Communication method and apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device

Abstract

The disclosure provides a communication method and device, a storage medium and an electronic device, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method is applied to a target AMF and includes the following steps: receiving a UE context information creation request sent by a source AMF, wherein the UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF according to a handover request sent by a source base station to the source AMF; the UE context information creation request comprises a target base station identifier corresponding to a target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station; in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, generating a UE context information creation response; the target list is used for storing base station identifiers of base stations supporting a simplified function capability; and sending the UE context information creation response to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction according to the UE context information creation response and sends the base station handover instruction to the source base station, wherein the base station handover instruction is used for instructing the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station. It is guaranteed that the UE can be switched or reselected to a base station supporting a RedCap capability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus, a storage medium and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] RedCap (Reduced Capability) technology mainly addresses requirements for the radio air interface. The 5G mobile core network transmits the RedCap access type to identify whether the UE (User Equipment) is using RedCap access, thereby enabling different policies, billing, and other purposes compared to ordinary 5G users.

[0003] The current standard defaults to enabling RedCap support across the entire network. Therefore, it only defines scenarios where the target NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network, which generally refers to a network without base stations) can support RedCap capabilities when a RedCap UE experiences mobility management.

[0004] However, upgrading wireless base stations to support RedCap is not a one-time event. There will inevitably be coverage areas with both RedCap-supporting and RedCap-non-supporting base stations. Therefore, it is necessary to solve how to ensure that the UE can switch or reselect to a target base station that supports RedCap.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed 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

[0006] This disclosure provides a communication method, apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device that at least partially overcomes the problem of how to ensure that the UE can switch or reselect to a target base station that supports RedCap capability, which is a problem in related technologies.

[0007] 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.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a communication method is provided for use in a Target Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), comprising:

[0009] The system receives a UE context information creation request sent by the source AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on a handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0010] In response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request is generated; the target list is used to store base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities;

[0011] The UE context information creation response is sent to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0012] In some embodiments, it also includes:

[0013] Obtain configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is communicatively connected to the target AMF;

[0014] If the configuration information indicates that the at least one base station supports the simplified functional capability, then the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list.

[0015] In some embodiments, the at least one base station is a newly established base station; the configuration information includes: a communication establishment request;

[0016] Obtaining configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is communicatively connected to the target AMF includes:

[0017] Receive a communication establishment request sent by the newly established base station that is in communication connection with the target AMF; the communication establishment request includes the base station identifier of the newly established base station and the support capability information of the newly established base station;

[0018] Wherein, if the configuration information indicates that at least one base station supports the simplified functional capability, then the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list, including:

[0019] If the support capability information of the newly established base station includes support for the simplified function capability, then the base station identifier of the newly established base station is stored in the target list, a communication establishment response is generated and sent to the newly established base station.

[0020] In some embodiments, the at least one base station is an upgraded base station, which supports the simplified functional capabilities after being upgraded; the configuration information includes: radio access network configuration update;

[0021] Obtaining configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is communicatively connected to the target AMF includes:

[0022] Receive a radio access network configuration update sent by the upgraded base station that is communicatively connected to the target AMF; the radio access network configuration update includes the base station identifier of the upgraded base station and information on the upgraded base station's support for the simplified function capability;

[0023] Wherein, if the configuration information indicates that at least one base station supports the simplified functional capability, then the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list, including:

[0024] Based on the information regarding the upgraded base station's support for the simplified functional capabilities, the base station identifier of the upgraded base station is stored in the target list, a radio access network configuration update confirmation is generated and sent to the upgraded base station.

[0025] In some embodiments, the UE context information creation request includes: a target base station identifier;

[0026] In response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request is generated, including:

[0027] Match the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request with the base station identifier in the target list;

[0028] If the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request matches the base station identifier in the target list, the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier is determined as the changed base station, and a corresponding UE context information creation response is generated; the changed base station is the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then establishes a communication connection; the source base station changes the UE from the source base station to the target base station, including the source base station switching or reselecting the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0029] In some embodiments, it also includes:

[0030] If the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request does not match the base station identifier in the target list, a corresponding UE context information creation failure response is generated.

[0031] The UE context information creation failure response is sent to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a handover preparation failure instruction based on the UE context information creation failure response and sends it to the source base station; the handover preparation failure instruction is used to instruct the source base station to maintain the communication connection with the UE.

[0032] In some embodiments, it also includes:

[0033] Receive a registration request sent by the UE; the registration request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station;

[0034] Based on the registration request, a UE context transfer is sent to the source AMF, so that the source AMF can obtain the UE context information based on the UE context transfer and encapsulate it into a UE context transfer response;

[0035] Receive the UE context transfer response sent by the source AMF;

[0036] In response to the determination that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a registration update response is generated;

[0037] The registration update response is sent to the UE so that the UE can reselect from the source base station to the target base station.

[0038] In some embodiments, in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a registration update response is generated, including:

[0039] Match the target base station identifier of the UE context information in the UE context transfer response with the base station identifiers in the target list;

[0040] If the target base station identifier of the UE context information in the UE context transfer response matches the base station identifier in the target list, then the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier is determined as the reselection base station, and a corresponding registration update response is generated; the reselection base station is the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then re-establishes a communication connection.

[0041] In some embodiments, it also includes:

[0042] If the target base station identifier of the UE context information in the UE context transfer response does not match the base station identifier in the target list, a corresponding registration rejection response is generated.

[0043] The registration rejection response is sent to the UE so that the UE maintains its communication connection with the source base station based on the registration rejection response.

