Network quality measurement method and device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a network quality measurement method and device and a storage medium. Relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for an external client to obtain wireless network quality information with terminal accurate positioning in real time so as to guarantee the network quality in a terminal moving process. The method comprises the following steps: receiving first request information of an external client, wherein the first request information is used for requesting to measure the network quality of a position where a terminal is located at the current moment; and sending first response information to the external client, wherein the first response information comprises the information of the position of the terminal at the current moment and the network quality information of the position of the terminal at the current moment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network quality measurement method, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In autonomous / assisted driving, vehicles, mobile network equipment, and roadside devices transmit real-time measurement data to the connected vehicle cloud control platform. Autonomous driving applications deployed on the platform then use artificial intelligence algorithms to plan routes and then transmit them to vehicles. Vehicles rely on high-precision maps, sensors, and advanced algorithms to perceive their environment in real time and dynamically adjust their routes.

[0003] Currently, high-precision maps only include map layers, landmark layers, real-time information, and rule information. Sensors primarily monitor and collect information about road conditions, vehicle traffic, and pedestrian movement. However, autonomous / assisted driving relies on mobile networks for the transmission of real-time data and decision-making signals. Any network interruption or delay can lead to misjudgments, command delays, or even failures in the autonomous / assisted driving system, compromising driving safety. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the above technical problems, the present application provides a network quality measurement method, device, and storage medium, which are used by external clients to obtain wireless network quality information with precise terminal positioning in real time, thereby ensuring network quality during terminal mobility. The technical solution of the present application is as follows:

[0005] In the first aspect, the present application provides a network quality measurement method, applied to GMLC, the method comprising: GMLC receiving a first request message sent by an external client, the first request message being used to request measurement of the network quality of the terminal's current location; GMLC sending a first response message to the external client, the first response message including information about the terminal's current location and network quality information about the terminal's current location.

[0006] The technical solution provided by this application brings at least the following beneficial effects: the external client can obtain wireless network quality information with precise terminal positioning in real time, thereby ensuring the network quality during the terminal's movement.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the information about the terminal's current location is obtained by the GMLC through the terminal's access and mobility management function AMF calling the positioning management function LMF to perform positioning service operations; the network quality information is obtained by the AMF through the radio access network RAN activating the terminal to perform minimized drive testing MDT.

[0008] Based on this possible implementation, although MDT can also simultaneously obtain wireless network quality data and positioning data for a terminal, its positioning accuracy is lower than that of LMF. Therefore, by combining the terminal's current location information obtained through LMF positioning services with the network quality information obtained by MDT, network quality information with more accurate location information is obtained. This allows external clients to match wireless network quality with the terminal's path.

[0009] In another possible implementation, the GMLC sends a second request message to the AMF, requesting network quality information about the terminal's current location; the second request message includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters for the location service; the GMLC receives a second response message from the AMF; the second response message includes information about the terminal's current location determined by the AMF invoking the LMF based on the LCS-related parameters. The GMLC receives a third response message from the AMF; the third response message includes network quality information about the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF through activating MDT on the terminal based on the MDT configuration information via the RAN.

[0010] Based on this possible implementation, the GMLC can simultaneously request the precise location information of the terminal from the AMF, while simultaneously activating the RAN to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information. This allows the GMLC to generate wireless network quality information with precise positioning data and provide it to external applications. For example, this can generate network information elements for rich and detailed high-precision maps of the connected vehicle network, ensuring the transmission performance of real-time data and decision signaling for the autonomous driving routes selected by autonomous / assisted driving applications, thereby ensuring high driving safety.

[0011] In another possible implementation, the first request information includes at least identification information of the terminal, and the first response information includes at least identification information of the terminal.

[0012] Based on this possible implementation, the receiving end of the information can call the relevant information of the terminal based on the identification information of the terminal to perform an operation, thereby avoiding information confusion.

[0013] In another possible implementation, the first request information includes the identification information of the terminal. Based on the identification information of the terminal, the GMLC sends a third request information to the terminal's unified data management function UDM, and the third request information is used to request relevant information of the terminal; the GMLC receives a fourth response information sent by the UDM, and the fourth response information includes relevant information of the terminal, and the relevant information of the terminal includes information of the AMF to which the terminal belongs.

