Network access method, terminal equipment and network equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a network access method, terminal equipment and network equipment. The method comprises the following steps: a first device sends first information, wherein the first information comprises information of the first device requesting to access a network and / or information of a group where the first device is located; and the first equipment receives second information, wherein the second information comprises response information determined according to the first information. In the embodiments of the present application, by sending the information of the first device requesting to access the network and / or the information of the group where the first device is located, signaling interaction required for accessing the network can be reduced.

Description

Method for accessing network, terminal device and network device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method for accessing a network, a terminal device, and a network device. Background Art

[0002] Zero-power communication networks are a wireless communication technology suitable for short-distance, low-speed communications. Zero-power devices can convert external energy into electrical energy to power their own operations. 5G systems are seeing a growing demand for supporting zero-power devices in network access. To access network services, zero-power devices must inform the network of the services they require. Therefore, consideration must be given to how zero-power devices communicate with the network.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a method for accessing a network, a terminal device, and a network device.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for accessing a network, including:

[0006] The first device sends first information, where the first information includes information about the first device requesting to access the network and / or information about the group to which the first device belongs;

[0007] The first device receives second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information.

[0008] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for accessing a network, including:

[0009] The second device receives first information, where the first information includes information about the first device requesting to access the network and / or information about the group to which the first device belongs;

[0010] The second device obtains second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information;

[0011] The second device sends the second information.

[0012] An embodiment of the present application provides a first device, including:

[0013] a sending unit, configured to send first information, where the first information includes information about the first device requesting to access the network and / or information about the group to which the first device belongs;

[0014] The receiving unit is configured to receive second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information.

[0015] An embodiment of the present application provides a second device, including:

[0016] a receiving unit, configured to receive first information, where the first information includes information about a first device requesting to access a network and / or information about a group to which the first device belongs;

[0017] a processing unit, configured to obtain second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information;

[0018] A sending unit is configured to send the second information.

[0019] An embodiment of the present application provides a first device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to call and execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the first device executes the above-mentioned method for accessing a network.

[0020] An embodiment of the present application provides a second device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the second device executes the above-mentioned method for accessing a network.

[0021] An embodiment of the present application provides a chip for implementing the above-mentioned method of accessing a network.

[0022] Specifically, the chip includes: a processor, which is used to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the above-mentioned method of accessing a network.

[0023] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a device, the device executes the above-mentioned method for accessing a network.

[0024] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute the above-mentioned method for accessing a network.

[0025] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the above-mentioned method for accessing a network.

[0026] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, including:

[0027] A first device, configured to execute the above-mentioned method for accessing a network;

[0028] The second device is configured to execute the above-mentioned method for accessing a network.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present application, by sending information about a first device requesting to access a network and / or information about a group to which the first device belongs, the signaling interaction required for accessing the network can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system.

[0032] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary 5G network system architecture.

[0033] FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for accessing a network according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a method for accessing a network according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0035] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a first device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a second device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG8 is a flowchart of Example 1 of a method for accessing a network according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] FIG9 is a flowchart of Example 2 of a method for accessing a network according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] FIG11 is a schematic block diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] FIG12 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0043] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE on unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR on unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wireless Fidelity) system. Fidelity, WiFi), fifth-generation communication (5th-Generation, 5G) system or other communication systems, etc.

[0044] Generally speaking, traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communications, but will also support, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0045] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, and a standalone (SA) networking scenario.

[0046] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to an unlicensed spectrum, wherein the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as a shared spectrum; or, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to an authorized spectrum, wherein the authorized spectrum can also be considered as an unshared spectrum.

[0047] The embodiments of the present application describe various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices, wherein the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc.

[0048] The terminal device can be a station (STAION, ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a next-generation communication system such as an NR network, or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, etc.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water surface (such as ships, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.).

[0050] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc.

[0051] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0052] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device may be a device for communicating with a mobile device. The network device may be an access point (AP) in WLAN, a base station (BTS) in GSM or CDMA, a base station (NodeB, NB) in WCDMA, an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a relay station or access point, or a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and a network device (gNB) in an NR network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network or a network device in an NTN network, etc.

[0053] As an example and not a limitation, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device may have a mobile feature, for example, the network device may be a mobile device. Alternatively, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. Optionally, the network device may also be a base station set up in a location such as land or water.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can provide services for a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources used by the cell (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources). The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here may include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0055] FIG1 exemplarily illustrates a communication system 100. The communication system includes a network device 110 and two terminal devices 120. In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices 110, and each network device 110 may include a different number of terminal devices 120 within its coverage area, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0056] In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0057] Among them, the network equipment may include access network equipment and core network equipment. That is, the wireless communication system also includes multiple core networks for communicating with the access network equipment. The access network equipment can be an evolutionary base station (evolutional node B, abbreviated as eNB or e-NodeB) macro base station, micro base station (also called "small base station"), pico base station, access point (AP), transmission point (TP) or new generation base station (new generation Node B, gNodeB), etc. in a long-term evolution (LTE) system, a next-generation (mobile communication system) (next radio, NR) system or an authorized auxiliary access long-term evolution (LAA-LTE) system.

[0058] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, a device having a communication function in a network / system may be referred to as a communication device. Taking the communication system shown in Figure 1 as an example, the communication device may include a network device and a terminal device having a communication function. The network device and the terminal device may be specific devices in the embodiments of the present application and will not be described in detail here. The communication device may also include other devices in the communication system, such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0059] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0060] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0062] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application are described below. The following relevant technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0063] As shown in Figure 2, zero-power devices primarily combine RF energy harvesting, backscattering, and low-power computing technologies to achieve the advantage of eliminating the need for a power supply. Energy harvesting in zero-power devices, also known as RF energy harvesting, primarily involves converting RF energy into DC. This energy can be stored in batteries or capacitors, or directly used to drive logic circuits, digital chips, or sensors, completing functions and applications such as modulation and transmission of backscattered signals and collection and processing of sensor information.

