Method for allocating satellite-ground convergence network resources and core network equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for allocating satellite-ground convergence network resources and core network equipment. The method comprises the following steps: receiving request information sent by a terminal, the request information being used for requesting to register a network slice; the request information is forwarded to core network equipment, and the core network equipment comprises a core network entity of a ground network and a core network entity of a satellite network; receiving return information generated by the core network device in response to the request information, the return information including a first type of return information including a target slice identifier and a second type of return information indicating the terminal to register other types of network slices; when the return information is the first type of return information, network resources of a target network slice are allocated to the terminal, and the target network slice is a first type of network slice or a second type of network slice; and under the condition that the return information is the second type of return information, transmitting the second type of return information to the terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to a method for allocating satellite-ground fusion network resources and core network equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of high-throughput satellite communication technology, the communication capabilities of satellite networks in terms of speed, latency, reliability, etc. have been significantly improved, and can complement and cooperate with ground networks. In the satellite-ground fusion networking scenario composed of ground networks and satellite networks, because the network has the characteristics of adjustable communication resources, strong ground mobility, dynamic network topology, and the terminal may be covered by multiple satellites, the methods used to allocate network resources in related technologies cannot be directly applied in the satellite-ground fusion network.

[0003] To address the above-mentioned problems, no effective solution has been proposed yet. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a method for allocating satellite-ground fusion network resources and a core network device to at least solve the technical problem of being unable to improve the utilization rate of satellite network resources in a satellite-ground fusion networking scenario.

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a method for allocating satellite-ground integrated network resources is provided, including: receiving request information sent by a terminal, wherein the request information is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request information includes: first-type request information for registering a first-type network slice, and second-type request information for registering a second-type network slice, the first-type network slice is a network slice of a ground network, and the second-type network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; forwarding the request information to a core network device, wherein the core network device includes: a core network entity of a ground network and a core network entity of a satellite network; receiving return information generated by the core network device in response to the request information, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier, and second-type return information indicating that the terminal registers other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice allocated to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information; in the case where the return information is the first-type return information, allocating network resources of the target network slice to the terminal, and the target network slice is the first-type network slice or the second-type network slice; in the case where the return information is the second-type return information, transmitting the second-type return information to the terminal.

[0006] Optionally, forwarding the request information to the core network device includes: determining the type of the request information, wherein the types include: first type request information and second type request information; when the request information is first type request information, forwarding the request information to the core network entity of the ground network in the core network device; when the request information is second type request information, forwarding the request information to the core network entity of the satellite network in the core network device.

[0007] Optionally, determining the information type of the request information includes: obtaining indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: a first identifier of the network slice for which the terminal requests to register; determining the slice type of the network slice indicated by the first identifier; when the slice type is a first type of network slice, determining that the information type of the request information is first type of request information; when the slice type is a second type of network slice, determining that the information type of the request information is second type of request information.

[0008] Optionally, the core network device generates return information through the following method: obtaining indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: a first identifier of the network slice requested to be registered, a target service, a subscription slice list corresponding to the terminal, a first position of the terminal, and ephemeris information of the target satellite, the target satellite is a satellite corresponding to the satellite network covering the terminal, the ephemeris information includes at least: a second position of the target satellite, an orbital altitude of the orbit of the target satellite, the subscription slice list is used to record the second identifier of the network slice allowed to access by the terminal, and the target service is a service carried by the network slice requested to be registered by the request information; when it is determined that the satellite network does not support the target service, a first type of return information is generated according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list; when it is determined that the satellite network supports the target service, a second type of return information is generated according to the first position and the ephemeris information.

[0009] Optionally, a first type of return information is generated based on the first identifier and the subscription slice list, including: when there is a second identifier that is the same as the first identifier in the subscription slice list, the second identifier is determined as the first type of return information.

[0010] Optionally, a second type of return information is generated based on the first position and ephemeris information, including: determining a moving radius based on the first position and the second position; determining a coverage duration of network resources based on the first position, the second position and the orbital altitude; and determining the moving radius and the coverage duration as the second type of return information.

[0011] Optionally, before allocating the network resources of the target network slice to the terminal, it also includes: receiving a session request sent by the terminal, wherein the session request is used to request to establish a session with the target network slice; forwarding the session request to the core network device; and receiving session request acceptance information returned by the core network device in response to the session request.

[0012] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a method for allocating satellite-ground integrated network resources is also provided, including: receiving request information forwarded by a wireless base station, wherein the request information is used to request registration of network slices, and the request information includes: first-type request information for registering first-type network slices, and second-type request information for registering second-type network slices, the first-type network slices are network slices of ground networks, and the second-type network slices are network slices of satellite networks; return information generated in response to the request information, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier, and second-type return information instructing the terminal to register other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice allocated to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information.

[0013] Optionally, the return information generated in response to the request information includes: obtaining the indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: the first identifier of the network slice requested to be registered, the target service, the subscription slice list corresponding to the terminal, the first position of the terminal, and the ephemeris information of the target satellite, the target satellite is the satellite corresponding to the satellite network covering the terminal, the ephemeris information includes at least: the second position of the target satellite, the orbital altitude of the orbit of the target satellite, the subscription slice list is used to record the second identifier of the network slice allowed to access by the terminal, and the target service is the service carried by the network slice requested to be registered by the request information; when it is determined that the satellite network does not support the target service, a first type of return information is generated according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list; when it is determined that the satellite network supports the target service, a second type of return information is generated according to the first position and the ephemeris information.

[0014] Optionally, a first type of return information is generated based on the first identifier and the subscription slice list, including: when there is a second identifier that is the same as the first identifier in the subscription slice list, the second identifier is determined as the first type of return information.

[0015] Optionally, a second type of return information is generated based on the first position and ephemeris information, including: determining a moving radius based on the first position and the second position; determining a coverage duration of network resources based on the first position, the second position and the orbital altitude; and determining the moving radius and the coverage duration as the second type of return information.

[0016] Optionally, when generating the second type of return information, it also includes: receiving target request information forwarded by the wireless base station, wherein the target request information is used to request registration of a target satellite network slice, and the target satellite network slice is a second type of network slice whose coverage range is greater than or equal to the range corresponding to the moving radius and whose coverage time of the terminal is greater than or equal to the coverage time; in response to the target request information, generating return information of the target request information.

[0017] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a core network device is also provided, which includes: a network entity of a ground network and a network entity of a satellite network. The core network device is configured to execute the above-mentioned method of allocating satellite-ground integrated network resources through the network entity of the ground network or the network entity of the satellite network.

[0018] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a method for obtaining satellite-ground integrated network resources is also provided, including: sending a request message to a wireless base station, wherein the request message is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request message includes: a first type of request information for registering a first type of network slice, and a second type of request information for registering a second type of network slice, the first type of network slice is a network slice of a ground network, and the second type of network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; receiving return information transmitted by the wireless base station, wherein the return information includes: a first type of return information including a target slice identifier, and a second type of return information indicating that the terminal registers other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice assigned to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information; when the first type of return information is received, sending a session request to the wireless base station, wherein the session request is used to request to establish a session with the target network slice; when the second type of return information is received, sending a target request message to the wireless base station, wherein the target request message is used to request registration of a target satellite network slice, and the target satellite network slice is determined based on the second type of return information.

