Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and a communication device. The method relates to the technical field of communication and comprises the following steps: a session management function receives first information from M user plane functions, wherein the first information is used for indicating the service capacity of each service supported by the user plane function; the session management function determines the weight of a first service of each user plane function in N user plane functions based on the service capacity of the first service of the N user plane functions, wherein the N user plane functions are user plane functions supporting the first service in the M user plane functions; and the session management function selects a first user plane function corresponding to a terminal from the N user plane functions based on the weight of the first service of each user plane function in the N user plane functions, wherein the first service is included in services to which the terminal is subscribed. According to the method, the service loads of the user plane functions can be balanced, and the service resources of the user plane functions can be effectively utilized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods and communication devices. Background Technology

[0002] The User Plane Function (UPF) is a crucial component of the core network, used for services such as packet forwarding. With advancements in technology, UPFs now support value-added services beyond packet forwarding, including intelligent traffic offloading, intelligent computing, content relay, high-throughput services, and content billing. The Session Management Function (SMF) primarily handles the control plane functions of terminal device session management, such as session establishment, modification, and deletion, and UPF selection.

[0003] When SMFs and UPFs are interconnected, a scenario may arise where the capabilities of UPFs within the SMF-managed UPF pool are heterogeneous. This heterogeneity refers to at least two UPFs in the SMF-managed UPF pool supporting different types of value-added services. In such a scenario, how the SMF can select the appropriate UPF for the terminal to ensure effective utilization of the service resources of each UPF is a crucial technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and a communication device, which is beneficial for balancing the service load of each user plane function and enabling the effective utilization of the service resources of each user plane function.

[0005] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be executed by a session management function. This session management function (or terminal device) can refer to the session management function itself, or to a processor, module, chip, or chip system within the session management function that implements the method. The method includes: the session management function receiving first information from M user plane functions, the first information indicating the service capacity of each service supported by the user plane function, where M is an integer greater than 1; the session management function determining the weight of the first service of each of the N user plane functions based on the service capacity of the first service of the N user plane functions, where the N user plane functions are user plane functions supporting the first service among the M user plane functions, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M; and the session management function selecting a first user plane function corresponding to the terminal from the N user plane functions based on the weight of the first service of each user plane function, wherein the services subscribed to by the terminal include the first service.

[0006] Based on the method described in the first aspect, service capacity refers to the total amount of resources available for the service, which can be derived from the planning of user plane functions. The session management function can dynamically adjust the network selection strategy in real time according to the service capacity of user plane functions, which is conducive to balancing the service load of each UPF and making effective use of the service resources of each UPF.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the first information is also used to indicate the service load and / or service failure status of each service supported by the user plane function. Service load refers to the resource usage of the service session as statistically analyzed in real-time by the UPF, or the ratio of the resource usage of the service session to the service capacity as statistically analyzed in real-time by the UPF, or the system central processing unit (CPU) utilization consumed by the service, or a value calculated based on the resource usage of the service session and the system CPU utilization consumed by the service. Service failure status, also known as service congestion status, is used to indicate whether the current service is available.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the session management function receives first information from M user plane functions. Specifically, the session management function periodically receives first information from the M user plane functions. Based on this implementation, the SMF can periodically adjust the service weights of each UPF according to the service capacity of the M UPFs. This facilitates the SMF in adjusting its network selection strategy in real time, helps balance the service load of each UPF, and ensures the effective utilization of the service resources of each UPF.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: the session management function receiving second information from the second user plane function, the second information indicating the updated service capacity of the first service in the second user plane function, and the second user plane function belonging to N user plane functions. Based on this implementation, the SMF can update the service capacity of the UPF in a timely manner and recalculate the weights corresponding to the services of the UPF. This facilitates the SMF in adjusting its network selection strategy in real time, helps balance the service load of each UPF, and ensures effective utilization of the service resources of each UPF.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: the session management function sending response information for the first information to M user plane functions.

[0011] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be executed by a user plane function. The user plane function (or terminal device) can refer to the user plane function itself, or to a processor, module, chip, or chip system within the user plane function that implements the method. The method includes: the user plane function sending first information to a session management function, the first information indicating the service capacity of each service supported by the user plane function, and the first information requesting the session management function to calculate the weight of a first service of the user plane function.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and its possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the first information is also used to indicate the service load and / or service failure status of each service supported by the user plane function.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the user plane function sends the first message to the session management function, specifically by periodically sending the first message to the session management function.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: when the service capacity of the first service changes, the user plane function sends second information to the session management function, the second information being used to indicate the updated service capacity of the first service.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: the user plane function receiving response information from the session management function in response to the first information.

[0017] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for executing the method in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect. The communication device includes a module for executing the method in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0018] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a processing circuit for executing the method in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect. The processing circuit executes a program, and when the program is executed, the method shown in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect is performed.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory for storing the program.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the memory is located outside the aforementioned communication device.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the memory is located within the aforementioned communication device.

[0022] Furthermore, the processing circuitry and memory can be integrated into a single device; that is, the processing circuitry and memory can be combined. For example, the communication device can be a chip.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication circuit for receiving information (or inputting information) or sending information (or outputting information).

[0024] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes a processing circuit and a communication circuit. The processing circuit can be a logic circuit, and the communication circuit can be an interface circuit. The logic circuit and the interface are coupled. The interface circuit is used to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is used to execute the method of any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0025] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a communication system, including a communication device for performing the method described in the first aspect and a communication device for performing the method described in the second aspect.

