Communication event processing method and device, equipment, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication event processing method and device, equipment, a storage medium and a computer program product. The method comprises the following steps: when a satellite base station is about to have a target event, sending a message corresponding to the target event to a core network connected with the satellite base station based on the granularity of equipment in the core network connected with the satellite base station, and performing corresponding processing on the target event by the core network after receiving the message. Compared with a traditional notification sending and processing mechanism based on the notification granularity of each UE and each PDU session, the method has the advantage that the signaling load can be greatly reduced by adopting the notification granularity based on the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication event processing method, apparatus, base station equipment, core network equipment, storage medium, and computer program product. Background Art

[0002] When using regenerative mode, or when a base station is onboard a satellite, certain specific events occur. For example, a feeder link switchover occurs between two ground stations connected to a satellite base station, or a handover occurs between base stations on two satellites, which is equivalent to a traditional handover between base stations.

[0003] Since the above events occur in the satellite base station in a short period of time, and the existing 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) technology only supports relevant control based on each UE and each PDU session, a large number of UEs on these satellite base stations need to perform corresponding event processing, generating a large number of signaling processes and posing the problem of excessive signaling load. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a communication event processing method, device, base station equipment, core network equipment, storage medium and computer program product that can reduce signaling load in response to the above technical problems.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication event processing method, comprising:

[0006] When a target event is about to occur in a satellite base station, a message corresponding to the target event is sent to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of devices in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

[0007] In one embodiment, the device is a core network element, and the sending of the message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the device in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected includes:

[0008] Based on the number of core network elements connected to the satellite base station, a corresponding number of messages corresponding to the target event are sent to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

[0009] In one embodiment, after detecting that a target event is about to occur on a satellite base station, the method further includes:

[0010] Determining a first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected, where the first network element is connected to the satellite base station;

[0011] The sending, based on the granularity of devices in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected, a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected, includes:

[0012] Based on the granularity of the first network element, a message corresponding to the target event is sent to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

[0013] In one embodiment, the message corresponding to the target event is a notification message; and sending the message corresponding to the target event to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected includes:

[0014] A notification corresponding to the target event is sent once to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected; the notification carries event type information of the target event.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first network element includes an AMF network element; and sending the message corresponding to the target event to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the first network element includes:

[0016] Based on the granularity of the AMF network element, the message corresponding to the target event is sent to the AMF network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

[0017] In one embodiment, the target event includes a feeder link switching event.

[0018] In one embodiment, the target event includes a base station handover event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

[0019] The second invention provides a communication event processing method, which is applied to a first network element in a core network, where the first network element is connected to a satellite base station. The method includes:

[0020] Receive a message about a target event occurring on a satellite base station;

[0021] searching for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with a satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0022] The message is sent to each of the second network elements according to the granularity of the second network elements.

[0023] In one embodiment, searching for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with a satellite base station where the target event occurs, includes:

[0024] According to the stored context information of the plurality of UE PDU sessions, a second network element affected by the target event of the satellite base station is searched to obtain at least one second network element associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs.

[0025] In one embodiment, sending the message to each second network element according to the granularity of the second network element includes:

[0026] For each second network element, the message is sent to the second network element once.

[0027] In one embodiment, the first network element includes an AMF network element, and the second network element includes an SMF network element.

[0028] In one embodiment, the target event includes a feeder link switching event.

[0029] In one embodiment, the target event includes a base station handover event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

[0030] In one embodiment, the method is applied to a second network element in a core network, and includes:

[0031] receiving a message from a first network element in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station; the first network element is connected to the satellite base station;

[0032] searching for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0033] According to the granularity of the third network element, the processing information corresponding to the target event is sent to each of the third network elements.

[0034] In one embodiment, searching for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs, includes:

[0035] At least one third network element associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs is found according to the stored context information of the plurality of UE PDU sessions.

[0036] In one embodiment, the first network element includes an AMF network element, the second network element includes an SMF network element, and the third network element includes a UPF network element.

[0037] In one embodiment, the processing information corresponding to the target event is operation instruction information corresponding to the target event;

[0038] The sending, according to the granularity of the third network element, the processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the third network elements includes:

[0039] According to the granularity of the UPF network element, the operation instruction information corresponding to the target event is sent to each UPF network element.

[0040] In one embodiment, the target event includes a feeder link switching event.

[0041] In one embodiment, the target event includes a base station handover event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

[0042] In one embodiment, when the target event is the feeder link switching event, the processing information corresponding to the target event is operation instruction information, and the operation instruction information is used to instruct to cache the downlink data of the PDU sessions of all UEs associated with the satellite base station.

[0043] In a third aspect, a communication event processing device is also provided, comprising:

[0044] The message sending module is used to send a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the device in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected when a target event is about to occur in the satellite base station.

