User plane connection establishment method and device, equipment, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a user plane connection establishment method and device, equipment, a storage medium and a program product. The method comprises the following steps: establishing user plane connection with an LMF (Location Management Function) network element based on an indication sent by an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) network element; and sending a user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element sends the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element. By adopting the method, the problem that the UE does not send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element when the signaling is congested, so that the establishment of the user plane connection is stopped can be avoided, and the probability of failure of the establishment of the user plane connection is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of user plane technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device, storage medium and program product for establishing a user plane connection. Background Art

[0002] The 5G core network (5G Core, 5GC) adopts a service-based architecture (SBA) to split network elements. For example, the 5G core network includes AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) network elements, LMF (Location Management Function) network elements, etc.

[0003] Currently, UE (User Equipment) and LMF network elements establish a user plane connection through AMF network elements to achieve user plane positioning.

[0004] However, if signaling congestion occurs between the UE and the AMF network element, the user plane connection establishment process may be terminated or even cause the user plane connection establishment to fail. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a method, apparatus, device, storage medium and program product for establishing a user plane connection, which can avoid the problem of signaling congestion between UE and AMF network element causing the user plane connection establishment process to be terminated, and reduce the probability of failure in establishing the user plane connection.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for establishing a user plane connection, which is applied to a user terminal, and the method includes:

[0007] Establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the instruction sent by the AMF network element;

[0008] The user plane positioning confirmation message is sent to the LMF network element so that the LMF network element can send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0009] In one of the embodiments, the indication is that after the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element, the AMF network element sends it to the user terminal.

[0010] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0011] Receive the downlink non-access layer transmission message sent by the AMF network element; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0013] Through the established user plane connection, LPP messages are transmitted between the user terminal and the LMF, and the supplementary event report message from the user terminal is transmitted to the LMF network element.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for establishing a user plane connection, which is applied to an LMF network element, and the method includes:

[0015] Establishing a user plane connection with the user terminal and receiving a user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal;

[0016] Send a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0017] In one of the embodiments, the sending of a user plane location confirmation message to an AMF network element includes:

[0018] A notification message is sent to the AMF network element, which carries a user plane positioning confirmation message.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0020] Send user plane information to the AMF network element so that the AMF network element sends user plane information and instructions to the user terminal, where the indication is used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0021] In one of the embodiments, the sending of user plane information to the AMF network element includes:

[0022] If the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset conditions, the user plane information is sent to the AMF network element.

[0023] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0024] Receive a positioning message and / or a supplementary event report sent by a user terminal through the established user plane connection.

[0025] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for establishing a user plane connection, which is applied to an AMF network element, and the method includes:

[0026] Receive user plane information sent by LMF network element;

[0027] Send an indication to the user terminal, the indication being used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element;

[0028] Receive a user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element. The user plane location confirmation message is sent to the LMF network element by the user terminal during the process of establishing a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0029] In one of the embodiments, the receiving of the user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element includes:

[0030] Receive the notification message sent by the LMF network element, which carries the user plane positioning confirmation message.

[0031] In one embodiment, the sending of the instruction to the user terminal includes:

[0032] A downlink non-access layer transmission message is sent to a user terminal; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0034] The location service context in the process of establishing the user plane connection is stored in the context information corresponding to the user terminal.

[0035] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a user plane connection establishment device, which is applied to a user terminal, and the device includes:

[0036] A connection establishment module, used to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the indication sent by the AMF network element;

[0037] The message sending module is used to send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element can send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a user plane connection establishment device, which is applied to an LMF network element, and the device includes:

[0039] A connection establishment module, used to establish a user plane connection with a user terminal and receive a user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal;

[0040] The message sending module is used to send a user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0041] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a user plane connection establishment device, which is applied to an AMF network element, and the device includes:

[0042] An information receiving module, used to receive user plane information sent by the LMF network element;

[0043] An information sending module, used to send an indication to a user terminal, the indication being used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element;

[0044] The message receiving module is used to receive the user plane positioning confirmation message sent by the LMF network element. The user plane positioning confirmation message is sent by the user terminal to the LMF network element during the process of establishing a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0045] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including a transceiver and a processor;

[0046] The processor is used to control the transceiver to implement the steps of the method of the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0047] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the steps of the method of the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect when the computer program is executed by a processor.

[0048] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method of the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect mentioned above.