[0064] With the development of 5G systems, 3GPP standards have introduced requirements for 5G systems to support zero-power terminal access. These requirements primarily target scenarios with the following characteristics: extreme environments unsuitable for standard terminals; extremely low-power and low-cost terminals; and battery-free terminals. For example, zero-power communication systems can be used in wireless industrial sensor networks, smart agriculture, smart warehousing and logistics, and smart homes.

[0065] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary 5G network system architecture. The UE establishes an access stratum connection with the access network (AN) via the Uu wireless interface, exchanging access stratum messages and wireless data transmission. The UE establishes a non-access stratum (NAS) connection with the access and mobility management function (AMF) via the N1 interface, exchanging NAS messages. The AMF is responsible for the access and mobility management network element in the core network, while the session management function (SMF) is responsible for the session management network element in the core network. In addition to managing UE mobility, the AMF is also responsible for forwarding session management-related messages between the UE and the SMF. The Policy Control Function (PCF) is a policy management function in the core network, responsible for formulating policies related to UE mobility management, session management, and billing. The User Plane Function (UPF) is a user plane function in the core network, communicating with external data networks via the N6 interface and with the AN (or RAN) via the N3 interface. After the UE accesses the 5G network through the Uu port, it transmits service data through the network. When the service is initiated, the UE's network layer obtains the service's QoS requirements from the upper layer (such as the operating system or application). The UE converts the service's QoS requirements into QoS parameters of the Uu interface and transmits data through the corresponding QoS flow between the UE and the UPF under the control of the SMF.

[0066] Based on the energy source and usage of zero-power terminals, zero-power terminals can be divided into the following types:

[0067] 1. Passive zero-power terminal

[0068] Zero-power terminals do not require internal batteries. When they approach network devices (such as the reader / writer of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system), they are within the near-field radiation generated by the network device's antenna. Consequently, the zero-power terminal's antenna generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, which drives the low-power chip circuits in the zero-power terminal. This enables forward link signal demodulation and backward link signal modulation. For backscatter links, the zero-power terminal uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0069] It can be seen that the passive zero-power terminal does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link, and is a true zero-power terminal.

[0070] Passive zero-power terminals do not require batteries, and their RF and baseband circuits are very simple. For example, they do not require components such as LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), PA (Power Amplifier), crystal oscillator, and ADC (Analog-to-Digital Conversion). Therefore, they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0071] Other features of this type of terminal device include: 1) no battery; 2) obtaining energy from the surrounding environment (such as radio waves, solar energy, wind energy, mechanical kinetic energy, etc.); and 3) no USIM card. This type of terminal device can also store a certain amount of energy from the surrounding environment, but the energy is generally very low, so the functional logic supported is much less than that of ordinary mobile phone terminals.

[0072] 2. Semi-passive zero-power terminal

[0073] Semi-passive zero-power terminals do not have conventional batteries themselves, but instead use RF (Radio Frequency) energy harvesting modules to harvest radio wave energy and store it in an energy storage unit (such as a capacitor). This energy storage unit then drives the low-power chip circuitry of the zero-power terminal, performing tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating backward link signals. For backscatter links, the zero-power terminal uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0074] As can be seen, the semi-passive zero-power terminal does not require an internal battery to operate in either the forward or reverse link. Although it uses energy stored in capacitors, the energy comes from radio energy collected by the energy harvesting module, making it a truly zero-power terminal.

[0075] Semi-passive zero-power consumption terminals inherit many advantages of passive zero-power consumption terminals, and have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0076] 3. Active zero-power terminal

[0077] In some scenarios, zero-power terminals can also be active zero-power terminals, which can have built-in batteries. The batteries power the low-power chip circuits in the zero-power terminal, which perform tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating reverse link signals. However, for backscatter links, zero-power terminals use backscattering to transmit signals. Therefore, the zero-power nature of these terminals lies primarily in the fact that reverse link signal transmission does not require the terminal's own power, but rather utilizes backscattering.

[0078] Active zero-power terminals use a built-in battery to power the RFID chip, increasing the tag's read and write distance and improving communication reliability. Therefore, they are suitable for scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance and read latency.

[0079] Given the extremely low complexity of zero-power terminals, such as passive zero-power terminals, they may not be able to support complex protocol stacks and complex communication processes. However, to obtain network services, zero-power terminals need to inform the network that they require services. To accommodate the characteristics of zero-power terminals, such as passive zero-power terminals, a solution to initiating communication with the network is needed.

[0080] FIG4 is a schematic flow chart of a method 400 for accessing a network according to an embodiment of the present application. The method may optionally be applied to the system shown in FIG1 , but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents:

[0081] S410: A first device sends first information, where the first information includes information about the first device requesting network access and / or information about a group to which the first device belongs.

[0082] S420: The first device receives second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information.

[0083] In one embodiment, the first device is a zero-power terminal, such as the aforementioned passive zero-power terminal, semi-active zero-power terminal, active zero-power terminal, etc.

[0084] For example, the zero-power consumption terminal may send first information to the network device, where the first information includes information about the zero-power consumption terminal.

[0085] For another example, multiple zero-power terminals form a group, which includes multiple member devices: terminal A, terminal B, and terminal C. Terminal A is the group leader. Terminal A can send first information to the network device, where the first information includes information about terminal A and information about the group to which terminal A belongs.

