5G local area network Ethernet multicast group management and flow forwarding method

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for adding UE (User Equipment) into a multicast group in a 5G local area network. The method comprises the following steps: processing a multicast group joining request message received from UE in a 5G local area network at a UPF of a 5G core network to obtain a multicast group IP address; converting the multicast group IP address into a multicast group MAC address; and adding the UE into the multicast group according to the multicast group MAC address.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a 5G local area network (LAN), and more particularly to 5G LAN Ethernet multicast group management and traffic forwarding. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for adding a terminal such as a UE to a multicast group in a 5G LAN, releasing or removing the UE from the multicast group, and / or forwarding a multicast data packet to the UE in the multicast group. Background Art

[0002] 5G LAN is a virtual LAN service built in the 5G network, through which a mobile LAN can be formed to meet production or office needs. In the 5G network, administrators can modify the data in the user database and contract the service to the specified terminal (UE) number, thereby combining them into a 5G LAN. The 5G LAN function can provide wide-area mobile LAN and VPN service support for industry users, including Ethernet forwarding, broadcast / multicast, UE-to-UE communication, and group management.

[0003] 5G LAN supports Ethernet traffic. 5G network can directly transmit the second layer protocol. The user plane function (UPF) should be able to identify the media access control (MAC) address of the terminal and support the forwarding of Ethernet multicast traffic. The second layer networking provided by 5G LAN enables industrial users to achieve efficient communication and isolation between devices, meet the special requirements of industrial communication, and improve the intelligence and automation level of industrial production. Multicast is widely used in industrial scenarios because multicast / broadcast can achieve distributed control and management, thereby improving production efficiency and quality. 5G LAN supports multicast, which can achieve more efficient and reliable production line control and management.

[0004] Vertical industries have very low latency requirements for Ethernet multicast forwarding. Without efficient 5G LAN multicast capabilities, 5G systems cannot operate well in latency-sensitive 5G private networks, especially in 5G factories. 3GPP specifications and existing solutions do not provide an effective implementation method for 5G LAN multicast group management and forwarding. Therefore, among other things, a new method needs to be implemented in 5G LAN to efficiently forward multicast traffic and manage multicast groups. Purpose of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to alleviate or eliminate to some extent one or more problems associated with known methods of effectively forwarding multicast traffic and managing multicast groups in 5G local area networks.

[0006] The above objects of the invention are achieved by the combination of features of the main claim; the dependent claims disclose further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a new method and system for joining a UE to a multicast group in a 5G local area network.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a new method and system for a UE to leave a multicast group in a 5G local area network.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a new method for forwarding multicast data packets to UEs in a multicast group.

[0010] Those skilled in the art will derive other objects of the present invention from the following description. Therefore, the above object statements are not exhaustive and are only intended to illustrate a portion of the many objects of the present invention. Summary of the invention

[0011] The present invention provides a system and method for 5G LAN Ethernet multicast group management and 5G data plane traffic forwarding, which is a key step in further supporting 5G networks for smart manufacturing, etc.

[0012] In a first main aspect, the present invention provides a method for joining a UE to a multicast group in a 5G LAN. The method includes performing the following steps at a UPF of a 5G core network: processing a multicast group join request message received from a UE in a 5G LAN to obtain a multicast group IP address; converting the multicast group IP address to a multicast group MAC address; and joining the UE to the multicast group according to the multicast group MAC address.

[0013] In a second main aspect, the present invention provides a method for a UE to leave a 5G LAN multicast group, comprising: receiving a UE multicast group leave request message at a UPF, processing the multicast group leave request message to obtain a multicast group IP address, converting the multicast group IP address to a multicast group MAC address / multicast group identifier (ID), mapping to the multicast group ID in a 5G multicast hash table using the F-SEID and the UE MAC address, and if a mapping is found in the 5G multicast hash table, comparing the multicast group ID in the multicast hash table entry with the multicast group ID obtained from the previous conversion step, and if the same, i.e., matching, the UPF deletes the UE from a multicast group UE list that shares the mapped multicast group MAC address / multicast group ID. The UPF then deletes the corresponding hash key of the deleted UE from the 5G multicast hash table.

