Method and system for supporting rapid roaming of heterogeneous network

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for supporting rapid roaming of a heterogeneous network, and belongs to the field of mobile communication. The method comprises the following steps: after a mobile terminal accesses a network, acquiring an inner-layer IP (Internet Protocol) of a tunnel, an application list needing to support low time delay and an IP of a corresponding edge router; the mobile terminal establishes a communication tunnel with the corresponding edge router after the corresponding edge router receives the application list needing to support the low time delay; the mobile terminal packages the messages of the applications in the application list needing to support the low time delay and then sends the messages to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; the edge router sends the message to the cloud service after releasing the outer layer encapsulation; and the cloud service returns the message of the mobile terminal, and the message is packaged by the edge router and then is transferred to the corresponding mobile terminal through the communication tunnel. According to the invention, zero packet loss, low time delay, low jitter and high reliability can be ensured when roaming switching is carried out on the heterogeneous network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of mobile communications, and in particular relates to a method and a system for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks. Background Art

[0002] The mobility problem is a long-standing problem in IP networks. The IP technology design was originally based on wired access scenarios, and there are problems with IP address identity and location ambiguity, making it difficult to maintain business continuity in a mobile environment. With the development of emerging businesses such as industrial Internet, Internet of Vehicles, drones, and cloud XR, future networks will place higher and higher requirements on mobility. Not only must business continuity be met, but also zero packet loss, low latency, low jitter, and high reliability must be maintained during mobile switching. The future 6G network needs to support new connection technologies such as air-to-ground, millimeter wave, and micro base stations. Compared with 5G networks, the connection density, spatial capacity, and terminal movement speed have increased by hundreds of times, posing major challenges to ensuring business continuity and service quality.

[0003] Openroaming provides a solution for roaming authentication between operator networks (5G / 6G) and WLAN, but Openroaming does not solve the problem of business continuity. In the context of OpenRoaming-Passpoint, users can get on the network in a variety of ways, that is, install the Passpoint profile / subscription on the device. From portals to mobile native applications, to embedded identity provider systems provided by operating system vendors or service providers.

[0004] But overall, Openroaming is based on the 802.11u protocol and supports two roles: identity authentication service providers and access network providers. However, it does not solve the low latency problem of roaming switching. Taking telephone applications as an example, when switching from a 5G network to a Wlan network, if there is no appropriate technical solution to ensure low latency of roaming switching, calls will be interrupted. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the delay problem during roaming and provide a method and system for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks to ensure zero packet loss, low delay, low jitter and high reliability when roaming and switching in heterogeneous networks.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is: a method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, comprising: After the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the inner IP of the tunnel, the list of applications that need to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP; After the mobile terminal receives the application list that needs to support low latency from the corresponding edge router, it establishes a communication tunnel with the corresponding edge router; The mobile terminal encapsulates the message of the application in the application list that needs to support low latency and sends it to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; The edge router removes the outer encapsulation and sends the message to the cloud service; The cloud service returns the message to the mobile terminal, which is encapsulated by the edge router and then transferred to the corresponding mobile terminal through the communication tunnel.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, for the message returned by the cloud service to the mobile terminal, it is necessary to first determine whether the message of the corresponding application of the mobile terminal returned by the cloud service is in the list of applications that need to support low latency. If so, it is encapsulated in the edge router and then transferred to the mobile terminal through the communication tunnel, otherwise it is not encapsulated.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, after the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the tunnel inner IP, the application list that needs to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP from the network device controller.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the network device controller includes but is not limited to an SDN controller.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal obtains the tunnel inner IP, the application list that needs to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP from the network device controller through the APP.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal includes a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone, a tablet, and a laptop computer, and the APP is a corresponding program installed on the mobile communication device, including but not limited to an Openroaming client program.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication tunnel includes but is not limited to a GRE tunnel, an IPsec tunnel, an L2TP tunnel, and a PPP tunnel.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the network accessed by the mobile terminal includes but is not limited to 4G, 5G, 6G, WLAN, and satellite network.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, before the mobile terminal establishes a communication tunnel with the edge router, if the corresponding application is in the list of applications that need to support low latency, the mobile terminal automatically establishes a communication tunnel with the corresponding edge router after receiving the list of applications that need to support low latency, otherwise the communication tunnel is not established.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the edge router IP is detected by the operator's transmission network and updated to the network device controller.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cloud service supports a content delivery network CDN.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner IP of the tunnel is an intranet IP, that is, an IP obtained by a wifi network or a 5G / 6G network.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method supports roaming switching between WLAN and 5G / 6G networks, and also supports roaming switching between satellite networks and 5G / 6G networks.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the message format used for establishing a communication tunnel is: outer IP header + magic + inner IP header, magic is the default value and supports customization.

