Communication method of private network IP session, UPF network element and UE

Abstract

Provided are a communication method for a private network IP session, a UPF network element and a UE, the method comprising: receiving an uplink data packet sent by a lower device through a terminal device UE, the uplink data packet at least comprising: a source IP address of the lower device and an identifier of a first PDU session; the first PDU session is a pre-created PDU session for the UE; searching the source IP address in a preset under-hanging device address table; if the source IP address is not found, storing the source IP address and an identifier of the first PDU session to a preset lower-mounted device address table; in the embodiment of the invention, the first PDU session is adopted, the uplink data packet is forwarded to the network DN side equipment, the source IP address is searched in the preset under-hanging equipment address table, and if the source IP address is not searched, the source IP address of the under-hanging equipment and the identifier of the first PDU session are stored, so that the automatic learning of the corresponding relationship between the IP address of the under-hanging equipment of the UE and the PDU session is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method, a UPF network element and a UE for a private network IP session. Background Art

[0002] In industrial 5G scenarios, industrial equipment usually accesses the 5G network through 5G terminals. The 3GPP R15 standard defines the 5G network IP type PDU session (hereinafter referred to as IP session). When the device uses the IP session to access the 5G network, the 5G terminal will strip off the second layer header of the original message. In addition, because the core network can only recognize the IP address of the 5G terminal (UE) by default, the source IP of the message will be replaced with the IP address of the 5G terminal. When multiple devices use one UE to access the 5G network, one-to-many NAT is required. In addition to IP address replacement, port mapping is also required to distinguish different downstream devices. In this way, in addition to the core network and DN side network being unable to see the original MAC and IP addresses of the downstream devices, this method also imposes new restrictions on the server on the DN side.

[0003] In response to the requirement of direct access of the DN-side network to the downstream device, the 3GPP standard defines the Framed routing function. By configuring the routing information from the session to the downstream device network segment in the PDU session rule configuration of the account opening data, the downstream device address information and the PDU session are statically bound, so that the UPF can identify the message whose target address is the downstream device network segment. The DN-side device can also communicate directly with the UE downstream device address. However, the frame routing information needs to be manually configured for each session. When the number of sessions is large, the configuration cost is high. Since the downstream device address and the session rule are statically bound, if the UE adds or replaces the downstream device, the frame routing information of the session configuration needs to be manually modified synchronously. The modification cost is high and there is a possibility of error. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to address the deficiencies in the above-mentioned prior art and provide a communication method, UPF network element and UE for a private network IP session, so that by searching the source IP address in a preset downstream device address table, it can be determined whether the source IP address of the downstream device has been pre-stored. If not found, the source IP address of the downstream device and the identifier of the first PDU session are saved, thereby realizing automatic learning of the correspondence between the IP address of the UE downstream device and the PDU session, without the need to manually configure the correspondence between the IP address of the downstream device and the PDU session one by one, thereby reducing costs and error rates, and improving the communication efficiency of IP sessions.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted in the embodiment of the present application is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method for a private network IP session, which is applied to a user plane function UPF network element, including:

[0007] Receiving an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device through a terminal device UE, the uplink data packet at least including: a source IP address of the downstream device and an identifier of a first PDU session; the first PDU session is a PDU session pre-created for the UE;

[0008] Searching the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table;

[0009] If the source IP address is not found, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session are saved in the preset downstream device address table;

[0010] The first PDU session is used to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0012] If the source IP address is found, determine whether the historical session identifier corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is consistent with the identifier of the first PDU session;

[0013] If they are inconsistent, updating the identifier of the historical PDU session to the identifier of the first PDU session;

[0014] If they are consistent, the timestamp of the address table entry corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is updated.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0016] Receiving a downlink data packet sent by the DN side device; the downlink data packet at least includes: a first target IP address;

[0017] Searching for the first target IP address in a preset PDU session table;

[0018] If the first target IP address is found in the preset PDU session table, the identifier of the second PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset PDU session table is determined, and the second PDU session is used to forward the downlink data packet to the target terminal device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0020] If the first target IP address is not found in the preset PDU session table, searching for the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table;

[0021] If the first target IP address is found in the preset downstream device address table, the identifier of the third PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table is determined, and the third PDU session is used to forward the downlink data packet to the target downstream device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0023] If the first target IP address is not found in the preset downstream device address table, all PDU sessions corresponding to the IP type are traversed, and all the PDU sessions are used to forward the downlink data packet to the target device corresponding to all the PDU sessions.

