Communication method, device and system

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method, device and system. The method comprises the steps that a first AMBR of a slice is received, the first AMBR is used for representing the GBR resource quantity and the non-GBR resource quantity in the slice, and the first AMBR is the AMBR of a signed slice or the AMBR of an authorized slice; according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the PDU session of the slice and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, determining a second AMBR of the slice, the flow control bit rate being GFBR or MFBR; and executing flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR. Based on the scheme, an implementation method for executing the flow control according to the AMBR of the slice is provided, the AMBR of the slice can be used for representing the GBR resource quantity and the non-GBR resource quantity in the slice, and the accuracy of executing the flow control is improved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application number of the original application is 201980097020.6, and the original application date is October 31, 2019. The entire contents of the original application are incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to communication methods, devices and systems. Background Art

[0003] In order to maximize the bandwidth utilization of the system, the concept of aggregation is introduced and the Aggregated Maximum Bit Rate (AMBR) parameter is defined. AMBR can be used by operators to limit the total rate of subscribed users.

[0004] In the latest standard developments, there is a need to control the traffic of a single terminal device within a slice (the traffic can be uplink traffic or downlink traffic), but there is currently no corresponding method. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method, device and system for implementing flow control based on the AMBR of the slice to improve the accuracy of executing flow control.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, the method comprising: receiving a first AMBR of a slice, the first AMBR being used to represent the amount of GBR resources and non-GBR resources within the slice, the first AMBR being the AMBR of a contracted slice or the AMBR of an authorized slice; determining a second AMBR of the slice according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, the flow control bit rate being GFBR or MFBR; and performing flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR.

[0007] Based on the above scheme, a method for implementing flow control based on the AMBR of a slice is provided, wherein the AMBR of the slice can be used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and the amount of non-GBR resources within the slice, which helps to improve the accuracy of executing flow control.

[0008] In a possible implementation method, the first AMBR is equal to the sum of the GBR resource amount and the non-GBR resource amount within the slice; the second AMBR of the slice is determined according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, including: determining the second AMBR as the smaller value between the sum of the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice and the first AMBR.

[0009] In a possible implementation method, the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the amount of resources allowed to be used in the slice.

[0010] In a possible implementation method, flow control of the slice is performed according to the second AMBR, including: if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice, refusing to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow; or, if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice, determining to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow; or, if the actual flow of the slice is greater than the second AMBR, discarding the data packets of the PDU session of the slice.

[0011] In a possible implementation method, the first AMBR includes a GBR resource amount and a non-GBR resource amount; the second AMBR of the slice is determined according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, including: determining the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR as the smaller value between the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the GBR resource amount in the first AMBR; determining the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR as the smaller value between the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice and the non-GBR resource amount in the first AMBR.

[0012] In a possible implementation method, the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice; and the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the non-GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice.

[0013] In a possible implementation method, flow control of the slice is performed according to the second AMBR, including: if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice, refusing to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow; or, if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice, determining to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow; or, if the actual flow of the slice is greater than the amount of non-GBR resources of the second AMBR, discarding the data packets of the PDU session of the slice.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which includes: obtaining a subscribed AMBR of a slice, wherein the subscribed AMBR is used to represent the amount of GBR resources and non-GBR resources within the slice; determining policy information based on the subscribed AMBR, wherein the policy information includes at least one of a session AMBR of a PDU session or a flow control bit rate of a QoS flow of a PDU session; and sending the policy information to a session management network element.

[0015] Based on the above scheme, a method for implementing flow control based on the AMBR of a slice is provided, wherein the AMBR of the slice can be used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and the amount of non-GBR resources within the slice, which helps to improve the accuracy of executing flow control.

[0016] In a possible implementation method, the subscribed AMBR is equal to the sum of the GBR resource amount and the non-GBR resource amount in the slice; or, the subscribed AMBR includes the GBR resource amount in the slice and the non-GBR resource amount in the slice.

[0017] In a possible implementation method, an authorized AMBR of the slice is received from a session management network element, and the authorized AMBR comes from a policy control network element at a visited location; policy information is determined based on the subscribed AMBR, including: determining the policy information based on the subscribed AMBR and the authorized AMBR.

[0018] In a possible implementation method, a first request is received from an application function network element, where the first request is used to include QoS requirements; and based on the policy information, it is determined whether to allocate GBR resources or non-GBR resources to the application function network element.

[0019] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be an access network device or a chip for an access network device. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned first aspect or each embodiment of the first aspect. The function may be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0020] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a policy control network element, or a chip for a policy control network element. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned second aspect or each embodiment of the second aspect. The function may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0021] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer-executable instructions, and when the device is running, the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory so that the device performs methods such as the above-mentioned aspects or embodiments of each aspect.

[0022] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising units or means for executing the above aspects or each step of each aspect.

[0023] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices through the interface circuit and execute the methods of the above aspects or embodiments of the aspects. The processor includes one or more.

[0024] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, including a processor, which is connected to a memory and is used to call a program stored in the memory to execute the methods of the above aspects or embodiments of the various aspects. The memory can be located inside the device or outside the device. And the processor includes one or more.

[0025] In a ninth aspect, the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer-readable storage medium is run on a computer, the processor executes the methods described in the above aspects or embodiments of the aspects.

[0026] In a tenth aspect, the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the methods described in the above aspects or embodiments of the aspects.

[0027] In an eleventh aspect, the present application further provides a chip system, comprising: a processor, configured to execute the methods described in the above aspects or embodiments of the aspects.

[0028] In a twelfth aspect, the present application also provides a communication system, including a mobility management network element and an access network device. The mobility management network element is used to send a first AMBR of a slice to the access network device, the first AMBR is used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and non-GBR resources in the slice, and the first AMBR is the AMBR of a contracted slice or the AMBR of an authorized slice. The access network device is used to determine the second AMBR of the slice based on the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, the flow control bit rate being GFBR or MFBR; and perform flow control of the slice based on the second AMBR.

[0029] In a thirteenth aspect, the present application further provides a communication method, comprising:

[0030] The mobility management network element sends a first AMBR of a received slice to the access network device, where the first AMBR is used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and the amount of non-GBR resources in the slice, and the first AMBR is the AMBR of a contracted slice or the AMBR of an authorized slice;

[0031] The access network device determines a second AMBR of the slice according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, where the flow control bit rate is GFBR or MFBR;

[0032] The access network device performs flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided for this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the 5G network architecture based on service-oriented architecture;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the 5G network architecture based on a point-to-point interface;

[0036] Figure 4 A flow chart of a communication method provided by this application;

[0037] Figure 5 A flow chart of another communication method provided by the present application;

[0038] Figure 6 A flow chart of another communication method provided by the present application;

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided for this application;

[0040] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another communication device provided by the present application;

[0041] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of an access network device provided for this application;

[0042] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a policy control network element provided for this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The specific operation method in the method embodiment can also be applied to the device embodiment or the system embodiment. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more.

[0044] To solve the problems mentioned in the background technology, Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a communication system, which includes a mobility management network element and an access network device. Optionally, the system may also include a data management network element and a policy control network element.

