Communication system, communication method, electronic device, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication system, a communication method, electronic equipment, a storage medium and a program product, relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for improving the application range of a local area network under the 3GPP standard. The communication system comprises at least one local area network, the same local area network comprises at least two UEs, each UE has the capability of communication through a 3GPP protocol, each UE comprises a first port, and the first port supports an IEEE802 function; the communication system further comprises a network bridge, the network bridge at least comprises two first ports, and different UE in the communication system further have the capability of communicating through the network bridge.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) expands the application scope of the technology defined by the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). 3GPP proposed that in order to meet the requirements of the residential, office, enterprise and factory market segments, 5G needs to provide services with similar functions to local area networks (LANs), and improve LANs through 5G's high performance, remote access, mobility and security. 3GPP calls this type of service 5G LAN type service, puts forward detailed requirements for the functions of 5G LAN type service, and then standardizes the system architecture and implementation methods that meet the requirements of 5G LAN type service, which is the current 5G LAN technology. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication system, a communication method, an electronic device, a storage medium and a program product for improving the application scope of a local area network under the 3GPP standard.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system comprising: at least one local area network, the same local area network comprising at least one user equipment (UE), each UE having the ability to communicate through a 3GPP protocol, each UE comprising a first port, the first port supporting an IEEE802 function;

[0006] The communication system further includes: a bridge, which includes at least two first ports, and different UEs in the communication system are capable of communicating through the bridge.

[0007] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes: at least one local area network, the same local area network includes at least two UEs, each UE has the ability to communicate through a 3GPP protocol, each UE includes a first port, and the first port supports an IEEE802 function; the communication system also includes: a bridge, the bridge includes at least two first ports, and different UEs in the communication system also have the ability to communicate through the bridge; the method includes:

[0008] The first UE generates an Ethernet message and sends the Ethernet message to the bridge through a first port of the first UE, where the first UE is one of the at least two UEs;

[0009] The bridge receives an Ethernet message from the first UE, determines a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

[0010] In a third aspect, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory and the processor are coupled; the memory is used to store instructions executable by the processor, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor; when the processor is configured to execute instructions, the electronic device executes the method provided in the second aspect above.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method provided in the second aspect.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program product comprising computer instructions is provided. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method provided in the second aspect.

[0013] A communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one local area network, each UE in the same local area network has the ability to communicate through the 3GPP protocol, and each UE includes a first port, and the first port supports the IEEE802 function, that is, in a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first port of the UE located in the same local area network not only supports the 3GPP protocol, but also supports the IEEE802 function. In this way, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a new communication system, which combines the 3GPP protocol with the IEEE802 function, expands the UE's capabilities, and enables the UE supporting the 3GPP protocol to support the IEEE802 function, thereby improving the application scope of the local area network under the 3GPP standard. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings are used to provide further understanding of the technical solution of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present disclosure, they are used to explain the technical solution of the present disclosure and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solution of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a general 5G system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2A schematic diagram of a user plane architecture based on a local switch in a non-roaming scenario provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a user plane architecture based on an N19 interface in a non-roaming scenario provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a user plane architecture based on an N6 interface in a non-roaming scenario provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a 5G system architecture in a non-roaming scenario represented by a control plane provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an existing 5G LAN system architecture based on an N6 interface provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an existing 5G LAN system architecture based on a local switch provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of an existing 5G LAN system architecture based on an N19 interface provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a VLAN bridge architecture provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a MAC bridge architecture provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the configuration structure of a UE in the related art;

[0027] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a configuration structure of a UE provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a MAC relay entity provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the architecture of another MAC relay entity provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of the structure of another communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig.17 A flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig.18 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0034] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and other forms such as the third person singular form "comprises" and the present participle form "comprising" are to be interpreted as open, inclusive, that is, "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" and the like are intended to indicate that specific features, structures, materials or characteristics associated with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner.

[0035] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0036] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0037] Additionally, the use of “based on” is meant to be open and inclusive, as a process, step, calculation, or other action “based on” one or more stated conditions or values ​​may, in practice, be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0038] Before describing the technical solution of the present disclosure, the technical terms involved in the present disclosure are first explained.

[0039] 1. General 5G system architecture.