[0019] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication system of a satellite-ground integrated network is also provided, including: a terminal, a wireless base station communicating with the terminal, and a core network device communicating with the wireless base station, wherein the terminal is used to send request information, wherein the request information is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request information includes: first type of request information for registering a first type of network slice, and second type of request information for registering a second type of network slice, the first type of network slice is a network slice of a ground network, and the second type of network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; the wireless base station is used to receive the request information and forward the request information to the core network device, wherein the core network device includes: a core network entity of the ground network, a core network entity of the satellite network; the core A heart network device, used to respond to the return information generated by the request information and send the return information to the wireless base station, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier and second-type return information instructing the terminal to register for other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice allocated to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information; the wireless base station is also used to allocate network resources of the target network slice to the terminal when the return information is the first-type return information, and the target network slice is the first-type network slice or the second-type network slice; the wireless base station is also used to transmit the second-type return information to the terminal when the return information is the second-type return information.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present application, a request message sent by a receiving terminal is used, wherein the request message is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request message includes: a first type of request message for registering a first type of network slice, and a second type of request message for registering a second type of network slice, the first type of network slice is a network slice of a terrestrial network, and the second type of network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; the request message is forwarded to a core network device, wherein the core network device includes: a core network entity of a terrestrial network and a core network entity of a satellite network; return information generated by the core network device in response to the request message is received, wherein the return information includes: a first type of return information including a target slice identifier, and a second type of return information instructing the terminal to register other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice assigned to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information; when the return information is the first type of return information In the case of return information, the network resources of the target network slice are allocated to the terminal, and the target network slice is the first type of network slice or the second type of network slice; in the case where the return information is the second type of return information, the second type of return information is transmitted to the terminal. By providing a network resource allocation method applied to the ground-ground fusion network scenario, through the enhancement of the terminal, the wireless base station, and the core network slicing capabilities, in the scenario of the satellite-ground fusion network, the ground network network slice or the satellite network network slice is allocated to the terminal according to the terminal's demand for network slicing, so as to achieve the purpose of end-to-end dynamic and efficient resource utilization of the satellite-ground fusion network and provide corresponding resource guarantee for various business needs, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the utilization rate of network resources in the satellite-ground fusion scenario without increasing the interactive signaling and process between the terminal and the network, thereby solving the technical problem of not being able to improve the utilization rate of satellite network resources in the satellite-ground fusion networking scenario. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a registration process of a 5G network slice according to the relevant technology;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a session establishment process of a 5G network slice according to the relevant technology;

[0025] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for allocating local converged network resources according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the positions of a satellite and a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another method for allocating satellite-ground fusion network resources according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a core network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of registering a network slice according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of establishing a session with a network slice according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig.10 is a flowchart of a method for acquiring satellite-ground fusion network resources according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of a communication system of a satellite-ground fusion network according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0034] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0035] In order to better understand the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained as follows:

[0036] Satellite-ground integrated network: a three-dimensional mobile communication network composed of satellite networks (high-orbit satellite networks, medium- and low-orbit satellite networks) and ground mobile communication networks; in the satellite-ground integrated network, the advantages of satellite networks and ground networks complement each other and are closely integrated, expanding the network coverage and improving the overall network efficiency.

[0037] Network slicing: Divide the physical network into multiple virtual networks. Each virtual network is equivalent to a network slice. The network resources of each virtual network have different bandwidth, latency and reliability to ensure that each virtual network can meet the specific needs of different applications, industries or users to provide the best performance.

[0038] In the related technology, the terminal equipment, wireless base station and core network entity realize the network entity selection and network resource isolation of the traditional terrestrial static network through the slice identification: the terminal equipment supports carrying the slice identification to the network, supports the selection of access to different slices according to the application, and supports the storage and processing of slice-related identification; the wireless base station realizes the slice-level resource allocation, isolation and processing of traffic within the slice, and supports the selection of core network functions within the slice; the core network entity completes the access control and selection of the slice, and guides the terminal equipment (UE) to access the appropriate network slice in combination with the availability of the slice, supports the decision and allocation of the slice-related identification of the UE (contracted identification, allowed identification, configured identification), and supports the slice selection strategy according to the application. In the application scenario of the 5G network, the network slice subnet instance (Network Slice SubnetInstance, NSSI, NSSI) of the 5G network slice represents each network segment within the slice. NSSI is a combination of network functions and resources, forming an independent part of the slice. Each NSSI provides specific network services and connections for applications or users within the slice. With network slicing, a single physical infrastructure can support multiple use cases at the same time. For example, one slice may be dedicated to serving mission-critical applications, ensuring low latency and high availability, while another slice may be dedicated to providing enhanced mobile broadband for media streaming or gaming. One of the key advantages of 5G network slicing is the ability to achieve network customization and service differentiation. By customizing the characteristics of each slice, operators can provide specialized services to meet the diverse needs of different industries and applications. With the rapid development of high-throughput satellite communication technology, the communication capabilities of satellite networks in terms of speed, latency, reliability, etc. have been significantly improved, and they can complement and collaborate with ground networks, and can even replace ground networks in some application scenarios. However, satellite networks also have network characteristics that 5G networks do not have, such as strong ground mobility, dynamic network topology, and limited resources. Therefore, the slicing methods mentioned in the current third-generation partnership project (3GPP), International Telecommunication Union standards (International Telecommunication Union, ITU) and other standards cannot be directly applied to satellite networks or satellite-ground fusion networks in scenarios where satellites and ground networks are integrated to provide services to users. In order to solve this problem, a relevant solution is provided in the embodiments of the present application, which is described in detail below.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present application, a method embodiment of allocating local converged network resources is provided. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart of the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer executable instructions, and although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be executed in an order different from that shown here.

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, for example: 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, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication system or 5G system, etc.

[0041] For example, the communication system 100 used in the embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 1 As shown. The communication system 100 may include a network device 110, which may be a device that communicates with a terminal device 120 (or referred to as a communication terminal or terminal). The network device 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area, and may communicate with terminal devices located in the coverage area. Optionally, the network device 110 may be a base station (Base Transceiver Station, BTS) in a GSM system or a CDMA system, or a base station (NodeB, NB) in a WCDMA system, or an evolved base station (Evolutional Node B, eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (Cloud Radio Access Network, CRAN), or the network device may be a mobile switching center, a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a hub, a switch, a bridge, a router, a network-side device in a 5G network, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile network (Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN), etc.

[0042] The communication system 100 also includes at least one terminal device 120 located within the coverage of the network device 110. As used herein, "terminal device" includes but is not limited to connection via a wired line, such as via a Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN), a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), a digital cable, a direct cable connection; and / or another data connection / network; and / or via a wireless interface, such as, for a cellular network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a digital television network such as a DVB-H network, a satellite network, an AM-FM broadcast transmitter; and / or a device of another terminal device configured to receive / send communication signals; and / or an Internet of Things (IoT) device. A terminal device configured to communicate via a wireless interface may be referred to as a "wireless communication terminal", "wireless terminal" or "mobile terminal". Examples of mobile terminals include, but are not limited to, satellite or cellular telephones; Personal Communications System (PCS) terminals that may combine cellular radiotelephones with data processing, fax, and data communications capabilities; PDAs that may include radiotelephones, pagers, Internet / Intranet access, Web browsers, notepads, calendars, and / or Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers; and conventional laptop and / or palmtop receivers or other electronic devices that include radiotelephone transceivers. A terminal device may refer to an access terminal, user equipment (UE), a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The access terminal can be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), 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 5G network, or a terminal device in a future evolved PLMN, etc.

[0043] Optionally, device to device (D2D) communication may be performed between the terminal devices 120 .

[0044] Optionally, the 5G system or 5G network may also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) system or NR network.