[0086] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0087] The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present application, the information of the first device may include at least one of a service ID requested by the first device, the first device ID, and the type of the first device. The information of the group to which the first device belongs may include at least one of the group ID of the first device, the IDs of member devices in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the type of member devices in the group of the first device, and the service ID requested by the first device.

[0089] For example, the first information sent by a zero-power terminal to a network device includes the zero-power terminal's own ID, type, and requested service ID. For another example, a group includes multiple member devices: Terminal A, Terminal B, and Terminal C. Terminal A is the group leader. The first information sent by group leader Terminal A to the network includes the group ID, the IDs of Terminals A, B, and C within the group, the number of member devices in the group (3), the location range of Terminals A, B, and C within the group, the requested service ID, and the types of Terminals A, B, and C within the group.

[0090] In an embodiment of the present application, the group leader terminal may be pre-configured with the IDs of other member devices in the group, or the IDs of other member devices in the group may be obtained through certain communication methods. Each first device, such as a zero-power terminal, may be grouped according to service, and different services may include different zero-power terminals in the group. Accordingly, the service ID and the group ID may have a corresponding relationship. The service ID and / or group ID may also have a corresponding relationship with the IDs of the member devices in the group.

[0091] In one embodiment, the response information includes at least one of the following:

[0092] Information on allowing network access, including information on a first device allowed to access the network and / or information on a group to which the first device belongs;

[0093] Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

[0094] In an embodiment of the present application, if the network device allows some or all devices requesting network access to access the network, it may return a response message including information that network access is allowed to the first device. If all devices requesting network access are not allowed to access the network, the network device may return a rejection message to the first device. The rejection message may include the reason for the rejection of network access and may also include information about the device that rejected the request.

[0095] In one embodiment, the information allowing network access includes at least one of the following:

[0096] The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID, and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

[0097] For example, if the devices requesting network access in the first information include terminal A, terminal B, and terminal C, and if the network device determines that the devices allowed to access the network include terminal A and terminal B, the response information returned by the network device to the first device may include: the allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed ID of terminal A, the allowed ID of terminal B in the group, and the number of member devices in the allowed group, "2".

[0098] In one embodiment, the group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a PLMN-unique ID.

[0099] In one embodiment, the service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an operator-defined ID.

[0100] In one embodiment, the device ID is at least one of a radio frequency identifier (RFID) of the device, an ID defined by an operator, and a network access identifier (NAI).

[0101] In one embodiment, the device type includes at least one of a zero-power terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group. In the embodiments of the present application, a certain identifier can be used to indicate the device type. For example, 0 represents a zero-power terminal, 1 represents a group leader terminal, and 2 represents other non-group leader terminals in the group. For another example, S1 represents a passive zero-power terminal, S2 represents a semi-active zero-power terminal, and S3 represents an active zero-power terminal. For another example, G represents a group leader terminal, and P represents other non-group leader terminals in the group.

[0102] In one embodiment, the condition for the first device to send the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0103] The first device generates a business demand;

[0104] The first device receives a trigger signal;

[0105] The first device is at a preset time point;

[0106] The first device is manually triggered.

[0107] In the embodiment of the present application, the service demand may include the start of a service within the terminal, which requires data transmission. For example, a zero-power terminal that collects temperature needs to report the collected temperature information.

[0108] In the embodiment of the present application, the trigger signal may include a signal with energy sent by another device outside the first device.

[0109] In an embodiment of the present application, a time point for triggering network access can be pre-set. When the current time reaches the time point, the first device is triggered to send the first information. The pre-set time point set on different devices can be different. The pre-set time point corresponding to different services can also be different.

[0110] In one embodiment, the trigger signal includes at least one of the following:

[0111] Scattered signals periodically sent by access network equipment;

[0112] A trigger signal sent by the scanning device;

[0113] Scans for function signals sent by the device.

[0114] For example, if the first device detects a scattered signal periodically transmitted by a surrounding base station, the energy of the scattered signal can be converted into an electric current, triggering the first device to transmit the first information. For example, the first device may be triggered to transmit the first information to the base station that transmits the scattered signal, or may be triggered to transmit the first information to other base stations.

[0115] In one embodiment, the first device sending the first information includes:

[0116] The first device sends the first information to the core network device via the access network device.

[0117] For example, a first device sends an AS message to an access network device, the AS message carrying the first information. After parsing the AS message to obtain the first information, the access network device repackages the first information into a NAS message, and then sends the NAS message carrying the first information to the core network device.

[0118] For another example, a first device sends an NAS message to an access network device, the NAS message carrying the first information. The access network device transparently transmits the NAS message to the core network device. In this case, it can also be considered that the first device sends the first information to the core network device.

[0119] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0120] When the first device determines that it can access the network according to the information about the permission to access the network, it sends a notification of permission to access the network to the terminal in the group that is allowed to access the network or other terminals in the group.

[0121] For example, if it is determined based on the network access permission information that all terminals in the entire group are allowed to access the network, the group leader terminal A sends a notification to other member devices in the group, namely, terminal B and terminal C, informing terminal B and terminal C that they are allowed to access the network.

[0122] For another example, if it is determined based on the network access permission information that some terminals, such as terminal B, are allowed to access the network, a notification may be sent to terminal B that is allowed to access the network, informing terminal B that the network access is permitted.

[0123] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a method 500 for accessing a network according to an embodiment of the present application. The method may optionally be applied to the system shown in FIG1 , but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents:

[0124] S510: A second device receives first information, where the first information includes information about a first device requesting network access and / or information about a group to which the first device belongs.

[0125] S520: The second device obtains second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information.

[0126] S530: The second device sends the second information.

[0127] In one implementation, the first device is a zero-power consumption terminal.

