Communication method and system, electronic equipment and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication method and system, electronic equipment and a computer readable storage medium, and relates to the technical field of communication. The communication method comprises: a DCCF network element acquires positioning data of a plurality of first user equipment (UE) in response to a received data collection request of an NWDAF network element, the data collection request carrying related information of a plurality of second UEs, and the plurality of second UEs comprising a plurality of first UEs; and the DCCF network element sends a data collection notification carrying the plurality of first UEs to the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element trains a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs. According to the technical scheme provided by the invention, the positioning efficiency of the UE can be improved on the basis of ensuring the positioning accuracy of the UE.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the development of mobile communication technology, especially the rise of the fifth generation mobile communication (5G) network and future networks (such as 6G networks), the demand for precise positioning of user equipment (UE) is also increasing.

[0003] In the related art, a location management function (LMF) network element may adopt a positioning algorithm (such as a triangulation positioning method, etc.) to determine a positioning result of the UE in response to a positioning request of the UE. Summary of the invention

[0004] The inventors of the present disclosure have discovered that the above-mentioned related technologies have the following problems: the positioning efficiency of UE is low.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide the following solutions.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, including: a data collection and coordination function DCCF network element obtains positioning data of multiple first user equipment UEs in response to receiving a data collection request from a network data analysis function NWDAF network element, wherein the data collection request carries relevant information of multiple second UEs, and the multiple second UEs include multiple first UEs; the DCCF network element sends a data collection notification carrying the multiple first UEs to the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element trains a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

[0007] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of multiple first UEs in response to receiving the data collection request from the NWDAF network element, including: the DCCF network element verifies whether it can provide the positioning data of the multiple second UEs in response to receiving the data collection request; the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs based on the verification result.

[0008] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the verification result, including: in response to the verification result being able to provide the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

[0009] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element obtaining the positioning data of the multiple first UEs includes: the DCCF network element obtaining the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from a positioning management function LMF network element.

[0010] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the LMF network element, including: the DCCF network element sends a data subscription request to the LMF network element so that the LMF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, and the data subscription request carries relevant information of the multiple first UEs; the DCCF network element receives the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the LMF network element.

[0011] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the verification result, including: in response to the verification result being that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs cannot be provided, the DCCF network element sends a data collection response carrying the verification result to the NWDAF network element; the DCCF network element receives a data collection instruction sent by the NWDAF network element based on the data collection response; the DCCF network element determines whether to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the data collection instruction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the data collection instruction instructs the DCCF network element to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, and the DCCF network element determines whether to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the data collection instruction, including: the DCCF network element requests a change notification of the contract information of the multiple first UEs from a unified data management (UDM) network element according to the data collection instruction, and the change notification is used to indicate that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs can be provided; the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs in response to receiving the change notification.

[0013] In some embodiments, the data collection request carries an event identifier, and the event identifier is used to indicate that the NWDAF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple second UEs for training the UE positioning model. The DCCF network element verifies whether it can provide the positioning data of the multiple second UEs in response to receiving the data collection request, including: the DCCF network element obtains the contract information of the multiple second UEs from the UDM network element in response to receiving the data collection request; the DCCF network element verifies whether it can provide the positioning data of the multiple second UEs based on the event identifier and the contract information.

[0014] In some embodiments, the relevant information of the multiple second UEs includes identifications and area information of the multiple second UEs.

[0015] In some embodiments, the data collection request carries an event identifier, and the event identifier is used to instruct the DCCF network element to store the positioning data of the multiple first UEs in the analysis data storage function ADRF network element. The DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs in response to receiving the data collection request from the network data analysis function NWDAF network element, including: the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element in response to receiving the data collection request from the network data analysis function NWDAF network element.

[0016] In some embodiments, the identifier of the NWDAF network element, the identifiers of the multiple first UEs and the identifier of the ADRF network element are correspondingly stored in a data consumer list, and the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the network data analysis function NWDAF network element, including: the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element according to the data consumer list in response to receiving a data collection request from the network data analysis function NWDAF network element.

[0017] According to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, including: a user equipment UE sends a UE positioning request so that the NWDAF network element determines a positioning result based on a UE positioning model, the UE positioning model is trained by the NWDAF network element based on positioning data of multiple first UEs, the positioning data of the multiple first UEs are acquired by the DCCF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the NWDAF network element, the data collection request carries relevant information of the multiple second UEs, the multiple second UEs include the multiple first UEs; the UE receives the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element.

[0018] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a data collection and coordination function network element is provided, including: an acquisition module, configured to acquire positioning data of multiple first UEs in response to receiving a data collection request from a NWDAF network element, wherein the data collection request carries relevant information of multiple second UEs, and the multiple second UEs include multiple first UEs; a sending module, configured to send a data collection notification carrying the positioning data of the multiple first UEs to the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element trains a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

[0019] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a user equipment is provided, including: a sending module, configured to send a UE positioning request so that the NWDAF network element determines a positioning result based on a UE positioning model, the UE positioning model is trained by the NWDAF network element based on positioning data of multiple first UEs, the positioning data of the multiple first UEs are acquired by the DCCF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the NWDAF network element, the data collection request carries relevant information of the multiple second UEs, the multiple second UEs include the multiple first UEs; a receiving module, configured to receive the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element.

