Method, device and system for opening network capability

Abstract

The invention discloses a network capability opening method, device and system, and aims to provide a flexible and efficient network capability opening method. The method comprises: an application function network element sending a first request to a network open function network element, the first request comprising an address of a target terminal device, the application function network element receiving a second identifier from the network open function network element, the second identifier being used for identifying the target terminal device outside a standard 3GPP system of a third generation technology, the second identifier is used for opening the application programming interface corresponding to the second identifier.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application number of the original application is 202080103994.3, and the original application date is August 13, 2020. The entire content of the original application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, and system for network capability opening. Background Art

[0003] During the network communication process, an Edge Application Server (EAS) often obtains information of a target terminal device from an Application Function (AF) according to a Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) of the target terminal device, so as to provide service support. The AF usually invokes an Application Programming Interface (API) provided by other network elements in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network according to the GPSI, so as to obtain or provide network capability opening information related to the target terminal device.

[0004] Among them, in the current communication process, for security considerations, network capability opening APIs all provide a channel for network capability opening information interaction based on the GPSI of the terminal device. However, in the current communication system, the EAS or AF cannot actively obtain the GPSI of the target terminal device, which affects their invocation of the network capability opening API, thereby affecting the interaction of network information related to the target terminal device and the service experience of the target terminal device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method, apparatus, and system for network capability opening, so as to provide a more flexible and efficient method for network capability opening.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for network capability opening, and the method includes:

[0007] The NEF receives a first request from the AF, and the first request contains the address of the target terminal device; the NEF sends the second request to a first network element, and the second request contains the address of the target terminal device, and the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; the NEF receives the first identifier from the first network element; the NEF determines a second identifier for identifying the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system according to the first identifier; the NEF sends the second identifier to the AF, and the second identifier is used to open the API interface corresponding to the second identifier.

[0008] Based on the above solution, in the embodiment of the present application, the NEF can actively obtain the second identifier of the target terminal device, so as to provide the second identifier of the target terminal device to the EAS, so that the EAS can use the second identifier to call the corresponding API, and can effectively open and share network capability information, with strong flexibility.

[0009] As a possible implementation method, the NEF sends a third request containing the first identifier to the UDM, and the third request is used to obtain the second identifier; the NEF receives the second identifier from the UDM; wherein, the second identifier is obtained by the UDM according to the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier and the third request.

[0010] As a possible implementation method, the first network element is a UPF network element; or the first network element is a PCF network element.

[0011] As a possible implementation method, when the first network element is a UPF network element, both the NEF and the UPF are locally deployed network elements. As a possible implementation method, before the NEF sends the second request to the first network element, it further includes: when the first network element is a PCF network element, the NEF sends a fourth request to the BSF, and the fourth request is used to obtain the address of the PCF serving the target terminal device; the NEF receives the PCF address from the BSF.

[0012] As a possible implementation method, the first identifier is the user permanent identifier SUPI of the target terminal device; the second identifier is the general public user identifier GPSI of the target terminal device.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present application provides a network capability opening method, and the method includes:

[0014] The NEF receives a first request sent by the AF. The first request includes the address of the target terminal device and first information of the target terminal device. The NEF sends a second request to a first network element. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device. The second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. The NEF receives the first identifier from the first network element. The NEF sends a third request to a second network element. The third request includes the first identifier and the first information. The third request is used to instruct to save the first information.

[0015] Based on the above solution, in the embodiment of the present application, the NEF can obtain the second identifier of the target terminal device, so as to open the first information of the target terminal device to other network elements through the second identifier of the target terminal device. At the same time, it can also provide an API based on the terminal device address for the AF, which helps the AF to open the first information based on the terminal device address and other network elements to obtain the first information of the target terminal device, and can effectively open and share network capability information.

[0016] As a possible implementation method, the first network element is a UPF network element; or the first network element is a PCF network element.

[0017] As a possible implementation method, before the NEF sends the second request to the first network element, it further includes: when the first network element is a PCF network element, the NEF sends a fourth request to the BSF. The fourth request is used to obtain the address of the PCF serving the target terminal device. The NEF receives the PCF address from the BSF.

[0018] As a possible implementation method, the second network element is a UDM; or the second network element is a NWDAF.

[0019] As a possible implementation method, when the second network element is a UDM, the third request is for the NEF to instruct a third network element to save the first information through the UDM. The third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0020] As a possible implementation method, the first information includes some or all of the following: 5G LAN group information, expected behavior information of the target terminal device, network configuration parameters of the target terminal device, and the location of the target terminal device.

[0021] In a third aspect, the present application provides a network capability opening method, and the method includes:

[0022] The NEF receives a first request sent by the AF. The first request includes the address of the target terminal device and is used to request the first information of the target terminal device from the 3GPP system. The NEF sends a second request to a first network element. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device and is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. The NEF receives the first identifier from the first network element. The NEF sends a third request to a second network element. The third request includes the first identifier and is used to request the first information.

[0023] Based on the above solution, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for the NEF to actively obtain the first identifier of the target terminal device, and the NEF can request the first information from other network elements based on the first identifier.

[0024] As a possible implementation, the requested first information may be a request to subscribe to the first information or a request to unsubscribe from the first information.

[0025] As a possible implementation method, when the third request is used to request to subscribe to the first information, the method further includes: the NEF receives the first information from the second network element and sends the first information to the AF.

[0026] As a possible implementation method, the first network element is a UPF network element; or the first network element is a PCF network element.

[0027] As a possible implementation method, before the NEF sends the second request to the first network element, it further includes: when the first network element is a PCF network element, the NEF sends a fourth request to the BSF. The fourth request is used to obtain the address of the PCF serving the target terminal device. The NEF receives the PCF address from the BSF.

[0028] As a possible implementation method, the second network element is a UDM or a Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF). When the second network element is a UDM, the third request is for the NEF to request the first information from a third network element through the UDM. When the second network element is an NWDAF, the third request is for the NEF to request the first information from the NWDAF.

[0029] As a possible implementation method, the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0030] As a possible implementation method, the first information includes some or all of the following:

[0031] The location of the target terminal device, the congestion status of the cell where the target terminal device is located, and the service quality QoS monitoring result of the target terminal device.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability opening, and the method includes:

[0033] The AF sends a first request to a first network element, the first request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the first request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; the AF receives the first identifier from the first network element; the AF sends a second request to a second network element, the second request includes the first identifier and the first information, and the second request is used to instruct to save the first information of the target terminal device.

[0034] Based on the above solution, the embodiments of the present application provide a method for the AF to actively obtain the first identifier of the target terminal device, so as to open the first information of the target terminal device to other network elements through the first identifier of the target terminal device, which helps the AF to open the first information based on the terminal device address and other network elements to obtain the first information of the target terminal device, can effectively open and share network capability information, ensure the interaction of network information related to the terminal device, and ensure the service experience of the terminal device.

[0035] As a possible implementation method, before the AF sends the first request, the AF determines the address of the target terminal device and the first information of the target terminal device;

[0036] As a possible implementation method, the AF determines the address of the target terminal device and the first information according to a third request sent by the received EAS, and the third request includes the address of the target terminal device and the first information.

[0037] As a possible implementation method, the first network element is a PCF network element; before the AF sends the first request to the first network element, it further includes: the AF sends a fourth request to the BSF, and the fourth request is used to obtain the PCF serving the target terminal device; the AF receives the PCF address from the BSF.

[0038] As a possible implementation method, the second network element is a UDM; or the second network element is a NWDAF.

