Communication method, apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a communication method, device and storage medium. The method is applied to an access management network element of a visited network, and the method comprises the following steps: receiving a registration request message sent by a terminal, wherein the registration request message carries a user identifier of the terminal and an identifier of a home network; when the home network does not support a networking mode of the visited network, using the user identifier of the terminal to interact with a network element of a roaming gateway of the visited network, and performing authentication on the terminal and obtaining subscription data of the terminal according to the user identifier of the terminal; when the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, using the user identifier of the terminal to interact with a network element of the home network, and performing authentication on the terminal and obtaining subscription data of the terminal; and if the authentication is passed and the subscription data is obtained, returning a registration response to the terminal, wherein the registration response represents that the terminal completes registration. The method provided by the application can enable the terminal to register to the visited network when the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] The fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G) is currently being deployed on a large scale. In the early stages of network construction, the 5G network mainly adopts a dual-mode architecture of standalone (SA) + non-standalone (NSA).

[0003] Due to the asynchronous deployment of 5G SA networks, in roaming scenarios, there are situations where the home network does not support the 5G SA networking mode of the visited network. For example, the visited 5G base station may have disabled 5G NSA access and only support 5G SA access, meaning the home network may only support 5G communication via the 5G NSA network. Currently, in such cases, the terminal will be unable to access the 5G network in the visited location and enjoy the high bandwidth of 5G. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium to solve the problem that, in the case of multiple 5G networking modes, if the home network does not support the visited network networking mode, the terminal will not be able to access the 5G network in the visited location and enjoy the high bandwidth of 5G.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method applied to an access management network element of a visited network, the method comprising:

[0006] The terminal receives a registration request message, which carries the user identifier and the identifier of the home network of the terminal.

[0007] When the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited location to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data; when the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, the user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the network element of the home network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data.

[0008] If authentication is successful and the contract data is obtained, a registration response is returned to the terminal, indicating that the terminal has completed registration.

[0009] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: an interconnecting network element; the interaction between the user identifier of the terminal and the network element of the roaming gateway in the visited location to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data includes:

[0010] Send a first discovery request message to the network storage element. The first discovery request message is used to request the discovery of a network element that authenticates the terminal. The first discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network.

[0011] Receive a first discovery response message returned by the network storage element; the first discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting network element;

[0012] The user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the interconnection network element to authenticate the terminal;

[0013] A second discovery request message is sent to the network storage element. The second discovery request message is used to request the discovery of the network element storing the terminal subscription data. The second discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network.

[0014] Receive a second discovery response message returned by the network storage element; the second discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting network element;

[0015] The user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the interconnecting network element to obtain the terminal's subscription data.

[0016] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: a session management agent network element; after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes:

[0017] Receive a first session establishment request from the terminal, the first session establishment request carrying the user identifier and the identifier of the home network of the terminal;

[0018] If the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, a third discovery request is sent to the network storage element. The third discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a first signaling exchange identifier. The first signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the discovery of the session management element from the visited network.

[0019] Receive a third discovery response message returned by the network storage network element; the third discovery response message carries the session management agent network element;

[0020] A second session establishment request is sent to the session management agent network element of the visited network. The second session establishment request is used to request the establishment of a session between the terminal and the session management agent network element.

[0021] Optionally, if the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, then after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes:

[0022] A fourth discovery request is sent to the network storage element. The fourth discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a second signaling exchange identifier. The second signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the discovery of the session management element from the home network.

[0023] Receive the fourth discovery response message returned by the network storage element; the fourth discovery response message carries the session management element of the home network;

[0024] A fourth session establishment request is sent to the session management network element of the home network, the fourth session establishment request being used to request the establishment of a session for the terminal.

[0025] Secondly, this application provides a communication method applied to a network element of a roaming-in gateway office in a visited location, the method comprising:

[0026] When the home network of a terminal that sends a registration request message to the access management network element does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the terminal interacts with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data.

[0027] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: an interconnection network element; the interaction with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data includes:

[0028] The network storage element receives a first discovery request message sent by the access management element. The first discovery request message is used to request the discovery of a network element that authenticates the terminal that sent the registration request message. The first discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network of the terminal.

[0029] If it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the network storage element sends a first discovery response message to the access management element; the first discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting element;

[0030] The interconnecting network element interacts with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal;

[0031] The network storage element receives a second discovery request message sent by the access management element. The second discovery request message is used to request the discovery of the network element storing the terminal subscription data. The second discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network.

[0032] If it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the network storage element sends a second discovery response message to the access management element; the second discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting element;

[0033] The interconnecting network element interacts with the access management network element to provide the terminal with its subscription data.

[0034] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: a session management agent network element; after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes:

[0035] The network storage element receives a third discovery request sent by the access management element after receiving the first session establishment request from the terminal. The third discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a first signaling exchange identifier. The first signaling exchange identifier is used to indicate that the session management element is discovered from the visited network.

[0036] The network storage element sends a third discovery response message to the access management element; the third discovery response message carries the session management agent element; the third discovery response message is used to instruct the access management element to send a second session establishment request to the session management element of the visited network, the second session establishment request is used to request to establish a session for the terminal with the session management agent element.

[0037] Optionally, if the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, then after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes:

[0038] The network storage element receives a fourth discovery request sent by the access management element after receiving the third session establishment request from the terminal. The fourth discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a second signaling exchange identifier. The second signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the session management element discovered from the home network.

[0039] The network storage element sends a fourth discovery response message to the access management element; the fourth discovery response message carries the session management element of the home network; the fourth discovery response message is used to instruct the access management element to send a fourth session establishment request to the session management element of the home network, and the fourth session establishment request is used to request the establishment of a session for the terminal.

[0040] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device applied to an access management network element of a visited network, the device comprising:

[0041] The receiving module is used to receive a registration request message sent by the terminal, wherein the registration request message carries the user identifier and the identifier of the home network of the terminal;

[0042] The interaction module is used to interact with the network elements of the roaming gateway office in the visited location using the user identifier of the terminal when the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, in order to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data; and to interact with the network elements of the home location using the user identifier of the terminal when the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, in order to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data.

[0043] The response module is used to return a registration response to the terminal if the authentication is successful and the contract data is obtained. The registration response indicates that the terminal has completed the registration.

[0044] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device applied to a network element of a roaming-in gateway office in a visited location, the device comprising:

[0045] The interaction module is used to interact with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data when the home network of the terminal that sends the registration request message to the access management network element does not support the networking mode of the visited network.