[0045] In a fourth aspect, a communication event processing device is further provided, which is applied to a first network element in a core network, where the first network element is connected to a satellite base station, and the device includes:

[0046] A first receiving module is configured to receive a message that a target event will occur on the satellite base station;

[0047] A first search module is configured to search for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0048] The first sending module is used to send the message to each second network element according to the granularity of the second network element.

[0049] In a fifth aspect, a communication event processing device is further provided, which is applied to a second network element in a core network, and the device includes:

[0050] A second receiving module is configured to receive a message from a first network element in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station; the first network element is connected to the satellite base station;

[0051] A second search module is configured to search for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0052] The second sending module is used to send processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the third network elements according to the granularity of the third network elements.

[0053] In a sixth aspect, a base station device is also provided, comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

[0054] The transmitter is used to send a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the device in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected when a target event is about to occur in the satellite base station.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, a core network device is also provided, including a transmitter, a processor, and a receiver;

[0056] The receiver is configured to receive a message sent by a satellite base station indicating that a target event will occur on the satellite base station;

[0057] The processor is configured to search for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0058] The transmitter is used to send the message to each second network element according to the granularity of the second network element.

[0059] In an eighth aspect, a core network device is also provided, including a transmitter, a processor, and a receiver;

[0060] The receiver is configured to receive a message from a first network element in a core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station; the first network element is connected to the satellite base station;

[0061] The processor is configured to search for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0062] The transmitter is configured to send processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the third network elements according to the granularity of the third network elements.

[0063] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in any of the embodiments of the above aspects are implemented.

[0064] In the tenth aspect, a computer program product is also provided, comprising a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in any of the embodiments of the above aspects.

[0065] The above-mentioned communication event processing method, apparatus, base station equipment, core network equipment, storage medium and computer program product, in the regeneration mode of the base station on the satellite, when the satellite base station moves rapidly and a target event such as feeder linkswitchover or handover is about to occur, can greatly reduce the signaling load by adopting a device-based notification granularity compared to the traditional notification and processing mechanism based on the notification granularity of each UE and each PDU session. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or related technical descriptions. 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 paying any creative work.

[0067] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating an application environment of a communication event processing method according to an embodiment;

[0068] Figure 2 1 is a flow chart of a method for handling communication events on a base station side in one embodiment;

[0069] Figure 3 1 is a flow chart of a method for handling communication events on the core network side in one embodiment;

[0070] Figure 4 FIG1 is another flow chart of a method for handling communication events on the core network side in one embodiment;

[0071] Figure 5 A further flowchart of a communication event processing method in one embodiment is shown;

[0072] Figure 6 is a structural block diagram of a communication event processing device on a base station side in one embodiment;

[0073] Figure 7 is a structural block diagram of a communication event processing device on the core network side in one embodiment;

[0074] Figure 8 This is another structural block diagram of a communication event processing device on the core network side in an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0076] First, the relevant terms of the present disclosure are explained.

[0077] AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function, which is used to perform registration, reachability, and mobility management, and provide a session management message transmission channel for UE and SMF.

[0078] SMF: Session Management Function, session management function.

[0079] UPF: UserPlane Function, user plane function.

[0080] RAN: Radio Access Network, wireless access network.

[0081] UE: User Equipment, user terminal.

[0082] NTN stands for Non-Terrestrial Network. NTN technology is a key advancement in connecting mobile phones directly to satellites and a crucial complement to terrestrial cellular communications. By integrating satellite communications with terrestrial 5G networks, NTN technology offers ubiquitous coverage regardless of terrain.

[0083] The communication event processing method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to Figure 1 In the application environment shown. In the NTN regenerative mode, the satellite base station can establish a feeder link with the ground station for communication, and the satellite base stations can communicate with each other by establishing an inter-satellite link. The satellite base station can also access the core network and provide communication services to the user terminal (UE) through the core network. Among them, the satellite base station has all or part of the functions of the gNB (next generation Node B). The user terminal can be, but is not limited to, various personal computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, IoT devices and portable wearable devices. IoT devices can be smart speakers, smart TVs, smart air conditioners, smart car devices, etc. Portable wearable devices can be smart watches, smart bracelets, head-mounted devices, etc.

[0084] like Figure 2 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment, a communication event processing method at a satellite base station side is provided, and the method is applied to Figure 1Taking the satellite base station in the example of FIG, when a target event is about to occur at the satellite base station, the satellite base station will notify each core network connected to the satellite base station of a message corresponding to the target event based on the granularity of the device. The method specifically includes the following steps S201 and S202.

[0085] in:

[0086] Step S201: detecting that a target event will occur at a satellite base station.

[0087] The target event may be an event related to the UE or a PDU session associated with the UE. The target event may specifically be an event caused by rapid movement of the satellite base station, or an event occurring when the satellite base station is not moving rapidly. For example, the target event may be a feeder link switching event between two ground stations connected to the satellite base station, i.e., a feederlink switchover event, or a base station switching event between a satellite base station and another satellite base station, i.e., a handover event, or other events.