[0026] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the methods shown in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect to be executed.

[0027] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the methods shown in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect to be executed. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a network system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a core network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the service capacity of a UPF provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 6A schematic diagram illustrating the service capacity of a UPF provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the service capacity of a UPF provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0040] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0041] In this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the correspondence between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0042] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application will be described first below:

[0043] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, New Radio (NR), the 3rd Generation Partner Project (3GPP) service-based architecture (SBA) and other fifth-generation (5G) communication systems or future communication systems.

[0044] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, terminal devices can access a wireless network to obtain services from an external network (e.g., a data network (DN)) or communicate with other devices, such as other terminal devices. This wireless network includes a radio access network (RAN) and a core network (CN). The RAN (hereinafter referred to as RAN) is used to connect terminal devices to the wireless network, while the CN manages the terminal devices and provides a gateway for communication with the DN. The following sections will discuss... Figure 1The terminal equipment, RAN, CN, and DN involved in the system architecture are described in detail.

[0045] I. Terminal Equipment

[0046] Terminal devices include devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users. For example, a terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and it can be deployed in the air (such as on airplanes, balloons, and satellites). Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, vehicle-mounted terminals, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, wearable terminals, etc. The embodiments in this application do not limit the application scenarios. Terminal equipment may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), access terminal, vehicle-mounted terminal, industrial control terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, wireless communication equipment, UE agent, or UE device, etc. A terminal can be fixed or mobile. It is understood that all or part of the functions of the terminal in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0047] 2. RAN

[0048] The RAN may include one or more RAN devices (or access network devices). The interface between the access network device and the terminal device can be a Uu interface (or air interface). Of course, in communications evolved after 5G, the names of these interfaces may remain unchanged or may be replaced with other names; this application does not limit this.

[0049] Access network equipment refers to nodes or devices that connect terminal devices to a wireless network. Examples of access network equipment include, but are not limited to: next-generation node B (gNB), evolved node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB) in 5G communication systems, radio backhaul equipment, radio network controllers (RNC), node B (NB), home evolved node B (HeNB) or (home node B (HNB)), baseband unit (BBU), transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), mobile switching center, and equipment that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. It can also include cloud radio access networks. Network equipment in a C-RAN (Communication-Oriented RAN) system, including centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs), and in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system, can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites, etc. This application does not specifically limit the scope of these deployments. The RAN in this application can be a RAN used for 5G or a future RAN; this application does not limit the scope of this application.

[0050] III. Core Network

[0051] The core network involved in this application embodiment can be an evolved packet core (EPC) of 4G core network, or a 5G core network (5GC), or a converged network architecture of EPC and 5GC, or a possible future core network form. The CN can include one or more network functions (NFs) (also referred to as CN devices or functional network elements).

[0052] For example, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a core network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2The CN shown includes multiple NFs: User Plane Function (UPF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Network Function Repository Function (NRF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and Application Function (AF). Among them:

[0053] UPF is a gateway provided by the operator, serving as the gateway for communication between the operator's network and the DN. UPF includes user plane-related functions such as packet routing and transmission, packet inspection, quality of service (QoS) processing, uplink packet inspection, and downlink packet storage.

[0054] NEF is a control plane function provided by the operator, which can provide core network capability openness and allow external network elements to interact with the core network through this network element.

[0055] NRF is a control plane function provided by the operator, which can be used to maintain real-time information about network functions and services in the network. For example, it supports network service discovery, maintains the NF configuration data (NF profile) of NF instances to show the services supported, supports service communication proxy (SCP) service discovery, maintains the SCP configuration data (SCP profile) of SCP instances, sends notifications about newly registered, deregistered, and updated NFs and SCPs, and maintains the health status of NFs and SCPs.

[0056] PCF (Control Plane Function) is a control plane function provided by the operator, including user subscription data management, policy control, billing policy control, and quality of service (QoS) control. It is primarily used to provide the SMF (Service Provider Function) with policies for PDU sessions. These policies can include billing-related policies, QoS-related policies, and authorization-related policies.

[0057] User-defined traffic management (UDM) is a control plane function provided by the operator, primarily used to manage user subscription and authentication data, as well as perform authentication and credit processing, user identification processing, access authorization, registration / mobility management, subscription management, and SMS management. In some embodiments, the UDM may also include a unified data repository (UDR).

[0058] AUSF can be responsible for authenticating terminal devices and determining their legitimacy.

[0059] AMF is a control plane function provided by the operator's network, responsible for access control and mobility management of terminal devices accessing the operator's network. It includes functions such as mobility state management, assigning temporary user identities, authenticating and authorizing users.

[0060] The SMF (Service Control Function) is a control plane function provided by the operator's network, responsible for managing Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions of terminal equipment. A PDU session is a channel used to transmit PDUs; terminal equipment needs to exchange PDUs with the DN (Network Node) through PDU sessions. The SMF is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and deleting PDU sessions. The SMF includes session management (such as session establishment, modification, and release, including tunnel maintenance between the UPF and RAN), UPF selection and control, service and session continuity (SSC) mode selection, roaming, and other session-related functions.

[0061] AF is used to send application-related requirements to PCF, so that PCF can generate corresponding policies.