[0046] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device, including: a processor, and a memory and a communication interface communicatively connected to the processor;

[0047] The memory stores computer-executed instructions;

[0048] The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

[0049] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

[0050] The communication method, apparatus, and storage medium provided in this application allow a terminal to send a registration request message to the access management network element of the visited network. If the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the access management network element of the visited network uses the terminal's user identifier to interact with the network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data. When the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, the terminal's user identifier is used to interact with the network element of the home network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data. If authentication is successful and subscription data is obtained, a registration response is returned to the terminal to indicate that the terminal has completed registration.

[0051] Using the above method, when the home network supports the visited network's networking mode, the terminal can register with the visited network according to the standard registration process. When the home network does not support the visited network's networking mode, the access management network element can interact with the network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data, thereby completing the terminal registration process. In other words, for communication networks of the same communication standard, even if the home network does not support the visited network's networking mode, the terminal can still register with the visited network and communicate through it, unaffected by differences in supported networking modes. This approach further enhances the user's communication experience, meets user needs, and expands communication application scenarios.

[0052] For example, if the visited network is a 5G SA network and the home network is a 5G NSA network, under current technology, NSA terminals cannot access the visited 5G SA network. However, through the method described above, the visited AMF network element can interact with the network element of the visited roaming gateway to authenticate the NSA terminal and obtain subscription data. This enables the registration process for the NSA terminal, allowing it to access the visited 5G SA network and enjoy 5G bandwidth. Attached Figure Description

[0053] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0054] Figure 1 This is a network architecture diagram related to an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided by existing technology;

[0056] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the first communication method provided in this application;

[0057] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the second communication method provided in this application;

[0058] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the third communication method provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating the fourth communication method provided in this application;

[0060] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first type of communication device provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of communication device provided in this application;

[0062] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 100 provided in this application.

[0063] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0064] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0065] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties. Furthermore, the collection, use and processing of the relevant data must comply with relevant laws, regulations and standards, and corresponding operation entry points are provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0066] First, let me explain the terms used in this application:

[0067] Network element addressing: During terminal communication through the core network, multiple different network elements need to perform corresponding functions to complete the terminal's communication. This process involves finding the appropriate network element to execute the corresponding function; this is called network element addressing. In 5G SA networks, network element addressing is typically performed by the Network Repository Function (NRF) network element.

[0068] Roaming refers to the ability of a terminal to continue providing service to another user even after it leaves its registered service area (home region) and moves to a different service area (visited region). Currently, roaming is only possible between regions with compatible network standards and existing internet connections, or between regions that have signed bilateral roaming agreements. User roaming involves two concepts: roaming in and roaming out, which are corresponding concepts. Roaming in refers to a terminal from another region roaming into this region, while roaming out refers to a number from this region roaming to another region.

[0069] Gateway exchange: Generally known as a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC), it primarily performs tandem switching functions. For example, it is used for relay interconnection between different communication networks, such as for telecom operators. The gateway exchange is the point of entry and exit from the network. In roaming scenarios, the terminal accesses the visited network through the roaming gateway exchange.

[0070] Figure 1 This is a network architecture diagram related to an embodiment of this application. For example, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the 5G network architecture released by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards group includes: access network equipment, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, authentication server function (AUSF) network elements, and NRF network elements.

[0071] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 1 The network architecture shown is not intended to limit the network architecture. In actual implementation, the network architecture may include more or fewer network elements than shown, or combine certain network elements, etc. Furthermore, it should be understood that... Figure 1 The network architecture diagram shown can be a network architecture diagram of any communication standard, such as a 5G network architecture diagram, or a schematic diagram of the network architecture of a future communication standard.

[0072] In the above network architecture, access network equipment refers to equipment on the access network side, while AMF network elements, SMF network elements, UDM network elements, AUSF network elements, and NRF network elements refer to network elements on the core network side (abbreviated as: core network elements).

[0073] The AMF (Automatic Facilitation Module) network element manages whether terminal devices can access the core network. The SMF (Supply-Side Module) network element manages session connections established by terminal devices through the core network; each session connection transmits user plane data of the terminal device. The UDM (User Dedicated Module) network element stores the terminal's subscription data. The AUSF (Automatic User Dedicated Module) network element receives requests from the AMF network element to authenticate the UE, requests a key from the UDM, and then forwards the key issued by the UDM to the AMF for authentication processing. The NRF (Network RF) network element performs network element registration, management, and status detection, achieving automated management of all network elements. The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication systems, Wireless-Fidelity (WiFi) systems, Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, future communication systems, or systems integrating multiple communication systems, etc., and this application does not limit the scope. 5G can also be referred to as New Radio (NR).

[0074] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication scenarios, such as one or more of the following: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) communication, ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC), machine-type communication (MTC), mMTC, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Optionally, mMTC may include one or more of the following communications: communication in industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSN), communication in video surveillance scenarios, and communication in wearable devices.

[0075] The terminal in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The terminal in the embodiments of this application may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in autonomous driving, wireless terminal in telemedicine, wireless terminal in smart grids, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart cities, wireless terminal in smart homes, cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal device in a 5G network, or terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific form of the terminal.

[0076] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities in the access network. This device includes, but is not limited to: base stations, evolved node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node Bs, or home node Bs (HNBs), baseband units (BBUs), access points (APs), wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, transmission points (TPs), or transmission and reception points (TRPs) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system. This device can also be a network node constituting a next-generation base station (gNB) or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU).

[0077] Currently, there are two networking methods for 5G networks: SA (Standalone) and NSA (Non-Standalone). 5G NSA refers to deploying 5G networks on top of 4G infrastructure, with 4G and 5G base stations coexisting. 5G NSA still uses the 4G core network, but adds 5G base stations, allowing 5G NSA-enabled terminals (referred to as "NSA terminals") to enjoy 5G bandwidth. 5G SA refers to networking through the construction of independent 5G base stations, requiring a completely new 5G core network (i.e., the 5G network architecture released by the 3GPP standards group) to be operational.

[0078] The current development and deployment of 5G SA (Standalone) networks are not synchronized. In some regions, only terminals can access 5G networks via 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) networks, while in others, terminals can access 5G networks via 5G SA (Standalone) networks. Furthermore, in some areas where 5G SA networks have been built and are operational, 5G base stations may have disabled 5G NSA access. Alternatively, some operators may have built 5G SA networks, but they have not signed roaming agreements for 5G SA; in such cases, terminals cannot access 5G SA networks in visited locations.