[0020] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the communication method in any one of the above embodiments based on instructions stored in the memory device.

[0021] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising: a data collection and coordination function network element according to any one of the above embodiments and a user equipment according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0022] In some embodiments, the communication system also includes: a network data analysis function network element, configured to send a data collection request to the data collection and coordination function network element, receive a data collection response from the data collection and coordination function network element, and train a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of multiple first UEs carried by the data collection response.

[0023] In some embodiments, the network data analysis function network element is further configured to receive a UE positioning request of the user equipment, determine a positioning result based on the UE positioning model, and return the determined positioning result to the user equipment.

[0024] According to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the communication method in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0025] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, enable the processor to execute the communication method according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0026] In the above embodiment, the DCCF network element can obtain the positioning data of multiple UEs in batches in response to receiving the data collection request from the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element can train the UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple UEs. In this way, the DCCF network element manages the batch acquisition and distribution of positioning data for UE positioning model training, which can effectively improve the efficiency of acquiring positioning data, thereby improving the positioning efficiency of the UE on the basis of ensuring the accuracy of the UE positioning. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0028] The present disclosure may be more clearly understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 A flowchart showing some embodiments of the communication method of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 Flowcharts of some embodiments of step 110;

[0031] Figure 3 A signaling diagram illustrating some embodiments of the communication method of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 4 Flowcharts showing other embodiments of the communication method of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 5 A block diagram showing some embodiments of the DCCF network element of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating some embodiments of the user equipment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 7 A block diagram showing some embodiments of the electronic device of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 8 A block diagram showing some other embodiments of the electronic device of the present disclosure;

[0037] Fig. 9 A block diagram showing some embodiments of the communication system of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the relative arrangement of components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0039] At the same time, it should be understood that for the convenience of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0040] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses.

[0041] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0042] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0043] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0044] The user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this disclosure are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of relevant countries and regions, and provide corresponding operation entrances for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0045] As mentioned above, the LMF network element can use a positioning algorithm (such as a triangulation positioning method, etc.) to determine the positioning result of the UE. However, in this way, the positioning efficiency of the UE is low.

[0046] Direct positioning technology based on artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) can provide more accurate positioning results in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments and complex line-of-sight (LOS) environments. For example, when the positioning algorithm is difficult to achieve the expected accuracy, the UE position can be obtained by using the AI / ML-based positioning model, or the positioning algorithm can be assisted on the basis of the AI / ML-based positioning model to optimize the existing measurement data, which can improve the accuracy and reliability of UE positioning and promote the intelligent evolution of the network.

[0047] The Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) network element is a network element introduced by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard in the 5G R15 version. As the big data engine of the core network, the NWDAF network element can realize functions such as data collection, model training, reasoning and intelligent prediction, and output corresponding analysis results for network, network management and third-party applications to make strategic decisions. By enhancing the collaboration between LMF network elements and NWADF network elements, direct positioning based on AI / ML can be achieved.

[0048] However, AI / ML-based direct positioning technology requires a large amount of positioning data for model training to ensure the accuracy of the output positioning results. However, the efficiency of obtaining positioning data in this positioning technology is low, resulting in low UE positioning efficiency.

[0049] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes a technical solution for batch acquiring positioning data of multiple UEs using a Data Collection and Coordination Function (DCCF) network element, which can improve the positioning efficiency of the UE while ensuring the accuracy of UE positioning.

[0050] It can be understood that the method proposed in the present disclosure supports AI / ML-based direct positioning technology and is suitable for scenarios that require a large amount of positioning data for AI / ML-based positioning model training.

[0051] Figure 1 A flow chart showing some embodiments of the communication method of the present disclosure.

[0052] like Figure 1 As shown, in step 110, the DCCF network element obtains positioning data of multiple first UEs in response to receiving a data collection request from the NWDAF network element.

[0053] Here, the data collection request carries relevant information of a plurality of second UEs, where the plurality of second UEs include a plurality of first UEs.

[0054] It should be understood that the multiple second UEs are objects that the NWDAF network element requests to obtain positioning data, and the multiple first UEs are objects that the DCCF network element can obtain positioning data from. The multiple first UEs may be some of the multiple second UEs, or the multiple first UEs may be all of the multiple second UEs.

[0055] In some embodiments, the NWDAF network element may use the Ndccf_DataManagement_Subscribe service to send a data collection request to the DCCF network element to request to obtain the positioning data of multiple second UEs.