[0024] In an optional implementation manner, before receiving the downlink data packet sent by the DN side device, the method further includes:

[0025] Receiving a first address resolution protocol ARP request sent by the DN side device, the first ARP request including: a second target IP address;

[0026] Determine whether the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment;

[0027] If the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment, the MAC address of the N6 interface is replied to the DN side device, so that the DN side device uses the MAC address of the N6 interface to send the downlink data packet.

[0028] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication method for a private network IP session, which is applied to a terminal device UE, including:

[0029] Receive uplink data packets sent by downstream devices;

[0030] The uplink data packet is sent to the user plane function UPF network element through the base station, so that the UPF network element searches for the source IP address in the uplink data packet in the preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session in the uplink data packet are saved to the preset downstream device address table; the first PDU session is used to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

[0031] In an optional implementation manner, before receiving the uplink data packet sent by the downstream device, the method further includes:

[0032] Receiving a second address resolution protocol ARP request sent by the downstream device;

[0033] Replying the MAC address of the local area network interface to the downstream device, so that the downstream device uses the MAC address of the local area network interface to send the uplink data packet;

[0034] Removing the MAC layer in the uplink data packet to obtain a processed uplink data packet;

[0035] The sending the uplink data packet to a user plane function UPF network element through the base station includes:

[0036] The processed uplink data packet is sent to the UPF network element through the base station.

[0037] In the third aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a user plane function UPF network element, including: a processor, a storage medium and a bus, the storage medium stores program instructions executable by the processor, when the electronic device is running, the processor and the storage medium communicate through the bus, and the processor executes the program instructions to perform the steps of the communication method for the private network IP session as described in any of the first aspects.

[0038] In the fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a terminal device UE, comprising: a processor, a storage medium and a bus, wherein the storage medium stores program instructions executable by the processor, and when the electronic device is running, the processor communicates with the storage medium through the bus, and the processor executes the program instructions to perform the steps of the communication method for a private network IP session as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0039] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0040] The embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, UPF network element and UE for a private network IP session, which are applied to the user plane function UPF network element. The method includes: receiving an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device through a terminal device UE, the uplink data packet at least including: a source IP address of the downstream device and an identifier of a first PDU session; the first PDU session is a PDU session pre-created for the UE; searching for the source IP address in a preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, saving the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session to the preset downstream device address table; using the first PDU session, forwarding the uplink data packet to a network DN side device, the method of the present application, by searching for the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table, can determine whether the source IP address of the downstream device has been pre-stored, if not found, saving the source IP address of the downstream device and the identifier of the first PDU session, thereby realizing automatic learning of the correspondence between the IP address of the UE downstream device and the PDU session, without the need to manually configure the correspondence between the IP address of the downstream device and the PDU session one by one, reducing costs and error rates, and improving the communication efficiency of IP sessions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0042] Figure 1 A communication architecture diagram of a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 2 One of the flow diagrams of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 3 A second flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 4 A third flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 5 A fourth flowchart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 6 A fifth flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 7 A sixth flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of functional modules of a communication device for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of functional modules of another communication device for private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a user plane function UPF network element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a terminal device UE provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments.

[0054] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0055] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, or is the orientation or position relationship in which the product of the application is usually placed when used. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0056] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0057] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other.

[0058] In order to improve the efficiency of private network IP session communication, the embodiment of the present application automatically learns the correspondence between the IP address of the downstream device and the PDU session, so that the network DN side device can directly communicate with the downstream device address of the terminal device UE.

