Service adjustment method and device, communication equipment, storage medium and program product

Abstract

Disclosed are a service adjustment method and apparatus, a communication device, a storage medium, and a program product, the method comprising: an RAN obtaining first information, the first information comprising one or more of the following items: a UE distance, network information, and a time window size, the time window being used for statistics of the network information; the RAN sends the first information to a core network, the first information is sent to an application network element through the core network, and the first information is used for the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or the frame rate of the service.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless technology, and in particular to a service adjustment method and apparatus, communication equipment, storage medium, and program product. Background Art

[0002] In order to reduce transmission delay, alleviate network congestion and ensure user service experience, application network elements need to interact with the network to obtain network-related information. Application network elements adjust service transmission strategies based on network-related information to adapt to network status.

[0003] Currently, application network elements obtain limited network-related information, which results in the inability of application network elements to finely adjust service transmission strategies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a service adjustment method and apparatus, communication equipment, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product.

[0005] The service adjustment method provided in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0006] A radio access network (RAN) obtains first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: a distance to a user equipment (UE), network information, and a time window size, where the time window is used for statistics of the network information;

[0007] The RAN sends the first information to the core network, and sends the first information to the application network element through the core network. The first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0008] The service adjustment method provided in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0009] After receiving the information open request sent by the application network element, the first network function sends an information reporting request to the RAN; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report first information, and the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information;

[0010] The first network function receives the first information reported by the RAN and sends the first information to the application network element; the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0011] The service adjustment device provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a RAN, including:

[0012] an acquiring unit, configured to acquire first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and a time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information;

[0013] The first communication unit is used to send the first information to the core network, and send the first information to the application network element through the core network, where the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0014] The service adjustment device provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to the first network function, including:

[0015] A second communication unit is configured to send an information reporting request to the RAN after receiving an information open request sent by the application network element; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information; receive the first information reported by the RAN, and send the first information to the application network element; the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0016] The communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application includes: a processor and a memory, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute any one of the above-mentioned service adjustment methods.

[0017] The computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present application is used to store a computer program, and the computer program enables a computer to execute any one of the above-mentioned service adjustment methods.

[0018] The computer program product provided in the embodiments of the present application includes computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute any one of the above-mentioned service adjustment methods.

[0019] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the RAN detects the UE distance and / or counts network information within a time window, and sends one or more of the UE distance, network information, and the size of the time window to the application network element through the core network, so that the application network element can adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service according to this information, thereby achieving the purpose of fine-tuning the service transmission strategy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a flow diagram of the service adjustment method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a functional diagram of the RAN side protocol stack provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a message format diagram provided by the embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a message format diagram provided by the embodiment of the present application Figure 2 ;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a flow diagram of the service adjustment method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 2 ;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 3 ;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 4 ;

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 5 ;

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of network indicators changing with distance provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the service adjustment device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 ;

[0033] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the service adjustment device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 ;

[0034] Figure 15 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following will describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are 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.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the network elements involved in the 5G network system include: User Equipment (UE), Radio Access Network (RAN), User Plane Function (UPF), Data Network (DN), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Application Function (AF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Unified Data Management (UDM), etc.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the UE establishes an access stratum (AS) connection with the RAN through the Uu interface, exchanging access stratum messages and wireless data transmission. The UE establishes a non-access stratum (NAS) connection with the AMF through the N1 interface, exchanging non-access stratum (NAS) messages. The AMF is the access and mobility management function in the core network, and the SMF is the session management function in the core network. In addition to access and mobility management for the UE, the AMF is also responsible for forwarding session management-related messages between the UE and the SMF. The PCF is the policy management function in the core network, responsible for formulating policies related to UE mobility management, session management, billing, etc. The UPF is the user plane function in the core network, which transmits data with the DN through the N6 interface and with the RAN through the N3 interface.

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to but not limited to the above Figure 1 The 5G network system architecture shown can also be applied to an enhanced 5G network system architecture, a 6G network system architecture, or a future network system architecture, for example.

[0039] It should be noted that Figure 1 The systems to which this application applies are merely illustrative examples. Of course, the methods described in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other systems. Furthermore, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" in this application simply describes an association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship. It should also be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association relationship. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that A and B have an association relationship. It should also be understood that the "correspondence" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can mean that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between two objects, or that there is an association relationship between the two objects, or a relationship between an indicator and the indicated, a configuration and the configured, and so on. It should also be understood that the "predefined" or "predefined rules" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in devices (for example, including terminal devices and network devices), and this application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to those defined in the protocol.