[0039] As a possible implementation method, when the second network element is a UDM, the second request is for the AF to instruct a third network element to save the first information through the UDM; the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0040] As a possible implementation method, the first information includes some or all of the following:

[0041] 5G LAN group information, predicted behavior information of the target terminal device, and network configuration parameters of the target terminal device.

[0042] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability open, and the method includes:

[0043] The AF sends a first request to a first network element, the first request includes the address of a target terminal device, and the first request is for requesting a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; the AF receives the first identifier from the first network element; the AF sends a second request to a second network element, the second request includes the first identifier, and the second request is for requesting first information.

[0044] Based on the above solution, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for the AF to actively obtain the first identifier of a target terminal device, and the AF can request the first information from other network elements based on the first identifier, which can ensure the interaction of network information related to the terminal device and ensure the service experience of the terminal device.

[0045] As a possible implementation manner, the first information indicated by the request may be a request to subscribe to the first information or a request to cancel the subscription to the first information.

[0046] As a possible implementation method, when the second request is for requesting to subscribe to the first information, the method further includes: the AF receives the first information from the second network element.

[0047] As a possible implementation method, the first network element is a PCF network element.

[0048] As a possible implementation method, before the AF sends the first request to the first network element, it further includes: when the first network element is a PCF network element, the AF sends a third request to the BSF, and the third request is for obtaining the address of the PCF serving the target terminal device; the AF receives the PCF address from the BSF.

[0049] As a possible implementation method, the second network element is a UDM or an NWDAF; when the second network element is a UDM, the second request is for the AF to request the first information from a third network element through the UDM; when the second network element is an NWDAF, the second request is for the AF to request the first information from the NWDAF.

[0050] As a possible implementation method, the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0051] As a possible implementation method, the first information includes some or all of the following:

[0052] The location of the target terminal device, the congestion status of the cell where the target terminal device is located, and the QoS monitoring result of the target terminal device.

[0053] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability opening, and the method includes:

[0054] The AF sends a first request to the NEF, the first request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the first request is used to request a second identifier for identifying the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system; the AF receives the second identifier from the NEF; the AF sends the second identifier to the EAS, and the second identifier is used to open the API interface corresponding to the second identifier.

[0055] Based on the above solution, in the embodiments of the present application, the NEF can actively obtain the second identifier of the target terminal device, so as to provide the second identifier of the target terminal device to the EAS through the AF, enabling the EAS to use the second identifier to call the corresponding API, and enabling effective opening and sharing of network capability information, with strong flexibility.

[0056] As a possible implementation method, before the AF sends the first request to the NEF, it further includes: the AF receives a second request sent by the EAS, the second request is used to request the second identifier, and the second request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0057] As a possible implementation method, the second identifier is obtained by the NEF converting a first identifier obtained from a first network element through the UDM, and the first identifier is used to identify the target terminal device within the 3GPP system.

[0058] As a possible implementation method, the first network element is a UPF network element; or the first network element is a PCF network element.

[0059] Seventh aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability opening, and the method includes:

[0060] The UDM receives a request for obtaining a second identifier sent by the AF or the NEF, where the request includes a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system, and the second identifier is used to identify the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system; the UDM determines the second identifier according to the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier and the first identifier; the UDM feeds back the second identifier to the AF or the NEF.

[0061] Eighth aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability opening, and the method includes:

[0062] The UDM receives a request from the AF or the NEF for instructing to save the first information of the target terminal device, where the request includes a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system and the first information, and the first information is network capability opening information provided by the AF to the 3GPP system; the UDM instructs a third network element to save the first information according to the request.

[0063] As a possible implementation method, the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0064] Ninth aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability opening, and the method includes:

[0065] The UDM receives a request from the AF or the NEF for instructing the AF to request the first information from the 3GPP system, where the request includes a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; the UDM requests the first information from a third network element according to the request.

[0066] As a possible implementation manner, the first information indicated by the request may be a request to subscribe to the first information, or a request to cancel the subscription to the first information.

[0067] As a possible implementation method, the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0068] Tenth aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability opening, and the method includes:

[0069] The NWDAF receives a request sent by the AF or NEF for indicating the first information for saving the target terminal device. The request includes a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system and the first information, where the first information is network capability opening information provided by the AF to the 3GPP system. The NWDAF saves the first information according to the request.

[0070] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a method for network capability opening, the method including:

[0071] The NWDAF receives a request sent by the AF or NEF for indicating that the AF requests the first information from the 3GPP system. The request includes a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. The NWDAF provides the first information according to the request.

[0072] As a possible implementation manner, the first information indicated by the request may be a request to subscribe to the first information or a request to unsubscribe from the first information.

[0073] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network capability opening device. The device may be a NEF or a chip for the NEF. The device has the function of implementing any one of the first aspect to the third aspect; or executing any method in any possible implementation manner of the first aspect to the third aspect. This function may be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0074] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network capability opening device. The device may be an AF or a chip for the AF. The device has the function of implementing any one of the fourth aspect to the sixth aspect; or executing any method in any possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect to the sixth aspect. This function may be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0075] In a thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network capability opening device. The device may be a UDM or a chip for the UDM. The device has the function of implementing any one of the seventh aspect to the ninth aspect; or executing any method in any possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect to the ninth aspect. This function may be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0076] In a fifteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network capability open device, which may be an NWDAF or a chip for an NWDAF. The device has the implementation of any one of the above-mentioned tenth aspect or eleventh aspect; or executes any method in any possible implementation manner among the above-mentioned tenth aspect to eleventh aspect. This function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0077] In a sixteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network capability open device, including a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer execution instructions. When the device runs, the processor executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory, so that the device executes any one of the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect; or executes any method in any possible implementation manner among the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect.

[0078] In a seventeenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which instructions are stored. When it runs on a computer, it causes the processor to execute any one of the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect; or executes any method in any possible implementation manner among the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect.

[0079] In an eighteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the computer program runs, it causes the processor to execute any one of the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect; or executes any method in any possible implementation manner among the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect.

[0080] In a nineteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, including a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that a device installed with the chip system executes any one of the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect; or executes any method in any possible implementation manner among the above-mentioned first aspect to eleventh aspect.

[0081] In a twentieth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a network capability open system, including: NEF, PCF / UPF, and UDM network element / NWDAF, etc.

[0082] As a possible implementation method, an AF is further included in the network capability open system.

[0083] As a possible implementation method, one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR is further included in the network capability open system. Description of the Drawings

[0084] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a network capability open scenario provided for this application;

[0085] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the first method flow for network capability open provided for this application;

[0086] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the second method flow for network capability open provided for this application;

[0087] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the third method flow for network capability open provided for this application;

[0088] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the fourth method flow for network capability open provided for this application;

[0089] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the fifth method flow for network capability open provided for this application;

[0090] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a network capability open device provided for this application;

[0091] Figure 8 Another schematic diagram of a network capability open device provided for this application. Detailed implementation manners

[0092] To introduce the technical solution of this application more clearly and completely, the embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0093] Among them, the communication devices in the embodiments of this application mainly include terminal devices, Application Function (AF) network elements, Network Exposure Function (NEF) network elements, first network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, etc.

[0094] In an optional manner in the embodiments of this application, the first network element is a Policy Control Function (PCF) network element; or, the first network element is a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0095] Preferably, when the first network element is a PCF network element and there are at least two PCF network elements in the communication system, the communication system may further include a Binding Support Function (BSF). The BSF is used to help the NEF determine the PCF network element serving the target terminal device.

