Licensed and unlicensed controllers, methods, media, and devices for flow control

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of wireless communication, and relates to a licensed and unlicensed controller (LUC) configured to coordinate different traffic load transmissions in a multi-connectivity mode for a user equipment (UE) based on real-time measurement reports, a method for traffic control, a computer readable storage medium, and an electronic device. The LUC of the present disclosure can support licensed and unlicensed multi-connectivity and spectrum aggregation usage in coordination with data packets of unlicensed networks and licensed networks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a licensed and unlicensed controller LUC, a method for flow control, a computer-readable storage medium, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Authorized and unauthorized aggregation is a technology that combines authorized and unauthorized networks. Through aggregation, users can utilize both networks simultaneously, resulting in higher data transfer speeds and better network coverage. In this technology, data can be transmitted through both authorized and unauthorized networks concurrently, thereby improving data transmission speed and reliability. Furthermore, authorized and unauthorized aggregation can enhance network capacity and scalability, providing users with a better network experience.

[0003] Multiple connected terminals can simultaneously access both licensed and unlicensed networks to improve transmission rates. However, when unlicensed channels are unavailable, traffic can be buffered within Wi-Fi. Although licensed networks are available at this time, the lack of a coordination mechanism between licensed networks and Wi-Fi prevents the transmission of Wi-Fi-buffered data packets via the licensed network. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that can coordinate data packets between licensed and unlicensed networks, supporting multi-connection and spectrum aggregation of both licensed and unlicensed networks.

[0004] It should be noted that the information in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an authorized and unauthorized controller, a method for flow control, a computer-readable storage medium, and an electronic device that enables the coordinated use of data packets from unauthorized and authorized networks to support authorized and unauthorized multi-connection and spectrum aggregation.

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

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an authorized and unauthorized controller LUC is provided, comprising:

[0008] The LUC is configured to coordinate different traffic load transmissions in multi-connection mode for user equipment (UE) based on real-time measurement reports.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is deployed in an over-the-top OTT manner on additional network functions of a Service-Based Architecture (SBA) architecture based on the core network; wherein, the LUC includes a unique identifier and is configured to coordinate with network components based on the unique identifier to perform service interactions.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is instantiated by a network or cloud orchestrator and connected to the interface of the network function NF of the control plane CP to perform service interaction with each of the NFs through the SBA architecture.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC has a database deployed in the user plane UP domain, configured to store data required for coordinating different traffic load transmissions in a multi-connection mode based on real-time measurement reports for the user equipment (UE).

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC has the capability to support and operate the core network, and the LUC supports the registration of management topologies for network functions (NFs) and access points (APs) serving multiple connectivity domains.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is connected to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in the SBA architecture; the real-time measurement report is obtained from the UE's mobility agent via the AMF; or, the real-time measurement report is obtained from the perception module of the Public Radio Resource Management (cRRM) of the Media Access Control (MAC) via the AMF.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is further configured to: in multi-connection mode, adjust the user plane traffic allocated to each of the access point APs for the UE performing downloads simultaneously through multiple access point APs.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is further configured with computing resources; the number of LUCs is adjustable based on the computing resources.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is configured to manage the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session between the UE and the Session Management Function (SMF), and uses the Protocol Data Unit Session Anchor (PSA) as the User Plane Function (UPF) anchor.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is connected to the Session Management Function (SMF) in the SBA architecture; the LUC is configured to determine a traffic scheduling policy based on the real-time measurement report; and the LUC is configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF to coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in a multi-connectivity mode via the SMF.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the real-time measurement report includes a first signal strength of the licensed network and a second signal strength of the unlicensed network; the LUC is configured to determine the ratio between licensed network traffic and unlicensed network traffic based on the first signal strength and the second signal strength to obtain the traffic scheduling policy; wherein the traffic scheduling policy is used to instruct, for the UE, to coordinate different traffic load transmissions in a multi-connection mode according to the ratio.

[0019] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF to instruct the SMF to send the traffic scheduling policy to the PSA; and to instruct the PSA to distribute authorized network traffic to the UE through a first User Plane Function (UPF) based on the traffic scheduling policy, and to distribute unauthorized network traffic to the UE through a second User Plane Function (UPF).

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is further configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF when the traffic scheduling policy indicates that the authorized network traffic or unauthorized network traffic scheduled to the UE is zero, and simultaneously instruct the SMF to update the Session Management Context based on the traffic scheduling policy.