[0014] In a third main aspect, the present invention provides a method for forwarding a multicast data packet received from a UE in a 5G data plane of a 5G core network, the method comprising: receiving the multicast data packet at a UPF in the 5G core network; the UPF being configured to process the multicast data packet to obtain a UE MAC address and a UE F-SEID of the UE; the UPF being configured to use the UE MAC address and the UE F-SEID to look up a 5G multicast hash table to find a group UE list of a relevant multicast group; and the UPF being configured to copy the multicast data packet and forward the multicast data packet to other UEs in the relevant multicast group.

[0015] In a fourth main aspect, the present invention provides a network node in a 5G core network, the network node being configured to execute the UPF of the 5G core network and being configured to implement any one of the methods of the first to third main aspects of the present invention.

[0016] In a fifth main aspect, the present invention provides a non-transitory computer readable medium storing machine readable instructions, wherein when the machine readable instructions are executed by a processor, they configure the processor to implement any of the methods of the first to third main aspects of the present invention.

[0017] The abstract of the invention does not necessarily disclose all features necessary to define the invention; the invention may lie in a sub-combination of the disclosed features.

[0018] The features of the present invention have been summarized quite broadly above so that the following detailed description of the invention may be better understood. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described hereinafter, and these features and advantages form the subject matter of the claims of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the concepts and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for achieving the same purposes of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, which are provided by way of example only in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 The known 3GPP 5G Service-Based Standalone Architecture (SBA) is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 shows a 5G LAN, including a virtual LAN service provided on a 5G network;

[0022] Figure 3 The problems that arise when implementing 5G LAN multicast forwarding and 5G LAN multicast management are shown;

[0023] Figure 4It is a flow chart of a method for adding a terminal (UE) to a multicast group in a 5G LAN according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 The structure of the 5G multicast hash table for a UE to join a multicast group in a 5G LAN of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 6 The 5G multicast hash table showing the UE of the present invention leaving the multicast group in the 5G LAN;

[0026] Figure 7 shows multicast packet forwarding in a 5G LAN of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 The multicast data packet forwarding method in the 5G LAN of the present invention and the corresponding 5G multicast hash table are shown;

[0028] Fig. 9 It is a flow chart of the multicast data packet forwarding method in 5G LAN of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following description describes preferred embodiments by way of example only and does not limit the combination of features necessary to implement the invention.

[0030] References to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. In addition, various features are described that may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described that may be requirements of some embodiments and not others.

[0031] It should be understood that the elements shown in the figure can be implemented in various forms of hardware, software or a combination thereof. These elements can be implemented in a combination of hardware and software on one or more appropriately programmed general-purpose devices, which may include a processor, memory and input / output interface.

[0032] This specification illustrates the principles of the invention. It will therefore be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope.

[0033] In addition, the principles, aspects and embodiments of the present invention and specific examples thereof are described herein, and are intended to cover their structural and functional equivalents. In addition, such equivalents also include currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed, performing the same function, no matter how their structure.

[0034] Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the block diagrams presented herein represent conceptual views of systems and devices embodying the principles of the invention.

[0035] The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software together with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, these functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or multiple separate processors, some of which may be shared. In addition, the explicit use of the term "processor" or "controller" should not be interpreted as referring only to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, but is not limited to, digital signal processor ("DSP") hardware, read-only memory ("ROM") for storing software, random access memory ("RAM"), and non-volatile memory.

[0036] In the claims, any element represented as a means for performing a particular function is intended to encompass any manner of performing that function, including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements that perform that function or b) any form of software, thus including firmware, microcode, etc., in combination with appropriate circuitry to execute that software to perform the function. The invention as defined by these claims resides in the functionality provided by the various recited means, combined and brought together in the manner required by the claims. Any means for providing those functions is therefore considered equivalent to the means shown herein.

[0037] The following description describes the implementation of the present invention in a 5G communication network by way of example, but does not limit the implementation of the present invention in a suitable communication network.

