above-mentioned first response message may include necessary information required to configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice, for example, including but not limited to description information of the first network slice, an IP address for accessing the first network slice, etc. Based on the first response message, the first device may configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice.

[0034] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the central machine may store the LAN IP address of each device in the device cluster, and the first response information includes a virtual IP address assigned by the second device (which may be recorded as the first virtual IP address). The first virtual IP address has two functions. The first function is to provide it to the application installed in the first device. When the application needs to use the first network slice to transmit a data packet, the first virtual IP address can be used as the source IP address, thereby distinguishing whether the data packet is a data packet that needs to be transmitted to the first network slice, and a data packet that is only signaled with the second device. The second function is that when the second device shares multiple network slices for use by other devices, it can determine on which network slice the data is forwarded based on the first virtual IP address.

[0035] On this basis, the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice can be configured through the following steps: First, query the LAN IP address of the second device from the central machine. Then, based on the LAN IP address of the second device, determine the gateway IP address for using the first network slice. In practice, the LAN IP address of the second device can be directly used as the gateway IP address. Finally, based on the gateway IP address and the first virtual IP address, configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice.

[0036] The second device allocates a first virtual IP address for accessing the first network slice to the first device, and configures the first virtual network card based on the first virtual IP address, so that when the first device sends a data packet to the second device through the first virtual network card, the second device can identify to which network slice the data packet needs to be sent, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission.

[0037] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, when the network slices subscribed by the second device include at least two, the first virtual IP address may carry an identifier. Exemplarily, the identifier may be used as a prefix of the first virtual IP address. The identifier may be used to indicate the first network slice. Different network slices may have different identifiers. In addition, a triplet may be stored in the second device, the triplet including the above-mentioned first virtual IP address, the local area network IP address of the first device, and the network card information corresponding to the first network slice. The above-mentioned network card information can be used to indicate the network card corresponding to the first network slice in the second device. Through the network card information, the network card corresponding to the first network slice can be quickly found.

[0038] By adding an identifier indicating the first network slice to the first virtual IP address and storing the above triplet in the second device, it is possible to quickly and easily determine the first network slice that the first device needs to use when the second device has signed a contract for at least two network slices, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission. In addition, through the above method, the second device can share at least two of its own slice services with different devices at the same time, thereby improving the utilization rate of network resources.

[0039] The following is an explanation of the embodiment of the present application using a specific application scenario. Figure 2 , the device cluster includes device A, device B and device C, which can communicate through the local area network. Device A, device B and device C have all signed contracts for default slices, device B has also signed contracts for high-bandwidth network slices, and device C has also signed contracts for low-latency network slices. Device B can share high-bandwidth network slices through the local area network, and device C can share low-latency network slices through the local area network.

[0040] When device A is used as the first device, the first network slice may include at least one of the following: a high-bandwidth network slice and a low-latency network slice. Since device B has signed a contract for a high-bandwidth network slice, device A may send a first sharing request for the high-bandwidth network slice to device B, and configure a virtual network card corresponding to the high-bandwidth network slice based on the first response information returned by device B. The virtual network card may be recorded as a high-bandwidth virtual network card, and the first response information may include the first virtual IP address assigned by device B to device A. Similarly, since device C has signed a contract for a low-latency network slice, device A may send a first sharing request for the low-latency network slice to device C, and configure a virtual network card corresponding to the low-latency network slice based on the first response information returned by device C. The virtual network card may be recorded as a low-latency virtual network card, and the first response information may include the first virtual IP address assigned by device C to device A.

[0041] According to business needs, when the game application in device A needs to use the network for data transmission, low-latency network slicing is required. Device A can transmit the data packet to its own LAN physical network card through the configured low-latency virtual network card, so as to forward the data packet to the LAN physical network card in device B through the LAN, and the LAN physical network card in device B forwards it to the low-latency physical network card in device B, so as to send the data packet to the low-latency network slice through the low-latency physical network card via the operator physical network card in the baseband chip.

