Communication method, communication node and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a communication method, a communication node and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: sending a second communication node discovery request message to a core network management function node according to an analysis data request message, and receiving a second communication node discovery response message sent by the core network management function node, the second communication node discovery response message comprises related information of at least one candidate second communication node; determining a second communication node from the at least one candidate second communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message, and sending the analysis data request message to the second communication node; an analysis data response message sent by the second communication node according to the analysis data request message is received, the analysis data response message comprises analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, for example, to a communication method, a communication node, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technologies, the opening of network capabilities has become an important trend for achieving a more flexible and efficient network architecture. In the fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology, abbreviated as 5G) network, the core network has already had relatively mature capabilities opening functions, which provide more flexible service deployment and innovation space for operators and third-party service providers.

[0003] However, with the advent of the next-generation mobile wireless network, the network architecture and application requirements will become more complex and diverse, and the existing core network capabilities opening functions may not fully meet the requirements of future mobile communication networks. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An embodiment of this application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first communication node. The method includes:

[0005] Sending a second communication node discovery request message to a core network management function node according to an analysis data request message, and receiving a second communication node discovery response message sent by the core network management function node; wherein, the second communication node discovery response message includes information related to at least one candidate second communication node;

[0006] Determining a second communication node from the at least one candidate second communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message, and sending the analysis data request message to the second communication node;

[0007] Receiving an analysis data response message sent by the second communication node according to the analysis data request message; wherein, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

[0008] An embodiment of this application provides a communication method, which is applied to a second communication node. The method includes:

[0009] Receiving an analysis data request message sent by a first communication node;

[0010] Obtaining the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message;

[0011] Send an analysis data response message to the first communication node; wherein, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node; wherein, the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

[0012] An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication method, which is applied to a second communication node. The method includes:

[0013] Receive an analysis data request message sent by an aggregation core network data analysis function node;

[0014] Obtain the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message;

[0015] Send an analysis data response message to the aggregation core network data analysis function node; wherein, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the second communication node is located on the access network side.

[0016] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication node, including: a processor; the processor is used to implement the communication method of any one of the above embodiments when executing a computer program.

[0017] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, storing a computer program, and the computer program implements the method of any one of the above embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0018] More descriptions about the above embodiments and other aspects of the present application and their implementation manners are provided in the accompanying drawings, the specific implementation manners, and the claims. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a networking schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0021] Figure 3 is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0022] Figure 4 is an interaction schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0023] Figure 5 is an interaction schematic diagram of another communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0024] Figure 6 is a flowchart of yet another communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0025] Figure 7It is an interaction schematic diagram of another communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0026] Figure 8 It is an interaction schematic diagram of yet another communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of a communication node provided by an embodiment. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not used to limit this application. The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The capability opening in 5G networks mainly focuses on the core network part. Through standardized interfaces and open platforms, it allows third parties to access and call certain network functions, thus providing possibilities for business innovation and service customization. However, with the discussion of the next-generation mobile wireless network, only opening the core network capabilities may not be sufficient to meet future complex requirements. Future mobile communication networks, for example, the 6th Generation Mobile Communication Technology (6G) network, are expected to achieve major breakthroughs in aspects such as ultra-high speed, ultra-low latency, massive connections, and intelligence, which means that the capabilities of the Radio Access Network (RAN) will also become crucial.

[0030] Therefore, future mobile communication networks not only need to continue to open core network capabilities but also need to further open more RAN capabilities. Opening RAN capabilities will help achieve more flexible network management, more efficient resource scheduling, and more intelligent service delivery. Especially in future mobile communication networks, the network will carry more vertical industry applications such as autonomous driving, intelligent manufacturing, and remote medical treatment. These applications have extremely high requirements for network real-time performance, reliability, and customization, and it is difficult to meet them solely with the open capabilities of the core network.

[0031] Therefore, researching the architecture and interaction process that support RAN capability opening has become a key topic in the architecture design of future mobile communication networks. By opening RAN capabilities, operators can achieve more refined network control, and third-party developers can also develop more innovative applications and services based on these capabilities. In addition, opening RAN may also promote the interoperability of multi-vendor devices, break the monopoly of traditional single vendors, and drive the prosperity and development of the entire communication ecosystem.

[0032] This embodiment provides a communication method, a communication node, and a storage medium that support RAN capability opening.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a networking schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment. As Figure 1 shown, to support the RAN-side capability / data openness, a first communication node and a second communication node are defined on the RAN side. Among them, the first communication node is a functional module for openness, and the second communication node is a functional module for analysis. The first communication node and the second communication node are mounted on the core network bus. They are uniformly managed by the core network management function node in the core network, including operations such as registration, discovery, and status monitoring of the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0034] Based on the following Figure 1 networking method shown, from the three perspectives of the first communication node, the second communication node, and the interaction of each communication node, the communication method, communication node, and their technical effects provided by this embodiment are described.

[0035] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment. The method provided by this embodiment is applied to the Figure 1 first communication node in. As Figure 2 shown, the communication method provided by this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0036] Step 201: According to the analysis data request message, send a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node, and receive the second communication node discovery response message sent by the core network management function node.

[0037] Among them, the second communication node discovery response message includes the relevant information of at least one candidate second communication node.

[0038] To facilitate the understanding of the solution of this embodiment, the registration processes of the first communication node and the second communication node are described below first.

[0039] In one embodiment, the first communication node can be registered to the core network management function node. The registration process is as follows: The first communication node sends a registration request message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegisterRequest) to the core network management function node. Among them, the registration request message includes the configuration file of the first communication node; the core network management function node saves the configuration file of the first communication node and sends a registration response message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegisterResponse) to the first communication node. The registration response message includes the registration result. The registration result is used to indicate whether the registration of the first communication node is successful. During the subsequent discovery process of the first communication node, the core network management function node can recommend a suitable first communication node for the Consumer according to the configuration file of the first communication node.

[0040] Optionally, the configuration file of the first communication node is provided by the operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) on the access network side and saved in the first communication node. The configuration file of the first communication node includes at least one of the following: basic information of the first communication node, service area information of the first communication node, and data source information of the first communication node.

[0041] Among them, the basic information of the first communication node includes the identifier of the first communication node (for example, the first communication node instance ID).

[0042] The service area information of the first communication node includes at least one of the following: location information of the first communication node, service area information of the first communication node, such as a tracking area identity list (TAIlist), a radio access network node identifier list (RAN Node ID List), a cell ID list, a geographical coordinate area description, etc.