[0021] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for flow control is provided, applied to an authorized and unauthorized controller (LUC), the method comprising: coordinating different flow load transmissions in a multi-connection mode for a user equipment (UE) based on real-time measurement reports.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is deployed in an over-the-top OTT manner on an additional network function of a Service-Based Architecture (SBA) architecture based on the core network. The LUC is connected to the Session Management Function (SMF) in the SBA architecture. The step of coordinating different traffic load transmissions for a User Equipment (UE) in a multi-connection mode based on real-time measurement reports includes: determining a traffic scheduling policy based on the real-time measurement reports; and sending the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF so that the SMF can coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in a multi-connection mode.

[0023] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method for flow control described above.

[0024] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform any of the above-described methods for flow control by executing the executable instructions.

[0025] The authorized and unauthorized controller (LUC) in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in a multi-connectivity mode based on real-time measurement reports from the user equipment (UE). Under the control of the LUC, traffic in different access networks of the UE in the multi-connectivity model is coordinated, and data packets from both authorized and unauthorized networks are used to support authorized and unauthorized multi-connectivity and spectrum aggregation. This allows for traffic sharing when Wi-Fi is down or mobile network coverage is poor, enabling the transmission of Wi-Fi cached data packets using the authorized network or the transmission of authorized network cached data packets using the unauthorized network. This ensures data transmission speed and reliability, providing users with a better network experience.

[0026] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated in the drawings by way of example and not limitation, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an application scenario of a LUC to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an authorized and unauthorized controller LUC 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 3 An architecture diagram of a LUC deployment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 4 An interaction diagram for flow control according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 5 Another interaction diagram for flow control according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0033] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a user equipment (UE) coordinating different traffic load transmissions in a multi-connection mode according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Figure 7 A block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted.

[0037] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0038] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, or in one or more software-hardened modules, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0039] In related technologies, multiple connected terminals can simultaneously access both licensed and unlicensed networks to improve speed. However, when unlicensed channels are unavailable, traffic can be buffered within Wi-Fi. Although the licensed network is available at this time, due to the lack of a coordination mechanism between the licensed network and Wi-Fi, the buffered data packets cannot be transmitted using the licensed network.

[0040] In other words, due to the scarcity of spectrum, unlicensed spectrum is often used as a supplement to licensed spectrum. Unlicensed frequency bands are often used for transmission without authorization and there is no coordination mechanism with mobile networks. When Wi-Fi is interrupted or mobile network coverage is poor, traffic sharing cannot be carried out, which affects data transmission efficiency and reliability.

[0041] Based on this, in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a licensed and unlicensed controller (LUC) is first provided. Based on this controller, the LUC can coordinate different traffic load transmissions for UEs in multi-connection mode, enabling traffic coordination in different access networks. This solves the problem that the licensed network cannot be used to transmit Wi-Fi cached data packets due to the lack of coordination mechanism between the licensed network and Wi-Fi, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and reliability.

[0042] refer to Figure 1 An application scenario diagram of a LUC that can apply exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is provided. For example... Figure 1 The UE can simultaneously access both non-3GPP and licensed networks. The LUC can be launched on the primary edge cloud or any other cloud to coordinate different traffic loads for the UE in multi-connectivity mode.

[0043] The UE can be an electronic device such as a smartphone, desktop computer, tablet, laptop, smart speaker, digital assistant, AR (Augmented Reality) device, VR (Virtual Reality) device, or smart wearable device. Alternatively, the UE can be a personal computer, such as a laptop or desktop computer. Optionally, the operating system running on the UE can include, but is not limited to, Android, iOS, Linux, and Windows systems. It should be noted that the specific type of UE is not limited in the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein.

[0044] In the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, the LUC can be deployed in Figure 1 In the network architecture shown, the names of the authorized and unauthorized controllers are just examples. In actual implementation, the controller may have other names, and this disclosure does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0045] See Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an authorized and unauthorized controller LUC 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The LUC is configured to coordinate different traffic load transmissions for a user equipment (UE) in a multi-connectivity mode based on real-time measurement reports.

[0046] The LUC of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0047] In one exemplary embodiment, the LUC is deployed in an over-the-top OTT manner on additional network functions of a Service-Based Architecture (SBA) architecture based on the core network.