[0014] Based on this possible implementation, the GMLC obtains terminal-related information from the terminal's home UDM to perform subsequent operations. For example, the GMLC determines the information of the AMF to which the terminal belongs, so that when information about the terminal's current location and network quality at the terminal's current location is required, the GMLC can send a second request to the AMF to which the terminal belongs.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides a network quality measurement method, applied to AMF, the method comprising:

[0016] receiving a second request message sent by the GMLC, the second request message requesting a network quality of a current location of the terminal; the second request message including MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters;

[0017] Send a second response message to the GMLC, where the second response message includes information about the current location of the terminal determined by the AMF through the LMF based on the LCS-related parameters;

[0018] A third response message is sent to the GMLC, where the third response message includes the network quality information of the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through RAN to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

[0019] In one possible implementation, in response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, a fourth request information is sent to the LMF, where the fourth request information is used to request information about the current location of the terminal, and the fourth request information includes LCS-related parameters;

[0020] Receive the fifth response information sent by LMF, the positioning response information includes the information of the terminal's current location; the information of the terminal's current location is determined based on LCS related parameters.

[0021] In another possible implementation, in response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, a fifth request information is sent to the RAN; the fifth request information is used to request the RAN to activate the terminal to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location;

[0022] Receive sixth response information sent by the RAN, where the sixth response information includes network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0023] In a third aspect, the present application provides a network quality measurement device, applied to GMLC, the device including: a first communication module and a second communication module.

[0024] A first communication module is configured to receive a first request message sent by an external client, where the first request message is used to request measurement of the network quality of the terminal's current location;

[0025] The second communication module is configured to send first response information to the external client, where the first response information includes information about the current location of the terminal and network quality information about the current location of the terminal.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the information about the terminal's current location is obtained by the GMLC through the terminal's access and mobility management function AMF calling the positioning management function LMF to perform positioning service operations; the network quality information is obtained by the AMF through the radio access network RAN activating the terminal to perform minimized drive testing MDT.

[0027] In another possible implementation, the second communication module is configured to send a second request message to the AMF, where the second request message requests to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location; the second request message includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters of the positioning service;

[0028] The first communication module is used to receive the second response information sent by AMF; the second response information includes the information of the current location of the terminal determined by AMF calling LMF based on LCS related parameters.

[0029] The first communication module is also used to receive the third response information sent by the AMF; the third response information includes the network quality information of the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through the RAN to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

[0030] In another possible implementation, the first request information includes at least identification information of the terminal, and the first response information includes at least identification information of the terminal.

[0031] In another possible implementation, the first request information includes the identification information of the terminal, and the second communication module is used to send a third request information to the terminal's unified data management function UDM based on the terminal's identification information, and the third request information is used to request relevant information of the terminal; the first communication module is used to receive a fourth response information sent by the UDM, and the fourth response information includes relevant information of the terminal, and the relevant information of the terminal includes information of the AMF to which the terminal belongs.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a network quality measurement device, applied to AMF, which includes: a first communication module and a second communication module.

[0033] The first communication module is configured to receive a second request message sent by the GMLC, wherein the second request message requests the network quality of the terminal's current location; the second request message includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters;

[0034] The second communication module is used to send a second response message to the GMLC, where the second response message includes information about the current location of the terminal determined by the AMF through the LMF based on the LCS related parameters;

[0035] The second communication module is also used to send a third response message to the GMLC, where the third response information includes network quality information of the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through RAN to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

[0036] In one possible implementation, in response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, the second communication module is configured to send a fourth request information to the LMF, where the fourth request information is used to request information about the current location of the terminal, and the fourth request information includes LCS-related parameters;

[0037] The first communication module is used to receive the fifth response information sent by LMF, and the positioning response information includes information about the current location of the terminal; the information about the current location of the terminal is determined based on LCS related parameters.

[0038] In another possible implementation, in response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, the second communication module is configured to send a fifth request information to the RAN; the fifth request information is used to request the RAN to activate the terminal to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location;

[0039] The first communication module is configured to receive sixth response information sent by the RAN, where the sixth response information includes network quality information of a current location of the terminal.

[0040] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a memory and a processor; the memory and the processor are coupled; the memory is used to store computer program instructions executable by the processor; and the processor implements the method of the first aspect and any possible implementation method when executing the computer program instructions.

[0041] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer program instructions are stored. When the computer program instructions are executed on a computer (such as a communication device or a network quality measurement device), the method of the first aspect and any possible implementation method is implemented.

[0042] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program instructions, and when the computer program instructions are executed, they implement the method of the first aspect and any possible implementation method described above.

[0043] For the detailed description of the second to seventh aspects and their various implementations in this application, reference can be made to the detailed description of the first aspect and its various implementations. For the beneficial effects of the second to seventh aspects and their various implementations, reference can be made to the beneficial effects analysis of the first aspect and its various implementations, and no further details will be given here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a positioning network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a driving assistance service network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 3 A flowchart of a network quality measurement method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 4 A flowchart of another network quality measurement method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 5 A flowchart of another network quality measurement method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a network quality measurement device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of another network quality measurement device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0054] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described in the embodiments of this application as "exemplarily" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0055] In order to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art can understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order.