[0062] Figure 2 Nnef, Nausf, Nnrf, Namf, Npcf, Nsmf, Nudm, Naf, N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, and N9 are interface sequence numbers. The meanings of these interface sequence numbers can be found in the definitions in the relevant standard protocols, and are not limited here.

[0063] It should be noted that the aforementioned NF can also be referred to as core network equipment, network element, or functional network element. In a 5G communication system, each functional network element can be... Figure 2 The names of the various functional network elements shown can remain the same in communication systems evolving after 5G (such as 6G communication systems). Figure 2 The names of the various functional network elements shown may also have other names. For example, in a 5G communication system, the user plane function may be UPF. In communication systems that evolve after 5G (such as 6G communication systems), the user plane function may still be UPF, or it may have other names. This application does not limit this.

[0064] It should also be noted that in a 5G communication system, the functions implemented by each network element can be as follows: Figure 2 The diagram shows independent functional network elements that can still function as shown in communication systems evolving after 5G. Figure 2 The diagram shows an independent state, but it can also be implemented by integrated functional network elements. Figure 2 The functions of multiple network elements are described. For example, in a 5G communication system, user plane related functions are implemented by the UPF, and access and mobility management related functions are implemented by the AMF. In communication systems that evolve after 5G (such as 6G communication systems), user plane related functions can still be implemented by the UPF, and access and mobility management related functions can still be implemented by the AMF. Alternatively, a single integrated network element can simultaneously implement both user plane related functions and access and mobility management related functions. This application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0065] IV. DN

[0066] DN, also known as packet data network (PDN), is a network located outside of the operator's network. The operator's network can access multiple DNs, and application servers corresponding to various services can be deployed in the DN to provide a variety of possible services for terminal devices.

[0067] The method described in the embodiments of this application can be applied to, for example, Figure 3 The communication network architecture shown includes at least one SMF and multiple UPFs. Figure 3 Taking one SMF and two UPFs (UPF1 and UPF2) as an example, this application embodiment does not limit the number of each network element.

[0068] When SMFs and UPFs are interconnected, a scenario may arise where the service capabilities of the UPFs in the SMF-managed UPF pool are heterogeneous. This heterogeneity refers to at least two UPFs in the SMF-managed pool supporting different services. In such a scenario, how the SMF can select the appropriate UPF for the terminal to ensure effective utilization of the service resources of each UPF is a critical technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0069] In order to ensure the effective utilization of the business resources of each UPF, in conjunction with the above... Figure 3 The network architecture shown in this application provides a communication method, such as... Figure 4As shown, the model determination method includes steps 401 to 403. The execution entity of this method can be an SMF and a UPF, or it can be a module of the SMF and a module of the UPF. For example, the module of the SMF can be a chip, processor, or processing unit in the SMF, and the module of the UPF can be a chip, processor, or processing unit in the UPF. This application embodiment uses SMF and UPF as examples for illustration.

[0070] 401. The UPF sends a first message, which indicates the service capacity of each service supported by the UPF.

[0071] Correspondingly, the SMF receives M first messages, which come from M UPFs respectively. Alternatively, the SMF receives first messages from M UPFs, where M is an integer greater than 1. For simplicity, ... Figure 4 The example only shows one UPF; in reality, there are M UPFs.

[0072] In this embodiment, the UPF pool managed by the SMF includes M UPFs. The service capabilities of these M UPFs can be homogeneous or heterogeneous, and this embodiment does not limit this. Homogeneous service capabilities mean that each of the M UPFs supports the same services. Heterogeneous service capabilities mean that at least two of the M UPFs support different services. The difference in the services supported by two UPFs includes two cases: differences in some services supported by the two UPFs, and differences in all services supported by the two UPFs.

[0073] For example, suppose the UPFs managed by the SMF include UPF1, UPF2, UPF3, and UPF4. UPF1 supports service 1 and service 2, while UPF2 supports services 3 and 4. UPF1 and UPF2 support completely different services. UPF3 supports services 1, 2, and 3. Both UPF1 and UPF3 support services 1 and 2, but UPF1 does not support service 3. Therefore, UPF1 and UPF3 support some different services. UPF4 supports services 1 and 2, while UPF1 and UPF4 support the same services.

[0074] In some possible implementations, the service types supported by UPF may include ordinary service types and value-added service types. Ordinary service types include services responsible for forwarding ordinary data, while value-added service types refer to services that can provide additional services. For example, value-added services may include one or more of the following: intelligent traffic offloading services, intelligent computing services, content relay services, high-throughput services, and content billing services, as well as services that will be added in the future as they continue to evolve. This application does not limit the service types supported by UPF in its embodiments.

[0075] The first information is described below. This first information is used by the SMF to calculate the weights corresponding to each service supported by the UPF. Specifically, the first information indicates the service capacity of each service supported by the UPF.

[0076] Service capacity refers to the total amount of resources available for a given service. Service capacity can be derived from the planning of a UPF (User-Generated Function). For example, two UPFs supporting the same service may have the same or different service capacity plans. For instance, UPF1, UPF2, and UPF3 all support service 1 and service 2. UPF1 plans a service capacity of 100 for service 1 and 50 for service 2, while UPF2 plans a service capacity of 50 for service 1 and 100 for service 2. Therefore, UPF1 and UPF2 have different planned service capacities. However, UPF3 plans a service capacity of 100 for service 1 and 50 for service 2, indicating that UPF1 and UPF3 have the same planned service capacity.