[0048] SBA (Self-Containment Architecture) is the basic architecture of 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology) networks. The essence of SBA is to define network functions as several flexibly invoked "service" modules based on the three principles of "self-containment, reusability, and independent management." Based on this, operators can flexibly customize network configurations according to their business needs.

[0049] Over-the-Top (OTT) services refer to services that run on a network but are not provided by the network operator. They are often called "over-the-top" because they sit "on top of" services already provided by the network operator and do not require any business or technical affiliation with the network operator. In the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the LUC is deployed as an OTT on an additional network element of the SBA architecture, without affecting the existing network architecture or the connection relationships of network functions, making it easy to deploy and highly implementable.

[0050] The LUC includes a unique identifier, which is configured to coordinate with network components for service interaction based on this unique identifier. In other words, the unique identifier of the LUC accurately identifies which network components are under its control, facilitating service management and network problem tracing.

[0051] In one exemplary embodiment, the LUC is instantiated by a network or cloud orchestrator and connected to the interface of the network functions (NFs) of the control plane (CP) to interact with each NF for services through the SBA architecture.

[0052] For example, the LUC can provide services to the SMF (Session Management Function) and share analysis results with the NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function), etc. The LUC in this embodiment of the disclosure can interact with other network functions through the SBA. It can be configured according to actual needs, and will not be listed one by one here.

[0053] The LUC can connect to the network function NF of the control plane CP, including N71, N72, etc. For example, it can connect to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) through the N71 interface and to the SMF through the N72 interface. The configuration can be set according to the requirements and the specific type of the connected network function. This disclosure does not impose any special limitations on this.

[0054] Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, the LUC has a database deployed in the user plane UP domain, configured to store data required for coordinating different traffic load transmissions in multi-connectivity mode for the user equipment (UE) based on real-time measurement reports.

[0055] Specifically, when performing flow control on the UE, the LUC stores the relevant data required for the control process in a corresponding database to facilitate data retention and traceability. Of course, the LUC can also be configured with the computing resources needed for efficient network upgrades to support the LUC's UE flow control process.

[0056] The LUC is configured based on computing resources, and the number of LUCs is adjustable. This can be understood as a flexible network function that can be adjusted according to the computing resources allocated to it. For example, LUCs can be vertically scaled to accommodate more interconnection needs from UEs within the domain; or horizontally scaled to divide the domain into at least two sites to improve operational efficiency.

[0057] Adjusting the number of LUCs can improve their operational efficiency, enhance traffic control efficiency for UEs, and thus improve the network service quality of UEs.

[0058] In one exemplary embodiment, the LUC can support and operate the 5GC and support the ability to manage topology registration for Network Functions (NFs) and Access Points (APs) serving multiple connectivity domains.

[0059] Specifically, each network function serving multiple connectivity domains needs to register with the LUC, enabling the LUC to interact with each network function for services. For example, by analyzing the UE's real-time measurement reports, different traffic load transmissions can be coordinated through the required target network functions.

[0060] Figure 3 An architecture diagram of a LUC deployment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, such as Figure 3 As shown, the LUC connects to the SMF to manage UE traffic via the SMF. It should be noted that... Figure 3 This is merely one example of LUC deployment; the connection between the LUC and other network functions in the SBA architecture is not described in this disclosure embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, LUC is connected to AMF. Here, DN stands for Data Network.

[0061] Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, based on the connection between the LUC and the AMF in the SBA architecture, the LUC can obtain real-time measurement reports from the UE's mobile agent through the AMF.

[0062] Specifically, a mobility agent needs to be installed on the UE side. The mobility agent is a key component in the user-centric network architecture. It is configured to operate continuously in the background, continuously collecting and analyzing data related to the user's network connectivity status, such as real-time measurement reports. This data is then fed back to the LUC (User-Local Interface).

[0063] In some possible embodiments, to ensure secure and reliable operation, the mobile agent can only be downloaded by verified users, meaning that once the user's identity is authenticated, the mobile agent can download to a single mobile node via a cellular connection or an unauthorized connection from the network.

[0064] In some possible embodiments, when installing a mobile agent on the UE side, the installation process can be initiated by the network. The mobile agent can be configured according to the user's specific requirements and preferences to achieve a personalized and optimized experience. For example, the mobile agent can be configured based on whether the user typically uses Wi-Fi or cellular network for data transmission, and the ratio between the two.

[0065] In another exemplary embodiment, based on the LUC's connection with the AMF in the SBA architecture, the LUC can obtain real-time measurement reports from the sensing module of the MAC (Medium Access Control) cRRM (common radio resource management).