[0038] 5G LANs are private cellular networks typically provided to enterprises that can be integrated into an organization's existing infrastructure. They provide high-speed wireless access and deterministic performance for mission-critical applications. For example, 5G LANs can reduce the use of Ethernet cables. 5G LANs use 5G terminal access capabilities and dedicated mobile LAN services to provide flexible communication services for group member terminals. 5G terminals, also known as 5G customer premises equipment (CPE), enable devices such as computers, laptops, and mobile phones to connect to the Internet. 5G CPE devices receive 5G signals from base stations and then convert them into Wi-Fi or wired signals.

[0039] The “UE” and “CPE” mentioned in this document should be understood as “terminal” and vice versa.

[0040] With reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 The known 3GPP 5G standalone service-based architecture (SBA) is shown, including known interfaces between 5G network nodes and / or functional elements.

[0041] Figure 2 A 5G network 10 is shown, which includes one or more virtual network (VN) groups in a 5G LAN 12. Each VN group includes a virtual LAN service configured on the 5G network 10. Figure 2 , UE1 to UE3 constitute a first VN group 12A, and UE4 to UE6 constitute a second VN group 12B. The first and second VN groups 12A, B are wirelessly connected to the core network 14 of the 5G network 10 through a radio access network (RAN) 16 including one or more base stations 18. The core network 14 can be connected to one or more data centers or data networks (DN) 20. The core network 10 includes functional entities, including UPF 22, session management function (SMF) 24 and unified data management (UDM) function 26. The functional entities can be implemented in core network nodes (such as servers, etc.), which are configured to implement corresponding functions by executing machine-readable instructions stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media by one or more processors.

[0042] Figure 3 An example embodiment of an enterprise-based 5G LAN for managing and / or controlling industrial machines (e.g., programmable logic controllers (PLCs)), and / or processes that cause problems when implementing 5G LAN multicast forwarding and 5G LAN multicast management is shown.

[0043] Vertical industries have very low latency requirements for Ethernet multicast forwarding. Without efficient 5G LAN multicast capabilities, 5G systems cannot operate well in low-latency-sensitive 5G private networks, especially in 5G factories. 3GPP specifications and existing solutions do not provide efficient implementation methods for 5G LAN multicast group management and forwarding.

[0044] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to implement a new method for efficiently forwarding multicast traffic and managing multicast groups in 5G LAN, and to achieve efficient 5G LAN multicast group management, which will be described below. The key embodiments of the present invention for solving these problems include a new method for UE to join a 5G LAN multicast group, a new method for UE to leave a 5G LAN multicast group, and a new method for multicast traffic forwarding.

[0045] The new method for joining a UE to a 5G LAN multicast group includes: UPF 22 processes a multicast group join request message received from a UE in a 5G LAN to obtain a multicast group Internet Protocol (IP) address, converts the multicast group IP address into a multicast group MAC address, and joins the UE to the multicast group according to the multicast group MAC address.

[0046] When the 5G core network 14 and 5G RAN 16 are properly configured and ready, the UE ( Figure 2 , 4 1) accesses 5G RAN 16, and establishes an Ethernet protocol data unit (PDU) session for the UE in UPF 22. If the UE wishes to join a multicast group, it sends a multicast group join request message. Figure 2 As shown, the multicast group join request message received by UPF 22 from the UE includes an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join group request message, which is carried by the user plane GPRS tunneling protocol (GPRS Tunneling Protocol for UserPlane, GTP-U) payload and is accompanied by a GTP-U header, a user data plane (User Data Plane, UDP) header, and an IP header. The IGMP header is followed by an Ethernet header and transmitted to UPF 22 through the GTP-U tunnel. UPF 22 receives the IGMP group join request and, in response, adds an entry for the UE in the 5G multicast hash table, thereby joining the UE to the requested multicast group.

[0047] Figure 4 The steps of the new method 30 of joining a UE to a requested multicast group are described in more detail.