[0049] In the above-mentioned user plane connection establishment method, apparatus, equipment, storage medium and program product, the user terminal establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the indication sent by the AMF network element; and sends a user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element can send the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. Compared with the traditional technology of first sending a user plane location confirmation message and then establishing a user plane connection, in the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, even if signaling congestion occurs, the user terminal can establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element, thereby reducing the probability of failure to establish the user plane connection. Moreover, in the process of establishing the user plane connection, the UE sends the user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. Compared with the need for the UE and the AMF network element to interact through the air interface, sending the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element through the LMF network element does not need to pass through the air interface, so the air interface load can be reduced, thereby reducing signaling congestion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Figure 1 An application environment diagram of a method for establishing a user plane connection in an embodiment;

[0051] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a method for establishing a user plane connection in an embodiment;

[0052] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of steps for establishing a user plane connection in another embodiment;

[0053] Figure 4The figure is a flow chart of a user plane information transmission step in an embodiment;

[0054] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a method for establishing a user plane connection in yet another embodiment;

[0055] Figure 6 A structural block diagram of a device for establishing a user plane connection in an embodiment;

[0056] Figure 7 A structural block diagram of an apparatus for establishing a user plane connection in another embodiment;

[0057] Figure 8 A structural block diagram of an apparatus for establishing a user plane connection in yet another embodiment;

[0058] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a communication device in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0060] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an application scenario for establishing a user plane connection provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the application scenario includes a user terminal 102 and a network device 104. The user terminal 102 and the network device 104 perform data transmission via a network.

[0061] Among them, the network equipment 104 may include core network equipment and access network equipment. The core network equipment may include AMF network elements, LMF network elements and UPF (User Plane Function) network elements, etc. The access network equipment may include NG-RAN (NG Radio Access Network) network elements.

[0062] The user terminal 102 may be a wireless terminal, which may be a device that provides voice and / or other service data connectivity to the user, or a handheld device with wireless connection function, or other processing equipment connected to a wireless modem. The wireless terminal may communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (Radio Access Network, referred to as RAN). The wireless terminal may be a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone) and a computer with a mobile terminal, for example, a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in or vehicle-mounted mobile device, which exchanges language and / or data with a wireless core network. The wireless terminal may also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit (Subscriber Unit), a subscriber station (Subscriber Station), a mobile station (Mobile Station), a mobile station (Mobile), a remote station (Remote Station), a remote terminal (Remote Terminal), an access terminal (Access Terminal), a user terminal (User Terminal), a user agent (User Agent), a user device (User Device or User Equipment), which is not limited here.

[0063] In traditional technology, before establishing a user plane connection, the UE first sends a user plane positioning confirmation (UserPlane Positioning Acknowledge) message to the AMF network element; then, the AMF network element sends the user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element; after that, the UE establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element. Among them, the AMF network element can detect the signaling congestion of 5GMM (5G mobility management). When signaling congestion occurs, the AMF network element can send a rejection message to the UE, and the rejection message carries the timing duration set by the back-off timer (Back-off Timer). After receiving the rejection message, the UE will no longer send any message within the timing duration set by the back-off timer. In this way, the UE does not send a user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element, the user plane connection establishment process is terminated, and even the user plane connection establishment may fail.

[0064] Based on the above-mentioned traditional technology, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for establishing a user plane connection, which breaks the user plane connection establishment process in the traditional technology. The user terminal establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the instruction sent by the AMF network element. In this way, the problem that the UE does not send a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element during signaling congestion, resulting in the termination of the user plane connection establishment, can be avoided, thereby reducing the probability of failure to establish the user plane connection. Furthermore, in the process of establishing a user plane connection, the UE sends a user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. Compared with the need for the UE and the AMF network element to interact through the air interface, sending a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element through the LMF network element does not need to go through the air interface, so the air interface load can be reduced, thereby reducing signaling congestion.

[0065] It should be noted that the beneficial effects brought about by the embodiments of the present application or the technical problems solved are not limited to this one, but may also include other implicit or related problems. For details, please refer to the description of the following embodiments.

[0066] The technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0067] In one embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, a method for establishing a user plane connection is provided, and the method is applied to Figure 1 The user terminal in the example is used as an example to illustrate, including the following steps:

[0068] Step 201, based on the indication sent by the AMF network element, establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0069] Among them, the indication is used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection. After the AMF network element receives the user plane information sent by the LMF network element, the AMF network element can send an indication to the user terminal, or send an indication to the user terminal through the GN-RAN network element. When the user terminal receives the indication sent by the AMF network element, it directly establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element according to the indication.