[0040] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application are described below. The following relevant technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0041] The application network element interacts with the network to obtain network-related information, and the application network element adjusts the service transmission strategy based on the network-related information to adapt to the network status. Here, the purpose of adjusting the service transmission strategy is to adjust the coding rate of the service (hereinafter referred to as the bit rate). For example: when the network condition is poor, the bit rate of the service can be reduced to ensure the smoothness of the service and avoid long-term freezes, screen distortion and other phenomena. In some implementations, there are three ways to adjust the bit rate:

[0042] Method 1: Only adjust the size of the data packet.

[0043] Method 2: Adjust only the frame rate.

[0044] Method 3: Adjust both the packet size and the frame rate.

[0045] The bit rate can be adjusted by any of the above methods, but different methods have different impacts on the Quality of Service (QoS) indicators of the service.

[0046] The network-related information exposed to application NEs by the network includes network congestion, data rate, packet loss rate, and latency. Application NEs have limited access to this information, preventing them from selecting the appropriate method for adjusting the bitrate from the three aforementioned methods. For example, if a UE at different distances from the base station experiences packet loss, using method 1 (adjusting only the packet size) will cause unstable data rates and sudden drops in data rates, failing to improve QoS.

[0047] To this end, the following technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are proposed. To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions of the present application are described in detail below through specific embodiments. The above related technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application. The embodiments of the present application include at least part of the following contents.

[0048] It should be noted that the services described in the embodiments of the present application include but are not limited to extended reality (XR) services.

[0049] It should be noted that the application network elements described in the embodiments of the present application include application functions (AFs) and / or application servers (ASs). The ASs can interact with the UPFs in the core network and obtain information from them. The AFs can interact with the PCFs in the core network and obtain information from them. In one implementation, when the AF is an internal AF of the core network, the AF and the PCF interact directly. In another implementation, when the AF is an external AF of the core network, the AF and the PCF interact through the Network Exposure Function (NEF).

[0050] Figure 2 This is a flow diagram of the service adjustment method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 ,like Figure 2 As shown, the business adjustment method includes the following steps:

[0051] Step 201: RAN obtains first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and time window size, where the time window is used for statistics of network information.

[0052] Here, UE distance refers to the distance between the UE and the base station. In some cases, base station and RAN can be used interchangeably.

[0053] Here, the network information includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: packet loss rate, jitter, and delay. The statistics of the network information are performed within a time window.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present application, the protocol stack on the RAN side includes Layer 1 (L1), Layer 2 (L2), and Layer 3 (L3); wherein L3 is located above L2, which is located above L1. Here, L1 is a lower layer of the RAN, which may be the physical (PHY) layer. L2 is an intermediate layer of the RAN, which may be the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and / or the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. L3 is a higher layer of the RAN, which may be the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and / or the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer.

[0055] Based on the protocol stack on the RAN side, step 201 can be implemented in the following manner: L1 measures the UE distance and reports the UE distance to L3; and / or L2 collects network information within a time window and reports the network information to L3; wherein the network information includes at least one of the following: packet loss rate, jitter, and latency; and / or L3 configures the time window size.

[0056] 1. About obtaining UE distance:

[0057] The RAN measures the UE's distance in ways that include, but are not limited to, the following: the UE sends a reference signal to the RAN. The RAN determines the timing advance (TA) by measuring the reference signal and sends the TA to the UE, which the UE uses to determine the timing of uplink transmissions. The RAN calculates the distance from the UE to the RAN based on the TA value and the value of a parameter set (numerology) configured by the RAN. The numerology here can be the subcarrier spacing. It should be noted that if the UE is out of synchronization or in the process of handover, the RAN needs to update the UE's distance to ensure the accuracy of the UE's distance.

[0058] 2. About obtaining network information:

[0059] In some descriptions, network information may also be replaced by QoS information or KPI information, including but not limited to packet loss rate, jitter, delay, etc.

[0060] Here, the network information is obtained by statistics within a time window. Here, the time window may be a statistical time window (SW) or an averaging time window (AW).