[0128] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0129] The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

[0130] In one embodiment, the response information includes at least one of the following:

[0131] Information on allowing network access, including information on a first device allowed to access the network and / or information on a group to which the first device belongs;

[0132] Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

[0133] In one embodiment, the information allowing network access includes at least one of the following:

[0134] The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID, and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

[0135] In one embodiment, the group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a PLMN-unique ID.

[0136] In one embodiment, the service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an operator-defined ID.

[0137] In one embodiment, the device ID includes at least one of an RFID of the device, an operator-defined ID, and a NAI.

[0138] In one embodiment, the device type includes at least one of a zero-power consumption terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group.

[0139] In one implementation, the second device is an access network device, and the second device receiving the first information includes: the second device receiving the first information from the first device.

[0140] In one embodiment, if the second device is an access network device, the second device obtaining the second information includes:

[0141] The second device sends the first information to the core network device and receives the second information from the core network device.

[0142] In one implementation, if the second device is an access network device, the method further includes: the second device storing the second information.

[0143] In one implementation, if the second device is an access network device, the second device sending the second information includes: the second device sending the second information to the first device.

[0144] In an embodiment of the present application, the zero-power terminal can send a first message to a second device, such as an access network device. After receiving the first message, the second device can send the first message to the core network device. The core network device can determine whether the first device and / or the member devices in the group where the first device is located are allowed to access the network based on the information it knows. The core network device can also send the first message to a service-related application device, and the application device determines whether the first device and / or the member devices in the group where the first device is located are allowed to access the network. The application device then returns information to the core network device on whether the first device and / or the member devices in the group where the first device is located are allowed to access the network. The core network device can return response information to the access network device

[0145] In one embodiment, the second device is a core network device, and the second device receiving the first information includes: the second device receiving the first information from the first device through an access network device.

[0146] In an embodiment of the present application, the second device, such as an access network device, may return response information to the zero-power terminal. For example, the access network device may transparently transmit a NAS message including the response information to the zero-power terminal, or may parse the NAS message and re-encapsulate it to the zero-power terminal before returning an AS message including the response information to the zero-power terminal.

[0147] In one embodiment, if the second device is a core network device, the second device obtaining the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0148] The second device determines the second information according to the first information;

[0149] The second device sends the first information to the application device, and receives the second information determined by the application device according to the first information.

[0150] In an embodiment of the present application, a zero-power terminal can send a first message to an access network device. After receiving the first message, the access network device can send the first message to a second device, such as a core network device. The second device receives the first message through the access network device and can determine whether the first device and / or the member devices in the group where the first device is located are allowed to access the network based on its own known information. The second device can also send the first message to a service-related application device, and the application device determines whether the first device and / or the member devices in the group where the first device is located are allowed to access the network, and then the application device returns information to the core network device on whether the first device and / or the member devices in the group where the first device is located are allowed to access the network.

[0151] In one implementation, if the second device is a core network device, the second device sending the second information includes: the second device sending the second information to the first device through an access network device.

[0152] In an embodiment of the present application, the second device, such as a core network device, can return response information to the access network device, and the access network device then returns response information to the zero-power consumption terminal.

[0153] In one embodiment, the second device is an application device, and the second device receiving the first information includes: the second device receiving the first information from the first device through a core network device and an access network device.

[0154] In one implementation, if the second device is an application device, the second device obtaining the second information includes: the second device determining the second information according to the first information.

[0155] In an embodiment of the present application, the zero-power terminal may send first information to an access network device. After receiving the first information, the access network device may send the first information to a second device, such as a core network device. The core network device may receive the first information through the access network device and send the first information to a service-related second device, such as an application device. The application device then determines whether to allow the first device and / or member devices in the group to which the first device belongs to access the network.

[0156] In one implementation, if the second device is an application device, the second device sending the second information includes: the second device sending the second information to the first device through a core network device and an access network device.

[0157] In an embodiment of the present application, a second device, such as an application device, may return information to the core network device regarding whether the first device and / or member devices in the group to which the first device belongs are allowed to access the network. The core network device may return a response to the access network device, which in turn returns a response to the zero-power terminal.

[0158] In one embodiment, the second information is determined in at least one of the following ways:

[0159] The second device checks whether the location range of the first device is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID;

[0160] The second device checks whether a location range of a member device in the group of the first device is within a service area corresponding to the received service ID;

[0161] The second device checks whether at least one of the received service ID, group ID, first device ID, group member ID, and number of group members is consistent with known information of the second device.

[0162] For example, the core network device or application device may obtain the corresponding service area based on the service ID, including the first device ID, the location range of the zero-power device, and the service ID, in the first information received by the core network device or application device, and compare whether the location range of the first device is within the service area corresponding to the service ID. If so, the first device is allowed to access the network.

[0163] For another example, the first information received by the core network device or application device includes the ID and location range of the member devices in the first device's group, as well as the service ID. The core network device or application device can obtain the corresponding service area based on the service ID and compare whether the location ranges of the member devices in the first device's group are within the service area corresponding to the service ID. If so, the member devices in the group are allowed to access the network. The location range of each member device in the group can be compared to see whether it is within the service area corresponding to the service ID. If the location ranges of only some member devices are within the service area corresponding to the service ID, these member devices can be allowed to access the network.

[0164] For another example, if the first information received by the core network device or application device includes a service ID and a group member ID, the application device can search for the service ID in the known information and find the group ID corresponding to the service ID. Then, based on the group ID, the ID of the group member can be obtained. If the received service ID and group member ID match those found in the known information, the device corresponding to the group member ID is allowed to access the network.

[0165] For a specific example of the second device executing the method 500 of this embodiment, reference may be made to the relevant description of the second device in the above method 400 , which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0166] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a first device 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The first device 600 may include:

[0167] A sending unit 610 is configured to send first information, where the first information includes information about the first device requesting to access the network and / or information about the group to which the first device belongs;

[0168] The receiving unit 620 is configured to receive second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information.