[0056] Minimization of Drive Test (MDT), introduced in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard, uses standard user equipment (UE) to measure mobile network data, collecting, reporting, and preprocessing it. Compared to traditional drive testing, MDT saves costs and time, can also cover areas that are difficult to reach, and provides more comprehensive data support for network optimization and problem diagnosis.

[0057] During the MDT process, the UE reports various measurement data to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), mainly including the following categories:

[0058] 1) Location information: The positioning accuracy of MDT varies depending on the positioning technology used:

[0059] Radio Frequency (RF) fingerprint positioning: matches signal quality characteristics with a coverage map feature library, with a low accuracy of approximately 100 meters.

[0060] Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA): Positioning is done by measuring the time difference between signals, with an accuracy of 50-100 meters.

[0061] Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID): Combines timing advance and angle-of-arrival positioning with an accuracy of 50-100 meters.

[0062] Comprehensive MDT positioning: In some optimized scenarios, MDT positioning accuracy can reach within 20 meters.

[0063] 2) Wireless network quality data, used to represent communication quality, including:

[0064] Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP): used to evaluate signal strength.

[0065] Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ): used to evaluate signal quality.

[0066] Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR): Although the SINR parameter is not directly included in MDT measurement data, it can be inferred from data such as RSRQ.

[0067] 3) Other data:

[0068] Power Headroom Report (PHR): UE power headroom, used to evaluate the UE's transmit power.

[0069] Reference Signal Indicator (RIP): used to indicate the relevant information of the reference signal.

[0070] Data Volume: Used to evaluate network hotspots.

[0071] IP Throughput: used to evaluate network performance.

[0072] Connection establishment failure information: including the number of preamble transmissions, whether the maximum transmission power is reached, whether a collision is detected, etc.

[0073] Radio Link Failure (RLF) information: includes the cell information when the failure occurs, failure type, reestablished cell information, etc.

[0074] These measurement data provide rich information for network optimization, coverage assessment, fault diagnosis, etc., helping operators better manage and optimize network performance.

[0075] While MDT can simultaneously obtain wireless network quality data and positioning data, the positioning data accuracy measured by this mechanism only ranges from tens to hundreds of meters. This low positioning accuracy makes it impossible to align wireless network quality with road conditions.

[0076] Location Services (LCS) is a function that provides location positioning services in the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) network. The 5G network provides UE positioning data to external clients through the LCS process. The 5G positioning architecture is implemented through the collaboration between multiple network functions and service application programming interfaces (APIs) in the 5G core network (5G core, 5GC). It utilizes the characteristics of the 5G network and combines multiple positioning technologies, such as Enhanced Cell Identification (E-CID), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA), Multi-Cell Round Trip Time (Multi-RTT), and Uplink Angle of Arrival (UL-AoA), to provide high-precision positioning for UEs. 5G LCS has high positioning accuracy both indoors and outdoors, especially in indoor scenarios, where the accuracy can reach sub-meter or even higher.

[0077] For example, Figure 1A schematic diagram of a positioning network architecture provided for an embodiment of the present application. The positioning network architecture mainly includes the following entities: UE, (Radio) access network ((R)AN)), Location Management Function (LMF), AMF, Unified Data Management (UDM), User Data Repository (UDR), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC), Location Retrieval Function (LRF), LCS Client (LCS Client), Application Function (AF). Lightweight interfaces are used for communication between services. The service-based interface is represented by the format Nxyz (for example, Namf, Nnef, Naf, Nudr, etc.), and the point-to-point interface is represented by the format Nx (for example, N2, etc.). Among them, Nnef interface is the service-based lightweight interface displayed by NEF, Namf interface is the service-based lightweight interface displayed by AMF, Nudm is the service-based lightweight interface displayed by UDM, Nlmf is the service-based lightweight interface displayed by LMF, Ngmlc is the service-based lightweight interface displayed by GMLC, and so on.

[0078] Among them, (R)AN is an access network device used to connect the terminal to the communication network and provide wireless air interface network services for the terminal.

[0079] LMF is used to manage the overall coordination and scheduling of resources required by terminals registered to or accessing the core network, calculate or confirm the final location of the terminal, estimate the terminal's speed and provide the accuracy of the estimated value.

[0080] The AMF is used to receive connection and session information and is responsible for processing access and mobility management tasks.

[0081] UDM is responsible for the management of user identification, contract data, authentication data, and user service function registration management.

[0082] NEF is used to manage open data and provide corresponding security guarantees.

[0083] GMLC is used to provide the functions required to support LCS clients.

[0084] LRF is used to provide location retrieval function. It can be configured together with GMLC or separately. It is responsible for retrieving or verifying location information and providing routing and related information for terminals initiating emergency sessions.

[0085] The LCS client is used to receive the terminal's location request, access the LCS service from the GMLC using the Le reference point, and send a positioning request to the GMLC.