[0077] Optionally, this first information may also indicate the service load (ServiceLoad) and / or the service failure status (ServiceStatus) of each service supported by the UPF.

[0078] Service load refers to the resource usage of a service session as statistically analyzed in real time by the UPF, or the ratio of the resource usage of a service session to the service capacity as statistically analyzed in real time by the UPF, or the CPU utilization rate of the system consumed by the service, or a value calculated based on the resource usage of the service session and the CPU utilization of the service. For example, service load can be categorized into levels. The first information can indicate the service load level. For instance, service load can be divided into five levels. Taking the ratio of the resource usage of a service session to the service capacity as statistically analyzed in real time by the UPF as an example, load level 1 indicates a service load of less than 30%; load level 2 indicates a service load greater than or equal to 30% and less than 50%; load level 3 indicates a service load greater than or equal to 50% and less than 70%; and load level 4 indicates a service load greater than or equal to 70% and less than 85%. The above classification method is only one example; other classification methods are also possible, and this application does not limit this.

[0079] Service failure status, also known as service congestion status, indicates whether a service is currently available. For example, when a service unit within a UPF device fails or switches over, a certain type of service may become unavailable. To ensure that the SMF can promptly adjust service traffic redirection to available UPF devices, the UPF monitors the relevant service units within the device's content in real time. When a failure occurs and the service becomes unavailable, the relevant service status is refreshed, changing from available to unavailable. For instance, this service failure status can be indicated by 1 bit in the first information, referred to as service failure status information. When the service failure status information is a first value, it indicates that the current service is available; when it is a second value, it indicates that the current service is unavailable. Service unavailability can also be considered as the service capacity being 0. Optionally, the first value can be 0 and the second value 1, or vice versa. As another example, this service failure status can also be indicated by service capacity. For instance, when the service capacity is equal to 0, it indicates that the current service is unavailable; when the service capacity is greater than 0, it indicates that the current service is available.

[0080] In some possible implementations, the first information is transmitted via the N4 interface between the SMF and UPF, and is carried in N4 signaling. For example, the first information is generated based on the Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP), and may be carried in one or more of the following messages: PFCP Node Report Request, PFCP Association Update Request, PFCP Session Establishment Response, PFCP Session Modification Response, PFCP Session Deletion Response, or PFCP Session Report Request. Optionally, the first information may also be carried in other signaling, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0081] In some possible implementations, the first information is sent periodically. For example, the UPF periodically sends the first information to the SMF, and correspondingly, the SMF periodically receives the first information from M UPFs. Based on this implementation, the SMF can periodically adjust the service weights of each UPF according to the service capacity of the M UPFs. This allows the SMF to adjust its network selection strategy in real time, balances the service load of each UPF, and ensures effective utilization of the service resources of each UPF.

[0082] In some possible implementations, when service capacity changes, the UPF can proactively report updates to the SMF. Taking the second UPF as an example, when the service capacity of the first service in the second UPF changes, the second UPF sends second information to the SMF. Correspondingly, the SMF receives the second information from the second SMF, which indicates the updated service capacity of the first service. Based on this implementation, the SMF can update the service capacity of the UPF in a timely manner and recalculate the weights corresponding to the services of the UPF. This facilitates the SMF's real-time adjustment of network selection strategies, helps balance the service load of each UPF, and ensures the effective utilization of the service resources of each UPF.

[0083] Optionally, the change in the service capacity of the first service of the second UPF can refer to the difference between the service capacity before the update and the service capacity after the update being greater than a preset value.

[0084] Optionally, if the first information also indicates the service load and / or service failure status of each service supported by the UPF, when the service load of the service supported by the UPF changes, and / or the service failure status of the service supported by the UPF changes, the UPF also sends a second message to inform the SMF.

[0085] Optionally, the second information is transmitted between the SMF and UPF via the N4 interface, and can be carried in N4 signaling. For example, the second information can be carried in one or more of the following messages: PFCP Node Report Request, PFCP Association Update Request, PFCP Session Establishment Response, PFCP Session Modification Response, PFCP Session Deletion Response, or PFCP Session Report Request. Further optionally, the second information can also be carried in other signaling, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0086] It should be understood that the two implementation methods mentioned above can be implemented separately or in parallel. For example, while the UPF periodically sends the first information, it can also proactively report the second information based on changes in service capacity.

[0087] 402. Based on the service capacity of the first service of N UPFs, SMF determines the weight of the first service of each of the N UPFs.

[0088] In this embodiment, the N UPFs are the UPFs that support the first service among the M UPFs, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. For example, each of the M UPFs supports the first service, so N equals M; or at least one of the M UPFs does not support the first service, so N is less than M. The weights of the UPFs are used for SMF network selection, or in other words, for the SMF to select the corresponding UPF for the terminal.

[0089] The following uses the first UPF among the N UPFs as an example to introduce several methods for calculating the weight of the first business in the first UPF:

[0090] Method 1: The weight of the first service of the first UPF is equal to the ratio of the service capacity of the first service of the first UPF to the sum of the service capacities of the first services of the N UPFs. For example, the weight of the first service of the first UPF satisfies:

[0091]

[0092] Where W1 represents the weight of the first service of the first UPF, and C1 represents the service capacity of the first service of the first UPF. Let C represent the sum of the first service capacities of N UPFs. i This represents the service capacity of the i-th UPF among N UPFs. The first UPF is the first UPF among N UPFs, and the value of i ranges from 1 to N (inclusive).