[0048] In the first step 31 of method 30, UPF 22 receives an IGMP join group request message from the UE. In the next step 32 of method 30, UPF 22 decodes the UE's forwarding tunnel endpoint identifier (F-TEID) in the GTP-U header and finds the UPF fully qualified session endpoint identifier (F-SEID). In the next step 33 of method 30, UPF 22 decodes the UE MAC address (UE1 MAC address in this example). Then, in the next step 34, UPF 22 decodes the IGMP header to obtain the multicast group IP address. In the subsequent step 35, UPF 22 converts the multicast group IP address to the multicast group MAC address and sets it as the multicast group identifier (ID). In the next step 36, based on the multicast group MAC address / multicast group ID, UPF 22 adds the UE (UE1) to the multicast group UE list. Then, in the last step 37 of method 30, UPF 22 adds the hash key and value to the 5G multicast hash table.

[0049] Figure 5 Shows the structure of the 5G multicast hash table for a UE to join a 5G LAN multicast group. The hash key is based on a combination of the UE MAC address and the UPF F-SEID. Its value includes the multicast group ID / group UE list.

[0050] The step of converting the multicast group IP address to a multicast group MAC address and setting it as the multicast group ID preferably includes the following sub-steps. The first sub-step includes: converting the multicast group IP address to a binary bit string. For example, when the multicast group IP address includes the address 239.0.1.1, the binary bit string is 11101111.00000000.00000001.00000001. The next sub-step includes: extracting the last 23 bits, i.e., the underlined bits 11101111.00000000.00000001.00000001. 0000000.00000001.000 00001 . Then in the next sub-step, the last 23 binary bits are appended to the binary bits that comprise the fixed bits of the known MAC address prefix reserved for multicast. The fixed bits of the MAC address prefix reserved for multicast are the 25 binary bits 00000001.00000000.01011110.0. Therefore, the resulting binary bit string is 00000001.00000000.01011110.0 0000000.00000001.00000001In the next sub-step, the resulting binary bit string is converted to hexadecimal to provide the multicast group MAC address, which is used when sending multicast traffic packets to UEs in the group UE list of the multicast group. In this example, the hexadecimal form of the multicast group MAC address is HEX: 0x0100.5E00.0101, as shown in Figure 5 This is the MAC address used when sending to group 239.0.1.1 and is also the multicast group ID in the 5G multicast hash table.

[0051] The new method for UE to leave the 5G LAN multicast group includes: receiving a UE multicast group leave request message at UPF 22, processing the multicast group leave request message to obtain the multicast group IP address, converting the multicast group IP address to the multicast group MAC address / multicast group ID, mapping to the multicast group ID in the 5G multicast hash table using the F-SEID and the UE MAC address, and if the mapping is found in the 5G multicast hash table, comparing the multicast group ID in the multicast hash table entry with the multicast group ID obtained from the previous conversion step, and if the same, the UPF 22 deletes the UE from the multicast group UE list that shares the mapped multicast group MAC address / multicast group ID. Then, the UPF 22 deletes the corresponding hash key of the deleted UE from the 5G multicast hash table.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, the structure of the multicast group leave request message received by UPF 22 from the UE is the same as that of the multicast group join request message.

[0053] More specifically, the method for UE to leave a multicast group includes the following steps. In the first step, if a UE (e.g., UE1) wishes to leave a multicast group, the UE sends an IGMP leave group request message to UPF 22, which carries an IGMP header and an IP / Ethernet header and is transmitted through a GTP-U tunnel. In the next step, UPF 22 decodes the F-TEID in the GTP-U header and finds the UPF F-SEID. In the next step, UPF 22 decodes the Ethernet header to obtain the UE MAC address. Subsequently, in the next step, UPF 22 decodes the IGMP header to obtain the multicast group IP address, and then converts the multicast group IP address to the multicast group MAC address and derives the multicast group ID therefrom. In the next step, UPF 22 uses the UPF F-SEID and the UE MAC address as hash keys, mapped to the multicast group ID in the 5G multicast hash table, to check whether the multicast group ID in the previous step is the same as the multicast group ID in the 5G multicast hash table. If the mapped multicast group IDs are the same, UPF 22 deletes the UE (UE1) entry from the group UE list of the corresponding multicast group, and then deletes the corresponding hash key entry in the 5G multicast hash table, such as Figure 6 shown.