[0079] During the process of a terminal registering with a visited network to communicate through it, the AMF (Active Network Element) element in the visited network needs to interact with the network element in the terminal's home network to authenticate the terminal and obtain its subscription data, in order to determine whether the terminal has the authority to register with the visited network. However, current network element addressing schemes only support interfacing with the same core network mode (e.g., both the visited and home networks are 5G SA, or both are 5G NSA). They cannot achieve network element addressing when the visited network is 5G SA and the home network is 5G NSA, or when both 5G SA and 5G NSA networks coexist. In other words, when the terminal's home network does not support the visited network the terminal is trying to access, the AMF element in the visited network cannot authenticate the terminal and obtain its subscription data through interaction with the network element in the home network. If the home and roaming operators have only signed a roaming agreement for 5G NSA and not a roaming agreement for 5G SA, the terminal will not be able to register to the visited 5G SA network even if both the home and visited locations have built and enabled 5G SA networks.

[0080] For example, when an NSA terminal whose home network is not a 5G SA network attempts to access a visited network, if the visited network only supports 5G SA networks and not 5G NSA networks, the NSA terminal will attempt to register with the visited 5G SA network. Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided by existing technology, such as... Figure 2 As shown, when an NSA terminal attempts to access a visited 5G SA network, it first sends a registration request message to the visited AMF network element via the 5G base station. The visited AMF network element then sends a discovery request message to the NRF network element at the visited roaming gateway to request the discovery of the AUSF network element used to authenticate the terminal's registration permissions. Subsequently, the NRF network element at the visited roaming gateway performs a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) discovery process to attempt to discover the aforementioned AUSF network element.

[0081] Because the NSA terminal's home location does not support 5G SA networks, the NRF network element at the visited roaming gateway is not configured with the home NRF network element address. This means it cannot discover the AUSF network element used for authenticating NSA terminal registration permissions through the home NRF network element. In this case, the NRF network element at the visited roaming gateway sends a discovery request response to the visited AMF network element, indicating an empty discovery result, meaning the AUSF network element cannot be discovered. Thus, the AMF network element cannot use the AUSF network element to authenticate the NSA terminal, and the NSA terminal cannot register to the visited 5G SA network and enjoy 5G bandwidth.

[0082] It should be understood that if the home and visited operators have signed a roaming agreement for a specific network (such as 5G SA), then both the home and visited operators must have built and support that specific network. However, the fact that the home and visited operators have built and activated a specific network does not necessarily mean that the two operators had previously signed a roaming agreement for that specific network. The network configuration where the home network supports the visited network, as mentioned in this application, refers to the roaming agreement signed between the visited and home operators for the aforementioned network configuration of a specific communication standard. For example, if the visited and home operators have signed a 5G SA roaming agreement, then the home network is considered to support the 5G SA network configuration of the visited network. If the visited and home operators have only signed a 5G NSA roaming agreement, then even if both the visited and home operators have built and activated 5G SA networks, the home network will not support the 5G SA network configuration of the visited network.

[0083] The inventors considered that the aforementioned problem stems from the fact that the AMF network element in the visited location cannot locate the network element in the NSA terminal's home location used for authenticating the NSA terminal and obtaining its subscription data through the NRF network element at the gateway office in the visited location. If a corresponding network element for authenticating the NSA terminal and obtaining subscription data can be directly set up in the visited location, the AMF network element can directly authenticate the terminal and obtain its subscription data through the aforementioned network element when it cannot find the corresponding network element in the terminal's home location. This allows the terminal to register with the visited network and enjoy 5G bandwidth.

[0084] In view of this, this application provides a communication method that, when the home network does not support the visited network's network topology, can achieve terminal authentication and subscription data acquisition through network elements of the visited roaming gateway, thereby enabling the processing of the terminal's registration request. In other words, in the above situation, it is not necessary to obtain network elements for terminal authentication and subscription data acquisition through the terminal's home network; the authentication and subscription data acquisition process can be achieved locally in the visited location. Through this method, even when the home network does not support the visited network's network topology, for example, when the visited location is a 5G SA network and the terminal is an NSA terminal, and the visited location only supports NSA networks, the NSA terminal can still enjoy 5G bandwidth.

[0085] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0086] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the first communication method provided in this application is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0087] S101. The terminal sends a registration request message to the access management network element of the visited network.

[0088] The aforementioned terminal can be, for example, an NSA terminal or an NSA / SA terminal (i.e., a terminal that supports both 5G NSA and 5G SA networks). The visited network is the network currently accessed by the terminal, such as a 5G SA network. This application does not limit whether there are other communication networks in the visited area. The type of the access management network element is related to the type of the visited network. For example, if the visited network is a 5G SA network, the access management network element can be, for example, an AMF network element.

[0089] The registration request message carries the terminal's user identifier and the identifier of the terminal's home network. The user identifier may be, for example, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). The identifier of the home network may be, for example, an identifier of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) of the home location. Besides the user identifier and the identifier of the terminal's home network, this application does not limit whether the registration request message includes other content.

[0090] In this step, the terminal sends a registration request message to the access management element of the visited network to request registration with the visited network. Correspondingly, the access management element of the visited network receives the registration request message sent by the terminal.

[0091] S102. The access management network element determines whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network.

[0092] It should be understood that the above networking methods are for networks using the same communication standard (e.g., 5G networks). Different networking methods may exist for networks using the same communication standard. For example, for 5G networks, there are two networking methods: 5G SA and 5G NSA.

[0093] If the home operator and the visited operator have only signed a roaming agreement for communication networks with other communication standards, the access management network element directly sends a response message indicating a refusal to register to the terminal. The other communication standards referred to here are communication networks with communication standards different from the visited network that the terminal is currently attempting to access. For example, the network storage network element at the visited roaming gateway office may store, for instance, the home network identifier and...

[0094] Optionally, after determining whether the terminal and the home network support the networking mode of the visited network, the access management network element can also determine whether the home and visited telecommunications operators have signed a roaming communication agreement for the visited network. If not, the access management network element can directly send a registration response indicating a refusal to register to the terminal. For example, the network storage network element of the visited roaming gateway is configured with the network type targeted by the roaming communication agreement signed by the home and visited operators. The access management network element can then determine whether the home and visited telecommunications operators have signed a roaming communication agreement for the visited network.

[0095] In this step, the access management network element determines whether the terminal and the home network support the networking mode of the visited network, and then determines how to process the terminal's registration request.

[0096] For example, the access management network element can refer to existing technologies to determine whether the terminal and the home network support the networking mode of the visited network. For instance, if the visited network is a 5G SA network, the access management network element can search for AUSF network elements and EDU network elements that can be used to authenticate the terminal through the NRF network elements of the visited roaming gateway. If the corresponding network elements can be found, it is determined that the terminal and the home network support the networking mode of the visited network.