[0088] It should be noted that the present disclosure does not specifically limit the specific method for the satellite base station to detect whether a target event is about to occur. In actual applications, based on the specific situation of the satellite base station, a corresponding detection mechanism can be used for detection of different target events.

[0089] Step S202: Based on the granularity of the devices in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected, a message corresponding to the target event is sent to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

[0090] Among them, sending the message corresponding to the target event based on the granularity of the device can be understood as sending the message based on the number of devices. The device can be understood as a general term. For a satellite base station, the device can specifically be the core network element to which the satellite base station is connected. Sending based on the granularity of the device means that for each core network element connected to the satellite base station, the satellite base station only needs to send the message corresponding to the target event once. For example, there are N core network elements AMF connected to the satellite base station. When the target event is about to occur, the satellite base station sends a message to each of the N AMFs, and the total number of messages sent to the AMF is N. Among them, the message corresponding to the target event sent by the satellite base station can be an event notification. Based on the granularity of the device, the satellite base station only needs to send the event notification to each core network element connected to it once.

[0091] It should be noted that the examples disclosed in this disclosure are theoretical scenarios. The satellite base station sends corresponding messages based on device granularity, and the number of messages sent is equal to the number of devices. However, it is not ruled out that in certain situations, it may be less than the number of devices.

[0092] When a target event is about to occur at a satellite base station, traditional 3GPP technology only supports sending notifications or processing information to the core network on a per-UE, per-PDU session basis. If this traditional approach is used, the satellite base station will initiate separate notifications for the large number of connected UEs and for each UE PDU session, resulting in a very large signaling load. For example, if a satellite base station is connected to tens of thousands of UEs, and a target event is about to occur, traditional 3GPP technology requires the satellite base station to initiate a message to the core network for each UE. This means the satellite base station will send tens of thousands of messages to the core network to which it is connected. Each message between the satellite base station and the core network corresponds to one or more signaling interactions, resulting in a very high signaling load.

[0093] In contrast, in this embodiment, notifications of satellite base station events are made between the satellite base station and the core network using device-based notification granularity, rather than UE-based or PDU-based session-based notification granularity. This significantly reduces the signaling load between the satellite base station and the core network to respond to target events. Furthermore, by reducing the signaling load from the satellite base station to the core network, the signaling load between network elements within the core network is also significantly reduced.

[0094] In one embodiment, after detecting that a target event is about to occur, the satellite base station further comprises the following steps: determining a first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected, the first network element being connected to the aforementioned satellite base station.

[0095] As an example, the first network element has access and mobility management functions. For example, the first network element may be an AMF, which is used to perform registration, reachability, and mobility management, provide a session management message transmission channel for UE and SMF, and provide authentication, authorization and other services for user terminal access. It is the access point between the user terminal and the core network control plane. It is understandable that in different communication generations, similar functions can also be implemented through other different network elements. Therefore, the above-mentioned first network element is not limited to AMF, and can also be other network elements that can implement the same functions.

[0096] Correspondingly, the aforementioned step S202, in which the satellite base station sends a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected, may specifically include:

[0097] Based on the granularity of the first network element determined by the aforementioned action, a message corresponding to the aforementioned target event is sent to a first network element in each core network to which the aforementioned satellite base station is connected. The first network element may have access and mobility management functions, and subsequent related processing may be continued through the first network element to ensure communication quality after the target event occurs in the satellite base station.

[0098] In a further embodiment, the satellite base station may send a message corresponding to the target event in the form of a notification. The satellite base station may send a notification corresponding to the target event once to the first network element in each core network to which it is connected, and the notification may carry event type information of the aforementioned target event.

[0099] For example, when an event such as a feeder link switchover or handover is about to occur, the satellite base station can send a corresponding notification to the network element of the connected core network. The specific content of the notification can indicate that the current target event that is about to occur is a feeder link switchover event or a handover event, so that the core network executes corresponding processing procedures for different target events.

[0100] Since satellite base stations are usually connected to a large number of UEs, the notifications sent for satellite base station events in the above embodiments of the present disclosure are not based on notifications for each UE, but on granular notifications, and only one notification needs to be sent for each core network, which can greatly reduce the signaling load.

[0101] In an exemplary embodiment, when the first network element is an AMF network element, the aforementioned sending of the message corresponding to the target event to the first network element in each core network connected to the satellite base station based on the granularity of the first network element includes: based on the granularity of the AMF network element, the satellite base station sends the message corresponding to the aforementioned target event to each AMF network element connected to it.

[0102] Specifically, a corresponding program may be set in the interface management program of the satellite base station, and the satellite base station may be enabled to send an event notification to the core network based on device granularity through the program.