[0054] like Figure 7 As shown, the new method for multicast traffic forwarding includes: after receiving a multicast data packet from a UE on the 5G data plane of the 5G core network, UPF 22 uses the UE MAC address and UE F-SEID as hash keys to map to the multicast group ID in the 5G multicast hash table, and if the hash key maps to the multicast group ID, UPF 22 copies the multicast data packet and forwards the multicast data packet to other UEs in the multicast group UE list that share the mapped multicast group ID. UPF 22 obtains the UE MAC address and UE F-SEID from the multicast data packet received from the UE on the 5G data plane.

[0055] Figure 8 An embodiment of a multicast traffic forwarding method and a corresponding 5G multicast hash table are shown. Fig. 9 include Figure 8 A flow chart of a more detailed version of method 40 is shown.

[0056] exist Fig. 9 In the first step 41 of method 40, UPF 22 receives a multicast Ethernet packet from, for example, UE1, decodes the F-TEID in the GTP-U header to obtain the UPF F-SEID, and then UPF 22 decodes the UE (UE1) MAC address. In the next optional step 42, UPF performs a Packet Detection Rule (PDR) detection to check whether the UE belongs to the 5G LAN. If not, the method terminates. If so, in the next step 43, UPF 22 uses the UE MAC address and UPF F-SEID as hash keys, maps to the 5G multicast hash table and obtains the multicast group ID. In the next step 44, UPF checks whether the obtained multicast group ID is the same as the multicast packet destination of the MAC address, and if not, the method terminates. However, if they are the same, in the next step 45, UPF 22 copies the multicast Ethernet packet and forwards the multicast Ethernet packet to the UE or any UE in the same multicast group UE list, for example Figure 7 and Figure 8 UE2 and UE3 in the example.

[0057] The present invention provides a device and method for 5G LAN Ethernet multicast group management and traffic forwarding on a 5G data plane. The method for joining a 5G LAN multicast group comprises: receiving a 5G LAN user configuration configured by UDM on an SMF; establishing an uplink Ethernet PDU session for a UE on an UPF; accessing a 5G LAN network using the Ethernet PDU session from the UE; upon receiving an IGMP multicast group join request from the UE, the UPF decodes the IGMP message; and the UPF adds an entry to a 5G multicast group hash table on the UPF.

[0058] UDM or Unified Data Repository (UDR) stores key 5G LAN user data, including VN group ID, data network name (DNN), Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (SNSSAI), and group members.

[0059] SMF can use HTTP / 2 protocol to request 5G LAN user data from UDM on N10 interface.

[0060] SMF can send an Ethernet PDN type session establishment request to UPF on the N4 interface through the Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP), and then UPF can establish an Ethernet PDU session for the 5G LAN UE.

[0061] Preferably, the UPF receives an IGMP join request encapsulated by GTP-U from the UE from the N3 interface over the established Ethernet PDU session, then decodes the GTP-U encapsulation and finds the F-TEID in the GTP-U header.

[0062] Preferably, the UPF further decodes the UE MAC address in the Ethernet header and the multicast group IP address in the IGMP header of the GTP-U payload.

[0063] UPF can use F-TEID to find PFCP session.

[0064] Preferably, the UPF converts the multicast group IP decoded from the IGMP header decapsulated from the GTP-U packet into a multicast group ID for 5G LAN group management.

[0065] UPF can first convert the multicast group IP address into binary, take the last 23 bits and add them to the 25 bits of the well-known multicast MAC prefix, and then convert it into hexadecimal to obtain the multicast group ID.

[0066] The UPF adds a new entry in the 5G multicast hash table, the hash table key is the combination of the UE MAC address and the UPF F-SEID, and the hash table entry is the multicast group ID and the group UE list.

[0067] The present invention provides a device and method for 5G LAN Ethernet multicast group management and traffic forwarding on a 5G data plane. The device is configured to implement a method for leaving a 5G LAN multicast group, including: accessing a 5G LAN network through an Ethernet PDU session on a UE; when an IGMP multicast group leave request sent by the UE is received, the UPF decodes the IGMP message and then deletes the entry in the 5G multicast group hash table on the UPF.

[0068] The UPF may receive a GTP-U encapsulated IGMP Leave Request from the UE from the N3 interface over the established Ethernet PDU session, then decode the GTP-U encapsulation and find the F-TEID in the GTP-U header.