[0097] Alternatively, the access management network element stores a mapping relationship between the home network identifier and whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network. The access management network element determines whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network based on the terminal's home network identifier and the above mapping relationship.

[0098] If the access management network element determines that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, it means that the visited network cannot connect with the home network, and the visited access management network element cannot interact with the home network element. Then, step S103 is executed.

[0099] When the home network supports the visited network's networking mode (meaning the home and visited networks have the same networking mode), the access management network element can use the terminal's user identifier to interact with the home network element to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data. In other words, the access management network element can register the terminal with the visited network according to the standard terminal registration process. For details, please refer to existing technologies; further elaboration is omitted here.

[0100] S103. The access management network element uses the user identifier of the terminal to interact with the network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited location to authenticate the terminal and obtain the subscription data.

[0101] The network element at the aforementioned roaming gateway can be one or more, and those skilled in the art can configure it according to the actual situation. The network element for authenticating the terminal and the network element for acquiring subscription data can be one or two different network elements. Furthermore, when there are multiple network elements at the aforementioned roaming gateway, they can be deployed on the same hardware device (e.g., a server, computer), or they can be deployed on different hardware devices, or they can be partially deployed on the same hardware device and partially deployed on different hardware devices. Moreover, a network element can also be deployed on a hardware device cluster. This application does not limit the deployment method of the network elements.

[0102] The aforementioned authentication verifies whether the terminal has the authority to register with the visited network, and the aforementioned subscription data represents the data indicating that the terminal has subscribed to the visited network. For example, if the terminal is an NSA terminal and the home network is a 5G NSA network, the network elements of the roaming gateway office in the visited location may store, for example, all number ranges of the subscribed NSA roaming operators.

[0103] For example, the visited roaming gateway can add a new network element carrying data for authenticating the terminal and the terminal's subscription data. Alternatively, the visited roaming gateway can add two network elements, one for authenticating the terminal based on its user identifier and the other for storing the terminal's subscription data. Alternatively, the visited roaming gateway can adjust the functionality of existing network elements to enable them to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data. Specific methods for authentication and subscription data acquisition can refer to existing technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0104] In existing technologies, if the access management network element determines that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the terminal will be unable to obtain the corresponding network elements of the home network (such as AUSF network elements and UDM network elements) for authentication and subscription data acquisition. In this step, under the above circumstances, the access management network element can interact with the network elements of the roaming gateway office in the visited network to authenticate the terminal and acquire subscription data. This allows the terminal to register with the visited network even when the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network. In other words, in this application, a network element exists at the roaming gateway office in the visited network. This network element can replace the network elements used by the home network for authentication and subscription data storage in existing technologies, thereby enabling terminal authentication and the terminal's acquisition of subscription data.

[0105] If authentication is successful and the contract data is obtained, proceed to step S104.

[0106] S104. The access management network element returns a registration response to the terminal.

[0107] The above registration response indicates that the terminal has completed registration.

[0108] In this step, the access management network element returns a registration response to the terminal, informing the terminal that it has completed registration with the visited network. Subsequently, the terminal can communicate through the visited network.

[0109] In this embodiment, the terminal sends a registration request message to the access management network element of the visited network. If the home network does not support the network topology of the visited network, the access management network element of the visited network uses the terminal's user identifier to interact with the network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data. When the home network supports the network topology of the visited network, the access management network element of the visited network uses the terminal's user identifier to interact with the network element of the home network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data. If authentication is successful and subscription data is obtained, a registration response is returned to the terminal to indicate that the terminal has completed registration. Through the above method, when the home network supports the network topology of the visited network, the terminal can register with the visited network according to the standard registration process. Through the above method, when the home network does not support the network topology of the visited network, the access management network element can interact with the network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data, thereby realizing the terminal registration process. In other words, for communication networks using the same communication standard, even if the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the terminal can still register to the visited network and communicate through it, without being affected by the different supported networking modes. This approach can further enhance the user's communication experience, meet user needs, and expand communication application scenarios.

[0110] For example, if the visited network is a 5G SA network and the home network is a 5G NSA network, under current technology, NSA terminals cannot access the visited 5G SA network. However, through the method described above, the visited AMF network element can interact with the network element of the visited roaming gateway to authenticate the NSA terminal and obtain subscription data. This enables the registration process for the NSA terminal, allowing it to access the visited 5G SA network and enjoy 5G bandwidth.

[0111] The following describes how to use the user identifier of the terminal to interact with the network element of the roaming gateway of the visited location to authenticate the terminal and obtain the subscription data, i.e., step S103 in the above embodiment.

[0112] Optional, Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the second communication method provided in this application is shown below. Figure 4As shown, the intrusion gateway exchange may also include interconnecting network elements. It should be understood that the term "interconnecting network element" is merely a designation; in some embodiments, other names may be used for these network elements, without limiting their functionality. When the intrusion gateway exchange includes interconnecting network elements, Figure 4 The communication method described may include, for example, the following steps:

[0113] S201. The access management network element sends a first discovery request message to the network storage network element.

[0114] The aforementioned network storage network element refers to the network element of the visited roaming gateway office, used for network element addressing, etc. Its type is related to the type of the visited network. For example, if the visited network is a 5G SA network, the network storage network element could be an NRF network element. The aforementioned first discovery request message is used to request the discovery of the network element that authenticates the terminal. This first discovery request message carries the identifier of the terminal's home network.

[0115] In this step, the access management network element sends a first discovery request message to the network storage network element, so that the network storage network element can find the network element used to authenticate the terminal based on the first discovery request message.

[0116] Correspondingly, the network storage element receives the first discovery request message sent by the access management element.

[0117] S202. The network storage element determines whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network.

[0118] In this step, the network storage element determines whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, and then determines how to implement authentication for the terminal.

[0119] For example, the network storage element can search for the network storage element used for network element addressing in the home network (e.g., an NRF element) based on the identifier of the terminal's home network in the first discovery request message, and then determine whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network.

[0120] For example, the network storage element at the roaming gateway in the visited location checks whether it is configured with a network storage element of the terminal's home network based on the identifier of the terminal's home network. If no network storage element of the terminal's home network can be found, it can be directly determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network. In this case, it indicates that the home operator and the visited operator have not signed a roaming agreement for the visited network networking mode, and the home network does not use the visited network networking mode.