[0070] Exemplarily, the process of establishing a user plane connection between a user terminal and an LMF network element may include: the user terminal sends an uplink IP (Internet Protocol) data packet to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element queries the link for interacting with the user terminal based on the IP data packet, and verifies the legitimacy of the IP data packet. If the IP data packet is sent by a user terminal that has passed access authentication, the IP data packet is determined to be legal, and subsequent steps can be continued; if the IP data packet is sent by a user terminal that has not passed access authentication, the IP data packet is determined to be illegal, and the process of establishing the user plane connection is terminated. After verifying that the IP data packet is legal, the LMF network element sends a reply IP packet to the user terminal. After receiving the reply IP packet, the user terminal successfully establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0071] It should be noted that the process of establishing the user plane connection is not limited to the above description, and other methods may also be used.

[0072] Step 202: Send a User Plane Positioning Acknowledge message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element can send the User Plane Positioning Acknowledge message to the AMF network element.

[0073] The user plane location message is used to indicate that the user plane connection is established successfully, and it may carry an identifier indicating that the user plane connection is established successfully. For example, an identifier of 1 indicates that the user plane connection is established successfully, and an identifier of 0 indicates that the user plane connection is not established successfully.

[0074] In the process of establishing a user plane connection with the LMF network element, the user terminal sends a user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element. The LMF network element receives the user plane location confirmation message and sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element, notifying the AMF network element that the user plane connection establishment is complete.

[0075] The above-mentioned user terminal sends a user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element. The user terminal may send the user plane positioning confirmation message directly to the LMF; or the user terminal may send a message to the LMF, and the message carries the user plane positioning confirmation message; or the corresponding transmission channel may be connected through the user plane.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the user terminal establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the indication sent by the AMF network element; and sends a user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element can send the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. Compared with the traditional technology of first sending a user plane location confirmation message and then establishing a user plane connection, in the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, if signaling congestion occurs, the user terminal does not need to send a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element first, but directly establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element, thereby reducing the probability of failure to establish the user plane connection. Moreover, in the process of establishing the user plane connection, the UE sends the user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. Compared with the need for the UE and the AMF network element to interact through the air interface, sending a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element through the LMF network element does not need to pass through the air interface, so the air interface load can be reduced, thereby reducing the signaling congestion of the AMF network element.

[0077] In one embodiment, the above indication is that after the LMF network element sends the user plane information (User Plane Information) to the AMF network element, the AMF network element sends it to the user terminal.

[0078] When the LMF network element confirms that the user plane is used for positioning, the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element. Then, the AMF network element sends an indication and user plane information to the user terminal, where the indication is used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element, and the user plane information includes the information required to establish the user plane connection.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the user terminal receives an instruction sent by the AMF network element, thereby starting the process of establishing a user plane connection so that positioning can be performed through the user plane later.

[0080] In one embodiment, the above indication may be transmitted in the following manner: the user terminal receives a downlink non-access layer transmission message (UL NAS TRANSPORT) sent by the AMF network element; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries the indication.

[0081] The AMF network element sends a downlink non-access layer transmission message to the user terminal, and the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication. For example, the indication may be encapsulated in the header of the downlink non-access layer transmission message for transmission, or the indication may be encapsulated in the payload field of the downlink non-access layer transmission message for transmission, or an indication identifier may be added to the header of the downlink non-access layer transmission message, an indication may be added to the payload field of the downlink non-access layer transmission message, and so on. The user terminal receives the downlink non-access layer transmission message sent by the AMF network element, and parses the indication from the downlink non-access layer transmission message.

[0082] In one of the embodiments, the AMF network element communicates with the user terminal through the NG-RAN network element, and the process of the AMF network element sending a downlink non-access layer transmission message to the user terminal may include: the AMF network element sends a downlink non-access layer transmission message to the NG-RAN network element, the NG-RAN network element sends the downlink non-access layer transmission message to the user terminal, and the user terminal parses the indication from the downlink non-access layer transmission message.

[0083] It should be noted that the downlink non-access layer transmission message can also carry other information, such as user plane information, and in actual applications, the interaction between the user terminal and the AMF network element is not limited to the above-described method and can be set according to actual conditions.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the user terminal receives the downlink non-access layer transmission message sent by the AMF network element, and the indication can be received quickly and accurately through the downlink non-access layer transmission message. Compared with the transmission of the user plane location confirmation message between the UE and the AMF network element through the air interface, the user plane location confirmation message sent from the LMF network element to the AMF network element does not need to pass through the air interface, so the air interface load can be reduced, thereby reducing signaling congestion.

[0085] In one embodiment, after the user plane connection is established, the embodiment of the present application may also include the following steps: through the established user plane connection, LPP messages are transmitted between the user terminal and the LMF, and supplementary event report messages from the user terminal are transmitted to the LMF network element.