[0061] Specifically, as one implementation, a time window is defined on the RAN side. This time window can be called a statistical window. The statistical window is used to collect statistics on network information (such as packet loss rate, jitter, and delay). The size of the statistical window is measured in milliseconds (ms). As another implementation, considering the convenience of parameter reuse, the time window can also be represented by an averaging window configured in the core network. The core network sends the configuration information of the averaging window (such as the size and function of the averaging window) to the RAN. The averaging window is used to collect statistics on the guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) and maximum flow bit rate (MFBR) of QoS flows, as well as statistics on network information (such as packet loss rate, jitter, and delay). It should be noted that for the averaging window, "statistics on the GFBR and MFBR of QoS flows" is compatible with existing functions, while "statistics on network information (such as packet loss rate, jitter, and delay)" is a newly expanded function.

[0062] In some implementations, the RAN side adds a function to update the time window size, so that the "statistics of network information" can quickly adapt to air interface changes. Specifically, L3 updates the time window size based on the network information reported by L2, and notifies L2 of the updated time window size and carries it in the above-mentioned first information. Here, after L3 notifies L2 of the updated time window size, L2 can perform statistics of network information within the time window based on the updated time window size. L3 carries the updated time window size in the first information, which can enable RAN to report the updated time window size to the core network along with the first information. In some cases, the "first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information and time window size" in step 201 can be replaced with "the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information and updated time window size".

[0063] In one example, the trigger condition for L3 to update the time window size is a change in network quality (network quality can be reflected through network information reported by L2). Taking the packet loss rate as an example, the higher the packet loss rate, the worse the network quality. When the packet loss rate reported by the L2 layer is greater than or equal to a first threshold, L3 updates the time window size to increase the time window. When the packet loss rate reported by the L2 layer is less than or equal to a second threshold, L3 updates the time window size to decrease the time window. L3 notifies L2 of the updated time window size and reports it to the core network.

[0064] It should be noted that the purpose of updating the time window size is to match the time window size with network information (such as packet loss rate). In this way, while ensuring network performance based on network information, it can avoid the large overhead caused by network information and avoid over-protection of network performance. For example: The advantage of a smaller time window is that it provides more flexible network performance, especially under channel conditions with relatively large fluctuations. The business can adapt to channel changes more quickly through feedback from network information. The disadvantage of a smaller time window is that it brings a larger network information overhead. In addition, the impact of network information on network performance will become greater, leading to over-protection of network performance. Therefore, the time window cannot be simply reduced or increased, but the time window size needs to be updated based on network information.

[0065] 3. Regarding the acquisition of other information:

[0066] In some embodiments, the first information further includes buffer status information of the base station. The buffer status information of the base station includes one or more of the following: status information of a protocol data unit (PDU) or a PDU set cached by the base station, importance of the PDU or PDU set cached by the base station, and the number of PDUs or PDU sets cached by the base station.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the functions of the RAN-side protocol stack, where L1 measures the UE distance and reports it to L3. L2 collects network information within a time window and reports it to L3. L3 updates the time window, notifies L2 of the updated time window size, and sends one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, updated time window size, and base station buffer status information to the core network.

[0068] Step 202: The RAN sends first information to the core network, and the core network sends the first information to the application network element. The first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present application, the RAN sends one or more pieces of information (i.e., first information) including the acquired UE distance, network information, time window size / updated time window size, and cache status information of the base station to the core network, and sends the first information to the application network element (AF / AS) through the core network. The first information is used by the application network element to adjust the service downlink transmission strategy and / or uplink transmission strategy, wherein the downlink transmission strategy includes the data packet size and / or frame rate of the downlink transmission, and the uplink transmission strategy includes the data packet size and / or frame rate of the uplink transmission.

[0070] In the embodiment of the present application, the RAN sends the first information to the core network at the following times:

[0071] (1) The RAN sends a first message to the core network when a trigger condition is met; wherein the trigger condition includes an event trigger condition and / or a periodic trigger condition. In some embodiments, the event trigger condition includes one or more of the following: a) network information meets a preset threshold; b) the RAN reports congestion information.

[0072] For example, when network information (such as packet loss rate) is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the RAN sends first information to the core network.

[0073] For example, when the RAN reports congestion information (Congestion Notification), the RAN sends first information to the core network.

[0074] For example, the RAN periodically sends the first information to the core network according to internal implementation. The period here can be determined by the RAN according to internal implementation.