[0121] If the network storage elements of the terminal's home network can be found, then further searches are conducted using these home network storage elements to find network elements that can be used for terminal authentication. If found, it is determined that the home network supports the visited network's networking method. If not found, it is determined that the home network does not support the visited network's networking method. In this case, it indicates that the home operator and the visited operator have not signed a roaming agreement for the visited network's networking method, and the home network uses the visited network's networking method.

[0122] If it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, it means that the visited access management network element cannot authenticate the terminal and obtain the subscription data through the network element of the terminal's home network, then proceed to step S203.

[0123] If it is determined that the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, it means that the visited access management network element can authenticate the terminal through the network element of the terminal's home network. Subsequently, the network storage network element can send the address of the network element to the visited access management network element so that the access management network element can interact with the aforementioned home network element used to authenticate the terminal, thereby authenticating the terminal. The specific implementation method can refer to the existing technology, which will not be elaborated here.

[0124] S203. The network storage element sends a first discovery response message to the access management element.

[0125] The aforementioned first discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnected network element. This application does not limit whether the first discovery response message includes other content besides the identifier of the interconnected network element. The interconnected network element referred to here can be a network element already existing in the visited roaming gateway office, such as an Interworking Function (IWF) network element, or a newly added network element.

[0126] Since the network storage element determines that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, it cannot obtain the network element in the home network that authenticates the terminal. Therefore, in this step, the network storage element sends a first discovery response message to the access management element, so that the access management element in the visited location can obtain the identifier of the interconnecting network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited location. This allows the access management element in the visited location to interact with the interconnecting network element and authenticate the terminal.

[0127] Correspondingly, the access management network element receives the first discovery response message returned by the network storage network element.

[0128] S204. The access management network element uses the user identifier of the terminal to interact with the interconnection network element and authenticates the terminal based on the user identifier of the terminal.

[0129] For example, the interconnecting network element may store data that can be used to authenticate the terminal, and the specific data content can be set according to the actual situation. For example, the access management network element may authenticate the terminal based on the user identifier of the terminal. The specific implementation method can refer to the prior art. If the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, the access management network element and the home network element interact to obtain the method of authenticating the terminal, which will not be elaborated here.

[0130] In this step, the access management network element interacts with the interconnection network element to authenticate the terminal. In other words, the interconnection network element of the visited roaming gateway office makes up for the lack of a network element in the home network used for terminal authentication when the home network does not support the visited network. Thus, in this case, the access management network element can also authenticate the terminal by interacting with the interconnection network element.

[0131] S205. The access management network element sends a second discovery request message to the network storage network element.

[0132] The second discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network. This application does not limit whether the second discovery request message includes other content besides the home network identifier. In this step, the access management network element sends the second discovery request message to the network storage network element to request the discovery of the network element storing the terminal's subscribed data. The type of this network element is related to the type of the visited network; for example, if the visited network is an SA network, then the aforementioned network element could be an EDU network element.

[0133] Correspondingly, the network storage element receives the second discovery request message sent by the access management element.

[0134] S206. The network storage element determines whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network.

[0135] In this step, the network storage element determines whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, and then determines how to obtain the contracted data for the terminal.

[0136] For example, the network storage element at the roaming gateway in the visited location checks whether it is configured with a network storage element of the terminal's home network based on the identifier of the terminal's home network. If no network storage element of the terminal's home network can be found, it can be directly determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network. In this case, it indicates that the home operator and the visited operator have not signed a roaming agreement for the visited network networking mode, and the home network does not use the visited network networking mode.

[0137] If the network storage element of the terminal's home network can be found, then further search for network elements that can be used to obtain the terminal's subscribed data through the home network storage element. If found, it is determined that the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network. If not found, it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network. In this case, it indicates that the home operator and the visited operator have not signed a roaming agreement for the visited network networking mode, and the home network adopts the visited network networking mode.

[0138] If it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, it means that the access management network element of the visited network cannot obtain the authentication data of the terminal through the network element of the terminal's home network, then step S203 is executed.

[0139] If it is determined that the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, it means that the visited access management network element can authenticate the terminal through the network element of the terminal's home network. Subsequently, the network storage network element can send the address of the network element to the visited access management network element so that the access management network element can interact with the aforementioned home network element used to obtain the terminal's subscription data. The specific implementation method can refer to the existing technology, which will not be elaborated here.

[0140] S207. The network storage element sends a second discovery response message to the access management element.

[0141] The aforementioned second discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting network element. This application does not limit whether the second discovery response message includes other content besides the identifier of the interconnecting network element. It should be understood that in this embodiment, the interconnecting network element can be used both to authenticate the terminal and to allow the visited access management network element to obtain the terminal's subscription data.

[0142] Since the network storage element determines that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, meaning it cannot obtain the address of the network element in the home network used to obtain the subscription data, in this step, the network storage element sends a second discovery response message to the access management element. This allows the access management element in the visited location to obtain the identifier of the interconnecting network element at the roaming gateway office in the visited location. This enables the access management element in the visited location to interact with the interconnecting network element subsequently, thereby enabling the terminal to obtain its subscription data.

[0143] Correspondingly, the access management network element receives the second discovery response message returned by the network storage network element.

[0144] S208. The access management network element uses the user identifier of the terminal to interact with the interconnection network element to obtain the terminal's subscription data.

[0145] The specific implementation method can refer to the existing technology, which is the method by which the access management network element and the home network element interact to obtain the terminal's subscription data when the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network. It will not be elaborated here.

[0146] In this step, the access management network element interacts with the interconnection network element to obtain the terminal's subscription data. In other words, the interconnection network element of the visited roaming gateway office makes up for the lack of a network element in the home network used to obtain the terminal's subscription data when the home network does not support the visited network. Thus, in this situation, the access management network element can also obtain the terminal's subscription data by interacting with the interconnection network element.

[0147] In this embodiment, an interconnecting network element is set up in the visitor's roaming gateway office. This element can replace the home network element used for terminal authentication and subscription data acquisition when the home network does not support the visited network's networking mode. During the process, if the visited roaming gateway office determines that the home network does not support the visited network's networking mode, it sends the interconnecting network element to the visited access management network element. This allows the visited access management network element to directly complete the terminal authentication and subscription data acquisition through interaction with the interconnecting network element, thereby enabling the terminal to register with the visited network.

[0148] The above method allows the terminal to still register with the visited network even when the terminal and / or the home network do not support the visited network's networking mode. In other words, this method ensures that the terminal can enjoy the visited network regardless of the home or visited network's networking mode during roaming.