[0096] Further, the communication system described in the embodiments of the present application can be used in a fifth-generation (5G) network architecture. Of course, it can also be used in future network architectures, such as a sixth-generation (6G) network architecture, etc. The present application does not make any limitations.

[0097] The following briefly introduces the 5G network architecture as an example, as Figure 1 shown, the 5G network architecture may include three parts, namely the terminal device part (i.e., UE) 101, the data network (DN) 104, and the core network part. The core network includes a user plane network element 103, a mobility management network element 105, a session management network element 106, a policy control network element 107, a user data management network element 108, and a network capability open network element 110.

[0098] Exemplarily, in this communication system, the terminal device accesses the core network through a radio access network (RAN) device. The terminal device can establish a connection with the data network (DN) through the access network and the core network. The data network may, for example, include operator services, the Internet, or third-party services, etc., or serve as an access point for the foregoing services. In a 4G communication system, this connection may be a packet data network connection (PDN connection) or a bearer. In a 5G communication system, this connection may be a protocol data unit session (PDU Session). In future communication systems such as a sixth-generation (6G) communication system, this connection may be a PDU session, or a PDN connection, or other similar concepts. The embodiments of the present application do not make any limitations in this regard. In the embodiments of the present application, the connection established between the terminal device and the data network is also referred to as a session.

[0099] Further, in Figure 1 the 5G network architecture shown, the names and functions of each device (network element) and the interfaces between the devices (network elements) are as follows:

[0100] (1) The terminal device 101 is a device for implementing wireless communication functions, such as a terminal or a chip that can be used in a terminal. It can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water (such as a ship, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as an airplane, a balloon, a satellite, etc.). Among them, the terminal can be a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a terminal unit, a terminal station, a mobile station, a mobile phone, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a wireless communication device, a terminal agent, or a terminal device in a 4G network, a 5G network, or a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). The access terminal can be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication functions, a computing device, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, or a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The terminal device can be mobile or fixed.

[0101] Among them, the terminal device described in the embodiments of the present application can switch from a 4G communication system to a 5G communication system, or can also switch from a 5G communication system to a 4G communication system.

[0102] (2) The access network device 102 is a device that provides wireless communication functions for the terminal device 101. The access network device includes, for example, but is not limited to: Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN), gNodeB (gNB), evolved node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home evolved node B (e.g., home evolved node B, or home node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), mobile switching center, etc.

[0103] (3) The user plane network element 103 is mainly used to forward user data packets according to the routing rules of the session management network element. In a 4G communication system, the user plane network element can be the serving gateway user plane (SGW-U) or the packet data network gateway user plane (PGW-U) or a network element that combines SGW-U and PGW-U. In a 5G communication system, the user plane network element can be the user plane function (UPF) network element.

[0104] (4) The mobility management network element 105 is mainly used for mobility management in a mobile network, such as user location update, user registration to the network, user handover, etc. In a 4G communication system, the mobility management network element can be the mobility management entity (MME). In a 5G communication system, the mobility management network element can be the access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0105] (5) Session management network element 106 is mainly used for session management in a mobile network, such as session establishment, modification, and release. Specific functions include allocating Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for users, selecting user plane network elements that provide packet forwarding functions, etc. In a 4G communication system, the session management network element can be a serving gateway control plane (SGW-C), a packet data network gateway control plane (PGW-C), or a network element that combines SGW-C and PGW-C. In a 5G system, the session management network element can be a session management function (SMF).

[0106] (6) Policy control network element 107 includes functions such as user subscription data management, policy control, charging policy control, and quality of service (QoS) control. In a 4G communication system, the policy control network element can be a policy control and charging function (PCRF). In a 5G communication system, the policy control network element can be a policy control function (PCF).

[0107] (7) Unified data management network element 108 is a network element responsible for managing the subscription information of terminal devices. In a 4G communication system, the unified data management network element can belong to a home subscriber server (HSS). In a 5G communication system, the unified data management network element can be a unified data management (UDM).

[0108] (8) Application function network element 109 is mainly used to provide services to the 3GPP network, such as influencing service routing and interacting with the PCF for policy control, etc. In a 5G communication system, the application function network element can be an Application Function (AF).

[0109] (9) The network capability open network element 110 is mainly used to open the capabilities of the communication system to third parties, application service functions, etc., and transfer information between third parties, application servers and the communication system. In a 4G communication system, the network capability open network element can be a service capability exposure function (SCEF). In a 5G communication system, the network capability open network element can be a network exposure function (NEF).

[0110] (10) N7 refers to the interface between the PCF and the SMF, which is used for PDU session and service data flow control policy distribution.

[0111] (11) N15 refers to the interface between the PCF and the AMF, which is used for UE mobility and network selection control policy distribution.

[0112] (12) N5 refers to the interface between the AF and the PCF, which is used for application service request distribution and network event reporting.

[0113] (13) N4 refers to the interface between the SMF and the UPF, which is used to transfer information between the control plane and the user plane, including the distribution of forwarding rules from the control plane to the user plane, QoS control rules, traffic statistics rules, etc., and the information reporting of the user plane.

[0114] (14) N11 refers to the interface between the SMF and the AMF, which is used to transfer user plane tunnel information between the RAN and the UPF, transfer control messages sent to the UE, transfer radio resource control information sent to the RAN, etc.

[0115] (15) N2 refers to the interface between the AMF and the RAN, which is used to transfer radio bearer control information from the core network side to the RAN, etc.

[0116] (16) N1 refers to the interface between the AMF and the UE, which is access-independent and used to transfer QoS control rules, etc., to the UE.

[0117] Among them, in future communication systems such as 6G communication systems, the above-mentioned network elements or devices can still use their names in 4G or 5G communication systems, or have other names; the functions of the above-mentioned network elements or devices can be completed by an independent network element, or can be jointly completed by several network elements, and the embodiments of this application do not make any limitations in this regard.

[0118] In actual deployment, network elements in the core network can be co-located. For example, the mobility management network element 105 can be co-located with the session management network element 106; the session management network element 106 can be co-located with the user plane network element 103; the policy control network element 107 and the unified data management network element 108 can be co-located. When two network elements are co-located, the interaction between these two network elements provided in the embodiments of the present application becomes an internal operation of the co-located network element or can be omitted.

[0119] It should be noted that the above "network element" can also be referred to as an entity, device, apparatus, or module, etc., and the present application does not particularly limit it. Moreover, in the present application, for the convenience of understanding and description, the description of "network element" is omitted in some descriptions. For example, the AF network element is abbreviated as AF. In this case, the "AF network element" should be understood as the AF network element or the AF entity. Hereinafter, the description of the same or similar situations is omitted. It can be understood that the above network element or function can be either a network element in a hardware device, or a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). Optionally, the above network element or function can be implemented by one device, or jointly implemented by multiple devices, or can also be a functional module within a device. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations in this regard. Among them, network elements with the same or similar functions can be jointly set.

[0120] It should be understood that the network architecture applied to the present application is only an example described from the perspective of a service-based architecture. The network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto, and any network architecture that can implement the functions of the above-mentioned various network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0121] The network architecture and service scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation to the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. Those of ordinary skill in the art know that with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are equally applicable to similar technical problems. It should be understood that Figure 1 It is only a simplified schematic diagram for easy understanding, and other devices (network elements) can also be included in this network architecture. Figure 1It is not drawn in the figure. In view of the problem that in the current communication system, the EES or AF cannot actively obtain the GPSI of the target terminal device, which affects the interaction of network information related to the terminal and the service experience of the terminal, based on the above network architecture or a variation of the above network architecture, the embodiments of the present application provide a method for an AF network element to interact with a PCF or a UPF through a NEF to obtain the identifier of a target terminal device, and implement network capability opening based on the identifier of the target terminal device, and also provide a method for the AF to directly interact with the PCF to obtain the identifier of the target terminal device, and implement network capability opening based on the identifier of the target terminal device, so as to more efficiently and flexibly implement network capability opening.

