Networking access, switching and charging method and system based on WIFI and NR cooperation

Abstract

The invention discloses a networking access, switching and charging method based on WIFI and NR cooperation and a communication system. The networking access method comprises the following steps: adding a WIFI module under an NR networking architecture, and establishing a communication channel between a base station protocol stack and the WIFI module; a terminal initiates a registration request in a cellular network, a base station broadcasts the capability of supporting WIFI joint networking in a system information block, inquires WIFI capability information of the terminal, stores the information and forwards the information to a core network; after the terminal is successfully attached, establishing a WIFI PDU session request with the core network; and the core network initiates a PDU establishment request to the base station. According to the invention, the base station is directly accessed through wired connection, and the mobile data is transmitted by using the WIFI signal, so that the transmission time delay is reduced, and the data traffic is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a networking and access method, a handover method, a charging method and a communication system based on the cooperation of WIFI and NR. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technologies, users' demand for high-speed and low-latency data transmission is increasing day by day. As two main wireless access technologies, WIFI and cellular networks (such as 4G, 5G NR) each have unique advantages. WIFI is usually deployed in indoor environments to provide high-bandwidth and low-cost access services, while cellular networks feature wide coverage and mobility support. However, the existing cooperation processing mechanism between WIFI and base stations is still not perfect, resulting in many problems in practical applications.

[0003] First of all, when the existing technology processes the cooperative transmission of WIFI and cellular networks, there are often problems of excessive access delay and data service delay. For example, the patent with the application number 202111240201.5 discloses a communication method that uses WIFI signals to cooperate with the mobile network for air interface transmission of the user plane. However, in actual use of this solution, the IP address needs to be converted on the base station side, which will introduce additional processing delay and affect the user experience. In addition, the interaction mechanism between the WIFI module and the NR module is not perfect, and the process details are not handled in detail enough, resulting in low efficiency of cooperative transmission.

[0004] Secondly, existing CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) devices usually use cellular data for transmission during the backhaul process, and each CPE device only occupies one user resource in the base station. When a large number of users are connected under the CPE, the data transmission rate of the cellular network will decrease significantly, and the delay will also increase substantially, which cannot meet the requirements in a high-density user environment.

[0005] In addition, the integration of the WIFI and NR communication transmission systems also faces the problem of the charging mechanism. If charged according to the existing network's data flow charging method, the products of the cooperative transmission of WIFI and NR will lack market competitiveness. No effective charging scheme has been proposed in the existing technology, and it is difficult to balance the operator's revenue and the user's tariff burden.

[0006] Finally, the existing solutions have obvious deficiencies in mobility management. When a user switches between WIFI and cellular networks, there is a lack of an effective mobility management mechanism, resulting in possible connection interruption or service quality degradation during the handover process.

[0007] In summary, when dealing with the coordinated transmission of WIFI and base stations, the existing technology has problems such as long access delay, low data transmission efficiency, imperfect billing mechanism and lack of mobility management. A new technical solution is urgently needed to solve these challenges. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a networking and access method based on WIFI and NR collaboration.

[0009] A networking and access method based on WIFI and NR collaboration according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps: Step S1: Add a WIFI module under the NR networking architecture and establish a communication channel between the base station protocol stack and the WIFI module; Step S2: The terminal initiates a registration request in the cellular network. The base station broadcasts the capability of supporting WIFI joint networking in the system information block and queries the WIFI capability information of the terminal, including the supported rate set, channel information, security information and capability information. The base station stores and forwards the information to the core network. Step S3: After the terminal successfully attaches, the core network indicates support for WIFI joint networking in the registration completion message. The terminal initiates a request to establish a WIFI PDU session, carrying the DNN. The core network establishes a corresponding PDU session based on the DNN and allocates a 5QI. Step S4, the core network initiates a PDU establishment request to the base station and identifies it as a WIFI PDU. After identification, the base station initiates a user context establishment request to the WIFI module and passes the WIFI capability information of the terminal to the WIFI module; the WIFI module creates a user context based on the terminal capability and returns a success message, including the capabilities supported by the WIFI module, the allocated channel resources and access information; after receiving the message, the base station sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the terminal, carrying the channel resources allocated by the WIFI module, access information and supported capabilities; Step S5: The terminal initiates access to the WIFI module based on the information in the RRC reconfiguration message. After the access is successful, the WIFI module replies with a reconfiguration completion message to the base station. Step S6: After receiving the reconfiguration completion message, the base station returns the PDU session establishment success information to the core network. The terminal transmits data traffic through the WIFI module, and the core network performs traffic statistics and billing based on the PDU session and DNN.