[0066] Specifically, the real-time measurement report of the UE can be obtained first through the perception mechanism of cRRM in MAC, and sent to AMF through N1 interface, so that the real-time measurement report can be fed back to LUC through AMF.

[0067] It is worth noting that the embodiments of this disclosure can enable the LUC to obtain the real-time measurement report of the UE through any of the above methods. Of course, other methods that can provide the LUC with real-time measurement reports can also be applied to the LUC of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, the above methods for obtaining the real-time measurement report of the UE.

[0068] In one exemplary embodiment, the LUC is further configured to: in multi-connection mode, adjust the user plane traffic allocated to each access point AP for a UE that is simultaneously performing downloads through multiple access point APs.

[0069] In actual implementation, since the UE can access multiple access points (APs) simultaneously and perform downloads through multiple APs, the user plane traffic allocated to each AP can also be adjusted through the LUC.

[0070] For example, if a UE simultaneously accesses multiple access points {AP1, AP2, ..., AP...} n The LUC can adjust the user plane traffic allocated to each AP based on the actual network conditions of each AP, so that the UE can obtain the best data transmission speed when performing downloads through multiple APs at the same time, thus ensuring the user's network experience.

[0071] For example, if access point AP1 has the best network conditions, then increase the user plane traffic allocated to access point AP1, and access point AP... n If the network condition is the worst, the allocation to the access point (AP) will be reduced. n User plane traffic. The allocation strategy can be configured according to actual needs in this embodiment, and no special limitations are made therein.

[0072] In one exemplary embodiment, based on the LUC's connection to the SMF in the SBA architecture, the LUC is further configured to determine a traffic scheduling policy based on real-time measurement reports; and the LUC is configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF to coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in a multi-connectivity mode via the SMF.

[0073] The real-time measurement report may include a first signal strength of the authorized network and a second signal strength of the unauthorized network. The LUC is configured to determine the ratio between authorized network traffic and unauthorized network traffic based on the first and second signal strengths to obtain a traffic scheduling policy. The traffic scheduling policy is used to instruct the UE to coordinate different traffic load transmissions in a multi-connection mode according to the ratio.

[0074] In one exemplary embodiment, the LUC is configured to manage PDU (Protocol Data Unit) sessions between the UE and the SMF, and uses the PSA (PDU Session Anchor) as the UPF (User Plane Function) anchor. See details... Figure 3 The UPF anchor point shown is PSA.

[0075] Based on this, the LUC is configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF, instructing the SMF to send the traffic scheduling policy to the PSA; and instructing the PSA to send authorized network traffic to the UE through the first user plane function UPF based on the traffic scheduling policy, and to send unauthorized network traffic to the UE through the second user plane function UPF respectively.

[0076] Figure 4 An interaction diagram for flow control according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is shown below, in conjunction with... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The following example illustrates how multiple connected UEs can simultaneously access both Wi-Fi and 5G networks.

[0077] Step S410: Deploy the LUC in the network based on the deployment method of this embodiment.

[0078] Step S420: Multiple connected UEs simultaneously access both Wi-Fi and 5G networks.

[0079] In step S430, the multi-connection UE reports the real-time measurement report to the AMF and requests to establish a PDU session. The AMF determines the multi-connection mode of the UE based on the multiple hotspot IP addresses in the real-time measurement report and sends the real-time measurement report to the LUC at the same time.

[0080] In step S440, the LUC divides the network traffic proportionally based on the signal strength (first signal strength and second signal strength) of the Wi-Fi network and 5G network connection in the real-time measurement report to determine the traffic corresponding to the Wi-Fi network and 5G network respectively, and obtains the traffic scheduling strategy.

[0081] In step S450, the LUC sends the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF, instructing the SMF to send the traffic scheduling policy to the PSA.

[0082] In step S460, the PSA distributes Wi-Fi network traffic to the UE through the first user plane function UPF based on the traffic scheduling strategy, and distributes 5G network traffic to the UE through the second user plane function UPF.

[0083] Thus, by allocating network traffic between unlicensed and licensed frequencies through the LUC in the network, different types of network traffic are adjusted and sent to the UE, thereby enabling the unlicensed frequency band to coordinate with the mobile network.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, considering situations where Wi-Fi disconnection or poor mobile network coverage may occur in certain scenarios, the LUC of this disclosure is also configured to switch the traffic of the UE.

