Communication method, network element, system, device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method, a network element, a system, equipment and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of wireless communication. The method comprises: a first network element discovers a second network element, the second network element being configured with a first service capability having a maximum number characteristic of terminal equipment UE having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability having a PDU session number; a service request is sent to a second network element, and the second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request to obtain a service result; and the first network element receives the service result sent by the second network element. According to the method and the device, the NSAC related process in the 5GC is simplified, the time consumption is shortened, and the signaling burden is relieved.

Description

Background Art

[0002] A network slice is a logical network with specific network characteristics. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard stipulates that the Network Slice Admission Control Function (NSACF) network element monitors the number of terminal equipment (UE) and protocol data unit (PDU) sessions of each network slice belonging to the network slice control NSAC to prevent the above performance from exceeding the maximum value.

[0003] In the 5G core network (5Gcore, 5GC), the provider of NSAC's services such as the maximum number of registered UEs is an NSACF network element, and the consumer is the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element; while the provider of services such as the maximum number of PDU sessions is an NSACF network element, and the consumer is the Session Management Function (SMF) network element. However, the producer of the above-mentioned maximum number of registered UEs service and the producer of the maximum number of PDU sessions service may not be the same NSACF network element, resulting in a complicated and time-consuming process with a heavy signaling burden.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a communication method, system, device and storage medium, which at least to some extent overcome the problems of the existing communication methods, such as complicated and cumbersome procedures, time-consuming and heavy signaling burden.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by the practice of the present disclosure.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a first network element, and the method includes: discovering a second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of terminal devices UE having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or a packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; sending a service request to the second network element so that the second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; and receiving the service result sent by the second network element.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the service request includes a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first network element is a session management function SMF network element; the second network element is a NSACF network element.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is also provided, which is applied to a second network element, and the method includes: receiving a service request sent by a first network element, the second network element being configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; executing a service corresponding to the service request, obtaining a service result, and sending the service result to the first network element.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the service request includes a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the service request includes a first service request, the service result includes a first service result corresponding to the first service request; wherein, executing the service corresponding to the service request, obtaining the service result, and sending the service result to the first network element includes: executing relevant service processes for the maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection; if the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection of the network slice does not reach the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, then adding the UE to the UE list and updating the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection; the service result sent to the first network element includes information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection does not reach the maximum value.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method also includes: if the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection of the network slice has reached a maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, the service result sent to the first network element includes information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection has reached a maximum value.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of registered UEs is calculated by an evolved packet system EPS, and the registered UEs of the EPS have at least one default PDN connection; the number of PDU sessions is calculated by a 5G system 5GS.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the service request includes a second service request, the service result includes a second service result corresponding to the second service request; wherein, executing the service corresponding to the service request, obtaining the service result, and sending the service result to the first network element includes: performing a PDU session quantity availability check and update for each network slice; the service result sent to the first network element includes the PDU session quantity check and update result for each network slice.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first network element is an SMF network element; the second network element is an NSACF network element.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a first network element is also provided, including: a service capability discovery module, used to discover a second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; a service request sending module, used to send a service request to the second network element so that the second network element performs a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; and a service result receiving module, used to receive the service result sent by the second network element.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a second network element is also provided, including: a service request receiving module, used to receive a service request sent by a first network element, the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; a service execution feedback module, used to execute a service corresponding to the service request, obtain a service result, and send the service result to the first network element.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is also provided, including a first network element and a second network element, wherein the first network element is used to discover the second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability of the maximum number of terminal devices UE having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; send a service request to the second network element so that the second network element executes the service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; receive the service result sent by the second network element; the second network element is used to receive the service request sent by the first network element; execute the service corresponding to the service request, obtain the service result, and send the service result to the first network element.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the above-mentioned communication method by executing the executable instructions.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned communication method is implemented.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including executable instructions, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of an electronic device reads the executable instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the executable instructions, so that the electronic device executes the above-mentioned communication method.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first network element discovers a second network element, and the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; a service request is sent to the second network element, so that the second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; the service result sent by the second network element is received, and a new NEST feature is configured for NSAC in 5GC, namely, the maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection, thereby streamlining NSAC-related processes, shortening time, and reducing signaling burden, with relatively minor changes to the mobile communication system architecture at the standard level, and without the need to add new network elements or equipment.