[0075] (2) When the RAN receives the reporting request sent by the core network, the RAN sends the first information to the core network; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report the first information.

[0076] For example, when the RAN receives a reporting request sent by the AMF or UPF, the RAN sends the first information to the AMF or UPF.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present application, the formats of the first information sent by the RAN to the core network are as follows:

[0078] (1) The RAN sends the first information to the core network through a GPRS Tunnelling Protocol-User plane (GTP-U) header.

[0079] Here, the GTP-U header refers to the header of the GTP-U message. The RAN can send the first information through the GTP-U header, or add the first information while sending uplink data through the GTP-U header. For example, taking PDU Type 1 as an example, the message format of the GTP-U header carrying the first information is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, in addition to including regular information, the message format also adds updated time window information (ie, updated time window size) and UE distance information.

[0080] It should be noted that the GTP-U message is transmitted through the N3 tunnel, which is a channel between the RAN and the UPF. Therefore, the RAN sends the first information to the UPF through the GTP-U header.

[0081] (2) The RAN sends the first information to the core network through an Internet Protocol (IP) header.

[0082] Here, the IP header refers to the header of the IP message. When the RAN marks the congestion information through the IP header, the first information can be added together. For example, the message format of the IP header carrying the first information is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, in addition to the conventional information, the message format also includes UE distance information.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, the paths for the RAN to send the first information to the core network are as follows:

[0084] (1) The RAN sends first information to a user plane function in the core network, and the user plane function sends the first information to the application server.

[0085] Here, the RAN may open and / or send the first information to the application server through the user.

[0086] In some implementations, the user plane function in the core network involved in transmitting the first information includes a UPF.

[0087] (2) The RAN sends the first information to the control plane function in the core network, and the control plane function sends the first information to the application function.

[0088] Here, the RAN may control the opening of application-oriented functions and / or send the first information.

[0089] In some embodiments, the control plane functions involved in transmitting the first information in the core network include one or more of the following: AMF, SMF, and PCF.

[0090] In some implementations, the control plane functions involved in transmitting the first information in the core network include one or more of the following: AMF, SMF, PCF, and a first network function. The first network function here refers to a network function newly introduced in the core network, which can be recorded as newNF or NFx.

[0091] In some implementations, the control plane function in the core network that participates in transmitting the first information includes a first network function. The first network function here refers to a network function newly introduced into the core network, which can be denoted as newNF or NFx.

[0092] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application proposes a service adjustment method, in which the RAN side collects one or more information including UE distance, network information, time window size / updated time window size, and base station cache status information, and opens and / or sends this information to the core network, which further opens and / or sends the application network element (AF / AS). The application network element adjusts the data packet size and / or frame rate based on this information to achieve the purpose of accurately adjusting the service.

[0093] Figure 6 This is a flow diagram of the service adjustment method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 ,like Figure 6 As shown, the business adjustment method includes the following steps:

[0094] Step 601: After receiving the information open request sent by the application network element, the first network function sends an information reporting request to the RAN; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report first information, and the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information and time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information.

[0095] In some implementations, the first information further includes buffer status information of the base station.

[0096] Here, the method for obtaining the first information and the functions of each information contained in the first information can refer to the aforementioned Figure 2 Description of the relevant plan.

[0097] Here, the first network function refers to a network function newly introduced in the core network, which can be denoted as newNF or NFx.

[0098] Step 602: The first network function receives first information reported by the RAN, and sends the first information to the application network element; the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0099] In some implementations, the information reporting request in step 601 is sent by the first network function to the RAN via a control plane function in the core network. Accordingly, in step 602, the first information is sent by the RAN to the first network function via a control plane function in the core network. The control plane functions herein include one or more of the following: AMF, SMF, and PCF. It will be appreciated that the control plane functions in the core network involved in transmitting the first information include one or more of the following: AMF, SMF, PCF, and the first network function.

[0100] In some implementations, the information reporting request in step 601 is sent by the first network function to the RAN, and the first information is sent by the RAN to the first network function in step 602. It is understood that the control plane functions in the core network that participate in transmitting the first information include the first network function.