[0122] Among them, the method for network capability opening provided by the present application can be applied to any communication transmission scenario. For example: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) communication system, 5th generation (5G) system or New Radio (NR), or applied to future communication systems or other similar communication systems, etc.

[0123] Among them, in an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the AF is also called an Edge Enabler Server (EES) in a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) scenario. For specific and concise description, the following takes the AF as an example for specific introduction.

[0124] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the MEC scenario, that is, the EAS may not be deployed at the network edge, but may be deployed on an application server (AS) at any location. Any network element similar to the AF function can be applied to the embodiments of the present application, and all belong to the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0125] The following further explains some terms involved in the embodiments of the present application for easy understanding.

[0126] 1) The subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI) in the embodiments of the present application refers to an identifier used to identify the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. The embodiments of the present application use the first identifier to represent the SUPI.

[0127] 2) The generic public subscription identifier (GPSI) in the embodiments of the present application refers to an identifier used to identify the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system. The embodiments of the present application use the second identifier to represent the GPSI.

[0128] Among them, the 3GPP system stores the association relationship between the GPSI and the corresponding SUPI in the subscription data. The GPSI is the mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) or other external identifiers.

[0129] In the present application, the address of the terminal device may be the IP address of the terminal device, such as an IPv4 address or an IPv6 address prefix, or it may be the MAC address of the terminal device, which is not limited; the address of the PCF may be the IP address of the PCF, such as an IPv4 address or an IPv6 address prefix, or it may be the MAC address of the PCF.

[0130] In addition, the terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application may be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone, where A and B may be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after. The following "at least one (piece)" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single item (piece) or plural items (pieces). For example, at least one (piece) of a, b, or c may represent: a, b, c, a - b, a - c, b - c, or a - b - c, where a, b, and c may be single or multiple.

[0131] Unless otherwise stated, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having" in the embodiments of the present application and the claims and the drawings are not exclusive. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device comprising a series of steps or modules is not limited to the listed steps or modules, and may further include unlisted steps or modules.

[0132] To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the method for network capability opening provided by the embodiments of the present application will be specifically introduced below based on different application scenarios.

[0133] Scenario 1: The interaction between the AF and the first network element needs to go through the NEF, that is, the AF may be a network element provided by a third party.

[0134] Based on the manner in which the AF interacts with the first network element through the NEF to obtain the identifier of the terminal device, the embodiments of the present application provide a first method for network capability opening, as Figure 2 shown, the specific process includes:

[0135] S200. The AF sends a first request to the NEF, and the first request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0136] In the embodiments of the present application, the first request is used to obtain a second identifier that identifies the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system for the target terminal device, where the second identifier may be a GPSI.

[0137] Among them, the triggering situation for the AF to send the first request to the NEF in the embodiments of the present application may be:

[0138] The AF receives a fifth request sent by the EAS. The fifth request is used to request the second identifier, and the fifth request includes the address of the target terminal device. Thus, the AF determines the address of the target terminal device according to the received fifth request, and sends the first request to the NEF.

[0139] Further, in an optional manner of the embodiment of the present application, before the EAS sends the second request to the AF, after the target terminal device completes the establishment of the PDU session, when the target terminal device needs to initiate an application-related service, a connection is established with the EAS based on the PDU session, so that the EAS provides the terminal device with services related to the application.

[0140] Wherein, based on the established connection between the UE and the EAS, the EAS can obtain the address of the target terminal device.

[0141] Further, the EAS can provide the address of the target terminal device to the AF and request the second identifier of the target terminal device from the AF.

[0142] Preferably, in the embodiment of the present application, the first request further carries the identifier (ApplicationID) of the application, which is used to determine one of the second identifiers based on the identifier of the application when the address of a UE corresponds to multiple second identifiers.

[0143] S201. The NEF receives the first request sent by the AF.

[0144] S202. The NEF sends a second request to the first network element. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0145] In the embodiment of the present application, the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. Wherein, the first identifier may be a SUPI, or if it is a 4G system, it may be the internal mobile subscriber identity (International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI) of the target terminal device.

[0146] Further, in the embodiment of the present application, the first network element is a PCF network element or a UPF network element.

[0147] When the first network element is a UPF network element, optionally, both the NEF and the UPF are locally deployed network elements, that is, both the NEF and the UPF are deployed at the network edge to provide MEC services for the target terminal device.

[0148] When the first network element is a PCF network element, before the NEF sends a second request to the first network element, it is also necessary to determine the PCF serving the target terminal device.

[0149] Further, in an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the NEF may determine the PCF serving the target terminal device in the following manner:

[0150] S202a. The NEF sends a fourth request to the BSF, and the fourth request is used to obtain the address of the PCF serving the target terminal device.

[0151] In an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the fourth request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0152] Specifically, the NEF provides the address of the target terminal device to the BSF by invoking the Nbsf_Management_Discovery service operation of the BSF management to request the address of the PCF serving the target terminal device.

[0153] S202b. The BSF determines the address of the PCF serving the target terminal device according to the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the PCF and the address of the target terminal device.

[0154] S202c. The BSF notifies the NEF of the address of the PCF.

[0155] S202d. The NEF receives the address of the PCF from the BSF.

[0156] It should be noted that when there is only one PCF, S202a to S202d can be omitted, that is, the NEF directly sends a second request to the only existing PCF.

[0157] S203. The first network element receives the second request from the NEF.

[0158] Among them, in the embodiments of the present application, the second request is determined by the NEF according to the received first request.

[0159] In an optional method in the embodiments of the present application, after the NEF receives the first request from the AF, it generates a second request according to the address of the target terminal device in the first request.

[0160] S204. The first network element determines the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device according to the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier and the second request.

[0161] Exemplarily, assume that the address of the target terminal device included in the second request is IP2, and the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier is shown in Table 1 below. Therefore, by looking up Table 1, the first network element can obtain that the first identifier corresponding to IP2 is S2.

[0162] First Identifier (SUPI) Address of the terminal device S1 IP1 S2 IP2 S3 IP3

[0163] Table 1 Correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier

[0164] Among them, the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier can be stored locally in the first network element; or, the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier can be stored in a third-party platform. When the first network element receives the second request, it calls the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier in the third-party platform.

[0165] S205. The first network element sends the first identifier to the NEF.

[0166] Among them, in a preferred method in the embodiments of the present application, when the first network element is a UPF network element, the UPF needs to obtain the authorization of the SMF before sending the first identifier to the NEF.

[0167] Exemplarily, the SMF can indicate in advance whether the UPF can provide the first identifier to the NEF, or the UPF obtains authorization from the SMF temporarily after receiving the second request from the NEF.

[0168] S206. The NEF sends a third request containing the first identifier to the UDM, and the third request is used to obtain the second identifier.

[0169] In an alternative manner in the embodiments of the present application, the NEF performs identifier conversion by invoking the Nudm_SDM_Get service operation.

[0170] Furthermore, the third request may also include the Application ID.

[0171] S207. The UDM receives the third request from the NEF.

[0172] S208. The UDM determines the second identifier according to the third request.