[0056] In some embodiments, the relevant information of the plurality of second UEs may include the identifiers and area information of the plurality of second UEs. For example, the area information may include at least one of the cell identifier of the cell where each second UE is located and the tracking area identifier (TAI) of the tracking area where each second UE is located.

[0057] In some embodiments, the positioning data of multiple first UEs may include measurement data and actual positions of each first UE in the multiple first UEs, and the UE positioning model can obtain the predicted position of each first UE based on the measurement data and the positioning technology deployed in the UE positioning model.

[0058] In some embodiments, the actual position of each first UE may be a positioning result of the first UE obtained by using a positioning system (eg, a positioning result obtained by a Global Positioning System (GPS)).

[0059] In some embodiments, the measurement data of each first UE can be correspondingly obtained according to the positioning technology deployed in the UE positioning model. For example, the positioning technology deployed in the UE positioning model can be any one of the downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) positioning technology, uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) positioning technology, downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD) positioning technology, uplink angle of arrival (UL-AoA) positioning technology, and multi-station round-trip time (Multi-RTT) positioning technology.

[0060] For example, the positioning technology deployed in the UE positioning model is DL-TDOA positioning technology. The measurement data of each first UE may include a reference signal arrival time difference (RSTD) of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRS) sent by two base stations measured by the first UE.

[0061] For another example, the positioning technology deployed in the UE positioning model is DL-AoD positioning technology. The measurement data of each first UE may include the received power of the downlink reference signal beam measured by the first UE (ie, the downlink reference signal received power (Reference Signal Received Power, DL-RSRP) of the beam of the base station).

[0062] In step 120, the DCCF network element sends a data collection notification carrying multiple first UEs to the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element trains a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

[0063] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element may use the Ndccf_DataManagement_Notify service to send a data collection notification carrying multiple first UEs to the NWDAF network element.

[0064] In some embodiments, in response to receiving the data collection notification, the NWDAF network element may use the positioning data of multiple first UEs to train the UE positioning model. For example, the positioning technology deployed in the UE positioning model is DL-TDOA positioning technology. The NWDAF network element may use the measurement data in the positioning data of each first UE as the input of the UE positioning model, and the predicted position of each first UE as the output of the UE positioning model; according to the error between the predicted position of each first UE output by the UE positioning model and the actual position in the positioning data of each first UE, the model parameters of the UE positioning model are continuously optimized until the training is completed.

[0065] In some embodiments, the UE positioning model may be a positioning model based on AI / ML technology.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the DCCF network element can obtain the positioning data of multiple UEs in batches in response to receiving the data collection request from the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element can train the UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple UEs. In this way, the DCCF network element manages the batch acquisition and distribution of positioning data for UE positioning model training, which can effectively improve the efficiency of acquiring positioning data, and then effectively improve the training efficiency of the UE positioning model, thereby improving the UE positioning efficiency on the basis of ensuring the accuracy of UE positioning.

[0067] Furthermore, the method proposed in the present disclosure supports the NWDAF network element to train the UE positioning model using the acquired UE positioning data, thereby realizing intelligent data processing and analysis and improving the intelligence level of the positioning service.

[0068] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 Flowchart of some embodiments of step 110 in FIG.

[0069] like Figure 2 As shown, in step 1110, the DCCF network element verifies whether it is able to provide positioning data of multiple second UEs in response to receiving the data collection request.

[0070] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element obtains subscription information of the plurality of second UEs from a unified data management function (UDM) network element in response to receiving the data collection request. The DCCF network element verifies whether the positioning data of the plurality of second UEs can be provided based on the subscription information of the plurality of second UEs.

[0071] In step 1120, the DCCF network element obtains positioning data of multiple first UEs according to the verification result.

[0072] For example, the verification result may be that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs can be provided or that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs cannot be provided. The DCCF network element may acquire the multiple first UEs in different ways according to different verification results.

[0073] In the above embodiment, before obtaining the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, the DCCF network element can first verify whether the positioning data of the multiple second UEs requested by the NWDAF network element can be provided, so that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs can be obtained in a manner corresponding to the verification result. In this way, the privacy protection of data in the process of obtaining positioning data is strengthened, thereby improving the reliability of data acquisition on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of the UE.

[0074] Furthermore, the DCCF network element can support flexible processing of data, that is, the method proposed in the present disclosure provides a flexible data management strategy and has good scalability to adapt to the development of future technologies.

[0075] In some embodiments, the data collection request from the NWDAF network element may carry an event identifier.

[0076] In some embodiments, the event identifier carried in the data collection request can be used to indicate that the NWDAF network element obtains the positioning data of multiple second UEs for training the UE positioning model. That is, the NWDAF network element can inform the DCCF network element of the purpose of obtaining data by carrying the corresponding event identifier in the data collection request.

[0077] exist Figure 2 In step 1110, the DCCF network element may obtain the subscription information of the multiple second UEs from the UDM network element in response to receiving the data collection request. The DCCF network element may verify whether the positioning data of the multiple second UEs can be provided based on the event identifier carried in the data collection request and the subscription information of the multiple second UEs.