[0040] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a general 5G system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1CP is the control plane (CP), which is responsible for processing control signaling in the network, including session establishment, policy implementation, identity authentication and other functions. NSSF is the network slice selection function (NSSF), which is used to select the most suitable network slice to provide services according to user needs and network conditions. NEF is the network exposure function (NEF), which is used to expose network functions and resources to third-party applications and services to achieve more flexible network application and service innovation. NRF is the network repository function (NRF), which is used to store and manage service and resource information in the network and support network discovery and service selection. PCF is the policy control function (PCF), which is used to implement network policies, including traffic management, charging policies, access control, etc. UDM is the unified data management (UDM), which is used to store and manage user-related data, including identity authentication, subscription information, user preferences, etc. AF is the application function (AF), which interacts with the network on behalf of third-party applications and services to implement specific business logic and functions. (R)AN is the radio access network (RAN), which is used to provide wireless connections so that user devices can access the network. UPF is the user plane function (UPF), which is used to handle the forwarding and routing of user data, as well as to implement functions such as traffic monitoring and billing. NI is the network interface (NI), which is used to provide connection and communication functions between different network components. DN is the data network (DN), which is used to provide data transmission services and connect user devices and external data resources. AUSF is the authentication server function (AUSF), which is responsible for user identity authentication and ensuring that users have legal access to the network. AMF is the access and mobility management function (AMF), which is used to manage the establishment, modification and release of user sessions and ensure the correct transmission of session data. SCP is the service control point (SCP), which is used to provide specific service control functions in the network.

[0041] 2. 5G LAN system.

[0042] The current 5G LAN system architecture applies a series of general 5G system architectures and improves the user plane architecture of the general 5G system architecture. There are two improved user plane architectures as options, namely Figure 2 The non-roaming scenario shown is based on the user plane architecture of the local switch and Figure 3 The non-roaming scenario shown is based on the user plane architecture of the N19 interface. That is, there are three user plane architecture options for 5G LAN, including the user plane architecture option of the general 5G system architecture and the above Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two user plane architecture options dedicated to 5G LAN.

[0043] It should be noted that for the present disclosure Figures 1 to 10 For the description of each module or each device shown in , reference can be made to the description of the 5G LAN system and the IEEE802 standard in the related art, and will not be repeated here.

[0044] In order to further illustrate how the 5G LAN system architecture implements 5G LAN type services, the user plane architecture of the above general 5G system architecture is drawn separately here, for example Figure 4 The user plane architecture diagram based on the N6 interface in the non-roaming scenario is shown in the figure to facilitate understanding by comparison. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The two improvements of 5G LAN dedicated user plane architecture are shown in Figure 2. Figure 1 The general 5G system architecture shown in the figure is based on the control plane (CP) definition of 3GPP. Figure 1 Simplified to Figure 5 , Figure 5 Shown is a schematic diagram of a 5G system architecture in a non-roaming scenario represented by a control plane provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] exist Figure 5 In the Figure 2 and Figure 3 The two user plane architectures shown are dedicated to 5G LAN instead of Figure 4 The user plane architecture in the general 5G system architecture shown in derives the 5GLAN system architecture corresponding to the two dedicated 5G LAN user plane architectures. In summary, three corresponding 5G LAN system architecture diagrams can be given, namely Figure 6 The current 5G LAN system architecture diagram based on the N6 interface is shown in FIG. Figure 7 The current 5G LAN system architecture diagram based on local switches is shown in Figure 8 The diagram shows the current 5G LAN system architecture based on the N19 interface.

[0046] Figure 6 Indicates that the communication between the two UEs must be carried out as clients through external data networks (DN) servers. The message of one UE is forwarded to the DN server by the user plane function (UPF) via the (radio) access networks (R)AN, and the message arriving at the DN server is forwarded to the other UE by the UPF via the (R)AN. The DN server acts as a proxy between the two UEs, rather than the two UEs communicating directly, which is the client-server communication mode in the traditional 3GPP network.

[0047] Figure 7 The current 5G LAN system architecture based on local switches is shown in the figure and Figure 8 The current 5G LAN system architecture diagram based on the N19 interface shows that the communication between two UEs no longer passes through an external DN server. Figure 7 Indicates that a message of a UE is directly forwarded to another UE by a packet switching anchor (PSA) UPF via (R)AN, and the two UEs share the same PSA UPF; Figure 8 It indicates that a message of a UE is forwarded by a PSAUPF to another PSA UPF via (R)AN, and then forwarded by another PSA UPF to another UE via (R)AN. The two UEs use different PSA UPFs.

[0048] In order to coordinate with the above three 5G LAN user plane architectures, form three 5G LAN system architectures, and realize 5G LAN type service requirements, 3GPP also proposed the concept of 5G virtual network group (5G VN group). The 5G VN group consists of a group of UEs using dedicated communications. Communication is only carried out between UEs in the group and is used for 5G LAN services. In fact, 3GPP regards the 3GPP network of a 5G VN group as a local area network. The 5G VN group supported by the three 5G LAN user plane architectures realizes services similar to local area networks. To be precise, this 5G LAN technology should be called 5G VN group technology.

[0049] 3.IEEE802 standard.