[0045] The mobility management network element is used to send a first AMBR of a slice to the access network device, where the first AMBR is used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and non-GBR resources in the slice, and the first AMBR is the AMBR of a contracted slice or the AMBR of an authorized slice. The access network device is used to determine a second AMBR of the slice based on the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated protocol data unit PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, where the flow control bit rate is GFBR or MFBR; and perform flow control of the slice based on the second AMBR.

[0046] In a possible implementation method, the first AMBR is equal to the sum of the GBR resource amount and the non-GBR resource amount within the slice; the access network device is used to determine the second AMBR of the slice based on the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, specifically including: determining the second AMBR as the smaller value between the sum of the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice and the first AMBR.

[0047] The implementation method can be understood as: setting the second AMBR to the sum of the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, but not exceeding the first AMBR at most.

[0048] Alternatively, the implementation method can also be understood as: setting the second AMBR according to the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, but the second AMBR shall not exceed the first AMBR at most.

[0049] In a possible implementation method, the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the amount of resources allowed to be used in the slice.

[0050] In a possible implementation method, the access network device is used to perform flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR, specifically including: refusing to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice; or, determining to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice; or, discarding data packets of the PDU session of the slice if the actual flow of the slice is greater than the second AMBR.

[0051] In a possible implementation method, the first AMBR includes a GBR resource amount and a non-GBR resource amount; the access network device is used to determine the second AMBR of the slice based on the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, specifically including: determining the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR to be the smaller value between the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the GBR resource amount in the first AMBR; determining the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR to be the smaller value between the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice and the non-GBR resource amount in the first AMBR.

[0052] The implementation method can be understood as: setting the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR to the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, but not exceeding the GBR resource amount of the first AMBR. Setting the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR to the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, but not exceeding the non-GBR resource amount of the first AMBR.

[0053] Alternatively, the implementation method can also be understood as: setting the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR according to the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, but the maximum amount of GBR resources does not exceed the first AMBR. Setting the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR according to the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, but the maximum amount of non-GBR resources does not exceed the first AMBR.

[0054] In a possible implementation method, the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice; and the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the non-GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice.

[0055] In a possible implementation method, the access network device is used to perform flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR, specifically including: refusing to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice; or, determining to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice; or, discarding data packets of the PDU session of the slice if the actual flow of the slice is greater than the amount of non-GBR resources of the second AMBR.

[0056] In a possible implementation method, the mobility management network element is also used to obtain the subscribed AMBR of the slice from the data management network element.

[0057] In a possible implementation method, the mobility management network element is also used to send the subscribed AMBR of the slice to the policy control network element; the policy control network element is used to perform authorization on the subscribed AMBR of the slice to obtain the authorized AMBR of the slice; and send the authorized AMBR of the slice to the mobility management network element.

[0058] like Figure 2 , which is a schematic diagram of the fifth generation (5G) network architecture based on a service-oriented architecture. Figure 2 The 5G network architecture shown may include three parts, namely, the terminal equipment part, the data network (DN) and the operator network part. The functions of some network elements are briefly introduced below.

[0059] The operator network may include one or more of the following network elements: authentication server function (AUSF) network element, network exposure function (NEF) network element, policy control function (PCF) network element, unified data management (UDM) network element, unified data repository (UDR), network repository function (NRF) network element, application function (AF) network element, access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, radio access network (RAN) and user plane function (UPF) network element, etc. In the above operator network, the part other than the radio access network part can be called the core network part.

[0060] Terminal device, also known as user equipment (UE), is a device with wireless transceiver function, which can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water (such as ships, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.). The terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The terminal device here refers to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) terminal.

[0061] The above-mentioned terminal device can establish a connection with the operator network through the interface provided by the operator network (such as N1, etc.), and use the data and / or voice services provided by the operator network. The terminal device can also access the DN through the operator network, use the operator services deployed on the DN, and / or services provided by a third party. Among them, the above-mentioned third party may be a service provider other than the operator network and the terminal device, and can provide other data and / or voice services to the terminal device. Among them, the specific form of the above-mentioned third party can be determined according to the actual application scenario, and is not limited here.

[0062] RAN is a subnetwork of the operator network and an implementation system between the service node and the terminal device in the operator network. To access the operator network, the terminal device must first pass through the RAN, and then connect to the service node of the operator network through the RAN. The RAN device in this application is a device that provides wireless communication functions for the terminal device, and the RAN device is also called an access network device. The RAN device in this application includes but is not limited to: the next generation base station (g nodeB, gNB) in 5G, evolved node B (evolved node B, eNB), radio network controller (radio network controller, RNC), node B (node ​​B, NB), base station controller (base station controller, BSC), base transceiver station (base transceiver station, BTS), home base station (for example, home evolved nodeB, or home node B, HNB), baseband unit (baseBand unit, BBU), transmission point (transmitting and receiving point, TRP), transmission point (transmitting point, TP), mobile switching center, etc.

[0063] The AMF network element mainly performs functions such as mobility management and access authentication / authorization. In addition, it is also responsible for transmitting user policies between the UE and the PCF.

[0064] The SMF network element mainly performs functions such as session management, execution of control policies issued by PCF, selection of UPF, and allocation of UE Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

[0065] The UPF network element, as the interface UPF with the data network, completes functions such as user plane data forwarding, session / flow-level billing statistics, and bandwidth limitation.

[0066] UDM network element is mainly responsible for managing contract data, user access authorization and other functions.

[0067] UDR is mainly responsible for the storage and access of contract data, policy data, application data and other types of data.

[0068] NEF network element is mainly used to support the opening of capabilities and events.

[0069] The AF network element mainly transmits the requirements of the application side to the network side, such as Quality of Service (QoS) requirements or user status event subscriptions. The AF can be a third-party functional entity or an application service deployed by an operator, such as the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice call service.

[0070] The PCF network element is mainly responsible for policy control functions such as billing for sessions and service flows, QoS bandwidth guarantee and mobility management, and UE policy decision-making. In this architecture, the PCFs connected to AMF and SMF correspond to AM PCF (PCF for Access and Mobility Control) and SM PCF (PCF for Session Management), respectively, and may not be the same PCF entity in actual deployment scenarios.

[0071] NRF network elements can be used to provide network element discovery functions and provide network element information corresponding to the network element type based on requests from other network elements. NRF also provides network element management services, such as network element registration, update, deregistration, and network element status subscription and push.

[0072] AUSF network element: Mainly responsible for authenticating users to determine whether users or devices are allowed to access the network.

[0073] DN is a network outside the operator network. The operator network can access multiple DNs. Multiple services can be deployed on DN, which can provide data and / or voice services to terminal devices. For example, DN is the private network of a smart factory. The sensors installed in the workshop of the smart factory can be terminal devices. The control server of the sensors is deployed in DN, and the control server can provide services for the sensors. The sensors can communicate with the control server, obtain instructions from the control server, and transmit the collected sensor data to the control server according to the instructions. For another example, DN is the internal office network of a company. The mobile phones or computers of the company's employees can be terminal devices. The employees' mobile phones or computers can access information and data resources on the company's internal office network.

[0074] Figure 2Among them, Nausf, Nnef, Npcf, Nudm, Naf, Namf, Nsmf, N1, N2, N3, N4, and N6 are interface serial numbers. The meanings of these interface serial numbers can be found in the meanings defined in the 3GPP standard protocol and are not limited here.