[0042] According to business needs, when the video application in device A needs to use the network for data transmission, high-bandwidth network slicing is required. Device A can transmit the data packet to its own LAN physical network card through the configured high-bandwidth virtual network card, so as to forward the data packet to the LAN physical network card in device C through the LAN, and the LAN physical network card in device C forwards it to the high-bandwidth physical network card in device C, so as to send the data packet to the high-bandwidth network slice through the high-bandwidth physical network card via the operator physical network card in the baseband chip.

[0043] When device B or device C is used as the first device, the processing method is similar to the processing method when device A is used as the first device, and will not be repeated here.

[0044] Step 104, communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

[0045] In this embodiment, the virtual network card is different from the actual network card. The actual network card is used to send data packets to the actual operator network slice and receive data packets from the actual operator network slice. The virtual network card is used to forward data packets to other devices in the device cluster that share the network slice through the local area network, and then send them to the operator network through its own actual network card after SNAT (Source Network Address Translation) is performed by other devices. Among them, SNAT is to convert the intranet IP address that initiates the access to the specified IP address when the intranet address is accessed externally, so that multiple devices in the intranet can access the external network through a valid public IP address.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first virtual network card is used to forward the data packet via the local area network to the actual network card corresponding to the first network slice in the second device sharing the above-mentioned first network slice in the device cluster. After the second device performs SNAT on the source IP address in the data packet, the data packet is sent to the first network slice through the actual network card corresponding to the first network slice.

[0047] In the method provided by the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application, the first device first obtains the information of the second device connected through the local area network communication, the second device has signed a contract with the first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed a contract with; then based on the information of the second device, the first sharing request for the first network slice is sent to the second device; then, upon receiving the first response information sent by the second device, the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice is configured based on the first response information, so as to communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card. Since the first device can actively obtain the information of the second device and request the second device to share the first slice network based on the information, and can actively configure the first virtual network card to achieve communication with the first network slice, it can actively select the network slice and its contracted device to be used, eliminating the need for users to manually perform network settings, and improving the efficiency of sharing network slices.

[0048] In some optional embodiments, the first device may further perform the following steps:

[0049] The first step is to receive a second sharing request for a second network slice sent by a third device.

[0050] Here, the second network slice is a network slice signed by the first device, and the third device is a device that has not signed the second network slice. The second sharing request can be used to request the use of the second network slice for data transmission. The second sharing request may include, but is not limited to, information such as the local area network IP address of the third device.

[0051] The second step is to send a second response message to the third device in response to the second sharing request, so that the third device configures the second virtual network card corresponding to the second network slice based on the second response information, and communicates with the second network slice through the second virtual network card.

[0052] Here, the second response information may include necessary information required to configure the virtual network card corresponding to the second network slice (which may be recorded as the second virtual network card), for example, it may include but is not limited to the description information of the second network slice, the virtual IP address assigned by the first device to the third device (which may be recorded as the second virtual IP address), etc. Based on the second response information, the third device may configure the virtual network card corresponding to the second network slice (which may be recorded as the second virtual network card). It should be noted that the configuration method of the second virtual network card is basically the same as the configuration method of the first virtual network card, which will not be repeated here.

[0053] As a result, the first device can not only use the network slices signed by other devices and the network slices signed by itself, but also share the network slices signed by itself with other devices, thereby improving the utilization rate of network resources.

[0054] In some optional embodiments, when the network slices contracted by the first device include at least two, the second virtual IP address may carry an identifier. This representation can be applied to indicate the second network. For example, the identifier can be used as a prefix of the second virtual IP address. In addition, a triplet may be stored in the first device, which includes the above-mentioned second virtual IP address, the LAN IP address of the third device, and the network card information corresponding to the second network slice. The network card information here can be used to indicate the network card corresponding to the second network slice in the first device. Through the network card information, the network card corresponding to the second network slice can be quickly found. By adding an identifier indicating the second network slice in the second virtual IP address and storing the triplet, it is possible to quickly and conveniently determine the above-mentioned second network slice that the third device needs to use when the contracted network slices include at least two, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission.