[0050] IEEE802 standard bridges are usually called switches and are used to form IEEE802 standard local area networks. Since Ethernet is the only IEEE802 wired standard local area network that can be used to form a bridge, bridges are also called Ethernet switches to distinguish them from other network devices also called switches on the market. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, switches, Ethernet switches, and bridges can be used as interchangeable terms.

[0051] The IEEE802 standard clearly specifies the operation, architecture, and operation model of the bridge, but does not specify the technical solution for implementing the bridge, and indicates that the operation model can adopt any internal operation model that is compatible with the externally visible behavior specified in the IEEE802 standard. No matter what solution is used, as long as it can achieve the functions specified in the standard. Since the development of switches, a variety of technical solutions have emerged, including shared bus switches, shared storage switches, Crossbar matrix switches, and CLOS switches.

[0052] Bridges have been put into commercial use since 1984, and have played a huge role in promoting the development of Ethernet. Bridges segment Ethernet into different collision domains or different Ethernets through different ports, extending the coverage range and increasing the number of devices that exceed the limit of the shared bandwidth segment. Different ports can flexibly configure data rates, thus enabling Ethernet to develop from a shared Ethernet connected by a bus to a switched Ethernet.

[0053] The most basic operation of a switch is to relay a single MAC Ethernet data frame between end stations with independent media access control (MAC) addresses in each LAN connected to its port. The basic process is: 1. The switch port receives frames from the connected LAN; 2. Filters the received frames, such as discarding problematic frames, parsing MAC addresses and VLAN tags, etc.; 3. Determines the switch port to which the frame should be forwarded; 4. Processes the frames to be sent, such as conflict detection, frame queuing, discarding oversized frames, etc.; 5. The switch port sends frames to the connected LAN.

[0054] In order to achieve the above basic operations, the bridge needs to have the following characteristics: the bridge has at least two ports, each port is used to connect to a local area network; each end station that makes up the local area network has a globally unique MAC unicast address; there is a filtering database (FDB) that maps the end station MAC address to the bridge port, so that the bridge can find which port to reach which end station; the bridge establishes a filtering database through the source address of the end station in the received Ethernet data frame, and this process is called learning; when no message is received from a station for a period of time, its entry is deleted from the filtering database, and this process is called aging; if the MAC address of the destination end station is not in the filtering database, the bridge will forward the data frame to all ports (except the port that received the frame), and this process is called flooding; in order to realize the networking function, multiple bridges are often required to be interconnected, and this connection is called topology.

[0055] Virtual local area networks (VLAN) are a LAN technology feature directly related to switches. Each user is usually connected to a physical LAN. Once a LAN is installed and configured, changing its configuration requires changing the physical connections of the LAN, including switch port settings and network cable wiring, which is a very complex and time-consuming task. Virtual LAN technology allows logical connections to be separated from physical connections, and can be implemented through software configuration of switches and / or end stations to achieve a group of stations or applications that can communicate directly like on a real LAN, called a virtual LAN. It is called virtual because a group of end stations and applications behaves as if they are connected to a single physical LAN, but in fact it is not. In order to achieve this flexibility, switches and data frames that can support VLANs must be used, which can configure logical connections appropriately according to the user's application environment without changing physical connections. Traditional switches forward all multicast and unicast traffic to all ports except the port where the traffic arrives, while properly configured VLAN-enabled switches will only forward such traffic to those ports that contain VLAN members associated with the traffic. Correspondingly, the filtering database of a switch that supports VLANs includes methods for mapping MAC addresses to VLANs and VLANs to ports in addition to mapping MAC addresses to ports. VLAN isolation can achieve security to a certain extent, and can preserve bandwidth by limiting multicast and unknown unicast traffic to certain VLANs.

[0056] The IEEE802 standard stipulates that a bridge includes at least one MAC relay entity connected to the bridge port and has at least two ports, and at least one high-level entity of the spanning tree protocol (STP) entity. Depending on whether the bridge can support VLAN, the bridge is divided into two types: VLAN bridge and MAC bridge. Among them, the VLAN bridge architecture can be as follows Fig. 9 As shown, the MAC bridge architecture can be Fig.10 As shown in Figure 1. The MAC relay entity of the bridge architecture handles functions that are independent of the media access method, such as relaying frames between bridge ports, filtering frames, and learning filtering information, using the EISS or ISS provided by each bridge port. The main difference between the MAC bridge and VLAN bridge architectures is that the MAC bridge uses the internal sublayer service (ISS) and the VLAN bridge uses the enhanced internal sublayer service (EISS).