[0103] Based on this embodiment, the number of AMF network elements of the core network to which the satellite base station is connected is usually much smaller than the number of UEs to which it is connected. Therefore, the satellite base station sends messages about upcoming target events to the core network to which it is connected at the granularity of the AMF network element (i.e., the number of AMF network elements). Compared with initiating notifications to the core network at the granularity of the UE, this can greatly reduce the amount of messages sent by the satellite base station to the core network, thereby reducing the signaling load between the satellite base station and the core network.

[0104] Continue to refer Figure 3As shown, in another exemplary embodiment, a communication event processing method on the core network side is provided. The method is applied to a network element (i.e., a first network element) connected to a satellite base station in the core network as an example for explanation. After receiving a message that a target event is about to occur on the satellite base station, the first network element searches for other network elements affected by the target event of the satellite base station, and then sends the message that the target event is about to occur on the satellite base station to each of the other network elements found according to the granularity of the other network elements. The method specifically includes the following steps S301 to S303. Among them:

[0105] Step S301: A first network element connected to a satellite base station receives a message indicating that a target event will occur on the satellite base station.

[0106] Among them, the first network element can have access and mobility management functions, and the target event can refer to the description of the above embodiment, for example, it can be a feeder link switchover event, or a handover event between a satellite base station and other satellite base stations, or other events.

[0107] Specifically, the first network element of the core network can receive the message that the target event will occur on the satellite base station based on the method described in the embodiment on the satellite base station side, which will not be described in detail here.

[0108] Step S302: searching for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with a target event of a satellite base station.

[0109] The second network element can be understood as a network element that will be affected by the satellite base station where the aforementioned target event occurs. For example, when the first network element performs access and mobility management functions, the second network element can be a network element with session management functions. The specific meaning of being affected can be understood as requiring the execution of corresponding actions to adapt to the aforementioned target event. Based on this, the second network element can be all or some of the network elements connected to the first network element, and this disclosure is not limited to this.

[0110] In step S303, the first network element sends a message about the upcoming target event at the satellite base station to each second network element according to the granularity of the second network elements determined in step S302.

[0111] Among them, sending messages according to the granularity of the second network element can be understood as sending messages based on the number of second network elements. For example, the first network element determines based on step S302 that there are M second network elements affected by the target event, then the first network element sends a message to each of the M second network elements, that is, the number of messages sent by the first network element to the second network elements is M.

[0112] It should be noted that the examples disclosed in this disclosure are theoretical situations. The first network element sends corresponding messages based on device granularity, and the number of messages sent is equal to the number of corresponding second network elements. However, it is not ruled out that in certain situations, it may also be less than the number of corresponding second network elements.

[0113] As a first network element connected to a satellite base station, under conventional technology, the response mechanism of the first network element to an impending target event at the base station requires signaling with a second network element at a granularity of each UE and each PDU session. That is, the signaling load between the first network element and the second network element in the core network is positively correlated with the number of UEs or PDU sessions managed by the first network element. Therefore, when the number of UEs or PDU sessions is large, the signaling load is very large. In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure, upon receiving a notification of an impending target event at the satellite base station, each first network element in the core network searches for second network elements with session management functions that are affected by the event and sends a notification of the event to each second network element. This notification is not based on the granularity of each UE or each PDU session, but rather on the granularity of each network element device. That is, the signaling load between the first network element and the second network element is positively correlated with the number of affected second network elements. Because the number of affected second network elements is much smaller than the number of UEs or PDU sessions managed by the first network element, the signaling load between core network elements can be reduced compared to conventional technology.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned step S302, searching for a second network element, which is associated with the aforementioned target event of the satellite base station, may specifically include: the first network element searching for the second network element associated with the satellite base station where the aforementioned target event occurs based on the context information of multiple stored UE PDU sessions. The second network element found may be one or more. If there are multiple second network elements, the first network element will notify each second network element of the information about the aforementioned target event.

[0115] Based on this embodiment, the first network element connected to the core network and the satellite base station searches for the affected second network element based on the stored context information of multiple UE PDU sessions. When the context information of the affected second network element exists in multiple UE PDU sessions, the first network element only sends a notification about the target event or operation information about the target event to the second network element once. Under this processing mechanism, the first network element can determine which second network elements need to be sent event information based on the current session situation. The process of searching for the second network element is simple and efficient. At the same time, the message corresponding to the event is sent based on the granularity of the second network element, which is conducive to reducing the signaling load.

[0116] As an example, the aforementioned first network element may be an AMF network element, and the second network element may be an SMF network element. SMF is generally responsible for tunnel maintenance, IP address allocation and management, UP function selection, policy implementation, and related functions in QoS.

[0117] It can be understood that under different standards, the corresponding functions of AMF network elements and SMF network elements can be implemented based on different network elements. Therefore, the first network element in the aforementioned embodiment is not limited to the AMF network element, and the second network element is not limited to the SMF network element.