[0059] Figure 1 A communication architecture diagram of a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the communication architecture may be an architecture based on a 5G network, including the following network elements:

[0060] 1. User Equipment (UE): It may also be called user equipment, terminal, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. In this embodiment, it is used to connect to downstream devices. Each terminal device is connected to multiple downstream devices, including a local area network interface LAN and a wide area network interface WAN.

[0061] 2. User plane function (UPF) network element: that is, data plane gateway. It can be used for packet routing and forwarding, or quality of service (QoS) processing of user plane data. User data can be accessed to the data network (DN) through this network element. In the embodiment of the present application, it can be used to realize the forwarding of message data, wherein the N3 interface is the interface between the wireless network (RAN) and the UPF, carrying the user plane data transmission, and the N6 interface is the interface between the UPF and the wired network, carrying the user plane data transmission.

[0062] 3. Network (Data Network, DN) side equipment: refers to the equipment located on the data network side. The DN side equipment is a device outside the 5G network, usually connected to the 5G core network through a wired network, responsible for providing data services or communicating with the 5G terminal (UE) and its downstream devices. It can be a private network within the enterprise, the public Internet, a cloud service platform, etc. In this embodiment, it is used to receive uplink data packets and send downlink data packets.

[0063] 4. Base station: It is a key device in the mobile communication network, responsible for sending and receiving wireless signals, connecting the terminal equipment (UE) and the core network (UPF). In the 5G network, the base station is usually called gNB (Next Generation NodeB), which is the core component of the 5G radio access network (RAN). In this embodiment, the base station is responsible for wireless communication with the terminal terminal (UE), forwarding uplink data packets to UPF, and transmitting downlink data packets between UPF, ensuring that the DN side equipment can directly communicate with the UE downlink equipment.

[0064] It should be noted that before the network device initiates service message communication, it will first send an ARP request (Address Resolution Protocol) to obtain the other party's MAC address. Due to the characteristics of the original message being stripped of the MAC layer inside the 5G network during IP session communication, the authenticity of the MAC address of the target communication device is not important in communication and does not have to be true. Therefore, the ARP proxy function is enabled on both the LAN interface of the UE and the N6 interface of the UPF to ensure that the ARP interaction process can be completed and the service message can be correctly guided into the 5G network.

[0065] Among them, the main function of the ARP request protocol is to obtain the corresponding MAC address through the IP address so as to transmit data packets in the local area network (LAN). The core idea of ​​the ARP proxy is to let a certain device (usually a router or gateway) respond to the ARP request instead of other devices, so as to help devices in different subnets or network segments communicate. That is, the downstream device sends an ARP request to the UE, and the LAN interface of the UE replies with the MAC address of the LAN port as the destination MAC address of the downstream device. The DN side device sends an ARP request to the UPF, and the N6 interface of the UPF replies with the MAC address of the N6 port as the destination MAC address of the DN side device.

[0066] The following is a detailed explanation of the communication method for a private network IP session provided by the embodiment of the present application through a specific example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The communication method for a private network IP session provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied to a user plane function UPF network element, Figure 2One of the flow diagrams of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0067] S101, receiving an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device through a terminal device UE.

[0068] The uplink data packet at least includes: the source IP address of the downstream device and the identifier of the first PDU session; the first PDU session is a PDU session pre-created for the UE.

[0069] S102: Search the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table.

[0070] S103: If the source IP address is not found, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session are saved in a preset downstream device address table.

[0071] S104. Use the first PDU session to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

[0072] In this embodiment, the N3 interface of the UPF network element receives an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device through a UE, and parses the uplink data packet to obtain a source IP address of the downstream device and an identifier of the first PDU session.

[0073] Among them, PDU session (Packet Data Unit Session) is an important concept in 5G network. It refers to a logical connection established between terminal equipment (UE) and data network (DN) for data transmission.