[0020] The present invention also provides a system for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, comprising: The information collection module obtains the tunnel inner IP, the application list that needs to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP for the mobile terminal after the mobile terminal accesses the network; A tunnel establishment module, after the edge router corresponding to the mobile terminal receives the application list that needs to support low latency, establishes a communication tunnel between the mobile terminal and the corresponding edge router; The message sending module encapsulates the messages of the applications in the application list that need to support low latency and sends them to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; the edge router removes the outer encapsulation and sends the message to the cloud service; The message receiving module encapsulates the message of the mobile terminal returned by the cloud service in the edge router and then transfers it to the corresponding mobile terminal through the communication tunnel.

[0021] An electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes any one of the steps of the above-mentioned method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks.

[0022] A computer-readable storage medium provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a computer program. When the computer program is executed on an electronic device, the computer program is used to enable the electronic device to execute any one of the steps of the above-mentioned method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks.

[0023] A computer program product provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a computer program, which is stored in a computer-readable storage medium; when a processor of an electronic device reads the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium, the processor executes the computer program, so that the electronic device performs any step of the above-mentioned method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: the method and system of the present invention support roaming switching between various heterogeneous networks, including roaming switching between WLAN and 5G / 6G networks, roaming switching between satellite networks and 5G / 6G networks, etc. The present invention can ensure zero packet loss, low latency, low jitter, and high reliability when roaming switching in heterogeneous networks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the architecture of the present invention supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks.

[0026] Figure 2 The present invention is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to an example of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is the workflow diagram of the Openroaming client program.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the message format.

[0029] Figure 5 To automatically establish a tunnel mechanism.

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a system supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs.

[0032] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] Some concepts involved in the embodiments of the present application are introduced.

[0034] Roaming: In technology, roaming usually refers to mobile devices (such as cell phones) switching between different networks or using different operators' services internationally.

[0035] Heterogeneous network: A heterogeneous network is a network environment that consists of networks of different types, technologies or provided by different vendors. In a heterogeneous network, various network technologies and devices can coexist and connect to each other to form an overall network architecture.

[0036] Heterogeneous networks usually include the following characteristics and components: 1. Different network technologies: Heterogeneous networks can include a variety of different network technologies, such as wired networks (such as Ethernet), wireless networks (such as Wi-Fi, cellular networks), satellite networks, etc.

[0037] 2. Different network devices: A heterogeneous network may contain network devices provided by different vendors, which may have different hardware specifications, communication protocols, and management methods.

[0038] 3. Different network service providers: Heterogeneous networks may be managed and operated by different network service providers, which may provide different service packages and billing methods.

[0039] 4. Network interconnection: In heterogeneous networks, different types of networks can be interconnected through devices such as gateways, routers or converters to achieve data transmission and communication.

[0040] The advantages of heterogeneous networks include providing wider coverage, more flexible network deployment, and more diverse service options. However, due to the presence of multiple technologies and devices in heterogeneous networks, there may be management and configuration complexity, interoperability challenges, and security and privacy protection considerations.

[0041] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the drawings in the specification. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present application, and are not used to limit the present application. In addition, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other if there is no conflict.

[0042] See also Figure 1 As shown, it is an architecture diagram of supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] It should be noted that the method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks in each embodiment of the present application can be executed by a mobile terminal or a cloud server, that is, the method can be executed by a mobile terminal or a cloud server alone, or can be executed jointly by a mobile terminal and a cloud server.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present application, mobile terminals include but are not limited to mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers and other devices; a client supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks may be installed on the terminal device, which may be software, web pages, applets, etc. The cloud server is a background server corresponding to the software, web pages, applets, etc., or a server specifically used to support fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, which is not specifically limited in the present application. The server may be an independent physical server, or a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server that provides basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communications, middleware services, domain name services, security services, content delivery networks (CDNs), and big data and artificial intelligence platforms.

[0045] In an optional implementation, the mobile terminal and the cloud server may communicate via a communication network.

[0046] In an optional implementation, the communication network is a wired network or a wireless network.

[0047] It should be noted that Figure 1 The figures are only examples. In fact, the number of mobile terminals, edge servers, and cloud servers is not limited and is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0048] The following describes a method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application in combination with the application scenarios described above and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the above application scenarios are only shown to facilitate understanding of the spirit and principles of the present application, and the implementation methods of the present application are not limited in this respect.