[0024] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an exemplary system architecture of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 A flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 3 A flow chart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 4 A flow chart of a second network element executing a service corresponding to a first service request provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 5 A flowchart of another method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure for a second network element to execute a service corresponding to a first service request is shown.

[0031] Figure 6 A flow chart showing the execution of a service corresponding to a second service request by a second network element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 7 An example interaction diagram of a communication method applied to a first network element and a second network element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a first network element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second network element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Fig.11 A structural block diagram of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete and to fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0038] In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and their repeated description will be omitted. Some of the block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0039] For ease of understanding, before introducing the embodiments of the present disclosure, several terms involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are first explained as follows:

[0040] Network Slice: Network Slice is a logical network with specific network characteristics. A 5G physical network can be abstractly divided into multiple network slices. Each network slice constitutes an end-to-end logical network. They are logically isolated from each other and do not affect each other. The service of each network slice is identified by Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI). The network selects a network slice for the service based on the S-NSSAI carried in the service request of the terminal device and transmits the user's service data in the selected network slice.

[0041] The specific implementation of the embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary application system architecture to which the communication method in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied is shown.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the system architecture includes a terminal device 101, a network 102 and a network-side device 103; the network 102 is used to provide a medium for a communication link between the terminal device 101 and the network-side device 103, and can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0044] Optionally, the wireless network or wired network described above uses standard communication technology and / or protocol. The network is typically the Internet, but may also be any network, including but not limited to a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile, wired or wireless network, a dedicated network or any combination of a virtual private network. In some embodiments, the data exchanged through the network is represented using technology and / or formats including Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), etc. In addition, conventional encryption technologies such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Virtual Private Network (VPN), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) may be used to encrypt all or some links. In other embodiments, customized and / or dedicated data communication technologies may also be used to replace or supplement the above data communication technologies.

[0045] Figure 1 Any terminal device 101 shown can be used as a remote terminal or a relay terminal. Communication based on proximity services can be established between the remote terminal and the relay terminal. The remote terminal can access the network directly or through the relay terminal.

[0046] Optionally, the terminal device 101 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may also be referred to as UE (User Equipment). In a specific implementation, the terminal device 101 may be a terminal-side device such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Tablet Personal Computer), a laptop computer (Laptop Computer), a personal digital assistant (Personal Digital Assistant, PDA), a mobile Internet device (Mobile Internet Device, MID), a wearable device (Wearable Device) or a vehicle-mounted device.

[0047] Optionally, the client of the application installed in different terminal devices is the same, or the client of the same type of application based on different operating systems. Based on the different terminal platforms, the specific form of the client of the application can also be different, for example, the application client can be a mobile client, a PC client, etc.

[0048] The network side device 103 includes various network entities of the access network or core network, including but not limited to SMF network elements, AMF network elements, NSACF network elements, and in addition, it can also include UDM network elements, UPF network elements and PCF network elements, etc. It should be noted that the specific type of network side equipment is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the AMF network element supports UEs with different mobility management requirements. The PCF network element interacts with the access and mobility policy implementation in the AMF network element through the service-based interfaces (SBI); the UDM network element is part of the 5G core network control plane and is the front-end architecture of the 5G user database. The UDM network element is the user subscription data management part of the control plane, responsible for processing business logic, responsible for signaling processing with other core network elements, and saves dynamic data of users and services; the UE sends a subscription data request to the UDM network element through the AMF network element for user registration; the SMF network element is used to establish a session and configure the flow control of the UPF network element to route the traffic to the correct destination. As a 5G network user plane network element, the UPF network element mainly supports the routing and forwarding of UE service data, data and service identification, action and policy execution, etc.; the NSACF network element is used to monitor the characteristics of each network slice belonging to the NSAC, such as the number of UEs and the number of PDU sessions, to match network slices for the UE. The UPF network element interacts with the SMF network element through the N4 interface, is controlled and managed by the SMF network element, and executes service flow processing according to various policies issued by the SMF network element. In other words, after the SMF network element receives the session policy control creation response from the PCF network element, it controls the UPF network element to execute service flow processing.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will know that Figure 1 The number of terminal devices, networks, and network-side devices in the example is merely illustrative, and any number of terminal devices, networks, and network-side devices may be provided according to actual needs. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0051] In one scenario, when a terminal device accesses a network slice through a registration request, the AMF network element discovers the NSACF network element, and the AMF network element needs to send a registered UE quantity service request to the corresponding NSACF network element. The NSACF network element performs a check and update of the availability of the UE quantity for each network slice, and sends a service result to the AMF. The service result includes information on whether the number of registered UEs in the network slice of the NSACF network element has reached the maximum number of registered UEs. If the number of registered UEs in the network slice has exceeded the maximum number of registered UEs, the AMF network element will reject the request of the above-mentioned terminal device to access the above-mentioned network slice.