[0057] The above introduces the 5G LAN system and the IEEE802 standard. It should be understood that 3GPP proposed 5G LAN to provide services similar to LANs, but in the residential, office, enterprise and factory market segments that 3GPP hopes to meet, there are already real LANs, namely IEEE802 LANs, of which the most commonly used is IEEE802.3 Ethernet. After the emergence of Ethernet technology in 1973, it once faced competition from a variety of similar LAN technologies such as IEEE802.4 token bus, IEEE802.5 token ring, and fiber distributed data interface (FDDI). However, after decades of survival of the fittest, only IEEE802.3 Ethernet technology has been used to this day, and LANs can now be equated with Ethernet. As a newly emerging LAN technology, the existing 5G VN group technology is at a disadvantage in the market competition with IEEE802 LANs. After 5G LAN technology was introduced into the R16 version of the 3GPP standard that was frozen in 2018, although it has been vigorously promoted, the application and promotion of 5G LAN technology is not optimistic.

[0058] As for the IEEE802 standard, no matter it is the switch of any technical solution such as the shared bus switch, shared storage switch, Crossbar matrix switch and CLOS switch mentioned above, the above switches are basically consistent in physical structure and appearance; either a black square box of varying sizes, or a cabinet with several boxes or functional modules stacked or inserted, and the front of the box and cabinet are several to dozens of ports for plugging in network cables. Therefore, the position and number of ports on the switch are fixed. The fixed ports make it difficult to expand and isolate ports. One way to achieve expansion and isolation is to divide virtual local area networks (VLANs) as mentioned above, which makes network management complicated; the limited number of ports means that a local area network needs to be connected to multiple switches, resulting in message transmission delays and complex topological connections, and complex algorithms such as the STP protocol are required to prevent loops and other faults; there is no mobility, and the switches and end stations plugged in with network cables have no mobility; optical fiber or twisted pair cables are required, resulting in high costs and difficult fault handling.

[0059] In summary, the current application scope of 5G LAN system is not wide. How to improve the application scope of LAN under 3GPP standard is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0060] Based on this, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system including at least one local area network, each UE in the same local area network has the ability to communicate through the 3GPP protocol, and each UE includes a first port, and the first port supports the IEEE802 function, that is, the first port of the UE in a communication system provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure not only supports the 3GPP protocol, but also supports the IEEE802 function. In this way, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a new communication system, which combines the 3GPP protocol with the IEEE802 function, expands the UE's capabilities, and enables the UE supporting the 3GPP protocol to support the IEEE802 function, thereby improving the application scope of the local area network under the 3GPP standard.

[0061] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure is introduced below in conjunction with the drawings of the specification.

[0062] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various mobile communication networks, for example, a 5G new radio (NR) mobile communication network, a future mobile communication network (such as a 6G wireless communication system) or a variety of communication convergence systems, etc., and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0063] Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.11 As shown, the communication system includes but is not limited to at least two UEs 11 and a bridge 20 .

[0064] The communication system includes at least one local area network, and the same local area network includes at least two UE11. Fig.11 The multiple UEs 11 shown may be located in different local area networks, respectively. Each UE 11 has the ability to communicate via the 3GPP protocol.

[0065] In some embodiments, different UEs 11 in the communication system also have the capability of communicating through a bridge 20 .

[0066] See also Fig.11 Each UE 11 includes a first port 111, and the first port 111 supports IEEE 802 functions. That is, the first port 111 supports the 3GPP protocol and the IEEE 802 function.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first port 111 is a mobile terminal (mobile termination, MT), and the MT supports IEEE802 functions. It should be understood that the MT supports the IEEE802 function and uses the MT as the first port 111 is only exemplary and does not constitute a limitation on the first port 111 provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The way of implementing the function of the first port 111 in other replacement forms should also fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the first port 111 includes a universal subscriber identity module (universal subscriber identity module, USIM), and the USIM supports IEEE802 functions.

[0068] In some embodiments, the bridge 20 includes at least two first ports 111 , and one UE 11 communicates with another UE 11 through the bridge 20 .

[0069] In some embodiments, the first port 111 included in the bridge 20 and the first port included in the UE may be shared, so the bridge 20 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may be understood as a bridge based on 5G technology. The following introduction to the first port 111 may be understood as an introduction to the first port 111 of the bridge 20.

[0070] It should be understood that the port is a concept belonging to the IEEE802 standard. The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system that expands the IEEE802 function of the MT of the UE supporting the 3GPP protocol to become a port of IEEE802. The MT is also the MT of the UE and is a new MT.

[0071] In some embodiments, continuing as Fig.11 As shown, each UE further includes a terminal 112 , the terminal 112 supports IEEE802 functions, and the terminal 112 of the UE is connected to the first port 111 of the UE.

[0072] In some embodiments, the terminal 112 is connected to the first port 111 via an IEEE802 standard network cable.

[0073] In some embodiments, the terminal 112 includes a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) and terminal equipment (TE), and the TE supports IEEE802 functions.