[0049] The present invention provides a method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, comprising: After the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the inner IP of the tunnel, the list of applications that need to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP; After the mobile terminal receives the application list that needs to support low latency from the corresponding edge router, it establishes a communication tunnel with the corresponding edge router; The mobile terminal encapsulates the message of the application in the application list that needs to support low latency and sends it to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; The edge router removes the outer encapsulation and sends the message to the cloud service; The cloud service returns the message to the mobile terminal, which is encapsulated by the edge router and then transferred to the corresponding mobile terminal through the communication tunnel.

[0050] Furthermore, for the message returned by the cloud service to the mobile terminal, it is necessary to first determine whether the message of the corresponding application of the mobile terminal returned by the cloud service is in the list of applications that need to support low latency. If so, it will be encapsulated in the edge router and then transferred to the mobile terminal through the communication tunnel, otherwise it will not be encapsulated.

[0051] Furthermore, after the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the inner IP of the tunnel, the list of applications that need to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP from the network device controller.

[0052] Furthermore, the network device controller includes but is not limited to an SDN controller.

[0053] Furthermore, the mobile terminal obtains the tunnel inner IP, the application list that needs to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP from the network device controller through the APP.

[0054] Furthermore, the mobile terminal includes mobile communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, and the APP is a corresponding program installed on the mobile communication device, including but not limited to the Openroaming client program.

[0055] Furthermore, the communication tunnel includes but is not limited to a GRE tunnel, an IPsec tunnel, an L2TP tunnel, and a PPP tunnel.

[0056] Furthermore, the networks accessed by the mobile terminal include but are not limited to 4G, 5G, 6G, WLAN, and satellite networks.

[0057] Furthermore, before the mobile terminal establishes a communication tunnel with the edge router, if the corresponding application is in the list of applications that need to support low latency, the mobile terminal automatically establishes a communication tunnel with the corresponding edge router after receiving the list of applications that need to support low latency, otherwise no communication tunnel is established.

[0058] Furthermore, the edge router IP is detected by the carrier's transmission network and updated to the network device controller.

[0059] Furthermore, the cloud service supports content delivery network CDN.

[0060] Furthermore, the inner IP of the tunnel is the intranet IP, that is, the IP obtained by the WiFi network or 5G / 6G network.

[0061] Furthermore, the method supports roaming switching between WLAN and 5G / 6G networks, and also supports roaming switching between satellite networks and 5G / 6G networks.

[0062] Furthermore, the message format used to establish the communication tunnel is: outer IP header + magic + inner IP header, magic is the default value and supports customization.

[0063] The following is a specific implementation example of the present invention.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to an example of the present invention. This example proposes a technology of creating a tunnel between a mobile terminal and an edge server to solve the problem of delay during roaming. Specifically, the example of the present invention provides a method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, including the following steps: 1. After the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the following from the SDN controller: 1) Tunnel inner IP, i.e. the intranet IP in Table 1; 2) A list of applications that need to support low latency (see Table 1) and the corresponding edge router IPs; Table 1 After the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the list of applications that the terminal needs to support low latency from the SDN controller through the Openroaming client program. For example, for app1 in the mobile terminal mac1, the inner IP of the tunnel is IPs1 (IPs1 is the IP obtained from the wifi network or 5G / 6G network), the destination IP is IPd1, and the edge router IP, that is, the destination IP of the outer layer of the tunnel, is IPwd1.

[0065] 2. After the mobile terminal receives the application list that needs to support low latency from the corresponding edge router issued by the SDN controller, it establishes a GRE tunnel with the corresponding edge router; After receiving the application list that needs to support low latency, i.e., Table 1, the mobile terminal and edge router automatically establish a GRE tunnel for the corresponding application. For applications that are not in the application list that needs to support low latency, no GRE tunnel is established. Figure 3 ,Due to the complexity of the general tunnel protocol, the supported content is relatively complex, resulting in insufficient performance and a small amount of packet loss during roaming. In order to reduce roaming delay, this application provides a self-built tunnel solution to reduce roaming delay. It mainly includes improvements in message format and tunnel establishment mechanism.

[0066] (1) Message format like Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the improved message format is: outer IP header + magic + inner IP header, magic has the default value = 0xF00FF00F, will not conflict with the IP address, and supports customization.

[0067] (2) Tunnel establishment mechanism Traditional tunnels are usually established after command line configuration. This application uses a mechanism to automatically establish a tunnel after receiving Table 1. For a specific flow chart, see Figure 5.