[0078] For example, the subscription information of multiple second UEs may include data authorization information for different data acquisition purposes. The DCCF network element may verify whether the positioning data of the multiple second UEs can be provided based on the data acquisition purpose indicated by the event identifier carried in the data collection request and the data authorization information corresponding to the data acquisition purpose.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the DCCF network element can verify whether it can provide positioning data of multiple second UEs according to the data acquisition purpose indicated by the NWDAF network element through the event identifier and the contract information of multiple second UEs. This helps to further strengthen the privacy protection of data during the acquisition of positioning data, thereby further improving the reliability of data acquisition on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of UE.

[0080] In some embodiments, the event identifier carried in the data collection request may also be used to instruct the DCCF network element to store the positioning data of multiple first UEs for subsequent use, which will be described in detail later.

[0081] The following first further describes the specific implementation manner in which the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of multiple first UEs according to the verification results in step 1120 in combination with some embodiments.

[0082] In some embodiments, in response to the verification result that the positioning data of multiple first UEs can be provided, the DCCF network element can obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs. In this way, the DCCF network element can directly obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs without performing other operations, thereby improving the efficiency of obtaining the positioning data, and further improving the positioning efficiency of the UE.

[0083] In some embodiments, in response to the verification result that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs can be provided, the DCCF network element can obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the LMF network element. For example, the LMF network element can obtain the positioning data of the UE from the Radio Access Network (RAN) side according to the request of the DCCF network element.

[0084] In this way, the NWDAF network element can obtain the positioning data of multiple UEs in batches from the LMF network element through the DCCF network element. Compared with the method in which the positioning algorithm needs to rely on the interaction of other network elements such as the Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) to obtain the UE's positioning data, it not only improves the UE's positioning efficiency, but also reduces the load of other network elements, thereby improving the network's communication performance.

[0085] In some embodiments, in response to the verification result being able to provide positioning data of multiple first UEs, the DCCF network element may obtain the positioning data of multiple first UEs from the LMF network element in the following manner.

[0086] First, the DCCF network element sends a data subscription request to the LMF network element so that the LMF network element obtains the positioning data of multiple first UEs. Here, the data subscription request carries relevant information of the multiple first UEs.

[0087] For example, the DCCF network element may use the Nnf_EventExposure_Subscribe service to send a data subscription request to the LMF network element to request the LMF network element to obtain the positioning data of multiple first UEs.

[0088] For example, the relevant information of the multiple first UEs carried in the data subscription request may include the identifiers and area information of the multiple first UEs. The area information may include at least one of the cell identifier of the cell where each first UE is located and the TAI of the tracking area where each first UE is located.

[0089] For example, the LMF network element may discover the RAN node serving the multiple first UEs through the AMF network element based on the relevant information of the multiple first UEs carried in the data subscription request. The LMF network element interacts with the RAN node and the multiple first UEs to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs. For example, the RAN node discovered by the LMF network element may include the base station serving the multiple first UEs.

[0090] Then, the DCCF network element receives positioning data of multiple first UEs from the LMF network element.

[0091] For example, the LMF may return the acquired positioning data of multiple first UEs to the DCCF network element through the Nnf_EventExposeure_Notify service.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the DCCF network element can obtain the positioning data of multiple first UEs by sending a data subscription request carrying relevant information of multiple first UEs to the LMF network element. In this way, the method proposed in the present disclosure can be implemented without changing the existing process of the LMF network element obtaining the positioning data of the UE, reducing the impact on the network structure and the relevant processing flow of the LMF network element, thereby further improving the communication performance of the network on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of the UE.

[0093] In some embodiments, in response to the verification result that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs cannot be provided, the DCCF network element may send a data collection response carrying the verification result to the NWDAF network element. Afterwards, the DCCF network element may receive a data collection instruction sent by the NWDAF network element based on the data collection response, and determine whether to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the data collection instruction.

[0094] For example, in response to receiving a data collection response carrying a verification result from a DCCF network element, the NWDAF network element can determine whether the positioning data of multiple first UEs that cannot be provided in the verification result are necessary data for training the UE positioning model. The NWDAF network element sends a corresponding data collection instruction to the DCCF network element based on the judgment result.

[0095] For example, in response to the result of the judgment that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs are necessary data for training the UE positioning model, the NWDAF network element may send a data collection instruction to the DCCF network element for instructing to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs. For another example, in response to the result of the judgment that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs are not necessary data for training the UE positioning model, the NWDAF network element may send a data collection instruction to the DCCF network element for instructing not to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the DCCF network element may feed back the verification result that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs cannot be provided to the NWDAF network element, and determine whether to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the data collection instruction issued by the NWDAF network element.