[0086] AF is used to provide services to operators or third parties at the application layer.

[0087] UDR is used to centrally store and manage user data (such as user profiles, authentication information, and policy rules).

[0088] LCS measurement, a solution designed based on specifications from the fifth generation of mobile communication networks, offers sub-meter positioning accuracy, closely matching the unit scale of road path parameters such as road width and intersection distance, and meeting the precise driving requirements of autonomous vehicles on roads. This high-precision positioning supports lane-level navigation and precise control of autonomous vehicles in complex road conditions, meeting the path location accuracy requirements of autonomous / assisted driving. However, this mechanism only reports UE location data and does not include wireless network quality, making it inadequate for the mobile communication network requirements of connected vehicle autonomous / assisted driving applications.

[0089] In autonomous / assisted driving, vehicles, mobile network equipment, and roadside devices transmit real-time measurement data to the connected vehicle cloud control platform. Autonomous driving applications deployed on the platform then use AI algorithms to plan routes and then transmit them to vehicles. Vehicles rely on high-precision maps, sensors (such as lidar, cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and telepresence base stations), and advanced algorithms to perceive the environment in real time and dynamically adjust their routes.

[0090] At present, high-precision maps only include map layers (detailed description of road attribute elements, and accurate presentation of information with centimeter-level high-precision data), landmark layers (recording the absolute coordinates, attributes, geometric outlines, etc. of various unique landmarks, used to match the perception results of other vehicle sensors and infer the vehicle's position), real-time information (real-time dynamic information of other traffic participants or objects that may affect driving strategies), and rule information (information such as restrictions and charges on driving behavior that may affect driving strategies). Sensors mainly monitor and collect road conditions, vehicle driving, and pedestrian movement. However, during automatic / assisted driving, it is necessary to rely on mobile networks for the transmission of real-time data and decision signals. Any network interruption or delay may cause the automatic / assisted driving system to make misjudgments, delay or failure in issuing commands, and affect driving safety.

[0091] In view of this, the present application provides a network quality measurement method. The method receives a first request message from an external client, requesting measurement of the network quality at the terminal's current location. The method then sends a first response message to the external client, including information about the terminal's current location and network quality information at the terminal's current location. This allows the external client to obtain real-time wireless network quality information with precise terminal positioning, thereby ensuring network quality during terminal mobility.

[0092] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0093] The network quality measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to systems of various communication formats. For example, the network quality measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to systems including but not limited to long-term evolution (LTE) systems, various versions based on LTE evolution, fifth-generation (5G) communication systems, wireless local area networks (Wi-Fi) systems, third-generation partnership projects (3GPP)-related communication systems, ambient internet of things (Ambient IoT) systems, or systems integrating multiple systems. In addition, the network quality measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to future-oriented communication systems (such as 6G communication systems), etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0094] For example, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an assisted driving service network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the network architecture includes a core network, access network equipment, terminals (including UE1, UE2 and UE3), external clients (External Client), and roadside equipment.

[0095] Among them, the core network includes LMF, AMF, UDM, GMLC, session management function (SMF), and authentication server function (AUSF).

[0096] The GMLC in the core network connects to external clients, such as the Internet of Vehicles cloud control platform, and the GMLC interacts with the Internet of Vehicles cloud control platform to transmit signaling messages.

[0097] Terminals can be vehicles, vehicle-mounted terminals, etc., and can access the core network through access network equipment. Access network equipment includes base stations, etc.

[0098] Roadside equipment measures road conditions, vehicle movement, and pedestrian movement, and uploads data to the IoV cloud control platform. These equipment include cameras, radars, and edge computing units.

[0099] The Internet of Vehicles cloud control platform includes applications such as automatic / assisted driving, autonomous parking, and roadside management. The real-time traffic data obtained by the platform from the core network and roadside equipment can help applications perform more accurately and richer functions.

[0100] The method provided in this application can be applied to the assisted driving service network architecture, for example, in the Internet of Vehicles cloud control platform. The Internet of Vehicles cloud control platform can obtain the moving path of the autonomous driving vehicle and the network quality on the moving path from the GMLC. Then, the Internet of Vehicles cloud control platform can mark the communication quality of the wireless network for each road on the map, so as to plan a driving path with high-quality network security for the autonomous driving vehicle, thereby improving the quality of Internet of Vehicles services and travel safety.