[0052] In another scenario, when a terminal device requests to establish a new PDU session within a network slice, the SMF network element discovers the NSACF network element and sends a PDU session quantity service request to the corresponding NSACF network element. The NSACF network element performs a PDU session quantity availability check and update for each network slice, and sends the update result to the SMF network element. The update result includes information on whether the number of existing PDU sessions within the network slice of the NSACF network element has reached the maximum number of sessions to be established. If the number of existing PDU sessions within the network slice has reached the maximum number of sessions to be established, the SMF network element will reject the request of the terminal device to access the network slice.

[0053] In the above two situations, if the NSACF network element discovered by the AMF network element is not the same NSACF network element as the NSACF network element discovered by the SMF network element, the complete NSAC will involve four processes: the AMF network element discovers the first NSACF network element, the SMF network element discovers the second NSACF network element, the AMF network element triggers the registered UE quantity service to the first NSACF network element, and the SMF network element triggers the PDU session quantity service to the second NSACF network element. This will result in a complex, cumbersome, time-consuming process with a heavy signaling burden.

[0054] In order to solve the above technical problems, the solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is that the first network element discovers the second network element, and the second network element is configured with a first service capability of the maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; a service request is sent to the second network element so that the second network element executes the service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; the service result sent by the second network element is received, and a new NEST feature is configured for NSAC in 5GC, that is, the maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection, thereby streamlining the NSAC-related processes, shortening the time consumption, and reducing the signaling burden. At the standard level, the changes to the mobile communication system architecture are relatively small, and no new network elements or equipment are required. It is specifically described through the following embodiments:

[0055] First, a communication method is provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the method can be executed by any system with computing processing capabilities. In a feasible implementation, the process corresponding to the method can be executed by a first network element, such as an SMF network element; in another feasible implementation, the process corresponding to the method can be executed by a second network element, such as an NSACF network element.

[0056] Figure 2 A flow chart of a communication method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a first network element, and includes the following steps:

[0057] S202. Discover a second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with at least one of a first service capability of a maximum number of terminal devices UE having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or a packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability of a number of PDU sessions.

[0058] In one embodiment, when a terminal device accesses a network slice through a registration request, or when a terminal device requests to establish a new PDU session, the first network element discovers the second network element through a network storage function (Network Repository Function, NRF) network element. The NRF network element is used to register the level and status of network function services, realize automatic management, selection and scalability of network function services, and allow each network function to discover services provided by other network functions. When each network function is started, it needs to register with the NRF network element to provide services. The registration information includes network function type, address, service list and other information.

[0059] The service capability configured by the second network element is used to characterize the ability of the second network element to provide services. In one embodiment, the service capability includes a first service capability and a second service capability, wherein the first service capability is used to check and update whether the number of PDU sessions or PDN connections within each network slice exceeds the maximum number of UEs, and the second service capability is used to check and update the number of PDU sessions within each network slice.

[0060] In the 5G network, the first service capability of the second network element is the capability of having the maximum number of UEs characteristic of at least one PDU session, that is, the second network element can detect whether the number of UEs of the PDU session of at least one network slice exceeds the maximum number of UEs; in the 4G network, the first service capability of the second network element is the capability of having the maximum number of UEs characteristic of at least one PDN connection, that is, the second network element can detect whether the number of UEs of the PDN connection of at least one network slice exceeds the maximum number of UEs.