[0086] The positioning message may include the location of the user terminal, the device identifier interacting with the user terminal, etc. The supplementary event report may include relevant content supplementing the positioning message.

[0087] After the user terminal establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element, if the LMF network element needs to be positioned through the user plane, the user terminal sends a positioning message to the LMF network element through the established user plane connection, so that the LMF network element performs user plane positioning according to the positioning message.

[0088] The user terminal can also send supplementary event reports to the LMF network element through the established user plane connection, thereby assisting the LMF network element in user plane positioning.

[0089] It should be noted that the messages sent by the user terminal to the LMF network element through the established user plane connection are not limited to the above-mentioned positioning messages and supplementary event reports, but may also include other messages.

[0090] In the above embodiment, through the established user plane connection, the user terminal sends a positioning message and / or a supplementary event report to the LMF network element, thereby realizing the user plane positioning function.

[0091] In one embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, a method for establishing a user plane connection is provided, and the method is applied to Figure 1 The LMF network element in the example is used to illustrate, including the following steps:

[0092] Step 301: establish a user plane connection with a user terminal and receive a user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal, wherein the user plane location confirmation message is used to indicate that the user plane connection is established.

[0093] When it is determined that the user plane is used for positioning, the LMF network element establishes a user plane connection with the user terminal. During the process of establishing the user plane connection, the user terminal sends a user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element. The LMF network element receives the user plane positioning confirmation message sent by the user terminal.

[0094] Step 302: Send a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0095] After receiving the user plane location confirmation message, the LMF network element sends a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0096] In one of the embodiments, the LMF network element communicates with the AMF network element through the UPF network element. The process of the LMF network element sending a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element may include: the LMF network element sends a user plane location confirmation message to the UPF network element, and the UPF network element sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0097] It should be noted that in actual applications, the interaction between LMF network elements and AMF network elements is not limited to the above-described method and can be set according to actual conditions.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the LMF network element establishes a user plane connection with the user terminal, and receives a user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal; and sends a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. In the embodiment of the present application, the user terminal sends a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element through the LMF network element to notify the AMF network element that the user plane connection establishment is complete. In addition, since the user plane location confirmation message does not need to be transmitted through the air interface between the user terminal and the AMF network element, air interface resources can be saved and the probability of signaling congestion can be reduced.

[0099] In one embodiment, the process of the above-mentioned LMF network element sending a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element includes: the LMF network element sends a notification message (Nlmf_Location_UPNotify) to the AMF network element, and the notification message carries the user plane location confirmation message.

[0100] Among them, the notification message can adopt Nlmf.

[0101] During the process of establishing a user plane connection between the LMF network element and the user terminal, the user terminal sends a user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element receives the user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal. Afterwards, the LMF network element sends a notification message to the AMF network element, and carries the user plane location confirmation message in the notification message. The AMF network element receives the notification message, parses the user plane location confirmation message from the notification message, and determines that the user plane connection between the user terminal and the LMF network element is established based on the user plane location confirmation message.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the LMF network element sends a notification message carrying a user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element, which can improve the transmission efficiency and transmission accuracy of the user plane positioning confirmation message.

[0103] In one embodiment, before the user terminal establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element, the embodiment of the present application may also include: the LMF network element sends user plane information to the AMF network element, so that the AMF network element sends user plane information and instructions to the user terminal, and the instructions are used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0104] After determining to use the user plane for positioning, the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element; the AMF network element receives the user plane information sent by the LMF network element and sends the user plane information and instructions to the user terminal. The user terminal receives the user plane information and instructions, and based on the instructions, directly uses the user plane information to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the LMF network element sends user plane information to the AMF network element, so that the AMF network element sends user plane information and instructions to the user terminal, thereby instructing the user terminal to directly establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element, thereby realizing the user plane positioning function.

[0106] In one embodiment, the process of the LMF network element sending user plane information to the AMF network element may include: if the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset conditions, sending the user plane information to the AMF network element.

[0107] The LMF network element first obtains the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal and determines whether the user plane positioning capability meets the preset conditions. If it is determined that the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset conditions, the LMF network element decides to achieve positioning through the user plane connection between the user terminal and the LMF network element and sends the user plane information to the AMF network element. If it is determined that the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal does not meet the preset conditions, the LMF network element determines not to use the user plane for positioning.