[0173] Furthermore, there are various methods for the UDM to determine the second identifier according to the third request in the embodiments of the present application, and specifically, it is not limited to the following several.

[0174] Determination method 1: The UDM stores the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier. The UDM determines the second identifier based on the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier and the received first identifier.

[0175] Exemplarily, assume that the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier stored in the UDM is as shown in Table 2 below, and the first identifier included in the third request received by the UDM is S2. Therefore, by looking up Table 2, the UDM can obtain that the second identifier corresponding to S2 is G2.

[0176] First Identifier (SUPI) Second Identifier (GPSI) S1 G1 S2 G2 S3 G3

[0177] Table 2 Correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier 1

[0178] Determination method 2: The UDM obtains the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier from a third-party platform. The UDM determines the second identifier based on the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier and the received first identifier.

[0179] In addition, if the Application ID is also included in the third request, the UDM can combine the Application ID and the first identifier to determine the corresponding second identifier.

[0180] Exemplarily, in the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier, the first identifier may correspond to multiple second identifiers. For example, the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier is as shown in Table 3 below.

[0181]

[0182] Table 3 Correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier 2

[0183] Assume that the first identifier included in the third request received by the UDM is S2. By looking up Table 3, the UDM can obtain that the second identifiers corresponding to S2 are G2, G3, and G4. Among them, if the Application ID is also included in the third request, the UDM can further determine the second identifier corresponding to the target terminal device according to the correspondence between the Application ID and the second identifier.

[0184] For example, the Application ID included in the third request is Application ID3, and the correspondence between the Application ID and the second identifier is shown in Table 4 below. Then, by looking up Table 4, the UDM can determine that the second identifier corresponding to the Application ID3 is G4. Therefore, the UDM determines that the second identifier of the target terminal device is G4.

[0185]

[0186]

[0187] Table 4 Correspondence between Application ID and the second identifier

[0188] S209. The UDM returns the second identifier to the NEF.

[0189] S210. The NEF receives the second identifier from the UDM.

[0190] S211. The NEF sends the second identifier to the AF.

[0191] Wherein, in the embodiments of the present application, the second identifier is used to open the application programming interface (API) corresponding to the second identifier.

[0192] Specifically, the AF can call the API interface provided by the NEF based on the second identifier, or provide the API interface to the EAS connected to the target terminal device based on the second identifier for the EAS to call.

[0193] Through the above method, in the embodiments of the present application, the AF can actively obtain the second identifier of the target terminal device, so as to provide the second identifier of the target terminal device to the EAS, enabling the EAS to use the second identifier to call the corresponding API.

[0194] Based on Scenario 1, the embodiments of the present application also provide a second method for network capability opening. The process of the second method for network capability opening provided by the embodiments of the present application will be specifically introduced below, as Figure 3 shown. The specific process includes:

[0195] S300. The AF sends a first request to the NEF. The first request includes the address of the target terminal device and the first information of the target terminal device.

[0196] The first information is the information provided by the AF to the 3GPP system and can be used by the 3GPP system or 5G system to perform operations on the target terminal device.

[0197] Among them, the content included in the first information in the embodiments of the present application is not specifically limited to some or all of the following:

[0198] 5G local area network group information, the predicted behavior information of the target terminal device, and the network configuration parameters of the target terminal device.

[0199] Among them, the triggering situation for the AF to send the first request to the NEF in the embodiments of the present application may be:

[0200] Before the EAS sends the second request to the AF, after the target terminal device completes the establishment of the PDU session, when the target terminal device needs to initiate an application-related service, a connection is established with the EAS based on the PDU session, and the EAS provides the application-related service for the target terminal device.

[0201] Among them, based on the established connection between the target terminal device and the EAS, the EAS can obtain the address of the target terminal device.

[0202] Furthermore, if the EAS provides the address of the target terminal device to the AF, the AF can provide the first information to the 3GPP system through the API provided by the NEF, so that the 3GPP system can provide corresponding network conditions for the application.

[0203] S301. The NEF receives the first request sent by the AF. The first request includes the address of the target terminal device and the first information of the target terminal device.

[0204] S302. The NEF sends a second request to the first network element. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0205] In the embodiments of the present application, the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. Among them, the first identifier may be the SUPI, or if it is a 4G system, it may be the IMSI of the target terminal device.

[0206] Among them, in the embodiments of the present application, the second request is determined by the NEF according to the received first request.

[0207] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, the first network element is a PCF network element or a UPF network element.

[0208] When the first network element is a PCF network element, before the NEF sends the second request to the first network element, it also needs to determine the PCF serving the target terminal device. For the method by which the NEF determines the PCF serving the target terminal device, please refer to the above S202a - S202d for details. For the sake of brief description, it will not be elaborated here. It should be noted that when there is only one PCF, the NEF does not need to execute S202a - S202d and can directly send the second request to the only existing PCF.

[0209] When the first network element is a UPF network element, optionally, both the NEF and the UPF are locally deployed network elements, that is, both the NEF and the UPF are deployed at the network edge to provide MEC services for the target terminal device.

[0210] S303. The first network element receives the second request from the NEF.

[0211] S304. The first network element determines the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device according to the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier, and the second request.

[0212] Among them, the method by which the first network element determines the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device is similar to that introduced in S204 above. For details, please refer to the introduction of S204 above and will not be elaborated here.

[0213] S305. The first network element sends the first identifier to the NEF.

[0214] Among them, in a preferred method in the embodiments of the present application, when the first network element is a UPF network element, the UPF needs to obtain the authorization of the SMF before sending the first identifier to the NEF.

[0215] Among them, the SMF can indicate in advance whether the UPF can provide the first identifier to the NEF, or the UPF obtains authorization from the SMF temporarily after receiving the second request from the NEF.

[0216] S306. The NEF sends a third request to the second network element, and the third request includes the first identifier and the first information.

[0217] Among them, the third request is generated by the NEF according to the first identifier and the first information.

[0218] In the embodiments of the present application, the third request is used to indicate saving the first information.

[0219] In an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the first information is the network capability opening information of the target terminal device.

[0220] In an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the second network element is the UDM; or the second network element is the NWDAF.

[0221] S307. The second network element receives the third request and saves the first information.

[0222] Among them, in the embodiments of the present application, when the second network element is the UDM, after receiving the third request, the UDM instructs a third network element to save the first information, and the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a Unified Data Repository (UDR) network element.

[0223] Exemplarily, the second network element is the UDM and the third network element is the UDR. After receiving the third request, the UDM provides the first identifier to the UDR, instructing the UDR to save the first information corresponding to the first identifier.

[0224] Exemplarily, the second network element is the UDM and the third network element is the AMF. When the first information is the predicted movement trajectory of the target terminal device, after receiving the third request, the UDM provides the first identifier and the first information to the AMF, so that the AMF that receives the first identifier and the first information performs paging optimization processing, that is, the AMF can page the target terminal device within a smaller area range.

[0225] Optionally, the third request can also be used to update the stored information to the first information.

[0226] Through the above method, in the embodiments of the present application, the NEF can obtain the second identifier of the target terminal device, so as to open the first information of the target terminal device to other network elements through the second identifier of the target terminal device. At the same time, it can also provide an API based on the terminal device address for the AF, which helps the AF to open the first information based on the terminal device address and other network elements to obtain the first information of the target terminal device, and can effectively perform the opening and sharing of network capability information.