[0101] The following describes implementations of "the RAN opening and / or sending the first information to the core network" using specific application examples. Application example 1 involves the RAN opening and / or sending the first information to the core network via a user. Application examples 2, 3, 4, and 5 involve the RAN opening and / or sending the first information to the core network via a control mechanism. Application examples 1, 2, and 3 are implemented in an existing core network. Application examples 4 and 5 are implemented by adding a new first network function (denoted as newNF) to the core network.

[0102] Application Example 1

[0103] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 1 ,like Figure 7 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0104] Step 701: UPF sends downlink data to RAN, and RAN sends downlink data to UE.

[0105] Step 702: The RAN measures the UE distance and monitors downlink data within the time window to collect network information, and updates the time window based on the network information.

[0106] Step 703: When the triggering condition is met, the RAN sends a notification to the UPF, where the notification carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0107] Here, the notification sent by RAN to UPF is transmitted through the N3 tunnel, which is the transmission channel between RAN and UPF.

[0108] Step 704: When the triggering condition is met, the UPF sends a notification to the AS, which carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0109] Here, the notification sent by the UPF to the AS may be a UPF event trigger message notification or a notification based on an ECN data flag.

[0110] Step 705: The AS adjusts the downlink transmission strategy according to one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size, wherein the downlink transmission strategy includes the data packet size and / or frame rate of the downlink transmission.

[0111] Step 706: The AS sends downlink data based on the adjusted downlink transmission strategy.

[0112] Application Example 2

[0113] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 2 ,like Figure 8 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0114] Step 801: The UE sends uplink data to the RAN.

[0115] Step 802: The RAN measures the UE distance and monitors uplink data within the time window to collect network information, and updates the time window based on the network information.

[0116] Step 803: When the triggering condition is met, the RAN sends a notification to the UPF, which carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0117] Here, the notification sent by RAN to UPF is transmitted through the N3 tunnel, which is the transmission channel between RAN and UPF.

[0118] Step 804: When the triggering condition is met, the UPF sends a notification to the AS, which carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0119] Here, the notification sent by the UPF to the AS may be a UPF event trigger message notification or a notification based on an ECN data flag.

[0120] Step 805: The AS adjusts the uplink transmission strategy according to one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size, wherein the uplink transmission strategy includes the data packet size and / or frame rate of the uplink transmission.

[0121] Step 806: The AS sends the adjusted uplink transmission policy to the UE through the UPF and the RAN.

[0122] Step 807: The UE sends uplink data to the RAN based on the adjusted uplink transmission strategy.

[0123] Application Example 3

[0124] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 3 ,like Figure 9 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0125] Step 901: A PDU session is established between the RAN and the core network.

[0126] Step 902: The RAN sends a notification to the AMF, which carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0127] Here, the notification sent by the RAN to the AMF may be an N2 QoS notification.

[0128] Step 903: AMF sends a PDU session update SM context request to SMF. The PDU session update SM context request carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0129] Step 904: The SMF sends an SM policy control update request to the PCF. The SM policy control update request carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0130] Step 905: The PCF sends a policy authorization notification message to the AF or to the AF through the NEF. The policy authorization notification message carries one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0131] After AF obtains one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size, it triggers the AS application layer to adjust the uplink transmission strategy and / or downlink transmission strategy based on this information, where the downlink transmission strategy includes the data packet size and / or frame rate of the downlink transmission, and the uplink transmission strategy includes the data packet size and / or frame rate of the uplink transmission.

[0132] Application Example 4

[0133] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 4 ,like Figure 10 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0134] Step 1001: The AF sends an information open request to the NEF, where the information open request is used to request the network to open one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0135] Here, the AS sends an information open request to the NEF through the AF.

[0136] Step 1002: The NEF sends an information feedback request to the newNF, where the information feedback request is used to request the newNF to feedback one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0137] Step 1003: newNF sends an information reporting request to AMF / SMF / UPF, where the information reporting request is used to request AMF / SMF / UPF to report one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0138] Here, newNF sends an information reporting request to AMF / SMF / UPF. There are several ways to implement it:

[0139] 1) newNF sends an information reporting request to AMF.

[0140] 2) newNF sends an information reporting request to SMF, and SMF then sends an information reporting request to AMF.

[0141] 3) newNF sends an information reporting request to UPF.

[0142] Step 1004: AMF / SMF / UPF sends an information reporting request to RAN, where the information reporting request is used to request AMF / SMF / UPF to report one or more of UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0143] Step 1005: RAN reports one or more of UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to AMF / SMF / UPF.