[0169] In one implementation, the first device is a zero-power consumption terminal.

[0170] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0171] The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

[0172] In one embodiment, the response information includes at least one of the following:

[0173] Information on allowing network access, including information on a first device allowed to access the network and / or information on a group to which the first device belongs;

[0174] Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

[0175] In one embodiment, the information allowing network access includes at least one of the following:

[0176] The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID, and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

[0177] In one embodiment, the group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a PLMN-unique ID.

[0178] In one embodiment, the service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an operator-defined ID.

[0179] In one embodiment, the device ID is at least one of a radio frequency identifier RFID of the device, an ID defined by an operator, and a network access identifier NAI.

[0180] In one embodiment, the device type includes at least one of a zero-power consumption terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group.

[0181] In one embodiment, the condition for the first device to send the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0182] The first device generates a business demand;

[0183] The first device receives a trigger signal;

[0184] The first device is at a preset time point;

[0185] The first device is manually triggered.

[0186] In one embodiment, the trigger signal includes at least one of the following:

[0187] Scattered signals periodically sent by access network equipment;

[0188] A trigger signal sent by the scanning device;

[0189] Scans for function signals sent by the device.

[0190] In one implementation, the sending unit 610 is configured to send the first information to the core network device via the access network device.

[0191] In one embodiment, the sending unit is further configured to send a notification of allowing network access to the terminal allowed to access the network or other terminals in the group when it is determined that network access is possible according to the information of allowing network access.

[0192] The first device 600 of the embodiment of the present application can implement the corresponding functions of the first device in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processes, functions, implementation methods and beneficial effects corresponding to the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the first device 600 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the first device 600 of the application embodiment can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.).

[0193] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a second device 700 according to an embodiment of the present application. The second device 700 may include:

[0194] A receiving unit 710 is configured to receive first information, where the first information includes information about a first device requesting to access a network and / or information about a group to which the first device belongs;

[0195] The processing unit 720 is configured to obtain second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information;

[0196] The sending unit 730 is configured to send the second information.

[0197] In one implementation, the first device is a zero-power consumption terminal.

[0198] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0199] The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

[0200] In one embodiment, the response information includes at least one of the following:

[0201] Information on allowing network access, including information on a first device allowed to access the network and / or information on a group to which the first device belongs;

[0202] Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

[0203] In one embodiment, the information allowing network access includes at least one of the following:

[0204] The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID, and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

[0205] In one embodiment, the group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a PLMN-unique ID.

[0206] In one embodiment, the service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an operator-defined ID.

[0207] In one embodiment, the device ID includes at least one of an RFID of the device, an operator-defined ID, and a NAI.

[0208] In one embodiment, the device type includes at least one of a zero-power consumption terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group.

[0209] In one implementation, the second device is an access network device, and the receiving unit 710 is configured to receive the first information from the first device.

[0210] In one implementation, the processing unit 720 is configured to control the sending unit 730 to send the first information to the core network device, and control the receiving unit 710 to receive the second information from the core network device.

[0211] In a possible implementation, if the second device is an access network device, the processing unit 720 is further configured to cause the second device to store the second information.

[0212] In one implementation, if the second device is an access network device, the sending unit 730 is configured to send the second information to the first device.

[0213] In one implementation, the second device is a core network device, and the receiving unit 710 receives the first information of the first device through an access network device.

[0214] In one implementation, if the second device is a core network device, the processing unit 720 is configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0215] determining the second information according to the first information;

[0216] The sending unit 730 is controlled to send the first information to the application device, and the receiving unit 710 is controlled to receive the second information determined by the application device according to the first information.

[0217] In one implementation, if the second device is a core network device, the sending unit 730 is configured to send the second information to the first device through an access network device.

[0218] In one implementation, the second device is an application device, and the receiving unit 710 is configured to receive the first information of the first device through a core network device and an access network device.

[0219] In one implementation, if the second device is an application device, the processing unit 720 is configured to determine the second information according to the first information.

[0220] In one implementation, if the second device is an application device, the sending unit 730 is configured to send the second information to the first device via a core network device and an access network device.

[0221] In one embodiment, the processing unit 720 determines the second information in at least one of the following ways:

[0222] Checking whether the location range of the first device is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID;

[0223] Check whether the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID;

[0224] Check whether at least one of the received service ID, group ID, first device ID, group member ID, and number of group members is consistent with known information of the second device.

[0225] The second device 700 of the embodiment of the present application can implement the corresponding functions of the second device in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processes, functions, implementation methods and beneficial effects corresponding to the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the second device 700 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the second device 700 of the application embodiment can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.).

[0226] Example 1:

[0227] In each service, zero-power terminals can be divided into one or more groups. In each group, a terminal can be selected to request network access on behalf of other terminals in the group, such as performing network registration. Registration is not limited to the registration process in the 3GPP process, but can also mean that the terminal notifies the network that it needs to access the network to obtain services. The identity of the terminal can be pre-configured in the terminal. Each terminal can also register individually. As shown in Figure 8, the process of accessing the network may include:

[0228] S810: When the terminal needs to access the network, the terminal sends a message to the base station. The message may be an AS message. The scenario in which network access is required includes at least one of the following:

[0229] 1. When business needs arise within the terminal;

[0230] 2. When the terminal receives a trigger signal. The trigger signal can come from at least one of the following:

[0231] a. Periodic transmission by the base station. The terminal uses the scattered signal to transmit the message to the base station.

[0232] b. A scanning device passes by. The scanning device sends a trigger signal to the terminal or provides power.