[0108] The user plane positioning capability may be represented by a capability parameter value, and the preset condition may include a preset parameter threshold. The above-mentioned determination of whether the user plane positioning capability meets the preset condition may include: determining whether the capability parameter value is greater than the preset parameter threshold, if the capability parameter value is greater than the preset parameter threshold, then determining that the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset condition; if the capability parameter value is less than or equal to the preset parameter threshold, then determining that the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal does not meet the preset condition.

[0109] It should be noted that the representation of the user plane positioning capability is different, and the preset conditions are also different. In practical applications, the preset conditions are not limited to the above preset parameter thresholds, and may also include other contents.

[0110] In the above embodiment, if the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset conditions, the user plane information is sent to the AMF network element. In the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, it is determined that a certain user plane positioning capability is possessed before establishing a user plane connection, which can reduce the resource loss caused by the user plane capability being insufficient to support positioning but establishing a user plane connection.

[0111] In one embodiment, after the LMF network element establishes a user plane connection with the user terminal, the embodiment of the present application may also include: receiving a positioning message and / or a supplementary event report sent by the user terminal through the established user plane connection.

[0112] The LMF network element establishes a user plane connection with the user terminal. Afterwards, when the LMF network element needs to be positioned through the user plane, the user terminal can send a positioning message to the LMF network element. The LMF network element receives the positioning message sent by the user terminal through the established user plane connection and performs user plane positioning according to the positioning message.

[0113] The user terminal can also send supplementary event reports to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element receives the supplementary event reports through the established user plane connection. The supplementary event reports can assist the LMF network element in user plane positioning.

[0114] It should be noted that the messages received by the LMF network element through the established user plane connection are not limited to the above-mentioned positioning messages and supplementary event reports, but may also include other messages.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the LMF network element receives the positioning message and / or supplementary event report sent by the user terminal through the established user plane connection, so that the LMF network element can realize user plane positioning according to the positioning message and supplementary event report.

[0116] In one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, a method for establishing a user plane connection is provided, and the method is applied to Figure 1The AMF network element in the example is used to illustrate, including the following steps:

[0117] Step 401, receiving user plane information sent by the LMF network element.

[0118] After the LMF network element determines to use the user plane for positioning, it sends the user plane information to the AMF network element. Correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the user plane information sent by the LMF network element.

[0119] In one of the embodiments, the LMF network element sends user plane information to the UPF network element, and the UPF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element; the AMF network element receives the user plane information sent by the UPF network element.

[0120] Step 402: Send an indication to the user terminal, where the indication is used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0121] After receiving the user plane information, the AMF network element sends an instruction to the user terminal according to the user plane information. The user terminal receives the instruction and directly establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element according to the instruction.

[0122] In one of the embodiments, the AMF network element sends an indication to the GN-RAN network element, and the GN-RAN network element sends the indication to the user terminal.

[0123] Step 403, receiving a user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element. The user plane location confirmation message is sent by the user terminal to the LMF network element when establishing a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0124] During the establishment of the user plane connection, the user terminal sends a user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, the LMF network element receives the user plane location confirmation message, and sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. The AMF network element receives the user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element, and determines that the user plane connection between the user terminal and the LMF network element is established according to the user plane location confirmation message.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the AMF network element receives the user plane information sent by the LMF network element, and sends an instruction to the user terminal to instruct the user terminal to directly establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element. Afterwards, the AMF network element receives the user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element, and the user plane location confirmation message is sent by the user terminal to the LMF network element in the process of establishing a user plane connection with the LMF network element. Compared with the conventional technology, in the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, even if signaling congestion occurs, the user terminal can establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element, thereby reducing the probability of failure to establish the user plane connection. Moreover, in the process of establishing the user plane connection, the user terminal sends the user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. Compared with the user terminal and the AMF network element transmitting the user plane location confirmation message through the air interface, sending the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element through the LMF network element does not need to pass through the air interface, so the air interface load can be reduced, thereby reducing signaling congestion.

[0126] In one embodiment, the process of the AMF network element receiving a user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element may include: the AMF network element receives a notification message sent by the LMF network element, and the notification message carries the user plane location confirmation message.

[0127] Among them, the notification message may include Nlmf.

[0128] The LMF network element can send a notification message carrying a user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element; the AMF network element receives the notification message sent by the LMF network element, parses the user plane positioning confirmation message from the notification message, and determines that the user plane connection between the LMF network element and the user terminal is established based on the user plane positioning confirmation message.

[0129] In the above embodiment, the AMF network element receives the notification message carrying the user plane positioning confirmation message sent by the LMF network element, which can improve the transmission efficiency and transmission accuracy of the user plane positioning confirmation message.

[0130] In one embodiment, the process of the AMF network element sending an indication to the user terminal may include: the AMF network element sends a downlink non-access layer transmission message to the user terminal; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries the indication.