[0069] The UPF may further decode the UE MAC address in the Ethernet header of the GTP-U payload and the multicast group IP address in the IGMP header.

[0070] Preferably, the UPF uses the F-TEID to look up the UPF F-SEID.

[0071] Preferably, the UPF converts the multicast group IP address decoded from the IGMP header decapsulated from the GTP-U packet into a multicast group ID for 5G LAN group management.

[0072] Preferably, the UPF first converts the multicast group IP into binary bits, takes the last 23 bits and adds them to the 25 bits of the known multicast MAC prefix, and then converts the resulting bit string into hexadecimal to obtain the multicast group ID.

[0073] The UPF uses the UPF F-SEID and UE MAC address to look up an entry in the 5G multicast hash table and compares the multicast group ID in the entry with the multicast group ID from the previous segment.

[0074] If the multicast group ID matches, the UPF removes the UE from the group UE list in the 5G multicast hash table entry.

[0075] The present invention provides a device and method for 5G LAN Ethernet multicast group management and traffic forwarding on a 5G data plane, supports multiple UPF deployments, and allows multicast group traffic to be transmitted within one UPF. The traffic forwarding method includes: accessing a 5G LAN network through an Ethernet PDU session on a UE; upon receiving a multicast data packet from a UE, the UPF decodes a GTP-U message; the UPF searches for a group UE list in a 5G multicast hash table; the UPF copies a multicast group traffic packet; and the UPF forwards the multicast group traffic packet to other UEs in the same group UE list.

[0076] Preferably, the UPF receives GTP-U encapsulated multicast packets from the UE from the N3 interface over the established Ethernet PDU session, then decodes the GTP-U encapsulation and finds the F-TEID in the GTP-U header.

[0077] Preferably, the UPF uses the F-TEID to look up the UPF F-SEID.

[0078] Preferably, the UPF decodes the UE MAC address in the Ethernet header and the multicast group IP address in the IGMP header of the GTP-U payload.

[0079] Preferably, the UPF uses the UPF F-SEID and the UE MAC address to look up the entry in the 5G multicast hash table and finds the group UE list in the 5G multicast hash table.

[0080] UPF replicates the multicast traffic for all other UEs in the same multicast group.

[0081] Preferably, the data structure of the 5G multicast hash table includes a hash key consisting of UE MAC and UPF F-SEID, and a value consisting of a multicast group ID and a list of group UEs belonging to the same multicast group.

[0082] The present invention also provides a non-transitory computer readable medium storing machine readable instructions, wherein when a processor executes the machine readable instructions, they configure the processor to implement the method of any one of the appended method claims.

[0083] The above-mentioned means may be implemented at least in part in software. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned means may be implemented at least in part using general-purpose computer equipment or using customized equipment.

[0084] Here, various aspects of the methods and devices described herein can be executed on any device including a communication system. The program aspects of the technology can be considered as a "product" or "article of manufacture", usually in the form of executable code and / or related data, carried or embodied in a machine-readable medium. "Storage" type media include any or all memories of mobile stations, computers, processors or similar devices, or their related modules, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives, etc., which can provide storage for software programming at any time. All or part of the software can sometimes communicate through the Internet or various other telecommunications networks. For example, such communication can enable software to be loaded from one computer or processor to another computer or processor. Therefore, another type of media that can carry software elements includes optical waves, radio waves, and electromagnetic waves, such as on physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks, and through various air links. Physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links, etc., can also be considered as media that carry software. As used herein, unless limited to tangible non-temporary "storage" media, terms such as computer or machine "readable media" refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to the processor for execution.

[0085] Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description, it should be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that only exemplary embodiments are shown and described and the scope of the present invention is not limited in any way. It is understood that any feature described herein can be used in any embodiment. The illustrative embodiments do not exclude each other or other embodiments not described herein. Therefore, the present invention also provides an embodiment including a combination of one or more illustrative embodiments described above. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention can be modified and varied, and therefore, only the restrictions shown in the appended claims should be applied.