[0097] In this way, the DCCF network element can dynamically adjust the data acquisition process according to the data acquisition requirements of the NWDAF network element during the data acquisition process. That is, the DCCF network element can support different data processing requirements and realize flexible data acquisition, thereby improving the utilization of communication resources on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of the UE.

[0098] In some embodiments, the data collection instruction from the NWDAF network element instructs the DCCF network element not to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs. In this case, the DCCF network element stops obtaining the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the data collection instruction. In this way, the DCCF network element can stop obtaining the positioning data that the NWDAF network element does not need, thereby reducing the consumption of communication resources on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of the UE, thereby improving the utilization rate of communication resources.

[0099] In some embodiments, the data collection instruction from the NWDAF network element may instruct the DCCF network element to obtain the positioning data of multiple first UEs. In this case, the DCCF network element may request a change notification of the subscription information of multiple first UEs from the UDM network element according to the data collection instruction. Afterwards, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of multiple first UEs in response to receiving the change notification, wherein the change notification is used to indicate that the positioning data of multiple first UEs can be provided.

[0100] For example, the DCCF network element may use the Nudm_SDM_Subscribe service to request a change notification of the subscription information of multiple first UEs from the UDM network element. For example, in response to a change in the subscription information of multiple first UEs so that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs can be provided, the UDM network element may send a change notification to the DCCF network element to inform the DCCF network element that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs can be provided.

[0101] In the above embodiment, even if the NWDAF network element instructs the DCCF network element to obtain the positioning data of multiple first UEs, the DCCF network element will not obtain it by itself, but will request the change notification of the contract information of multiple first UEs from the UDM network element. Furthermore, the DCCF network element can provide the change notification of the positioning data of multiple first UEs according to the instruction and obtain the positioning data of multiple first UEs. In this way, it is helpful to further strengthen the privacy protection of data in the process of obtaining positioning data, thereby further improving the reliability of data acquisition on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of UE.

[0102] Next, in combination with some embodiments, a related implementation manner of instructing a DCCF network element to store positioning data of multiple first UEs using an event identifier carried in a data collection request is described.

[0103] In some embodiments, the event identifier carried in the data collection request from the NWDAF network element may be used to instruct the DCCF network element to store the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs in an Analytics Data Repository Function (ADRF) network element.

[0104] For example, in response to receiving a data collection request from an NWDAF network element, the DCCF network element may obtain positioning data of multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the DCCF network element can store the acquired positioning data of multiple first UEs in the ADRF network element according to the storage requirements of the data indicated by the NWDAF network element through the event identifier, so that the positioning data of these multiple first UEs can be directly obtained from the ADRF network element when they are subsequently acquired again.

[0106] In this way, the DCCF network element does not need to repeatedly obtain the same data through additional processes, which reduces the network load caused by data acquisition and improves the response speed of data acquisition. Therefore, on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of UE, the communication performance of the network is effectively improved.

[0107] In some embodiments, the identifier of the NWDAF network element, the identifiers of the plurality of first UEs, and the identifier of the ADRF network element are correspondingly stored in the data consumer list.

[0108] For example, in response to receiving a data collection request from an NWDAF network element, the DCCF network element may obtain positioning data of multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element according to a data consumer list.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the identifier of the NWDAF network element, the identifiers of the multiple first UEs, and the identifier of the ADRF network element can be correspondingly stored in the data consumer list, so that the DCCF network element can subsequently obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element according to the data consumer list. In this way, it can be ensured that the DCCF network element does not repeatedly obtain the same data, reducing the waste of resources caused by repeated data acquisition, thereby further effectively improving the communication performance of the network on the basis of improving the positioning efficiency of the UE.

[0110] Figure 3 A signaling diagram illustrating some embodiments of the communication method of the present disclosure.

[0111] like Figure 3 As shown, in event 1, the NWDAF network element requests data for AI / ML positioning from the DCCF network element.

[0112] For example, the DCCF network element may receive a data collection request carrying relevant information of a plurality of second UEs from the NWDAF network element. Here, the plurality of second UEs include a plurality of first UEs.

[0113] For example, the NWDAF network element may request the UE's positioning data from the DCCF network element through the Ndccf_DataManagement_Subscribe service for training the UE positioning model (such as an ML model based on AI / ML direct positioning). The request may carry an event identifier (such as an event ID), identifiers of multiple second UEs (such as multiple second UE IDs), and area information of multiple second UEs. For example, the NWDAF may instruct the DCCF network element to store the acquired data in the ADRF network element through the event identifier.

[0114] In event 2, the DCCF network element verifies the authorization of data collection through the UDM network element.

[0115] For example, the NWDAF network element may inform the DCCF network element of the data acquisition purpose by carrying an event identifier in the data collection request. For example, the DCCF network element may obtain the subscription information of multiple second UEs from the UDM network element, and verify whether the positioning data of multiple second UEs can be provided based on the subscription information and the data acquisition purpose.