[0144] Step 1006: AMF / SMF / UPF reports one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to newNF.

[0145] Step 1007: The newNF feeds back one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to the NEF.

[0146] Step 1008: The NEF opens and / or sends one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to the AF.

[0147] It should be noted that when the AF is an internal AF of the core network, the AF and the newNF interact directly. That is, steps 1001 and 1002 above can be combined into the following steps: the AF sends an information disclosure request to the newNF; and steps 1007 and 1008 above can be combined into the following steps: the newNF discloses and / or sends one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to the AF. In another implementation, when the AF is an external AF of the core network, the AF and the newNF interact via the NEF.

[0148] Application Example 5

[0149] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the information notification process provided by the embodiment of this application Figure 5 ,like Figure 11 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0150] Step 1101: The AF sends an information open request to the NEF, where the information open request is used to request the network to open one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0151] Here, the AS sends an information open request to the NEF through the AF.

[0152] Step 1102: The NEF sends an information feedback request to the newNF, where the information feedback request is used to request the newNF to feedback one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0153] Step 1103: newNF sends an information reporting request to RAN, where the information reporting request is used to request AMF / SMF / UPF to report one or more of UE distance, network information, and updated time window size.

[0154] Step 1104: RAN reports one or more of UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to newNF.

[0155] Step 1105: The newNF feeds back one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to the NEF.

[0156] Step 1106: The NEF opens and / or sends one or more of the UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to the AF.

[0157] It should be noted that when the AF is internal to the core network, the AF and the newNF interact directly. That is, steps 1101 and 1102 described above can be combined into the following steps: the AF sends an information disclosure request to the newNF; and steps 1105 and 1106 described above can be combined into the following steps: the newNF discloses and / or sends one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to the AF. In another implementation, when the AF is external to the core network, the AF and the newNF interact via the NEF.

[0158] The following describes an implementation method of "AS adjusting the transmission strategy based on the UE distance reported by the RAN" with reference to a specific application example.

[0159] Application Example 7

[0160] After the AS application layer obtains the UE distance reported by the RAN, it adjusts the data packet size and / or frame rate according to the threshold range of the UE distance. In this application example, two thresholds are given, denoted as A and B, and the UE distance is divided into three ranges: short distance (less than or equal to A), medium distance (greater than A and less than B), and long distance (greater than or equal to B). Figure 12 As shown in the figure, APS means adjusting only the packet size, AIPAT means adjusting only the frame rate, and AFPS means adjusting the frame rate and packet size without adjusting the bit rate. Figure 12 It shows how network indicators such as latency, jitter, packet loss rate, number of transmitted bytes, number of received bytes, and throughput change with distance under different adjustment strategies.

[0161] (1) When running an XR service (with a frame rate of 60fps and a bit rate of 30Mbps), if the RAN reports to the core network that the distance between the UE that started the XR service and the base station is close (less than or equal to 110m), the AF will adjust the transmission strategy at the application layer based on the UE distance. In order to further alleviate congestion and reduce the network packet loss rate, the application layer can select the "only reduce the frame rate" adjustment strategy based on the UE distance. The reason for selecting this adjustment strategy is that compared with the delay and jitter indicators, only reducing the frame rate will perform better, and compared with the strategy of adjusting both the packet size and the frame rate, only adjusting the frame rate is simpler and can also ensure the picture quality of each frame.

[0162] (2) When running an XR service (with a frame rate of 60 fps and a bit rate of 30 Mbps), if the RAN reports to the core network that the distance between the UE initiating the XR service and the base station is medium (greater than 110 m and less than 260 m), the AF will adjust the transmission strategy at the application layer based on the UE distance. The application layer can select the "only reduce packet size" adjustment strategy or the "only reduce frame rate" adjustment strategy based on the UE distance. These two adjustment strategies perform similarly, and the application layer can select either adjustment strategy at will.

[0163] (3) When running an XR service (frame rate of 60fps, bit rate of 30Mbps), if the RAN reports to the core network that the distance between the UE initiating the XR service and the base station is long (greater than or equal to 260m), the AF will adjust the transmission strategy at the application layer based on the UE distance. As an implementation method, the application layer can select the adjustment strategy of "only reducing the packet size" based on the UE distance. This adjustment strategy has better packet loss rate and jitter performance, but worse latency. As another implementation method, the application layer can select the adjustment strategy of "reducing both packet size and frame rate" based on the UE distance.