[0093] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the UPFs managed by the SMF include UPF1, UPF2, and UPF3. UPF1 supports services 1, 2, and 3; UPF2 supports services 1 and 2; and UPF3 supports services 1 and 3. The service capacity of service 1 in UPF1 is 200, the service capacity of service 1 in UPF2 is 400, and the service capacity of service 1 in UPF3 is 200. Based on the above formula (1), the weight of service 1 in UPF1 is 0.25, the weight of service 1 in UPF2 is 0.5, and the weight of service 1 in UPF3 is 0.25. The service capacity of service 2 in UPF1 is 50, and the service capacity of service 2 in UPF2 is 50. Based on the above formula (1), the weight of service 2 in UPF1 is 0.5, and the weight of service 2 in UPF2 is 0.5. The service capacity of UPF1 service 3 is 80, and the service capacity of UPF3 service 3 is 80. Based on the above formula (1), it can be calculated that the weight of UPF1 service 3 is 0.5, and the weight of UPF3 service 3 is 0.5.

[0094] Method 2: When the first information indicates the service capacity supported by the UPF, the weight of the first service of the first UPF is equal to the ratio of the idle capacity of the first UPF to the sum of the idle capacities of the first services of the N UPFs. Here, idle capacity refers to the amount of unused resources among the resources planned by the UPF for the service, or in other words, the amount of unused resources for that service. Idle capacity can be obtained based on service capacity and service load; for example, idle capacity equals the difference between service capacity and service load. For example, the weight of the first service of the first UPF satisfies:

[0095]

[0096] Where W1 represents the weight of the first service of the first UPF, C1 represents the service capacity of the first service of the first UPF, L1 represents the service load of the first service of the first UPF, which is the resource usage of the service as statistically analyzed by the UPF in real time, and C1-L1 represents the idle capacity of the first service. C represents the sum of the idle capacity of the first service of N UPFs. i L represents the service capacity of the i-th UPF among N UPFs.i This represents the service load of the i-th UPF among N UPFs.

[0097] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the UPFs managed by the SMF include UPF1, UPF2, and UPF3. UPF1 supports services 1, 2, and 3; UPF2 supports services 1 and 2; and UPF3 supports services 1 and 3. The service capacity of service 1 in UPF1 is 200, and the service load is 100. The service capacity of service 1 in UPF2 is 400, and the service load is 100. The service capacity of service 1 in UPF3 is 200, and the service load is 100. Based on the above formula (2), the weight of service 1 in UPF1 is 0.2, the weight of service 1 in UPF2 is 0.6, and the weight of service 1 in UPF3 is 0.2. The service capacity of service 2 in UPF1 is 50, and the service load is 20. The service capacity of service 2 in UPF2 is 50, and the service load is 30. Based on the above formula (2), the weight of service 2 in UPF1 is 0.6, and the weight of service 2 in UPF2 is 0.4. The service capacity of UPF1 service 3 is 80 and the service load is 20. The service capacity of UPF3 service 3 is 80 and the service load is 40. Based on the above formula (2), it can be calculated that the weight of UPF1 service 3 is 0.6 and the weight of UPF3 service 3 is 0.4.

[0098] Method 3: When a UPF supports at least two services, the UPF can plan to share the service capacity of services with relatively idle resources with services with more scarce resources. Taking the first UPF as an example, the first UPF supports a first service and a second service. The first service can share the service capacity of the second service with the first service. Optionally, the service capacity shared by the second service with the first service can be determined based on a preset load rate of the second service. The load rate of the second service is equal to the ratio of the service load of the second service to the reserved capacity, where the reserved capacity is the capacity planned by the UPF for this service. The higher the service load of the second service, the less service capacity the second service shares with the first service; the lower the service load of the second service, the more service capacity the second service shares with the first service. In this scenario, the service capacity of the first service is equal to the weight, which is equal to the ratio of the effective capacity of the first UPF to the sum of the effective capacities of the first services of the N UPFs. Here, the effective capacity refers to the service's own service capacity and the service capacity shared by other services with this service. Optionally, if no other service shares service capacity with this service, the service capacity and the effective capacity are equal. For example, the weight of the first service of the first UPF satisfies:

[0099]

[0100] Where W1 represents the weight of the first service in the first UPF, and E1 represents the service capacity of the first service in the first UPF. E represents the sum of the first service capacities of N UPFs. i This represents the service capacity of the i-th UPF among N UPFs, where the first UPF is the first UPF among the N UPFs, and the value of i ranges from 1 to N (inclusive). C i Let C represent the service capacity of the first service in the i-th UPF among N UPFs. Let K represent the number of other services in the i-th UPF that share the service capacity with the first service. K is a positive integer; for example, if two services share capacity with the first service, then K equals 2. The i-th UPF includes K services that share capacity with the first service. j ′The service capacity of the j-th service among the K services, L j ′ represents the service load of the j-th service among the K services, R j ′ represents the load rate of the j-th service among the K services, and the value of i ranges from 1 to K (inclusive).