[0085] In addition, based on the aforementioned embodiments, the LUC is also configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF when the traffic scheduling policy indicates that the authorized network traffic or the unauthorized network traffic scheduled to the UE is zero, and at the same time instruct the SMF to update the session management SM context based on the traffic scheduling policy.

[0086] Specifically, when the LUC determines that the traffic allocation policy indicates that the traffic allocated to the UE's Wi-Fi network is zero, or that the traffic allocated to the UE's 5G network is zero, it means that all network traffic needs to be allocated to a certain network. In order to maintain the correct session management signaling path, the session management (SM) context also needs to be updated. For example, if UE movement causes an AMF change (such as N2 handover), this traffic allocation method needs to be executed.

[0087] Figure 5 Another interaction diagram for flow control according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, still using the example of multiple connected UEs simultaneously accessing a Wi-Fi network and a 5G network.

[0088] Step S510: Deploy the LUC in the network based on the deployment method of this embodiment.

[0089] Step S520: Multiple connected UEs simultaneously access both Wi-Fi and 5G networks.

[0090] In step S530, the multi-connection UE reports the real-time measurement report to the AMF and requests to establish a PDU session. The AMF determines the multi-connection mode of the UE based on the multiple hot IP addresses in the real-time measurement report and sends the real-time measurement report to the LUC at the same time.

[0091] In step S540, the LUC divides the network traffic proportionally based on the signal strength (first signal strength and second signal strength) of the Wi-Fi network and 5G network connection in the real-time measurement report to determine the traffic corresponding to the Wi-Fi network and 5G network respectively, and obtains the traffic scheduling strategy.

[0092] In step S550, the LUC sends the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF to instruct the SMF to send the traffic scheduling policy to the PSA, and at the same time instructs the SMF to update the session management SM context based on the traffic scheduling policy.

[0093] In step S560, the PSA controls the traffic sent to the UE's Wi-Fi network or 5G network based on the traffic scheduling policy.

[0094] Through the aforementioned traffic scheduling strategies, LUC can coordinate traffic between authorized and unauthorized terminals for multiple connected terminals, such as traffic allocation and traffic switching, to achieve collaboration between authorized networks and Wi-Fi networks. In turn, it can utilize the authorized network to transmit Wi-Fi cached data packets, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and accuracy and enhancing the user's network experience.

[0095] It is worth noting that the traffic scheduling strategy should be determined based on the topology criteria predefined by the LUC. The LUC of this embodiment can be pre-configured with relevant topology criteria, and then the traffic scheduling strategy can be determined according to the topology criteria based on real-time measurement reports.

[0096] The licensed and unlicensed controller LUC in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in multi-connectivity mode based on real-time measurement reports from the user equipment (UE). Under the control of the LUC, traffic in different access networks of the UE in multi-connectivity mode is coordinated, and data packets from unlicensed and licensed networks are coordinated to support licensed and unlicensed multi-connectivity and spectrum aggregation. This allows for traffic sharing in situations such as Wi-Fi outages or poor mobile network coverage, enabling the transmission of Wi-Fi cached data packets using the licensed network or the transmission of licensed network cached data packets using the unlicensed network. In other words, this disclosure proposes a licensed and unlicensed spectrum aggregation controller LUC that allows traffic sharing in different access networks, effectively solving the problem of not being able to utilize the licensed network to transmit Wi-Fi cached data packets due to the lack of a coordination mechanism between the licensed network and Wi-Fi. This ensures data transmission speed and reliability, providing users with a better network experience.

[0097] In addition, due to the scarcity of spectrum, unlicensed spectrum is often used as a supplement to licensed spectrum. However, unlicensed frequency bands are often used for transmission without license and there is no coordination mechanism with mobile networks. Therefore, for B5G and even 6G, the solution of the present disclosure embodiment can be adopted to deploy licensed and unlicensed controllers (LUCs) in the network to allocate and share traffic between licensed and unlicensed UEs that support multiple connections.

[0098] It should be noted that although the features and functions of authorized and unauthorized controller LUCs have been mentioned in the detailed description above, the features and functions of an authorized and unauthorized controller LUC described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units.

[0099] According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a method for flow control is also provided, applied to authorized and unauthorized controllers (LUCs), the method including:

[0100] Based on real-time measurement reports, different traffic load transmissions are coordinated in multi-connection mode for user equipment (UE).