[0055] On this basis, when the first device receives a data packet sent by the third device, it can determine which network slice to forward it to by the identifier carried by the source address of the data packet (i.e., the second virtual IP address). After that, after converting the source address of the data packet through SNAT, the data packet can be sent to the second network slice. Similarly, on this basis, when the first device receives a data packet sent back by the second network slice, it can convert the source address back through SNAT again, and then determine which device it is sent back to through the stored triplet, and then forward it to the device through the device's LAN IP address.

[0056] By adding an identifier indicating the second network slice to the second virtual IP address and storing the triplet in the first device, it is possible to quickly and easily determine the second network slice that the third device needs to use when the network slices contracted by the first device include at least two, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission. In addition, through the above method, the first device can share at least two of its slice services with different devices at the same time, further improving the utilization rate of network resources.

[0057] It is understandable that when the applications installed in the device are running, they will generate some data that needs to interact with the network. The application will hand over this data to the device's operating system, and the operating system will send it to the network slice. Different applications require different network slices. For example, game applications need to use low-latency network slices, so that when users play games, data packets will be transmitted through low-latency network slices, and the game latency will be lower. The experience is better. Film and television applications need to use high-bandwidth slices, so that when users watch movies and TV series, they can get faster loading speeds and higher resolutions through high-bandwidth slices. For some applications, the default network slice can meet data transmission needs.

[0058] Therefore, in some optional embodiments, the first device may further perform the following steps: upon receiving a data packet to be transmitted to the network, determining a target network slice based on the type of application that generates the data packet. The target network slice is any one of the first network slice and the second network slice. In the case where the target network slice is the first network slice, based on the first virtual network card, forward the data packet to the local area network card in the first device, so as to send the data packet to the local area network card in the second device through the local area network, and transmit the data packet to the first network slice through the second device. In the case where the target network slice is the second network slice, based on the network card corresponding to the second network slice in the first device, the data packet can be transmitted to the second network slice.

[0059] In this way, the appropriate network slice can be selected according to the type of application, which improves the flexibility of network slice selection. In addition, the first network slice shared by other devices and the second network slice contracted by the first device itself can have the same priority, so different types of applications can use different network slices at the same time, further improving the utilization of network resources.

[0060] It should be noted that the network slice sharing method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be executed by a network slice sharing device. In the embodiment of the present application, the network slice sharing device executing the network slice sharing method is taken as an example to illustrate the network slice sharing device provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown, the network slice sharing device 300 of this embodiment includes: an acquisition module 301, used to query and acquire information of a second device, the first device and the second device are connected via a local area network, the second device has signed a contract for a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed a contract for; a first sending module 302, used to send a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device based on the information of the second device; a configuration module 303, used to configure a first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information sent by the second device when receiving the first response information; a communication module 304, used to communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

[0062] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the device further includes: a receiving module for receiving a second sharing request for a second network slice sent by a third device, the second network slice being a network slice subscribed by the first device, and the third device being a device that has not subscribed to the second network slice; a second sending module for sending a second response message to the third device in response to the second sharing request, so that the third device configures a second virtual network card corresponding to the second network slice based on the second response message, and communicates with the second network slice through the second virtual network card. As a result, the first device can not only use the network slices subscribed by other devices and the network slices subscribed by itself, but also share the network slices subscribed by itself with other devices, thereby improving the utilization of network resources.