[0101] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the UPFs managed by the SMF include UPF1, UPF2, and UPF3. UPF1 supports services 1, 2, and 3; UPF2 supports services 1 and 2; and UPF3 supports services 1 and 3. The service capacity of service 1 in UPF1 is 200. Services 2 and 3 share their service capacity with service 1. The service capacity of service 2 is 50, its load is 10, its reserved capacity is 10, and its load rate is 50%. Based on calculations, the service capacity shared by service 2 in UPF1 with service 1 is 30. The service capacity of service 2 is 80, its load is 20, its reserved capacity is 20, and its load rate is 50%. Based on calculations, the service capacity shared by service 3 in UPF1 with service 1 is 40. Therefore, based on the calculations in formula (4), the effective capacity of service 1 in UPF1 is 270. Similarly, the effective capacity of service 1 in UPF2 is 280, and the effective capacity of service 1 in UPF3 is 240. Based on the above formula (3), it can be calculated that the weight of service 1 in UPF1 is 0.34, the weight of service 1 in UPF2 is 0.35, and the weight of service 1 in UPF3 is 0.3. The weight calculation for service 2 and service 3 adopts the method described in Method 1 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0102] It should be understood that the calculation method described above is only an example, and there may be other calculation methods for SMF. This application does not limit the specific calculation methods.

[0103] In some possible implementations, the SMF sends a response message to M UPFs in response to the first message. This response message can indicate that the first message has been successfully received. Optionally, the response message can also indicate the weight of each service supported by the UPF. In this way, the UPF can also determine the weight of its own services.

[0104] 403. SMF selects the first UPF corresponding to the terminal from the N UPFs based on the weight of the first service of each UPF. The first service is included in the services subscribed by the terminal.

[0105] In this embodiment, the first UPF is the UPF selected by the SMF for the terminal. The SMF can direct the terminal's PFCP session activation signaling to the first UPF. In some possible implementations, the SMF can select the UPF with the highest weight as the UPF corresponding to the terminal. That is, the first UPF is the UPF with the highest weight among N UPFs. For example, if the N UPFs include UPF1 and UPF2, and the weight of the first service of UPF1 is 0.1 and the weight of the first service of UPF2 is 0.9, then the SMF selects UPF2 as the UPF corresponding to the terminal. Alternatively, the SMF can also randomly select based on the probability corresponding to the weight of the service of each UPF among the N UPFs. The probability of each UPF being selected is related to its corresponding weight. For example, if the N UPFs include UPF1 and UPF2, and the weight of the first service of UPF1 is 0.1 and the weight of the first service of UPF2 is 0.9, the probability of UPF1 being selected is 10%, and the probability of UPF2 being selected is 90%.

[0106] Based on the method described in the embodiments of this application, the SMF can dynamically adjust the network selection strategy in real time according to the service capacity of the UPF, which is conducive to balancing the service load of each UPF and making effective use of the service resources of each UPF.

[0107] The terminal can subscribe to one or more services. The above description uses the first service as an example. Optionally, the terminal can subscribe to multiple services. When the terminal subscribes to multiple services, the SMF can determine P UPFs from M UPFs. These P UPFs are all UPFs that satisfy the multiple services subscribed to by the terminal. Based on the weights of the services subscribed to by the terminal corresponding to these P UPFs, the UPF corresponding to the terminal is selected from these P UPFs. The specific implementation is similar to the method described above and will not be repeated here.

[0108] In some examples, the process of SMF selecting UPF can be as follows:

[0109] 1) The SMF obtains a candidate UPF list 1 from the UPF Pool based on the mandatory conditions of the user services of the terminal. All UPFs in the candidate UPF list 1 meet the mandatory conditions, which include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: Data Network Name (DNN), slice, UPF service interface capabilities, device fault status filtering, etc.

[0110] 2) Based on the terminal's subscribed services, the SMF determines a candidate UPF list 2 from candidate UPF list 1. Each UPF in candidate UPF list 2 has the capability to support the terminal's subscribed services. For example, if terminal 1's subscribed services include intelligent computing services, the SMF will support intelligent computing services for each UPF in candidate UPF list 2 determined for terminal 1. As another example, if terminal 2's subscribed services include intelligent computing services and content relay services, the SMF will support both intelligent computing services and content relay services for each UPF in candidate UPF list 2 determined for terminal 2.

[0111] 3) Based on the weight of the services subscribed to by the terminal corresponding to each UPF in the candidate UPF list 2, the SMF selects a UPF as the UPF corresponding to the terminal and directs the terminal's PFCP session activation signaling to this UPF.

[0112] The following describes the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0113] This application divides the communication device into functional modules according to the above-described method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The following will combine... Figures 8 to 10 The communication device of the embodiments of this application is described in detail.

[0114] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the communication device includes a processing module 801 and a communication module 802. The communication module 802 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 801 is used to implement corresponding processing functions. For example, the communication module 802 can also be an interface, a communication interface, etc.

[0115] In this embodiment, the communication device can be used to execute the actions performed by the SMF in the method embodiment described above. In this case, the SMF can be the SMF itself or a chip or functional module configurable within the SMF. The communication module 802 is used to execute the SMF's transmit / receive related operations in the method embodiment described above, and the processing module 801 is used to execute the SMF's processing related operations in the method embodiment described above. Wherein:

[0116] The communication module 802 is used to receive first information from M UPFs, the first information indicating the service capacity of each service supported by the UPF, where M is an integer greater than 1; the processing module 801 is used to determine the weight of the first service of each UPF among the N UPFs based on the service capacity of the first service of the N UPFs, where the N UPFs are the UPFs that support the first service among the M UPFs, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M; the processing module 801 is also used to select the first UPF corresponding to the terminal from the N UPFs based on the weight of the first service of each UPF among the N UPFs, where the first service is included in the services subscribed by the terminal.