[0045] 5G network slices have two characteristics: customization and isolation (specialization). Customization means that according to the needs of the terminal, it is deeply customized from multiple dimensions such as network performance and network capabilities to meet the service quality requirements of its service level agreement (SLA); specialization means that network slices serve specific application scenarios, and different slices are isolated from each other and do not affect each other. Before the terminal applies 5G network slices, it is necessary to register the network slice and establish a session with the network slice. The entire registration process involves three parts: the terminal, the wireless side, and the core network side. Among them, the wireless side (such as the wireless network) supports the basic functions of network slicing. For example, the network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) reported by the terminal contains two parts, namely, the slice / service type (SST) used to indicate the application scenario of the network slice and the slice differentiator (SD) information used to distinguish multiple network slices of the same service type. The wireless side mainly performs network slicing through four modules: basic signaling, service assurance, quality monitoring, and slice management. The core network supports network slicing, and selects network entities that meet the slice configuration to provide services to users in business processes such as user registration and session. In the business process, the process about slicing initiated by the terminal or the network uses the single network slice selection assistance information (Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI) to identify the relevant operations for the service to be associated with a specific slice, the signaling interaction in these processes, and the inclusion of S-NSSAI as the identifier of the network slice. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the registration process for 5G network slicing, such as Figure 2As shown, when registering for a network slice, the terminal (UE) sends a registration request to the radio access network (RAN), wherein the registration request includes both parameters sent to the RAN and a registration request sent to the CN. The RAN parameters may include a requested NSSAI (Requested NSSAI) for indicating the network slice that the terminal wants to access. Whether and how to carry the Requested NSSAI depends on the value of the Access Stratum Connection Establishment NSSAI Inclusion Mode stored in the terminal. In particular, in the case of initial registration or mobile registration update, the registration request will also include a mapping of the Requested NSSAI to ensure that the network can verify whether the S-NSSAI in the Requested NSSAI allows access based on the subscribed slice information (Subscribed S-NSSAI). If the default NSSAI (Default Configured NSSAI) configured by the system for the terminal is used, the registration request will also include the default NSSAI indication information (Default Configured NSSAI Indication). As shown Figure 2As shown, RAN will receive the registration request and forward it to the core network (CN). If the RAN parameters contain information for pointing to the core network, the registration request message will be forwarded to the core network it points to; if the RAN parameters do not contain information that can point to the core network, RAN selects the core network based on Requested NSSAI. If RAN cannot select a suitable AMF, the registration request message will be forwarded to the locally configured core network to perform core network selection. The core network (CN) will perform slice-related parameter authorization authentication on the terminal. During authorization authentication, the core network verifies the Requested NSSAI based on the obtained subscription slice information (Subscribed S-NSSAI). If the verification is passed, the core network returns information such as network slice information (Allowed NSSAI) that allows the terminal to register to inform the terminal that the multiple network slices indicated by the multiple S-NSSAIs contained in the Allowed NSSAI accept the terminal's registration request, and the terminal can use the network resources provided by the multiple network slices indicated by the multiple S-NSSAIs contained in the Allowed NSSAI. When the core network returns the registration information to the terminal, it will also inform the wireless access network of all or part of the information of the Allowed NSSAI. If a terminal wants to use the resources provided by the network slice, it needs to establish a channel for data transmission with it. This channel is called a PDU session. If a PDU session is successfully established, it means that a data transmission channel is successfully established between the terminal and the network slice. Figure 3 This is a diagram of the session establishment process for 5G network slicing. Figure 3 As shown, the request for establishing a data transmission channel between the terminal and the network slice is called a PDU session establishment request. The terminal requests the core network (CN) to establish a PDU session via the radio access network (RAN), wherein the UE selects S-NSSAI from the AllowedNSSAI, and the core network determines the session management function (SMF) used to establish the session according to the selected S-NSSAI. The SMF, a basic unit in the 5G network service architecture, establishes a PDU session between the terminal and the S-NSSAI. If the PDU session is successfully established, after completing the authorization and resource preparation of the core network, the core network sends a PDU session establishment acceptance message to the terminal, informing the terminal that the PDU session has been successfully established with which network slices, and the core network simultaneously sends a PDU session establishment message containing the data network (DNN) and S-NSSAI to the radio access network, informing the radio access network which specific networks the terminal is connected to when establishing the PDU session.

[0046] The embodiment of the present application provides a method for allocating local converged network resources that can be operated in the above operating environment. Figure 4is a flowchart of the steps of the method for allocating local converged network resources provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 4 As shown, the method comprises the following steps:

[0047] Step S402, receiving request information sent by the terminal, wherein the request information is used to request registration of network slices, and the request information includes: first type of request information for registering first type of network slices, and second type of request information for registering second type of network slices, the first type of network slices are network slices of ground networks, and the second type of network slices are network slices of satellite networks.

[0048] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be used in the scenario of a satellite-ground integrated network, and the terminal can use both the resources provided by the ground network and the network resources provided by the satellite network; therefore, in step S402, the request message received by the wireless side (such as a wireless base station) for the terminal to register a network slice may be a request message (i.e., a first type of request message) for requesting registration of a ground network slice (i.e., a first type of network slice), or it may be a request message (i.e., a second type of request message) for requesting a satellite ground network slice (i.e., a second type of network slice). Among them, when the terminal sends a request message, it will carry different slice information according to the registration type. For example, if the registration type is an initial registration, the terminal will carry the requested network slice identifier (Requested NSSAI) based on the existing mechanism; if the registration type is a mobility registration, the terminal can carry the identifier of the previously registered network slice in addition to the Requested NSSAI. The wireless side in the embodiment of the present application includes two types: wireless base stations of satellite networks and wireless base stations of ground networks.

[0049] Step S404: forward the request information to a core network device, wherein the core network device includes: a core network entity of a terrestrial network and a core network entity of a satellite network.

[0050] In step S404, after the wireless side receives the request information, it will forward it to the core network device. The core network device in the embodiment of the present application includes two types of core network entities, one is the core network entity of the ground network for providing ground network resources, and the other is the core network entity of the satellite network for providing satellite network resources. Therefore, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the satellite-ground fusion network.

[0051] Optionally, forwarding the request information to the core network device includes: determining the type of the request information, wherein the types include: first type request information and second type request information; when the request information is first type request information, forwarding the request information to the core network entity of the ground network in the core network device; when the request information is second type request information, forwarding the request information to the core network entity of the satellite network in the core network device.

[0052] In this embodiment, the wireless side may select a satellite network entity or a ground network entity for signaling processing based on the slice instance information or spatiotemporal slice information in the existing mechanism; for example, when the wireless side determines that the request information sent by the terminal is a request information for requesting a network slice of the ground network (i.e., the first type of request information), the ground network entity will be selected for signaling processing, and the request information sent by the terminal will be forwarded to the core network entity of the ground network; and when the wireless side determines that the request information sent by the terminal is a request information for requesting a network slice of the satellite network (i.e., the second type of request information), the satellite network entity will be selected for signaling processing, and the request information sent by the terminal will be forwarded to the core network entity of the satellite network; in this embodiment of the present application, the core network entity of the ground network and the core network entity of the satellite network are both included in the core network device.

[0053] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, determining the information type of the request information includes: obtaining indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: a first identifier of the network slice for which the terminal requests to register; determining the slice type of the network slice indicated by the first identifier; when the slice type is a first type of network slice, determining that the information type of the request information is first type of request information; when the slice type is a second type of network slice, determining that the information type of the request information is second type of request information.

[0054] The request message sent by the terminal will carry information related to the network slice to be registered (i.e., indication information), for example, it will carry an identifier of the network slice to be registered (i.e., the first identifier). In the above embodiment, before the wireless side determines to which core network entity in the core network device to forward the request information, it can first determine which type of network slice the terminal requests to register through the indication information carried in the request information; for example, the wireless side can locate the network slice indicated by the first identifier based on the first identifier carried in the request information; when the network slice indicated by the first identifier is a network slice of the terrestrial network (i.e., a first type of network slice), it can be determined that the request message is request information that needs to be forwarded to the core network entity of the terrestrial network (i.e., first type of request information); when the network slice indicated by the first identifier is a network slice of the satellite network (i.e., a second type of network slice), it can be determined that the request message is request information that needs to be forwarded to the core network entity of the satellite network (i.e., second type of request information).