[0063] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the device further includes: a determination module, which is used to determine the target network slice based on the type of application that generates the data packet when receiving the data packet to be transmitted to the wide area network, and the target network slice is any one of the first network slice and the second network slice; a transmission module, which is used to forward the data packet to the local area network card in the first device based on the first virtual network card when the target network slice is the first network slice, so as to send the data packet to the local area network card in the second device through the local area network, and transmit the data packet to the first network slice through the second device. In this way, the appropriate network slice can be selected according to the type of application, which improves the flexibility of network slice selection. In addition, the first network slice shared by other devices and the second network slice contracted by the first device itself can have the same priority, so different types of applications can use different network slices at the same time, further improving the utilization of network resources.

[0064] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the first device and the second device are both devices belonging to a device cluster, the device cluster includes a central machine, the central machine stores mapping information, and the mapping information is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the devices in the device cluster and the contracted network slices; the acquisition module 301 is also used to: query the information of the second device that has signed the first network slice from the mapping information stored by the central machine. By storing the mapping relationship between each device in the device cluster and the contracted network slice in the central machine, any device in the device cluster can query the network slices contracted by other devices and provide its own sharable network slices, thereby improving the convenience of network slice sharing.

[0065] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the central machine stores the LAN IP address of each device in the device cluster, and the first response information includes the first virtual IP address assigned by the second device; the configuration module 303 is also used to: query the LAN IP address of the second device from the central machine; determine the gateway IP address for using the first network slice based on the LAN IP address of the second device; and configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the gateway IP address and the first virtual IP address. By allocating the first virtual IP address for accessing the first network slice to the first device by the second device, and configuring the first virtual network card based on the first virtual IP address, when the first device sends a data packet to the second device through the first virtual network card, the second device can identify which network slice the data packet needs to be sent to, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission.

[0066] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the second response information includes a second virtual IP address assigned by the first device; when the network slices subscribed by the first device include at least two, the second virtual IP address carries an identifier, the identifier is used to indicate the second network slice, and the first device stores a triplet, the triplet includes the second virtual IP address, the LAN IP address of the third device, and the network card information corresponding to the second network slice. By adding an identifier indicating the second network slice to the second virtual IP address and storing the triplet in the first device, it is possible to quickly and conveniently determine the second network slice that the third device needs to use when the network slices subscribed by the first device include at least two, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission. In addition, through the above method, the first device can share at least two of its slice services with different devices at the same time, further improving the utilization rate of network resources.

[0067] In the apparatus provided by the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application, the first device first obtains the information of the second device connected through the local area network communication, the second device has signed a contract with the first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed a contract with; then based on the information of the second device, the first sharing request for the first network slice is sent to the second device; then, upon receiving the first response information sent by the second device, the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice is configured based on the first response information, so as to communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card. Since the first device can actively obtain the information of the second device and request the second device to share the first slice network based on the information, and can actively configure the first virtual network card to achieve communication with the first network slice, it can actively select the network slice and its contracted device to be used, eliminating the need for the user to manually perform network settings, and improving the efficiency of sharing network slices.

[0068] The network slice sharing device in the embodiment of the present application may be an electronic device or a component in an electronic device, such as an integrated circuit or a chip. The electronic device may be a terminal or other device other than a terminal. Exemplarily, the electronic device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a vehicle-mounted electronic device, a mobile Internet device (Mobile Internet Device, MID), an augmented reality (Augmented Reality, AR) / virtual reality (Virtual Reality, VR) device, a robot, a wearable device, an ultra-mobile personal computer (Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer, UMPC), a netbook or a personal digital assistant (Personal Digital Assistant, PDA), etc. It may also be a server, a network attached storage (Network Attached Storage, NAS), a personal computer (Personal Computer, PC), a television (Television, TV), a teller machine or a self-service machine, etc., which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0069] The network slice sharing device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device having an operating system. The operating system may be an Android operating system, an iOS operating system, or other possible operating systems, which are not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0070] The network slice sharing device provided in the embodiment of the present application can achieve Figure 1 To avoid repetition, the various processes implemented by the method embodiment are not described here.