[0233] c. The time point preset by the terminal.

[0234] d. Triggered manually, etc.

[0235] The message sent by the terminal to the base station may include at least one of the following information: service ID, group ID (Group ID), terminal ID (UE ID), group member ID (group member ID), number of group members (group member number), terminal type (UE category), deployment range (location range) of terminals in the group. All IDs here can be new IDs defined specifically for zero-power communication. In addition, the service ID can be an application ID or an operator-defined ID. The group ID can be a globally unique ID, a group ID within the service, or a unique ID under the PLMN. The terminal ID can be an RFID or an operator-defined ID. The terminal type can be the type of zero-power terminal, the type of group leader terminal, or the type of other terminals in the group, for example: Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, etc.

[0236] S820: The base station forwards the received information to the core network element. For example, after the base station parses the AS message to obtain the above information, it can encapsulate it into a NAS message and send it to the core network element.

[0237] S830: The core network element may forward the received information to an external application network element. The core network element may also send the terminal's location information to the application network element, which then checks the received information. The terminal's location information may be reported to the core network element by the base station, or obtained by the core network element itself through other means. Furthermore, the core network element may obtain the information to be checked in advance from the application network element, and then check the information received from the base station itself.

[0238] The application network element checks whether the terminal's location is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID. It can also check whether the deployment range (location range) of the terminal in the group is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID. For example, it checks whether the group ID, terminal ID, IDs and number of group members are consistent with the IDs and number of group members corresponding to the received service ID and / or group ID.

[0239] S840: The application network element returns the admitted service ID and the corresponding service area, admitted group ID, admitted UE ID, and group member IDs and number. For example, the application network element sends an acknowledgment (ACK) message to the core network element, including the admitted group ID, admitted terminal ID, admitted service ID, and corresponding service area.

[0240] S850: The core network element considers the received group ID, terminal ID, and group members as permitted access and as registered with the network, and can provide services for the terminals in the group. Alternatively, the core network element may only allow access to some terminals in the group based on the current load.

[0241] The core network element notifies the base station of the allowed information. For example, the core network element sends a response message to the base station, which may include: an admitted service ID and a corresponding service area, an admitted group ID, a terminal ID, a group member ID (Admitted UE IDs in the group), and at least one of the number.

[0242] S860: The base station saves the permission information and forwards the permission information to the terminal.

[0243] After receiving the permission, the terminal can determine whether it can access the network based on the permission information, notify the group members who have applied the permission, or notify other terminals in the group through the PC5 interface.

[0244] In this example, group registration can reduce overall signaling interactions and lower complexity.

[0245] Example 2:

[0246] The main difference between this example and Example 1 is that the terminal sends a NAS message to the core network element for registration.

[0247] In each service, zero-power terminals can be divided into one or more groups. In each group, a terminal can be selected to request network access on behalf of other terminals in the group, such as performing network registration. Registration is not limited to the registration process in the 3GPP process, but can also mean that the terminal notifies the network that it needs to access the network to obtain services. The identity of the terminal can be pre-configured in the terminal. Each terminal can also register individually. As shown in Figure 9, the process of accessing the network may include:

[0248] S910. When the terminal needs to access the network, the terminal sends a message to the core network element. For example, the terminal transparently transmits an NAS message to the core network through the base station. The scenarios in which network access is required include at least one of the following:

[0249] 1. When business needs arise within the terminal;

[0250] 2. When the terminal receives a trigger signal. The trigger signal can come from at least one of the following:

[0251] a. Periodic transmission by the base station. The terminal uses the scattered signal to transmit the message to the base station.

[0252] b. A scanning device passes by. The scanning device sends a trigger signal to the terminal or provides power.

[0253] c. The time point preset by the terminal.

[0254] d. Triggered manually, etc.

[0255] The message sent by the terminal to the base station may include at least one of the following information: service ID, group ID, terminal ID, group member ID, number of group members, terminal type, and deployment range (location range) of terminals in the group. All IDs here can be new IDs defined specifically for zero-power communication. In addition, the service ID can be an application ID or an operator-defined ID. The group ID can be a globally unique ID, a group ID within the service, or a unique ID under the PLMN. The terminal ID can be an RFID or an operator-defined ID. The terminal type can be the type of zero-power terminal, the type of group leader terminal, or the type of other terminals in the group, for example: Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, etc.

[0256] S920. The core network element may forward the received information to an external application network element. The core network element may also send the terminal's location information to the application network element, which may then check the received information. The terminal's location information may be reported to the core network element by the base station, or may be obtained by the core network element itself through other means. Furthermore, the core network element may obtain the information to be checked in advance from the application network element, and the core network element may then check the information received from the base station.

[0257] The application network element checks whether the terminal's location is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID. It can also check whether the deployment range (location range) of the terminal in the group is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID. For example, it checks whether the group ID, terminal ID, IDs and number of group members are consistent with the IDs and number of group members corresponding to the received service ID and / or group ID.

[0258] S930: The application network element returns the allowed service ID and corresponding service area, group ID, terminal ID, group member ID, and number. For example, the application network element sends an acknowledgment (ACK) message to the core network element, including the allowed group ID, allowed terminal ID, allowed service ID, and corresponding service area.

[0259] S940: The core network element considers the received group ID, terminal ID, and group members as permitted access and as registered with the network, and can provide services for the terminals in the group. Alternatively, the core network element may only allow access to some terminals in the group based on the current load.

[0260] The core network element notifies the terminal of the permitted information through the base station, including: permitted service ID and corresponding service area, group ID, terminal ID, group member ID and number.

[0261] After receiving the permission, the terminal can determine whether it can access the network based on the permission information, notify the group members who have applied the permission, or notify other terminals in the group through the PC5 interface.