[0101] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is deployed in an over-the-top OTT manner on additional network functions of a Service-Based Architecture (SBA) architecture based on the core network. The LUC is connected to the Session Management Function (SMF) within the SBA architecture. Based on this, as... Figure 6 As shown, based on real-time measurement reports, coordinating different traffic load transmissions in multi-connection mode for user equipment (UE) may include steps S610 and S620:

[0102] Step S610: Determine the traffic scheduling strategy based on the real-time measurement report;

[0103] Step S620: Send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF so that the SMF can coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in multi-connection mode.

[0104] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the real-time measurement report includes a first signal strength of the licensed network and a second signal strength of the unlicensed network; determining a traffic scheduling policy based on the real-time measurement report includes: determining the ratio between licensed network traffic and unlicensed network traffic based on the first and second signal strengths to obtain the traffic scheduling policy. The traffic scheduling policy is used to instruct, for the UE, to coordinate different traffic load transmissions in a multi-connectivity mode in a proportional manner.

[0105] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC sends a traffic scheduling policy to the SMF to instruct the SMF to send the traffic scheduling policy to the PSA; and instructs the PSA to send authorized network traffic to the UE through the first User Plane Function (UPF) based on the traffic scheduling policy, and to send unauthorized network traffic to the UE through the second User Plane Function (UPF) respectively.

[0106] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, when the traffic scheduling policy indicates that the authorized network traffic or unauthorized network traffic scheduled to the UE is zero, the LUC can also send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF and instruct the SMF to update the Session Management SM Context based on the traffic scheduling policy.

[0107] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is deployed in an over-the-top OTT manner on an additional network function of a Service-Based Architecture (SBA) architecture based on the core network; wherein the LUC includes a unique identifier and is configured to coordinate with network components based on the unique identifier to perform service interactions.

[0108] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is instantiated by a network or cloud orchestrator and connected to the interface of the network function NF of the control plane CP to interact with each NF through the SBA architecture.

[0109] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC has a database deployed in the user plane UP domain, through which the LUC stores the data required for coordinating different traffic load transmissions for the user equipment (UE) in a multi-connection mode.

[0110] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC has the operational capability to support and operate the core network, and the LUC has the capability to manage topology registration for network functions (NFs) and access points (APs) serving multiple connectivity domains.

[0111] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is connected to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in the SBA architecture, and the LUC obtains real-time measurement reports from the UE's mobility agent through the AMF; or, the LUC obtains real-time measurement reports from the perception module of the Public Radio Resource Management (cRRM) of the Media Access Control (MAC) through the AMF.

[0112] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes:

[0113] In multi-connection mode, for a UE that is simultaneously performing downloads through multiple access points (APs), the user plane traffic allocated to each of the APs is adjusted.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the LUC is further configured with computing resources, and the method further includes: adjusting the number of LUCs based on the computing resources.

[0115] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: managing the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session between the UE and the Session Management Function (SMF), and using the Protocol Data Unit Session Anchor Point (PSA) as the User Plane Function (UPF) anchor point.

[0116] Since the implementation details of the method for flow control in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail in the above-described embodiments of the authorized and unauthorized controllers LUC, they will not be repeated here.

[0117] Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer storage medium capable of implementing the above-described methods is also provided. A program product capable of implementing the methods described in this specification is stored thereon. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of this disclosure can also be implemented as a program product including program code, which, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0118] This disclosure also provides a program product for implementing the above methods, which may employ a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and can run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this document, a readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0119] The program product may employ any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0120] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0121] The program code contained on the readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0122] Program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0123] Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, an electronic device capable of implementing the above-described methods is also provided. Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as systems, methods, or program products. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented as entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or embodiments combining hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0124] The following reference Figure 7 To describe an electronic device 700 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The electronic device 700 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0125] like Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 700 is manifested in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 700 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 710, at least one storage unit 720, a bus 730 connecting different system components (including storage unit 720 and processing unit 710), and a display unit 740.

[0126] The storage unit stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 710, causing the processing unit 710 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above, according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0127] Storage unit 720 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as random access memory (RAM) 721 and / or cache memory 722, and may further include a read-only memory (ROM) 723.