[0043] The data source information includes at least one of the following: data source types supported by the first communication node: list from which network entities the first communication node can collect data, for example, collect data from RAN nodes (such as eNodeB / gNodeB), collect data from the operation and maintenance management (RAN OAM) system of the radio access network, directly report data from user equipment (UE), collect data from the second communication node, etc.; metadata providing capabilities: provide attributes such as the source, timestamp, and format of the data.

[0044] In one embodiment, the second communication node may register with the core network management function node. The registration process is as follows: The second communication node sends a registration request message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegisterRequest) to the core network management function node. The registration request message includes the configuration file of the second communication node. The core network management function node saves the configuration file of the second communication node and sends a registration response message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegisterResponse) to the second communication node. The registration response message includes the registration result. The registration result is used to indicate whether the registration of the second communication node is successful. During the subsequent discovery process of the second communication node, the core network management function node may recommend a suitable second communication node to the consumer according to the configuration file of the second communication node. The specific content included in the configuration file of the second communication node will be described in detail in the embodiments executed by the second communication node.

[0045] The following describes the discovery processes of the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0046] In one embodiment, the core network management function node may perform the discovery process of the first communication node. When a consumer needs to discover a first communication node that meets the requirements, a first communication node discovery request message needs to be sent to the core network management function node. The core network management function node recommends one or more suitable first communication nodes to the consumer according to the saved configuration file of the first communication node and the preference information in the discovery request message.

[0047] The specific discovery process is as follows: The consumer sends a first communication node discovery request message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to the core network management function node. The preference information of the first communication node needs to be included in the request message. The core network management function node selects one or more suitable first communication nodes according to the saved configuration file of the first communication node and the preference information in the discovery request message, and sends a discovery response message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Response) to the consumer. The response message may include the list of first communication nodes recommended by the core network management function node and the corresponding configuration files.

[0048] Optionally, the preference information of the first communication node includes at least one of the following: the location information of the preferred first communication node; the preferred service area, such as TAI list, RAN Node ID List, Cell ID List, geographical coordinate area description, etc.; whether metadata provision is required.

[0049] In one embodiment, the core network management function node may perform the discovery process of the second communication node. When a consumer needs to discover a second communication node that meets the requirements, a second communication node discovery request needs to be sent to the core network management function node. The core network management function node recommends one or more suitable second communication nodes to the consumer based on the saved configuration file of the second communication node and the preference information in the request.

[0050] The specific discovery process is as follows: The consumer sends a second communication node discovery request message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to the core network management function node. The second communication node preference information needs to be included in this request message, and the specific content of the second communication node preference information will be described in detail later; The core network management function node selects one or more suitable second communication nodes based on the saved configuration file of the second communication node and the preference information in the discovery request message, and sends a discovery response message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Response) to the consumer. The response message may include a list of second communication nodes recommended by the core network management function node and the corresponding configuration files.

[0051] The analysis data request message in this embodiment may be a message received by the first communication node from other communication nodes or a message received from the consumer. The consumer in this embodiment refers to a third-party application.

[0052] In one embodiment, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sending end, the identifier of the receiving end, the analysis event description, and the description of the application or service.

[0053] Among them, the analysis event description includes at least one of the following: the analysis event identifier and the analysis report characteristics.

[0054] Optionally, the analysis report characteristics include at least one of the following: service context, reporting period, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, trigger reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, artificial intelligence (AI) capability usage requirement.

[0055] In one embodiment, the second communication node discovery request message includes second communication node preference information. The first communication node may generate the second communication node preference information based on the analysis data request message.

[0056] Optionally, the second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following:

[0057] Type of the preferred second communication node: Whether it is necessary to support RAN-side analysis aggregation;

[0058] Required analysis events: RAN-side analysis events that the consumer needs to request;

[0059] Lower bound of analysis latency: The lower bound of analysis latency that the analysis events requested by the consumer need to meet;

[0060] Lower bound of analysis accuracy: The lower bound of accuracy that the analysis events requested by the consumer need to meet;

[0061] Whether metadata provision is required;

[0062] Whether a second communication node that prefers to use green computing technology is preferred, where green computing in this embodiment refers to computing implemented using green energy;

[0063] Stability of the preferred second communication node: Whether a second communication node with high stability is preferred;

[0064] Whether a second communication node with fault recovery ability is preferred;

[0065] Whether a second communication node that supports redundant deployment is preferred;

[0066] Service area to be analyzed: Such as TAI list, RAN Node ID List, Cell ID List, geographical coordinate area description;

[0067] Cell types to be analyzed: Such as macro cell, micro cell or indoor cell;

[0068] Network slice information to be analyzed: Such as Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (abbreviated as: S-NSSAI);

[0069] Whether AI capabilities are required: Such as whether it is necessary to support the training and deployment of machine learning (abbreviated as: ML) models, whether it supports ML model accuracy detection, and whether it is necessary to support federated learning;

[0070] Analysis performance preference information: The lower bound of analysis accuracy and the lower bound of the preferred task response time preferred by the consumer.

[0071] Optionally, in this embodiment, after receiving the second communication node discovery request message, the core network management function node determines the second communication node discovery response message according to the saved configuration file of the second communication node and in combination with the second communication node preference information in the second communication node discovery request message. Among them, the second communication node discovery response message includes the relevant information of at least one candidate second communication node. In this embodiment, the relevant information of the candidate second communication node includes: the identifier of the candidate second communication node and the configuration file of the candidate second communication node. The core network management function node sends the second communication node discovery response message to the first communication node.

[0072] Optionally, the analysis event in this embodiment refers to the analysis event on the RAN side. The analysis event can also be called an analysis task. Table 1 shows the information of some optional analysis events.

[0073] Table 1 Information table of analysis events

[0074]

[0075]

[0076]

[0077] Step 202: Determine the second communication node from at least one candidate second communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message, and send an analysis data request message to the second communication node.

[0078] The first communication node determines a suitable second communication node from at least one candidate second communication node, and sends an analysis data request message to the second communication node.

[0079] After receiving the analysis data request message, the second communication node performs relevant analysis tasks and replies with an analysis data response message to the first communication node.

[0080] Step 203: Receive the analysis data response message sent by the second communication node according to the analysis data request message.

[0081] Among them, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node. The first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

[0082] Optionally, the analysis data response message further includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sending end, the identifier of the receiving end, the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data of the second communication node.

[0083] Optionally, the first communication node can send the analysis data of the second communication node to the consumer.