[0262] Group registration reduces overall signaling interactions and reduces complexity.

[0263] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1000 includes a processor 1010, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to enable the communication device 1000 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0264] In one embodiment, the communication device 1000 may further include a memory 1020. The processor 1010 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1020 to enable the communication device 1000 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0265] The memory 1020 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1010 , or may be integrated into the processor 1010 .

[0266] In one embodiment, the communication device 1000 may further include a transceiver 1030 , and the processor 1010 may control the transceiver 1030 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, the transceiver 1030 may send information or data to other devices, or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0267] The transceiver 1030 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 730 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0268] In one embodiment, the communication device 1000 may be the first device of the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1000 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0269] In one embodiment, the communication device 1000 may be the second device of the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1000 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the second device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0270] 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip 1100 includes a processor 1110, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to implement the method according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0271] In one embodiment, the chip 1100 may further include a memory 1120. The processor 1110 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1120 to implement the method executed by the first device or the second device in the embodiment of the present application.

[0272] The memory 1120 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1110 , or may be integrated into the processor 1110 .

[0273] In one embodiment, the chip 1100 may further include an input interface 1130. The processor 1110 may control the input interface 1130 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may obtain information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0274] In one embodiment, the chip 1100 may further include an output interface 1140. The processor 1110 may control the output interface 1140 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0275] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the first device in the embodiment of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0276] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the second device in the embodiments of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the second device in each method of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0277] The chips used in the first device and the second device may be the same chip or different chips.

[0278] 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.

[0279] The processor mentioned above may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor mentioned above may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0280] The memory mentioned above may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. 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).

[0281] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memories are exemplary but not restrictive. For example, the memories in the embodiments of the present application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM RAM (DR RAM), etc. In other words, the memories in the embodiments of the present application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0282] FIG12 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication system 1200 includes a first device 1210 and a second device 1220 .

[0283] The first device 1210 is configured to execute the above-mentioned method 400 for accessing a network;

[0284] The second device 1220 is configured to execute the aforementioned method 500 for accessing a network.

[0285] The first device 1210 may be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the first device in the above method 400, and the second device 1220 may be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the second device in the above method 500. For the sake of brevity, they are not described here in detail.

[0286] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function in accordance with the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0287] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0288] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0289] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a network, comprising: The first device sends first information, where the first information includes information of the first device requesting to access the network and / or information of the group to which the first device belongs; The first device receives second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first device is a zero-power consumption terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first information includes at least one of the following: The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested to be used, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The response information includes at least one of the following: Information allowing network access, including information of a first device allowed to access the network and / or information of a group to which the first device belongs; Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The information allowing network access includes at least one of the following: The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

6. The method according to claim 3 or 5, wherein: The group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a unique ID under a PLMN.

7. The method according to claim 3 or 5, wherein: The service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an ID defined by an operator.

8. The method according to claim 3 or 5, wherein: The device ID is at least one of a radio frequency identifier RFID of the device, an ID defined by an operator, and a network access identifier NAI.

9. The method according to claim 3 or 5, wherein: The device type includes at least one of a zero-power consumption terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The condition for the first device to send the first information includes at least one of the following: The first device generates a service demand; The first device receives a trigger signal; The first device is at a preset time point; The first device is manually triggered.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The trigger signal includes at least one of the following: Scattered signals periodically sent by access network equipment; A trigger signal sent by the scanning device; Scans for function signals sent by the device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein The first device sending the first information includes: The first device sends the first information to the core network device via the access network device.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein The method further comprises: When the first device determines that network access is possible according to the information on network access permission, it sends a notification of network access permission to the terminal in the group that is allowed to access the network or other terminals in the group.

14. A method for accessing a network, comprising: The second device receives first information, where the first information includes information about the first device requesting to access the network and / or information about the group to which the first device belongs; The second device acquires second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information; The second device sends the second information.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The first device is a zero-power consumption terminal.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: The first information includes at least one of the following: The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested to be used, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein The response information includes at least one of the following: Information allowing network access, including information of a first device allowed to access the network and / or information of a group to which the first device belongs; Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein The information allowing network access includes at least one of the following: The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

19. The method according to claim 16 or 18, wherein The group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a unique ID under a PLMN.

20. The method according to claim 16 or 18, wherein The service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an ID defined by an operator.

21. The method according to claim 16 or 18, wherein The device ID includes at least one of an RFID of the device, an ID defined by an operator, and a NAI.

22. The method according to claim 16 or 18, wherein The device type includes at least one of a zero-power consumption terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein The second device is an access network device, and the second device receiving the first information includes: the second device receiving the first information from the first device.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein The second device acquiring the second information includes: The second device sends the first information to a core network device and receives the second information from the core network device.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, wherein The method further comprises: The second device stores the second information.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein The second device sending the second information includes: The second device sends the second information to the first device.

27. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein The second device is a core network device, and the second device receiving the first information includes: the second device receiving the first information of the first device through an access network device.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein The second device acquiring the second information includes at least one of the following: The second device determines the second information according to the first information; The second device sends the first information to the application device, and receives the second information determined by the application device according to the first information.

29. The method according to claim 27 or 28, wherein The second device sending the second information includes: The second device sends the second information to the first device through the access network device.

30. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein The second device is an application device, and the second device receiving the first information includes: the second device receiving the first information of the first device through a core network device and an access network device.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein The second device acquiring the second information includes: the second device determining the second information according to the first information.

32. The method according to claim 30 or 31, wherein The second device sending the second information includes: The second device sends the second information to the first device through the core network device and the access network device.