[0071] Alternatively, if Figure 4As shown, an embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device 400, including a processor 401 and a memory 402, wherein the memory 402 stores a program or instruction that can be executed on the processor 401, and when the program or instruction is executed by the processor 401, the various steps of the above-mentioned network slice sharing method embodiment are implemented, and the same technical effect can be achieved. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0072] It should be noted that the electronic devices in the embodiments of the present application include the above-mentioned mobile electronic devices and non-mobile electronic devices.

[0073] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device to implement an embodiment of the present application.

[0074] The electronic device 500 includes but is not limited to: a radio frequency unit 501, a network module 502, an audio output unit 503, an input unit 504, a sensor 505, a display unit 506, a user input unit 507, an interface unit 508, a memory 509, and a processor 510.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the electronic device 500 may also include a power source (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components, and the power source may be logically connected to the processor 510 through a power management system, thereby implementing functions such as managing charging, discharging, and power consumption management through the power management system. Figure 5 The electronic device structure shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. The electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently, which will not be described in detail here.

[0076] Among them, the processor 510 is used to obtain information of the second device, the first device and the second device are connected through a local area network, the second device is signed with a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed; based on the information of the second device, send a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device; when receiving first response information sent by the second device, configure a first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information; and communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

[0077] Since the first device can actively obtain the information of the second device and request the second device to share the first slice network based on the information, and can actively configure the first virtual network card to achieve communication with the first network slice, it can actively select the required network slice and its contracted device, eliminating the user's manual network setting operation and improving the efficiency of sharing network slices.

[0078] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the processor 510 is further used to receive a second sharing request for a second network slice sent by a third device, where the second network slice is a network slice signed by the first device, and the third device is a device that has not signed the second network slice; in response to the second sharing request, a second response message is sent to the third device, so that the third device configures a second virtual network card corresponding to the second network slice based on the second response message, and communicates with the second network slice through the second virtual network card. As a result, the first device can not only use the network slices signed by other devices and the network slices signed by itself, but also share the network slices signed by itself with other devices, thereby improving the utilization of network resources.

[0079] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the processor 510 is also used to determine the target network slice based on the type of application that generates the data packet when receiving the data packet to be transmitted to the wide area network, and the target network slice is any one of the first network slice and the second network slice; when the target network slice is the first network slice, based on the first virtual network card, forward the data packet to the local area network card in the first device, so as to send the data packet to the local area network card in the second device through the local area network, and transmit the data packet to the first network slice through the second device. In this way, the appropriate network slice can be selected for use according to the type of application, which improves the flexibility of network slice selection. In addition, the first network slice shared by other devices and the second network slice contracted by the first device itself can have the same priority, so different types of applications can use different network slices at the same time, further improving the utilization of network resources.

[0080] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the first device and the second device are both devices belonging to a device cluster, the device cluster includes a central machine, the central machine stores mapping information, and the mapping information is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the devices in the device cluster and the contracted network slices; the processor 510 is also used to query the information of the second device that has signed the first network slice from the mapping information stored by the central machine. By storing the mapping relationship between each device in the device cluster and the contracted network slice by the central machine, any device in the device cluster can query the network slices contracted by other devices and provide its own sharable network slices, thereby improving the convenience of network slice sharing.

[0081] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the central machine stores the LAN IP address of each device in the device cluster, and the first response information includes the first virtual IP address assigned by the second device; the processor 510 is also used to query the LAN IP address of the second device from the central machine; based on the LAN IP address of the second device, determine the gateway IP address for using the first network slice; based on the gateway IP address and the first virtual IP address, configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice. By allocating the first virtual IP address for accessing the first network slice to the first device by the second device, and configuring the first virtual network card based on the first virtual IP address, when the first device sends a data packet to the second device through the first virtual network card, the second device can identify which network slice the data packet needs to be sent to, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission.