[0010] According to the networking and access method based on WIFI and NR collaboration in the embodiment of the present invention, a base station is directly accessed through a wired connection, and mobile data is transmitted using WIFI signals, which brings the following two major benefits: 1. Reduce transmission delay: Directly access the base station through a wired connection, reducing the wireless transmission link, effectively reducing data transmission delay and improving network response speed; 2. Improve data traffic: Each WIFI user has an independent user entity on the base station side, which is equivalent to providing each user with an exclusive channel, avoiding resource competition and significantly improving the data traffic of a single user and the overall network capacity.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the WIFI module is connected to the base station module via an optical fiber or a network cable to achieve communication between the WIFI module and the base station.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the SDAP protocol stack is only used to map the WIFI channel and the corresponding QoS flow, without establishing PDCP, RLC, MAC layer entities, and without establishing DRB and logical channels.

[0013] The present invention also discloses a switching method based on WIFI and NR collaboration, comprising the following steps: Step T1, the base station receives a handover measurement report from the terminal; Step T2: The base station releases the WIFI PDU session and notifies the WIFI module to release terminal resources; Step T3, the WIFI module releases the terminal context resources; Step T4: The base station notifies the core network to release the PDU session and initiates a handover request.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, during the switching process, the base station and the WIFI module cooperate to release terminal resources to ensure the smoothness and continuity of the switching process.

[0015] The present invention also discloses a billing method based on WIFI and NR collaboration, in which the core network separately counts traffic and generates billing information based on the WIFI PDU session established by the terminal and the corresponding DNN.

[0016] According to the billing method based on WIFI and NR collaboration in the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to implement billing for WIFI data traffic alone through the current networking. Operators can improve the competitiveness of current products in a more favorable manner and make full use of base station equipment.

[0017] The present invention also discloses a communication system, comprising: The base station is used to support the collaborative networking of NR and WIFI, query the WIFI capability information of the terminal, transmit the terminal capability information to the WIFI module, and receive the channel resource allocation information returned by the WIFI module; A WIFI module, which is used to create user context based on terminal capability information, allocate channel resources, and support the access of the terminal; A core network, which is used to establish a PDU session based on the DNN of the terminal, allocate 5QI, and perform traffic statistics and charging based on the PDU session and DNN; A terminal, which is used to initiate a registration request, report WIFI capability information, and access the WIFI module based on the RRC reconfiguration message sent by the base station.

[0018] According to the communication system of the present invention, it can realize collaborative networking and access based on WIFI and NR, directly access the base station through a wired connection, and use the WIFI signal to transmit mobile data, which not only reduces the wireless transmission link, effectively reduces the data transmission delay, and improves the network response speed; moreover, each WIFI user has an independent user entity on the base station side, which is equivalent to providing a dedicated channel for each user, avoiding resource competition, and significantly improving the data traffic of a single user and the overall network capacity.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the WIFI module is connected to the base station through an optical fiber or a network cable to realize communication between the WIFI module and the base station.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the SDAP protocol stack is only used to map the WIFI channel to the corresponding QoS flow, without establishing PDCP, RLC, and MAC layer entities, and without establishing DRB and logical channels.

[0021] The present invention also discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the above method is realized. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a networking and access method based on the collaboration of WIFI and NR in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a signal transmission schematic diagram among the terminal, the base station, and the WIFI module of the present invention; Figure 3 is a signal transmission schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the processing flow when the BBU of the WIFI module of the present invention undergoes a handover. Detailed Embodiments

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0024] For ease of understanding, before introducing the embodiments of the present disclosure, several terms involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are explained as follows: UE: User Equipment, the user device, also known as the user terminal, abbreviated as the terminal.