[0128] The storage unit 720 may also include a program / utility 724 having a set (at least one) of program modules 725, including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0129] Bus 730 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0130] Electronic device 700 can also communicate with one or more external devices 800 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), and with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 700, and / or with any device that enables electronic device 700 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 750. Furthermore, electronic device 700 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 760. As shown, network adapter 760 communicates with other modules of electronic device 700 via bus 730. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 700, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0131] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0132] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0133] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

Claims

1. An authorized and unauthorized controller LUC, characterized in that, include: The LUC is configured to coordinate different traffic load transmissions in multi-connection mode for user equipment (UE) based on real-time measurement reports. The LUC is deployed in an over-the-top OTT manner on additional network functions of the Service-Based Architecture (SBA) architecture based on the core network; the LUC is instantiated by a network or cloud orchestrator, and the LUC includes a unique identifier and is configured to coordinate with network components based on the unique identifier to perform business interactions.

2. The LUC according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LUC is connected to the network function NF of the control plane CP to perform service interaction with each NF through the SBA architecture.

3. The LUC according to claim 2, characterized in that, The LUC has a database deployed in the user plane UP domain, configured to store the data required for coordinating different traffic load transmissions in multi-connection mode based on real-time measurement reports for user equipment (UE).

4. The LUC according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LUC has the capability to support and operate the core network, and the LUC also supports the registration of management topologies for Network Functions (NFs) and Access Points (APs) serving multiple connectivity domains.

5. The LUC according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LUC is connected to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in the SBA architecture; The real-time measurement report is obtained from the UE's mobile agent via the AMF; Alternatively, the real-time measurement report is obtained from the sensing module of the Public Radio Resource Management (cRRM) of the Medium Access Control (MAC) via the AMF.

6. The LUC according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LUC is also configured as follows: In multi-connection mode, for a UE that is simultaneously performing downloads through multiple access points (APs), the user plane traffic allocated to each of the APs is adjusted.

7. The LUC according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LUC is also equipped with computing resources; The LUCs are configured based on the computing resources, and the number of LUCs is adjustable.

8. The LUC according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The LUC is configured to manage the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session between the UE and the Session Management Function (SMF), and uses the Protocol Data Unit Session Anchor (PSA) as the User Plane Function (UPF) anchor.

9. The LUC according to claim 8, characterized in that, The LUC is connected to the Session Management Function (SMF) in the SBA architecture; The LUC is configured to determine a traffic scheduling strategy based on the real-time measurement report; The LUC is configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF so that the SMF can coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in multi-connection mode.

10. The LUC according to claim 9, characterized in that, The real-time measurement report includes the first signal strength of the authorized network and the second signal strength of the unauthorized network; The LUC is configured to determine the ratio between authorized network traffic and unauthorized network traffic based on the first signal strength and the second signal strength, so as to obtain the traffic scheduling strategy; The traffic scheduling strategy is used to instruct the UE to coordinate different traffic load transmissions in the multi-connection mode according to the specified ratio.

11. The LUC according to claim 9, characterized in that, The LUC is configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF, instructing the SMF to send the traffic scheduling policy to the PSA; And instruct the PSA to send authorized network traffic to the UE through the first user plane function UPF based on the traffic scheduling policy, and to send unauthorized network traffic to the UE through the second user plane function UPF respectively.

12. The LUC according to claim 11, characterized in that, The LUC is also configured to send the traffic scheduling policy to the SMF when the traffic scheduling policy indicates that the authorized network traffic or unauthorized network traffic scheduled to the UE is zero, and simultaneously instruct the SMF to update the Session Management Context based on the traffic scheduling policy.

13. A method for flow control, characterized in that, Applied to both authorized and unauthorized controllers (LUCs), the method includes: Based on real-time measurement reports, different traffic load transmissions are coordinated in multi-connection mode for user equipment (UE). The LUC is deployed in an over-the-top OTT manner on an additional network function of the Service-Based Architecture (SBA) architecture based on the core network. The LUC is instantiated by a network or cloud orchestrator. The LUC includes a unique identifier and is configured to coordinate with network components based on the unique identifier to perform business interactions.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The LUC is connected to the Session Management Function (SMF) in the SBA architecture; The real-time measurement report-based approach, for User Equipment (UE), coordinates different traffic load transmissions in multi-connection mode, including: The traffic scheduling strategy is determined based on the real-time measurement report; The traffic scheduling policy is sent to the SMF so that the SMF can coordinate different traffic load transmissions for the UE in multi-connection mode.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to claim 13 or 14.

16. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; as well as Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the method of claim 13 or 14 by executing the executable instructions.

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