Data transmission method and device and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a data transmission method and device and a storage medium, relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for improving the reliability of data transmission in a time-sensitive network. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a first message, wherein the first message belongs to a TSN data stream; processing the first message to obtain a second message, the second message belonging to a deterministic network DetNet data stream; and sending a plurality of second messages to the second node through a plurality of transmission paths, wherein one transmission path corresponds to one second message.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a data transmission method, device and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a set of standards developed by the Time-Sensitive Networking Task Force of the IEEE 802.1 working group (IEEE 802.1Q), primarily used for transmitting time-sensitive real-time data over Ethernet networks. However, the reliability of data transmission in TSN is currently poor. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a data transmission method, device, and storage medium for improving the reliability of data transmission in time-sensitive networks.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] Firstly, a data transmission method is provided, applied to a first node in a TSN, the method comprising:

[0006] Obtain the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream;

[0007] The first message is processed to obtain the second message, which belongs to the deterministic networking (DetNet) data stream;

[0008] Multiple second messages are sent to the second node through multiple transmission paths, with one second message corresponding to one transmission path.

[0009] Secondly, a data transmission method is provided, applied to a second node in a TSN, the method comprising:

[0010] Receives a second message sent by the first node through multiple transmission paths; the second message belongs to the DetNet data stream.

[0011] The second message is processed to obtain the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream;

[0012] Send the first message.

[0013] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for use in a first node, the device comprising:

[0014] The acquisition unit is used to acquire the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream.

[0015] The processing unit is used to process the first message to obtain the second message, which belongs to the DetNet data stream;

[0016] The sending unit is used to send multiple second messages to the second node through multiple transmission paths, with one second message corresponding to one transmission path.

[0017] Fourthly, a communication device is provided for use in a second node, the device comprising:

[0018] The receiving unit is used to receive the second message sent by the first node through multiple transmission paths. The second message belongs to the DetNet data stream.

[0019] The processing unit is used to process the second message to obtain the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream;

[0020] The sending unit is used to send the first message.

[0021] Fifthly, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory storing processor-executable instructions; when the processor is configured to execute the instructions, causing the electronic device to implement the method provided by either the first or second aspect above.

[0022] A sixth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method provided in either the first or second aspect.

[0023] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising computer instructions is provided, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method provided in either the first or the second aspect.

[0024] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by processing the first packet belonging to the TSN data stream into a second packet belonging to the DetNet data stream, and then sending multiple second packets to the second node through multiple transmission paths, that is, copying the second packet and sending multiple second packets to the second node through multiple transmission paths, the second packet can still be transmitted to the second node even if there is a faulty transmission path among the multiple transmission paths, thereby improving the reliability and determinism of data transmission in TSN. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the technical solutions of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the technical solutions of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture in a related art provided by an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart illustrating a data transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating another data transmission method provided in this embodiment of the disclosure;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process of a data transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the overall process of another data transmission method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of sending a preset message feature according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the delivery process of another preset message feature provided in this embodiment of the disclosure;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the overall process of another data transmission method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the overall process of another data transmission method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 12 A schematic diagram illustrating the composition of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0040] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and other forms such as the third-person singular "comprises" and the present participle "comprising" are interpreted as open-ended and encompassing, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0041] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0042] In this disclosure, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0043] In addition, the use of “based on” implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations or other actions “based on” one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0044] In industrial Ethernet, the IEEE 802.1CB protocol defines a frame replication and elimination for reliability (FRER) mechanism to achieve redundant transmission and ensure the reliability of industrial Ethernet transmission. When implementing the FRER mechanism in 5G or 6G mobile communication technology (5GS) bridges, two concurrent radio links are established between the user equipment (UE) and the radio access network (RAN), thereby improving the reliability of wireless network services.