[0131] After the AMF network element receives the user plane information sent by the LMF network element, it sends a downlink non-access layer transmission message to the user terminal; the user terminal receives the downlink non-access layer transmission message, parses the indication from the downlink non-access layer transmission message, and then directly establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element according to the indication.

[0132] In the above embodiment, the AMF network element sends a downlink non-access layer transmission message to the user terminal; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication, which can improve the transmission efficiency of the indication.

[0133] In one embodiment, after the user plane connection is established, the embodiment of the present application may also include: the AMF network element stores the positioning service context (LCS-UP connection context) during the user plane connection establishment process in the context information corresponding to the user terminal (UE context).

[0134] The AMF network element receives the user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element, and determines that the user plane connection between the LMF network element and the user terminal is established according to the user plane location confirmation message. Then, the AMF network element stores the location service context during the user plane connection establishment process as part of the context information corresponding to the user terminal.

[0135] It should be noted that the context information corresponding to the user terminal can assist in the subsequent user plane positioning, and can also be used as verification information when establishing a user plane connection subsequently. In actual applications, the role of the context information can be set according to actual conditions.

[0136] In the above embodiment, the AMF network element stores the positioning service context during the user plane connection establishment process in the context information corresponding to the user terminal. The context information can assist in subsequent user plane positioning and verification, thereby improving the efficiency of user plane positioning and verification efficiency.

[0137] In one embodiment, Figure 5 Provide a signaling interaction flow chart for establishing a user plane connection. Figure 5 As shown, the method comprises the following steps:

[0138] Step 501: If the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset conditions, the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element.

[0139] Step 502: After receiving the user plane information sent by the LMF network element, the AMF sends the user plane information and instructions to the user terminal.

[0140] Step 503: The user terminal establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element and sends a user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element.

[0141] Step 504, LMF receives the user plane location confirmation message and sends a notification message to the AMF network element, where the notification message carries the user plane location confirmation message.

[0142] Step 505: AMF stores the location service context in the process of establishing the user plane connection into the context information corresponding to the user terminal.

[0143] Step 506: The user terminal sends a positioning message and / or a supplementary event report to the LMF network element through the established user plane connection.

[0144] The process of establishing a user plane connection provided in the above embodiment is that the user terminal directly establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the indication sent by the AMF network element. In this way, the problem that the UE does not send a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element during signaling congestion, resulting in the termination of the user plane connection establishment, can be avoided, thereby reducing the probability of failure to establish the user plane connection. Furthermore, in the process of establishing a user plane connection, the UE sends a user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, and the LMF network element sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element. Compared with the need for the UE and the AMF network element to interact through the air interface, sending a user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element through the LMF network element does not need to go through the air interface, so the air interface load can be reduced, thereby reducing signaling congestion.

[0145] It should be understood that, although the various steps in the above flowchart are displayed in sequence according to the indication of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in sequence according to the order indicated by the arrows. Unless there is a clear description in this article, the execution of these steps is not strictly limited in order, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a part of the steps in the above flowchart may include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages are not necessarily executed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily to be carried out in sequence, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a part of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0146] In one embodiment, Figure 6 As shown, a user plane connection establishment device is provided, which is applied to a user terminal, including:

[0147] A connection establishment module 601 is used to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the instruction sent by the AMF network element;

[0148] The message sending module 602 is used to send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element sends the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0149] In one of the embodiments, the indication is that after the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element, the AMF network element sends it to the user terminal.

[0150] In one embodiment, the device further comprises:

[0151] The message receiving module is used to receive the downlink non-access layer transmission message sent by the AMF network element; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication.

[0152] In one embodiment, the device further comprises:

[0153] The message sending module 602 is also used to transmit the LPP message between the user terminal and the LMF through the established user plane connection, and transmit the supplementary event report message from the user terminal to the LMF network element.

[0154] In one embodiment, Figure 7 As shown, a user plane connection establishment device is provided, which is applied to a LMF network element, and the device includes:

[0155] The connection establishment module 701 is used to establish a user plane connection with a user terminal and receive a user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal;

[0156] The message sending module 702 is used to send a user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0157] In one of the embodiments, the sending of a user plane location confirmation message to an AMF network element includes:

[0158] A notification message is sent to the AMF network element, and the notification message carries a user plane positioning confirmation message.

[0159] In one embodiment, the device further comprises:

[0160] The information sending module is used to send user plane information to the AMF network element so that the AMF network element will send user plane information and instructions to the user terminal, and the instructions are used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0161] In one of the embodiments, the information sending module is specifically used to send user plane information to the AMF network element if the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset conditions.