[0074] The process of establishing a PDU session includes the following steps: The UE initiates a PDU session request to the session management function (SMF) through the base station and the access and mobility management function (AMF). After receiving the request, the SMF obtains the subscription data of the UE from the unified data management (UDM) and obtains the policy rules for this type of user from the policy control function (PCF). The SMF establishes a session with the user plane function (UPF) to establish a user plane connection, and initiates a wireless resource request to the base station. The base station sets the corresponding wireless resources and responds to the SMF's request. The SMF updates the UPF to establish a tunnel from the UPF to the base station. Finally, a tunnel is generated: UE<->AN<->UPF, and the UE reaches the UPF through the tunnel to connect to the target DN.

[0075] The preset downstream device address table stores the historical association between the source IP address of each downstream device and the identifier of the PDU session. Therefore, the source IP address is searched in the preset downstream device address table to determine whether the source IP address of the downstream device and the identifier of the PDU session have been stored in the preset downstream device address table in advance.

[0076] If the source IP address is not found, it may mean that the downstream device is a newly added device. In this case, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session are saved to the preset downstream device address table, and the forwarding rules of the first PDU session are used to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

[0077] In summary, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method for a private network IP session, which is applied to a user plane function UPF network element. The method includes: receiving an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device through a terminal device UE, the uplink data packet at least including: a source IP address of the downstream device and an identifier of a first PDU session; the first PDU session is a PDU session pre-created for the UE; searching for the source IP address in a preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, saving the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session to the preset downstream device address table; using the first PDU session, forwarding the uplink data packet to a network DN side device. The method of the present application can determine whether the source IP address of the downstream device has been pre-stored by searching for the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table. If not found, saving the source IP address of the downstream device and the identifier of the first PDU session, thereby realizing automatic learning of the correspondence between the IP address of the UE downstream device and the PDU session, without the need to manually configure the correspondence between the IP address of the downstream device and the PDU session one by one, thereby reducing costs and error rates, and improving the communication efficiency of IP sessions.

[0078] The embodiment of the present application also provides another possible implementation of the communication method of the private network IP session. Figure 3 A second flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the method also includes:

[0079] S201. If the source IP address is found, determine whether the historical session identifier corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is consistent with the identifier of the first PDU session.

[0080] S202: If they are inconsistent, update the identifier of the historical PDU session to the identifier of the first PDU session.

[0081] S203: If they are consistent, then update the timestamp of the address entry corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table.

[0082] In this embodiment, if the source IP address is found in the preset downstream device address table, the UPF network element will determine whether the historical session identifier corresponding to the source IP address is consistent with the identifier of the first PDU session in the current uplink data packet.

[0083] If there is inconsistency, it means that the PDU session used by the downstream device has changed. For example, if the downstream device is connected to other terminal devices, the corresponding PDU session will change. At this time, the UPF network element will update the identifier of the historical PDU session corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table to the identifier of the first PDU session.

[0084] If they are consistent, it means that the PDU session used by the downstream device has not changed. The UPF network element will update the timestamp of the address entry corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table to record the latest usage time of the entry, which is convenient for subsequent management and maintenance of the entry.

[0085] In the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, if the source IP address is found, it is determined whether the historical session identifier corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is consistent with the identifier of the first PDU session; if they are inconsistent, the identifier of the historical PDU session is updated to the identifier of the first PDU session; if they are consistent, the timestamp of the address table entry corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is updated, thereby updating the information in the preset downstream device address table in real time to ensure the correctness of the data packet transmission.

[0086] The embodiment of the present application also provides another possible implementation of the communication method of the private network IP session. Figure 4 A third flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the method also includes:

[0087] S301. Receive a downlink data packet sent by a DN side device.

[0088] The downlink data packet at least includes: a first target IP address.

[0089] S302: Search for the first target IP address in a preset PDU session table.

[0090] S303. If the first target IP address is found in the preset PDU session table, determine the identifier of the second PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset PDU session table, and use the second PDU session to forward the downlink data packet to the target terminal device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0091] In this embodiment, the N6 interface of the UPF network element receives the downlink data packet sent by the DN side device, and parses the downlink data packet to obtain the first target IP address.

[0092] The preset PDU session table is a table used to record and manage PDU session information, including PDU sessions for multiple UEs.