[0075] like Figure 3 The following is a schematic diagram of the 5G network architecture based on a point-to-point interface. The functions of the network elements can be found in Figure 2 The introduction of the functions of the corresponding network elements will not be repeated here. Figure 3 and Figure 2 The main differences are: Figure 3 The interfaces between the various network elements in a network are point-to-point interfaces, rather than service-oriented interfaces.

[0076] exist Figure 3 In the architecture shown, the interface names and functions between the various network elements are as follows:

[0077] 1) N7: The interface between PCF and SMF, used to send protocol data unit (PDU) session granularity and service data flow granularity control strategy.

[0078] 2) N15: The interface between PCF and AMF, used to issue UE policies and access control related policies.

[0079] 3) N5: The interface between AF and PCF, used for issuing application service requests and reporting network events.

[0080] 4) N4: The interface between SMF and UPF is used to transmit information between the control plane and the user plane, including the control of the forwarding rules, QoS control rules, traffic statistics rules, etc. for the user plane and the reporting of information on the user plane.

[0081] 5) N11: The interface between SMF and AMF, used to transfer PDU session tunnel information between RAN and UPF, transfer control messages sent to UE, transfer radio resource control information sent to RAN, etc.

[0082] 6) N2: The interface between AMF and RAN, used to transmit radio bearer control information from the core network side to the RAN.

[0083] 7) N1: The interface between AMF and UE, access-independent, used to deliver QoS control rules to UE.

[0084] 8) N8: The interface between AMF and UDM is used for AMF to obtain access and mobility management related subscription data and authentication data from UDM, and AMF to register UE's current mobility management related information with UDM.

[0085] 9) N10: The interface between SMF and UDM, used by SMF to obtain session management related contract data from UDM, and SMF to register UE current session related information with UDM.

[0086] 10) N35: Interface between UDM and UDR, used by UDM to obtain user contract data information from UDR.

[0087] 11) N36: Interface between PCF and UDR, used by PCF to obtain policy-related contract data and application data-related information from UDR.

[0088] 12) N12: Interface between AMF and AUSF, used by AMF to initiate an authentication process to AUSF, which can carry SUCI as a contract identifier;

[0089] 13) N13: Interface between UDM and AUSF, used by AUSF to obtain the user authentication vector from UDM to execute the authentication process.

[0090] It is understandable that the above network element or function can be a network element in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Optionally, the above network element or function can be implemented by one device, or by multiple devices, or a functional module in one device, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0091] The mobility management network element, session management network element, policy control network element, application function network element, access network device, and data management network element in this application can be Figure 2 or Figure 3 The AMF, SMF, PCF, AF, RAN, and UDM in the network may also be network elements with the functions of the above-mentioned AMF, SMF, PCF, AF, RAN, and UDM in future communications such as the sixth generation (6G) network, and this application is not limited to this. For the convenience of explanation, this application takes the mobility management network element, session management network element, policy control network element, application function network element, access network equipment, and data management network element as examples of the above-mentioned AMF, SMF, PCF, AF, RAN, and UDM, respectively. Furthermore, the terminal equipment is referred to as UE in this application.

[0092] To facilitate understanding of the present application, the relevant background technology is first introduced below.

[0093] 1. 5G QoS Model (or 5G QoS Framework)

[0094] In the 5G system, in order to ensure the end-to-end service quality of the service, a 5G QoS model based on QoS flow is proposed. The 5G QoS model supports QoS flow with guaranteed bit rate (GBR) (GBR QoS flow) and QoS flow with non-guaranteed bit rate (Non-GBR QoS flow). Data packets controlled by the same QoS flow receive the same transmission processing (such as scheduling, admission threshold, etc.).

[0095] GBR means that the bit rate required by the bearer is "permanently" and constantly allocated by the network. Even when network resources are tight, the corresponding bit rate can be maintained. The Maximum Bit Rate (MBR) parameter defines the upper limit of the rate that a GBR bearer can reach under the condition of sufficient resources. The value of MBR may be greater than or equal to the value of GBR. On the contrary, Non-GBR means that in the case of network congestion, the service (or bearer) needs to withstand the requirement of reducing the rate. Since Non-GBR bearers do not need to occupy fixed network resources, they can be established for a long time. GBR bearers are generally established only when needed.

[0096] For a UE, one or more PDU sessions can be established with the 5G network; one or more QoS flows can be established in each PDU session. Each QoS flow is identified by a QoS Flow Identifier (QFI), which uniquely identifies a QoS flow in the session.

[0097] Whether a QoS flow is a GBR QoS flow or a Non-GBR QoS flow is determined by the corresponding QoS profile.

[0098] For GBR QoS flow, the corresponding QoS configuration file contains the following QoS parameters: 5G QoS Identifier (5QI), Allocation and retention Priority (ARP), Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate (Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate) and Maximum Flow Bit Rate (MFBR), and optionally, Notification control. Depending on whether the configuration file contains Notification control, the GBR QoS flow is divided into GRB QoS flow that requires Notification control and GBR QoS flow that does not require Notification control. For GBR QoS flow that requires Notification control, when RAN detects that the corresponding QoS flow resources cannot be met, RAN notifies SMF of the event. Further, SMF can initiate the deletion or modification process of the QoS flow.

[0099] For Non-GBR QoS flow, the corresponding QoS configuration file contains the following QoS parameters: 5QI, ARP, and optionally, Reflective QoS Attribute (RQA).

[0100] The QoS parameters mentioned above have the following meanings:

[0101] 5QI: is a scalar used to index the corresponding 5G QoS features. 5QI is divided into standardized 5QI, pre-configured 5QI and dynamically allocated 5QI. For standardized 5QI, there is a one-to-one correspondence with a set of standardized 5G QoS feature values; for pre-configured 5QI, the corresponding 5G QoS feature values ​​are pre-configured in RAN; for dynamically allocated 5QI, the corresponding 5G QoS features are included in the QoS configuration file and sent to RAN.

[0102] ARP: includes priority, preemption capability, and preemption capability.

[0103] RQA: Used to indicate that the service transmitted using the corresponding QoS flow uses reverse QoS.

[0104] Notification control: Used to instruct the RAN whether to notify the network when the GFBR cannot be met during the use of the QoS flow.

[0105] GFBR: represents the bit rate expected to be provided to the GBR QoS flow.

[0106] MFBR: Limits the bit rate provided to GBR QoS flow, that is, the maximum bit rate provided to GBR QoS flow. If the bit rate is exceeded, the data packet can be discarded.

[0107] 2. AMBR

[0108] In order to maximize the bandwidth utilization of the system, the concept of aggregation is introduced and the AMBR parameter is defined. AMBR can be used by operators to limit the total rate of subscribed users. AMBR can include UE-AMBR, session AMBR, etc. UE-AMBR defines the AMBR of each subscribed user, and UE-AMBR is used to indicate the amount of Non-GBR resources that a UE can use. Session AMBR defines the AMBR of a session, and session AMBR limits the amount of Non-GBR resources that a PDU session of a UE can use.

[0109] In the latest standard development, it is necessary to control the traffic of a single UE within a slice (the traffic can be uplink traffic or downlink traffic), but there is currently no corresponding method.