[0055] Step S406, receiving the return information generated by the core network device in response to the request information, wherein the return information includes: a first type of return information including a target slice identifier and a second type of return information instructing the terminal to register for other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of the target network slice assigned to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information.

[0056] In step S406, after the core network device receives the request information forwarded by the wireless side (such as a wireless base station), it will verify whether the network slice requested to be registered by the terminal in the request information allows the terminal to access; if allowed, the core network generates return information (i.e., the first type of return information) containing the identification information of the network slice requested to be registered (i.e., the target network slice identification); if the network slice requested to be registered by the terminal in the request information does not allow the terminal to access, the core network device may also allocate other network slices in the same network resource to the terminal according to the function that the terminal wants to implement, and send the identification information of the network slice in the same network resource that can carry the function to be implemented (i.e., the target network slice identification) to the terminal as the first type of return information. Since the method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied in a satellite-ground fusion network, in this embodiment, after receiving the request message, the core network device will determine the function that the terminal wants to implement according to the request information. If the core network device determines that the network to which the network slice requested by the terminal belongs is resource-constrained, or there is another type of network that can also implement the function that the terminal wants to implement, the core network device will generate a second type of return information, and the second type of return information is used to inform the terminal to register a network slice of a different type from the network slice it requested (i.e., other types of network slices). Return information, for example, the network slice requested by the terminal is a network slice of the ground network, and the core network device determines that there is also a network slice in the satellite network that can implement the function that the terminal wants to implement, then the core network device will generate (second type) return information that informs the terminal to register the network slice of the satellite network. In this embodiment, the network slices in the same network are network slices of the same type, and the network slices in different networks are network slices of different types. For example, the network slices of the ground network all belong to the same type of network slices, while the network slices of the ground network and the network slices of the satellite network belong to different types of network slices.

[0057] Optionally, the core network device generates return information through the following method: obtaining indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: a first identifier of the network slice requested to be registered, a target service, a subscription slice list corresponding to the terminal, a first position of the terminal, and ephemeris information of the target satellite, the target satellite is a satellite corresponding to the satellite network covering the terminal, the ephemeris information includes at least: a second position of the target satellite, an orbital altitude of the orbit of the target satellite, the subscription slice list is used to record the second identifier of the network slice allowed to access by the terminal, and the target service is a service carried by the network slice requested to be registered by the request information; when it is determined that the satellite network does not support the target service, a first type of return information is generated according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list; when it is determined that the satellite network supports the target service, a second type of return information is generated according to the first position and the ephemeris information.

[0058] As mentioned in the above embodiment, after the wireless side forwards the request information to the core network device, the core network device will generate corresponding return information. Specifically, in this embodiment, the core network device first determines the type of network slice that the terminal wants to register based on the information related to the network slice to be registered carried by the request message (i.e., indication information). Since the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the scenario of a satellite-ground integrated network, the terminal can apply the network resources of the satellite network or request to apply the network resources of the ground network. Therefore, the indication information carried by the request information includes, in addition to the identifier of the network slice that the terminal requests to register (i.e., the first identifier, Requested NSSAI), the service that the terminal usually requests to register the network slice to achieve (i.e., the target service), and the subscribed slice list (Subscribed S-NSSAI) that records the identifier of the network slice that the terminal is allowed to access (i.e., the second identifier), the terminal location (i.e., the first location), satellite beam / wavelength / ephemeris information, etc., wherein the terminal location may be the longitude and latitude of the terminal, and the satellite beam / wavelength / ephemeris information may be the beam / wavelength / ephemeris information of the satellite (i.e., the target satellite) to which the satellite network covering the terminal belongs. The ephemeris information of the target satellite records the position of the target satellite (i.e., the second position), for example, the longitude and latitude of the target satellite, the orbit of the target satellite, and the altitude of the orbit of the target satellite. If the terminal requests to register a network slice of the ground network, the core network device will first determine whether the satellite network can carry the target service. If the satellite network can carry the target service, the core network device calculates the allowed slice instance and its available geographical range (such as radius) and time range (such as duration) that can be allocated to it based on the position information (first position) carried by the terminal registration, and the satellite beam / wave position / ephemeris information, and generates a second type of return information indicating that the terminal registers the satellite network, wherein the second type of return information may carry relevant information of the spatiotemporal slice (i.e., satellite network slice) indicating the terminal registration, for example, carrying the coverage range and coverage duration of the satellite network slice. If the target service that the terminal requests the ground network to implement is not supported by the satellite network, authentication is performed based on the first identifier (Requested NSSAI) and the subscribed slice list (Subscribed S-NSSAI). After the authentication is passed, a first type of return information is generated, wherein the first type of return information carries an identifier of a network slice based on the ground network that the terminal is allowed to access and can implement the target service, and the identifier may be a different identifier from the first identifier.

[0059] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, a first type of return information is generated based on a first identifier and a subscription slice list, including: when there is a second identifier that is the same as the first identifier in the subscription slice list, the second identifier is determined as the first type of return information.

[0060] As mentioned in the above embodiment, the core network device performs authentication based on the first identifier (Requested NSSAI) and the subscribed slice list (Subscribed S-NSSAI). Specifically, the core network device traverses all network slice identifiers (i.e., the second identifier) ​​contained in the subscribed slice list (SubscribedS-NSSAI). If there is an identifier that is the same as the identifier of the network slice requested to be registered by the terminal (i.e., the first identifier), it is determined that the terminal can access the requested network slice. At this time, the second identifier (which can also be the first identifier, because the second identifier is the same as the first identifier at this time) is included in the first type of return information and returned to the terminal to inform the terminal that the registration is successful.

[0061] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, a second type of return information is generated based on the first position and ephemeris information, including: determining a moving radius based on the first position and the second position; determining a coverage duration of network resources based on the first position, the second position and the orbital altitude; and determining the moving radius coverage duration as the second type of return information.

[0062] As mentioned in the above embodiment, the core network device can calculate the allowed slice instance and its available geographical range (such as radius) and time range (such as duration) that can be allocated to it based on the location information (first location) carried by the terminal registration and the satellite beam / wave position / ephemeris information. Specifically, in this embodiment, the terminal is located on the earth by default, and the core network device can calculate the allowed slice instance and its available geographical range (such as radius) and time range (such as duration) according to the formula: R = R e sinα and Determine the radius R of the target satellite coverage area, where R represents the moving radius of the target satellite, R e represents the radius of the earth, α is the geocentric angle formed between the target satellite at the current position (i.e., the second position) and the earth, sinα is the sine value of α, and arccos(A) represents the tangent value of A. In this embodiment, is the latitude of the terminal, λ1 is the longitude of the terminal, and λ1 are recorded as the terminal position (i.e. the first position), is the current latitude of the target satellite, λ2 is the current longitude of the target satellite, and λ2 are recorded as the position of the target satellite (i.e., the second position), and the coverage range of the satellite can be further determined according to the radius; at the same time, the core network device also uses the formula: Determine the coverage duration (t) of the terminal covered by the satellite network resources provided by the target satellite, where α is the geocentric angle formed between the target satellite at the current position (i.e., the second position) and the earth, ω is the angular velocity of the earth's rotation, Among them, π≈3.14, T is the period of the earth's rotation, h is the height of the orbit of the target satellite from the ground (i.e., orbital height), G is the gravitational acceleration, and M is the mass of the earth. The moving radius (R) and coverage duration (t) obtained according to the above method are recorded in the second type of return information, informing the terminal to request registration for a satellite network slice that satisfies a moving radius greater than or equal to the moving radius (R) and a coverage duration greater than or equal to the coverage duration (t), where the coverage duration (t) represents the duration for which the satellite network can provide network resources for the terminal. Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the positions of satellites and terminals, such as Figure 5 As shown, there may be multiple satellites covering the terminal. Therefore, different satellite network slices can be allocated to different terminals through the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, or the satellite network slice can be switched for the same terminal according to its position after movement; for example Figure 5 In the example, terminals A, B, and C are in different satellite coverage areas, and there is overlapping coverage. The core network equipment allocates reasonable (coverage duration + coverage range + slice instance) information to the terminals based on the locations of terminals A, B, and C. Taking terminal B as an example, based on the user registration request, the core network obtains the slice instance according to its subscription information (Subscribed S-NSSAI), calculates the geographical range (such as moving radius R) that can be used for different slice instances based on its reported location information (i.e., the first location) based on the satellite coverage information, and calculates the time range (such as coverage duration) that can be used for different slice instances based on the ephemeris information; the core network sends the spatiotemporal slice information to the terminal for use in the slice information when the subsequent service is initiated. When the terminal initiates a service request, it carries the corresponding spatiotemporal slice information, and the satellite-borne wireless base station (the wireless base station of the satellite network) selects the satellite-borne mobility management network element or the ground mobility management network element based on the spatiotemporal slice information; the satellite-borne mobility management network element or the ground mobility management network element selects the session management network element based on the spatiotemporal slice information; the core network completes the establishment of the PDU session and the selection of the route based on the spatiotemporal slice information. In the above example scenario, the satellite wireless side is equivalent to the wireless side, which is used to support dynamic adjustment of resources to provide corresponding services for the current terminal based on the time and space slice information, and to select the satellite or ground network entity. The terminal side supports the storage, identification, and use of appropriate time and space slice (i.e., the second type of network slice) information in the business process.