[0061] It should be noted that when the terminal device switches between the 4G network and the 5G network, the first service capability can be determined comprehensively based on the number of UEs in the PDU session and the number of UEs in the PDN connection before and after the network switching. For example, when the terminal device switches from the 4G network to the 5G network, the corresponding number of UEs in the first service capability can be the sum of the number of UEs in the PDN connection connected to the 4G network and the number of UEs in the PDU session connected to the 5G network. By monitoring the number of UEs in each network slice belonging to the NSAC instead of the maximum number of registered UEs in the original characteristics, the actual network load situation can be determined, thereby proposing a better adjustment strategy.

[0062] In one embodiment, the first network element is an SMF network element; the second network element is an NSACF network element. In other networks, the first network element may also be other network elements that implement the same function as the SMF network element, and the second network element may also be other network elements that implement the same function as the NSACF network element.

[0063] S204: Send a service request to the second network element, so that the second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result.

[0064] It should be noted that the service request includes a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability, and the service result includes a first service result corresponding to the first service request and / or a second service result corresponding to the second service request.

[0065] In one embodiment, when the first network element sends a first service request to the second network element, the second network element executes the first service request, that is, the second network element executes the relevant service process of the maximum number of UEs for at least one PDU session or PDN connection, detects whether the number of UEs for the PDU session or PDN connection in each network slice exceeds the maximum number of UEs, and obtains a first service result, which includes information on whether the number of UEs for at least one PDU session or PDN connection exceeds the maximum number of UEs.

[0066] It should be noted that when the number of UEs in at least one PDU session or PDN connection has not reached the maximum value, the first service result also includes S-NSSAI, so that the terminal device carries S-NSSAI in the service request initiated to the network. The network selects a network slice for the service based on S-NSSAI and transmits service data in the selected network slice.

[0067] When the number of UEs including at least one PUD session or PDN connection in the first service result exceeds the maximum value, the first network element rejects the request of the terminal device to access the above network slice.

[0068] In one embodiment, when the first network element sends a second service request to the second network element, the second network element executes the second service request, that is, the second network element performs an availability check and update of the number of PDU sessions for each network slice, obtains a second service result, and sends the second service result to the first network element. The above-mentioned second service result includes information on whether the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice of the NSACF network element has reached the maximum number of sessions established.

[0069] It should be noted that when the second service result includes that the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice has not reached the maximum number of sessions established, the second service result also includes S-NSSAI, then the first network element selects the corresponding network slice for the service of the terminal device according to S-NSSAI, and transmits service data in the selected network slice, and the first network element accepts the request of the above-mentioned terminal device to access the above-mentioned network slice.

[0070] If the second service result includes that the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice has reached the maximum number of sessions to be established, the first network element rejects the request of the above-mentioned terminal device to access the above-mentioned network slice.

[0071] S206: Receive the service result sent by the second network element.

[0072] In one embodiment, it can be determined whether to accept or reject a request from a terminal device to access a network slice based on a service result sent by the second network element.

[0073] In one embodiment, when the service results include a first service result, and the first service result includes at least one PDU session or PDN connection whose number of UEs does not reach the maximum value and S-NSSAI, the first network element selects a network slice for the service according to the S-NSSAI carried in the service request initiated by the terminal device, and transmits the service data in the selected network slice.

[0074] When the number of UEs including at least one PDU session or PDN connection in the first service result exceeds the maximum value, the first network element rejects the request of the terminal device to access the network slice.

[0075] In one embodiment, when the service result includes a second service result, and the second service result includes that the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice has reached the maximum number of sessions to be established, the first network element rejects the request of the above-mentioned terminal device to access the above-mentioned network slice; when the second service result includes that the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice has not reached the maximum number of sessions to be established and S-NSSAI, the first network element accepts the request of the terminal device to access the above-mentioned network slice, and transmits service data in the network slice corresponding to the S-NSSAI.