[0149] For example, if the visited network only supports 5G SA networks and the visited network only supports 5G NSA networks, in existing technologies, due to the inconsistent network architectures of the visited and home networks, network interoperability cannot be achieved, and NSA terminals cannot register to the visited network and enjoy 5G bandwidth. However, using the method described above, interconnecting network elements can be set up at the visited roaming gateway. The visited AMF network element can interact with the session management agent network element of the visited roaming gateway to complete the process of the terminal registering to the visited network.

[0150] If the visited network is a 5G SA network, after the terminal registers with the visited network, if it wants to communicate through the visited network, the AMF network element of the visited network needs to interact with the SMF network element of the home network to establish a session for the terminal. However, if the terminal and / or the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the visited network and the home network will not be able to interface, the AMF network element of the visited network will not be able to interact with the SMF network element of the home network, and the terminal will also be unable to communicate through the visited network. In view of this, this application provides a communication method based on the above embodiments to solve the above technical problems.

[0151] The following describes how the terminal communicates via the visited network after registration. Optionally, the roaming gateway may also include a session management agent network element. This session management agent network element may be existing in the visited roaming gateway or newly added. Similarly, the term "session management agent network element" is merely a designation and does not limit its function. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned network element may also be referred to by other names.

[0152] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the third communication method provided in this application. Figure 6 The flowchart of the fourth communication method provided in this application is as follows: Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0153] S301. The terminal sends a first session establishment request to the visited access management network element.

[0154] The aforementioned first session establishment request carries the user identifier of the terminal and the identifier of the home network.

[0155] In this step, the terminal sends a first session establishment request to the visited access management network element to request the establishment of a session between the terminal and other devices, such as other terminals or servers.

[0156] Correspondingly, the access management network element receives the terminal's first session establishment request.

[0157] S302. The access management network element determines whether the terminal and the home network support the networking mode of the visited network.

[0158] For example, the access management network element may store a mapping relationship between the home network identifier and whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network. The access management network element determines whether the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network based on the terminal's home network identifier and the aforementioned mapping relationship. Optionally, if the visited network is a 5G SA network, the specific implementation method can refer to existing technologies.

[0159] If the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, it indicates that the home network and the visited network can be connected. If the access management network element cannot obtain the session management network element of the home network used for session establishment, then proceed to step S303.

[0160] Optionally, if the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, it indicates that the home network and the visited network can be connected, and the access management network element can obtain the session management network element of the home network used for session establishment, then step S306 is executed.

[0161] S303. The access management network element sends a third discovery request to the network storage network element.

[0162] The third discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and the first signaling exchange identifier. The first signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the session management network element discovered from the visited location. For example, the first signaling exchange identifier may be an SSP: local. The aforementioned session management network element is used to establish a session for the terminal and is related to the type of the visited network. For example, if the visited network is a 5G SA network, the session management network element may be an SMF network element. It should be understood that this application does not limit whether the third discovery request includes other content besides the home network identifier and the first signaling exchange identifier.

[0163] In this step, since the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the access management network element cannot obtain the session management network element used for session establishment in the home network. Therefore, the access management network element sends a third discovery request to the network storage network element to instruct the network storage network element to discover the session management network element from the visited network.

[0164] Correspondingly, the network storage element receives the third discovery request sent by the access management element.

[0165] S304. The network storage element sends a third discovery response message to the access management element.

[0166] The third discovery response message carries a session management agent network element. This session management agent network element acts as an agent for the session management network element to establish a session for the terminal. For example, the session agent network element may carry the service's data network name (DNN) and Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) (optional, indicating service to all network slices). The session agent network element can establish a session for the terminal based on the information carried above.

[0167] In this step, after receiving the third discovery request from the access management network element, the network storage network element determines the network storage network element in the home region where it does not have a terminal configured, based on the home network identifier. Furthermore, the network storage network element determines that it needs to discover the session management network element from the visited location based on the first signaling exchange identifier. Therefore, the network storage network element includes the preset session management agent network element in the third discovery response message.

[0168] Correspondingly, the network storage element receives the third discovery response message returned by the network storage element.

[0169] S305. The access management network element sends a second session establishment request to the session management agent network element of the visited network.

[0170] In this step, the access management network element sends a second session establishment request to the session management network element of the visited network to request interaction with the session management agent network element in order to complete the session establishment of the terminal.

[0171] Correspondingly, the session management element of the visited network receives the second session establishment request sent by the access management element.

[0172] S306. The access management network element sends a fourth discovery request to the network storage network element.

[0173] The fourth discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and the second signaling exchange identifier. The second signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the discovery of session management network elements from the home network.

[0174] Since the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, the home network and the visited network can be connected. Therefore, the access management network element sends a fourth discovery request through the network storage network element so that the network storage network element can discover the session management network element from the home network.

[0175] Correspondingly, the network storage element receives the fourth discovery request sent by the access management element.

[0176] S307. The network storage element sends a fourth discovery response message to the access management element.

[0177] The fourth discovery response message carries the session management network element of the home network.

[0178] In this step, the network storage element obtains the session management element of the home network according to the fourth discovery request, adds it to the fourth discovery response message, and sends it to the access management element.

[0179] For example, consider a scenario where both the visited network and the home network are 5G SA networks, and the terminal is a 5G SA terminal. The network storage element of the visited roaming gateway is an NRF element. This NRF element searches for the home network's NRF element based on the indication of the second signaling exchange identifier and the identifier of the home network. Since the home network supports the visited network's networking mode, the NRF element of the visited roaming gateway can obtain the home network's NRF element. Subsequently, the home network's NRF element sends the home network's SMF element to the visited roaming gateway's NRF element, enabling it to add the SMF element to the fourth discovery response message and send it to the access management element.

[0180] S308. The access management network element sends a fourth session establishment request to the session management network element of the home network.

[0181] In this step, the access management network element has learned about the session management network element of the home network used to establish the terminal session. Therefore, the access management network element sends a fourth session establishment request to the session management network element of the home network to request interaction with the session management agent network element in order to complete the terminal session establishment.

[0182] Correspondingly, the session management element of the visited network receives the fourth session establishment request sent by the access management element.

[0183] In this embodiment, a session management agent network element is set up at the roaming gateway in the visited location. This agent can replace the home network's session management agent network element to establish a session for the terminal when the home network does not support the visited network's networking mode. During the process, the access management network element adopts different processing strategies for the session establishment request sent by the terminal, depending on whether the home network supports the visited network's networking mode. When the home network does not support the visited network's networking mode, the access management network element adds a first signaling exchange identifier to the third discovery request. This first signaling exchange identifier instructs the network storage network element to obtain the session management agent network element locally to complete the establishment of the terminal's session. When the home network supports the visited network's networking mode, the access management network element adds a second signaling exchange identifier to the fourth discovery request. This second signaling exchange identifier instructs the network storage network element to obtain the session management agent network element from the home network to complete the establishment of the terminal's session.