[0118] Through this embodiment, after the AMF connected to the satellite base station receives information that a target event is about to occur at the satellite base station, it can find the SMF affected by the target event based on the stored multiple UE PDU session context information. The found SMFs can be one or more, and the AMF only needs to send a notification about the target event or operation information about the target event to each SMF once. Under this processing mechanism, the AMF can determine which SMFs need to send information corresponding to the event based on actual needs, and send corresponding messages based on the granularity of the SMF, which is conducive to reducing the signaling load.

[0119] Next reference Figure 4 As shown, in another embodiment, a communication event processing method on the core network side is provided. The method is applied to the second network element in the core network (the difference from the aforementioned first network element is that the second network element is not connected to the satellite base station) as an example for explanation. After receiving the message sent by the first network element that the target event will occur in the satellite base station, the second network element determines other network elements associated with the target event that need to be notified, finds the affected UE PDU session through other network elements, and performs corresponding processing on the found UE PDU session to ensure the session quality of the UE PDU session after the above-mentioned target event occurs in the satellite base station. Specifically, the processing method of the second network element includes the following steps S401 to S403.

[0120] in:

[0121] Step S401: The second network element receives a message from the first network element indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station.

[0122] Among them, as mentioned above, the first network element is connected to the satellite base station, which can have access and mobility management functions; the second network element is not connected to the satellite base station, and can be a network element associated with the first network element, which can have a session management function; the target event can refer to the description of the above embodiment, for example, it can be a feeder link switchover event, or a handover event between a satellite base station and other satellite base stations, or other events.

[0123] Specifically, the specific process of the second network element receiving the message sent by the first network element that the target event will occur in the satellite base station can be referred to the above embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0124] Step S402: searching for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the aforementioned target event occurs.

[0125] The third network element may be a network element with user plane functions, specifically used to implement session processing for UE PDU sessions. For example, the third network element may be a UPF network element, which is typically responsible for routing forwarding, traffic reporting, QoS processing, etc., and as the anchor point of the session, can record traffic forwarding volume.

[0126] Step S403: Send processing information corresponding to the target event to each third network element according to the granularity of the third network element determined in step S402.

[0127] Among them, sending the corresponding processing information according to the granularity of the third network element can be understood as sending the processing information based on the number of third network elements. For example, the second network element determines that there are K affected third network elements based on step S402, then the second network element sends a processing information to each of the K third network elements, that is, the number of messages sent by the second network element to the third network elements is K.

[0128] It should be noted that the examples disclosed in this disclosure are theoretical situations. The second network element sends corresponding messages based on device granularity, and the number of messages sent is equal to the number of corresponding third network elements. However, it is not ruled out that in certain situations, it may also be less than the number of corresponding third network elements.

[0129] As an example, when the target event is a feeder link switching event, the processing information corresponding to the target event sent by the second network element may include an event operation instruction, which is used to instruct the caching of downlink data of the PDU sessions of all UEs associated with the satellite base station.

[0130] It can be understood that, when the target event is other events, the processing information corresponding to the target event sent by the second network element may be other information.

[0131] When the second network element is an SMF, in conventional technology, the SMF selects a user plane function network element based on UE or PDU session granularity. For example, the SMF selects a UPF based on UE or session granularity. This means that the signaling load between the SMF and the UPF is positively correlated with the number of UEs or sessions managed by the SMF. When the number of UEs or sessions managed by the SMF is large, the signaling load between the SMF and the UPF is also very high. However, in this embodiment, after receiving a message from the first network element in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station, the second network element can determine the third network elements that need to be notified and, based on the granularity of the third network elements, send processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the identified third network elements. Because the second network element sends the processing information corresponding to the target event based on device granularity rather than per UE or per PDU session granularity, the signaling load between the second and third network elements is positively correlated with the number of affected third network elements. This number of affected third network elements is much smaller than the number of UEs or sessions managed by the SMF, thus reducing the signaling load on the core network.

[0132] In one embodiment, in step S402, the specific manner in which the second network element searches for the third network element includes:

[0133] The second network element searches for at least one third network element associated with the satellite base station that sent the target event based on the stored multiple UE PDU session context information. This process is simple and efficient to implement and does not increase the signaling load of the core network.

[0134] Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, the first network element is an AMF network element, the second network element is an SMF network element, and the third network element is a UPF network element. Accordingly, the aforementioned step S403 may specifically include each SMF network element sending a specific operation instruction corresponding to the target event of the satellite base station to each UPF network element at the granularity of the UPF network element, and the SMF network element only needs to send the specific operation instruction once to each UPF network element.

[0135] As an example, in order to realize the processing of SMF network elements based on device granularity, a new SMF service can be deployed in advance for the SMF network elements, and the logic of sending processing messages corresponding to base station events based on the granularity of UPF network elements can be implemented through this new SMF service.

[0136] Through this embodiment, the SMF network element sends specific operation instructions corresponding to the base station event based on the granularity of the UPF network element, rather than the traditional granularity based on each UE or each session, which is conducive to reducing the signaling load.