[0227] Based on Scenario 1, the embodiments of the present application also provide a third method for network capability opening. The process of the third method for network capability opening provided in the embodiments of the present application is specifically introduced below, as Figure 4 shown, and the specific process includes:

[0228] The S400, AF sends a first request to the NEF, and the first request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0229] The first request is used to request the first information of the target terminal device from the 3GPP system (for example, request to subscribe to the first information, or request to cancel the subscription to the first information).

[0230] In an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the content included in the first information is not specifically limited to some or all of the following:

[0231] The location of the target terminal device, the congestion status of the cell where the target terminal device is located, and the service quality monitoring result of the target terminal device.

[0232] Among them, in the embodiments of the present application, the triggering situation for triggering the AF to send the first request to the NEF may be:

[0233] Before the EAS sends the second request to the AF, after the target terminal device completes the establishment of the PDU session, when the target terminal device needs to initiate an application-related service, a connection is established with the EAS based on the PDU session, and the EAS provides services related to the application for the terminal device.

[0234] Among them, based on the established connection between the UE and the EAS, the EAS can obtain the address of the target terminal device.

[0235] Furthermore, if the EAS provides the address of the target terminal device to the AF, the AF can send a first request to the 3GPP system through the API provided by the NEF, such as requesting to subscribe to information related to the target terminal device, or canceling the subscribed information related to the target terminal device.

[0236] S401. The NEF receives the first request sent by the AF.

[0237] S402. The NEF sends a second request to the first network element, and the second request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0238] In the embodiments of the present application, the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system, where the first identifier may be the SUPI, or if it is a 4G system, it may be the IMSI of the target terminal device.

[0239] Among them, in the embodiments of the present application, the second request is determined by the NEF according to the received first request.

[0240] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, the first network element is a PCF network element or a UPF network element.

[0241] When the first network element is a PCF network element, before the NEF sends the second request to the first network element, it is also necessary to determine the PCF serving the target terminal device. For the method by which the NEF determines the PCF serving the target terminal device, reference may specifically be made to the above S202a - S202d. For the sake of brief description, it will not be elaborated herein. It should be noted that when there is only one PCF, the NEF does not need to execute S202a - S202d and can directly send the second request to the only existing PCF.

[0242] When the first network element is a UPF network element, optionally, both the NEF and the UPF are network elements deployed locally, that is, both the NEF and the UPF are deployed at the network edge to provide MEC services for the target terminal device.

[0243] S403. The first network element receives the second request from the NEF.

[0244] S404. The first network element determines the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device according to the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier, and the second request.

[0245] Among them, the method by which the first network element determines the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device is similar to that introduced in the above S204. For specific reference, see the introduction of the above S204, and it will not be elaborated herein.

[0246] S405. The first network element sends the first identifier to the NEF.

[0247] Among them, in a preferred method in the embodiments of the present application, when the first network element is a UPF network element, before the UPF sends the first identifier to the NEF, it is necessary to obtain the authorization of the SMF.

[0248] Among them, the SMF may indicate in advance whether the UPF can provide the first identifier to the NEF, or the UPF obtains authorization from the SMF temporarily after receiving the second request from the NEF.

[0249] S406. The NEF receives the first identifier from the first network element.

[0250] S407. The NEF sends a third request to the second network element, and the third request includes the first identifier.

[0251] In the embodiments of the present application, the third request is used to request the first information.

[0252] In an optional implementation manner of the embodiments of the present application, the second network element is a UDM; or the second network element is an NWDAF.

[0253] Further, when the second network element is a UDM, the third request is used for the NEF to request the first information from a third network element through the UDM (for example, request to subscribe to the first information, or request to cancel the subscription to the first information).

[0254] When the second network element is an NWDAF, the third request is used for the NEF to request the first information from the NWDAF (for example, request to subscribe to the first information, or request to cancel the subscription to the first information).

[0255] In an optional implementation manner of the embodiments of the present application, the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0256] Scenario 2: The interaction between the AF and the first network element does not pass through the NEF.

[0257] Preferably, the AF in Scenario 2 is a trusted AF, that is, like network elements such as the PCF and UDM, the AF is also deployed by the operator and can communicate directly with the PCF or UDM without passing through the NEF. In this scenario, the NEF network element may not be included in the communication system.

[0258] Based on Scenario 2, the process of the fourth network capability opening method provided in the embodiments of the present application will be specifically introduced below. As Figure 5 shown, the specific process includes:

[0259] S500: The AF determines the address of the target terminal device and the first information of the target terminal device.

[0260] The first information is the information provided by the AF to the 3GPP system and can be used by the 3GPP system to perform operations on the target terminal device.

[0261] In the embodiments of the present application, the content included in the first information is not specifically limited to some or all of the following:

[0262] 5G local area network group information, expected behavior information of the target terminal device, network configuration parameters of the target terminal device.

[0263] In an optional implementation manner of the embodiments of the present application, the AF determines the address of the target terminal device and the first information according to the third request sent by the received EAS, and the third request includes the address of the target terminal device and the first information.

[0264] Further, in an alternative implementation of the embodiments of the present application, before the EAS sends the third request to the AF, after the target terminal device completes the establishment of the PDU session, when the target terminal device needs to initiate an application-related service, a connection is established between the target terminal device and the EAS based on the PDU session, and the EAS provides services related to the application for the target terminal device.

[0265] Wherein, based on the established connection between the target terminal device and the EAS, the EAS can obtain the address of the target terminal device and the first information. The EAS provides the address of the target terminal device and the first information to the AF.

[0266] S501. The AF sends a first request to a first network element, and the first request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0267] In the embodiments of the present application, the first request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. Wherein, the first identifier may be a SUPI, or if it is a 4G system, it may be the IMSI of the target terminal device.

[0268] Further, in the embodiments of the present application, the first network element is a PCF network element.

[0269] When the first network element is a PCF network element, before the NEF sends the second request to the first network element, it is also necessary to determine the PCF serving the target terminal device. For the method by which the NEF determines the PCF serving the target terminal device, reference may specifically be made to the above S202a - S202d. For the sake of brevity, no further description will be provided here. It should be noted that when there is only one PCF, the NEF does not need to execute S202a - S202d and may directly send the second request to the only existing PCF.

[0270] S502. The first network element receives the first request from the AF.

[0271] S503. The first network element determines the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device according to the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier, and the first request.

[0272] Wherein, the content of the first network element determining the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device is similar to that introduced in the above S204. For specific reference, see the introduction of the above S204, and no further description will be provided here.

[0273] S504. The first network element sends the first identifier to the AF.

[0274] S505. The AF receives the first identifier from the first network element.

[0275] S506. The AF sends a second request to the second network element. The second request includes the first identifier and the first information.

[0276] Wherein, the second request is generated by the AF according to the first identifier and the first information.

[0277] In the embodiment of the present application, the second request is used to indicate saving the first information.

[0278] In an optional manner in the embodiment of the present application, the second network element is a UDM; or the second network element is a NWDAF.

[0279] S507. The second network element receives the second request and saves the first information.

[0280] Wherein, in the embodiment of the present application, when the second network element is a UDM, after receiving the second request, the UDM instructs a third network element to save the first information, and the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element or a UDR.

[0281] Exemplarily, the second network element is a UDM, and the third network element is a UDR. Then, after receiving the third request, the UDM provides the first identifier to the UDR, instructing the UDR to save the first information corresponding to the first identifier.

[0282] Exemplarily, the second network element is a UDM, the third network element is an AMF, and the first information is the predicted movement trajectory of the target terminal device. Then, after receiving the third request, the UDM provides the first identifier and the first information to the AMF, so that the AMF that receives the first identifier and the first information performs paging optimization processing, that is, the AMF can page the target terminal device within a smaller area range.