[0045] In current network architectures, the transmission network (TN) may use shared nodes; for example, see [link to example]. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture in a related art provided by an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the two RANs use a single transport network and network processing unit (NPU) for data transmission. If a sudden anomaly occurs in the single transport network (i.e.,...) Figure 1 A TN (Transmission Network) failure will cause service interruption and cannot guarantee the reliability and determinism of data transmission. Therefore, how to improve the reliability of data transmission in time-sensitive networks is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0046] Based on this, embodiments of this disclosure provide a data transmission method, device, and storage medium. By processing a first packet belonging to a TSN data stream into a second packet belonging to a DetNet data stream, and then sending multiple second packets to a second node through multiple transmission paths, that is, copying the second packet and sending multiple second packets to the second node through multiple transmission paths, the second packet can still be transmitted to the second node even if there is a faulty transmission path among the multiple transmission paths, thereby improving the reliability and determinism of data transmission in TSN.

[0047] Among them, the above Figure 1In this context, end stations can communicate with each other through TSN bridges. DS-TT stands for device-side TSN translator, NW-TT for network-side TSN translator, CUC for centralized user configuration, and CNC for centralized network configuration. TSN data streams represent messages transmitted between the TSN bridge and the RAN or NPU that are TSN messages.

[0048] DS-TT is used for clock synchronization in TSN. DS-TT receives clock synchronization messages from other DS-TT devices and determines the message transmission delay based on the timestamp information in these messages. DS-TT then adds this delay to the calibration information in the clock synchronization messages and sends it to neighboring devices in the TSN, ensuring that these devices can communicate based on the same clock reference. DS-TT is also used for precise gating of downlink messages, ensuring deterministic TSN message delay and low jitter.

[0049] The NW-TT is primarily used for clock synchronization and transmission. It receives time synchronization signals from external time synchronization sources (such as 802.1AS, IEEE 1588, etc.) and transmits them to the DS-TT and other network nodes, ensuring that devices throughout the TSN network have a unified time reference. The NW-TT is also used for precise uplink packet gating, ensuring deterministic TSN packet latency and low jitter.

[0050] CUC is used for unified management of user configurations: CUC provides a centralized platform that allows administrators to manage the configuration information of all users in a unified manner. This avoids the complexity and inconsistencies caused by decentralized management. Through CUC, administrators can easily add, modify, or delete user configurations, ensuring that all users use a unified configuration standard. CUC can also collect message transmission requirements from end stations and send them to CNC.

[0051] CNC is used for device monitoring and management: Within the same TSN Domain (Time-Sensitive Network Domain), the CNC is responsible for collecting the capabilities of the managed TSN bridges and planning packet path topology, then distributing relevant configurations to each TSN bridge. Device monitoring and management include device status monitoring, performance analysis, fault detection, packet path topology planning, and configuration distribution, ensuring stable network operation.

[0052] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems that support TSN, such as new radio (NR) communication systems using 5G communication technology, future evolution systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, or multiple communication convergence systems, etc. This disclosure does not limit them.

[0054] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. See also... Figure 2 The communication system includes multiple terminal sites (e.g., terminal site 11 and terminal site 21), multiple TSN bridges (e.g., TSN bridge 12 and TSN bridge 20), DS-TT13, UE14, multiple RANs (e.g., RAN15 and RAN16), multiple TNs (e.g., TN17 and TN18), NPU19, CNC22 and CUC23.

[0055] Each of the multiple terminal sites can act as either a talker device or a listener device for the TSN stream.

[0056] In some embodiments, terminal station 11 communicates with terminal station 21 via multiple TSN bridges. See also Figure 2 Terminal node 11 communicates with terminal site 21 through TSN bridge 12 and TSN bridge 20.

[0057] The DS-TT13 can be deployed in UE14, meaning it can be deployed as a functional module in UE14. The NW-TT functional module can be deployed in NPU19 to adapt to external TSN systems.

[0058] In some embodiments, NW-TT can also be deployed on the user plane function (UPF). That is, Figure 2 The NPU19 in the communication system shown can also be replaced with UPF.

[0059] UE14 can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, wearable device, in-vehicle device, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) device, laptop computer, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), netbook, personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. This disclosure does not limit the specific type of UE14.