[0093] First, the first target IP address is searched in the preset PDU session table to determine whether the downlink data packet is sent to the terminal device. If the first target IP address is found in the preset PDU session table, it means that the downlink data packet is sent to the terminal device. At this time, the UPF network element will determine the identifier of the second PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset PDU session table, and then use the second PDU session to forward the downlink data packet to the target terminal device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0094] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0095] S304: If the first target IP address is not found in the preset PDU session table, the first target IP address is searched in the preset downstream device address table.

[0096] S305. If the first target IP address is found in the preset downstream device address table, determine the identifier of the third PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table, and use the third PDU session to forward the downlink data packet to the target downstream device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0097] Specifically, if the first target IP address is not found in the preset PDU session table, it means that the downlink data packet is not sent to the terminal device. At this time, the UPF network element will then search for the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table. If the first target IP address is found in the preset downstream device address table, it means that the downlink data packet is sent to the UE downstream device. At this time, the UPF network element will determine the identifier of the third PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table, and then use the third PDU session to forward the downlink data packet to the target downstream device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0098] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0099] S306: If the first target IP address is not found in the preset downstream device address table, traverse all PDU sessions corresponding to the IP type, and use all PDU sessions to forward downlink data packets to the target devices corresponding to all PDU sessions.

[0100] Specifically, if the first target IP address is not found in the preset downstream device address table, the UPF network element will traverse all PDU sessions corresponding to the IP type and forward the downlink data packet to the corresponding target device through all these PDU sessions to ensure that the target device can be found. At this time, the target device may be a terminal device or a downstream device.

[0101] In the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, a downlink data packet sent by a DN side device is received; the downlink data packet includes at least: a first target IP address; the first target IP address is searched in a preset PDU session table; if the first target IP address is found in the preset PDU session table, the identifier of the second PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset PDU session table is determined, and the second PDU session is used to forward the downlink data packet to the target terminal device corresponding to the first target IP address, and the first target IP address is matched with the preset PDU session table and the preset downstream device address table to find the PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address, so that the downlink data packet can be forwarded.

[0102] The embodiment of the present application also provides another possible implementation of the communication method of the private network IP session. Figure 5 A fourth flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, before receiving the downlink data packet sent by the DN side device, the method also includes:

[0103] S401. Receive a first Address Resolution Protocol ARP request sent by a DN side device.

[0104] The first ARP request includes: a second target IP address.

[0105] S402: Determine whether the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment.

[0106] S403. If the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment, the MAC address of the N6 interface is replied to the DN side device, so that the DN side device uses the MAC address of the N6 interface to send downlink data packets.

[0107] In this embodiment, the ARP proxy function is enabled on the N6 interface of the UPF network element, and the network segment of the downstream device is pre-configured. The network segment of the downstream device can be one or more.

[0108] After the N6 interface of the UPF network element receives the first address resolution protocol ARP request sent by the DN side device, it parses the first ARP request to obtain the second target IP address, and determines whether the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment. If the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment, the UPF network element replies to the DN side device with the MAC address of the N6 interface according to the ARP proxy function. In this way, the DN side device will use the MAC address of the N6 interface to send downlink data packets to the UPF network element.

[0109] In the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, an address resolution protocol ARP request sent by a DN side device is received, and the ARP request includes: a second target IP address; determining whether the second target IP address matches a preset downstream device network segment; if the second target IP address matches a preset downstream device network segment, the MAC address of the N6 interface is replied to the DN side device, so that the DN side device uses the MAC address of the N6 interface to send downlink data packets, so that the DN side device does not need to obtain the MAC address of the downstream device, and the DN side device can also send the downlink data packet to the UPF network element according to the MAC address of the N6 interface, thereby saving communication steps and ensuring that the downlink data packet is correctly guided into the 5G network.

[0110] The embodiment of the present application also provides another communication method for a private network IP session, which is applied to a terminal device UE. Figure 6 A flow chart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG5 ; Figure 6 As shown, the method includes:

[0111] S501: Receive an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device.