[0076] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first network element discovers a second network element, and the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; a service request is sent to the second network element, so that the second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; the service result sent by the second network element is received, and a new NEST feature is configured for NSAC in 5GC, namely, the maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection, thereby streamlining NSAC-related processes, shortening time, and reducing signaling burden, with relatively minor changes to the mobile communication system architecture at the standard level, and without the need to add new network elements or equipment.

[0077] Figure 3 FIG. 2 shows another flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to the second network element, comprising the following steps:

[0078] S302: Receive a service request sent by the first network element, and configure the second network element with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions.

[0079] In one embodiment, the first network element is an SMF network element; the second network element is an NSACF network element. In other networks, the first network element may also be other network elements that implement the same function as the SMF network element, and the second network element may also be other network elements that implement the same function as the NSACF network element.

[0080] The service request sent by the first network element may include a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability.

[0081] S303: Execute the service corresponding to the service request, obtain the service result, and send the service result to the first network element.

[0082] The service corresponding to the first service request is that the second network element executes a service process related to the maximum number of UE characteristics having at least one PDU session or PDN connection to obtain a first service result.

[0083] The service corresponding to the second service request is that the second network element performs availability check and update of the number of PDU sessions for each network slice, and obtains a second service result.

[0084] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions. The second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request according to the service request sent by the first network element, and sends the service result to the first network element, so that the first network element determines whether to accept or reject the request of the terminal device to access the network slice according to the service result, thereby streamlining the NSAC-related processes, shortening the time consumption, and reducing the signaling burden. At the standard level, the changes to the mobile communication system architecture are relatively small, and no new network elements or equipment are required.

[0085] Figure 4 FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of a second network element executing a service corresponding to a first service request provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, when the service request includes a first service request, the service result includes a first service result corresponding to the first service request. The above S303 executes the service corresponding to the service request, obtains the service result, and sends the service result to the first network element, including:

[0086] S402, executing a service process related to a characteristic of the maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection;

[0087] S404. If the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection of the network slice has not reached the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, the UE is added to the UE list, and the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection is updated;

[0088] S406. The first service result sent to the first network element includes information that the number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection has not reached the maximum value and S-NSSAI.

[0089] In one embodiment, the number of registered UEs is calculated by an Evolved Packet System (EPS), and the registered UEs of EPS have at least one default PDN connection; the number of PDU sessions is calculated by a 5G system (5G System, 5GS).

[0090] It should be noted that the above-mentioned UE list is used to record the correspondence between the terminal devices that conduct PDU sessions with each network slice or the correspondence between the terminal devices that conduct PDN connections with each network slice. The UE list includes information such as each network slice identifier, the terminal device identifier for the PDU session, the terminal device identifier for the PDN connection, and the number of terminal devices connected to each network slice.

[0091] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection of a network slice reaches the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, it indicates that the network slice can carry services of more terminal devices, and the information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection does not reach the maximum value is transmitted to the first network element, so that the first network element accepts the request of the terminal device to access the network slice, thereby making full use of the network load and improving network performance.

[0092] Figure 5 Another flow chart of a second network element executing a service corresponding to a first service request provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 Based on the embodiment, the method further includes S408, which is used to describe the situation where the number of UEs with at least one PUD session or PDN connection reaches a maximum value. In one embodiment, the communication method provided by the present disclosure also includes:

[0093] S408. If the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection in the network slice has reached the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, the first service result sent to the first network element includes information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection has reached the maximum value.

[0094] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection of a network slice has reached the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, it indicates that the network slice cannot carry more services of terminal devices, and the information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection has reached the maximum value is transmitted to the first network element, so that the first network element rejects the request of the terminal device to access the network slice, thereby effectively alleviating the network load and improving network performance.

[0095] Figure 6 The flowchart of the second network element executing the service corresponding to the second service request provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, when the service request includes a second service request, the service result includes a second service result corresponding to the second service request. The above S304 executes the service corresponding to the service request, obtains the service result, and sends the service result to the first network element, including:

[0096] S602. Perform PDU session quantity availability check and update for each network slice;

[0097] S604. The second service result sent to the first network element includes the PDU session quantity check and update result of each network slice.