[0044] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a communication method is also provided for use in a source access and mobility management function (AMF), comprising:

[0045] A UE context information creation request is sent to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0046] The system receives a UE context information creation response sent by the target AMF; the UE context information creation response is generated by the target AMF in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities;

[0047] Based on the UE context information, a response is generated to generate a base station handover instruction, which is then sent to the source base station. The base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0048] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a communication apparatus is also provided for use in a Target Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), comprising:

[0049] The UE context information creation request receiving module is used to receive a UE context information creation request sent by the source AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0050] The UE context information creation response generation module is used to generate a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store the base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities;

[0051] The UE context information creation response sending module is used to send the UE context information creation response to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0052] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a communication apparatus is also provided for use in a source access and mobility management function (AMF), comprising:

[0053] The UE context information creation request sending module is used to send a UE context information creation request to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0054] A UE context information creation response receiving module is used to receive a UE context information creation response sent by the target AMF; the UE context information creation response is generated by the target AMF in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities;

[0055] The base station handover instruction generation and sending module is used to create a response based on the UE context information to generate a base station handover instruction and send it to the source base station; the base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0056] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the communication method described in any of the preceding claims by executing the executable instructions.

[0057] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0058] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method of any of the above.

[0059] The communication method, apparatus, storage medium, and electronic device provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, when applied to a Target Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), include: receiving a User Equipment (UE) Context Information Creation Request sent by a source AMF, wherein the UE Context Information Creation Request is generated by the source AMF based on a handover request sent by a source base station to the source AMF; the UE Context Information Creation Request includes a target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station; in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, generating a UE Context Information Creation Response corresponding to the UE Context Information Creation Request; the target list is used to store base station identifiers of base stations supporting simplified functional capabilities; and sending the UE Context Information Creation Response to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE Context Information Creation Response and sends it to the source base station, wherein the base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station. This embodiment stores the base station identifier of a base station supporting simplified functional capabilities in the AMF (Application Management Function) and is stored by the 5GC (Base Station Control Center). This enables the base station to dynamically report its support for simplified functional capabilities to the 5GC. When a UE base station changes, the source base station sends a handover request to the source AMF. The source AMF generates a UE context information creation request based on the handover request and sends it to the target AMF. The target AMF checks whether the target list contains the target base station identifier. If the target list contains the target base station identifier, it indicates that the target base station supports simplified functional capabilities. The target AMF then generates a UE context information creation response and sends it to the source AMF. The source AMF generates a base station handover command based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The source base station then changes the UE from the source base station to the target base station based on the base station handover command. This ensures that the UE can switch to a base station supporting simplified functional capabilities during the change of base station from the source base station to the target base station. This achieves dynamic management of the simplified functional capabilities of the base station by the 5GC, maintaining access to simplified functional capabilities and service continuity when the UE base station changes. It improves the accuracy of selecting target base stations that support simplified functional capabilities, reduces a large amount of handover or reselection signaling, avoids network policy and charging updates when UEs move back and forth between areas that support simplified functional capabilities and areas that do not support simplified functional capabilities, and solves the problem that when simplified functional capabilities are not fully upgraded across the network, the core network can control UEs with simplified functional capabilities to select target base stations that support simplified functional capabilities when base stations change.

[0060] 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

[0061] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0062] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the system structure of a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0063] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0064] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the interaction of a newly established base station reporting capability that supports simplified functionality in a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0065] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the interaction of an upgraded base station reporting capability to support simplified functions in a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0066] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the interaction diagram of base station change completion in a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0067] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates a base station change interruption interaction of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates a UE reselection completion interaction of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates a UE reselection interruption interaction of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a communication method according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0071] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0072] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a communication device is shown in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0073] Figure 12 A structural block diagram of a computer device for a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0074] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0075] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0076] To facilitate understanding, before introducing the embodiments of this disclosure, the following explanations are provided for several terms involved in the embodiments of this disclosure:

[0077] RedCap (Reduced Capability) is a new technology introduced in the 5G standard designed to provide optimized support for Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices. These devices typically have lower data transmission requirements, longer battery life requirements, and are cost-sensitive. RedCap achieves these goals by simplifying the functionality of User Equipment (UE), thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining good compatibility and performance with existing 5G networks.

[0078] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) is a key component of the 5G core network (5GC), responsible for handling all access and mobility-related tasks. The AMF ensures that User Equipment (UE) can securely connect to the network and smoothly handover between different base stations and between different types of access networks (such as 4G LTE and 5G NR). As one of the network functions responsible for the control plane in the 5G core network, the AMF sits between the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the User Plane Function (UPF), serving as the endpoint for Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling. The AMF communicates with the gNB (5G base station) via the NG interface and collaborates with other 5G core network components to provide a seamless service experience.

[0079] The specific implementation methods of the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary application system architecture to which the communication methods of the embodiments of this disclosure can be applied is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the system architecture includes terminal device 101, network 102, and network-side device 103.

[0081] Network 102 is a medium used to provide a communication link between terminal device 101 and network-side device 103, and can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0082] Optionally, the aforementioned wireless or wired networks use standard communication technologies and / or protocols. The network is typically the Internet, but can also be any network, including but not limited to Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), mobile, wired or wireless networks, private networks, or any combination of virtual private networks. In some embodiments, technologies and / or formats including Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), etc., are used to represent data exchanged over the network. Furthermore, conventional encryption technologies such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) can be used to encrypt all or some links. In other embodiments, custom and / or dedicated data communication technologies can be used to replace or supplement the aforementioned data communication technologies.