[0112] S502. Send the uplink data packet to the user plane function UPF network element through the base station, so that the UPF network element searches for the source IP address in the uplink data packet in the preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, save the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session in the uplink data packet to the preset downstream device address table; use the first PDU session to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

[0113] In this embodiment, the local area network interface LAN of the UE receives the uplink data packet sent by the downstream device, and sends the uplink data packet to the N3 interface of the user plane function UPF network element through the base station, so that the UPF network element searches for the source IP address in the uplink data packet in the preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session in the uplink data packet are saved to the preset downstream device address table; the first PDU session is used to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device. For specific contents, please refer to steps S101 to S403, which will not be repeated here.

[0114] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method for a private network IP session, which is applied to a terminal device UE, and includes: receiving an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device; sending the uplink data packet to a user plane function UPF network element through a base station, so that the UPF network element searches for the source IP address in the uplink data packet in a preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, saving the source IP address and an identifier of the first PDU session in the uplink data packet to the preset downstream device address table; using the first PDU session, forwarding the uplink data packet to a network DN side device, thereby realizing forwarding of the IP session, and enabling the UPF network element to automatically learn the association between the source IP address of the downstream device and the identifier of the first PDU session.

[0115] The embodiment of the present application also provides another possible implementation of the communication method of the private network IP session. Figure 7 A flowchart of a communication method for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG6; Figure 7 As shown, before receiving the uplink data packet sent by the downstream device, the method also includes:

[0116] S601: Receive a second Address Resolution Protocol ARP request sent by a downstream device.

[0117] S602: Reply the MAC address of the LAN interface to the downstream device, so that the downstream device uses the MAC address of the LAN interface to send an uplink data packet.

[0118] S603: Remove the MAC layer in the uplink data packet to obtain a processed uplink data packet.

[0119] Based on the above, the uplink data packet is sent to the user plane function UPF network element through the base station, including:

[0120] S604: Send the processed uplink data packet to the UPF network element through the base station.

[0121] In this embodiment, the ARP proxy function is enabled on the local area network interface LAN of the UE. After the local area network interface LAN of the UE receives the second ARP request sent by the downstream device, the UE replies to the MAC address of the LAN interface to the downstream device according to the ARP proxy function. In this way, the downstream device will use the MAC address of the LAN interface to send uplink data packets to the UE.

[0122] After receiving the uplink data packet, the UE removes the MAC layer in the uplink data packet to obtain a processed uplink data packet. Finally, the UE sends the processed uplink data packet to the user plane function UPF network element through the base station.

[0123] In the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, a second address resolution protocol ARP request sent by a downstream device is received, and the MAC address of the LAN interface is replied to the downstream device, so that the downstream device uses the MAC address of the LAN interface to send an uplink data packet, removes the MAC layer in the uplink data packet, obtains a processed uplink data packet, and sends the processed uplink data packet to the UPF network element through the base station, so that the downstream device does not need to obtain the MAC address of the DN side device. The downstream device can also send the uplink data packet to the UE according to the MAC address of the LAN interface, which saves communication steps and can also ensure that the uplink data packet is correctly guided into the 5G network.

[0124] The following is a corresponding explanation of the communication device, user plane function UPF network element and terminal equipment UE for executing the private network IP session provided by any of the above embodiments of the present application. The specific implementation process and the technical effects produced are the same as those of the corresponding method embodiments mentioned above. For the sake of brief description, the parts not mentioned in this embodiment can refer to the corresponding contents in the method embodiments.

[0125] Figure 8 A functional module diagram of a communication device for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 100 applied to the user plane function UPF network element, the private network IP session includes:

[0126] The first receiving module 110 is used to receive an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device through a terminal device UE, wherein the uplink data packet at least includes: a source IP address of the downstream device and an identifier of a first PDU session; the first PDU session is a PDU session pre-created for the UE;

[0127] A search module 120, configured to search for the source IP address in a preset downstream device address table;

[0128] A saving module 130, configured to save the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session to the preset downstream device address table if the source IP address is not found;

[0129] The forwarding module 140 is used to adopt the first PDU session to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

[0130] Optionally, the device further comprises:

[0131] A judgment module, configured to judge whether the historical session identifier corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is consistent with the identifier of the first PDU session if the source IP address is found;

[0132] An updating module is used to update the identifier of the historical PDU session to the identifier of the first PDU session if there is inconsistency; if there is consistency, update the timestamp of the address table entry corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table.