[0082] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the second response information includes a second virtual IP address assigned by the first device; when the network slices subscribed by the first device include at least two, the second virtual IP address carries an identifier, the identifier is used to indicate the second network slice, and the first device stores a triplet, the triplet includes the second virtual IP address, the LAN IP address of the third device, and the network card information corresponding to the second network slice. By adding an identifier indicating the second network slice to the second virtual IP address and storing the triplet in the first device, it is possible to quickly and conveniently determine the second network slice that the third device needs to use when the network slices subscribed by the first device include at least two, thereby improving the accuracy of data packet transmission. In addition, through the above method, the first device can share at least two of its slice services with different devices at the same time, further improving the utilization rate of network resources.

[0083] It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the input unit 504 may include a graphics processor (GPU) 5041 and a microphone 5042, and the graphics processor 5041 processes the image data of a static picture or video obtained by an image capture device (such as a camera) in a video capture mode or an image capture mode. The display unit 506 may include a display panel 5061, and the display panel 5061 may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode, etc. The user input unit 507 includes a touch panel 5071 and at least one of other input devices 5072. The touch panel 5071 is also called a touch screen. The touch panel 5071 may include two parts: a touch detection device and a touch controller. Other input devices 5072 may include, but are not limited to, a physical keyboard, function keys (such as a volume control button, a switch button, etc.), a trackball, a mouse, and a joystick, which will not be repeated here.

[0084] The memory 509 can be used to store software programs and various data. The memory 509 may mainly include a first storage area for storing programs or instructions and a second storage area for storing data, wherein the first storage area may store an operating system, an application program or instructions required for at least one function (such as a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), etc. In addition, the memory 509 may include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or the memory 509 may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), an enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), a synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and a direct memory bus random access memory (DRRAM). The memory 509 in the embodiment of the present application includes but is not limited to these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0085] The processor 510 may include one or more processing units; optionally, the processor 510 integrates an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly processes operations related to an operating system, a user interface, and application programs, and the modem processor mainly processes wireless communication signals, such as a baseband processor. It is understandable that the modem processor may not be integrated into the processor 510.

[0086] An embodiment of the present application also provides a readable storage medium, on which a program or instruction is stored. When the program or instruction is executed by a processor, the various processes of the above-mentioned network slice sharing method embodiment are implemented, and the same technical effect can be achieved. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0087] The processor is the processor in the electronic device described in the above embodiment. The readable storage medium includes a computer readable storage medium, such as a computer read-only memory ROM, a random access memory RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0088] An embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement the various processes of the above-mentioned network slice sharing method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0089] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can also be called a system-level chip, a system chip, a chip system or a system-on-chip chip, etc.

[0090] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which is stored in a storage medium. The program product is executed by at least one processor to implement the various processes of the above-mentioned network slice sharing method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0091] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise one..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In addition, it should be pointed out that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may also include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in reverse order according to the functions involved, for example, the described method may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may also be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0092] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a computer software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, a disk, or an optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for a terminal (which can be a mobile phone, a computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0093] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A network slice sharing method, It is characterized in that Executed by a first device, the method includes: Acquire information of a second device, where the first device and the second device are connected through a local area network, the second device has signed a contract for a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice that the first device has not signed a contract for; Based on the information of the second device, sending a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device; Upon receiving the first response information sent by the second device, configuring the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information; Communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

2. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a second sharing request for a second network slice sent by a third device, where the second network slice is a network slice subscribed by the first device, and the third device is a device that has not subscribed to the second network slice; In response to the second sharing request, a second response message is sent to the third device, so that the third device configures the second virtual network card corresponding to the second network slice based on the second response message, and communicates with the second network slice through the second virtual network card.

3. The method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The method further comprises: When receiving a data packet to be transmitted to a wide area network, determining a target network slice based on a type of an application generating the data packet, the target network slice being any one of the first network slice and the second network slice; In the case that the target network slice is the first network slice, based on the first virtual network card, the data packet is forwarded to the LAN network card in the first device, so as to send the data packet to the LAN network card in the second device through the LAN, and transmit the data packet to the first network slice through the second device.

4. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first device and the second device are both devices belonging to a device cluster, the device cluster includes a central machine, the central machine stores mapping information, and the mapping information is used to indicate a mapping relationship between the devices in the device cluster and the contracted network slice; The obtaining the information of the second device includes: From the mapping information stored in the central machine, query the information of the second device that has signed a contract with the first network slice.

5. The method according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The central machine stores the local area network IP address of each device in the device cluster, and the first response information includes the first virtual IP address allocated by the second device; The configuring, based on the first response information, a first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice includes: Query the local area network IP address of the second device from the central computer; Determine a gateway IP address for using the first network slice based on the local area network IP address of the second device; Based on the gateway IP address and the first virtual IP address, configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice.

6. The method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The second response information includes a second virtual IP address allocated by the first device; when the network slices subscribed by the first device include at least two, the second virtual IP address carries an identifier, and the identifier is used to indicate the second network slice. The first device stores a triplet, and the triplet includes the second virtual IP address, the local area network IP address of the third device, and the network card information corresponding to the second network slice.

7. A network slice sharing device, It is characterized in that The method is performed by a first device, and the apparatus includes: an acquisition module, configured to query information of a second device, wherein the first device and the second device are connected via a local area network, the second device has signed a contract for a first network slice, and the first network slice is a network slice to which the first device has not signed a contract; A first sending module, configured to send a first sharing request for the first network slice to the second device based on information of the second device; a configuration module, configured to configure a first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice based on the first response information when receiving the first response information sent by the second device; A communication module, used to communicate with the first network slice through the first virtual network card.

8. The device according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The device also includes: A receiving module, configured to receive a second sharing request for a second network slice sent by a third device, where the second network slice is a network slice subscribed by the first device, and the third device is a device that has not subscribed to the second network slice; The second sending module is used to send a second response message to the third device in response to the second sharing request, so that the third device configures the second virtual network card corresponding to the second network slice based on the second response information, and communicates with the second network slice through the second virtual network card.

9. The device according to claim 8, It is characterized in that The device also includes: A determination module, configured to determine, when receiving a data packet to be transmitted to a wide area network, a target network slice based on a type of application generating the data packet, the target network slice being any one of the first network slice and the second network slice; A transmission module is used to forward the data packet to the local area network card in the first device based on the first virtual network card when the target network slice is the first network slice, so as to send the data packet to the local area network card in the second device through the local area network, and transmit the data packet to the first network slice through the second device.

10. The device according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The first device and the second device are both devices belonging to a device cluster, the device cluster includes a central machine, the central machine stores mapping information, and the mapping information is used to indicate a mapping relationship between the devices in the device cluster and the contracted network slice; The acquisition module is further used for: From the mapping information stored in the central machine, query the information of the second device that has signed a contract with the first network slice.

11. The device according to claim 10, It is characterized in that The central machine stores the local area network IP address of each device in the device cluster, and the first response information includes the first virtual IP address allocated by the second device; The configuration module is also used for: Query the local area network IP address of the second device from the central computer; Determine a gateway IP address for using the first network slice based on the local area network IP address of the second device; Based on the gateway IP address and the first virtual IP address, configure the first virtual network card corresponding to the first network slice.

12. The device according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The second response information includes a second virtual IP address allocated by the first device; when the network slices subscribed by the first device include at least two, the second virtual IP address carries an identifier, and the identifier is used to indicate the second network slice. The first device stores a triplet, and the triplet includes the second virtual IP address, the local area network IP address of the third device, and the network card information corresponding to the second network slice.

13. An electronic device, It is characterized in that It includes a processor and a memory, the memory stores programs or instructions that can be run on the processor, and when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the network slice sharing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 are implemented.

14. A readable storage medium, It is characterized in that The readable storage medium stores programs or instructions, and when the programs or instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the network slice sharing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 are implemented.

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