[0083] Optionally, the terminal device in this embodiment may also be referred to as UE (User Equipment). In specific implementation, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, tablet personal computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, or vehicle-mounted device, etc. It should be noted that the specific type of terminal device is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0084] Network-side equipment can be base stations, relays, or access points, etc. Base stations can be 5G and later versions of base stations (e.g., 5G NR NB), or base stations in other communication systems (e.g., eNB base stations). It should be noted that the specific type of network-side equipment is not limited in the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will know that Figure 1 The number of terminals, networks, and network-side devices shown is merely illustrative; any number of terminals, networks, and network-side devices can be included as needed. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0086] Under the above system architecture, this disclosure provides a communication method that can be executed by any electronic device with computing capabilities.

[0087] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure can be executed by a terminal device in the above-described system architecture; in other embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure can be executed by a server in the above-described system architecture; in still other embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure can be implemented by the terminal device and the server in the above-described system architecture through interaction.

[0088] As 5G continues to empower vertical industries, its characteristics such as high bandwidth, high reliability, and low latency, along with its advantages in supporting slicing, service-oriented architecture, control media separation, and MEC, provide new opportunities for the development of 5G IoT. In the 5G R17 standard, 3GPP proposed a lightweight NR (New Radio), or Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology, for medium- and high-speed IoT applications with bandwidth, power consumption, and module costs between eMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband) and NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) / LTE-M (LTE-Machine Type Communication). RedCap provides bandwidth lower than existing eMBB but higher than 4G, while still supporting native 5G capabilities, allowing for more flexible fulfillment of different industry needs and better customer service.

[0089] The upgrade of wireless base stations to support simplified RedCap functionality will not be completed all at once; there will inevitably be base station coverage areas that support RedCap and those that do not.

[0090] Base station changes include handover and cell reselection. These two mechanisms are used for cell changes in connected mode and idle mode, respectively, to ensure a smooth transition of user equipment (UE) between different base stations, maintaining service continuity and quality. Handover is the base station change process that occurs when the UE is in connected mode, aiming to keep ongoing service uninterrupted. Handover involves coordination between multiple network entities, including the source gNB, target gNB, and AMF (Active Network Provider). Cell reselection, on the other hand, is the base station change process that occurs when the UE is in idle mode. Cell reselection ensures that the UE can select the optimal cell to camp on among different cells to optimize received signal quality and coverage.

[0091] When a UE is in an area covered by base stations that support both RedCap and RedCap, during UE base station handover in related technologies, if the target base station supports simplified functionality, the response message from the target base station will carry a simplified functionality identifier (RedCap indicator) to the AMF when the UE hands over or reselects. The AMF will then continue all subsequent procedures using the simplified functionality access type. Otherwise, the target base station will not provide a simplified functionality identifier to the AMF, and the AMF will continue all subsequent procedures using the NR access type. If the UE moves back and forth between areas that support and do not support simplified functionality, the 5GC will change the UE's session policy and charging policy according to the access type. This will not only send the NR QoS profile to the UE, causing excessive UE performance consumption, but also generate excessive message interactions within the network, wasting resources.

[0092] Therefore, when a UE base station changes, it is necessary to ensure that the UE is accurately switched to a base station that supports RedCap.

[0093] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 2 As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, the communication method, when applied to the Target Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), includes the following steps:

[0094] Step S202: Receive the UE context information creation request sent by the source AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0095] Step S204: In response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, generate a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request; the target list is used to store the base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities;

[0096] Step S206: Send a UE context information creation response to the source AMF so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0097] This embodiment stores the base station identifier of a base station supporting simplified functional capabilities in the AMF (Application Management Function) and is stored by the 5GC (Base Station Control Center). This enables the base station to dynamically report its support for simplified functional capabilities to the 5GC. When a UE base station changes, the source base station sends a handover request to the source AMF. The source AMF generates a UE context information creation request based on the handover request and sends it to the target AMF. The target AMF checks whether the target list contains the target base station identifier. If the target list contains the target base station identifier, it indicates that the target base station supports simplified functional capabilities. The target AMF then generates a UE context information creation response and sends it to the source AMF. The source AMF generates a base station handover command based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The source base station then changes the UE from the source base station to the target base station based on the base station handover command. This ensures that the UE can switch to a base station supporting simplified functional capabilities during the change of base station from the source base station to the target base station. This achieves dynamic management of the simplified functional capabilities of the base station by the 5GC, maintaining access to simplified functional capabilities and service continuity when the UE base station changes. It improves the accuracy of selecting target base stations that support simplified functional capabilities, reduces a large amount of handover or reselection signaling, avoids network policy and charging updates when UEs move back and forth between areas that support simplified functional capabilities and areas that do not support simplified functional capabilities, and solves the problem that when simplified functional capabilities are not fully upgraded across the network, the core network can control UEs with simplified functional capabilities to select target base stations that support simplified functional capabilities when base stations change.

[0098] In this embodiment, the method further includes: obtaining configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is connected to the target AMF; if the configuration information indicates that at least one base station supports simplified function capabilities, then storing the base station identifier of at least one base station in the target list.