[0074] In order to intuitively reflect the improvement of UE in a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a configuration structure of a UE in the related art. Fig.12 , UE includes USIM, TE and MT, and MT includes terminal adapter (TA). Fig.13 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a configuration structure of a UE provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.13 , UE includes a first port and an end station, the first port is MT, MT supports IEEE802 functions, the end station includes USIM and TE, TE supports IEEE802 functions. Fig.12 and Fig.13 It can be seen that a UE provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure introduces two functions, namely, port and terminal, which belong to the IEEE802 standard, and expands the capabilities of MT and TE, so that both MT and TE support IEEE802 functions.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first port 111 further supports ISS or EISS of IEEE 802 function.

[0076] Among them, the ISS of the IEEE802 function mainly refers to the services provided by the logical link control sublayer and the medium access control sublayer after the data link layer is divided into the logical link control sublayer and the medium access control sublayer in the IEEE802 standard.

[0077] The EISS of IEEE802 functions refers to services that enhance or extend the functions of the internal sublayers of the data link layer in the IEEE802 standard.

[0078] The UE is introduced above. In some embodiments, the bridge 20 further includes at least one of the following:

[0079] MAC relay entity;

[0080] STP entity.

[0081] In some embodiments, the STP entity is used to establish a tree topology in the computer network to prevent redundant links in the bridge 20 from forming a loop.

[0082] In some embodiments, the MAC relay entity refers to a functional module at the data link layer that is responsible for forwarding data based on the MAC address. In the bridge 20, the MAC relay entity is the core part of the bridge 20 for data communication. The MAC relay entity determines the forwarding path of the data packet based on the MAC address information in the data packet.

[0083] The MAC relay entity includes at least one of the following:

[0084] at least two first ports 111;

[0085] Control plane device 201;

[0086] At least one UPF202;

[0087] At least one access network device 203;

[0088] At least one bearer network device (i.e. Fig.11 N2 / N3 interface functions as shown in ).

[0089] The control plane device can be replaced by CP, and the access network device can be replaced by (R)AN.

[0090] The equipment between the access network equipment 203 and the UPF 202 is the bearer network equipment. The bearer network equipment, the access network and the core network together constitute the 5G communication network. Among them, the core network includes the control plane and the user plane.

[0091] In some embodiments, the MAC relay entity includes at least two first ports 111 .

[0092] In some embodiments, at least one UPF 202 is connected via an N19 interface or an N9 interface. For example, one UPF 202 is internally connected via an N9 interface, and two UPFs 202 are connected via an N19 interface.

[0093] Take the MAC relay entity including a UPF 202 and an access network device 203 as an example, Fig.14 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC relay entity provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Taking the MAC relay entity including two UPFs and two access network devices as an example, Fig.15 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a MAC relay entity provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.11 The example shown is that the MAC relay entity includes one UPF and one access network device. The example shown is that the MAC relay entity includes two UPFs and two access network devices. Fig.16 Shown is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] In some embodiments, the STP entity is integrated into the control plane device 201. For example, the STP entity is integrated into an application function (AF) or other network functions of the control plane device 201.

[0095] In some embodiments, a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is a 5G LAN system or a future LAN system, such as a future 6G LAN system.

[0096] It should be understood that the IEEE802 standard stipulates that a bridge includes at least one MAC relay entity connected to the bridge port and at least two ports, and also includes at least one high-level entity of the STP entity. On the basis of improving the standard 5G system architecture, a new 5G LAN system architecture is proposed to evolve into a bridge that complies with the IEEE802 standard. At least a port, a MAC relay entity connected to the port and an STP entity must be invented. In the IEEE802 LAN, the end station is connected to the bridge port and needs to be improved together with the bridge port. The system architecture of the 3GPP standard separates the user plane function from the control plane function, allowing independent scalability, evolution and flexible deployment, which provides a basis for improvement.

[0097] The 5G system architecture of the 3GPP standard and the existing 5G LAN system architecture do not have a port, which is a concept of the IEEE802 standard and can be improved from the existing UE concept of the 3GPP standard. Fig.12 The configuration of the improved first port and terminal is shown in Fig.13 . Fig.13 The first port and the terminal shown are both in compliance with the IEEE802 standard. Among them, the first port is derived from the 3GPP standard MT extending the IEEE802 function, which can realize both the 3GPP standard function and the IEEE802 function. It is both the MT of the new 5G LAN system architecture and the port of the IEEE802 standard, supporting EISS or ISS services; the terminal includes the 3GPP standard USIM and TE, among which TE extends the IEEE802 function, which is both the USIM and TE of the new 5G LAN system architecture and the terminal of the IEEE802 standard. The terminal can be connected to the port through the IEEE802 standard network cable.