[0084] The communication method provided in this embodiment realizes that the first communication node selects a suitable second communication node from candidate second communication nodes through the interaction process of the first communication node, the second communication node, and the core network management function node, sends an analysis data request message to the second communication node, and finally obtains the analysis data of the second communication node, thereby realizing the network capability opening function on the radio access network side to meet the requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0085] The following describes in detail the communication method executed by the first communication node in combination with a scenario that requires aggregated analysis. In some scenarios, it is necessary to perform aggregated analysis by combining core network side information and RAN side information. For example, to further ensure new services, such as the service continuity of services like Extended Reality (XR), Augmented Reality (AR), or Virtual Reality (VR), a third-party application can combine the routing information provided by the core network side, the UE location and mobility prediction information provided by the RAN side, and predict the changes in the Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) to which the UE is connected. According to the prediction results, the required service information is pre-stored in the predicted MEC node to reduce the transmission path of new services and improve the user experience.

[0086] In this scenario, if the analysis task requested by the consumer through the first communication node requires the analysis data opened by the core network and the RAN side to be aggregated and analyzed together, then a certain second communication node needs to aggregate the data of other core network data analysis function nodes and the second communication node.

[0087] In this scenario, the second communication node is an aggregating second communication node. The analysis data of the second communication node is the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregating second communication node. The comprehensive analysis result is the result generated by the aggregating second communication node based on the analysis data of the collaborating core network data analysis function node and the analysis data of the collaborating second communication node. It can be understood that based on this implementation method, the analysis data response message sent by the aggregating second communication node includes the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregating second communication node.

[0088] Optionally, the comprehensive analysis result can be the result generated by the aggregating second communication node based on the analysis data of the collaborating core network data analysis function node, the analysis data of the collaborating second communication node, and the analysis data of the aggregating second communication node.

[0089] The analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node is the data generated after the collaborative core network data analysis function node receives the analysis data request message sent by the aggregation second communication node. The analysis data of the collaborative second communication node is the data generated after the collaborative second communication node receives the analysis data request message sent by the aggregation second communication node.

[0090] There are two different implementation methods for selecting the collaborative second communication node and the collaborative core network data analysis function node in the scenario that requires aggregated analysis.

[0091] In the first implementation method of the scenario that requires aggregated analysis, the first communication node determines the collaborative second communication node and the collaborative core network data analysis function node. In this implementation method, the communication method provided in this embodiment further includes the following steps: receiving the analysis data request message sent by the consumer; according to the analysis data request message, sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node; receiving the core network data analysis function node discovery response message feedback by the core network management function node according to the core network data analysis function node discovery request message; determining the collaborative core network data analysis function node according to the core network data analysis function node discovery response message; determining the collaborative second communication node from at least one candidate second communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message; sending the relevant information of the collaborative core network data analysis function node and the relevant information of the collaborative second communication node to the aggregation second communication node.

[0092] In the second implementation method of the scenario that requires aggregated analysis, the aggregation second communication node determines the collaborative second communication node and the collaborative core network data analysis function node. In this implementation method, the collaborative core network data analysis function node is the node determined by the aggregation second communication node according to the analysis data request message, sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node, and then according to the core network data analysis function node discovery response message feedback by the core network management function node. The collaborative second communication node is the node determined by the aggregation second communication node according to the analysis data request message, sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node, and then according to the second communication node discovery response message feedback by the core network management function node.

[0093] Optionally, the core network data analysis function node discovery request message involved in this scenario includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, the description of the application or service, and the analysis event description.

[0094] Figure 3 It is a schematic flow chart of another communication method provided by an embodiment. The method provided by this embodiment is applied to Figure 1The second communication node in. As Figure 3 shown, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0095] Step 301: Receive the analysis data request message sent by the first communication node.

[0096] To facilitate understanding of the solution of this embodiment, the registration process of the second communication node is first described below.

[0097] In one embodiment, the second communication node can be registered to the core network management function node. The registration process is as follows: The second communication node sends a registration request message to the core network management function node, where the registration request message includes the configuration file of the second communication node; the core network management function node saves the configuration file of the second communication node and sends a registration response message to the second communication node, and the registration response message includes the registration result. The registration result is used to indicate whether the registration of the second communication node is successful.

[0098] Optionally, the configuration file of the second communication node is provided by the access network side OAM. The configuration file of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: the basic information of the second communication node, the analysis function description of the second communication node, the service area of the second communication node, the data source information of the second communication node, the AI capability of the second communication node, and the historical analysis performance of the second communication node.

[0099] Among them, the basic information of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the second communication node (for example, the instance ID of the second communication node); the type of the second communication node: only supporting RAN side analysis, only supporting RAN side analysis aggregation, or supporting cross-layer analysis aggregation (including combining core network analysis and supporting full-link analysis from RAN to core network).

[0100] The analysis function description of the second communication node includes at least one of the following:

[0101] The analysis event identifier supported by the second communication node: list the identifiers of the analysis events supported by this second communication node;

[0102] For different analysis events, the analysis delay of the second communication node: describe the time delay required for different analysis events, including the time for data collection and analysis result generation;

[0103] Precision of the analysis function of the second communication node for different analysis events: For different analysis events (such as signal strength assessment, user experience analysis, classification tasks, etc.), there are different precision parameters (common measurement criteria include error range, mean square error, root mean square error, relative error). This parameter quantifies the difference between the analysis results of the second communication node and the true value, helping consumers evaluate the reliability of the second communication node and select a second communication node that suits their needs;

[0104] Metadata provision ability of the second communication node: Provide attributes such as the source, timestamp, format, etc. of the data;

[0105] Capacity load information of the second communication node: Describe the processing capacity of the second communication node (such as the number of analysis tasks that can be processed per second), current load information (such as the number of ongoing analysis tasks, CPU usage, or memory usage), available computing resources, storage resources, etc., to help consumers select a second communication node with a lower load;

[0106] Green computing support information of the second communication node: If the second communication node uses green computing technology, this parameter can be indicated to help consumers consider energy efficiency factors when selecting a second communication node;

[0107] Fault recovery time of the second communication node: Describe the expected recovery time of the second communication node when a fault occurs, helping consumers evaluate the stability and availability of the system;

[0108] Fault recovery function of the second communication node: Describe whether the second communication node has a fault recovery ability, including an automatic failover mechanism in case of hardware or software failures;

[0109] Redundant deployment information of the second communication node: Describe whether the second communication node supports multiple redundant deployments to ensure that analysis tasks can run normally at any time. This is particularly important for tasks with high availability requirements.

[0110] The service area of the second communication node includes at least one of the following:

[0111] Service area information of the second communication node: Describe in detail the geographical area or cell range covered by the second communication node, usually represented in the form of TAI, cell identifier (Cell ID), or location coordinates;

[0112] Cell types supported by the second communication node for analysis: Describe the cell types supported by the second communication node for analysis, such as macro cells, micro cells, or indoor cells;

[0113] Network slices supported by the second communication node for analysis: List the network slice identifiers S-NSSAI supported by the second communication node. This helps consumers select the second communication node suitable for a specific network slice.