[0116] In event 3, the DCCF network element determines whether it can provide the positioning data requested by the NWDAF network element.

[0117] For example, in response to determining that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs cannot be provided, the DCCF network element may send a data collection response to the NWDAF network element to inform the NWDAF network element that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs cannot be provided. Afterwards, the DCCF network element may receive a data collection instruction sent by the NWDAF network element based on the data collection response, and determine whether to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the data collection instruction.

[0118] For example, in response to determining that it can provide positioning data for multiple first UEs, the DCCF network element can determine whether the positioning data for multiple first UEs is stored in the ADRF network element based on the data consumer list. For example, the DCCF network element can determine whether the positioning data for multiple first UEs is stored in the ADRF network element by determining whether there is a correspondence between the identifier of the NWDAF network element, the identifiers of multiple first UEs, and the identifier of the ADRF network element in the data consumer list.

[0119] In response to the judgment result that the positioning data of multiple first UEs are stored in the ADRF network element, the DCCF network element can obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element.

[0120] In response to the result of the judgment that the ADRF network element does not store the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, the DCCF network element may execute event 4 to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs. Afterwards, the DCCF network element may store the obtained positioning data of the multiple first UEs in the ADRF network element, and store the identifier of the NWDAF network element that initiated the request, the identifiers of the multiple first UEs, and the identifier of the ADRF network element in the data consumer list accordingly, thereby reducing the resource consumption caused by subsequent repeated acquisitions.

[0121] In event 4, the DCCF network element sends a measurement data collection request (ie, a data subscription request) to the LMF network element.

[0122] For example, the data subscription request may carry the identifiers and area information of multiple first UEs, and the address of the DCCF network element itself.

[0123] In event 5, the LMF network element performs measurement data collection to discover the RAN node corresponding to the UE via the AMF network element, and obtains the UE's positioning data by interacting with the RAN node and the UE.

[0124] For example, during the measurement data collection process, the LMF network element can discover the RAN node serving the multiple first UEs through the AMF network element according to the identifiers and area information of the multiple first UEs carried in the data subscription request. The LMF network element interacts with the RAN node and the multiple first UEs to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

[0125] In event 6, the LMF network element returns the acquired measurement data to the DCCF network element.

[0126] For example, the LMF network element can also obtain the actual locations of multiple first UEs through data collection in event 5, and return the measurement data and actual locations of these multiple first UEs to the DCCF network element.

[0127] In event 7, the DCCF network element sends a data response (recorded as a data collection notification) to the NWDAF network element.

[0128] For example, the data collection notification carries the data obtained in event 6.

[0129] For example, the DCCF may also send a data collection notification carrying the data acquired in event 6 to the ADRF network element so that the ADRF network element stores the data.

[0130] It should be understood that the above Figure 1 to Figure 2 The relevant steps and descriptions in the illustrated embodiment are also applicable to Figure 3 The communication method shown, the relevant instructions can be found in the previous Figure 1 to Figure 2 The illustrated embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0131] Figure 4 Flowcharts showing other embodiments of the communication method of the present disclosure.

[0132] like Figure 4 As shown, in step 410, the UE sends a UE positioning request so that the NWDAF network element determines a positioning result based on the UE positioning model.

[0133] Here, the UE positioning model is trained by the NWDAF network element based on the positioning data of multiple first UEs. The positioning data of multiple first UEs is obtained by the DCCF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the NWDAF network element. The data collection request carries relevant information of multiple second UEs, and the multiple second UEs include multiple first UEs.

[0134] For example, the UE may send a positioning request to the NWDAF network element through the LMF network element to obtain the positioning result.

[0135] In step 420, the UE receives the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element.

[0136] For example, the UE may receive the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element via the LMF network element.

[0137] It should be understood that the above Figures 1 to 3 The relevant steps and descriptions in the illustrated embodiment are also applicable to Figure 4 The communication method shown, the relevant instructions can be found in the previous Figures 1 to 4 The illustrated embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the UE can send a UE positioning request to obtain the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element based on the UE positioning model, and the data required by the NWDAF network element to train the UE positioning model can be obtained in batches by the DCCF network element. In this way, the training efficiency of the UE positioning model is improved, thereby improving the positioning efficiency of the UE while ensuring the accuracy of the UE positioning.

[0139] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating some embodiments of the DCCF network element of the present disclosure.

[0140] like Figure 5 As shown, the DCCF network element 500 includes an acquisition module 501 and a sending module 502 .

[0141] The acquisition module 501 is configured to acquire positioning data of multiple first UEs in response to receiving a data collection request from an NWDAF network element. Here, the data collection request carries relevant information of multiple second UEs, and the multiple second UEs include multiple first UEs;

[0142] The sending module 502 is configured to send a data collection notification carrying positioning data of multiple first UEs to the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element trains a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

[0143] In some embodiments, the DCCF network element 500 may further include executing the above Figures 1 to 3 Other modules for other operations in the illustrated embodiments.