[0099] Existing base station change procedures, including handover or reselection, are triggered by the radio side. The core network is not responsible for selecting the target base station, and the base station (NG-RAN) does not notify the core network that it supports simplified functionality capabilities. In this embodiment, the target AMF obtains the configuration information of the base station and analyzes it. If the configuration information indicates that the base station supports simplified functionality capabilities, then the base station identifier of this base station is stored in the target list. In this way, the target AMF can dynamically manage base stations that support simplified functionality capabilities. When changing a base station, the target AMF can query the matching target list to determine whether the target base station of the UE supports simplified functionality capabilities at the time of the base station change, and determine whether the process is interrupted, reducing a large number of subsequent handover or reselection messages.

[0100] Base stations can report their support for simplified functional capabilities in two ways: one is when building a new base station, the base station will report its support for simplified functional capabilities to the AMF; the other is when upgrading an existing base station, the upgraded base station will report its support for simplified functional capabilities to the AMF.

[0101] In this embodiment, at least one base station is a newly established base station; the configuration information includes: a communication establishment request;

[0102] Obtain configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is connected to the target AMF, including:

[0103] Receive a communication establishment request sent by a newly established base station that is communicating with the target AMF; the communication establishment request includes the base station identifier and the supported capability information of the newly established base station;

[0104] If the configuration information indicates that at least one base station supports simplified functional capabilities, then the base station identifiers of at least one base station are stored in the target list, including:

[0105] If the support capability information of the newly built base station includes support for simplified functions, then the base station identifier of the newly built base station will be stored in the target list, a communication establishment response will be generated and sent to the newly built base station.

[0106] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an interaction diagram showing the simplified functional capabilities reported by a newly established base station in a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 3As shown, when a new base station is established and its simplified functional capabilities are reported to the AMF, the new base station is activated. The new base station sends a communication establishment request (NG SETUP REQUEST) to the target AMF of the communication connection. The communication establishment request includes the base station identifier of the new base station and the supported capability information of the new base station. The target AMF receives the communication establishment request and analyzes whether the supported capability information of the new base station includes support for simplified functional capabilities. If the supported capability information of the new base station includes support for simplified functional capabilities, the base station identifier of the new base station is stored in the target list, and a communication establishment response (NGSETUP RESPONSE) is generated. The target AMF sends the communication establishment response to the new base station, and the reporting of the new base station's support for simplified functional capabilities is completed through the NG SETUP process.

[0107] In this embodiment, at least one base station is an upgraded base station, which supports simplified functional capabilities after being upgraded; configuration information includes: radio access network configuration update;

[0108] Obtain configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is connected to the target AMF, including:

[0109] Receives a radio access network configuration update sent by the upgraded base station communicating with the target AMF; the radio access network configuration update includes the base station identifier of the upgraded base station and information on the upgraded base station's support for simplified functions;

[0110] If the configuration information indicates that at least one base station supports simplified functional capabilities, then the base station identifiers of at least one base station are stored in the target list, including:

[0111] Based on the information on the simplified functional capabilities supported by the upgraded base station, the base station identifier of the upgraded base station is stored in the target list, a radio access network configuration update confirmation is generated and sent to the upgraded base station.

[0112] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates an interaction diagram showing the upgraded base station reporting capability to support simplified functions in a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 4As shown, when upgrading a base station and reporting simplified functional capabilities to the AMF, upon completion and activation of the upgrade, the upgrade base station sends a Radio Access Network Configuration Update (RAN CONFIGURATION UPDATE) to the target AMF with which it has a communication connection. The RAN CONFIGURATION UPDATE includes the base station identifier of the upgrade base station and information about its supported simplified functional capabilities. Upon receiving the RAN CONFIGURATION UPDATE, the target AMF stores the base station identifier of the upgrade base station in its target list based on the information about its supported simplified functional capabilities and generates a RAN CONFIGURATION UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGE. The target AMF then sends the RAN CONFIGURATION UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGE to the upgrade base station, thus completing the reporting of the upgrade base station's support for simplified functional capabilities through the RAN Configuration Update process.

[0113] In this embodiment, the UE context information creation request includes: target base station identifier;

[0114] In response to the determination that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request is generated, including:

[0115] Match the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request with the base station identifier in the target list;

[0116] If the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request matches the base station identifier in the target list, the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier is determined as the changed base station, and the corresponding UE context information creation response is generated. The changed base station is the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then establishes a communication connection. The source base station changes the UE from the source base station to the target base station, including the source base station switching or reselecting the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0117] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the interaction diagram of base station change completion in a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the source base station can be represented as S-NG-RAN, the target base station can be represented as T-NG-RAN, the source AMF can be represented as S-AMF, and the target AMF can be represented as T-AMF. The base station change process includes:

[0118] The source base station sends a handover request (Handover Required) to the source AMF base station; the handover request includes the target base station identifier (Target ID).

[0119] The source AMF receives the handover request, generates a UE context information creation request (Namf_Communication_CreateUEContext Request) based on the handover request, and sends the UE context information creation request to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station. Furthermore, the UE context information creation request also includes: UE context information (UEContext), which carries "redCapInd". Among them, redCapInd is a simplified function capability identifier, used to identify that the UE supports simplified function capabilities. At the same time, redCapInd in the UE context information is also used to identify that the UE supporting simplified function capabilities is preparing for handover.

[0120] The target AMF receives the UE context information creation request and determines whether the target base station is available. Specifically, the target AMF matches the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request with the base station identifiers in the target list. Since the target list already stores the base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functionality, if the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request matches the base station identifier in the target list, then the target base station has reported that it supports simplified functionality, indicating that the target base station supports simplified functionality. The target AMF determines the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier as the changed base station, generates a UE context information creation response (Namf_Communication_CreateUEContext Response) corresponding to the UE context information creation request, and sends the UE context information creation response to the source AMF. Here, the changed base station refers to the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then re-establishes a communication connection, that is, the target base station is determined as the base station for handover or reselection.