[0114] Data source information of the second communication node includes: Data source types supported by the first communication node: List from which network entities the second communication node can collect data. For example, collect data from RAN nodes, collect data from the operation and maintenance management (RAN OAM) system of the radio access network, and the user equipment (User Equipment, abbreviated as UE) directly reports data, etc.

[0115] The AI capabilities of the second communication node include at least one of the following: ML support information: Describe whether the second communication node supports the training and deployment of ML models; ML model accuracy monitoring capability: The ML model accuracy monitoring capability refers to whether the second communication node can monitor the accuracy of machine learning models and the accuracy of analysis tasks; Federated Learning (abbreviated as FL) support information: Describe whether the second communication node supports federated learning.

[0116] The historical analysis performance of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: Historical accuracy of the second communication node: Describe the accuracy of the second communication node when performing similar analysis tasks in the past. Consumers can judge the reliability of the second communication node based on this information; Historical response time of the second communication node: Record the average response time of the second communication node when performing analysis tasks in the past to help consumers select a second communication node with a faster response speed.

[0117] Optionally, the analysis data request message in this embodiment includes at least one of the following: Identifier of the sender, identifier of the receiver, description of the analysis event, description of the application or service.

[0118] Among them, the analysis event description includes at least one of the following: Analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics.

[0119] Analysis report characteristics include at least one of the following: Business context, reporting period, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, trigger reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area, analysis cell type, list of UEs associated with the analysis, AI capability usage requirement.

[0120] Step 302: Obtain the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message.

[0121] Step 303: Send an analysis data response message to the first communication node.

[0122] Among them, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node. The first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

[0123] Optionally, the analysis data response message further includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sending end, the identifier of the receiving end, the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data of the second communication node.

[0124] In the communication method provided in this embodiment, the second communication node receives the analysis data request message sent by the first communication node, obtains the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message, and sends the analysis data response message to the first communication node. Among them, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, thereby realizing the network capability open function on the radio access network side, and further meeting the requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0125] Corresponding to Figure 2 In the scenario that needs to aggregate analysis in the illustrated embodiment and various optional implementation manners, the second communication node is an aggregation second communication node. The analysis data of the second communication node is the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregation second communication node.

[0126] Correspondingly, the implementation process of step 302 may include the following steps: sending an analysis data request message to the collaborative second communication node and receiving the analysis data of the collaborative second communication node, where the analysis data of the collaborative second communication node is the data generated by the collaborative second communication node after receiving the analysis data request message; sending an analysis data request message to the collaborative core network data analysis function node and receiving the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node, where the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node is the data generated by the collaborative core network data analysis function node after receiving the analysis data request message; generating a comprehensive analysis result according to the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node and the analysis data of the collaborative second communication node.

[0127] Optionally, the aggregation second communication node may generate a comprehensive analysis result according to the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node, the analysis data of the collaborative second communication node, and the analysis data of the aggregation second communication node itself.

[0128] For the first implementation manner corresponding to the scenario that requires aggregated analysis, the first communication node determines the core network data analysis function node for cooperation and the second communication node for cooperation. The core network data analysis function node for cooperation is the node determined by the first communication node according to the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message. The second communication node for cooperation is the node determined by the first communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message. Correspondingly, the method further includes the following steps: receiving the relevant information of the core network data analysis function node for cooperation and the relevant information of the second communication node for cooperation sent by the first communication node.

[0129] For the second implementation manner corresponding to the scenario that requires aggregated analysis, the aggregated second communication node determines the core network data analysis function node for cooperation and the second communication node for cooperation. Correspondingly, the communication method further includes the following steps: sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message and a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message; determining the core network data analysis function node for cooperation according to the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node; determining the second communication node for cooperation according to the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node.

[0130] In one embodiment, the second communication node discovery request message includes second communication node preference information.

[0131] Optionally, the second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following:

[0132] Type of the preferred second communication node: whether it is required to support RAN-side analysis aggregation;

[0133] Required analysis events: RAN-side analysis events requested by the consumer;

[0134] Lower limit of analysis delay: the lower limit of analysis delay required for the analysis events requested by the consumer;

[0135] Lower limit of analysis accuracy: the lower limit of accuracy required for the analysis events requested by the consumer;

[0136] Whether metadata provision is required;

[0137] Whether to prefer a second communication node using green computing technology, where green computing in this embodiment refers to computing implemented using green energy;

[0138] Stability of the preferred second communication node: Whether to prefer a second communication node with high stability;

[0139] Whether to prefer a second communication node with fault recovery ability;

[0140] Whether to prefer a second communication node that supports redundant deployment;

[0141] Service area to be analyzed: Such as TAI list, RAN Node ID List, Cell ID List, geographical coordinate area description;

[0142] Cell types to be analyzed: Such as macro cell, micro cell or indoor cell;

[0143] Network slice information to be analyzed: Such as S-NSSAI;

[0144] Whether AI capabilities are required: Such as whether to support the training and deployment of ML models, whether to support the accuracy detection of ML models, and whether to support federated learning;

[0145] Analysis performance preference information: The lower limit of the analysis accuracy and the lower limit of the task response time preferred by the consumer.

[0146] The second communication node discovery response message involved in the above process is the message determined by the core network management function node according to the configuration file and the analysis data request message.

[0147] The following describes the communication method provided in this embodiment from the perspective of the interaction between the first communication node, the second communication node, and each node in the core network. The following takes the first communication node as the Radio Access Network Exposure Function (REF for short), the second communication node as the Radio Access Network Data Analysis Function (RANDAF for short), the core network exposure function node as the existing NEF in the core network, the core network management function node as the existing NRF in the core network, and the core network data analysis function node as the existing NWDAF in the core network as an example for illustration. In the following embodiments, the analysis data request message can also be described as an analysis subscription request, or the analysis subscription request includes the analysis data request message.

[0148] Figure 4 It is an interaction diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to the first implementation manner of the above scenario that requires aggregated analysis, that is, REF determines the aggregated RANDAF, the collaborative NWDAF, and the collaborative RANDAF. As Figure 4 shown, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0149] Step 401: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to the REF.

[0150] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, list of associated UEs for analysis, AI capability usage requirement, etc.).

[0151] Step 402: The REF replies with an analysis subscription response message to the consumer, informing the subscription result (success or failure).

[0152] Step 403: The REF sends a NWDAF discovery request message and a RANDAF discovery request message to the NRF.

[0153] Optionally, the RANDAF discovery request message carries preference information, which is used to indicate a request for a RANDAF with aggregated NWDAF and RANDAF capabilities.