[0101] In this application, the base station can be a base station or an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in long term evolution (LTE), long term evolution advanced (LTEA), a base station device in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system, etc. The base station can include various macro base stations, micro base stations, home base stations, wireless remote stations, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), routers, relays, transmission and reception points (TRP), WIFI devices, UE and other network side devices. The embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0102] In the present application, a terminal may be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The terminal may be a passive device, an ambient loT device, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios. The terminal may sometimes also be referred to as a user, UE, access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, wireless communication device, UE agent or UE device, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0103] It should be understood that Figure 2 is an exemplary structural diagram, such as Figure 2 The network architecture shown includes an unlimited number of devices, such as an unlimited number of base stations and terminals. Figure 2 In addition to the equipment shown, Figure 2 The network architecture shown may also include other devices, which is not limited to this.

[0104] The present application provides a flow chart of a network quality measurement method, which is applied to GMLC. Figure 3 As shown, the network quality measurement method includes the following steps:

[0105] S101. GMLC receives first request information sent by an external client.

[0106] The first request information is used to request measurement of the network quality of the terminal's current location. The first request information may also have other names, such as a Wireless Network Quality of Path (WNQoP) measurement request (abbreviated as WNQoP Service Request), which is not limited in this application.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first request information includes at least identification information of the terminal, for example, the identification information includes a Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) value or a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) value.

[0108] In some embodiments, before the GMLC receives the first request information sent by the external client, the terminal completes the attachment, that is, the terminal interacts with the relevant network elements of the access network (NG-RAN) and the core network (5GC) to complete the access registration and PDU session establishment.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first request message includes terminal identification information. Based on the terminal identification information, the GMLC sends a third request message to the terminal's home UDM, requesting information related to the terminal. The GMLC receives a fourth response message from the UDM, which includes information related to the terminal, including information about the AMF to which the terminal belongs. The third request message and the fourth response message may have other names, which are not limited in this application. For example, the third request message may also be called a Nudm_UECM_Get message, and the fourth response message may also be called a Nudm_UECM_Get Response message.

[0110] In some embodiments, the AMF information includes location information of the AMF or identification information of the AMF.

[0111] In some embodiments, the terminal-related information further includes the terminal's subscription and the terminal's context management information.

[0112] In some embodiments, the GMLC sends a second request message to the AMF, requesting network quality information about the terminal's current location; the second request message includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters for the location service. The GMLC receives a second response message from the AMF; the second response message includes information about the terminal's current location determined by the AMF invoking the LMF based on the LCS-related parameters. The GMLC receives a third response message from the AMF; the third response message includes network quality information about the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF through activating MDT on the terminal based on the MDT configuration information via the RAN.

[0113] The second request information may also have other names, such as Namf_Location_ProvideWNQoPInfoRequest message, which is not limited in this application.

[0114] In some embodiments, the MDT configuration information includes at least one of the following: a logging interval, a reference time, and an area configuration. The logging interval indicates a period for storing measurement results. The reference time is used by the UE to respond to references in logged measurement reports. The area configuration indicates an area where logging is requested. The UE performs MDT measurements based on the MDT configuration information. For example, MDT measurements are performed at each logging interval.

[0115] In some embodiments, the LCS-related parameters include at least one of the following: positioning accuracy, positioning technology, and indication information for triggering positioning.

[0116] In some embodiments, the network quality information includes at least one of the following: RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR.

[0117] S102. GMLC sends a first response message to the external client.

[0118] The first response information includes information about the current location of the terminal and network quality information about the current location of the terminal.

[0119] In some embodiments, the information on the current location of the terminal is obtained by the GMLC calling the positioning management function LMF through the terminal's access and mobility management function AMF to perform positioning service operations; the network quality information is obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through the radio access network RAN to perform minimized drive testing MDT.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first response information includes at least identification information of the terminal.

[0121] The first response information may also have other names, such as WNQoP Service Response message, which is not limited in this application.

[0122] In some embodiments, the GMLC continuously or periodically sends a first response message to the external client after receiving a first request message sent by the external client. In some embodiments, the GMLC stops sending the first response message to the external client after receiving a first indication message sent by the external client.

[0123] In some embodiments, the GMLC periodically receives first request information sent by the external client, and periodically sends first response information to the external client.

[0124] The flow chart of a network quality measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to AMF. Figure 4 As shown, the network quality measurement method includes the following steps:

[0125] S201. AMF receives the second request information sent by GMLC.

[0126] The second request information requests the network quality of the terminal's current location; the second request information includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters.

[0127] In some embodiments, after receiving the second request information sent by the GMLC, the AMF selects the LMF serving the terminal. For example, the AMF selects the LMF serving the terminal based on the correspondence between the terminal and the LMF, or the AMF selects the LMF serving the terminal based on the identification or location information of the terminal.

[0128] In some embodiments, the AMF sends a fourth request message to the LMF in response to the second request message sent by the GMLC, where the fourth request message is used to request information about the current location of the terminal, and the fourth request message includes LCS-related parameters. The AMF receives a fifth response message sent by the LMF, where the positioning response message includes information about the current location of the terminal; the information about the current location of the terminal is determined based on the LCS-related parameters.