[0121] The source AMF receives the UE context information to create a response, generates a base station handover instruction (Handover Preparation Success) based on the UE context information, and sends the base station handover instruction to the source base station.

[0122] The source base station receives a base station handover instruction and, based on the instruction, hands over or reselects the UE that is in a communication connection with the source base station to the target base station.

[0123] This embodiment ensures that during the UE's change from source base station to target base station, the UE can switch to a base station that supports simplified functional capabilities. It implements 5GC dynamic management of base station simplified functional capabilities, maintaining access and service continuity for simplified functional capabilities when the UE changes base station. It also addresses the accuracy issue in selecting a target base station that supports simplified functional capabilities.

[0124] The embodiment also includes:

[0125] If the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request does not match the base station identifier in the target list, a corresponding UE context information creation failure response will be generated.

[0126] A UE context information creation failure response is sent to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a handover preparation failure instruction based on the UE context information creation failure response and sends it to the source base station; the handover preparation failure instruction is used to instruct the source base station to maintain the communication connection with the UE.

[0127] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates a base station change interruption interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the base station change interruption process includes:

[0128] The source base station sends a handover request (Handover Required) to the source AMF base station; the handover request includes the target base station identifier (Target ID).

[0129] The source AMF receives the handover request, generates a UE context information creation request (Namf_Communication_CreateUEContext Request) based on the handover request, and sends the UE context information creation request to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station. Furthermore, the UE context information creation request also includes: UE context information (UEContext), which carries "redCapInd". Among them, redCapInd is a simplified function capability identifier, used to identify that the UE supports simplified function capabilities. At the same time, redCapInd in the UE context information is also used to identify that the UE supporting simplified function capabilities is preparing for handover.

[0130] The target AMF receives the UE context information creation request and determines whether the target base station is available. Specifically, the target AMF matches the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request with the base station identifiers in the target list. Since the target list already stores the base station identifiers of base stations supporting simplified functionality, if the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request does not match the base station identifier in the target list, it indicates that the target base station has not reported its support for simplified functionality, and the target base station identifier is not stored in the target list, therefore the target base station does not support simplified functionality. The target AMF generates a corresponding UE context information creation failure response and sends it to the source AMF. The UE context information creation failure response includes a failure reason, where the failure reason value is that the target base station does not support the UE with simplified functionality (Target not support RedCap UE).

[0131] The source AMF receives the UE context information and creates a failure response. Based on the UE context information, the source AMF generates a handover preparation failure instruction and sends the handover preparation failure instruction to the source base station.

[0132] When the source base station receives a handover preparation failure instruction, it will continue to maintain the communication connection with the UE that is in a communication connection state with the source base station according to the handover preparation failure instruction. That is, the UE will not perform handover or reselection, and the UE will continue to maintain the communication connection with the current source base station.

[0133] This embodiment compares the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request with the base station identifier in the target list. If the target base station identifier is not in the target list, the match will fail, thus enabling the UE to switch or reselect. The UE will continue to maintain the communication connection with the current source base station and continue to search for a base station that supports simplified function capabilities.

[0134] The embodiment also includes:

[0135] Receive the registration request sent by the UE; the registration request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station;

[0136] Based on the registration request, a UE context transfer is sent to the source AMF so that the source AMF can obtain the UE context information based on the UE context transfer and encapsulate it into the UE context transfer response.

[0137] Receive the UE context transfer response sent by the source AMF;

[0138] Upon confirming that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a registration update response is generated;

[0139] Send a registration update response to the UE so that the UE can reselect from the source base station to the target base station.

[0140] In this embodiment, the UE initiates a reselection when it is in idle mode. The main process when the UE initiates a reselection includes:

[0141] The UE sends an Initial UE Message (Registration Request) to the target AMF.

[0142] The target AMF receives the registration request, generates a UE context transfer (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer) based on the registration request, and sends the UE context transfer to the source AMF.

[0143] The source AMF receives the UE context transfer, obtains the UE context information (UEcontext) based on the UE context transfer, encapsulates the UE context information into a UE context transfer response (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransferResponse), and sends the UE context transfer response to the target AMF.

[0144] The target AMF receives the UE context transfer response, determines whether the target base station is available, and if it determines that the target list contains the target base station identifier, it generates a registration update response (Registration Accept); the target AMF sends the registration update response to the UE.

[0145] The UE receives the registration update response, disconnects the communication connection with the original base station according to the registration update response, and reselects the target base station to establish a communication connection with the target base station.

[0146] In this embodiment, in response to determining that the target list contains a target base station identifier, a registration update response is generated, including:

[0147] Match the target base station identifier in the UE context information of the UE context transfer response with the base station identifier in the target list;

[0148] If the target base station identifier in the UE context information in the UE context transfer response matches the base station identifier in the target list, the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier will be determined as the reselected base station, and a corresponding registration update response will be generated. The reselected base station is the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then re-establishes a communication connection.

[0149] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates a UE reselection completion interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the UE reselection process includes:

[0150] The UE sends a registration request to the target AMF.

[0151] The target AMF receives the registration request, generates a UE context transfer (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer) based on the registration request, and sends the UE context transfer to the source AMF.

[0152] The source AMF receives the UE context transfer, obtains the UE context information (UEcontext) based on the UE context transfer, encapsulates the UE context information into a UE context transfer response (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransferResponse), and sends the UE context transfer response to the target AMF.