[0154] Step 404: The NRF, based on the saved configuration files of NWDAF and RANDAF, combines the NWDAF discovery request message and the RANDAF discovery request message, and replies with a NWDAF discovery response message to the REF. The NWDAF discovery response message contains one or more recommended NWDAFs. It replies with a RANDAF discovery response message to the REF. The RANDAF discovery response message includes one or more recommended RANDAFs. These one or more RANDAFs contain a list of candidate aggregated RANDAFs and a list of candidate other collaborating RANDAFs.

[0155] Optionally, the NWDAF discovery response message may also include the configuration files of one or more recommended NWDAFs. The RANDAF discovery response message may also include the configuration files of one or more recommended RANDAFs.

[0156] Step 405: The REF combines the analysis request message, the NWDAF discovery response message, and the RANDAF discovery response message to select an aggregated RANDAF, as well as the collaborating NWDAFs and collaborating RANDAFs that need to obtain the analysis data.

[0157] Step 406: The REF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregated RANDAF.

[0158] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; description of the analysis task that the aggregated RANDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, list of associated UEs, AI capability usage requirement, etc.); NWDAF id and RANDAF id of the collaboration expected to obtain the analysis data and the associated analysis task description (such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics, etc.).

[0159] Step 407: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the REF, informing the subscription result (success or failure).

[0160] Step 408: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis data request message to the collaborating NWDAF and the collaborating RANDAF according to the analysis data request message sent by the REF.

[0161] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; aggregated RANDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, list of associated UEs, AI capability usage requirement, etc.).

[0162] Step 409: Each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF send an analysis subscription response message to the aggregated RANDAF, informing the subscription result.

[0163] Step 410: When the analysis task is completed, each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF send an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregated RANDAF.

[0164] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may contain the following content: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and analysis result description.

[0165] Step 411: The aggregating RANDAF aggregates the analysis results reported by each collaborating NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each collaborating RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0166] Step 412: The aggregating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the REF and sends the comprehensive analysis result to the REF.

[0167] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may include the following content: consumer identifier, aggregating RANDAF id, and analysis result description. The analysis subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analysis data response message in the foregoing embodiment.

[0168] Step 413: The REF sends the analysis subscription notification message to the consumer to forward the comprehensive analysis result to the consumer.

[0169] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may include the following content: consumer identifier, REF id, and analysis result description.

[0170] Figure 5 It is an interaction diagram of another communication method provided by an embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to the second implementation manner of the above scenario that requires aggregated analysis, that is, the REF is responsible for selecting the aggregating RANDAF, and then the aggregating RANDAF determines the collaborating NWDAF and the collaborating RANDAF. As Figure 5 shown, the communication method provided by this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0171] Step 501: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to the REF.

[0172] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (for example, analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis delay requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, trigger reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirement, etc.).

[0173] Step 502: The REF replies to the consumer with an analysis subscription response message to inform the subscription result (success or failure).

[0174] Step 503: The REF sends a RANDAF discovery request message to the NRF.

[0175] Optionally, the RANDAF discovery request message may include second communication node preference information. The RANDAF discovery request message may also include at least one of the following: consumer identifier, REF id, application or service description, analysis task description, and preference for a RANDAF with aggregated NWDAF and RANDAF capabilities. The content of the analysis task description is as shown in the foregoing embodiments and will not be elaborated here.

[0176] Step 504: The NRF, based on the saved configuration file of the RANDAF and in combination with the RANDAF discovery request message, replies with a RANDAF discovery response message to the REF.

[0177] The RANDAF discovery response message contains one or more recommended RANDAFs and their configuration files.

[0178] Step 505: The REF, in combination with the analysis request message and the RANDAF discovery response message sent by the NRF, selects an aggregated RANDAF.

[0179] Step 506: The REF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregated RANDAF.

[0180] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as service context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description that the aggregated RANDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis-associated UE list, AI capability usage requirement, etc.).

[0181] Step 507: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the REF to inform the subscription result.

[0182] Step 508: The aggregated RANDAF, based on the analysis data request message sent by the REF, sends a NWDAF discovery request message and a RANDAF discovery request message to the NRF to obtain candidate cooperative NWDAFs and cooperative RANDAFs.

[0183] Optionally, the NWDAF discovery request message and the RANDAF discovery request message include at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; aggregated RANDAF id; application or service description; analysis task description.

[0184] Optionally, the RANDAF discovery request message may also include RANDAF preference information.

[0185] Step 509: The NRF sends a NWDAF discovery response message to the aggregated RANDAF and sends a RANDAF discovery response message to the aggregated RANDAF.

[0186] Among them, the NWDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate NWDAFs and their profiles. The RANDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate RANDAFs and their profiles.

[0187] Step 510: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis data request message to the selected cooperative NWDAF and cooperative RANDAF according to the analysis data request message sent by the REF.

[0188] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; aggregated RANDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics.

[0189] Step 511: Each cooperative NWDAF and each cooperative RANDAF send an analysis subscription response message to the aggregated RANDAF to inform the subscription result this time.

[0190] Step 512: When the analysis task is completed, each cooperative NWDAF and each cooperative RANDAF send an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregated RANDAF.

[0191] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may contain the following content: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and analysis result description.

[0192] Step 513: The aggregated RANDAF aggregates the analysis results reported by each cooperative NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each cooperative RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0193] Step 514: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the REF and sends the comprehensive analysis result to the REF.

[0194] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may contain the following content: consumer identifier, aggregated RANDAF id, and analysis result description. The analysis subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analysis data response message in the foregoing embodiment.

[0195] Step 515: REF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the consumer to forward the comprehensive analysis result to the consumer.

[0196] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may include the following content: consumer identifier, REF id, and analysis result description.

[0197] The above implementation enables the consumer to obtain the aggregated comprehensive analysis results from the core network side and the RAN side through REF, further meeting the service requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0198] This embodiment also provides the following communication method. Figure 6 It is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment. The method provided by this embodiment is applied to Figure 1 the second communication node in Figure 3 The differences between this embodiment and the embodiments and various optional implementation manners shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the embodiments shown, it is the consumer who sends an analysis data request message to the first communication node; Figure 6 In the embodiment shown, it is the consumer who sends an analysis data request message to the core network open function node to obtain the analysis data of the RAN side through the core network open function node. And this embodiment involves the scenario of aggregated analysis of core network side information and RAN side information. As Figure 6 shown, the communication method provided by this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0199] Step 601: Receive an analysis data request message sent by the aggregated core network data analysis function node.

[0200] In this embodiment, the second communication node can be registered to the core network management function node. The registration process and the configuration file of the second communication node are similar to those of the foregoing embodiments and will not be elaborated here.