[0063] Step S408, when the return information is the first type of return information, the network resources of the target network slice are allocated to the terminal, and the target network slice is the first type of network slice or the second type of network slice.

[0064] In step S408, if the return information received by the wireless side is return information including a network slice identifier (i.e., first type of return information), the resources provided by the network slice indicated by the slice identifier (i.e., target slice identifier) ​​contained in the first type of return information are allocated to the terminal, wherein the type of network slice indicated by the target slice identifier may be a network slice of a terrestrial network (i.e., first type of network slice) or a network slice of a satellite network (i.e., second type of network slice).

[0065] Optionally, before allocating the network resources of the target network slice to the terminal, it also includes: receiving a session request sent by the terminal, wherein the session request is used to request to establish a session with the target network slice; forwarding the session request to the core network device; and receiving session request acceptance information returned by the core network device in response to the session request.

[0066] When the wireless side forwards the first type of return message to the terminal, it means that the terminal has successfully registered the network slice. After receiving the first type of return message, the terminal will further request to establish a PDU session with the network slice that has completed registration (i.e., the target network slice). In this embodiment, after the wireless side receives the session request sent by the terminal for establishing a PDU session, it will forward it to the core network device, and receive the return information generated by the core network device in response to the session request. For example, after the core network device verifies that the terminal can establish a PDU session with the target network slice, it will return the session request acceptance information to the wireless side terminal after successfully establishing the session between the terminal and the target network slice.

[0067] Step S410: When the returned information is the second type of returned information, the second type of returned information is transmitted to the terminal.

[0068] In step S410, if the wireless side receives return information instructing the terminal to register other types of network slices (i.e., the second type of return information), the terminal side will forward it to the terminal.

[0069] Through the above steps, it is possible to flexibly select satellite-based (satellite network) or ground network based on the characteristics of adjustable communication resources, high mobility, dynamic network topology, etc. of the satellite-ground fusion network, dynamically adjust resources to provide corresponding services for the current terminal, and select satellite-based or ground network entities.

[0070] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a flowchart of another method for allocating satellite-ground fusion network resources according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the method comprises the following steps:

[0071] Step S602, receiving request information forwarded by the wireless base station, wherein the request information is used to request registration of network slices, and the request information includes: first type of request information for registering first type of network slices, and second type of request information for registering second type of network slices, the first type of network slices are network slices of ground networks, and the second type of network slices are network slices of satellite networks.

[0072] During the entire process of allocating network resources of the satellite-ground integrated network, the core network device is responsible for configuring available network slices for the terminal. The available network slices include: network slices of the ground network that can support the services requested by the terminal (i.e., the first type of network slice) and network slices of the satellite network (i.e., the second type of network slice). Whether to configure the first type of network slice or the second type of network slice is determined based on the request information sent by the terminal. Therefore, in step S602, the core network device first receives the request information sent by the terminal, and the request information is forwarded via the wireless side. The request message may be a request message (i.e., a first type of request message) for requesting registration of a ground network slice (i.e., the first type of network slice), or it may be a request message (i.e., a second type of request message) for requesting a satellite ground network slice (i.e., the second type of network slice).

[0073] Step S604, return information generated in response to the request information, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier and second-type return information instructing the terminal to register for other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice assigned to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information.

[0074] In step S604, after the core network device receives the request information forwarded by the wireless side, it generates corresponding return information. Specifically, the request information carries the identifier of the network slice to be registered (i.e., the first identifier, Requested NSSAI). The core network device authenticates the core network by determining whether the network slice indicated by the first identifier allows its access. If allowed, it generates return information indicating successful registration (i.e., the first type of return information). The first type of return information carries the identifier of the successfully registered network slice (i.e., the target network slice identifier); if not allowed, the core network device will match other network slices for the terminal in the network to which the network slice indicated by the first identifier belongs according to the service to be implemented by the terminal, and register it, and generate a first type of return message after the registration is successful; for example, if the network slice indicated by the first identifier is a network slice of the ground network, then the other network slices are also network slices of the ground network. In addition, when the request message received by the core network device is a (first type) request message requesting registration of a network slice of the ground network, the core network device will first determine whether the satellite network can carry the service that the terminal requests to register for the network slice. If it is determined that the satellite network can also carry the service that the terminal requests to register for the network slice, it will generate return information (i.e., second type of return information) indicating that the terminal requests a network slice of the satellite network (i.e., other types of network slices).

[0075] Optionally, the return information generated in response to the request information includes: obtaining the indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: the first identifier of the network slice requested to be registered, the target service, the subscription slice list corresponding to the terminal, the first position of the terminal, and the ephemeris information of the target satellite, the target satellite is the satellite corresponding to the satellite network covering the terminal, the ephemeris information includes at least: the second position of the target satellite, the orbital altitude of the orbit of the target satellite, the subscription slice list is used to record the second identifier of the network slice allowed to access by the terminal, and the target service is the service carried by the network slice requested to be registered by the request information; when it is determined that the satellite network does not support the target service, a first type of return information is generated according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list; when it is determined that the satellite network supports the target service, a second type of return information is generated according to the first position and the ephemeris information.