[0117] In some possible implementations, when the communication module 802 receives the first information from the M UPFs, it is specifically used to periodically receive the first information from the M UPFs.

[0118] In some possible implementations, the communication module 802 is also used to receive second information from the second UPF, the second information indicating the service capacity of the first service after the second UPF is updated, and the second UPF belongs to N UPFs.

[0119] In some possible implementations, the communication module 802 is also used to send response information to the M UPFs in response to the first information.

[0120] In some possible implementations, the first information is also used to indicate the service load and / or service failure status of each service supported by the UPF.

[0121] In some possible implementations, the weight of the first service of the first UPF is equal to the ratio of the service capacity of the first service of the first UPF to the sum of the service capacities of the first services of the N UPFs.

[0122] In this embodiment, the communication device can be used to perform the actions executed by the UPF in the method embodiment described above. In this case, the UPF can be the UPF itself or a chip or functional module configurable within the UPF. The communication module 802 is used to perform the UPF's transmit / receive related operations in the method embodiment described above, and the processing module 801 is used to perform the UPF's processing related operations in the method embodiment described above. Wherein:

[0123] The communication module 802 is used to send first information to the SMF. The first information is used to indicate the service capacity of each service supported by the UPF and to request the SMF to calculate the weight of the first service of the UPF.

[0124] In some possible implementations, the first information is also used to indicate the service load and / or service failure status of each service supported by the UPF.

[0125] In some possible implementations, the communication module 802 sends first information to the SMF, specifically for periodically sending first information to the SMF.

[0126] In some possible implementations, the communication module 802 is used to send second information to the SMF when the service capacity of the first service changes. The second information is used to indicate the updated service capacity of the first service.

[0127] In some possible implementations, the communication module 802 is also used to receive response information from the SMF in response to the first information.

[0128] Optionally, in the above embodiments, the communication device may further include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 801 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the communication device can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0129] The specific descriptions of the communication module and the processing module are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the communication module and the processing module, please refer to the above method embodiments, which will not be detailed here.

[0130] The communication device according to the embodiments of this application has been described above. The following describes the possible product forms of the communication device. Any device possessing the above-described... Figure 8 Any form of the communication device described herein falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. The following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product form of the communication device in the embodiments of this application to this.

[0131] In one possible implementation, Figure 8In the communication device shown, processing module 801 can be one or more processing circuits, and communication module 802 can be a communication circuit, or communication module 802 can also be a transmitting module and / or a receiving module. The transmitting module can be a transmitting circuit, and the receiving module can be a receiving circuit. The transmitting module and the receiving module are integrated into one device, such as a communication circuit. In the embodiments of this application, the processing circuit and the communication circuit can be coupled, etc. The connection method of the processing circuit and the communication circuit is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In the process of performing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be the process of the processing circuit outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processing circuit outputs the above information to the communication circuit so that the communication circuit can transmit (or output). After the above information is output by the processing circuit, it may need to undergo other processing before reaching the communication circuit. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be the process of the processing circuit receiving the input above information. When the processing circuit receives the input information, the communication circuit receives the above information and inputs it into the processing circuit. Furthermore, after the communication circuit receives the above information, the above information may need to undergo other processing before being input into the processing circuit.

[0132] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 90 includes one or more processing circuits 920 and communication circuits 910.

[0133] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the steps, methods, or functions of the SMF execution described above, such as the processing circuit 920 being used to perform... Figure 8 The functions or steps implemented by the processing module 801 shown can be executed by the communication circuit 910, such as... Figure 8 The communication module 802 shown illustrates the functions or steps implemented by this module. For detailed descriptions of the processing circuit 920 and the communication circuit 910, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 8 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0134] In other embodiments of this application, the communication device is used to perform the steps, methods, or functions of the UPF described above, such as the processing circuit 920 being used to perform... Figure 8 The functions or steps implemented by the processing module 801 shown can be executed by the communication circuit 910, such as... Figure 8 The communication module 802 shown illustrates the functions or steps implemented by this module. For detailed descriptions of the processing circuit 920 and the communication circuit 910, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 8 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0135] For example, the processing circuitry may be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry within one or more processors. The communication circuitry may be a transceiver, an input / output circuit, or an interface circuit, etc.

[0136] For example, in Figure 9 In various implementations of the communication device shown, the communication circuitry may include a receiver for performing a receiving function (or operation) and a transmitter for performing a transmitting function (or operation). The communication circuitry is also used for communicating with other devices / communication devices via a transmission medium.

[0137] Optionally, the communication device 90 may further include one or more memories 930 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memories 930 are coupled to the processing circuitry 920. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between communication devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between the communication devices, units, or modules. The processing circuitry 920 may operate in conjunction with the memories 930. The processing circuitry 920 may execute the program instructions stored in the memories 930. Optionally, at least one of the aforementioned memories may be included in the processing circuitry.

[0138] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the communication circuit 910, processing circuit 920, and memory 930. This application embodiment... Figure 9 The memory 930, processing circuit 920, and communication circuit 910 are connected via a bus 940. Figure 9 The connections between other components are shown in bold and are for illustrative purposes only, not as limiting information. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 9 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0139] In the embodiments of this application, the processing circuit may be a general-purpose processing circuit, a digital signal processing circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc., and can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processing circuit may be a microprocessor circuit or any conventional processing circuit, etc. The steps of the methods in conjunction with the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as the execution of the hardware processing circuit, or the execution of the steps by combining hardware and software modules in the processing circuit, etc.