[0162] In one embodiment, the device further comprises:

[0163] The message receiving module is used to receive a positioning message and / or a supplementary event report sent by a user terminal through an established user plane connection.

[0164] In one embodiment, Figure 8 As shown, a user plane connection establishment device is provided, which is applied to an AMF network element, and the device includes:

[0165] The information receiving module 801 is used to receive the user plane information sent by the LMF network element;

[0166] An information sending module 802 is used to send an indication to a user terminal, where the indication is used to instruct the user terminal to instruct to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element;

[0167] The message receiving module 803 is used to receive a user plane positioning confirmation message sent by the LMF network element. The user plane positioning confirmation message is sent by the user terminal to the LMF network element during the process of establishing a user plane connection with the LMF network element.

[0168] In one of the embodiments, the message receiving module 803 is specifically used to receive a notification message sent by the LMF network element, and the notification message carries a user plane positioning confirmation message.

[0169] In one of the embodiments, the information sending module 802 is specifically configured to send a downlink non-access layer transmission message to a user terminal; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication.

[0170] In one embodiment, the device further comprises:

[0171] The storage module is used to store the positioning service context in the process of establishing the user plane connection into the context information corresponding to the user terminal.

[0172] For the specific definition of the user plane connection establishment device, please refer to the definition of the user plane connection establishment method above, which will not be repeated here. Each module in the above-mentioned user plane connection establishment device can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware and a combination thereof. The above-mentioned modules can be embedded in or independent of the processor in the computer device in the form of hardware, or can be stored in the memory of the computer device in the form of software, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to the above modules.

[0173] In one embodiment, a communication device is provided, which may be a user terminal, or may be a LMF network element or an AMF network element.

[0174] Fig. 9 It is a structural diagram of a user terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 The user terminal 900 shown includes: at least one processor 901, a memory 902, at least one network interface 904 and a user interface 903. The various components in the user terminal 900 are coupled together via a bus system 905. It can be understood that the bus system 905 is used to achieve connection and communication between these components. In addition to the data bus, the bus system 905 also includes a power bus, a control bus and a status signal bus. However, for the sake of clarity, the bus system 905 is not described in detail. Fig. 9In the figure, various buses are labeled as bus system 905. In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, a transceiver 906 is also included. The transceiver can be multiple components, that is, including a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices on a transmission medium.

[0175] The user interface 903 may include a display, a keyboard, or a pointing device (eg, a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, or a touch screen).

[0176] It can be understood that the memory 902 in the embodiment of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and direct RAM bus random access memory (DRRAM). The memory 902 of the system and method described in the embodiments of the present application is intended to include but is not limited to these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0177] In some embodiments, the memory 902 stores the following elements, executable modules or data structures, or a subset thereof, or an extended set thereof: an operating system 9021 and an application program 9022 .

[0178] The operating system 9021 includes various system programs, such as a framework layer, a core library layer, a driver layer, etc., for implementing various basic services and processing hardware-based tasks. The application 9022 includes various application programs, such as a media player (MediaPlayer), a browser (Browser), etc., for implementing various application services. The program for implementing the method of the embodiment of the present application can be included in the application 9022.

[0179] In an embodiment of the present application, by calling the program or instructions stored in the memory 902, specifically, the program or instructions stored in the application 9022, the transceiver establishes a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the indication sent by the AMF network element; and sends the user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element can send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0180] Part or all of the methods disclosed in the above embodiments of the present application can also be applied to the processor 901, or implemented by the processor 901, or implemented by the processor 901 in cooperation with other components (such as a transceiver). The processor 901 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor 901 or an instruction in the form of software. The above-mentioned processor 901 can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (Digital Signal Processor, DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC), a field programmable gate array (Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor for execution, or a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor for execution. The software module may be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory 902, and the processor 901 reads the information in the memory 902 and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0181] It is to be understood that the embodiments described in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the processing unit may be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processors (DSP), digital signal processing devices (DSPDevice, DSPD), programmable logic devices (PLD), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), general purpose processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units for performing the functions described in the present application or a combination thereof.

[0182] For software implementation, the technology described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a module (such as a process, function, etc.) that performs the functions described in the embodiments of the present application. The software code can be stored in a memory and executed by the processor 901. The memory can be implemented in the processor 901 or outside the processor 901.

[0183] In one embodiment, a computer readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following steps are implemented:

[0184] Establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the instruction sent by the AMF network element;

[0185] The user plane positioning confirmation message is sent to the LMF network element so that the LMF network element can send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0186] In one embodiment, the indication is that after the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element, the AMF network element sends it to the user terminal.