[0153] The target AMF receives the UE context transfer response and determines whether the target base station is available. Specifically, it matches the target base station identifier in the UE context information of the UE context transfer response with the base station identifiers in the target list. Since the target list already stores the base station identifiers of base stations supporting simplified functionality, if the target base station identifier in the UE context information of the UE context transfer response matches the base station identifier in the target list, then the target base station has reported that it supports simplified functionality, indicating that the target base station supports simplified functionality. The target AMF determines the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier as the reselection base station and generates the corresponding registration update response (Registration Accept). The target AMF sends the registration update response to the UE. The reselection base station is the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then re-establishes a communication connection; that is, the target base station is determined as the reselection base station.

[0154] The UE receives the registration update response, disconnects the communication connection with the original base station according to the registration update response, and reselects the target base station to establish a communication connection with the target base station.

[0155] In this embodiment, the method further includes: if the target base station identifier of the UE context information in the UE context transfer response does not match the base station identifier in the target list, a corresponding registration rejection response is generated; and a registration rejection response is sent to the UE so that the UE maintains the communication connection with the source base station according to the registration rejection response.

[0156] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates a UE reselection interruption interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the UE reselection interrupt process includes:

[0157] The UE sends a registration request to the target AMF.

[0158] The target AMF receives the registration request, generates a UE context transfer (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer) based on the registration request, and sends the UE context transfer to the source AMF.

[0159] The source AMF receives the UE context transfer, obtains the UE context information (UEcontext) based on the UE context transfer, encapsulates the UE context information into a UE context transfer response (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransferResponse), and sends the UE context transfer response to the target AMF.

[0160] The target AMF receives the UE context transfer response and determines whether the target base station is available. Specifically, it matches the target base station identifier in the UE context information of the UE context transfer response with the base station identifiers in the target list. Since the target list already stores the base station identifiers of base stations supporting simplified functionality, if the target base station identifier in the UE context information of the UE context transfer response does not match the base station identifiers in the target list, it indicates that the target base station has not reported its support for simplified functionality. If the target base station identifier is not stored in the target list, then the target base station does not support simplified functionality. The target AMF generates a corresponding registration rejection response and sends it to the UE. The registration rejection response includes a cause for failure, where the cause value is "Target not support RedCap UE".

[0161] The UE receives a registration rejection response and continues to maintain its communication connection with the original base station based on the response.

[0162] This disclosure also provides a specific example of a communication method. Base station 1 in a 5G coverage area has two neighboring cells belonging to base station 2 and base station 3. Base station 1 and base station 2 have been upgraded to support RedCap. After the upgrade, the RedCap capability is notified to the 5GC AMF through the RANConfiguration Update process. The AMF stores base station 1 and base station 2 in a RedCap list, where the RedCap list is one implementation of a target list.

[0163] The RedCap UE successfully registers with base station 1. The AMF marks the RedCap identifier in the UE context and establishes a session to begin service. As the UE moves to the cell edge of base station 1, base station 1 detects that the handover threshold has been reached and first selects cell 3 to initiate a handover request. The handover request is sent to the AMF of base station 3. The AMF of base station 3 determines that the UE's context contains the RedCap identifier, so it searches the RedCap list to see if the target base station 3 is included. The search result fails, indicating that the target base station 3 cell does not support RedCap. Therefore, it returns a handover preparation failure to base station 1, carrying the failure reason value "Target not support RedCap UE". Upon receiving the failure response, base station 1 reselects a neighboring cell of base station 2 and initiates a handover request to the AMF of base station 2. This time, the AMF of base station 2 determines that the target cell supports RedCap, so it continues the subsequent handover process, completing the handover of the RedCap UE from cell 1 to cell 2.

[0164] This disclosure proposes that the NG-RAN reports its RedCap capability support to the 5GC via signaling, and the 5GC stores this information. Therefore, when a UE handover or reselection of a target NG-RAN occurs, the 5GC can use this information to determine whether the target NG-RAN supports RedCap and control the handover or reselection process to continue or be interrupted, thus ensuring the accuracy of RedCap UE handover or reselection. The NG-RAN reports its RedCap capability support to the 5GC AMF via signaling, and the AMF stores this information. When a UE undergoes a 5G intra-N2 handover / reselection or a 4G to 5G handover / reselection, the target AMF determines whether to continue the process based on the RedCap identifier in the UE context and the RedCap capability of the target NG-RAN. If the target NG-RAN does not support RedCap capability, the handover / reselection request is rejected, and a reason value indicating "target RAN does not support RedCap" is sent to the source side. The source side can then remeasure and select the target NG-RAN based on this reason value and initiate the handover / reselection request again.

[0165] During the 5GC network control process for RedCap UE handover or reselection, the 5GC AMF dynamically manages the list of RANs supporting RedCap capabilities through signaling (this process is independent of the UE and is an interaction process of network element capabilities), and assists in determining the target RAN selection during UE handover or reselection to ensure the accuracy of handover or reselection (this process is related to the UE and is triggered after the UE moves). The specific process is as follows: The base station reports the RedCap capability to the AMF through NG SETUP (new base station) or RAN Configuration Update (existing base station upgrade), and the AMF saves the capability information. When a RedCap UE handover or reselection occurs, the target AMF determines whether the handover or reselection process for the target RAN can continue or be interrupted based on the RedCap RAN list and the RedCap identifier in the UE context obtained from the source AMF. If it continues, the existing process is followed; if it is interrupted, a failure response is returned with the reason value "target RAN does not support RedCap".