[0025] CPE: Customer Premise Equipment, a new type of wireless terminal access device that can receive wireless signals such as wireless routers / wireless APs / wireless base stations. The CPE can obtain a mobile network by inserting a card like a mobile phone, directly act as a wired network interface or convert it into a Wi-Fi signal to provide device connection in scenarios such as homes or offices.

[0026] NR: New Radio, the air interface standard for wireless communication in 5G networks, aiming to provide faster speeds, lower latency, and higher capacity, thus bringing a better experience for various application scenarios.

[0027] DNN: Data Network Name, the data network name.

[0028] DRB: Dedicated Radio Bearer, the dedicated radio bearer used to transmit user data.

[0029] Next, refer to Figures 1 - 4 Describe a networking and access method based on the cooperation of WIFI and NR according to an embodiment of the present invention, including the following steps: Step S1: Add a WIFI module under the NR networking architecture and establish a communication channel between the base station protocol stack and the WIFI module; Step S2: The terminal initiates a registration request under the cellular network. The base station broadcasts the ability to support WIFI joint networking in the system information block and queries the WIFI capability information of the terminal, including the supported rate set, channel information, security information, and capability information. The base station stores and forwards this information to the core network; Step S3: After the terminal attaches successfully, the core network indicates support for WIFI joint networking in the registration completion message. The terminal initiates a request to establish a WIFI PDU session, carrying the DNN. The core network establishes a corresponding PDU session based on the DNN and allocates 5QI; Step S4: The core network initiates a PDU establishment request to the base station, which is identified as a WIFI PDU. After the base station recognizes it, it initiates a user context establishment request to the WIFI module and transfers the terminal's WIFI capability information to the WIFI module; the WIFI module creates a user context based on the terminal capabilities and returns a success message, including the capabilities supported by the WIFI module, the allocated channel resources, and the access information; the base station sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the terminal after receiving it, carrying the channel resources, access information, and supported capabilities allocated by the WIFI module. Step S5: The terminal initiates an access to the WIFI module based on the information in the RRC reconfiguration message. After the access is successful, the WIFI module sends a reconfiguration complete message to the base station; during this process, no DRB is established, and the SDAP layer does not perform the mapping between the QoS flow and the DRB. Step S6: After the base station receives the reconfiguration complete message, it returns a PDU session establishment success message to the core network. The terminal transmits data traffic through the WIFI module, and the core network performs traffic statistics and charging based on the PDU session and the DNN.

[0030] It can be understood that according to the networking and access method based on the cooperation between WIFI and NR in the embodiments of the present invention, it directly accesses the base station through a wired connection and uses the WIFI signal to transmit mobile data. On the one hand, directly accessing the base station through a wired connection reduces the wireless transmission link, effectively reduces the data transmission delay, and improves the network response speed; on the other hand, each WIFI user has an independent user entity on the base station side, which is equivalent to providing a dedicated channel for each user, avoiding resource competition, and significantly improving the data traffic of a single user and the overall network capacity.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, the WIFI module is connected to the base station module through an optical fiber or a network cable to realize the communication between the WIFI module and the base station.

[0032] In some embodiments of the present invention, the SDAP protocol stack is only used to map the WIFI channel to the corresponding QoS flow, without establishing PDCP, RLC, and MAC layer entities, and without establishing DRB and logical channels.

[0033] Refer to Figure 4 As shown, the present invention also discloses a handover method based on the cooperation between WIFI and NR. This method is a handover method after networking access based on the networking and access method based on the cooperation between WIFI and NR, and specifically includes the following steps: Step T1: The base station receives the handover measurement report of the terminal. Step T2: The base station releases the WIFI PDU session and notifies the WIFI module to release the terminal resources. Step T3: The WIFI module releases the terminal context resources. Step T4: The base station notifies the core network to release the PDU session and initiates a handover request.

[0034] It is understandable that when the BBU carrying the WIFI module is switched, the above process can be used for processing.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, during the switching process, the base station and the WIFI module cooperate to release terminal resources to ensure the smoothness and continuity of the switching process.