[0144] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating some embodiments of the user equipment of the present disclosure.

[0145] like Figure 6 As shown, the user equipment 600 includes a sending module 601 and a receiving module 602 .

[0146] The sending module 601 is configured to send a UE positioning request so that the NWDAF network element determines a positioning result based on a UE positioning model. Here, the UE positioning model is trained by the NWDAF network element based on the positioning data of multiple first UEs. The positioning data of multiple first UEs is obtained by the DCCF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the NWDAF network element. The data collection request carries relevant information of multiple second UEs, wherein the multiple second UEs include multiple first UEs.

[0147] The receiving module 602 is configured to receive the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element.

[0148] In some embodiments, the user device 600 may further include a method for executing the above Figure 4 Other modules for other operations in the illustrated embodiments.

[0149] Figure 7 A block diagram showing some embodiments of the electronic device of the present disclosure.

[0150] like Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 700 of this embodiment includes: a memory 701 and a processor 702 coupled to the memory 701 , and the processor 702 is configured to execute a method in any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure based on instructions stored in the memory 701 .

[0151] The memory 701 may include, for example, a system memory, a fixed non-volatile storage medium, etc. The system memory may store, for example, an operating system, an application program, a boot loader, a database, and other programs.

[0152] In some embodiments, the electronic device 700 may be used as a DCCF network element for performing operations in any of the above embodiments. In other embodiments, the electronic device 700 may be used as a user equipment for performing operations in any of the above embodiments.

[0153] Figure 8 A block diagram showing some other embodiments of the electronic device of the present disclosure.

[0154] like Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device 800 of this embodiment includes: a memory 801 and a processor 802 coupled to the memory 801 , and the processor 802 is configured to execute the method in any one of the aforementioned embodiments based on the instructions stored in the memory 801 .

[0155] The memory 801 may include, for example, a system memory, a fixed non-volatile storage medium, etc. The system memory may store, for example, an operating system, an application program, a boot loader, and other programs.

[0156] The electronic device 800 may also include an input / output interface 803, a network interface 804, a storage interface 805, etc. These interfaces 803, 804, 805, the memory 801, and the processor 802 may be connected, for example, via a bus 806. The input / output interface 803 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as a display, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a microphone, and a speaker. The network interface 804 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. The storage interface 805 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as an SD card and a USB flash drive.

[0157] In some embodiments, the electronic device 800 may be used as a DCCF network element for performing operations in any of the above embodiments. In other embodiments, the electronic device 800 may be used as a user equipment for performing operations in any of the above embodiments.

[0158] Fig. 9 A block diagram showing some embodiments of the communication system of the present disclosure.

[0159] like Fig. 9 As shown, the communication system 900 includes a DCCF network element 901 and a user equipment 902. For example, the DCCF network element 901 may be a DCCF network element 500 / 700 / 800. For example, the user equipment 902 may be a user equipment 600 / 700 / 800.

[0160] In some embodiments, the communication system 900 may further include an NWDAF network element 903. The NWDAF network element 903 may be configured to send a data collection request to the DCCF network element 901, receive a data collection response from the DCCF network element 901, and train a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of multiple first UEs carried in the data collection response.

[0161] In some embodiments, the NWDAF network element 903 may also be configured to receive a UE positioning request from the user equipment 902 , determine a positioning result based on a UE positioning model, and return the determined positioning result to the user equipment 902 .

[0162] It should be understood that the communication system 900 may also include various other network elements and devices, which will not be described in detail here.

[0163] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable non-transient storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0164] So far, the communication technology solution according to the present disclosure has been described in detail. In order to avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure, some details known in the art are not described. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solution disclosed here.

[0165] The method and system of the present disclosure may be implemented in many ways. For example, the method and system of the present disclosure may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of software, hardware, and firmware. The above order of steps for the method is for illustration only, and the steps of the method of the present disclosure are not limited to the order specifically described above, unless otherwise specifically stated. In addition, in some embodiments, the present disclosure may also be implemented as a program recorded in a recording medium, which includes machine-readable instructions for implementing the method according to the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure also covers a recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to the present disclosure.

[0166] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising: The data collection and coordination function DCCF network element obtains positioning data of multiple first user equipments UE in response to receiving a data collection request from the network data analysis function NWDAF network element, wherein the data collection request carries relevant information of multiple second UEs, and the multiple second UEs include multiple first UEs; The DCCF network element sends a data collection notification carrying the multiple first UEs to the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element trains a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The DCCF network element, in response to receiving the data collection request from the NWDAF network element, acquiring the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs includes: In response to receiving the data collection request, the DCCF network element verifies whether the positioning data of the plurality of second UEs can be provided; The DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the verification result.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, wherein: The DCCF network element acquiring the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs according to the verification result includes: In response to the verification result being able to provide the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, the DCCF network element acquires the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

4. The communication method according to claim 3, wherein: The DCCF network element acquiring the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs includes: The DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the positioning management function LMF network element.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, wherein: The DCCF network element acquiring the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs from the LMF network element includes: The DCCF network element sends a data subscription request to the LMF network element so that the LMF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, and the data subscription request carries relevant information of the multiple first UEs; The DCCF network element receives the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the LMF network element.