[0166] The existing solution requires additional configuration for all base stations, and these configurations need to be modified as the radio network area is upgraded, resulting in high maintenance costs. By dynamically reporting RedCap capabilities to the 5GC from the base stations, and having the 5GC network element control the handover or reselection process, only the base station and AMF software are needed. This solves the problem of accurate RedCap target RAN selection in the existing network, reduces a large amount of handover or reselection signaling, and avoids updates to network policies and charging when UEs move back and forth between RedCap and non-RedCap areas. Through dynamic signaling control by the base station and AMF, the AMF's judgment of the RedCap RAN is enhanced during handover or reselection, ensuring the selection of the RedCap target RAN and reducing a large amount of handover or reselection signaling. This also addresses the issue of ensuring that, when RedCap is not fully upgraded across the network, the core network controls RedCap UEs to select a target RAN that supports RedCap capabilities during handover or reselection.

[0167] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a communication method according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 9 As shown, this disclosure also provides a communication method applied to the Source Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), including:

[0168] Step S902: Send a UE context information creation request to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0169] Step S902: Receive the UE context information creation response sent by the target AMF; the UE context information creation response is generated by the target AMF in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store the base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified function capabilities;

[0170] Step S902: Create a response based on the UE context information to generate a base station handover instruction and send it to the source base station; the base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0171] It should be noted that the acquisition, storage, use, and processing of data in this disclosed technical solution comply with the relevant provisions of national laws and regulations. The various types of data, such as personal identity data, operational data, and behavioral data related to individuals, customers, and groups, obtained in the embodiments of this disclosure have all been authorized.

[0172] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a communication device, as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle by which this device embodiment solves the problem is similar to that of the above-described method embodiments, the implementation of this device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above-described method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0173] Figure 10 This diagram illustrates a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the device, applied to the Target Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), includes:

[0174] The UE context information creation request receiving module 1001 is used to receive a UE context information creation request sent by the source AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF according to the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0175] The UE context information creation response generation module 1002 is used to generate a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store the base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities;

[0176] The UE context information creation response sending module 1003 is used to send the UE context information creation response to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0177] It should be noted that the UE context information creation request receiving module 1001, the UE context information creation response generating module 1002, and the UE context information creation response sending module 1003 correspond to S202 to S206 in the method embodiment. The examples and application scenarios implemented by the above modules and corresponding steps are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above method embodiment. It should be noted that the above modules, as part of the apparatus, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0178] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a communication device, as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle by which this device embodiment solves the problem is similar to that of the above-described method embodiments, the implementation of this device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above-described method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0179] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a communication device according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown, such as Figure 11 As shown, the device, applied to the Source Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), includes:

[0180] The UE context information creation request sending module 1101 is used to send a UE context information creation request to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station.

[0181] The UE context information creation response receiving module 1102 is used to receive the UE context information creation response sent by the target AMF; the UE context information creation response is generated by the target AMF in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store the base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified function capabilities;

[0182] The base station handover instruction generation and sending module 1103 is used to create a response based on the UE context information, generate a base station handover instruction, and send it to the source base station; the base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0183] It should be noted that the UE context information creation request sending module 1101, the UE context information creation response receiving module 1102, and the base station handover instruction generation and sending module 1103 correspond to S902 to S906 in the method embodiment. The examples and application scenarios implemented by the above modules and corresponding steps are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above method embodiment. It should be noted that the above modules, as part of the apparatus, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0184] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, or program product. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0185] The following reference Figure 12 To describe an electronic device 1200 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 12 The electronic device 1200 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0186] like Figure 12 As shown, the electronic device 1200 is manifested in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 1200 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 1210, at least one storage unit 1220, and a bus 1230 connecting different system components (including storage unit 1220 and processing unit 1210).

[0187] The storage unit stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 1210, causing the processing unit 1210 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. For example, the processing unit 1210 can perform the following steps of the above method embodiment: applied to a target access and mobility management function (AMF), including: receiving a user equipment (UE) context information creation request sent by a source AMF, the UE context information creation request being generated by the source AMF based on a handover request sent by a source base station to the source AMF; the UE context information creation request including a target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station; in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, generating a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request; the target list being used to store base station identifiers of base stations supporting simplified functional capabilities; sending the UE context information creation response to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station, the base station handover instruction being used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

[0188] Storage unit 1220 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as random access memory (RAM) 12201 and / or cache memory 12202, and may further include a read-only memory (ROM) 12203.

[0189] Storage unit 1220 may also include a program / utility 12204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 12205, such program modules 12205 including but not limited to: 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.

[0190] Bus 1230 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.

[0191] Electronic device 1200 can also communicate with one or more external devices 1240 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 1200, and / or any device that enables electronic device 1200 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 1250. Furthermore, electronic device 1200 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 1260. As shown, network adapter 1260 communicates with other modules of electronic device 1200 via bus 1230. 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 1200, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0192] 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.

[0193] In particular, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described communication method.

[0194] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A program product capable of implementing the methods described above is stored thereon. In some possible implementations, various aspects of this disclosure may 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.

[0195] More specific examples of computer-readable storage media in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, 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 of the foregoing.

[0196] In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal 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 transmitting, propagating, or transmitting a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0197] Optionally, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0198] In practical implementation, 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 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).