[0110] To solve the above problems, based on Figure 2 or Figure 3 The network architecture shown in Figure 4 As shown, the present application provides a communication method. The method can be executed by RAN or components (such as chips, circuits, etc.) used for RAN on the access network device side; on the network side, it can be executed by AMF, UDM, or components (such as chips, circuits, etc.) used for AMF and UDM. The following takes UE, AMF, and UDM as an example to illustrate the execution of the method.

[0111] The method comprises the following steps:

[0112] Step 401, in the registration process of the UE, the AMF obtains the slice identifier and the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier from the UDM. Optionally, the AMF can obtain the slice identifier and the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier from the UDM by calling the UDM service Nudm_SDM_Get.

[0113] The slice identifier here can be one or more, and one slice identifier corresponds to the AMBR of a subscribed slice. The slice identifier can be, for example, single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI).

[0114] It should be noted that the slice identifiers here are all S-NSSAI in the Home Public Land Mobile Network (hPLMN).

[0115] The AMBR of the subscribed slice is used to indicate the subscribed GBR resource amount and non-GBR resource amount in the slice. The AMBR of the subscribed slice here can be implemented in at least the following two ways.

[0116] Implementation method 1: The AMBR of the contracted slice represents the sum of the contracted GBR resource amount and the Non-GBR resource amount in the slice.

[0117] The GBR resource amount contracted in the slice here can also be expressed as the maximum GBR resource amount contracted in the slice, and the Non-GBR resource amount contracted in the slice can also be expressed as the maximum Non-GBR resource amount contracted in the slice. The following also has the same meaning and will not be repeated.

[0118] In this implementation method, there is no distinction between GBR resources and Non-GBR resources. Instead, the AMBR of a slice is used to represent the sum of the GBR resources and Non-GBR resources subscribed in the slice. That is, the AMBR of a slice represents the aggregated uplink and / or downlink maximum bit rate of all GBR QoS Flows and Non-GBR QoS Flows of the user in the slice subscribed by the user.

[0119] As an example, the obtained AMBR of the subscribed slice includes: {S-NSSAI 1, slice-AMBR 1}, {S-NSSAI 2, slice-AMBR2}.

[0120] Among them, slice-AMBR 1 represents the sum of the subscribed GBR resources and Non-GBR resources in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1, and slice-AMBR 2 represents the sum of the subscribed GBR resources and Non-GBR resources in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2.

[0121] Implementation method 2: The AMBR of the contracted slice includes the contracted GBR resource amount and Non-GBR resource amount in the slice.

[0122] That is, the AMBR of the contracted slice includes two parts, namely: the GBR resource amount contracted in the slice and the Non-GBR resource amount contracted in the slice. The GBR resource amount contracted in the slice indicates the aggregated uplink and / or downlink maximum bit rate of all GBR QoS Flows of the user in the slice contracted by the user, and the Non-GBR resource amount contracted in the slice indicates the aggregated uplink and / or downlink maximum bit rate of all Non-GBR QoS Flows of the user in the slice contracted by the user.

[0123] As an example, the obtained AMBR of the contracted slice includes: {S-NSSAI 1, GBR resource amount: Slice-AMBR 11; Non-GBR resource amount: Slice-AMBR 12}, {S-NSSAI 2, GBR resource amount: Slice-AMBR 21; Non-GBR resource amount: Slice-AMBR 22}.

[0124] Among them, slice-AMBR 11 represents the amount of GBR resources in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1, slice-AMBR 12 represents the amount of Non-GBR resources in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1, slice-AMBR 21 represents the amount of GBR resources in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2, and slice-AMBR 22 represents the amount of Non-GBR resources in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2.

[0125] If it is in a roaming scenario, the following step 402 may also be included.

[0126] Step 402: In the roaming scenario, the AMF sends the AMBR of the contracted slice to the vPCF for authorization.

[0127] That is, when the UE accesses from the visited public land mobile network (vPLMN), the AMF sends the AMBR of the contracted slice obtained from the UDM to the vPCF for authorization, and the vPCF sends the AMBR of the authorized slice to the AMF.

[0128] Among them, the AMBR of the authorized slice can be greater than the AMBR of the contracted slice, or equal to the AMBR of the contracted slice, or can also be smaller than the AMBR of the contracted slice, which is not limited in this application.

[0129] It should be noted that if the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponds to the above-mentioned implementation method one, the AMBR of the authorized slice also corresponds to the above-mentioned implementation method one, that is, the AMBR of the authorized slice represents the sum of the GBR resource amount and the Non-GBR resource amount authorized in the slice. The amount of GBR resources authorized in the slice here can also be expressed as the maximum amount of GBR resources authorized in the slice, and the amount of Non-GBR resources authorized in the slice can also be expressed as the maximum amount of Non-GBR resources authorized in the slice. The following also has the same meaning and will not be repeated.

[0130] If the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponds to the above-mentioned implementation method 2, the AMBR of the authorized slice also corresponds to the above-mentioned implementation method 2, that is, the AMBR of the authorized slice includes two parts, namely: the amount of GBR resources authorized in the slice, and the amount of Non-GBR resources authorized in the slice.

[0131] Step 403: AMF sends the slice identifier and the first AMBR corresponding to the slice identifier to RAN. Correspondingly, RAN can receive the slice identifier and the first AMBR corresponding to the slice identifier.

[0132] Optionally, the AMF may send the slice identifier and the AMBR of the slice corresponding to the slice identifier to the RAN via an N2 message.

[0133] The first AMBR here is used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and non-GBR resources in the slice. In a non-roaming scenario, the first AMBR can be the AMBR of the contracted slice obtained from the UDM. Alternatively, in a roaming scenario, the first AMBR here refers to the AMBR of the authorized slice obtained from the PCF of the visited location.

[0134] Step 404: In the PDU session management process, the RAN determines a second AMBR according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice. The flow control bit rate here can be GFBR or MFBR.

[0135] The PDU session management process here includes: PDU session establishment process, PDU session modification process, and PDU session release process. For example, when a new PDU session is established, deactivated, or released, the RAN performs calculations to obtain a second AMBR. For another example, when the session AMBR changes, the RAN performs calculations to obtain a second AMBR.

[0136] Regarding the method for obtaining the second AMBR, two different implementation methods are given below, but of course the present invention is not limited to these two implementation methods.

[0137] Implementation method 1: If the first AMBR represents the sum of the GBR resource amount and the Non-GBR resource amount within the slice, then the second AMBR = min(sum(session AMBR of activated PDU sessions within the slice)+sum(flow control bit rate of QoS flow of activated PDU sessions within the slice), first AMBR).

[0138] That is, the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum amount of resources allowed to be used within the slice.

[0139] The flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session in the slice refers to the flow control bit rate of the GBR QoS flow of the activated PDU session in the slice. This description has the same meaning when it appears anywhere below and will not be repeated.

[0140] Among them, sum(session AMBR of activated PDU sessions in the slice) represents the sum of the session AMBRs of the activated PDU sessions in the slice, which is used to represent the amount of Non-GBR resources of the activated PDU sessions in the slice, or is understood as the maximum amount of Non-GBR resources allowed for the activated PDU sessions in the slice.

[0141] sum(flow control bit rate of QoS flows of activated PDU sessions within the slice) represents the sum of flow control bit rates of QoS flows of activated PDU sessions within the slice, which is used to represent the amount of GBR resources within the slice, or is understood as the maximum amount of GBR resources allowed to be used by the activated PDU sessions within the slice.