[0098] In some embodiments, the identification of the bridge 20 and the number of ports of the bridge 20 can be configured in the control plane device of the communication system and the ports can be numbered to form a bridge. The configuration work can be completed by a network administrator or dynamically managed through AF or other network functions.

[0099] As a 5G LAN system architecture of IEEE802 bridge, the message forwarding function is improved from the three user-plane forwarding methods of the current 5G LAN architecture. The message forwarding method based on N6 needs to go through the external data network DN, which is inconsistent with the concept of IEEE802 local area network. DN involves open system interconnection (OSI) layer 3 and above communications, while the IEEE802 standard bridge is limited to OSI layer 2 communications. Therefore, there should be no DN in the 5G LAN system architecture as an IEEE802 bridge, and there will be no forwarding method based on the N6 interface. The forwarding method that best fits the concept of IEEE802 local area network is based on the local switch, that is, forwarding by the same PSA UPF, while the forwarding method based on the N19 interface involves forwarding between two PSA UPFs, which involves transit and a long transmission distance. It may not be as good as the forwarding method based on the local switch in terms of time performance, but it can also be used as an option. The 5G LAN system architecture as an IEEE802 bridge based on the local switch forwarding method can be as follows Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 1 , the 5GLAN system architecture as an IEEE802 bridge based on the N19 interface forwarding method can be seen as follows Fig.16 shown.

[0100] Based on the above two 5G LAN system architectures as IEEE802 bridges, two MAC relay entities are evolved. The MAC relay entities of two ports based on the local switch forwarding method are shown in Fig.14 , the MAC relay entity of the two ports based on the N19 interface forwarding mode is shown in Fig.15 .

[0101] Through the above improvements, based on the 5G LAN system architecture as an IEEE802 bridge provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the IEEE802 standard port, MAC relay entity, and STP high-level entity are proposed. The three are combined to evolve a VLAN bridge architecture and a MAC bridge architecture that conform to the IEEE802 standard, which can be respectively referred to in Fig. 9 and Fig.10 .

[0102] A communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one local area network, each UE in the same local area network has the ability to communicate through the 3GPP protocol, and each UE includes a first port, and the first port supports the IEEE802 function, that is, the first port of the UE located in the same local area network in a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure not only supports the 3GPP protocol, but also supports the IEEE802 function, that is, the function group MT of the 3GPP standard UE expands the IEEE802 function on the basis of the 3GPP standard function to become the port of the IEEE802 standard bridge. In this way, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a new communication system, which improves the existing 5G LAN system, combines the 3GPP protocol with the IEEE802 function, expands the ability of the UE supporting the 3GPP protocol, and enables the UE supporting the 3GPP protocol to support the IEEE802 function, thereby improving the application scope of the 5G LAN system.

[0103] Moreover, the bridge in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least two first ports, that is, the bridge in the embodiment of the present disclosure is an IEEE802 standard bridge based on 5G communication technology, and the filtering database, learning, aging, flooding, VLAN and other functions specified in the IEEE802 standard can be configured in the control plane function of the communication system, and its ports can also be connected to each other to form a topology. The external functions are no different from those of previous switches, but the internal implementation is based on 5G, which fully reflects what the IEEE802 standard says: "The operation model is only the basis for describing the functions of the bridge. The operation model is by no means intended to limit the actual implementation of the bridge; any internal operation model compatible with the externally visible behavior specified in this standard can be adopted. The device complies with this standard purely in terms of observable protocols."

[0104] In addition, because traditional switches have a limited number of ports, multiple switches need to be connected to form a local area network, which makes the topology connection complex and the fault diagnosis difficult. In addition, the message forwarding through multiple switches causes excessive delays. The bridge provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is a bridge based on 5G communication technology. It has the technical characteristics of 5G high connection density and high traffic density. It has a large number of ports and can use one switch to replace multiple traditional switches to form a local area network. Each port can even have only one terminal to achieve end-to-end communication. This simplifies the topology and realizes the simplest star topology, which is easy to manage and maintain, and the delay caused by message forwarding is minimized. The star topology also avoids the generation of loops, so the spanning tree algorithm can be cancelled. 5G traffic density can reach 10Mbps / m 2 , the connection density can reach 10 6 / km 2. Traditional switches are not mobile because of their fixed port positions. The bridge provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is a bridge based on 5G communication technology. The connection between the port and the MAC relay entity is wireless, and it can move with the terminal station and has mobility. Not only can it save network cable investment, but also 5G's low latency, high mobility, high user experience rate and coverage can improve data transmission efficiency. 5G's mobility can adapt to 500km / h, the air interface latency can reach 1ms, and the user experience data rate can reach 100Mbit / s. Traditional switches are difficult to expand and isolate because of their fixed ports and limited number. VLANs are needed to achieve the expansion and isolation of local area networks. Relatively speaking, the division of VLANs is relatively complex and causes difficulties in maintenance and management. The bridge provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is a bridge based on 5G communication technology. A bridge is a switch, and the number of bridge ports can be set. That is to say, this bridge itself can achieve expansion and isolation, and no VLAN is needed, thereby improving the application scope of local area networks under the IEEE802 standard.