[0199] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0200] Furthermore, although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0201] 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, mobile terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0202] 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 examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The AMF (Active Access and Mobility Management Function) is applied to target access and mobility management functions, including: Obtain configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is connected to the target AMF; if the configuration information indicates that the at least one base station supports simplified function capabilities, then store the base station identifier of the at least one base station in the target list; The system receives a UE context information creation request sent by the source AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on a handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station. In response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request is generated; the target list is used to store base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities; The UE context information creation response is sent to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one base station is a newly established base station; the configuration information includes: a communication establishment request; Obtaining configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is communicatively connected to the target AMF includes: Receive a communication establishment request sent by the newly established base station that is in communication connection with the target AMF; the communication establishment request includes the base station identifier of the newly established base station and the support capability information of the newly established base station; Wherein, if the configuration information indicates that at least one base station supports the simplified functional capability, then the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list, including: If the support capability information of the newly established base station includes support for the simplified function capability, then the base station identifier of the newly established base station is stored in the target list, a communication establishment response is generated and sent to the newly established base station.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one base station is an upgraded base station, which supports the simplified functional capabilities after being upgraded. The configuration information includes: wireless access network configuration update; Obtaining configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is communicatively connected to the target AMF includes: Receive a radio access network configuration update sent by the upgraded base station that is communicatively connected to the target AMF; the radio access network configuration update includes the base station identifier of the upgraded base station and information on the upgraded base station's support for the simplified function capability; Wherein, if the configuration information indicates that at least one base station supports the simplified functional capability, then the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list, including: Based on the information regarding the upgraded base station's support for the simplified functional capabilities, the base station identifier of the upgraded base station is stored in the target list, a radio access network configuration update confirmation is generated and sent to the upgraded base station.

4. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UE context information creation request includes: target base station identifier; In response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request is generated, including: Match the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request with the base station identifier in the target list; If the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request matches the base station identifier in the target list, the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier is determined as the changed base station, and a corresponding UE context information creation response is generated; the changed base station is the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then establishes a communication connection; the source base station changes the UE from the source base station to the target base station, including the source base station switching or reselecting the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: If the target base station identifier in the UE context information creation request does not match the base station identifier in the target list, a corresponding UE context information creation failure response is generated. The UE context information creation failure response is sent to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a handover preparation failure instruction based on the UE context information creation failure response and sends it to the source base station; the handover preparation failure instruction is used to instruct the source base station to maintain the communication connection with the UE.

6. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive the registration request sent by the UE; The registration request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station; Based on the registration request, a UE context transfer is sent to the source AMF, so that the source AMF can obtain the UE context information based on the UE context transfer and encapsulate it into a UE context transfer response; Receive the UE context transfer response sent by the source AMF; In response to the determination that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a registration update response is generated; The registration update response is sent to the UE so that the UE can reselect from the source base station to the target base station.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, characterized in that, In response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier, a registration update response is generated, including: Match the target base station identifier of the UE context information in the UE context transfer response with the base station identifiers in the target list; If the target base station identifier of the UE context information in the UE context transfer response matches the base station identifier in the target list, then the target base station corresponding to the target base station identifier is determined as the reselection base station, and a corresponding registration update response is generated; the reselection base station is the next base station after the UE disconnects from the source base station and then re-establishes a communication connection.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: If the target base station identifier of the UE context information in the UE context transfer response does not match the base station identifier in the target list, a corresponding registration rejection response is generated. The registration rejection response is sent to the UE so that the UE maintains its communication connection with the source base station based on the registration rejection response.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, The AMF (Agency Management Function) is applied to source access and mobility management functions, including: A UE context information creation request is sent to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station. The system receives a UE context information creation response sent by the target AMF; the UE context information creation response is generated by the target AMF in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities; Based on the UE context information, a response is created to generate a base station handover instruction, which is then sent to the source base station. The base station handover instruction instructs the source base station to transfer the UE from the source base station to the target base station. The target list is generated based on the configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is connected to the target AMF. If the configuration information indicates that the at least one base station supports the simplified function capability, the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, The AMF (Active Access and Mobility Management Function) is applied to target access and mobility management functions, including: The UE context information creation request receiving module is used to receive a UE context information creation request sent by the source AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station. The UE context information creation response generation module is used to generate a UE context information creation response corresponding to the UE context information creation request in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store the base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities; The UE context information creation response sending module is used to send the UE context information creation response to the source AMF, so that the source AMF generates a base station handover instruction based on the UE context information creation response and sends it to the source base station. The base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station. The communication device is also used to acquire configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is connected to the target AMF; if the configuration information indicates that the at least one base station supports the simplified function capability, then the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, The AMF (Agency Management Function) is applied to source access and mobility management functions, including: The UE context information creation request sending module is used to send a UE context information creation request to the target AMF. The UE context information creation request is generated by the source AMF based on the handover request sent by the source base station to the source AMF. The UE context information creation request includes the target base station identifier corresponding to the target base station when the UE changes from the source base station to the target base station. A UE context information creation response receiving module is used to receive a UE context information creation response sent by the target AMF; the UE context information creation response is generated by the target AMF in response to determining that the target list contains the target base station identifier; the target list is used to store base station identifiers of base stations that support simplified functional capabilities; A base station handover instruction generation and sending module is used to create a response based on the UE context information, generate a base station handover instruction, and send it to the source base station; the base station handover instruction is used to instruct the source base station to change the UE from the source base station to the target base station; The target list is generated based on the configuration information corresponding to at least one base station that is connected to the target AMF. If the configuration information indicates that the at least one base station supports the simplified function capability, the base station identifier of the at least one base station is stored in the target list.

12. 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 communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 by executing the executable instructions.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

14. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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