[0184] The above method allows the terminal to still access and communicate through the visited network even when the home network does not support the visited network's networking mode. In other words, this method ensures that the terminal can enjoy the visited network regardless of the home or visited network's networking mode during roaming.

[0185] For example, if the visited network only supports 5G SA or 5G NSA networks, in existing technologies, due to the inconsistent network architectures of the visited and home networks, network interoperability is impossible, and NSA terminals cannot access the visited network and enjoy 5G bandwidth. However, using the method described above, a session management agent network element can be set up at the visited roaming gateway. The visited AMF network element can interact with the session management agent network element at the visited roaming gateway to establish a session for the terminal, enabling the NSA terminal to enjoy 5G bandwidth.

[0186] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first type of communication device provided in this application is shown below. Figure 7 As shown, this device is applied to the access management network element of a visited network. The device includes: a receiving module 11, an interaction module 12, and a response module 13. Optionally, the device may further include at least one of the following: a sending module 14.

[0187] The receiving module 11 is used to receive a registration request message sent by the terminal, wherein the registration request message carries the user identifier and the identifier of the home network of the terminal.

[0188] The interaction module 12 is used to interact with the network elements of the roaming gateway office in the visited location using the user identifier of the terminal when the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, and to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data based on the user identifier of the terminal; and to interact with the network elements of the home location using the user identifier of the terminal when the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, and to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data based on the user identifier of the terminal.

[0189] The response module 13 is used to return a registration response to the terminal if the authentication is successful and the contract data is obtained. The registration response indicates that the terminal has completed the registration.

[0190] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: an interconnecting network element; and an interaction module 12, specifically configured to: send a first discovery request message to the network storage network element, the first discovery request message being used to request the discovery of a network element that authenticates the terminal, the first discovery request message carrying the identifier of the home network; receive a first discovery response message returned by the network storage network element; the first discovery response message carrying the identifier of the interconnecting network element; interact with the interconnecting network element using the user identifier of the terminal to authenticate the terminal; send a second discovery request message to the network storage network element, the second discovery request message being used to request the discovery of a network element that stores the terminal's subscription data, the second discovery request message carrying the identifier of the home network; receive a second discovery response message returned by the network storage network element; the second discovery response message carrying the identifier of the interconnecting network element; and interact with the interconnecting network element using the user identifier of the terminal to obtain the terminal's subscription data.

[0191] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: a session management agent network element; after the terminal completes registration, the receiving module 11 is further configured to receive a first session establishment request from the terminal, the first session establishment request carrying the user identifier of the terminal and the identifier of the home network; if the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, a third discovery request is sent to the network storage network element, the third discovery request carrying the identifier of the home network and a first signaling exchange identifier; the first signaling exchange identifier is used to indicate that the session management network element is discovered from the visited network; a third discovery response message is received from the network storage network element; the third discovery response message carries the session management agent network element; a second session establishment request is sent to the session management agent network element of the visited network, the second session establishment request being used to request the session management agent network element to establish a session for the terminal.

[0192] Optionally, if the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, after the terminal completes registration, the receiving module 11 is further configured to send a fourth discovery request to the network storage element, the fourth discovery request carrying the identifier of the home network and a second signaling exchange identifier; the second signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the discovery of the session management element from the home network; receive a fourth discovery response message returned by the network storage element; the fourth discovery response message carries the session management element of the home network; and send a fourth session establishment request to the session management element of the home network, the fourth session establishment request being used to request the establishment of a session for the terminal.

[0193] The communication device provided in this embodiment can execute the communication method executed by the access management network element in the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and technical effects are similar, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the above... Figure 7 The division of modules shown is merely illustrative. This application does not limit the division of modules or the naming of modules.

[0194] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of communication device provided in this application is shown below. Figure 8 As shown, this device is applied to network elements in a gateway office, and the device includes an interaction module 21. Optionally, the device may also include a receiving module 22.

[0195] The interaction module 21 is used to interact with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data when the home network of the terminal that sends the registration request message to the access management network element does not support the networking mode of the visited network.

[0196] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: an interconnecting network element; and an interaction module 21, specifically configured to receive a first discovery request message sent by an access management network element, wherein the first discovery request message is used to request the discovery of a network element that authenticates the terminal that sent the registration request message, and the first discovery request message carries the identifier of the terminal's home network; if it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, then a first discovery response message is sent to the access management network element; the first discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting network element; interact with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal; receive a second discovery request message sent by the access management network element, wherein the second discovery request message is used to request the discovery of a network element that stores the terminal's subscription data, and the second discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network; if it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, then a second discovery response message is sent to the access management network element; the second discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting network element; and interact with the access management network element to provide the terminal's subscription data.

[0197] Optionally, the roaming gateway further includes: a session management agent network element; after the terminal completes registration, the receiving module 22 is configured to receive a third discovery request sent by the access management network element after receiving the terminal's first session establishment request, the third discovery request carrying the identifier of the home network and a first signaling exchange identifier; the first signaling exchange identifier is used to indicate that the session management network element is discovered from the visited network; a third discovery response message is sent to the access management network element; the third discovery response message carries the session management agent network element; the third discovery response message is used to instruct the access management network element to send a second session establishment request to the session management network element of the visited network, the second session establishment request being used to request session establishment of the terminal with the session management agent network element.

[0198] Optionally, if the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, after the terminal completes registration, the receiving module 22 is further configured to receive a fourth discovery request sent by the access management network element after receiving the third session establishment request from the terminal. The fourth discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a second signaling exchange identifier. The second signaling exchange identifier is used to indicate that the session management network element is discovered from the home network. A fourth discovery response message is sent to the access management network element. The fourth discovery response message carries the session management network element of the home network. The fourth discovery response message is used to instruct the access management network element to send a fourth session establishment request to the session management network element of the home network. The fourth session establishment request is used to request the establishment of a session for the terminal.

[0199] The communication device provided in this embodiment can execute the communication method executed by the access management network element in the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and technical effects are similar, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the above... Figure 7 The division of modules shown is merely illustrative. This application does not limit the division of modules or the naming of modules.