[0164] In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the RAN exposes information about UE distance, network information, and updated time window size to the core network, which then exposes it to the AF via the core network's capability exposure interface. This enables the application layer to fine-tune the packet size and / or frame rate of uplink or downlink data transmission, thereby reducing situations where application-layer adjustments fail to improve QoS and instead increase network resource waste. Furthermore, dynamically updating the time window based on network information can avoid overprotection.

[0165] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the service adjustment device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 , applied to RAN, such as Figure 13 As shown, the service adjustment device includes:

[0166] An acquiring unit 1301 is configured to acquire first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and a time window size, where the time window is used for statistics of the network information;

[0167] The first communication unit 1302 is used to send the first information to the core network, and send the first information to the application network element through the core network, where the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0168] In some implementations, the protocol stack on the RAN side includes L1, L2, and L3; wherein the L3 is located above the L2, and the L2 is located above the L1;

[0169] The acquisition unit 1301 is used to measure the UE distance through the L1 and report the UE distance to the L3; and / or, to collect network information within the time window through the L2 and report the network information to the L3; wherein the network information includes at least one of the following: packet loss rate, jitter, and delay.

[0170] In some implementations, the apparatus further includes an updating unit 1303 configured to update the time window size through the L3 based on the network information reported by the L2, and notify the L2 of the updated time window size and carry it in the first information.

[0171] In some implementations, the first information further includes buffer status information of the base station.

[0172] In some implementations, the first communication unit 1302 is configured to send the first information to the core network via a GTP-U header; or, send the first information to the core network via an Internet Protocol (IP) header.

[0173] In some implementations, the first communication unit 1302 is configured to send the first information to the core network when a trigger condition is met; wherein the trigger condition includes an event trigger condition and / or a periodic trigger condition.

[0174] In some embodiments, the event triggering condition includes one or more of the following:

[0175] The network information meets a preset threshold;

[0176] The RAN reports congestion information.

[0177] In some implementations, the first communication unit 1302 is configured to send the first information to the core network upon receiving a reporting request sent by the core network; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report the first information.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first communication unit 1302 is used to send the first information to a user plane function in the core network, and send the first information to an application server through the user plane function; or to send the first information to a control plane function in the core network, and send the first information to an application function through the control plane function.

[0179] In some embodiments, the control plane functions in the core network that participate in transmitting the first information include one or more of the following: AMF, SMF, and PCF; or, the control plane functions in the core network that participate in transmitting the first information include one or more of the following: AMF, SMF, PCF, and a first network function; or, the control plane functions in the core network that participate in transmitting the first information include a first network function.

[0180] Those skilled in the art should understand that Figure 13 The implementation functions of each unit in the service adjustment device shown can be understood by referring to the relevant description of the aforementioned method. Figure 13 The functions of the various units in the service adjustment device shown can be implemented by a program running on a processor, or by a specific logic circuit.

[0181] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the service adjustment device provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 , applied to the first network function, such as Figure 14 As shown, the service adjustment device includes:

[0182] The second communication unit 1401 is configured to send an information reporting request to the RAN after receiving an information open request sent by the application network element; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information; receive the first information reported by the RAN, and send the first information to the application network element; the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

[0183] In some implementations, the first information further includes buffer status information of the base station.

[0184] In some embodiments, the information reporting request is sent by the first network function to the RAN through a control plane function in the core network, and the first information is sent by the RAN to the first network function through the control plane function in the core network; or, the information reporting request is sent by the first network function to the RAN, and the first information is sent by the RAN to the first network function.

[0185] Those skilled in the art should understand that Figure 14 The implementation functions of each unit in the service adjustment device shown can be understood by referring to the relevant description of the aforementioned method. Figure 14 The functions of the various units in the service adjustment device shown can be implemented by a program running on a processor, or by a specific logic circuit.

[0186] Figure 15 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 15 The communication device shown includes a processor 1510, which can call and run a computer program from a memory to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0187] Alternatively, as Figure 15 As shown, the communication device may further include a memory 1520. The processor 1510 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1520 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0188] The memory 1520 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1510 , or may be integrated into the processor 1510 .