[0283] Optionally, the third request can also be used to update the stored information to the first information.

[0284] Through the above method, in the embodiment of the present application, the AF can actively obtain the second identifier of the target terminal device, so as to open the first information of the target terminal device to other network elements through the second identifier of the target terminal device, which helps other network elements obtain the first information of the target terminal device, can ensure the interaction of network information related to the terminal device, and ensure the service experience of the terminal device.

[0285] Based on Scenario 2, the embodiment of the present application further provides another method for network capability opening. The process of the fifth method for network capability opening provided by the embodiment of the present application is specifically introduced below, asFigure 6 As shown in the figure, the specific process includes:

[0286] S600. The AF determines the address of the target terminal device and the first information of the target terminal device that needs to be obtained.

[0287] In an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the content included in the first information is not specifically limited to some or all of the following:

[0288] The location of the target terminal device, the congestion status of the cell where the target terminal device is located, and the service quality monitoring result of the target terminal device.

[0289] Among them, in an optional manner in the embodiments of the present application, the AF determines the address of the target terminal device and the first information according to the third request sent by the received EAS, and the third request includes the address of the target terminal device and the first information.

[0290] S601. The AF sends a first request to the first network element, and the first request includes the address of the target terminal device.

[0291] In the embodiments of the present application, the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system. Among them, the first identifier may be a SUPI, or if it is a 4G system, it may be the IMSI of the target terminal device.

[0292] Among them, for the situation that triggers the AF to send the first request to the first network element in the embodiments of the present application, specific reference may be made to the introduction in S500 above. For the sake of brief description, it will not be elaborated here.

[0293] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, the first network element is a PCF network element.

[0294] When the first network element is a PCF network element, before the NEF sends the second request to the first network element, it also needs to determine the PCF serving the target terminal device. For the method by which the NEF determines the PCF serving the target terminal device, specific reference may be made to S202a - S202d above. For the sake of brief description, it will not be elaborated here. It should be noted that when there is only one PCF, the NEF does not need to execute S202a - S202d and can directly send the second request to the only existing PCF.

[0295] S602. The first network element receives the first request from the AF.

[0296] S603. The first network element determines the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device according to the correspondence between the address of the terminal device and the first identifier, and the first request.

[0297] Among them, the content of the first identifier corresponding to the address of the target terminal device determined by the first network element is similar to that introduced in S204 above. For specific details, please refer to the introduction of S204 above and will not be elaborated here.

[0298] S604. The first network element sends the first identifier to the AF.

[0299] S605. The AF receives the first identifier from the first network element.

[0300] S606. The AF sends a second request to the second network element, and the second request includes the first identifier.

[0301] In the embodiment of the present application, the second request is used to request the first information (for example, request to subscribe to the first information, or request to cancel the subscription to the first information).

[0302] In an optional manner in the embodiment of the present application, the second network element is a UDM; or the second network element is a NWDAF.

[0303] Further, when the second network element is a UDM, the second request is used for the NEF to request the first information from the third network element through the UDM (for example, request to subscribe to the first information, or request to cancel the subscription to the first information).

[0304] When the second network element is a NWDAF, the second request is used for the NEF to request the first information from the NWDAF (for example, request to subscribe to the first information, or request to cancel the subscription to the first information).

[0305] In an optional manner in the embodiment of the present application, the third network element is one of an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UDR.

[0306] Through the above introduction of the solution of the present application, it can be understood that in order to implement the above functions, each device includes a corresponding hardware structure and / or software module for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, combined with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this article, the present invention can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is executed in the way of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present invention.

[0307] Based on the above embodiments, as Figure 7As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present application further provides a network capability open device, which includes a processor 700, a memory 701, and a communication interface 702.

[0308] The processor 700 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing. The memory 701 can store the data used by the processor 700 when performing operations. The communication interface 702 is used for data communication between the processor 700 and the memory 701.

[0309] The processor 700 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor 700 may further include a hardware chip. The above hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The above PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof. The memory 701 may include various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disc.

[0310] The processor 700, the memory 701, and the communication interface 702 are interconnected with each other. Optionally, the processor 700, the memory 701, and the communication interface 702 may be interconnected through a bus 703; the bus 703 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the sake of representation, Figure 7 only a thick line is used to represent it in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0311] Among them, when the network capability open device is an AF, the processor 700 is configured to read the program in the memory 701 and execute the method flow executed by the AF as described in S200 to S213 as shown in Figure 2 ; or execute the method flow executed by the AF as described in S300 to S307 as shown in Figure 3 ; execute the method flow executed by the AF as described in S400 to S407 as shown in Figure 4 ; execute the method flow executed by the AF as described in S500 to S507 as shown in Figure 5 ; execute the method flow executed by the AF as described in S600 to S606 as shown in Figure 6 .

[0312] Among them, when the network capability open device is a NEF, the processor 700 is configured to read the program in the memory 701 and execute the method flow executed by the NEF as described in S200 to S213 as shown in Figure 2 ; or execute the method flow executed by the NEF as described in S300 to S307 as shown in Figure 3 ; execute the method flow executed by the NEF as described in S400 to S407 as shown in Figure 4 .

[0313] As Figure 8 shown, the present invention provides a network capability open device, which includes: at least one processing unit 800, at least one storage unit 801, and at least one communication unit 802. Among them, the communication unit 802 is configured to receive and send data under the control of the processing unit 800, and the storage unit 801 stores program codes.

[0314] Among them, in an optional manner of an embodiment of the present application, when the network capability open device is a NEF, when the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following processes:

[0315] To receive, through the communication unit 802, a first request from an application function network element, where the first request includes the address of a target terminal device; send the second request to a first network element through the communication unit 802, where the second request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system of the third-generation technology specification; receive the first identifier from the first network element through the communication unit 802;

[0316] Determine a second identifier for identifying the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system according to the first identifier; send the second identifier to the application function network element through the communication unit 802, where the second identifier is used to open the application programming interface corresponding to the second identifier.

[0317] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the network capability open device is the NEF. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to perform the following procedures:

[0318] It is used to receive, through the communication unit 802, a first request sent by an application function network element. The first request includes the address of a target terminal device and first information of the target terminal device; send a second request to a first network element. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; receive the first identifier from the first network element; send a third request to a second network element. The third request includes the first identifier and the first information, and the third request is used to instruct to save the first information.

[0319] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the network capability open device is the NEF. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to perform the following procedures:

[0320] It is used to receive, through the communication unit 802, a first request sent by an application function network element. The first request includes the address of a target terminal device, and the first request is used to request first information of the target terminal device from the 3GPP system of the third-generation technology specification; send a second request to a first network element through the communication unit 802. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; receive the first identifier from the first network element through the communication unit 802; send a third request to a second network element through the communication unit 802. The third request includes the first identifier, and the third request is used to request the first information.

[0321] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the network capability information open device is the AF. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to perform the following procedures:

[0322] It is used to send a first request to a first network element through the communication unit 802. The first request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the first request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; receive the first identifier from the first network element through the communication unit 802; send a second request to a second network element through the communication unit 802. The second request includes the first identifier and first information, and the second request is used to instruct to save the first information of the target terminal device.

[0323] In an optional implementation manner of the embodiment of the present application, the network capability open device is an AF. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following procedures:

[0324] It is used to send a first request to a first network element through the communication unit 802. The first request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the first request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system; receive the first identifier from the first network element through the communication unit 802; send a second request to a second network element through the communication unit 802. The second request includes the first identifier, and the second request is used to request the first information.