[0068] 3. Based on the application list that needs to support low latency issued by the SDN controller, the mobile terminal encapsulates the message of the application in the application list that needs to support low latency and sends it to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; 4. The edge router removes the outer encapsulation and sends the message to the cloud service. Since the inner IP of the tunnel is fixed, there will be no disconnection problem during roaming, meeting the low latency requirement for roaming.

[0069] 5. The cloud service returns the message to the mobile terminal, which is tunnel-encapsulated by the edge router and then forwarded to the corresponding mobile terminal.

[0070] Cloud services may support CDN, resulting in changes in the service IP address. The application list and the corresponding edge router IP are detected by the operator's transmission network and updated to the SDN server, which will update the application table (Table 1) to the mobile terminal and edge router.

[0071] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides a system for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks. Figure 6 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of a system supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, which may include: The information collection module obtains the tunnel inner IP, the application list that needs to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP for the mobile terminal after the mobile terminal accesses the network; A tunnel establishment module, after the edge router corresponding to the mobile terminal receives the application list that needs to support low latency, establishes a communication tunnel between the mobile terminal and the corresponding edge router; The message sending module encapsulates the messages of the applications in the application list that need to support low latency and sends them to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; the edge router removes the outer encapsulation and sends the message to the cloud service; The message receiving module encapsulates the message of the mobile terminal returned by the cloud service in the edge router and then transfers it to the corresponding mobile terminal through the communication tunnel.

[0072] An electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes any one of the steps of the above-mentioned method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks.

[0073] A computer-readable storage medium provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a computer program. When the computer program is executed on an electronic device, the computer program is used to enable the electronic device to execute any one of the steps of the above-mentioned method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks.

[0074] A computer program product provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a computer program, which is stored in a computer-readable storage medium; when a processor of an electronic device reads the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium, the processor executes the computer program, so that the electronic device performs any step of the above-mentioned method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program codes.

[0076] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0077] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0078] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0079] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in other forms. Any technician familiar with the profession may use the above disclosed technical content to change or modify it into an equivalent embodiment with equivalent changes. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the technical solution of the present invention still belongs to the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, characterized in that: include: After the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the inner IP of the tunnel, the list of applications that need to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP; After the mobile terminal receives the application list that needs to support low latency from the corresponding edge router, it establishes a communication tunnel with the corresponding edge router; The mobile terminal encapsulates the message of the application in the application list that needs to support low latency and sends it to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; The edge router removes the outer encapsulation and sends the message to the cloud service; The cloud service returns the message to the mobile terminal, which is encapsulated by the edge router and then transferred to the corresponding mobile terminal through the communication tunnel.

2. The method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the mobile terminal accesses the network, it obtains the inner IP of the tunnel, the list of applications that need to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP from the network device controller.

3. A method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The mobile terminal obtains the tunnel inner IP, the list of applications that need to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP from the network device controller through the APP.

4. The method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The message format used to establish the communication tunnel is: outer IP header + magic + inner IP header, magic is the default value and supports customization.

5. The method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication tunnel includes a GRE tunnel, an ipsec tunnel, an l2tp tunnel, and a pptp tunnel.

6. A method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The networks accessed by mobile terminals include 4G, 5G, 6G, WLAN, and satellite networks.

7. The method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the mobile terminal establishes a communication tunnel with the edge router, if the corresponding application is in the list of applications that need to support low latency, the mobile terminal automatically establishes a communication tunnel with the corresponding edge router after receiving the list of applications that need to support low latency, otherwise no communication tunnel is established.

8. The method for supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks according to claim 1, characterized in that: Cloud services support content delivery network CDN.

9. A system supporting fast roaming in heterogeneous networks, characterized in that: include: The information collection module obtains the tunnel inner IP, the application list that needs to support low latency, and the corresponding edge router IP for the mobile terminal after the mobile terminal accesses the network; A tunnel establishment module, after the edge router corresponding to the mobile terminal receives the application list that needs to support low latency, establishes a communication tunnel between the mobile terminal and the corresponding edge router; The message sending module encapsulates the messages of the applications in the application list that need to support low latency and sends them to the corresponding edge router through the communication tunnel; The edge router removes the outer encapsulation and sends the message to the cloud service; The message receiving module encapsulates the message of the mobile terminal returned by the cloud service in the edge router and then transfers it to the corresponding mobile terminal through the communication tunnel.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions that can be executed by a processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program instructions, the method steps according to any one of claims 1 to 8 can be implemented.

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