[0187] In one embodiment, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following steps are also implemented:

[0188] Receive the downlink non-access layer transmission message sent by the AMF network element; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication.

[0189] In one embodiment, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following steps are also implemented:

[0190] Through the established user plane connection, LPP messages are transmitted between the user terminal and the LMF, and the supplementary event report message from the user terminal is transmitted to the LMF network element.

[0191] The present application also provides a computer program product including instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the following steps:

[0192] Establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the instruction sent by the AMF network element;

[0193] The user plane positioning confirmation message is sent to the LMF network element so that the LMF network element can send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

[0194] In one embodiment, the indication is that after the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element, the AMF network element sends it to the user terminal.

[0195] In one embodiment, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following steps are also implemented:

[0196] Receive the downlink non-access layer transmission message sent by the AMF network element; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries an indication.

[0197] In one embodiment, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following steps are also implemented:

[0198] Through the established user plane connection, LPP messages are transmitted between the user terminal and the LMF, and the supplementary event report message from the user terminal is transmitted to the LMF network element.

[0199] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, storage, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory or optical memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. As an illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0200] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0201] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a user plane connection, characterized in that: Applied to a user terminal, the method comprises: Establish a user plane connection with the location management function LMF network element based on the instruction sent by the access and mobility management function AMF network element; Send the user plane location confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element sends the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The indication is that after the LMF network element sends the user plane information to the AMF network element, the AMF network element sends it to the user terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive a downlink non-access layer transmission message sent by the AMF network element; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries the indication.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Through the established user plane connection, LPP messages are transmitted between the user terminal and the LMF, and supplementary event report messages from the user terminal are transmitted to the LMF network element.

5. A method for establishing a user plane connection, characterized in that: Applied to LMF network element, the method comprises: Establishing a user plane connection with a user terminal, and receiving a user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal; Send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The sending the user plane location confirmation message to the AMF network element includes: Send a notification message to the AMF network element, where the notification message carries the user plane location confirmation message.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Send user plane information to the AMF network element so that the AMF network element sends the user plane information and an indication to the user terminal, wherein the indication is used to instruct the user terminal to establish the user plane connection with the LMF network element.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The sending user plane information to the AMF network element includes: If the user plane positioning capability of the user terminal meets the preset conditions, the user plane information is sent to the AMF network element.

9. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The positioning message and / or the supplementary event report sent by the user terminal is received through the established user plane connection.

10. A method for establishing a user plane connection, characterized in that: Applied to an AMF network element, the method comprises: Receive user plane information sent by LMF network element; Sending an indication to a user terminal, the indication being used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element; Receive a user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element, where the user plane location confirmation message is sent by the user terminal to the LMF network element during the process of establishing the user plane connection with the LMF network element.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The receiving a user plane location confirmation message sent by the LMF network element includes: Receive a notification message sent by the LMF network element, where the notification message carries the user plane positioning confirmation message.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The sending an instruction to the user terminal includes: Sending a downlink non-access layer transmission message to the user terminal; the downlink non-access layer transmission message carries the indication.

13. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The positioning service context in the process of establishing the user plane connection is stored in the context information corresponding to the user terminal.

14. A user plane connection establishment device, characterized in that: Applied to a user terminal, the device comprises: A connection establishment module, configured to establish a user plane connection with a location management function LMF network element based on an indication sent by an access and mobility management function AMF network element; A message sending module is used to send a user plane positioning confirmation message to the LMF network element, so that the LMF network element sends the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

15. A user plane connection establishment device, characterized in that: Applied to LMF network element, the device comprises: A connection establishment module, used to establish a user plane connection with a user terminal and receive a user plane location confirmation message sent by the user terminal; The message sending module is used to send the user plane positioning confirmation message to the AMF network element.

16. A user plane connection establishment device, characterized in that: Applied to AMF network element, the device comprises: An information receiving module, used to receive user plane information sent by the LMF network element; An information sending module, used to send an instruction to a user terminal according to the user plane information, wherein the instruction is used to instruct the user terminal to establish a user plane connection with the LMF network element; A message receiving module is used to receive a user plane positioning confirmation message sent by the LMF network element, and the user plane positioning confirmation message is sent by the user terminal to the LMF network element during the process of establishing the user plane connection with the LMF network element.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: Includes transceiver and processor; The processor is used to control the transceiver to implement the steps of any one of the methods of claims 1 to 13.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 are implemented.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 are implemented.

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