[0105] In combination with the above description, a communication system provided by the present disclosure improves the 5G LAN technology and integrates the 5G technology with the IEEE802 standard. Compared with the current 5G LAN system, the application scope of the 5G LAN system is improved. Compared with the existing IEEE802 standard bridge, the bridge provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is a bridge based on 5G communication technology. The connection between the port and the MAC relay entity is wireless, and it can move with the terminal station and has mobility, thereby solving the problems of the existing IEEE802 standard bridge, such as difficulty in expansion and isolation, message transmission delay, lack of mobility, and complex management, and improving the application scope of the local area network under the IEEE802 standard.

[0106] It should be understood that Fig.11 is an exemplary structural diagram, Fig.11 The communication system shown includes an unlimited number of devices, for example, an unlimited number of UEs. Fig.11 In addition to the equipment shown, Fig.11 The communication system shown may also include other devices, which is not limited thereto.

[0107] Next, if Fig.17 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, which is applied to a communication system, and the communication system may be the above-mentioned Fig.11 or Fig.16 The communication system shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0108] S101. A first UE generates an Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message to a bridge through a first port of the first UE.

[0109] The first UE is Fig.11 or Fig.16 Any one UE of the at least two UEs shown in the communication system shown.

[0110] In some embodiments, when the first UE needs to send an Ethernet message to the second UE, the first UE generates an Ethernet message and sends the Ethernet message to the bridge through the first port of the first UE. Fig.11 or Fig.16 One of the at least two UEs shown in the communication system shown, the second UE is Fig.11 or Fig.16 The communication system shown includes another one of the at least two UEs except the first UE.

[0111] S102: The network bridge receives an Ethernet message from the first UE, determines a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the network bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

[0112] As an example, take the MAC relay entity including a UPF as an example, combined with Fig.11 The communication system shown in the figure, the bridge receives an Ethernet message from a first UE, determines a target port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port, including:

[0113] The access network device receives the Ethernet message from the first UE and sends the Ethernet message to the UPF;

[0114] The UPF receives an Ethernet message from an access network device, determines a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

[0115] Among them, the UPF determines the target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among the at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port. The UPF may determine the target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among the at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and send the Ethernet message to the access network device, and then the access network device sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

[0116] As another example, take the MAC relay entity including two UPFs and two access network devices as an example, combined with Fig.16The communication system shown in the figure, the bridge receives an Ethernet message from a first UE, determines a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port, including:

[0117] The first access network device receives the Ethernet message from the first UE, and sends the Ethernet message to the first UPF, the first access network device is one of the two access network devices, and the first UPF is one of the two UPFs;

[0118] The first UPF receives an Ethernet message from the first access network device, and sends the Ethernet message to the second UPF through the N19 interface between the first UPF and the second UPF, where the second UPF is the other of the two UPFs except the first UPF;

[0119] The second UPF receives the Ethernet message from the first UPF, and sends the Ethernet message to the second access network device, where the second access network device is the other of the two access network devices except the first access network device;

[0120] The second access network device receives the Ethernet message from the second UPF, determines a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

[0121] Thus, based on a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, and based on a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, a transmission mode of Ethernet messages in a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure can be determined.

[0122] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the present disclosure from the perspective of interaction between various nodes. It is understandable that each node, such as the first UE and the bridge, includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function in order to realize the above functions. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present disclosure 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 disclosure.

[0123] The disclosed embodiment can divide the functional modules of the first UE and the bridge according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or software. It should be noted that the division of modules in the disclosed embodiment is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module corresponding to each function.

[0124] When the first UE or the network bridge is implemented in the form of hardware, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device. Fig.18 As shown, the electronic device 30 includes: a processor 302 , a communication interface 303 , and a bus 304 . Optionally, the electronic device 30 may further include a memory 301 .

[0125] The processor 302 may be a processor that implements or executes various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of the present disclosure. The processor 302 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of the present disclosure. The processor 302 may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and the like.

[0126] The communication interface 303 is used to connect with other devices via a communication network, such as Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0127] The memory 301 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0128] As a possible implementation, the memory 301 may exist independently of the processor 302, and the memory 301 may be connected to the processor 302 via a bus 304 to store instructions or program codes. When the processor 302 calls and executes the instructions or program codes stored in the memory 301, the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0129] In another possible implementation, the memory 301 may also be integrated with the processor 302 .