[0142] min is expressed as a comparison function, for example, min(a,b) represents the smaller value of a and b.

[0143] Among them, the sum of the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice can also be called the resource amount of the PDU session.

[0144] As an example, RAN receives {S-NSSAI 1, slice-AMBR 1}, {S-NSSAI 2, slice-AMBR2}. That is, the first AMBR includes slice-AMBR 1 and slice-AMBR2. The second AMBR corresponding to slice-AMBR 1 is called slice-AMBR 1', and the second AMBR corresponding to slice-AMBR 2 is called slice-AMBR 2', then:

[0145] slice-AMBR 1′=min(sum(session AMBR of activated PDU sessions within the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1)+sum(flow control bit rate of QoS flows of activated PDU sessions within the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1), slice-AMBR 1).

[0146] slice-AMBR 2′=min(sum(session AMBR of activated PDU sessions within the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2)+sum(flow control bit rate of QoS flows of activated PDU sessions within the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2), slice-AMBR 2).

[0147] Implementation method 2: If the first AMBR includes the GBR resource amount and the Non-GBR resource amount in the slice, the second AMBR also includes the GBR resource amount and the Non-GBR resource amount. Among them, the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR = min(sum(the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session in the slice), the GBR resource amount of the first AMBR), the Non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR = min(sum(the session AMBR of the activated PDU session in the slice), the Non-GBR resource amount of the first AMBR).

[0148] That is, the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice; and the Non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the Non-GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice.

[0149] As an example, RAN receives {S-NSSAI 1, GBR resources: Slice-AMBR 11; Non-GBR resources: Slice-AMBR 12}, {S-NSSAI 2, GBR resources: Slice-AMBR 21; Non-GBR resources: Slice-AMBR 22}. That is, the first AMBR corresponding to the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1 includes: Slice-AMBR 11, Slice-AMBR 12. The first AMBR corresponding to the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2 includes: Slice-AMBR 21, Slice-AMBR 22. Among them, Slice-AMBR 11 and Slice-AMBR 21 are used to indicate the amount of GBR resources, and Slice-AMBR 12 and Slice-AMBR 22 are used to indicate the amount of Non-GBR resources.

[0150] The second AMBR corresponding to the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1 includes: Slice-AMBR 11';, Slice-AMBR12';. The second AMBR corresponding to the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2 includes: Slice-AMBR 21', Slice-AMBR 22'. Among them, Slice-AMBR 11' and Slice-AMBR 21' are used to indicate the amount of GBR resources, and Slice-AMBR 12' and Slice-AMBR22' are used to indicate the amount of Non-GBR resources.

[0151] Wherein, slice-AMBR 11′=min(sum(flow control bit rate of QoS flow of activated PDU session in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1), slice-AMBR 11).

[0152] slice-AMBR 12′=min(sum(session AMBR of activated PDU sessions in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 1)), slice-AMBR 12).

[0153] slice-AMBR 21′=min(sum(flow control bit rate of QoS flows of activated PDU sessions within the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2), slice-AMBR 21).

[0154] slice-AMBR 22′=min(sum(session AMBR of activated PDU sessions in the slice identified by S-NSSAI 2)), slice-AMBR 22).

[0155] Step 405: RAN performs flow control according to the second AMBR.

[0156] The second AMBR here is used to indicate the upper limit of the traffic. Specifically, corresponding to the implementation method one of the above step 404, the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum allowed amount of resources. Corresponding to the implementation method two of the above step 404, the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum allowed amount of GBR resources and the maximum allowed amount of Non-GBR resources.

[0157] This step can be divided into the following two situations for explanation according to the method of executing flow control according to the second AMBR.

[0158] In case 1, the second AMBR represents the sum of the GBR resource amount and the Non-GBR resource amount in the slice.

[0159] This situation corresponds to the first implementation method of the above step 404 .

[0160] As an example, RAN receives a first request, which is used to request the allocation of GBR resources for the first QoS flow of the activated PDU session in the slice. If the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice, RAN refuses to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow. For example, the second AMBR is 50M, the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice is 40M, and the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is 20M. Since 20>50-40, it indicates that the remaining resources in the slice are insufficient for allocation. Further, RAN can also send a QoS notification control (QoS notification control, QNC) of the first QoS flow to SMF to notify the refusal to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow. Alternatively, if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice, RAN determines to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow. For example, the second AMBR is 50M, the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice is 40M, and the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is 5M. Since 5<50-40, it indicates that the remaining resources in the slice are sufficient for allocation. Furthermore, the RAN can also feedback the amount of GBR resources that can be allocated to the SMF.

[0161] As another example, if the actual traffic of the slice is greater than the second AMBR, that is, the sum of the resources occupied by the data packets of all activated PDU sessions in the slice exceeds the second AMBR, the RAN can discard the data packets of the PDU. Optionally, the RAN can preferentially discard the data packets in the Non-GBR type QoS Flow and ensure the transmission of the data packets in the GBR type QoS Flow.

[0162] In scenario 2, the second AMBR includes the GBR resource amount and the Non-GBR resource amount within the slice.

[0163] This situation corresponds to the second implementation method of the above step 404.

[0164] In this case, flow control needs to be implemented on GBR resources and Non-GBR resources respectively.

[0165] As an example, RAN receives a first request, which is used to request the allocation of GBR resources for the first QoS flow of the activated PDU session in the slice. If the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice, RAN refuses to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow. For example, the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR is 20M, the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice is 10M, and the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is 15M. Since 15>20-10, it indicates that the remaining GBR resources in the slice are insufficient for allocation. Further, RAN can also send a QNC of the first QoS flow to SMF to notify the refusal to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow. Alternatively, if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice, RAN determines to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow. For example, the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is 20M, the GBR resource amount currently occupied by the slice is 10M, and the GBR resource amount requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is 5M. Since 5<20-10, it indicates that the remaining GBR resources in the slice are sufficient for allocation. Furthermore, the RAN can also feedback the amount of GBR resources that can be allocated to the SMF.

[0166] As another example, if the actual traffic of the slice is greater than the Non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR, that is, the sum of the Non-GBR resources occupied by the data packets of all activated PDU sessions in the slice exceeds the Non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR, the RAN can discard the PDU data packets.

[0167] Based on the above scheme, a method for implementing flow control based on the AMBR of a slice is provided, wherein the AMBR of the slice can be used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and the amount of Non-GBR resources within the slice, which helps to improve the accuracy of executing flow control.

[0168] like Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another communication method provided by the present application. The method comprises the following steps:

[0169] Step 501: When a PDU session is established, a policy association is established between the SMF and the PCF.

[0170] For example, SMF may send an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create request to PCF to request the establishment of a policy association between SMF and PCF.

[0171] Step 502, the PCF obtains the slice identifier and the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier from the UDR.

[0172] For example, PCF can obtain the slice identifier and the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier from UDR by calling the UDR's service operation Nudr_DM_Query or Nudr_DM_Subscribe.

[0173] The specific form of the slice identifier obtained by PCF from UDR and the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier can be Figure 4 The slice identifier obtained in step 401 of the embodiment and the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier are expressed in the same form. Please refer to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0174] Step 503: PCF generates policy information based on the AMBR of the contracted slice.