[0201] In this embodiment, the discovery process of the second communication node can be executed by the core network management function node. The content and process of the second communication node discovery request message are similar to those of the foregoing embodiments and will not be elaborated here.

[0202] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: identifier of the sending end, identifier of the receiving end, analysis event description, description of the application or service.

[0203] Among them, the analysis event description includes at least one of the following: analysis event identifier and analysis report feature.

[0204] The analysis report features include at least one of the following: service context, reporting period, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, trigger reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area, analysis cell type, list of UEs associated with the analysis, AI capability usage requirement.

[0205] If the analysis task requested by the consumer through the core network open function node requires the aggregation of core network and RAN-side open analysis data for unified analysis and processing, then a certain core network data analysis function node needs to aggregate the data of other collaborating core network data analysis function nodes and the second communication node.

[0206] Optionally, the analysis data request message is a message sent by the consumer to the core network open function node and then sent by the core network open function node to the aggregated core network data analysis function node. The aggregated core network data analysis function node in this embodiment is determined by the core network open function node sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node and then according to the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node.

[0207] Step 602: Obtain the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message.

[0208] Step 603: Send an analysis data response message to the aggregated core network data analysis function node.

[0209] Among them, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the second communication node is located on the access network side.

[0210] Optionally, the analysis data response message in this embodiment further includes at least one of the following: identifier of the sending end, identifier of the receiving end, cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

[0211] After receiving the analysis data response message, the aggregated core network data analysis function node can aggregate the analysis data of the second communication node and the analysis data of the collaborating core network data analysis function nodes to obtain a comprehensive analysis result. Optionally, the aggregated core network data analysis function node can aggregate the analysis data of the second communication node, the analysis data of the collaborating core network data analysis function nodes, and the analysis data of the aggregated core network data analysis function node itself to obtain a comprehensive analysis result.

[0212] The communication method provided in this embodiment receives an analysis data request message sent by an aggregated core network data analysis function node through a second communication node, obtains the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message, and sends an analysis data response message to the aggregated core network data analysis function node, where the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, thereby implementing the network capability opening function on the radio access network side and further meeting the requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0213] Optionally, based on Figure 6 the embodiments shown and various optional implementation manners, in the first implementation manner, the second communication node is a node determined by the core network open function node according to the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message. The core network open function node is further configured to send the related information of the second communication node to the aggregated core network data analysis function node.

[0214] Optionally, based on Figure 6 the embodiments shown and various optional implementation manners, in the second implementation manner, the second communication node is a node determined by the aggregated core network data analysis function node according to the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message.

[0215] The following describes the communication method provided in this embodiment from the perspective of the interaction between the second communication node and each node in the core network. The following takes the second communication node as RANDAF, the core network open function node as the existing NEF in the core network, the core network management function node as the existing NRF in the core network, and the core network data analysis function node as the existing NWDAF in the core network as an example for illustration. In the following embodiments, the analysis data request message may also be described as an analysis subscription request, or the analysis subscription request includes the analysis data request message.

[0216] Figure 7 is an interaction schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to Figure 6 the first implementation manner in the embodiments shown, that is, the process of determining RANDAF by NEF. In this implementation manner, NEF can further determine the aggregated NWDAF and the collaborative NWDAF. As Figure 7 shown, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0217] Step 701: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to NEF.

[0218] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, list of associated UEs for analysis, AI capability usage requirement, etc.).

[0219] Step 702: The NEF replies with an analysis subscription response message to the consumer, informing the result of this subscription (success or failure).

[0220] Step 703: The NEF sends a NWDAF discovery request message and a RANDAF discovery request message to the NRF.

[0221] Optionally, preference information is carried in the NWDAF discovery request message, and this preference information is used to indicate a request for a NWDAF with aggregated NWDAF and RANDAF capabilities.

[0222] Step 704: The NRF, based on the saved configuration files of NWDAF and RANDAF, combines the NWDAF discovery request message and the RANDAF discovery request message, and replies with a NWDAF discovery response message and a RANDAF discovery response message to the NEF.

[0223] Among them, the NWDAF discovery response message contains one or more recommended aggregated NWDAFs, other collaborating NWDAFs and their configuration files. The RANDAF discovery response message includes one or more recommended other collaborating RANDAFs and their configuration files.

[0224] Step 705: The NEF combines the analysis request message, the NWDAF discovery response message, and the RANDAF discovery response message to select an aggregated NWDAF, as well as collaborating NWDAFs and collaborating RANDAFs that need to obtain analysis data.

[0225] It should be noted that the collaborating RANDAF determined here is Figure 6 the second communication node in the illustrated embodiment.

[0226] Step 706: The NEF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0227] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; description of the analysis task that the aggregated NWDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, precision requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, list of associated UEs, AI capability usage requirement, etc.); NWDAF id and associated RANDAF id of the collaboration expected to obtain the analysis data, and the associated analysis task description (such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics, etc.).

[0228] Step 707: The aggregated NWDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the NEF to inform the result of this subscription (success or failure).

[0229] Step 708: The aggregated NWDAF sends an analysis data request message to the collaborating NWDAF and the collaborating RANDAF according to the analysis data request message sent by the NEF.

[0230] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; aggregated NWDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics, etc.

[0231] Step 709: Each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF send an analysis subscription response message to the aggregated NWDAF to inform the result of this subscription.

[0232] The analysis subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analysis data response message in the foregoing embodiment.

[0233] Step 710: When the analysis task is completed, each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF send an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0234] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may contain the following content: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and analysis result description.

[0235] Step 711: The aggregated NWDAF aggregates the analysis results reported by each collaborating NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each collaborating RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0236] Step 712: The aggregating NWDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the NEF and sends the comprehensive analysis result to the NEF.

[0237] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, aggregating NWDAF id, and analysis result description.

[0238] Step 713: The NEF sends the analysis subscription notification message to the consumer to forward the comprehensive analysis result to the consumer.

[0239] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, NEF id, and analysis result description.

[0240] Figure 8 It is an interaction schematic diagram of another communication method provided by an embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to Figure 6 the second implementation manner in the shown embodiment, that is, the process of the aggregating NWDAF determining the RANDAF. In this implementation manner, the NEF selects the aggregating NWDAF, and then the aggregating NWDAF determines the collaborating RANDAF and the collaborating NWDAF. As Figure 8 shown, the communication method provided by this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0241] Step 801: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to the NEF.

[0242] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as service context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (for example, analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis delay requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting condition, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirement, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirement, etc.).

[0243] Step 802: The NEF replies with an analysis subscription response message to the consumer, informing the subscription result (success or failure).

[0244] Step 803: The NEF sends a NWDAF discovery request message to the NRF.