[0133] Optionally, the first receiving module 110 is further configured to receive a downlink data packet sent by the DN side device; the downlink data packet at least includes: a first target IP address;

[0134] The search module 120 is further configured to search for the first target IP address in a preset PDU session table;

[0135] The forwarding module 140 is also used to determine the identifier of the second PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset PDU session table if the first target IP address is found in the preset PDU session table, and use the second PDU session to forward the downlink data packet to the target terminal device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0136] Optionally, the search module 120 is further configured to search for the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table if the first target IP address is not found in the preset PDU session table;

[0137] The forwarding module 140 is also used to determine the identifier of the third PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table if the first target IP address is found in the preset downstream device address table, and use the third PDU session to forward the downlink data packet to the target downstream device corresponding to the first target IP address.

[0138] Optionally, the forwarding module 140 is also used to traverse all PDU sessions corresponding to the IP type if the first target IP address is not found in the preset downstream device address table, and use all the PDU sessions to forward the downlink data packet to the target device corresponding to all the PDU sessions.

[0139] Optionally, the first receiving module 110 is further configured to receive a first address resolution protocol ARP request sent by the DN side device, the first ARP request including: a second target IP address;

[0140] A judgment module, used to judge whether the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment;

[0141] The first reply module is used to reply the MAC address of the N6 interface to the DN side device if the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment, so that the DN side device uses the MAC address of the N6 interface to send the downlink data packet.

[0142] Fig. 9 A functional module diagram of another communication device for a private network IP session provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 As shown, the communication device 200 for the private network IP session is applied to the terminal device UE and includes:

[0143] The second receiving module 210 is used to receive an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device;

[0144] The sending module 220 is used to send the uplink data packet to the user plane function UPF network element through the base station, so that the UPF network element searches for the source IP address in the uplink data packet in the preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session in the uplink data packet are saved to the preset downstream device address table; and the first PDU session is used to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

[0145] Optionally, the second receiving module 210 is further configured to receive a second address resolution protocol ARP request sent by the downstream device;

[0146] A second reply module, used for replying the MAC address of the LAN interface to the downstream device, so that the downstream device uses the MAC address of the LAN interface to send the uplink data packet;

[0147] A removal module, used for removing the MAC layer in the uplink data packet to obtain a processed uplink data packet;

[0148] The sending module 220 is also used to send the processed uplink data packet to the UPF network element through the base station.

[0149] The above-mentioned device is used to execute the method provided by the aforementioned embodiment, and its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, which will not be repeated here.

[0150] The above modules may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more microprocessors, or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). For another example, when a module is implemented in the form of a processing element scheduling program code, the processing element may be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or other processor that can call program code. For another example, these modules may be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0151] Fig.10 The present invention provides a schematic diagram of a user plane function UPF network element according to an embodiment of the present invention. The user plane function UPF network element can be used for a communication method of a private network IP session. Fig.10 As shown, the user plane function UPF network element includes: a processor 310, a storage medium 320, and a bus 330.

[0152] The storage medium 320 stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor 310. When the user plane function UPF network element is running, the processor 310 communicates with the storage medium 320 through the bus 330, and the processor 310 executes the machine-readable instructions to perform the steps of the above method embodiment. The specific implementation method and technical effect are similar and will not be repeated here.

[0153] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a terminal device UE provided in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device UE can be used for a communication method of a private network IP session. Fig.10 As shown, the terminal device UE includes: a processor 410, a storage medium 420, and a bus 430.

[0154] The storage medium 420 stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor 410. When the terminal device UE is running, the processor 410 communicates with the storage medium 420 via the bus 430, and the processor 410 executes the machine-readable instructions to perform the steps of the above method embodiment. The specific implementation method and technical effect are similar and will not be repeated here.