[0175] The generation strategy information here includes but is not limited to:

[0176] 1) Generate the session AMBR of the slice's PDU session based on the AMBR of the contracted slice.

[0177] 2) According to the AMBR of the contracted slice, the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the PDU session of the slice is generated. The flow control bit rate here can be GFBR or MFBR.

[0178] In the first implementation, if the slice identifier and the specific representation of the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier obtained by the PCF from the UDR in step 502 are the same as Figure 4 The implementation method in step 401 of the embodiment is the same as that in step 503, the PCF may perform the following operations: based on the AMBR of the contracted slice, the session AMBR of the PDU session of the generated slice and the sum of the flow control bit rates of all QoS flows of the PDU session shall not exceed the AMBR of the contracted slice.

[0179] In the second implementation, if the slice identifier and the specific representation of the AMBR of the contracted slice corresponding to the slice identifier obtained by the PCF from the UDR in step 502 are the same as Figure 4The implementation method 2 in step 401 of the embodiment is the same, then in step 503, the PCF may perform the following operations: based on the AMBR of the contracted slice, generate a Non-GBR resource amount whose sum of session AMBRs of the PDU sessions of the slice does not exceed the AMBR of the contracted slice; based on the AMBR of the contracted slice, generate a GBR resource amount whose sum of flow control bit rates of the QoS flows of the PDU sessions of the slice does not exceed the AMBR of the contracted slice, where the flow control bit rate may be GFBR or MFBR.

[0180] Step 504: PCF sends policy information to SMF. Correspondingly, SMF can receive the policy information.

[0181] For example, the PCF generates a policy and charging control (PCC) rule, which includes policy information, and the policy information includes the sum of the flow control bit rates of the QoS flows of the sliced ​​PDU session. For another example, the PCF generates PDU session-related policy information, which includes the session AMBR of the sliced ​​PDU session.

[0182] For example, the PCF may send an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create response to the SMF, which carries PCC rules and PDU session-related policy information.

[0183] Step 505: SMF executes policy rules according to the policy information.

[0184] SMF can perform flow control based on policy information. For example, based on the session AMBR of the PDU session, the control of the Non-GBR resources of the PDU session is performed through the UPF. For another example, based on the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the PDU session, the control of the GBR resources of the PDU session is performed through the UPF. The following is a detailed description.

[0185] In scenario 1, the GBR resources of the PDU session are controlled by UPF according to the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the sliced ​​PDU session.

[0186] As an example, the SMF receives a first request for requesting the allocation of GBR resources for the first QoS flow of the activated PDU session in the slice. If the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the sum of the flow control bit rates of the QoS flows of the PDU sessions of the slice and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice, the SMF refuses to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow. Alternatively, if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the sum of the flow control bit rates of the QoS flows of the PDU sessions of the slice and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice, the SMF determines to allocate GBR resources for the first QoS flow.

[0187] Scenario 2: Based on the session AMBR of the sliced ​​PDU session, the control of the Non-GBR resources of the PDU session is performed through UPF.

[0188] As an example, if the actual traffic of a slice is greater than the sum of the session AMBRs of the PDU sessions of the slice, that is, the sum of the Non-GBR resources occupied by the data packets of all activated PDU sessions in the slice exceeds the sum of the session AMBRs of all PDU sessions of the slice, the UPF can discard the data packets of the PDU session.

[0189] Step 506: The AF sends a first request to the PCF, and correspondingly, the PCF may receive the first request.

[0190] The first request includes QoS requirements, such as required bandwidth, etc.

[0191] The PCF can perform flow control on the AF according to the policy information, such as determining whether to allocate GBR resources or Non-GBR resources to the AF. The specific implementation method of the PCF performing flow control on the AF is similar to the method of the SMF performing flow control in the above step 505, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] This step 506 is optional.

[0193] Based on the above scheme, a method for implementing flow control based on the AMBR of a slice is provided, wherein the AMBR of the slice can be used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and the amount of Non-GBR resources within the slice, which helps to improve the accuracy of executing flow control.

[0194] like Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another communication method provided by the present application. The solution is applicable to the home routed (HR) roaming scenario.

[0195] The method comprises the following steps:

[0196] Step 600, during the PDU session establishment process, SMF obtains the AMBR of the authorized slice of the vPLMN from AMF.

[0197] The SMF here refers to the SMF of the home location, which can also be called hSMF.

[0198] Optionally, the specific implementation method of AMF obtaining the AMBR of the authorized slice of the vPLMN can be similar to Figure 4 The descriptions of steps 401 to 402 of the embodiment are not repeated here.

[0199] Optionally, the way in which SMF obtains the AMBR of the authorized slice of the vPLMN from AMF may be, for example, that AMF sends the AMBR of the authorized slice of the vPLMN to SMF via vSMF. Here, vSMF refers to the SMF of the visited location.

[0200] Step 601: When a PDU session is established, a policy association is established between the SMF and the PCF.

[0201] For example, SMF may send an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create request to PCF to request the establishment of a policy association between SMF and PCF.

[0202] In this step, SMF sends the AMBR of the authorized slice to PCF.

[0203] Step 602, same Figure 5 Step 502 of the embodiment.

[0204] Step 603: PCF generates policy information based on the AMBR of the authorized slice and the AMBR of the contracted slice.

[0205] The generation strategy information here includes but is not limited to:

[0206] 1) Based on the AMBR of the authorized slice and the AMBR of the contracted slice, the sum of the session AMBR of the PDU session is generated.

[0207] 2) Based on the AMBR of the authorized slice and the AMBR of the contracted slice, generate the sum of the flow control bit rates of the QoS flows of the PDU session. The flow control bit rate here can be GFBR or MFBR.

[0208] Step 604: PCF sends policy information to SMF. Correspondingly, SMF can receive the policy information.

[0209] For example, the PCF generates a PCC rule including policy information including the sum of flow control bit rates of QoS flows of the sliced ​​PDU session. For another example, the PCF generates PDU session-related policy information including the sum of session AMBRs of the sliced ​​PDU session.

[0210] For example, the PCF may send an Npcf_SMPolicyControl_Create response to the SMF, which carries PCC rules and PDU session-related policy information.

[0211] Step 605 to step 606, same Figure 5 Steps 505 to 506 of the embodiment.

[0212] Based on the above scheme, a method for implementing flow control based on the AMBR of a slice is provided, wherein the AMBR of the slice can be used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and the amount of Non-GBR resources within the slice, which helps to improve the accuracy of executing flow control.

[0213] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the present application from the perspective of the interaction between various network elements. It can be understood that in order to realize the above functions, the above-mentioned network elements include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of various functions. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this document, the present invention can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present invention.

[0214] The embodiment of the present application also provides a device for implementing any of the above methods, for example, a device is provided including a unit (or means) for implementing each step performed by the access network device in any of the above methods. For another example, another device is provided, including a unit (or means) for implementing each step performed by the policy control network element in any of the above methods.

[0215] refer to Figure 7 , which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device is used for access network equipment, such as Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 includes a receiving unit 710 , a determining unit 720 and a control unit 730 .