[0098] It should be noted that when the second network element receives the second service request sent by the first network element, it performs the PDU session number availability check and update service for each network slice, obtains the second service result, and sends the second service result to the first network element. The above-mentioned second service result includes information on whether the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice of the NSACF network element has reached the maximum number of sessions to be established.

[0099] It should be noted that when the second service result includes that the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice has not reached the maximum number of sessions established, the second service result also includes S-NSSAI, then the first network element selects the corresponding network slice for the service of the terminal device according to S-NSSAI, and transmits service data in the selected network slice, and the first network element accepts the request of the above-mentioned terminal device to access the above-mentioned network slice.

[0100] If the second service result includes that the number of existing PDU sessions in the network slice has reached the maximum number of sessions to be established, the first network element rejects the request of the above-mentioned terminal device to access the above-mentioned network slice.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a second service result is obtained by performing a PDU session quantity availability check and update for each network slice, so that the first network element confirms acceptance or rejection of the terminal device's request to access the network slice based on the second service result, thereby shortening the time consumption and reducing the signaling burden.

[0102] In order to deepen the understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 7 The following explanation is given, in which a first network element is an SMF network element and a second network element is an NSACF network element.

[0103] like Figure 7 As shown, a communication method applied to a first network element and a second network element includes:

[0104] S701, the SMF network element discovers the NSACF network element, which is the provider of the UE maximum number characteristic related service and the PDU session number service, which has at least one PDU session or PDN connection, through the NRF network element;

[0105] S702, the SMF network element triggers the UE maximum number characteristic-related process with at least one PDU session or PDN connection and / or the PDU session number availability check and update process for each network slice;

[0106] S703a, the SMF network element sends a service request related to the maximum number of UE characteristics with at least one PDU session or PDN connection to the NSACF network element;

[0107] S704a, the NSACF network element executes a service process related to the maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection;

[0108] S705a. The NSACF network element sends a service response related to the maximum number of UE characteristics with at least one PDU session / PDN connection to the SMF network element.

[0109] S703b, the SMF network element sends a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfPDUsUpdate request to the NSACF network element;

[0110] S704b, the NSACF network element performs a check and update of the number of PDU sessions available for each network slice;

[0111] S705b. The NSACF network element sends a Nnsacf_NSAC_NumOfPDUsUpdate reply to the SMF network element.

[0112] It should be noted that S703a to S705a are processes related to the maximum number of UE characteristics with at least one PDU session or PDN connection in 5GC; S7033b to S705b are service processes related to the maximum number of PDU session characteristics in 5GC (availability check and update of the number of PDU sessions per network slice). Only one of the processes can be executed or both processes can be executed at the same time.

[0113] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide related devices such as a first network element, a second network element, and a communication system, such as the following embodiments. Since the principle of solving the problem in the related device embodiment is similar to that in the above method embodiment, the implementation of the related device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0114] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first network element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the first network element provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a service capability discovery module 810 , a service request sending module 820 and a service result receiving module 830 .

[0115] The service capability discovery module 810 is configured to discover a second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions;

[0116] The service request sending module 820 is used to send a service request to the second network element so that the second network element performs a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result;

[0117] The service result receiving module 830 is used to receive the service result sent by the second network element.

[0118] It should be noted that the service request includes a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability.

[0119] It should be noted that the first network element is an SMF network element; the second network element is an NSACF network element.

[0120] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first network element discovers a second network element, and the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; a service request is sent to the second network element, so that the second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; the service result sent by the second network element is received, and a new NEST feature is configured for NSAC in 5GC, namely, the maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection, thereby streamlining NSAC-related processes, shortening time, and reducing signaling burden, with relatively minor changes to the mobile communication system architecture at the standard level, and without the need to add new network elements or equipment.

[0121] Fig. 9 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of a second network element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 As shown, in one embodiment, the second network element provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a service request receiving module 910 and a service execution feedback module 920.