[0245] Optionally, the NWDAF discovery request message may include at least one of the following: consumer identifier, NEF id, application or service description, analysis task description, and preference for a NWDAF with aggregating NWDAF and RANDAF capabilities. The content of the analysis task description is as shown in the foregoing embodiment and will not be elaborated here.

[0246] Step 804: Based on the saved NWDAF configuration file and combined with the NWDAF discovery request message, the NRF replies with a NWDAF discovery response message to the NEF.

[0247] This NWDAF discovery response message includes one or more recommended NWDAFs and their configuration files.

[0248] Step 805: The NEF selects an aggregated NWDAF by combining the analysis request message and the NWDAF discovery response message sent by the NRF.

[0249] Step 806: The NEF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0250] Optionally, this analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses this analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; description of the analysis task that the aggregated NWDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics.

[0251] Step 807: The aggregated NWDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the NEF to inform the result of this subscription.

[0252] Step 808: The aggregated NWDAF sends a NWDAF discovery request message and a RANDAF discovery request message to the NRF according to the analysis data request message sent by the NEF, for obtaining candidate cooperative NWDAFs and cooperative RANDAFs.

[0253] Optionally, the NWDAF discovery request message and the RANDAF discovery request message include at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; aggregated NWDAF id; application or service description; analysis task description.

[0254] Optionally, the RANDAF discovery request message may also include RANDAF preference information.

[0255] Step 809: The NRF sends a NWDAF discovery response message to the aggregated NWDAF and a RANDAF discovery response message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0256] Among them, the NWDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate NWDAFs and their configuration files. The RANDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate RANDAFs and their configuration files.

[0257] Step 810: The aggregated NWDAF sends an analysis data request message to the selected cooperative NWDAF and cooperative RANDAF.

[0258] Optionally, the analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; aggregated NWDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service that uses the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics.

[0259] Step 811: Each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF send an analysis subscription response message to the aggregated NWDAF to inform the subscription result of this time.

[0260] Step 812: When the analysis task is completed, each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF send an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0261] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may contain the following content: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and analysis result description.

[0262] The analysis subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analysis data response message in the foregoing embodiment.

[0263] Step 813: The aggregated NWDAF aggregates the analysis results reported by each collaborating NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each collaborating RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0264] Step 814: The aggregated NWDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the NEF and sends the comprehensive analysis result to the NEF.

[0265] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may contain the following content: consumer identifier, aggregated NWDAF id, and analysis result description.

[0266] Step 815: The NEF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the consumer and forwards the comprehensive analysis result to the consumer.

[0267] Optionally, the analysis subscription notification message may contain the following content: consumer identifier, NEF id, and analysis result description.

[0268] The above implementation enables the consumer to obtain the aggregated comprehensive analysis results on the core network side and the RAN side through the NEF, further meeting the service requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0269] The embodiments of the present application also provide a communication node, including: a processor, which is configured to implement the method provided in any embodiment of the present application when executing a computer program. Specifically, the communication node may be the first communication node and the second communication node in the above embodiments. The first communication node includes: a processor, which is configured to implement the communication method provided in any embodiment of the present application when executing a computer program; the second communication node includes: a processor, which is configured to implement the communication method provided in any embodiment of the present application when executing a computer program.

[0270] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication node provided by an embodiment. As Figure 9 shown, the communication node includes a processor 60, a memory 61, and a communication interface 62; the number of processors 60 in the communication node may be one or more, Figure 9 and one processor 60 is taken as an example here; the processor 60, the memory 61, and the communication interface 62 in the communication node may be connected through a bus or other means, Figure 9 and taking the connection through a bus as an example here. The bus represents one or more of several bus structures, including a memory bus or a memory controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processor, or a local bus using any bus structure in a variety of bus structures.

[0271] The memory 61, as a computer-readable storage medium, may be set to store software programs, computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the method in the embodiments of the present application. The processor 60 executes at least one functional application and data processing of the communication node by running the software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 61, that is, implements the above method.

[0272] The memory 61 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. Among them, the program storage area may store an operating system and application programs required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created according to the use of the terminal, etc. In addition, the memory 61 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. In some instances, the memory 61 may include a memory remotely set relative to the processor 60, and these remote memories may be connected to the communication node through a network. Examples of the above network include but are not limited to the Internet, an enterprise intranet, a network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0273] The communication interface 62 may be set to receive and send data.

[0274] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the methods provided in any embodiment of the present application are implemented.

[0275] The computer storage medium of the embodiments of the present application may adopt any combination of one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may 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. The computer-readable storage medium includes (a non-exhaustive list): an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present application, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program, and the program may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0276] The computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, and the data signal carries computer-readable program code. Such a propagated data signal may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. The computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than the computer-readable storage medium, and the computer-readable medium may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0277] The program code contained on the computer-readable medium may be transmitted by any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wire, optical cable, radio frequency (RF), etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0278] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product, including a computer program, which implements the communication method provided in any embodiment of the present application when executed by a processor.

[0279] Computer program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in one or more programming languages or a combination of multiple programming languages. The programming languages include object-oriented programming languages (such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, Ruby, Go), and also include conventional procedural programming languages (such as the "C" language or similar programming languages). The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network (including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN)), or it can be connected to an external computer (for example, by using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet).

[0280] Those skilled in the art should understand that the term user terminal encompasses any suitable type of wireless user device, such as a mobile phone, a portable data processing device, a portable web browser, or an in-vehicle mobile station.

[0281] In general, various embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, a microprocessor, or other computing devices, although the present application is not limited thereto.