[0129] In some embodiments, after receiving the second request information, the LMF triggers a positioning service operation, such as the Nlmf_Location_DetermineLocation service operation, to request information about the terminal's current location.

[0130] Among them, the fifth response information can also have other names, such as Nlmf_Location_DetermineLocation response message, which is not limited in this application.

[0131] In some embodiments, the fifth response information further includes positioning capability information of the terminal, including positioning accuracy of the terminal.

[0132] In some embodiments, the AMF sends a fifth request message to the RAN in response to the second request message sent by the GMLC; the fifth request message is used to request the RAN to activate MDT for the terminal based on the MDT configuration information to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location. The AMF receives a sixth response message sent by the RAN, where the sixth response message includes the network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0133] The MDT configuration information includes the measurement parameters. The second request information may be carried in a NAS message.

[0134] The sixth response information may also have other names, such as UL RRC Message Transfer message, which is not limited in this application.

[0135] In some embodiments, after the RAN receives the fifth request information, a trace session related to the terminal is started and parameters related to the trace session are saved.

[0136] In some embodiments, the RAN sends an RRC connection reconfiguration request message to the UE, where the connection reconfiguration request message carries MDT configuration information to activate the UE to perform MDT according to the MDT configuration information, obtain MDT measurement data, and send the data to the RAN via an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message (RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message).

[0137] The MDT measurement data includes network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0138] S202. AMF sends a second response message to GMLC.

[0139] The second response information includes the information of the current location of the terminal determined by the AMF through the LMF based on the LCS related parameters. The second response information can also have other names, such as Namf_Location_ProvidePositioningInfo response message, which is not limited in this application.

[0140] S203. AMF sends a third response message to GMLC.

[0141] The third response information includes the network quality information of the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF through RAN activation of the terminal for MDT based on the MDT configuration information. The third response information may also have other names, such as Namf_Location_ProvideWNQInfo response message, which is not limited in this application.

[0142] In some embodiments, after the AMF sends the information about the current location of the terminal and the network quality information about the current location of the terminal to the GMLC, the GMLC integrates the information about the current location of the terminal and the network quality information about the current location of the terminal to generate a first response message sent to the external client. The information about the current location of the terminal and the network quality information about the current location of the terminal can also be referred to as WNQoP Data.

[0143] For a more detailed description of S201-S203, a more detailed description of each technical feature therein, and a description of the beneficial effects, etc., please refer to the description in the above embodiments or examples, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] Exemplarily, the present application provides a network quality measurement method, such as Figure 5 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0145] S1. The terminal completes attachment, that is, the terminal interacts with the relevant network elements of the access network (RAN) and the core network (5GC) to complete access registration and PDU session establishment.

[0146] S2. The GMLC receives a first request message sent by an external client (ExternalClient). The first request message includes identification information of the terminal.

[0147] S3. The GMLC sends a third request message to the home UDM of the terminal based on the identification information of the terminal.

[0148] S4. GMLC receives the fourth response information sent by UDM, where the fourth response information includes relevant information of the terminal.

[0149] S5.GMLC sends a second request message to AMF, and the second request message requests to obtain the network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0150] S6.AMF selects the LMF that serves the terminal.

[0151] S7.AMF sends a fourth request message to LMF, where the fourth request message is used to request information about the terminal's current location.

[0152] S8.AMF sends a fifth request message to the RAN (or NG RAN), where the fifth request message is used to request the RAN to activate the terminal to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0153] S9. RAN starts a trace session and saves parameters related to the trace session. In some embodiments, RAN configures trace control parameters (eg, trace depth = signaling layer) and starts a trace session when the UE accesses the network.

[0154] S10.AMF receives the fifth response information sent by LMF. The positioning response information includes the information of the terminal's current location and the terminal's positioning capability information.

[0155] S11.AMF sends a second response message to GMLC, where the second response message includes information about the current location of the terminal determined by AMF through LMF based on LCS-related parameters.

[0156] S12. RAN sends an RRC connection reconfiguration request message to the UE, where the connection reconfiguration request message carries MDT configuration information.

[0157] S13. The UE performs MDT according to the MDT configuration information to obtain MDT measurement data and sends it to the RAN via an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message. The MDT measurement data includes network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0158] S14.AMF receives the sixth response information sent by the RAN, where the sixth response information includes the network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0159] S15.AMF sends a third response message to GMLC. The third response message includes the network quality information of the current location of the terminal obtained by AMF through RAN activation of the terminal for MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

[0160] S16. GMLC integrates the information received in S11 and S15 and generates a first response message to be sent to the external client. The first response message includes the current location of the terminal and the network quality information of the current location of the terminal. The first response message also includes the terminal's identification information.