[0137] refer to Figure 5As shown in FIG, in an exemplary embodiment, a more detailed flow chart of a communication event processing method is provided from the perspective of cooperation of multiple devices in a communication network. Figure 5 As shown, the implementation of the communication event processing method of this embodiment is based on the base station satellite, AMF, SMF, and UPF. The precondition is that an event is about to occur in the satellite base station, such as feeder link switchover or handover. The specific implementation process includes:

[0138] 1. The satellite base station notifies each connected AMF of its current specific event. If there are multiple connected AMFs, multiple AMFs will be notified.

[0139] 2. The AMF searches for the SMF associated with the satellite base station. The AMF can search for the SMF associated with the satellite base station based on the stored UE session context information, that is, the SMF affected by the current specific event of the satellite base station.

[0140] 3. The AMF notifies the associated SMF of the aforementioned specific event of the satellite base station. Specifically, if there are multiple associated SMFs, the AMF notifies multiple SMFs.

[0141] After receiving the event notification from the satellite base station, the AMF can not only find the affected SMF and send the event notification to the SMF, but also interact with the UE or other network elements according to the specific situation, without limitation.

[0142] For example, if a satellite base station is connected to N AMFs and a feeder link switchover event occurs, the satellite base station sends N notification messages to the N AMFs. If connections are established between the N AMFs and the M SMFs, the AMF sends M*N notification messages to the SMFs. Of course, in actual services, not all N AMFs may be connected to the M SMFs, or not all M SMFs may be affected. In this case, the number of messages sent by the AMF to the SMF will be less than M*N.

[0143] 4. The SMF searches for the UPF associated with the satellite base station that sent the specific event. Specifically, the SMF can search for the UPF associated with the satellite base station based on the stored UE PDU session information.

[0144] 5. The SMF sends the operation information corresponding to the aforementioned specific event of the satellite base station to the associated UPF. Specifically, if there are multiple associated UPFs, the SMF sends it to multiple UPFs.

[0145] After receiving the event notification from AMF, SMF can not only find the affected UPF and send the specific operation information corresponding to the event to each UPF, but also interact with other network elements according to the specific situation, without limitation.

[0146] 6. The UPF searches for the PDU sessions associated with the satellite base station and performs appropriate processing on the associated PDU sessions to ensure session quality after the aforementioned event occurs at the satellite base station. Specifically, the UPF can search for the PDU sessions associated with the satellite base station based on the stored UE's N4 session information. The UPF performs specific operations for the aforementioned specific events in each associated PDU session. For example, when a feeder link switchover is about to occur at the satellite base station, the UPF caches the downlink data of the UE's PDU session.

[0147] It is understandable that for specific events of satellite base stations, AMF can also conduct signaling interaction with UE or other core network elements, and SMF and UPF can also conduct signaling interaction with other core network elements. The relevant process can be based on the existing service processing of AMF, SMF, and UPF. When the signaling load from the satellite base station to the core network is reduced, the signaling load between network elements in the core network will also be greatly reduced.

[0148] Through this embodiment, the traditional notification and processing mechanism based on each UE and each PDU session is converted into a notification mechanism based on device granularity in multiple processes from the satellite base station to the core network and between the core network network elements (AMF~SMF, SMF~UPF). Therefore, the signaling load of the core network can be greatly reduced. For the regeneration mode of the base station on the satellite, the improvement of the signaling load of the core network by this embodiment is more significant.

[0149] It should be understood that, although the various steps in the flowcharts involved in the various embodiments described above are displayed in sequence according to the instructions of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in sequence in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a portion of the steps in the flowcharts involved in the various embodiments described above can include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages are not necessarily executed and completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily to be carried out in sequence, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a portion of steps or stages in other steps.

[0150] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication event processing device for implementing the communication event processing method involved above. The implementation solution provided by the device is similar to the implementation solution described in the above method, so the specific limitations in the one or more communication event processing device embodiments provided below can be found in the above limitations on the communication event processing method, and will not be repeated here.

[0151] In an exemplary embodiment, Figure 6 As shown, a communication event processing device applied to a base station is provided, including: a message sending module 601, which is used to send a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the device in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected when a target event is about to occur in the satellite base station.

[0152] In one embodiment, the device is a core network element, and the message sending module 601 is further used to send a corresponding number of messages corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the number of core network elements connected to the satellite base station.

[0153] In one embodiment, the message sending module 601 is also used to determine the first network element in each core network connected to the satellite base station after detecting that a target event is about to occur on the satellite base station, and the first network element is connected to the satellite base station; based on the granularity of the first network element, send a message corresponding to the target event to the first network element in each core network connected to the satellite base station.

[0154] In one embodiment, the message corresponding to the aforementioned target event is a notification message; the message sending module 601 is specifically used to send a notification corresponding to the target event once to the first network element in each core network connected to the satellite base station; the notification carries event type information of the target event.