[0036] The present invention also discloses a billing method based on WIFI and NR collaboration, in which the core network separately counts traffic and generates billing information based on the WIFI PDU session established by the terminal and the corresponding DNN.

[0037] It is understandable that the current networking enables separate billing for WIFI data traffic, and operators can improve the competitiveness of current products in a more favorable manner and make full use of base station equipment.

[0038] Example 1: Reference Figure 3 Step 1: After the base station has configured the IP address and port of the WIFI module, it initiates a connection establishment request to the WIFI module; Step 2: After receiving the request, the WIFI module sends a message to the base station indicating that the connection is established. At this point, the WIFI module and the base station can communicate normally. Step 3: The base station broadcasts the WIFI networking it supports in the SIB1 message in a broadcasting manner; Step 4: After the terminal initiates a registration request under the base station, the base station queries the terminal's WIFI support capability; Step 5: The terminal reports its WIFI support capabilities to the base station, such as rate set, channel information, and security capabilities; Step 6: The base station forwards the terminal capabilities to the core network; Step 7: The core network sends a registration success message to the terminal, and carries an indication that the current core network supports WIFI networking; Step 8: The terminal initiates a PDU establishment request for WIFI to the core network, carrying the DNN of WIFI: dnn1; Step 9: The core network initiates a PDU session resource establishment request based on the DNN and allocates 5qi and qfi corresponding to WIFI; Step 10: When the base station detects that the PDU is a WIFI-based establishment request, it configures the corresponding RRC resources and SDAP entity, and initiates a terminal context establishment request to the WIFI module, which carries the terminal's capability information about the WIFI module; Step 11, the WIFI module allocates wireless resources to the UE based on the capability information of the UE (i.e., terminal, the same below), and sends the access information, channel information, BSSID, SSID, supported rate, encryption algorithm and other information of the current WIFI module to the base station through "Terminal context establishment successful"; Step 12: The base station transmits the configuration information of the WIFI module to the terminal through RRC reconfiguration; Step 13: The terminal finds the corresponding WIFI channel based on the resources and related information allocated by the WIFI module, and initiates an access request to the WIFI module; Step 14: After the WIFI module detects that the terminal has successfully accessed, it replies with an access success message to the terminal; Step 15: The WIFI module transmits a WIFI reconfiguration completion message to the base station, indicating that the terminal has completed access to the WIFI module; Step 16: The base station replies to the core network that the PDU establishment is complete.

[0039] From then on, the terminal can transmit data traffic via WIFI, and the core network can perform traffic and cost statistics independently based on the PDU and DNN.

[0040] It should be noted that each PDU of the traditional NR protocol stack has an SDAP entity, and there will be corresponding DRB and PDCP entities. The current WIFI-based protocol stack only requires SDAP to map the wifi channel and the corresponding qos. It also supports reverse mapping, does not require the participation of the PDCP, RLC, and MAC layers, and does not require the establishment of corresponding drbs and logical channels. At the same time, the WIFI module in the present invention can be a connectable device that can realize communication between the WIFI module and the base station module through an optical fiber or a network cable.

[0041] The present invention also discloses a communication system, comprising: The base station is used to support the collaborative networking of NR and WIFI, query the WIFI capability information of the terminal, transmit the terminal capability information to the WIFI module, and receive the channel resource allocation information returned by the WIFI module; WIFI module, used to create user context based on terminal capability information, allocate channel resources, and support terminal access; The core network is used to establish a PDU session based on the terminal's DNN, allocate 5QI, and perform traffic statistics and billing based on the PDU session and DNN; The terminal is used to initiate a registration request, report WIFI capability information, and access the WIFI module based on the RRC reconfiguration message sent by the base station.

[0042] Of course, in some embodiments of the system of the present invention, the WIFI module is connected to the base station through an optical fiber or a network cable to realize communication between the WIFI module and the base station.

[0043] In some embodiments of the system of the present invention, the SDAP protocol stack is only used to map the WIFI channel to the corresponding QoS flow, without establishing PDCP, RLC, and MAC layer entities, and without establishing DRB and logical channels.