[0122] The service request receiving module 910 is configured to receive a service request sent by the first network element, and the second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions;

[0123] The service execution feedback module 920 is used to execute the service corresponding to the service request, obtain the service result, and send the service result to the first network element.

[0124] It should be noted that the service request includes a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability.

[0125] In one embodiment, when the service request includes a first service request, the service result includes a first service result corresponding to the first service request, and the service execution feedback module 920 is used to execute relevant service processes of the maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection; if the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection of the network slice does not reach the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, the UE is added to the UE list and the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection is updated; the first service result sent to the first network element includes information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection does not reach the maximum value.

[0126] In one embodiment, the service execution feedback module 920 is used to send to the first network element a service result including information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection has reached the maximum value if the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection in the network slice has reached the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list.

[0127] It should be noted that the number of registered UEs is calculated through the evolved packet system EPS, and the registered UEs of EPS have at least one default PDN connection; the number of PDU sessions is calculated through the 5G system 5GS.

[0128] In one embodiment, when the service request includes a second service request, the service result includes a second service result corresponding to the second service request; the service execution feedback module 920 is used to perform a PDU session quantity availability check and update for each network slice; the second service result sent to the first network element includes a PDU session quantity check and update result for each network slice.

[0129] It should be noted that the first network element is an SMF network element; the second network element is an NSACF network element.

[0130] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions. The second network element executes a service corresponding to the service request according to the service request sent by the first network element, and sends the service result to the first network element, so that the first network element determines whether to accept or reject the request of the terminal device to access the network slice according to the service result, thereby streamlining the NSAC-related processes, shortening the time consumption, and reducing the signaling burden. At the standard level, the changes to the mobile communication system architecture are relatively small, and no new network elements or equipment are required.

[0131] Fig.10 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.10As shown, in one embodiment, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, including a first network element 1010 and a second network element 1020, wherein the first network element 1010 is used to discover the second network element 1020, wherein the second network element 1020 is configured with a first service capability of the maximum number of terminal devices UE having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; send a service request to the second network element 1020 so that the second network element 1020 executes the service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; receive the service result sent by the second network element 1020; the second network element 1020 is used to receive the service request sent by the first network element 1010; execute the service corresponding to the service request, obtain the service result, and send the service result to the first network element 1010.

[0132] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various aspects of the present invention may be implemented as a system, method or program product. Therefore, various aspects of the present invention may be specifically implemented in the following forms, namely: a complete hardware implementation, a complete software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software, which may be collectively referred to herein as a "circuit", "module" or "system".

[0133] Refer to the following Fig.11 The electronic device 1100 according to this embodiment of the present invention is described. Fig.11 The electronic device 1100 shown is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0134] like Fig.11 As shown, the electronic device 1100 is in the form of a general computing device. The components of the electronic device 1100 may include but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 1110, at least one storage unit 1120, and a bus 1130 connecting different system components (including the storage unit 1120 and the processing unit 1110).

[0135] The storage unit stores program codes, which can be executed by the processing unit 1110, so that the processing unit 1110 executes the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention described in the above “Exemplary Method” section of this specification. For example, the processing unit 1110 can execute the following steps: Figure 2 The method comprises the steps of: discovering a second network element as shown in the figure, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of terminal devices UE having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or a packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability having a number of PDU sessions; sending a service request to the second network element so that the second network element performs a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; and receiving the service result sent by the second network element.

[0136] For example, the processing unit 1110 may execute the following Figure 3 As shown in the figure, a service request sent by a first network element is received, and a second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; a service corresponding to the service request is executed, a service result is obtained, and the service result is sent to the first network element.

[0137] The storage unit 1120 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access storage unit (RAM) 11201 and / or a cache storage unit 11202 , and may further include a read-only storage unit (ROM) 11203 .