[0155] In one embodiment, the first network element includes an AMF network element; the message sending module 601 is specifically used to send the message corresponding to the target event to the AMF network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the AMF network element.

[0156] In one embodiment, the target event comprises a feeder link switching event.

[0157] In other embodiments, the target event may also include a base station switching event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

[0158] In the above device embodiment, when a target event is about to occur in a satellite base station, a notification is initiated to the core network based on device granularity, rather than based on UE or session granularity, which is conducive to reducing signaling load.

[0159] In an exemplary embodiment, Figure 7 As shown, a communication event processing device applied to a first network element of a core network is provided, where the first network element can be connected to a satellite base station, and the device includes:

[0160] The first receiving module 701 is configured to receive a message that a target event will occur on the satellite base station;

[0161] A first search module 702 is configured to search for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0162] The first sending module 703 is configured to send the message to each second network element according to the granularity of the second network element.

[0163] The searching for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with a satellite base station where the target event occurs, includes:

[0164] According to the stored context information of the plurality of UE PDU sessions, a second network element affected by the target event of the satellite base station is searched to obtain at least one second network element associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs.

[0165] In one embodiment, the first sending module 703 is specifically configured to send the message to each second network element once.

[0166] Optionally, the first network element includes an AMF network element, and the second network element includes an SMF network element.

[0167] Optionally, the target event includes a feeder link switching event; or, the target event includes a base station switching event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

[0168] In the above-mentioned device embodiment, the first network element connected to the satellite base station, after receiving a notification from the satellite base station that a target event is about to occur, initiates a notification to other network elements based on device granularity, rather than based on UE or session granularity, thereby helping to reduce signaling load.

[0169] In an exemplary embodiment, Figure 8 As shown, a communication event processing device applied to a second network element of a core network is provided. The second network element is communicatively connected to a first network element, and the first network element can be connected to a satellite base station. The device includes:

[0170] The second receiving module 801 is configured to receive a message from a first network element in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station; the first network element is connected to the satellite base station;

[0171] A second search module 802 is configured to search for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs;

[0172] The second sending module 803 is configured to send processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the third network elements according to the granularity of the third network elements.

[0173] In one embodiment, the second search module 802 is specifically configured to search for at least one third network element associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs according to the stored context information of the plurality of UE PDU sessions.

[0174] Optionally, the first network element includes an AMF network element, the second network element includes an SMF network element, and the third network element includes a UPF network element. Based on this, in one embodiment, the processing information corresponding to the target event is operation instruction information corresponding to the target event; the second sending module 803 is specifically configured to send the operation instruction information corresponding to the target event to each UPF network element according to the granularity of the UPF network element.

[0175] Exemplarily, the target event includes a feeder link switching event, or the target event includes a base station switching event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

[0176] Exemplarily, when the target event is the feeder link switching event, the processing information corresponding to the target event is operation instruction information, and the operation instruction information is used to instruct to cache the downlink data of the PDU sessions of all UEs associated with the satellite base station.

[0177] In the above-mentioned device embodiment, the second network element that is communicatively connected to the first network element, after receiving the notification sent by the first network element that the target event is about to occur at the satellite base station, initiates specific event processing information to other network elements based on device granularity, rather than based on UE or session granularity, which is conducive to reducing signaling load.

[0178] Each module in the above-mentioned communication event processing device can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Each of the above-mentioned modules can be embedded in or independent of the processor in the computer device in the form of hardware, or can be stored in the memory of the computer device in the form of software, so that the processor can call and execute the corresponding operations of each of the above modules.

[0179] In an exemplary embodiment, a base station device is provided, which includes a transmitter and a receiver; the transmitter is used to implement one or more steps in the method embodiment on the satellite base station side of the claim.

[0180] In an exemplary embodiment, a core network device is provided. The core network device is connectable to a satellite base station and includes a transmitter, a processor, and a receiver. The receiver is configured to receive a message indicating that a target event will occur on the satellite base station. The processor is configured to locate a second network element associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs. The transmitter is configured to transmit the message to each second network element at the granularity of the second network element. As an example, the core network device may include access and mobility management functionality, such as an AMF network element.

[0181] In an exemplary embodiment, another core network device is provided. The core network device is communicatively connected to a first network element (NE), which can be connected to a satellite base station and is therefore also referred to as a second NE. The core network device includes a transmitter, a processor, and a receiver. The receiver is configured to receive a message from a first NE in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at the satellite base station. The first NE is connected to the satellite base station. The processor is configured to locate a third NE associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs. The transmitter is configured to transmit processing information corresponding to the target event to each third NE at the granularity of the third NE. As an example, the core network device may have session management functionality, such as an SMF NE.

[0182] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is further provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in any of the above method embodiments are implemented.

[0183] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is further provided, including a computer program, characterized in that when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in any of the above method embodiments are implemented.

[0184] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with relevant regulations.