6. The communication method according to claim 2, wherein: The DCCF network element acquiring the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs according to the verification result includes: In response to the verification result being that the positioning data of the multiple first UEs cannot be provided, the DCCF network element sending a data collection response carrying the verification result to the NWDAF network element; The DCCF network element receives a data collection instruction sent by the NWDAF network element based on the data collection response; The DCCF network element determines whether to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs according to the data collection instruction.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, wherein: The data collection instruction instructs the DCCF network element to obtain the positioning data of the multiple first UEs, The DCCF network element determining, according to the data collection instruction, whether to acquire the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs comprises: The DCCF network element requests a change notification of the subscription information of the plurality of first UEs from a unified data management (UDM) network element according to the data collection instruction, wherein the change notification is used to indicate that the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs can be provided; In response to receiving the change notification, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

8. The communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein: The data collection request carries an event identifier, and the event identifier is used to indicate that the NWDAF network element obtains the positioning data of the plurality of second UEs for training the UE positioning model. The DCCF network element verifies, in response to receiving the data collection request, whether the positioning data of the plurality of second UEs can be provided, including: In response to receiving the data collection request, the DCCF network element acquires the subscription information of the plurality of second UEs from the UDM network element; The DCCF network element verifies whether the positioning data of the multiple second UEs can be provided based on the event identifier and the subscription information.

9. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The relevant information of the multiple second UEs includes the identifiers and area information of the multiple second UEs.

10. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The data collection request carries an event identifier, and the event identifier is used to instruct the DCCF network element to store the positioning data of the multiple first UEs in the analysis data storage function ADRF network element, The DCCF network element, in response to receiving a data collection request from a network data analysis function NWDAF network element, acquires positioning data of a plurality of first UEs, including: The DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the network data analysis function NWDAF network element.

11. The communication method according to claim 10, wherein: The identifier of the NWDAF network element, the identifiers of the plurality of first UEs and the identifier of the ADRF network element are correspondingly stored in a data consumer list, The DCCF network element, in response to receiving a data collection request from a network data analysis function NWDAF network element, acquiring the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs from the ADRF network element comprises: In response to receiving a data collection request from a network data analysis function NWDAF network element, the DCCF network element obtains the positioning data of the multiple first UEs from the ADRF network element according to the data consumer list.

12. A communication method, comprising: The user equipment UE sends a UE positioning request so that the NWDAF network element determines a positioning result based on a UE positioning model, the UE positioning model is trained by the NWDAF network element based on positioning data of multiple first UEs, the positioning data of the multiple first UEs are acquired by the DCCF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the NWDAF network element, the data collection request carries relevant information of the multiple second UEs, and the multiple second UEs include the multiple first UEs; The UE receives the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element.

13. A data collection and coordination functional network element, comprising: an acquisition module, configured to acquire positioning data of a plurality of first UEs in response to receiving a data collection request from an NWDAF network element, wherein the data collection request carries relevant information of a plurality of second UEs, wherein the plurality of second UEs include the plurality of first UEs; The sending module is configured to send a data collection notification carrying the positioning data of the multiple first UEs to the NWDAF network element, so that the NWDAF network element trains a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of the multiple first UEs.

14. A user equipment, comprising: a sending module, configured to send a UE positioning request so that the NWDAF network element determines a positioning result based on a UE positioning model, the UE positioning model is trained by the NWDAF network element based on positioning data of a plurality of first UEs, the positioning data of the plurality of first UEs is acquired by the DCCF network element in response to receiving a data collection request from the NWDAF network element, the data collection request carries relevant information of the plurality of second UEs, the plurality of second UEs including the plurality of first UEs; The receiving module is configured to receive the positioning result determined by the NWDAF network element.

15. An electronic device, comprising: Memory; and A processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or the communication method according to claim 12, based on instructions stored in the memory.

16. A communication system comprising: A data collection and coordination function network element, configured to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11; as well as User equipment, configured to execute the communication method according to claim 12.

17. The communication system according to claim 16, further comprising: The network data analysis function network element is configured to send a data collection request to the data collection and coordination function network element, receive a data collection response from the data collection and coordination function network element, and train a UE positioning model based on the positioning data of multiple first UEs carried in the data collection response.

18. The communication system according to claim 17, wherein: The network data analysis function network element is also configured to receive a UE positioning request of the user equipment, determine a positioning result based on the UE positioning model, and return the determined positioning result to the user equipment.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or the communication method according to claim 12 is implemented.

20. A computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or the communication method according to claim 12.

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