[0161] S17.GMLC sends a first response message to the external client (ExternalClient).

[0162] For a more detailed description of S1-S17, a more detailed description of each technical feature therein, and a description of the beneficial effects, etc., please refer to the description in the above embodiments or examples, and will not be repeated here.

[0163] Based on this, external clients can obtain real-time wireless network quality information with precise terminal positioning, thereby ensuring network quality during terminal mobility. Furthermore, external clients can integrate this information to generate path wireless network quality data, which can be used to plan driving routes with high-quality network guarantees for mobile terminals (such as vehicles). For example, if the external client is a vehicle networking application platform, the communication network can provide a new type of data, such as path wireless network quality, for the vehicle networking application. The vehicle networking application platform will mark the wireless network communication quality status on each road on the map, and plan driving routes with high-quality network guarantees for autonomous vehicles, thereby improving the quality of vehicle networking services and travel safety.

[0164] It is understandable that the above method can be implemented by a network quality measurement device. In order to implement the above functions, the network quality measurement device includes a hardware structure or software module corresponding to each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments applied for herein, the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0165] In the embodiments of the present application, the network quality measurement device and the like can be divided into functional modules according to the above-mentioned method examples. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function. The above-mentioned integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used.

[0166] In the case of dividing each functional module into corresponding functional modules, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network quality measurement device provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is applied to GMLC. Figure 6 As shown, the network quality measurement device 300 includes: a first communication module 301 and a second communication module 302 .

[0167] The first communication module 301 is configured to receive a first request message sent by an external client, where the first request message is used to request measurement of the network quality of the terminal's current location;

[0168] The second communication module 302 is configured to send first response information to the external client, where the first response information includes information about the current location of the terminal and network quality information about the current location of the terminal.

[0169] In some embodiments, the second communication module 302 is configured to send a second request message to the AMF, where the second request message requests to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location; the second request message includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters;

[0170] The first communication module 301 is used to receive the second response information sent by AMF; the second response information includes information about the current location of the terminal determined by AMF calling LMF based on LCS related parameters.

[0171] The first communication module 301 is also used to receive the third response information sent by the AMF; the third response information includes the network quality information of the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through the RAN to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

[0172] In some embodiments, the first request information includes the identification information of the terminal. The second communication module 302 is used to send a third request information to the terminal's unified data management function UDM based on the terminal's identification information, and the third request information is used to request relevant information of the terminal; the first communication module 301 is used to receive a fourth response information sent by the UDM, and the fourth response information includes relevant information of the terminal, and the relevant information of the terminal includes information of the AMF to which the terminal belongs.

[0173] For a more detailed description of the first communication module 301 and the second communication module 302, as well as a more detailed description of each technical feature and a description of the beneficial effects, please refer to the corresponding method embodiment section above, which will not be repeated here.

[0174] Of course, the network quality measurement device 300 includes but is not limited to the unit modules listed above. Furthermore, the specific functions that can be implemented by the above functional units also include but are not limited to the functions corresponding to the method steps of the above examples. The detailed description of other modules of the network quality measurement device 300 can refer to the detailed description of the corresponding method steps, and will not be repeated here in this embodiment of the application.

[0175] In the case of dividing each functional module into corresponding functional modules, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network quality measurement device provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is applied to AMF. Figure 7 As shown, the network quality measurement device 400 includes: a first communication module 401 and a second communication module 402 .

[0176] The first communication module 401 is configured to receive a second request message sent by the GMLC, wherein the second request message requests the network quality of the terminal's current location; the second request message includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters;

[0177] The second communication module 402 is configured to send a second response message to the GMLC, where the second response message includes information about the current location of the terminal determined by the AMF through the LMF based on LCS-related parameters;

[0178] The second communication module 402 is further used to send a third response message to the GMLC, where the third response message includes network quality information of the terminal's current location obtained by the AMF through RAN activation of the terminal for MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

[0179] In some embodiments, in response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, the second communication module 402 is configured to send a fourth request information to the LMF, where the fourth request information is used to request information about the current location of the terminal, and the fourth request information includes LCS-related parameters;

[0180] The first communication module 401 is used to receive the fifth response information sent by the LMF. The positioning response information includes information about the current location of the terminal; the information about the current location of the terminal is determined based on LCS related parameters.

[0181] In some embodiments, in response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, the second communication module 402 is configured to send a fifth request information to the RAN; the fifth request information is used to request the RAN to activate the terminal to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location;

[0182] The first communication module 401 is configured to receive sixth response information sent by the RAN, where the sixth response information includes network quality information of the terminal's current location.