[0282] Embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a data processor of a mobile device executing computer program instructions, for example, in a processor entity, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The computer program instructions can be assembly instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0283] Any block diagram of a logic flow in the accompanying drawings of the present application may represent program steps, or may represent interconnected logic circuits, modules, and functions, or may represent a combination of program steps and logic circuits, modules, and functions. A computer program may be stored in a memory. The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical memory devices and systems (such as digital versatile disc (DVD) or CD disc). The computer-readable medium may include a non-transitory storage medium. The data processor may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment, such as, but not limited to, a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first communication node, the method comprises: Sending a second communication node discovery request message to a core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and receiving a second communication node discovery response message sent by the core network management function node; wherein the second communication node discovery response message includes relevant information of at least one candidate second communication node; determining a second communication node from the at least one candidate second communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message, and sending the analysis data request message to the second communication node; Receive an analysis data response message sent by the second communication node according to the analysis data request message; wherein the analysis data response message includes analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The second communication node is an aggregated second communication node, and the analysis data of the second communication node is a comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregated second communication node; The comprehensive analysis result is a result generated by the aggregated second communication node based on the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node and the analysis data of the collaborative second communication node; The analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node is data generated after the collaborative core network data analysis function node receives the analysis data request message sent by the aggregated second communication node; The analysis data of the collaborative second communication node is data generated after the collaborative second communication node receives the analysis data request message sent by the aggregated second communication node.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive analysis data request messages sent by consumers; Sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message; Receiving a core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node according to the core network data analysis function node discovery request message; Determine the core network data analysis function node for collaboration according to the core network data analysis function node discovery response message; Determine a cooperating second communication node from the at least one candidate second communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message; Send relevant information of the collaborative core network data analysis function node and relevant information of the collaborative second communication node to the aggregated second communication node.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The collaborative core network data analysis function node is a node determined by the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after the aggregated second communication node sends a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message; The collaborative second communication node is a node determined by the aggregated second communication node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and then according to the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, a description of the analysis event, and a description of the application or service; The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: an analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics; The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting cycle, analysis delay requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, trigger reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-associated user equipment UE list, and artificial intelligence AI capability usage requirements.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The second communication node discovery request message includes second communication node preference information; The second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following: the type of preferred second communication node, the required analysis event, the lower limit of analysis delay, the lower limit of analysis accuracy, whether metadata provision is required, whether a second communication node using green computing technology is preferred, the stability of the preferred second communication node, whether a second communication node with fault recovery capability is preferred, whether a second communication node supporting redundant deployment is preferred, the service area required to be analyzed, the cell type required to be analyzed, the network slice information required to be analyzed, whether AI capability is required, and analysis performance preference information.

7. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The core network data analysis function node discovery request message includes at least one of the following: an identifier of a sending end, an identifier of a receiving end, a description of an application or service, and a description of an analysis event.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Send a registration request message to a core network management function node; wherein the registration request message includes a configuration file of the first communication node.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The configuration file is provided by the access network side operation maintenance management OAM; The configuration file includes at least one of the following: Basic information of the first communication node, service area information of the first communication node, and data source information of the first communication node; The basic information includes an identifier of the first communication node; The service area information includes at least one of the following: location information of the first communication node, and information of the area served by the first communication node; The data source information includes at least one of the following: the data source type and metadata providing capability supported by the first communication node.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the sending end, an identifier of the receiving end, and cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

11. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second communication node, the method comprises: Receiving an analysis data request message sent by the first communication node; Obtaining analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message; Sending an analysis data response message to the first communication node; wherein the analysis data response message includes analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The second communication node is an aggregated second communication node, and the analysis data of the second communication node is a comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregated second communication node; The obtaining, according to the analysis data request message, analysis data of the second communication node comprises: Sending the analysis data request message to the cooperating second communication node, and receiving the analysis data of the cooperating second communication node; wherein the analysis data of the cooperating second communication node is the data generated after the cooperating second communication node receives the analysis data request message; Sending the analysis data request message to the collaborative core network data analysis function node, and receiving the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node; wherein the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node is the data generated by the collaborative core network data analysis function node after receiving the analysis data request message; A comprehensive analysis result is generated based on the analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node and the analysis data of the collaborative second communication node.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The collaborative core network data analysis function node is a node determined by a core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after the first communication node sends a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message; The second collaborative communication node is a node determined by the first communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after the first communication node sends a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message; The method further comprises: Receive relevant information of the collaborative core network data analysis function node and relevant information of the collaborative second communication node sent by the first communication node.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: According to the analysis data request message, sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message and a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node; Determine the collaborative core network data analysis function node according to the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node; The cooperating second communication node is determined according to the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, a description of the analysis event, and a description of the application or service; The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: an analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics; The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting cycle, analysis delay requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, trigger reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-associated user equipment UE list, and artificial intelligence AI capability usage requirements.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the sending end, an identifier of the receiving end, and cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

17. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The second communication node discovery request message includes second communication node preference information; The second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following: the type of preferred second communication node, the required analysis event, the lower limit of analysis delay, the lower limit of analysis accuracy, whether metadata provision is required, whether a second communication node using green computing technology is preferred, the stability of the preferred second communication node, whether a second communication node with fault recovery capability is preferred, whether a second communication node supporting redundant deployment is preferred, the service area required to be analyzed, the cell type required to be analyzed, the network slice information required to be analyzed, whether AI capability is required, and analysis performance preference information.

18. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send a registration request message to the core network management function node; wherein the registration request message includes a configuration file of the second communication node, and the second communication node discovers that a response message is a message determined by the core network management function node based on the configuration file and the analysis data request message.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The configuration file of the second communication node is provided by the access network side operation maintenance management OAM; The configuration file of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: basic information of the second communication node, a description of an analysis function of the second communication node, a service area of ​​the second communication node, data source information of the second communication node, AI capability of the second communication node, and historical analysis performance of the second communication node; The basic information of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second communication node, a type of the second communication node; The description of the analysis function of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: an analysis event identifier supported by the second communication node, an analysis delay of the second communication node for different analysis events, an accuracy of the analysis function of the second communication node for different analysis events, a metadata provision capability of the second communication node, capacity load information of the second communication node, green computing support information of the second communication node, a fault recovery time of the second communication node, a fault recovery function of the second communication node, and redundant deployment information of the second communication node; The service area of ​​the second communication node includes at least one of the following: service area information of the second communication node, a cell type supported by the second communication node for analysis, and a network slice supported by the second communication node for analysis; The historical analysis performance of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: a historical accuracy rate of the second communication node and a historical response time of the second communication node.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second communication node, the method comprises: Receiving an analysis data request message sent by a data analysis function node of an aggregation core network; Obtaining analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message; Send an analysis data response message to the aggregation core network data analysis function node; wherein the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the second communication node is located on the access network side.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The analysis data request message is a message sent by the consumer to the core network open function node and sent by the core network open function node to the aggregation core network data analysis function node. The aggregation core network data analysis function node is a core network data analysis function node determined by the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after the core network open function node sends a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The second communication node is a node determined by a second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after the core network open function node sends a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message; The core network open function node is further used to send relevant information of the second communication node to the aggregation core network data analysis function node.

23. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The second communication node is a node determined by the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after the aggregation core network data analysis function node sends a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message.

24. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, a description of the analysis event, and a description of the application or service; The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: an analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics; The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting cycle, analysis delay requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, trigger reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-associated user equipment UE list, and artificial intelligence AI capability usage requirements.

25. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the sending end, an identifier of the receiving end, and cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

26. A communication node, characterized in that: include: processor; The processor is used to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or the communication method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, or the communication method according to any one of claims 20 to 25 when executing the computer program.

27. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or implements the communication method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, or implements the communication method according to any one of claims 20 to 25.

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