[0076] In this embodiment, the core network device generates response information (i.e., return information) to the request information through the following method. The core network device first determines the type of network slice that the terminal wants to register based on the information related to the network slice to be registered carried by the request message (i.e., indication information). Since the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the scenario of a satellite-ground integrated network, the terminal can apply the network resources of the satellite network or request to apply the network resources of the ground network. Therefore, the indication information carried by the request information includes, in addition to the identifier of the network slice that the terminal requests to register (i.e., the first identifier, Requested NSSAI), the service that the terminal usually requests to register the network slice to achieve (i.e., the target service), and the subscribed slice list (Subscribed S-NSSAI) that records the identifier of the network slice that the terminal is allowed to access (i.e., the second identifier), the terminal location (i.e., the first location), satellite beam / wavelength / ephemeris information, etc., wherein the terminal location may be the longitude and latitude of the terminal, and the satellite beam / wavelength / ephemeris information may be the beam / wavelength / ephemeris information of the satellite (i.e., the target satellite) to which the satellite network covering the terminal belongs. The ephemeris information of the target satellite records the position of the target satellite (i.e., the second position), for example, the longitude and latitude of the target satellite, the orbit of the target satellite, and the altitude of the orbit of the target satellite. If the terminal requests to register a network slice of the ground network, the core network device will first determine whether the satellite network can carry the service (i.e., the target service) that the terminal requests to register the network slice to achieve. If the satellite network can carry the target service, the core network device calculates the allowed slice instance and its available geographical range (e.g., radius) and time range (e.g., duration) that can be allocated to it based on the position information (first position) carried by the terminal registration, and the satellite beam / wave position / ephemeris information, and generates a second type of return information indicating that the terminal registers the satellite network, wherein the second type of return information may carry relevant information of the spatiotemporal slice (i.e., satellite network slice) indicating the terminal registration, for example, carrying the coverage range and coverage duration of the satellite network slice. If the target service that the terminal requests the ground network to implement is not supported by the satellite network, authentication is performed based on the first identifier (Requested NSSAI) and the subscribed slice list (Subscribed S-NSSAI). After the authentication is passed, a first type of return information is generated, wherein the first type of return information carries an identifier of a network slice based on the ground network that the terminal is allowed to access and can implement the target service, and the identifier may be a different identifier from the first identifier.

[0077] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, a first type of return information is generated based on a first identifier and a subscription slice list, including: when there is a second identifier that is the same as the first identifier in the subscription slice list, the second identifier is determined as the first type of return information.

[0078] As mentioned in the above embodiment, the core network device performs authentication based on the first identifier (Requested NSSAI) and the subscribed slice list (Subscribed S-NSSAI). Specifically, the core network device traverses all network slice identifiers (i.e., the second identifier) ​​contained in the subscribed slice list (SubscribedS-NSSAI). If there is an identifier that is the same as the identifier of the network slice requested to be registered by the terminal (i.e., the first identifier), it is determined that the terminal can access the requested network slice. At this time, the second identifier (which can also be the first identifier, because the second identifier is the same as the first identifier at this time) is included in the first type of return information and returned to the terminal to inform the terminal that the registration is successful.

[0079] According to another optional embodiment of the present application, a second type of return information is generated based on the first position and ephemeris information, including: determining a moving radius based on the first position and the second position; determining a coverage duration of network resources based on the first position, the second position and the orbital altitude; and determining the moving radius and the coverage duration as the second type of return information.

[0080] As mentioned in the above embodiment, the core network device can calculate the allowed slice instance and its available geographical range (such as radius) and time range (such as duration) that can be allocated to it based on the location information (first location) carried by the terminal registration and the satellite beam / wave position / ephemeris information. Specifically, in this embodiment, the terminal is located on the earth by default, and the core network device can calculate the allowed slice instance and its available geographical range (such as radius) and time range (such as duration) according to the formula: R = R e sinα and Determine the radius R of the target satellite coverage area, where R represents the moving radius of the target satellite, R e represents the radius of the earth, α is the geocentric angle formed between the target satellite at the current position (i.e., the second position) and the earth, sinα is the sine value of α, and arccos(A) represents the tangent value of A. In this embodiment, is the latitude of the terminal, λ1 is the longitude of the terminal, and λ1 are recorded as the terminal position (i.e. the first position), is the current latitude of the target satellite, λ2 is the current longitude of the target satellite, and λ2 are recorded as the position of the target satellite (i.e., the second position), and the coverage range of the satellite can be further determined according to the radius; at the same time, the core network device also uses the formula: Determine the coverage duration (t) of the terminal covered by the satellite network resources provided by the target satellite, where α is the geocentric angle formed between the target satellite at the current position (i.e., the second position) and the earth, ω is the angular velocity of the earth's rotation, Among them, π≈3.14, T is the period of the earth's rotation, h is the height of the orbit of the target satellite from the ground (i.e., orbital height), G is the gravitational acceleration, and M is the mass of the earth. The moving radius (R) and coverage duration (t) obtained according to the above method are recorded in the second type of return information, informing the terminal to request registration for a satellite network slice that satisfies a moving radius greater than or equal to the moving radius (R) and a coverage duration greater than or equal to the coverage duration (t), where the coverage duration (t) represents the duration for which the satellite network can provide network resources for the terminal.

[0081] According to some optional embodiments of the present application, when generating the second type of return information, it also includes: receiving target request information forwarded by a wireless base station, wherein the target request information is used to request registration of a target satellite network slice, and the target satellite network slice is a second type of network slice whose coverage range is greater than or equal to the range corresponding to the moving radius and whose coverage time of the terminal is greater than or equal to the coverage time; in response to the target request information, generating return information of the target request information.

[0082] If the terminal receives the second type of return information, it will again send a request message (i.e., target request information) for requesting registration of the target satellite network slice, wherein the target satellite network slice is a second type of network slice whose coverage is greater than or equal to the coverage corresponding to the moving radius (R) carried in the second type of return information and the duration of providing network resources to the terminal (i.e., the duration of covering the terminal) is greater than or equal to the coverage duration (t) carried in the second type of return information; in this embodiment, after the core network device receives the target request information sent by the terminal, it will perform authentication again and generate corresponding return information based on the authentication result. For example, if the authentication is successful, it means that the terminal can access the target satellite network slice. The core network device will generate return information informing the terminal of successful registration after registering the terminal; otherwise, if the target satellite network slice does not allow the terminal to access, and there is no network slice under the satellite-ground fusion network that can carry the service it wants to realize, then a return message is generated to inform the terminal that the registration has failed.

[0083] Through the above steps, when ground network resources are tight or unavailable, the core network equipment can select satellite networks to serve the terminals, configure the available geographical range of the slices according to the current location information of the terminal, and configure the available time range of the slices based on the satellite beam / wave position and ephemeris information; send spatiotemporal slicing information consisting of "the identifier of the network slice requested for registration + the available geographical range information of the slice + the available time range information of the slice" to the terminal for subsequent business processes; support the selection of satellite-borne network entities or ground network entities to carry services based on spatiotemporal slicing information; support policy adjustments to services based on spatiotemporal slicing information.

[0084] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a core network device provided according to an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 7 As shown, the core network device includes: a network entity 70 of the ground network and a network entity 72 of the satellite network. The core network device is configured to execute the above-mentioned method of allocating satellite-ground integrated network resources through the network entity 70 of the ground network or the network entity 72 of the satellite network.

[0085] The solution provided by the embodiment of the present application is a network slicing method based on the satellite-ground fusion scenario, involving the enhancement of the functions of the terminal, the wireless side, and the core network equipment, as well as the optimization of the interaction process. By enhancing the slicing capabilities of the terminal, the wireless side, and the core network equipment, dynamic and efficient resource utilization of the satellite-ground fusion network can be achieved end-to-end, providing corresponding resource guarantees for various business needs; at the same time, without increasing the interactive signaling and processes between the terminal and the network, efficient utilization and flexible deployment of network resources in the satellite-ground fusion scenario are achieved.