[0325] In an optional implementation manner of the embodiment of the present application, the network capability open device is an AF. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following procedures:

[0326] It is used to send a first request to the NEF through the communication unit 802. The first request contains the address of the target terminal device, and the first request is used to request a second identifier for identifying the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system; receive the second identifier from the NEF through the communication unit 802; send the second identifier to the EAS through the communication unit 802, and the second identifier is used to open the API interface corresponding to the second identifier.

[0327] In an optional implementation manner of the embodiment of the present application, the network capability open device is a UDM. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following procedures:

[0328] It is used to receive, through the communication unit 802, a request for obtaining a second identifier sent by the AF or the NEF. The request contains a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system, and the second identifier is used to identify the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system; determine the second identifier according to the correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier and the first identifier; feedback the second identifier to the AF or the NEF through the communication unit 802.

[0329] In an optional implementation manner of the embodiment of the present application, the network capability open device is a UDM. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following procedures:

[0330] For receiving, via the communication unit 802, a request sent by the AF or NEF for indicating to save first information of a target terminal device, the request including a first identifier of the target terminal device and the first information, where the first information is network capability opening information provided by the AF to the 3GPP system; and instructing a third network element to save the first information according to the request.

[0331] In an optional manner of an embodiment of the present application, the network capability opening device is a UDM. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following process:

[0332] For receiving, via the communication unit 802, a request sent by the AF or NEF for indicating that the AF requests to subscribe to or unsubscribe from first information in the 3GPP system, the request including a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system and the first information, where the first information is network capability opening information for indicating that the AF requests to subscribe to or unsubscribe from in the 3GPP system; and subscribing to or unsubscribing from the first information from a third network element according to the request.

[0333] In an optional manner of an embodiment of the present application, the network capability opening device is an NWDAF. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following process:

[0334] For receiving, via the communication unit 802, a request sent by the AF or NEF for indicating to save first information of a target terminal device, the request including a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system and the first information, where the first information is network capability opening information for indicating that the AF requests to subscribe to or unsubscribe from in the 3GPP system; and saving the first information according to the request.

[0335] In an optional manner of an embodiment of the present application, the network capability opening device is an NWDAF. When the program code is executed by the processing unit 800, the processing unit 800 is caused to execute the following process:

[0336] For receiving, via the communication unit 802, a request sent by the AF or NEF for indicating that the AF requests to subscribe to or unsubscribe from first information in the 3GPP system, the request including a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system and the first information, where the first information is network capability opening information for indicating that the AF requests to subscribe to or unsubscribe from in the 3GPP system; and subscribing to or unsubscribing from the first information according to the request.

[0337] The above Figure 8The functions of the communication unit 802 and the processing unit 800 shown can be executed by the processor 700 running a program in the memory 701, or can be executed by the processor 700 alone.

[0338] Figure 8 The communication transmission device shown can be the NEF network element in the above embodiments, or the chip in the NEF network element; or can be the AF network element in the above embodiments, or the chip in the AF network element; or can be the UDM network element in the above embodiments, or the chip in the UDM network element; or can be the NWDAF network element in the above embodiments, or the chip in the NWDAF network element.

[0339] In some possible implementation manners, various aspects of the network capability open method provided by the embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes program code. When the program code runs on a computer device, the program code is used to cause the computer device to execute the steps in the network capability open method according to various exemplary embodiments described in this specification.

[0340] The program product can adopt any combination of one or more readable media. The readable media can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of the readable storage medium include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0341] The program product for executing network capability open according to the embodiments of the present invention can adopt a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and can run on a server device. However, the program product of the present invention is not limited thereto. In this document, the readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in combination with a network capability open device or component.

[0342] A readable signal medium can include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which readable program code is carried. Such propagated data signals can take many forms, including - but not limited to - electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The readable signal medium can also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium that can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0343] The program code contained on the readable medium can be transmitted with any appropriate medium, including - but not limited to - wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0344] The program code for performing the operations of the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages - such as Java, C++, etc., and also including conventional procedural programming languages - such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, execute as a stand-alone software package, execute partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or execute entirely on the remote computing device or server. In the case of a remote computing device, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device through any type of network - including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) - or, alternatively, can be connected to an external computing device.

[0345] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium for the method of performing network capability openness for the NEF, that is, the content is not lost after power-off. The storage medium stores a software program including program code that, when the program code runs on a computing device, can implement any of the above network capability openness solutions when the software program is read and executed by one or more processors.

[0346] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium for the method of performing network capability openness for the AF, that is, the content is not lost after power-off. The storage medium stores a software program including program code that, when the program code runs on a computing device, can implement any of the above network capability openness solutions when the software program is read and executed by one or more processors.

[0347] The above description refers to block diagrams and / or flowcharts of methods, apparatuses (systems) and / or computer program products according to embodiments of the present application to describe the present application. It should be understood that one block of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, and / or other programmable data processing devices to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed via the computer processor and / or other programmable data processing devices create a method for implementing the functions / actions specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart blocks.

[0348] Accordingly, the present application can also be implemented by hardware and / or software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.). Further, the present application can take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium, which has computer-usable or computer-readable program code implemented in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. In the context of the present application, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, transmit, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0349] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and their embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the present application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application is also intended to include these changes and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for network capability open, characterized in that, comprising: The application function network element sends a first request to the network open function network element, and the first request includes the address of the target terminal device; The application function network element receives a second identifier from the network open function network element, and the second identifier is used to identify the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system of the third generation technology, and the second identifier is used to open the application programming interface corresponding to the second identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second identifier is the general public user identifier of the target terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The address of the target terminal device is the Internet protocol address or MAC address of the target terminal device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further comprises: The application function network element invokes the application programming interface provided by the network element within the 3GPP system according to the second identifier to obtain information related to the target terminal device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The application function network element sending the first request to the network open function network element includes: The application function network element receives a fifth request from the edge application server, and the fifth request includes the address of the target terminal device; The application function network element sends the first request to the network open function network element according to the fifth request.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first request further includes an identifier of the application, and the identifier of the application is used to: determine the second identifier corresponding to the identifier of the application among the identifiers corresponding to the address of the target terminal device and used to identify the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system.

7. A device for network capability open, characterized in that, comprising: One or more processors and a memory, and the processor is used to execute the program in the memory so that the device executes the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

8. A device for network capability open, characterized in that, comprising a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, comprising computer instructions, when the computer instructions run on a device for network capability open, the device for network capability open is made to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by a device for network capability open, the device for network capability open is made to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

11. A method for network capability open, characterized in that, comprising: The application function network element sends a first request to the network open function network element, and the first request includes the address of the target terminal device; The network exposure function network element receives the first request from the application function network element, and sends a second request to a first network element. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system of the third-generation technology; The network exposure function network element receives the first identifier from the first network element; The network exposure function network element determines a second identifier for identifying the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system according to the first identifier; The network exposure function network element sends the second identifier to the application function network element, and the second identifier is used to expose the application programming interface corresponding to the second identifier; The application function network element receives the second identifier from the network exposure function network element.

12. A communication system, characterized in that, it includes an application function network element and a network exposure function network element. The application function network element is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-6; the network exposure function network element is used to: Receive a first request from the application function network element; Send a second request to the first network element. The second request includes the address of the target terminal device, and the second request is used to request a first identifier for identifying the target terminal device within the 3GPP system of the third-generation technology; Receive the first identifier from the first network element; Determine a second identifier for identifying the target terminal device outside the 3GPP system according to the first identifier; Send the second identifier to the application function network element.

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