33. The method of claim 28, 29, 31 or 32, wherein: The second information is determined in at least one of the following ways: The second device checks whether the location range of the first device is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID; The second device checks whether a location range of a member device in the group of the first device is within a service area corresponding to the received service ID; The second device checks whether at least one of the received service ID, group ID, first device ID, group member ID, and number of group members is consistent with known information of the second device.

34. A first device comprising: a sending unit, configured to send first information, where the first information includes information about the first device requesting to access the network and / or information about the group to which the first device belongs; A receiving unit is configured to receive second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein The first device is a zero-power consumption terminal.

36. Apparatus according to claim 34 or 35, wherein The first information includes at least one of the following: The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested to be used, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

37. Apparatus according to any one of claims 34 to 36, wherein The response information includes at least one of the following: Information allowing network access, including information of a first device allowed to access the network and / or information of a group to which the first device belongs; Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein: The information allowing network access includes at least one of the following: The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

39. The apparatus according to claim 36 or 38, wherein The group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a unique ID under a PLMN.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 or 38, wherein The service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an ID defined by an operator.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 or 38, wherein: The device ID is at least one of a radio frequency identifier RFID of the device, an ID defined by an operator, and a network access identifier NAI.

42. The apparatus of claim 36 or 38, wherein: The device type includes at least one of a zero-power consumption terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group.

43. Apparatus according to any one of claims 34 to 42, wherein The condition for the first device to send the first information includes at least one of the following: The first device generates a service demand; The first device receives a trigger signal; The first device is at a preset time point; The first device is manually triggered.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein The trigger signal includes at least one of the following: Scattered signals periodically sent by access network equipment; A trigger signal sent by the scanning device; Scans for function signals sent by the device.

45. Apparatus according to any one of claims 34 to 44, wherein The sending unit is used to send the first information to the core network device via the access network device.

46. ​​Apparatus according to any one of claims 34 to 45, wherein The sending unit is further configured to send a notification of allowing network access to the terminal allowed to access the network or other terminals in the group when it is determined that the network can be accessed according to the information of allowing network access.

47. A second device comprising: a receiving unit, configured to receive first information, where the first information includes information about a first device requesting to access a network and / or information about a group to which the first device belongs; a processing unit, configured to obtain second information, where the second information includes response information determined according to the first information; A sending unit, configured to send the second information.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein The first device is a zero-power consumption terminal.

49. Apparatus according to claim 47 or 48, wherein The first information includes at least one of the following: The group identification ID of the first device, the ID of the member device in the group of the first device, the number of member devices in the group of the first device, the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device, the service ID requested to be used, the first device ID, the first device type, and the type of member devices in the group of the first device.

50. Apparatus according to any one of claims 47 to 49, wherein The response information includes at least one of the following: Information allowing network access, including information of a first device allowed to access the network and / or information of a group to which the first device belongs; Rejection information, including the reason for denying access to the network.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein The information allowing network access includes at least one of the following: The allowed service ID, the service area corresponding to the allowed service ID, the allowed group ID, the allowed first device ID, the allowed group member device ID and the allowed number of member devices in the group.

52. The apparatus of claim 49 or 51, wherein The group ID includes at least one of a globally unique ID, a service-internal group ID, and a unique ID under a PLMN.

53. The apparatus of claim 49 or 51, wherein: The service ID includes at least one of an application ID and an ID defined by an operator.

54. The apparatus of claim 49 or 51, wherein The device ID includes at least one of an RFID of the device, an ID defined by an operator, and a NAI.

55. The apparatus of claim 49 or 51, wherein The device type includes at least one of a zero-power consumption terminal, a group leader terminal, and other non-group leader terminals in the group.

56. Apparatus according to any one of claims 47 to 55, wherein The second device is an access network device, and the receiving unit is configured to receive the first information from the first device.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein The processing unit is configured to control the sending unit to send the first information to a core network device, and control the receiving unit to receive the second information from the core network device.

58. Apparatus according to claim 56 or 57, wherein The processing unit is further configured for the second device to store the second information.

59. Apparatus according to any one of claims 56 to 58, wherein The sending unit is configured to send the second information to the first device.

60. Apparatus according to any one of claims 47 to 55, wherein The second device is a core network device, and the receiving unit is configured to receive the first information of the first device through an access network device.

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein The processing unit is configured to perform at least one of the following: determining the second information according to the first information; The sending unit is controlled to send the first information to the application device, and the receiving unit is controlled to receive the second information determined by the application device according to the first information.

62. The apparatus of claim 60 or 61, wherein The sending unit is configured to send the second information to the first device through an access network device.

63. Apparatus according to any one of claims 47 to 55, wherein The second device is an application device, and the receiving unit is configured to receive the first information of the first device through a core network device and an access network device.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein The second device acquiring the second information includes: the second device determining the second information according to the first information.

65. Apparatus according to claim 63 or 64, wherein The sending unit is configured to send the second information to the first device through a core network device and an access network device.

66. The apparatus of claim 61, 62, 64 or 65, wherein The processing unit determines the second information in at least one of the following ways: Checking whether the location range of the first device is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID; Checking whether the location range of the member devices in the group of the first device is within the service area corresponding to the received service ID; Check whether at least one of the received service ID, group ID, first device ID, group member ID, and number of group members is consistent with known information of the second device.

67. A first device comprising: A processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the first device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

68. A second device comprising: A processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the second device executes the method according to any one of claims 14 to 33.

69. A chip comprising: A processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

70. A chip, comprising: A processor, configured to call and execute a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 14 to 33.

71. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

72. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 14 to 33.

73. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

74. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 14 to 33.

75. A computer program causing a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

76. A computer program causing a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 14 to 33.

77. A communication system comprising: A first device, configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13; A second device is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 14 to 33.

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