[0130] The bus 304 may be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus 304 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Fig.18 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0131] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and conciseness of the description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the first UE and the bridge is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0132] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by computer instructions to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in the above computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it may include the processes of the above method embodiments. The above computer-readable storage medium may also be an external storage device of the above first UE or bridge, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (smart media card, SMC), a secure digital (secure digital, SD) card, a flash card (flashcard), etc. equipped on the above first UE or bridge. Further, the above computer-readable storage medium may also include both the internal storage unit of the above first UE or bridge and an external storage device. The above computer-readable storage medium is used to store the above computer program and other programs and data required by the above first UE or bridge. The above computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0133] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute any one of the communication methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0134] Although the present disclosure is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed disclosure, those skilled in the art may understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by viewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "one" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0135] Although the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the present disclosure 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 disclosure. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present disclosure fall within the scope of the claims of the present disclosure and their equivalents, the present disclosure is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

[0136] The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising at least one local area network, wherein the same local area network comprises at least two user equipments UE, each of the UEs having the ability to communicate via the Third Generation Partnership Project 3GPP protocol, characterized in that: Each of the UEs includes a first port, and the first port supports IEEE802 function; the communication system also includes: A network bridge, the network bridge comprising at least two of the first ports; Different UEs in the communication system also have the ability to communicate through the bridge.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the UEs further includes a terminal station, the terminal station supports IEEE802 functions, and the terminal station of the UE is connected to the first port of the UE.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that The terminal station includes a universal subscriber identity module USIM and a terminal equipment TE, and the TE supports IEEE802 functions.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first port also supports an internal sublayer service ISS or an enhanced internal sublayer service EISS of the IEEE802 function.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first port is a mobile terminal MT, and the MT supports IEEE802 functions.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The network bridge further includes at least one of the following: Media Access Control MAC relay entity; Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) entity.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The MAC relay entity includes at least one of the following: at least two of said first ports; Control surface equipment; At least one bearer network device; At least one user plane function UPF; At least one access network device.

8. The communication system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The STP entity is integrated into the control plane device.

9. A communication method, applied to a communication system, wherein the communication system includes at least one local area network, the same local area network includes at least two UEs, each of the UEs has the ability to communicate via a 3GPP protocol, and is characterized in that: Each UE includes a first port, and the first port supports IEEE802 function; the communication system further includes: a bridge, the bridge includes at least two of the first ports, and different UEs in the communication system also have the ability to communicate through the bridge; The method comprises: A first UE generates an Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message to the bridge through a first port of the first UE, where the first UE is one of the at least two UEs; The network bridge receives the Ethernet message from the first UE, determines a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among the at least two first ports of the network bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The network bridge further includes at least one of the following: MAC relay entity; STP entity; The MAC relay entity includes at least one of the following: at least two of said first ports; Control surface equipment; At least one bearer network device; At least one UPF; At least one access network device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The MAC relay entity includes a UPF; The network bridge receives an Ethernet message from the first UE, determines, based on a destination address of the Ethernet message, a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the network bridge, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port, including: The access network device receives the Ethernet message from the first UE, and sends the Ethernet message to the UPF; The UPF receives the Ethernet message from the access network device, determines the target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among the at least two first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The MAC relay entity includes two UPFs and two access network devices, and the two UPFs are connected via an N19 interface; The network bridge receives an Ethernet message from the first UE, determines, based on a destination address of the Ethernet message, a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two first ports of the network bridge, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port, including: The first access network device receives the Ethernet message from the first UE, and sends the Ethernet message to the first UPF, the first access network device is one of the two access network devices, and the first UPF is one of the two UPFs; The first UPF receives the Ethernet message from the first access network device, and sends the Ethernet message to the second UPF through the N19 interface between the first UPF and the second UPF, where the second UPF is the other of the two UPFs except the first UPF; The second UPF receives the Ethernet message from the first UPF, and sends the Ethernet message to a second access network device, where the second access network device is the other of the two access network devices except the first access network device; The second access network device receives the Ethernet message from the second UPF, determines a target first port corresponding to the destination address of the Ethernet message among at least two of the first ports of the bridge based on the destination address of the Ethernet message, and sends the Ethernet message through the target first port.

13. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: Memory and processor; Memory and processor coupling; The memory is used to store instructions executable by the processor; When the processor executes the instruction, the processor executes the method executed by the first UE in the method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, or executes the method executed by the bridge in the method according to any one of claims 9 to 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method executed by the first UE in the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 12, or executes the method executed by the bridge in the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 12.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method executed by the first UE in any one of claims 9 to 12, or executes the method executed by the bridge in any one of claims 9 to 12.

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