[0044] According to the communication system of the present invention, it can achieve collaborative networking and access based on WIFI and NR, directly access the base station through a wired connection, and use the WIFI signal to transmit mobile data, which not only reduces the wireless transmission link, effectively reduces the data transmission delay, and improves the network response speed; moreover, each WIFI user has an independent user entity on the base station side, which is equivalent to providing a dedicated channel for each user, avoiding resource competition, and significantly improving the data traffic of a single user and the overall network capacity.

[0045] The present invention also discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the above method is implemented.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A networking and access method based on the cooperation of WIFI and NR, characterized in that, The following steps are involved: Step S1: Add a WIFI module under the NR networking architecture and establish a communication channel between the base station protocol stack and the WIFI module; Step S2: The terminal initiates a registration request in the cellular network. The base station broadcasts the capability of supporting WIFI joint networking in the system information block and queries the WIFI capability information of the terminal, including the supported rate set, channel information, security information and capability information. The base station stores and forwards the information to the core network. Step S3: After the terminal successfully attaches, the core network indicates support for WIFI joint networking in the registration completion message. The terminal initiates a request to establish a WIFI PDU session, carrying the DNN. The core network establishes a corresponding PDU session based on the DNN and allocates a 5QI. Step S4: The core network initiates a PDU establishment request to the base station and identifies it as a WIFI PDU. After identification, the base station initiates a user context establishment request to the WIFI module and transmits the WIFI capability information of the terminal to the WIFI module. The WIFI module creates a user context based on the terminal capabilities and returns a success message, including the capabilities supported by the WIFI module, the allocated channel resources and access information; after receiving the message, the base station sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the terminal, carrying the channel resources allocated by the WIFI module, access information and supported capabilities; Step S5: The terminal initiates access to the WIFI module based on the information in the RRC reconfiguration message. After the access is successful, the WIFI module replies with a reconfiguration completion message to the base station. Step S6: After receiving the reconfiguration completion message, the base station returns the PDU session establishment success information to the core network. The terminal transmits data traffic through the WIFI module, and the core network performs traffic statistics and billing based on the PDU session and DNN.

2. The networking and access method based on WIFI and NR collaboration according to claim 1, wherein The WIFI module is connected to the base station module via an optical fiber or a network cable to achieve communication between the WIFI module and the base station.

3. The networking and access method based on WIFI and NR collaboration according to claim 1, characterized in that, The SDAP protocol stack is only used to map the WIFI channel and the corresponding QoS flow. There is no need to establish PDCP, RLC, MAC layer entities, and no DRB and logical channels are established.

4. A handover method based on the coordination of WIFI and NR, characterized in that, The following steps are involved: Step T1, the base station receives a handover measurement report from the terminal; Step T2: The base station releases the WIFI PDU session and notifies the WIFI module to release terminal resources; Step T3, the WIFI module releases the terminal context resources; Step T4: The base station notifies the core network to release the PDU session and initiates a handover request.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein During the switching process, the base station and the WIFI module work together to release terminal resources to ensure the smoothness and continuity of the switching process.

6. A charging method based on the collaboration of WIFI and NR, characterized in that, The core network counts traffic and generates billing information based on the WIFI PDU session established by the terminal and the corresponding DNN.

7. A communication system, characterized in that, include: The base station is used to support the collaborative networking of NR and WIFI, query the WIFI capability information of the terminal, transmit the terminal capability information to the WIFI module, and receive the channel resource allocation information returned by the WIFI module; WIFI module, used to create user context based on terminal capability information, allocate channel resources, and support terminal access; The core network is used to establish a PDU session based on the terminal's DNN, allocate 5QI, and perform traffic statistics and billing based on the PDU session and DNN; The terminal is used to initiate a registration request, report WIFI capability information, and access the WIFI module based on the RRC reconfiguration message sent by the base station.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The WIFI module is connected to the base station via an optical fiber or a network cable to achieve communication between the WIFI module and the base station.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein The SDAP protocol stack is only used to map the WIFI channel and the corresponding QoS flow. There is no need to establish PDCP, RLC, MAC layer entities, and no DRB and logical channels are established.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

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