[0140] In this application embodiment, the memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory such as hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. Memory is any storage medium capable of carrying or storing program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and capable of being read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in this application), but is not limited to these. The memory in this application embodiment may also be a circuit or any other communication device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store program instructions and / or data.

[0141] For example, the processing circuit 920 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 930 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The communication circuit 910 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output communication devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0142] When the communication device is powered on, the processing circuit 920 can read the software program in the memory 930, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processing circuit 920 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processing circuit 920. The processing circuit 920 converts the baseband signal back into data and processes the data.

[0143] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and antenna can be set up independently of the processing circuit that performs baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuit and antenna can be arranged in a remote manner, independent of the communication device.

[0144] The communication device shown in the embodiments of this application may also have a higher... Figure 9Other components, etc., are not limited in this application embodiment. The methods performed by the processing circuit and communication circuit shown above are merely examples, and the specific steps performed by the processing circuit and communication circuit can be referred to the methods described above.

[0145] In another possible implementation, Figure 8 In the communication device shown, the processing module 801 can be one or more logic circuits, and the communication module 802 can be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the communication module 802 may also include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module. The transmitting module may include an output interface, and the receiving module may include an input interface. The transmitting module and the receiving module are integrated into one module, such as an input / output interface.

[0146] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 The communication device shown includes a logic circuit 1001 and an interface circuit 1002. That is, the processing module 801 can be implemented using the logic circuit 1001, and the communication module 802 can be implemented using the interface circuit 1002. The logic circuit 1001 can be a chip, processing circuit, integrated circuit, or system-on-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface circuit 1002 can be a communication interface, input / output interface, pins, etc. For example, Figure 10 The communication device can be a chip, which includes logic circuit 1001 and interface circuit 1002.

[0147] In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the logic circuit 1001 can be used to perform... Figure 8 The interface circuit 1002 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 801 shown. Figure 8 The communication module 802 shown illustrates the functions or steps implemented by this module. For detailed explanations of the logic circuit 1001 and the interface circuit 1002, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 8 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0148] The communication device shown in the embodiments of this application can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this application in hardware form, or it can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this application in software form, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit it in this way.

[0149] This application also provides a communication system including an SMF and a UPF, which can be used to perform the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0150] In addition, this application also provides a computer program for implementing the operations and / or processes performed by various communication devices in the method provided in this application.

[0151] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the operations and / or processes performed by various communication devices in the methods provided in this application.

[0152] This application also provides a computer program product comprising computer code or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the operations and / or processes performed by various entities in the method provided in this application to be executed.

[0153] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, communication devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the communication device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, communication devices, or modules, or it may be an electrical, mechanical, or other form of connection.

[0154] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0155] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0156] If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. 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 readable storage medium 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 described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0157] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive first information from M user plane functions, the first information being used to indicate the service capacity of each service supported by the user plane function, where M is an integer greater than 1; Based on the service capacity of the first service of N user plane functions, determine the weight of the first service of each user plane function in the N user plane functions, where the N user plane functions are the user plane functions that support the first service among the M user plane functions, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Based on the weight of the first service of each of the N user plane functions, the first user plane function corresponding to the terminal is selected from the N user plane functions, and the first service is included in the services subscribed to by the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate the service load and / or service failure status of each service supported by the user plane function.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The receipt of first information from M user plane functions includes: It periodically receives the first information from M user plane functions.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information from the second user plane function, the second information indicating the service capacity of the first service after the second user plane function is updated, the second user plane function belongs to the N user plane functions.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send response information for the first information to the M user plane functions.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The weight of the first service of the first user plane function is equal to the ratio of the service capacity of the first service of the first user plane function to the sum of the service capacities of the first services of the N user plane functions.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Sending first information to the session management function, the first information is used to indicate the service capacity of each service supported by the user plane function, the first information is used to trigger the session management function to calculate the weight of the first service of the user plane function, and the session management function selects the first user plane function corresponding to the terminal from N user plane functions based on the weight of the first service of the user plane function, the N user plane functions are the user plane functions that support the first service from the M user plane functions corresponding to the first information received by the session management function, and the services subscribed by the terminal include the first service; Receive response information from the session management function in response to the first information.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate the service load of each service supported by the user plane function and / or the service failure status of each service supported by the user plane function.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, Sending the first information to the session management function includes: Periodically send the first message to the session management function.

10. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the service capacity of the first service changes, a second message is sent to the session management function, the second message indicating the updated service capacity of the first service.

11. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes M user plane functions and session management functions, where M is an integer greater than 1; Each of the M user plane functions is used to send first information to the session management function, the first information being used to indicate the service capacity of each service supported by the user plane function. The session management function is used to receive first information from the M user plane functions, determine the weight of the first service of each of the N user plane functions based on the service capacity of the first service of the N user plane functions, and select the first user plane function corresponding to the terminal from the N user plane functions based on the weight of the first service of each of the N user plane functions; wherein, the N user plane functions are user plane functions that support the first service among the M user plane functions, the services subscribed by the terminal include the first service, and N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module or unit for performing the method of any one of claims 1-6, or the communication device includes a module or unit for performing the method of any one of claims 7-10.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor, which is configured to enable the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, or the processor is configured to enable the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 7-10.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, or the method as described in any one of claims 7-10.

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