[0216] A receiving unit 710 is used to receive a first AMBR of a slice, where the first AMBR is used to indicate the amount of GBR resources and non-GBR resources within the slice, and the first AMBR is the AMBR of a contracted slice or the AMBR of an authorized slice; a determining unit 720 is used to determine a second AMBR of the slice based on the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate is GFBR or MFBR; a control unit 730 is used to perform flow control of the slice based on the second AMBR.

[0217] In a possible implementation method, the first AMBR is equal to the sum of the GBR resource amount and the non-GBR resource amount within the slice; the determination unit 720 is used to determine the second AMBR of the slice based on the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, specifically including: determining the second AMBR as the smaller value between the sum of the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice and the first AMBR.

[0218] In a possible implementation method, the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the amount of resources allowed to be used in the slice.

[0219] In a possible implementation method, the control unit 730 is used to perform flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR, specifically including: refusing to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice; or, determining to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice; or, discarding data packets of the PDU session of the slice if the actual traffic of the slice is greater than the second AMBR.

[0220] In a possible implementation method, the first AMBR includes a GBR resource amount and a non-GBR resource amount; the determination unit 720 is used to determine the second AMBR of the slice based on the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice, and the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, including: determining the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR as the smaller value between the flow control bit rate of the QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice and the GBR resource amount in the first AMBR; determining the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR as the smaller value between the session AMBR of the activated PDU session of the slice and the non-GBR resource amount in the first AMBR.

[0221] In a possible implementation method, the GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice; and the non-GBR resource amount of the second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the non-GBR resource amount allowed for use in the slice.

[0222] In a possible implementation method, the control unit 730 is used to perform flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR, including: refusing to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is greater than the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice; or, determining to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow if the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow is less than or equal to the difference between the amount of GBR resources of the second AMBR and the amount of GBR resources currently occupied by the slice; or, discarding data packets of the PDU session of the slice if the actual traffic of the slice is greater than the amount of non-GBR resources of the second AMBR.

[0223] refer to Figure 8 , which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device is used for policy control network elements, such as Figure 8 As shown, the device 800 includes an acquisition unit 810, a determination unit 820 and a sending unit 830. Optionally, it may also include a receiving unit 840 and a judging unit 850.

[0224] An acquisition unit 810 is used to acquire a subscribed AMBR of a slice, wherein the subscribed AMBR is used to represent the amount of GBR resources and the amount of non-GBR resources within the slice; a determination unit 820 is used to determine policy information based on the subscribed AMBR, wherein the policy information includes at least one of a session AMBR of a PDU session or a flow control bit rate of a QoS flow of a PDU session; and a sending unit 830 is used to send the policy information to a session management network element.

[0225] In a possible implementation method, the subscribed AMBR is equal to the sum of the GBR resource amount and the non-GBR resource amount in the slice; or, the subscribed AMBR includes the GBR resource amount in the slice and the non-GBR resource amount in the slice.

[0226] In a possible implementation method, the receiving unit 840 is used to receive the authorized AMBR of the slice from the session management network element, and the authorized AMBR comes from the policy control network element of the visited location; the determination unit is used to determine the policy information based on the subscribed AMBR, specifically including: determining the policy information based on the subscribed AMBR and the authorized AMBR.

[0227] In a possible implementation method, the receiving unit 840 is used to receive a first request from an application function network element, where the first request is used to include QoS requirements; the judging unit 850 is used to judge whether to allocate GBR resources or non-GBR resources to the application function network element based on the policy information.

[0228] It should be understood that the division of the units in the above device is only a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into one physical entity, or they can be physically separated. And the units in the device can all be implemented in the form of software calling through processing elements; they can also be all implemented in the form of hardware; some units can also be implemented in the form of software calling through processing elements, and some units can be implemented in the form of hardware. For example, each unit can be a separately established processing element, or it can be integrated in a certain chip of the device. In addition, it can also be stored in the memory in the form of a program, and called and executed by a certain processing element of the device. The function of the unit. In addition, all or part of these units can be integrated together, or they can be implemented independently. The processing element described here can also be a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method or each unit above can be implemented by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor element or in the form of software calling through a processing element.

[0229] In one example, the unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), or one or more digital singnal processors (DSP), or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms. For another example, when the unit in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element can be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or other processor that can call a program. For another example, these units can be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0230] The above unit for receiving (e.g., receiving unit) is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the receiving unit is an interface circuit of the chip used to receive signals from other chips or devices. The above unit for sending (e.g., sending unit) is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to send signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the sending unit is an interface circuit of the chip used to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0231] refer to Fig. 9 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The access network device is used to implement the operation of the access network device in the above embodiment. Fig. 9 As shown, the access network device includes: an antenna 910, a radio frequency device 920, and a baseband device 930. The antenna 910 is connected to the radio frequency device 920. In the uplink direction, the radio frequency device 920 receives information sent by the terminal device through the antenna 910, and sends the information sent by the terminal device to the baseband device 930 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 930 processes the information of the terminal device and sends it to the radio frequency device 920, and the radio frequency device 920 processes the information of the terminal device and sends it to the terminal device through the antenna 910.

[0232] The baseband device 930 may include one or more processing elements 931 and an interface 933, wherein the processing element 931 includes, for example, a main control CPU and other integrated circuits. In addition, the baseband device 930 may also include a storage element 932, which is used to store programs and data; the interface 933 is used to interact with the radio frequency device 920. The interface is, for example, a common public radio interface (CPRI). The above device for access network equipment may be located in the baseband device 930. For example, the above device for access network equipment may be a chip on the baseband device 930, which includes at least one processing element and an interface circuit, wherein the processing element is used to execute each step of any method executed by the above access network equipment, and the interface circuit is used to communicate with other devices. In one implementation, the unit for implementing each step in the above method by the access network equipment may be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduling program. For example, the device for access network equipment includes a processing element and a storage element, and the processing element calls the program stored in the storage element to execute the method executed by the access network equipment in the above method embodiment. The storage element may be a storage element on the same chip as the processing element, ie, an on-chip storage element, or may be a storage element on a different chip from the processing element, ie, an off-chip storage element.

[0233] In another implementation, the unit of the access network device implementing each step in the above method may be configured as one or more processing elements, which are arranged on the baseband device. The processing elements here may be integrated circuits, such as one or more ASICs, or one or more DSPs, or one or more FPGAs, or a combination of these integrated circuits. These integrated circuits may be integrated together to form a chip.

[0234] The units of the access network device implementing the various steps in the above method can be integrated together and implemented in the form of SOC. For example, the baseband device includes the SOC chip to implement the above method. The chip can integrate at least one processing element and a storage element, and the processing element calls the stored program of the storage element to implement the method executed by the above access network device; or, the chip can integrate at least one integrated circuit to implement the method executed by the above access network device; or, the above implementation methods can be combined, and the functions of some units can be implemented in the form of a processing element calling a program, and the functions of some units can be implemented in the form of an integrated circuit.

[0235] It can be seen that the above apparatus for access network equipment may include at least one processing element and an interface circuit, wherein at least one processing element is used to execute any one of the methods performed by the access network equipment provided in the above method embodiments. The processing element may execute part or all of the steps performed by the access network equipment in a first manner: that is, by calling a program stored in a storage element; or in a second manner: that is, by combining an integrated logic circuit of hardware in a processor element with instructions to execute part or all of the steps performed by the access network equipment; of course, the first manner and the second manner may also be combined to execute part or all of the steps performed by the above access network equipment.