[0189] Alternatively, as Figure 15 As shown, the communication device may further include a transceiver 1530 , and the processor 1510 may control the transceiver 1530 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, the transceiver 1530 may send information or data to other devices, or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0190] The transceiver 1530 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1530 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0191] Optionally, the communication device may specifically be a RAN side device in an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the RAN in each method in the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described here.

[0192] Optionally, the communication device may specifically be a core network device (such as the first network function) of an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the core network device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0193] It should be understood that the processor of the embodiments of the present application may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or software instructions. The above processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. The various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly implemented as a hardware decoding processor, or can be implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0194] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus random access memory (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0195] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memories are exemplary but not restrictive. For example, the memories in the embodiments of the present application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM RAM (DR RAM), etc. In other words, the memories in the embodiments of the present application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0196] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program.

[0197] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the RAN side device in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the RAN in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0198] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the core network device (such as the first network function) in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the core network device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0199] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions.

[0200] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the RAN side device in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program instructions enable the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the RAN in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0201] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the core network device (such as the first network function) in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program instructions enable the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the core network device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0202] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software 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 beyond the scope of this application.

[0203] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0204] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0205] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0206] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0207] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units 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 present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0208] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art 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 service adjustment method, characterized in that: The method comprises: A radio access network RAN ​​obtains first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: a distance of a user equipment UE, network information, and a time window size, where the time window is used for statistics of the network information; The RAN sends the first information to the core network, and sends the first information to the application network element through the core network. The first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The protocol stack on the RAN side includes L1, L2 and L3; wherein, L3 is located above L2, and L2 is located above L1; The RAN acquiring the first information includes: The L1 measures the UE distance and reports the UE distance to the L3; and / or, The L2 collects network information within the time window and reports the network information to the L3; wherein the network information includes at least one of the following: packet loss rate, jitter, and delay.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: The L3 updates the time window size based on the network information reported by the L2, and notifies the L2 of the updated time window size and carries it in the first information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first information also includes buffer status information of the base station.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The RAN sending the first information to the core network includes: The RAN sends the first information to the core network through a General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol-User Plane GTP-U header; or, The RAN sends the first information to the core network through an Internet Protocol IP header.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The RAN sending the first information to the core network includes: The RAN sends the first information to the core network when a trigger condition is met; wherein the trigger condition includes an event trigger condition and / or a periodic trigger condition.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The event triggering conditions include one or more of the following: The network information meets a preset threshold; The RAN reports congestion information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The RAN sending the first information to the core network includes: When the RAN receives the reporting request sent by the core network, the RAN sends the first information to the core network; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report the first information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The RAN sends the first information to the core network, and sends the first information to the application network element through the core network, including: The RAN sends the first information to a user plane function in the core network, and the user plane function sends the first information to an application server; or The RAN sends the first information to a control plane function in a core network, and the control plane function sends the first information to an application function.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The control plane functions involved in transmitting the first information in the core network include one or more of the following: access and mobility management function AMF, session management function SMF and policy control function PCF; or, The control plane functions involved in transmitting the first information in the core network include one or more of the following: AMF, SMF, PCF and a first network function; or, The control plane function in the core network that participates in transmitting the first information includes a first network function.

11. A service adjustment method, characterized in that: The method comprises: After receiving the information open request sent by the application network element, the first network function sends an information reporting request to the RAN; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report first information, and the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information; The first network function receives the first information reported by the RAN and sends the first information to the application network element; the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first information also includes buffer status information of the base station.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The information reporting request is sent by the first network function to the RAN through a control plane function in the core network, and the first information is sent by the RAN to the first network function through the control plane function in the core network; or The information reporting request is sent by the first network function to the RAN, and the first information is sent by the RAN to the first network function.

14. A service adjustment device, characterized in that: Applied to RAN, the device includes: an acquiring unit, configured to acquire first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and a time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information; The first communication unit is used to send the first information to the core network, and send the first information to the application network element through the core network, where the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

15. A service adjustment device, characterized in that: Applied to a first network function, the apparatus includes: A second communication unit is configured to send an information reporting request to the RAN after receiving an information open request sent by the application network element; wherein the reporting request is used to request the RAN to report first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: UE distance, network information, and time window size, wherein the time window is used for statistics of the network information; receive the first information reported by the RAN, and send the first information to the application network element; the first information is used by the application network element to adjust the data packet size and / or frame rate of the service.

16. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that Used to store a computer program, wherein the computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer program instructions for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images