[0086] Figure 8 This is the flow chart for registering network slices, such as Figure 8As shown, the core network device completes the registration of network slices through interaction with the terminal and the wireless side, wherein the steps of registering network slices are as follows: Step 0: The terminal performs a network selection process based on the existing mechanism: selects whether to request access to the ground network or the satellite network; Step 1: The terminal may optionally carry relevant information of the network slice (such as the identifier of the network slice requested for registration Requested NSSAI, the subscribed slice list Subscribed S-NSSAI, etc.); Step 2: The wireless side may select a satellite network entity or a ground network entity for signaling processing based on the slice instance information or the spatiotemporal slice information in the existing mechanism. For example, when the request for registration is for a network slice of the ground network, the ground wireless initiates a registration process to the core network based on the slice information carried in the request information, wherein the existing slice instance information only includes the identifier of the network slice to be registered, and the spatiotemporal slice information includes: the identifier of the network slice to be registered + the available geographical range of the network slice + the available duration of the network slice; Step 3, including 3a: the core network selects the satellite network entity or the ground network entity according to the configuration (such as 3b: If the satellite network can be used to carry the service, the satellite network slice instance that can carry the service to be implemented and the area (mobile radius) and coverage duration of the terminal covered by the satellite network slice are determined according to the terminal's current location (such as the terminal's latitude and longitude, the latitude and longitude of the communication cell to which the terminal belongs) and the satellite beam / wave position / ephemeris information carried in the request information; 3c: If the satellite network cannot carry the service to be implemented, the Requested NSSAI and the subscribed slice list Subscribed S-NSSAI are authenticated to allocate available ground network slices to the terminal; after the core network device completes the allocation of network slices, step 4 is performed: if the terminal does not need to switch to the satellite network, the first type of return information is sent to the terminal, the first type of return information indicates that the registration is successful and carries the identifier of the successfully registered network slice; if the terminal needs to switch to the satellite network, the second type of return information is returned, the second type of return information instructs the terminal to perform subsequent signaling and business processes through the satellite, and the second type of return information carries the space-time slice information and is sent to the terminal, instructing the terminal to register the satellite network slice indicated by the space-time slice information.When the terminal receives the second type of return information, step 5 is executed: the terminal requests slice registration from the satellite network (i.e., sends target request information to the satellite network), and carries the space-time slice information carried in the second type of return information; step 6: the wireless side includes ground wireless base stations and satellite wireless base stations. Since the terminal requests slice registration from the satellite network this time, the satellite wireless base station in the wireless side receives and processes the target request information; the satellite wireless base station forwards the target request information to the core network device. The core network device can parse the space-time slice information based on the upper-layer message, determine whether the satellite network can provide subsequent services for the terminal, and complete the subsequent registration process based on the space-time slice.

[0087] Fig. 9 is a flow chart for establishing a session with a network slice, such as Fig. 9 As shown, the core network device establishes a session with the network slice through interaction with the terminal and the wireless side, wherein the steps for establishing a session with the network slice are as follows: Step 1: The terminal initiates a session request, carrying time and space slice information; Step 2a: When the terminal requests to establish a session with a network slice in the satellite network, the onboard wireless base station on the wireless side receives the session request, and the onboard wireless base station can determine whether to provide dynamic resource adjustment for the terminal based on the time and space slice information reported by the terminal and the current resource situation; and forward the session request carrying the time and space slice information to the core network device; Step 2b: The session request carries the time and space slice information , select the satellite network or the ground network for subsequent signaling processing; Step 3: The core network device selects the satellite network entity or the ground network contained therein to establish the entity bearer based on the terminal time and space slicing information, and determines whether dynamic adjustment is required; Step 4: The core network device completes the session establishment and returns a session request acceptance message to the satellite wireless, carrying the confirmed time and space slicing information; Step 5a: The satellite wireless performs corresponding resource allocation based on the time and space slicing information and the resource allocation result in step 2a, and Step 5b: Forward the session request acceptance information to the terminal to inform the terminal that the session has been successfully established.

[0088] Fig.10 is a flowchart of a method for obtaining satellite-ground fusion network resources according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig.10 As shown, the method comprises the following steps:

[0089] Step S1002, sending a request message to the wireless base station, wherein the request message is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request message includes: a first type of request message for registering a first type of network slice, and a second type of request message for registering a second type of network slice, the first type of network slice is a network slice of a terrestrial network, and the second type of network slice is a network slice of a satellite network.

[0090] In step S1002, the terminal sends a request message for registering a network slice to the wireless side (such as a wireless base station). Since the method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a satellite-ground integrated network, the terminal can request to register a network slice of the satellite network (i.e., the second type of network slice) or a network slice of the ground network (i.e., the first type of network slice). If the request message sent is for requesting to register a network slice of the ground network (the first type), the ground wireless base station on the wireless side receives and processes the request message, and the core network entity of the ground network included in the core network device executes the registration process of the network slice; if the request message sent is for requesting to register a network slice of the satellite network (the second type), the satellite-borne wireless base station on the wireless side receives and processes the request message, and the core network entity of the satellite network included in the core network device executes the registration process of the network slice.

[0091] Step S1004, receiving return information transmitted by the wireless base station, wherein the return information includes: a first type of return information including a target slice identifier and a second type of return information instructing the terminal to register for other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice assigned to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information.

[0092] After completing the registration process, the core network device returns information to the terminal via the wireless base station. In step S1004, the terminal receives the return information forwarded by the wireless base station. The terminal may receive information carrying the identifier of the successfully registered network slice (i.e., the target network slice identifier) ​​to indicate successful registration (i.e., the first type of return information); it may also receive information instructing the terminal to requalify (i.e., the second type of return information). The second type of return information indicates that the terminal requests registration for other types of network slices that are different from the type of network slice it requested to register last time. For example, if the last registration request was for a network slice of a terrestrial network, then the network slice of the satellite network is another type of network slice.

[0093] Step S1006: When the first type of return information is received, a session request is sent to the wireless base station, wherein the session request is used to request to establish a session with the target network slice; when the second type of return information is received, a target request information is sent to the wireless base station, wherein the target request information is used to request to register the target satellite network slice, and the target satellite network slice is determined based on the second type of return information.

[0094] In step S1006, if the terminal receives return information indicating successful registration (i.e., the first type of return information), the terminal will send a session establishment request to the wireless base station, and the session establishment request carries the identifier of the successfully registered network slice (i.e., the target network slice identifier); if the terminal receives return information indicating redirection (i.e., the second type of return information), it will again send request information for requesting registration of the target satellite network slice (i.e., the target request information), wherein the satellite network slice requested to be registered by the terminal is determined based on the spatiotemporal slice information carried by the second type of return information (the identifier of the network slice requested to be registered + the slice's available geographic range information + the slice's available time range information).

[0095] Through the above steps, it is possible to improve the network slicing capabilities and efficiently utilize satellite resources in the early stage of limited resources and dynamic time-effective networking.

[0096] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of a communication system of a satellite-ground fusion network provided according to an embodiment of the present application, such as Fig.11 As shown, the communication system of the satellite-ground integrated network includes: a terminal 1102, a wireless base station 1104 communicating with the terminal, and a core network device 1106 communicating with the wireless base station, wherein the terminal 1102 is used to send request information, wherein the request information is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request information includes: a first type of request information for registering a first type of network slice, and a second type of request information for registering a second type of network slice, the first type of network slice is a network slice of a ground network, and the second type of network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; the wireless base station 1104 is used to receive the request information and forward the request information to the core network device 1106, wherein the core network device 1106 includes: a core network entity 1108 of a ground network and a core network entity 1110 of a satellite network; the core network device 1106 is used to respond to The request information generates return information, and sends the return information to the wireless base station 1104, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier and second-type return information indicating that the terminal registers for other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice allocated to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information; the wireless base station 1104, including a wireless base station for a terrestrial network and a wireless base station for a satellite network, is also used to allocate network resources of the target network slice to the terminal 1102 when the return information is the first-type return information, and the target network slice is the first-type network slice or the second-type network slice; the wireless base station 1104 is also used to transmit the second-type return information to the terminal 1102 when the return information is the second-type return information.

[0097] The communication system of the satellite-ground fusion network provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied in the scenario of the satellite-ground fusion network, involving the terminal side (including the terminal 1102), the wireless side (including the wireless base station 1104), and the core network side (including the core network device 1106), wherein the core network device 1106 can configure the available geographical range of the network slice according to the current location information of the terminal 1102, such as the geographical range can be configured as the current moving radius of the terminal based on the location of the terminal 1102, the satellite coverage and the operation status; at the same time, the available time range of the network slice can be configured based on the satellite beam / wave position and the ephemeris information; support the issuance of the spatiotemporal slicing information composed of "slice identification + slice available geographical range information + slice available time range information" for subsequent business processes; support the satellite or ground network entity bearing business based on the spatiotemporal slicing information; support the policy adjustment of the business based on the spatiotemporal slicing information. The wireless side supports the dynamic adjustment of resources based on the spatiotemporal slicing information, provides corresponding services for the current terminal, and selects the satellite or ground network entity. The terminal side supports the storage, identification, and use of appropriate spatiotemporal slicing information in the business process.