[0236] The processing element here is the same as described above, and can be a general-purpose processor, such as a CPU, or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method, such as one or more ASICs, or one or more microprocessors DSPs, or one or more FPGAs, etc., or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms. The storage element can be a memory, or a general term for multiple storage elements.

[0237] refer to Fig.10 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of a policy control network element provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is used to implement the operation of the policy control network element in the above embodiment. Fig.10 As shown, the policy control network element includes: a processor 1010, a memory 1020, and an interface 1030, and the processor 1010 and the interface 1030 are signal-connected. Optionally, the policy control network element may also include the memory 1020.

[0238] The method for policy control network element execution in the above embodiment can be implemented by the processor 1010 calling the program stored in the memory 1020. That is, the device for policy control network element includes a memory and a processor, and the memory is used to store the program, and the program is called by the processor to execute the method for policy control network element execution in the above method embodiment. The processor here can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capability, such as a CPU. The device for policy control network element can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method. For example: one or more ASICs, or one or more microprocessors DSPs, or one or more FPGAs, etc., or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms. Alternatively, the above implementation method can be combined.

[0239] As a method of implementation, the above Figure 7 The determining unit 720 and the control unit 730 in the communication device shown can be composed of Fig. 9 The processing element 931 of the access network device shown in the figure implements the above Figure 7 The receiving unit 710 in the communication device shown can be composed of Fig. 9The interface 933 of the access network device shown is implemented.

[0240] As a method of implementation, the above Figure 8 The acquisition unit 810, the determination unit 820 and the judgment unit 850 in the communication device shown in FIG. Fig.10 The processor 1010 of the policy control network element shown in the figure implements the above Figure 8 The sending unit 830 and the receiving unit 840 in the communication device shown can be composed of Fig.10 The policy shown is implemented by interface 1030 of the network element.

[0241] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state drive (SSD)), etc.

[0242] The various illustrative logic units and circuits described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or operated by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or the design of any combination of the above functions. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, and optionally, the general-purpose processor can also be any traditional processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. The processor can also be implemented by a combination of computing devices, such as a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other similar configuration to implement.

[0243] In one or more exemplary designs, the above functions described in this application can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination of the three. If implemented in software, these functions can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or transmitted in the form of one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media that facilitate the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by any general or special computer. For example, such computer-readable media can include but are not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and other forms that can be read by general or special computers, or general or special processors. In addition, any connection can be appropriately defined as a computer-readable medium, for example, if the software is transmitted from a website site, server or other remote resource through a coaxial cable, fiber optic computer, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL) or wirelessly, such as infrared, wireless and microwave, it is also included in the defined computer-readable medium. The disk and disc include compact disk, laser disk, optical disk, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and blue-ray disc. Disks usually copy data magnetically, while discs usually copy data optically with lasers. The above combinations can also be included in computer readable media.

[0244] Those skilled in the art should be aware that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that a general or special-purpose computer can access.

[0245] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the present application as defined by the appended claims, and are deemed to have covered any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, a person skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: A first aggregated maximum bit rate AMBR of a receiving slice is used to indicate a guaranteed bit rate GBR resource amount and a non-GBR resource amount in the slice, and the first AMBR is an AMBR of a contracted slice or an AMBR of an authorized slice; Flow control of the slice is performed according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated session of the slice, and the maximum flow bit rate MFBR of the GBRQoS flow of the activated session of the slice.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The performing flow control of the slice according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated session of the slice, and the maximum flow bit rate MFBR of the GBR QoS flow of the activated session of the slice comprises: Determining a second AMBR according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated session of the slice, and the maximum flow bit rate MFBR of the GBR QoS flow of the activated session of the slice; Flow control of the slice is performed according to the second AMBR.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first AMBR is equal to the sum of the GBR resource amount and the non-GBR resource amount in the slice; Determining a second AMBR of the slice according to the first AMBR, the session AMBR of the activated session of the slice, and the MFBR of the GBR QoS flow of the activated PDU session of the slice, comprising: The second AMBR is determined to be the smaller value of the sum of the MFBR of the QoS flow of the activated session of the slice and the session AMBR of the activated session of the slice, and the first AMBR.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the amount of resources allowed to be used in the slice.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The second AMBR is used to indicate the maximum value of the aggregated uplink and / or downlink bit rate of all GBR QoS flows and Non-GBR QoS flows allowed to be used by the user in the slice.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: Performing flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR includes: If the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow of the slice is greater than the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice, refuse to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: Performing flow control of the slice according to the second AMBR includes: If the amount of GBR resources requested to be allocated for the first QoS flow of the slice is less than or equal to the difference between the second AMBR and the amount of resources currently occupied by the slice, determine to allocate GBR resources to the first QoS flow; or, If the actual traffic of the slice is greater than the second AMBR, the data packets of the session of the slice are discarded.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The first AMBR represents the aggregated uplink and / or downlink maximum bit rate of all GBR QoS flows and Non-GBR QoS flows of the user subscribed by the user in the slice, or, The first AMBR represents the aggregated uplink and / or downlink maximum bit rate of all GBR QoS flows and Non-GBR QoS flows of the authorized user in the slice.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method is executed by the access network device or a chip in the access network device.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a functional unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises one or more processors connected to a memory and used to call a program stored in the memory to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The memory is located inside the device, or outside the device.

13. A communication system, characterized in that: include: Mobility management network elements and access network equipment; The mobility management network element is used to send a first aggregated maximum bit rate AMBR of a slice to the access network device, where the first AMBR is used to indicate a guaranteed bit rate GBR resource amount and a non-GBR resource amount in the slice, and the first AMBR is an AMBR of a contracted slice or an AMBR of an authorized slice; The access network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein: The system also includes a data management network element; The mobility management network element is also used to obtain the subscribed AMBR of the slice from the data management network element.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein: The system also includes a policy control network element; The mobility management network element is further used to send the subscribed AMBR of the slice to the policy control network element; The policy control network element is used to perform authorization on the subscribed AMBR of the slice to obtain the authorized AMBR of the slice; and send the authorized AMBR of the slice to the mobility management network element.

16. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the method comprises: The mobility management network element sends the first aggregated maximum bit rate AMBR of the slice to the access network device, where the first AMBR is used to indicate the amount of guaranteed bit rate GBR resources and non-GBR resources within the slice, and the first AMBR is the AMBR of the contracted slice or the AMBR of the authorized slice.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that Also includes: The mobility management network element obtains the subscribed AMBR of the slice from the data management network element.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that Also includes: The mobility management network element sends the subscribed AMBR of the slice to the policy control network element; The policy control network element performs authorization on the subscribed AMBR of the slice to obtain the authorized AMBR of the slice; and sends the authorized AMBR of the slice to the mobility management network element.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enable the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product stores instructions, and when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer can execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

21. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtain a subscribed aggregated maximum bit rate AMBR of a slice, where the subscribed AMBR is used to indicate a guaranteed bit rate GBR resource amount and a non-GBR resource amount in the slice; Determine policy information according to the subscribed AMBR, wherein the policy information includes at least one of a session AMBR of a protocol data unit PDU session or a flow control bit rate of a quality of service QoS flow of a PDU session; The policy information is sent to a session management network element.

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