[0185] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application may include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The database involved in the various embodiments provided herein may include at least one of a relational database and a non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include, but are not limited to, distributed databases based on blockchains. The processor involved in the various embodiments provided herein may be, but are not limited to, a general-purpose processor, a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic unit, a data processing logic unit based on quantum computing, and the like.

[0186] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0187] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication event processing method, characterized in that: The method comprises: When a target event is about to occur in a satellite base station, a message corresponding to the target event is sent to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of devices in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The device is a core network element, and the sending of a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the device in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected includes: Based on the number of core network elements connected to the satellite base station, a corresponding number of messages corresponding to the target event are sent to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After detecting that a target event will occur on a satellite base station, the following steps are also included: Determining a first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected, where the first network element is connected to the satellite base station; The sending, based on the granularity of devices in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected, a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected, includes: Based on the granularity of the first network element, a message corresponding to the target event is sent to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The message corresponding to the target event is a notification message; The sending a message corresponding to the target event to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected includes: Sending a notification corresponding to the target event once to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected; The notification carries event type information of the target event.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first network element includes an AMF network element; and sending the message corresponding to the target event to the first network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the first network element includes: Based on the granularity of the AMF network element, the message corresponding to the target event is sent to the AMF network element in each core network to which the satellite base station is connected.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The target event includes a feeder link switching event.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The target event includes a base station switching event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

8. A communication event processing method, characterized in that: Applied to a first network element in a core network, the first network element being connected to a satellite base station, the method comprising: Receive a message about a target event occurring on a satellite base station; searching for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with a satellite base station where the target event occurs; The message is sent to each of the second network elements according to the granularity of the second network elements.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The searching for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with a satellite base station where the target event occurs, includes: According to the stored context information of the plurality of UE PDU sessions, a second network element affected by the target event of the satellite base station is searched to obtain a second network element associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The sending the message to each second network element according to the granularity of the second network element includes: For each second network element, the message is sent to the second network element once.

11. The method according to claim 8, 9 or 10, characterized in that: The first network element includes an AMF network element, and the second network element includes an SMF network element.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The target event includes a feeder link switching event.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The target event includes a base station switching event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

14. A communication event processing method, characterized in that: Applied to a second network element in a core network, the method includes: receiving a message from a first network element in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station; the first network element is connected to the satellite base station; searching for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs; According to the granularity of the third network element, the processing information corresponding to the target event is sent to each of the third network elements.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The searching for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs, includes: According to the stored context information of the plurality of UE PDU sessions, the third network element affected by the target event of the satellite base station obtains the third network element associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first network element includes an AMF network element, the second network element includes an SMF network element, and the third network element includes a UPF network element.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The processing information corresponding to the target event is the operation instruction information corresponding to the target event; The sending, according to the granularity of the third network element, the processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the third network elements includes: According to the granularity of the UPF network element, the operation instruction information corresponding to the target event is sent to each UPF network element.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that The target event includes a feeder link switching event.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that The target event includes a base station switching event between the satellite base station and another satellite base station.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein In the case where the target event is the feeder link switching event, the processing information corresponding to the target event is operation instruction information, and the operation instruction information is used to instruct to cache downlink data of the PDU sessions of all UEs associated with the satellite base station.

21. A communication event processing device, characterized in that: include: The message sending module is used to send a message corresponding to the target event to the core network to which the satellite base station is connected based on the granularity of the device in the core network to which the satellite base station is connected when a target event is about to occur in the satellite base station.

22. A communication event processing device, characterized in that: Applied to a first network element in a core network, the first network element being connected to a satellite base station, the apparatus comprising: A first receiving module is configured to receive a message that a target event will occur on the satellite base station; A first search module is configured to search for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs; The first sending module is used to send the message to each second network element according to the granularity of the second network element.

23. A communication event processing device, characterized in that: Applied to a second network element in a core network, the device includes: A second receiving module is configured to receive a message from a first network element in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station; the first network element is connected to the satellite base station; A second search module is configured to search for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs; The second sending module is used to send processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the third network elements according to the granularity of the third network elements.

24. A base station device, characterized in that: Includes a transmitter and a receiver; The transmitter is used to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

25. A core network device, characterized in that: Includes a transmitter, processor, and receiver; The receiver is configured to receive a message sent by a satellite base station indicating that a target event will occur on the satellite base station; The processor is configured to search for a second network element, where the second network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs; The transmitter is configured to send the message to each of the second network elements according to the granularity of the second network elements.

26. A core network device, characterized in that: Includes a transmitter, processor, and receiver; The receiver is configured to receive a message sent by a first network element in the core network indicating that a target event will occur at a satellite base station; The first network element is connected to the satellite base station; The processor is configured to search for a third network element, where the third network element is associated with the satellite base station where the target event occurs; The transmitter is configured to send processing information corresponding to the target event to each of the third network elements according to the granularity of the third network elements.

27. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 are implemented.

28. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 are implemented.

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