[0200] It should be understood that the above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative, and the device of this application can also be implemented in other ways. For example, multiple units, modules, or components can be combined, or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0201] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the functional units / modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one unit / module, or each unit / module can exist physically separately, or two or more units / modules can be integrated together. The integrated units / modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software program modules.

[0202] When integrated units / modules are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be digital circuits, analog circuits, etc. The physical implementation of the hardware structure includes, but is not limited to, transistors, memristors, etc. Unless otherwise specified, the processor can be any suitable hardware processor, such as a CPU, GPU, FPGA, DSP, and ASIC, etc. Unless otherwise specified, the storage unit can be any suitable magnetic or magneto-optical storage medium, such as Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Enhanced Dynamic Random Access Memory (EDRAM), High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC), etc.

[0203] If the integrated unit / module is implemented as a software program module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage device (CMD). Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a memory and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned memory includes various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drive, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0204] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 100 provided in this application. Figure 9 As shown, the communication device may include at least one processor 101, a memory 102, and a communication interface 103.

[0205] The memory 102 is used to store programs. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions.

[0206] The memory 102 may include high-speed RAM memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device.

[0207] The processor 101 is used to execute computer execution instructions stored in the memory 102 to implement the communication method described in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor 101 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application.

[0208] The communication device 100 can also communicate and interact with external devices through the communication interface 103. These external devices can be, for example, terminals (e.g., mobile phones, tablets). In specific implementations, if the communication interface 103, memory 102, and processor 101 are implemented independently, they can be interconnected via a bus to complete communication. The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc., but this does not imply that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0209] Optionally, in a specific implementation, if the communication interface 103, memory 102 and processor 101 are integrated on a single chip, then the communication interface 103, memory 102 and processor 101 can communicate through an internal interface.

[0210] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which may include various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. Specifically, the computer-readable storage medium stores program instructions, which are used for the communication methods in the above embodiments.

[0211] This application also provides a computer program product including executable instructions stored in a readable storage medium. At least one processor of an electronic device can read the executable instructions from the readable storage medium, and the at least one processor executes the executable instructions to cause the electronic device to implement the communication methods provided in the various embodiments described above.

[0212] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are all optional embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0213] It should be further noted that although the steps in the flowchart are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowchart may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0214] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments. The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as these combinations of technical features do not contradict each other, they should be considered within the scope of this specification.

[0215] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application 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 application are indicated by the following claims.

[0216] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to the access management network element of the visited network, and the method includes: The terminal receives a registration request message, which carries the user identifier and the identifier of the home network of the terminal. When the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the network element of the roaming gateway office in the visited location to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data; when the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, the user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the network element of the home network to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data. If authentication is successful and the contract data is obtained, a registration response is returned to the terminal, indicating that the terminal has completed registration; The roaming gateway also includes: interconnecting network elements; the interaction between the user identifier of the terminal and the network elements of the roaming gateway in the visited location to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data includes: Send a first discovery request message to the network storage network element. The first discovery request message is used to request the discovery of the network element that authenticates the terminal. The first discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network. Receive a first discovery response message returned by the network storage element; the first discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting network element; The user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the interconnection network element to authenticate the terminal; A second discovery request message is sent to the network storage element. The second discovery request message is used to request the discovery of the network element storing the terminal subscription data. The second discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network. Receive a second discovery response message returned by the network storage element; the second discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting network element; The user identifier of the terminal is used to interact with the interconnecting network element to obtain the terminal's subscription data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inbound gateway also includes: a session management agent network element; after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes: Receive a first session establishment request from the terminal, the first session establishment request carrying the user identifier and the identifier of the home network of the terminal; If the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, a third discovery request is sent to the network storage element. The third discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a first signaling exchange identifier. The first signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the discovery of the session management element from the visited network. Receive a third discovery response message returned by the network storage network element; the third discovery response message carries the session management agent network element; A second session establishment request is sent to the session management agent network element of the visited network. The second session establishment request is used to request the establishment of a session between the terminal and the session management agent network element.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, then after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes: A fourth discovery request is sent to the network storage element. The fourth discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a second signaling exchange identifier. The second signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the discovery of the session management element from the home network. Receive the fourth discovery response message returned by the network storage element; the fourth discovery response message carries the session management element of the home network; A fourth session establishment request is sent to the session management network element of the home network, the fourth session establishment request being used to request the establishment of a session for the terminal.

4. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to network elements of the visitor gateway office, and the method includes: When the home network of a terminal that sends a registration request message to the access management network element of the visited network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the terminal interacts with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data, and returns a registration response to the terminal. The registration response indicates that the terminal has completed registration. The roaming gateway also includes: an interconnection network element; the interaction with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal and obtain subscription data includes: The network storage element receives a first discovery request message sent by the access management element. The first discovery request message is used to request the discovery of a network element that authenticates the terminal that sent the registration request message. The first discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network of the terminal. If it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the network storage element sends a first discovery response message to the access management element; the first discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting element; The interconnecting network element interacts with the access management network element to authenticate the terminal; The network storage element receives a second discovery request message sent by the access management element. The second discovery request message is used to request the discovery of the network element storing the terminal subscription data. The second discovery request message carries the identifier of the home network. If it is determined that the home network does not support the networking mode of the visited network, the network storage element sends a second discovery response message to the access management element; the second discovery response message carries the identifier of the interconnecting element; The interconnecting network element interacts with the access management network element to provide the terminal with its subscription data.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inbound gateway also includes: a session management agent network element; after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes: The network storage element receives a third discovery request sent by the access management element after receiving the first session establishment request from the terminal. The third discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a first signaling exchange identifier. The first signaling exchange identifier is used to indicate that the session management element is discovered from the visited network. The network storage element sends a third discovery response message to the access management element; the third discovery response message carries the session management agent element; the third discovery response message is used to instruct the access management element to send a second session establishment request to the session management element of the visited network, the second session establishment request is used to request to establish a session for the terminal with the session management agent element.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, If the home network supports the networking mode of the visited network, then after the terminal completes registration, the method further includes: The network storage element receives a fourth discovery request sent by the access management element after receiving the third session establishment request from the terminal. The fourth discovery request carries the identifier of the home network and a second signaling exchange identifier. The second signaling exchange identifier is used to identify the session management element discovered from the home network. The network storage element sends a fourth discovery response message to the access management element; the fourth discovery response message carries the session management element of the home network; the fourth discovery response message is used to instruct the access management element to send a fourth session establishment request to the session management element of the home network, and the fourth session establishment request is used to request the establishment of a session for the terminal.

7. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor, and a memory and a communication interface communicatively connected to the processor; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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