[0183] Of course, the network quality measurement device 400 includes but is not limited to the unit modules listed above. Furthermore, the specific functions that can be implemented by the above functional units also include but are not limited to the functions corresponding to the method steps of the above examples. The detailed description of other modules of the network quality measurement device 400 can refer to the detailed description of the corresponding method steps, and will not be repeated here in this embodiment of the application.

[0184] It should be noted that Figure 6 and / or Figure 7 The modules in the system can also be called units, for example, the communication module can be called a communication unit. Figure 6 and / or Figure 7 In the embodiment shown in FIG, the names of the modules may not be the names shown in the figure. For example, the communication module may also be called a sending module or a receiving module.

[0185] Figure 6 and / or Figure 7If the various units or modules in the embodiment are implemented in the form of software function modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor (processor) to execute all or part of the steps of the various embodiments of the present application. The storage medium for storing computer software products includes various media that can store program codes, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard drives, read-only memories (ROM), random access memories (RAM), magnetic disks or optical disks.

[0186] In the case of implementing the functions of the above-mentioned integrated modules in the form of hardware, the embodiment of the present application also provides a possible structure of a communication device, which is used to execute the network quality measurement method provided by the embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 500 includes: a communication interface 503, a processor 502 and a bus 504. Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory 501.

[0187] Processor 502 may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application. Processor 502 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application. Processor 502 may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, or a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor.

[0188] The communication interface 503 is used to connect to other devices via a communication network, such as Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0189] The memory 501 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0190] As a possible implementation, the memory 501 can exist independently of the processor 502. The memory 501 can be connected to the processor 502 via a bus 504 and used to store instructions or program codes. When the processor 502 calls and executes the instructions or program codes stored in the memory 501, the network quality measurement method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented.

[0191] In another possible implementation, the memory 501 may also be integrated with the processor 502 .

[0192] The bus 504 may be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus 504 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 8 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0193] Some embodiments of the present application provide a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), which stores computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the network quality measurement method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0194] In some exemplary implementations, the computer may be the aforementioned network quality measurement device, and this application does not limit the specific form of the computer.

[0195] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical disks (e.g., compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). The various computer-readable storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable storage media for storing information. The term "machine-readable storage medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0196] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the network quality measurement method described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0197] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A network quality measurement method, characterized in that: Applied to a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC), the method includes: receiving a first request message sent by an external client, where the first request message is used to request measurement of a network quality of a current location of the terminal; Sending first response information to the external client, where the first response information includes information about the current location of the terminal and network quality information about the current location of the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The information about the current location of the terminal is obtained by the GMLC calling the positioning management function LMF through the access and mobility management function AMF to which the terminal belongs to perform a positioning service operation; the network quality information is obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through the radio access network RAN to perform minimized drive testing MDT.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending a second request message to the AMF, where the second request message requests obtaining network quality information of the terminal's current location; the second request message includes the MDT configuration information and the LCS-related parameters of the positioning service; Receive a second response message sent by the AMF; the second response message includes information about the current location of the terminal determined by the AMF calling the LMF based on the LCS-related parameters; Receive a third response message sent by the AMF; the third response message includes the network quality information of the current location of the terminal obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through the RAN to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first request information includes at least identification information of the terminal, and the first response information includes at least identification information of the terminal.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The first request information includes identification information of the terminal, and the method further includes: Sending, based on the identification information of the terminal, a third request message to the unified data management function (UDM) of the terminal, wherein the third request message is used to request relevant information of the terminal; Receive the fourth response information sent by the UDM, where the fourth response information includes relevant information about the terminal, and the relevant information about the terminal includes information about the AMF to which the terminal belongs.

6. A network quality measurement method, characterized in that: Applied to AMF, the method comprises: receiving a second request message sent by the GMLC, wherein the second request message requests a network quality of a current location of the terminal; the second request message includes MDT configuration information and LCS-related parameters; Sending a second response message to the GMLC, where the second response message includes information about the current location of the terminal determined by the AMF through the LMF based on the LCS-related parameters; Send a third response message to the GMLC, where the third response message includes the network quality information of the current location of the terminal obtained by the AMF activating the terminal through the RAN to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, sending a fourth request information to the LMF, where the fourth request information is used to request information about the current location of the terminal, and the fourth request information includes LCS-related parameters; Receive the fifth response information sent by the LMF, where the positioning response information includes information about the current location of the terminal; the information about the current location of the terminal is determined based on the LCS-related parameters.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to the second request information sent by the GMLC, sending a fifth request information to the RAN; the fifth request information is used to request the RAN to activate the terminal to perform MDT based on the MDT configuration information to obtain network quality information of the terminal's current location; Receive sixth response information sent by the RAN, where the sixth response information includes network quality information of the current location of the terminal.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer-executable instructions, and when the communication device is running, the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to enable the communication device to perform the method described in any one of claims 1-5 or 6-8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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