[0138] The storage unit 1120 may also include a program / utility 11204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 11205, such program modules 11205 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0139] Bus 1130 may represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory unit bus or memory unit controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0140] The electronic device 1100 may also communicate with one or more external devices 1140 (e.g., keyboards, pointing devices, Bluetooth devices, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the system, and / or any device that enables the electronic device 1100 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., routers, modems, etc.). Such communication may be performed via an input / output (I / O) interface 1150. Furthermore, the system may also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network, such as the Internet) via a network adapter 1160. Fig.11 As shown, the network adapter 1160 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 1100 via the bus 1130. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the electronic device 1100, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0141] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0142] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a program product capable of implementing the above method of the present specification is stored. In some possible implementations, various aspects of the present invention may also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes a program code, and when the program product is run on a terminal device, the program code is used to enable the terminal device to execute the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention described in the above "Exemplary Method" section of the present specification.

[0143] A program product for implementing the above method according to an embodiment of the present invention is described, which can adopt a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and can be run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present invention is not limited thereto, and in this document, a readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which can be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, an apparatus or a device.

[0144] The program product may use any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0145] Computer readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which readable program code is carried. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. Readable signal media may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0146] The program code embodied on the readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0147] Program code for performing the operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a separate software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In the case of a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0148] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. On the contrary, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units to be embodied.

[0149] In addition, although the steps of the method in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in this specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired results. Additionally or alternatively, some steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps, etc.

[0150] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a mobile terminal, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0151] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present disclosure, which follows the general principles of the present disclosure and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, applied to a first network element, characterized in that: The method comprises: Discovering a second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability of a maximum number of terminal equipment UEs having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability of a number of PDU sessions; Sending a service request to the second network element so that the second network element performs a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; Receive the service result sent by the second network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The service request includes a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first network element is a session management function SMF network element; the second network element is a NSACF network element.

4. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second network element, the method comprises: receiving a service request sent by a first network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; Execute the service corresponding to the service request, obtain a service result, and send the service result to the first network element.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The service request includes a first service request corresponding to the first service capability and / or a second service request corresponding to the second service capability.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that When the service request includes a first service request, the service result includes a first service result corresponding to the first service request; The executing the service corresponding to the service request, obtaining a service result, and sending the service result to the first network element includes: Execute the service procedures related to the maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU Session or PDN Connection feature; If the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection of the network slice has not reached the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, the UE is added to the UE list, and the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection is updated; The first service result sent to the first network element includes information that the number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection has not reached a maximum value.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection in the network slice has reached the maximum value and the UE is not in the UE list, the first service result sent to the first network element includes information that the number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection has reached the maximum value.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The number of registered UEs is calculated by the evolved packet system EPS, where the registered UEs have at least one default PDN connection. The number of PDU sessions is calculated by the 5G system 5GS.

9. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that When the service request includes a second service request, the service result includes a second service result corresponding to the second service request; The executing the service corresponding to the service request, obtaining a service result, and sending the service result to the first network element includes: Perform PDU session quantity availability check and update for each network slice; The service results sent to the first network element include the PDU session quantity check and update results of each network slice.

10. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first network element is an SMF network element; the second network element is an NSACF network element.

11. A first network element, characterized in that: include: a service capability discovery module, configured to discover a second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of UEs having at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; A service request sending module, used to send a service request to the second network element, so that the second network element performs a service corresponding to the service request and obtains a service result; The service result receiving module is used to receive the service result sent by the second network element.

12. A second network element, characterized in that: include: A service request receiving module, configured to receive a service request sent by a first network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session or PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; The service execution feedback module is used to execute the service corresponding to the service request, obtain the service result, and send the service result to the first network element.

13. A communication system, characterized in that: It includes a first network element and a second network element, wherein: The first network element is used to discover the second network element, wherein the second network element is configured with a first service capability having a maximum number of terminal equipment UEs having at least one protocol data unit PDU session or a packet data network PDN connection and a second service capability of the number of PDU sessions; send a service request to the second network element so that the second network element performs a service corresponding to the service request, and obtains a service result; and receive the service result sent by the second network element; The second network element is used to receive a service request sent by the first network element; execute a service corresponding to the service request, obtain a service result, and send the service result to the first network element.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the communication method described in any one of claims 1 to 3, or execute the communication method described in any one of claims 4 to 10 by executing the executable instructions.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the communication method described in any one of claims 1 to 3, or implements the communication method described in any one of claims 4 to 10.

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