[0098] The serial numbers of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application are for description only and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0099] In the above embodiments of the present application, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0100] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. Among them, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units can be a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of units or modules, which can be electrical or other forms.

[0101] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment.

[0102] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0103] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the relevant technology or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), mobile hard disk, disk or optical disk, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0104] The above is only a preferred implementation of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for allocating satellite-ground fusion network resources, characterized in that: include: Receive request information sent by a terminal, wherein the request information is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request information includes: first-type request information for registering a first-type network slice, and second-type request information for registering a second-type network slice, the first-type network slice is a network slice of a terrestrial network, and the second-type network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; Forwarding the request information to a core network device, wherein the core network device includes: a core network entity of a terrestrial network and a core network entity of a satellite network; Receive return information generated by the core network device in response to the request information, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier and second-type return information instructing the terminal to register other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice allocated to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information; In a case where the returned information is the first type of returned information, allocating network resources of the target network slice to the terminal, and the target network slice is the first type of network slice or the second type of network slice; In a case where the returned information is the second-type returned information, the second-type returned information is transmitted to the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Forwarding the request information to a core network device, including: Determine the type of the request information, wherein the type includes: the first type of request information and the second type of request information; When the request information is the first type of request information, forwarding the request information to a core network entity of a ground network in the core network device; In a case where the request information is the second type of request information, the request information is forwarded to a core network entity of a satellite network in the core network device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Determine the information type of the request information, including: Obtain indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: a first identifier of the network slice that the terminal requests to register; Determine a slice type of the network slice indicated by the first identifier; In the case where the slice type is the first type of network slice, determining that the information type of the request information is the first type of request information; When the slice type is the second type of network slice, the information type of the request information is determined to be the second type of request information.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core network device generates the return information by the following method: Obtain indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: a first identifier of the network slice requested to be registered, a target service, a subscription slice list corresponding to the terminal, a first position of the terminal, and ephemeris information of a target satellite, where the target satellite is a satellite corresponding to a satellite network covering the terminal, and the ephemeris information includes at least: a second position of the target satellite, an orbital height of an orbit on which the target satellite operates, the subscription slice list is used to record a second identifier of a network slice allowed to be accessed by the terminal, and the target service is a service carried by the network slice requested to be registered by the request information; In a case where it is determined that the satellite network does not support the target service, generating the first type of return information according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list; In a case where it is determined that the satellite network supports the target service, the second type of return information is generated according to the first position and the ephemeris information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first type of return information is generated according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list, including: When there is a second identifier that is the same as the first identifier in the subscription slice list, the second identifier is determined as the first type of return information.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that Generating the second type of return information according to the first position and the ephemeris information includes: determining a moving radius according to the first position and the second position; Determining a coverage duration of network resources according to the first position, the second position, and the track height; The moving radius and the coverage duration are determined as the second type of returned information.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before allocating the network resources of the target network slice to the terminal, the method further includes: Receiving a session request sent by the terminal, wherein the session request is used to request to establish a session with the target network slice; forwarding the session request to the core network device; Receive session request acceptance information returned by the core network device in response to the session request.

8. A method for allocating satellite-ground fusion network resources, characterized in that: include: Receive request information forwarded by a wireless base station, wherein the request information is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request information includes: first-type request information for registering a first-type network slice, and second-type request information for registering a second-type network slice, wherein the first-type network slice is a network slice of a terrestrial network, and the second-type network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; The return information is generated in response to the request information, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier and second-type return information instructing the terminal to register for other types of network slices, wherein the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice assigned to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The return information generated in response to the request information includes: Obtain indication information carried by the request information, wherein the indication information includes at least: a first identifier of the network slice requested to be registered, a target service, a subscription slice list corresponding to the terminal, a first position of the terminal, and ephemeris information of a target satellite, where the target satellite is a satellite corresponding to a satellite network covering the terminal, and the ephemeris information includes at least: a second position of the target satellite, an orbital height of an orbit on which the target satellite operates, the subscription slice list is used to record a second identifier of a network slice allowed to be accessed by the terminal, and the target service is a service carried by the network slice requested to be registered by the request information; In a case where it is determined that the satellite network does not support the target service, generating the first type of return information according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list; In a case where it is determined that the satellite network supports the target service, the second type of return information is generated according to the first position and the ephemeris information.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first type of return information is generated according to the first identifier and the subscription slice list, including: When there is a second identifier that is the same as the first identifier in the subscription slice list, the second identifier is determined as the first type of return information.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that Generating the second type of return information according to the first position and the ephemeris information includes: determining a moving radius according to the first position and the second position; Determining a coverage duration of network resources according to the first position, the second position, and the track height; The moving radius and the coverage duration are determined as the second type of returned information.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that In the case of generating the second type of returned information, the method further includes: Receive target request information forwarded by the wireless base station, wherein the target request information is used to request registration of a target satellite network slice, and the target satellite network slice is a second type of network slice whose coverage range is greater than or equal to the range corresponding to the moving radius and whose coverage duration of the terminal is greater than or equal to the coverage duration; In response to the target request information, return information of the target request information is generated.

13. A core network device, characterized in that: The core network device includes: a network entity of a ground network and a network entity of a satellite network. The core network device is configured to execute the method for allocating satellite-ground integrated network resources as described in any one of claims 8 to 12 through the network entity of the ground network or the network entity of the satellite network.

14. A method for acquiring satellite-ground fusion network resources, characterized in that: include: Sending request information to a wireless base station, wherein the request information is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request information includes: first-type request information for registering a first-type network slice, and second-type request information for registering a second-type network slice, wherein the first-type network slice is a network slice of a terrestrial network, and the second-type network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; Receive return information transmitted by the wireless base station, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier and second-type return information instructing the terminal to register other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice allocated to the terminal, and the other type of network slice is different from the type of the network slice requested to be registered by the request information; In case of receiving the first type of return information, sending a session request to the wireless base station, wherein the session request is used to request to establish a session with the target network slice; When the second type of return information is received, target request information is sent to the wireless base station, wherein the target request information is used to request registration of a target satellite network slice, and the target satellite network slice is determined based on the second type of return information.

15. A satellite-ground fusion network communication system, characterized in that: include: A terminal, a wireless base station communicating with the terminal, and a core network device communicating with the wireless base station, wherein: The terminal is used to send request information, wherein the request information is used to request registration of a network slice, and the request information includes: first type of request information for registering a first type of network slice, and second type of request information for registering a second type of network slice, the first type of network slice is a network slice of a terrestrial network, and the second type of network slice is a network slice of a satellite network; The wireless base station is configured to receive the request information and forward the request information to the core network device, wherein the core network device includes: a core network entity of a terrestrial network and a core network entity of a satellite network; The core network device is configured to generate return information in response to the request information, and send the return information to the wireless base station, wherein the return information includes: first-type return information including a target slice identifier and second-type return information instructing the terminal to register other types of network slices, the target slice identifier is an identifier of a target network slice allocated to the terminal, and the other types of network slices are different from the types of network slices requested to be registered by the request information; The wireless base station is further configured to allocate network resources of the target network slice to the terminal when the return information is the first type of return information, and the target network slice is the first type of network slice or the second type of network slice; The wireless base station is further configured to transmit the second-type return information to the terminal when the return information is the second-type return information.

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