[0086] In the appended claims and the foregoing description of the invention, unless the context requires otherwise due to explicit language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprising" are used in an inclusive sense, i.e. specifying the presence of stated features but not excluding the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

[0087] It will be appreciated that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Claims

1. A method for adding a user equipment (UE) to a multicast group in a 5G local area network (LAN), the method comprising: At a network node configured to perform a user plane function (UPF) of a 5G core network, the following steps are performed: Processing a multicast group join request message received from the UE in the 5G LAN to obtain a multicast group Internet Protocol (IP) address; Converting the multicast group IP address to a multicast group media access control (MAC) address; The UE is added to the multicast group according to the multicast group MAC address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multicast group MAC address is set as a multicast group identifier (ID), and the UE is added to a multicast group UE list.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: A hash table key based on the MAC address of the UE is added to the 5G multicast hash table for the multicast group.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The hash table key based on the MAC address of the UE is based on a combination of the UE MAC address and a fully qualified session endpoint identifier (F-SEID), wherein the F-SEID is obtained from a protocol data unit (PDU) session established by the UPF for the UE.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a hash table entry including the multicast group ID and the multicast group UE list is added to a 5G multicast hash table of the multicast group.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of converting the multicast group IP address to the multicast group MAC address comprises: Converting the multicast group IP address into a binary bit string; selecting a predetermined number of binary bits in the second half of the bit string; appending the selected binary bits to a binary bit string comprising fixed bits of a MAC address prefix reserved for multicast; The obtained binary bit string is converted into hexadecimal to provide the multicast group MAC address, which is used when sending multicast traffic data packets to UEs in the group UE list of the multicast group.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a predetermined number of binary bits selected from the second half of the binary bit string containing the multicast group IP address include the last 23 binary bits of the bit string, and the selected 23 binary bits are added to 25 binary bits containing fixed bits of a MAC address prefix reserved for multicast in the 5G LAN.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein: After receiving a multicast data packet from the UE on the 5G data plane of the 5G core network, the UPF uses the UE MAC address and the UE F-SEID as hash keys to map to the multicast group ID in the 5G multicast hash table. If the hash key maps to a multicast group ID, the UPF copies the multicast data packet and forwards the multicast data packet to other UEs in the multicast group UE list that share the mapped multicast group ID.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the UPF obtains the UE MAC address and the UE F-SEID from the multicast data packet received from the UE on the 5G data plane.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein: When the multicast data packet is received from the UE on the 5G data plane, the UPF determines whether the UE belongs to the 5G LAN, and if not, terminates the process.

11. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: receiving, at the UPF, a UE multicast group leave request message; Processing the multicast group leave request message to obtain the multicast group IP address; Convert the multicast group IP address to a multicast group MAC address / multicast group ID; Using the F-SEID and UE MAC address, mapped to the multicast group ID in the 5G multicast hash table, If a mapping is found in the 5G multicast hash table, the multicast group ID in the multicast hash table entry is compared with the multicast group ID obtained from the previous conversion step, If the multicast group ID in the multicast hash table entry matches the multicast group ID obtained from the previous conversion step, the UPF deletes the UE from the multicast group UE list that shares the mapped multicast group MAC address / multicast group ID.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the UPF deletes the corresponding hash key of the deleted UE from the 5G multicast hash table.

13. A method for forwarding a multicast data packet received from a UE in a 5G data plane of a 5G core network, the method comprising: The UPF in the 5G core network receives the multicast data packet; The UPF is configured to process the multicast data packet to obtain a UE MAC address and a UE F-SEID of the UE; The UPF is configured to look up a 5G multicast hash table using the UE MAC address and the UE F-SEID to find a group UE list of a relevant multicast group; The UPF is configured to replicate the multicast data packet and forward the multicast data packet to other UEs in the relevant multicast group.

14. A network node in a 5G core network, the network node being configured to execute a user plane function (UPF) of the 5G core network and being configured to: Processing a multicast group join request message received from a UE located in a 5G LAN to obtain a multicast group Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein the 5G LAN is connected to the 5G core network through a radio access network (RAN); Converting the multicast group IP address to a multicast group media access control (MAC) address; The UE is added to the multicast group according to the multicast group MAC address.

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