[0155] Optionally, the present application further provides a storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the above method embodiment are executed. The specific implementation method and technical effect are similar and will not be repeated here.

[0156] In the several embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0157] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0158] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0159] The above-mentioned integrated unit implemented in the form of a software functional unit can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The above-mentioned software functional unit is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor (English: processor) to perform some steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (English: Read-Only Memory, abbreviated: ROM), random access memory (English: Random Access Memory, abbreviated: RAM), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0160] The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method for a private network IP session, characterized in that: Applied to the user plane function UPF network element, including: Receiving an uplink data packet sent by a downstream device through a terminal device UE, the uplink data packet at least including: a source IP address of the downstream device and an identifier of a first PDU session; the first PDU session is a PDU session pre-created for the UE; Searching the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table; If the source IP address is not found, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session are saved in the preset downstream device address table; The first PDU session is used to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the source IP address is found, determine whether the historical session identifier corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is consistent with the identifier of the first PDU session; If they are inconsistent, updating the identifier of the historical PDU session to the identifier of the first PDU session; If they are consistent, the timestamp of the address table entry corresponding to the source IP address in the preset downstream device address table is updated.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receiving a downlink data packet sent by the DN side device; the downlink data packet at least includes: a first target IP address; Searching for the first target IP address in a preset PDU session table; If the first target IP address is found in the preset PDU session table, the identifier of the second PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset PDU session table is determined, and the second PDU session is used to forward the downlink data packet to the target terminal device corresponding to the first target IP address.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the first target IP address is not found in the preset PDU session table, searching for the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table; If the first target IP address is found in the preset downstream device address table, the identifier of the third PDU session corresponding to the first target IP address in the preset downstream device address table is determined, and the third PDU session is used to forward the downlink data packet to the target downstream device corresponding to the first target IP address.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the first target IP address is not found in the preset downstream device address table, all PDU sessions corresponding to the IP type are traversed, and all the PDU sessions are used to forward the downlink data packet to the target device corresponding to all the PDU sessions.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Before receiving the downlink data packet sent by the DN side device, the method further includes: Receiving a first address resolution protocol ARP request sent by the DN side device, the first ARP request including: a second target IP address; Determine whether the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment; If the second target IP address matches the preset downstream device network segment, the MAC address of the N6 interface is replied to the DN side device, so that the DN side device uses the MAC address of the N6 interface to send the downlink data packet.

7. A communication method for a private network IP session, characterized in that: Applied to terminal equipment UE, including: Receive uplink data packets sent by downstream devices; The uplink data packet is sent to the user plane function UPF network element through the base station, so that the UPF network element searches for the source IP address in the uplink data packet in the preset downstream device address table; if the source IP address is not found, the source IP address and the identifier of the first PDU session in the uplink data packet are saved to the preset downstream device address table; the first PDU session is used to forward the uplink data packet to the network DN side device.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that Before receiving the uplink data packet sent by the downstream device, the method further includes: Receiving a second address resolution protocol ARP request sent by the downstream device; Replying the MAC address of the local area network interface to the downstream device, so that the downstream device uses the MAC address of the local area network interface to send the uplink data packet; Removing the MAC layer in the uplink data packet to obtain a processed uplink data packet; The sending the uplink data packet to a user plane function UPF network element through the base station includes: The processed uplink data packet is sent to the UPF network element through the base station.

9. A user plane function UPF network element, characterized in that: include: A processor, a storage medium and a bus, wherein the storage medium stores program instructions executable by the processor, and when the electronic device is running, the processor communicates with the storage medium via the bus, and the processor executes the program instructions to perform the steps of the communication method for a private network IP session as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A terminal device UE, characterized in that: include: A processor, a storage medium and a bus, wherein the storage medium stores program instructions executable by the processor. When the electronic device is running, the processor communicates with the storage medium via the bus, and the processor executes the program instructions to perform the steps of the communication method for a private network IP session as described in any one of claims 7 to 8.

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