[0060] For each of the multiple RANs, the RAN can be a regular base station (such as a Node B or eNB), a new radio controller (NR controller), a gNode B, gNB or en-gNB in ​​a 5G system, a centralized unit, a new radio base station, a remote radio module, a micro base station, a relay, a distributed unit, a transmission reception point (TRP) or transmission point (TP), or any other wireless access device, etc., and this disclosure does not limit this. Base stations can be further divided into macro base stations for providing macro cells, micro base stations for providing micro cells, and femto base stations for providing femto cells. With the continuous evolution of wireless communication technology, future base stations may also adopt other names.

[0061] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a RAN can be connected to the NPU19 through multiple TNs. For example, RAN15 can be connected to the NPU19 through TN17 and TN18 respectively. That is, RAN15 can send data to the NPU19 through TN17, TN18, or both simultaneously. The method by which the NPU19 sends data to RAN15 can also refer to the method by which RAN15 sends data to the NPU19, and will not be described in detail here.

[0062] The CNC22 is used to maintain network topology information and information about each switching node, plan data flow transmission paths and scheduling strategies, and distribute them to each switching node.

[0063] CUC23 is used to collect stream creation requests from terminal site 11 and terminal site 21, and interacts with CNC22 to create the transmission path for the TSN stream.

[0064] For example, taking this communication system as a 6G communication system, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 In the 6G communication system (UE-RAN-TN-NPU), it acts as a logical bridge in the TSN network. Within this bridge, the RAN and TN each establish two redundant links, that is, redundant data transmission links are established between the RAN and NPU. This allows messages from the RAN or NPU to be transmitted to the other end through different TNs, ensuring high-reliability transmission of the data stream established by each DS-TT / UE between the access network, transmission network, and core network.

[0065] The data flow between TSN bridge 12 and UE14 is a TSN data flow, which is data link layer data. The data flow between UE14 and RAN15 and RAN16 is a redundant TSN data flow encapsulated over the air interface. The data flow between RAN15 and RAN16 and NPU19 via the transport network is a redundant DetNet data flow, which is layer 3, i.e., Internet Protocol (IP) layer data. The layer 2 data encapsulated in this DetNet data flow is the TSN data flow.

[0066] It should be understood that Figure 2 This is an exemplary structural diagram. Figure 2 The communication system shown includes an unlimited number of devices, such as the number of UEs, TSN bridges, RANs, and TNs. Furthermore, except... Figure 2 In addition to the equipment shown, Figure 2 The communication system shown may also include other devices, which are not limited thereto.

[0067] Next, as Figure 3 As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, a data transmission method is provided. This method is applied to a first node and may include the following steps:

[0068] S101, Obtain the first message.

[0069] The first message belongs to the TSN data stream, which can be understood as the first message being a TSN message.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first node is one of the RAN and the NPU, and the second node described below can be the other of the RAN and the NPU. The RAN can be one of the above-mentioned... Figure 2 The NPU can be any of the multiple RANs shown, such as RAN15, as described above. Figure 2 The NPU19 shown.

[0071] For example, taking the first node as mentioned above Figure 2 Taking RAN15 as an example, the first node obtains the first message, which could be RAN15 receiving the first message sent by UE14. For another example, taking the first node as described above... Figure 2 Taking the NPU19 shown as an example, the first node obtains the first message, which can be the NPU19 receiving the first message sent by the network side.

[0072] It should be noted that when the first node is the RAN, the RAN receiving the first message sent by the UE can be receiving a copied version of the first message sent by the UE. For example, in conjunction with the above... Figure 2 After receiving the first message sent by terminal station 11, UE14 copies the first message, and then UE14 can send the copied first message to RAN15 and send the original first message to RAN16.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first message is a message that needs to be transmitted redundantly. The first message may also be called a redundant message, but this disclosure does not limit this.

[0074] S102. Process the first message to obtain the second message.

[0075] In some embodiments, after receiving the first message, the first node can process the first message to obtain the second message. The second message belongs to the DetNet data stream and can be understood as a DetNet packet. That is, the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream, is transformed into the second message, which belongs to the DetNet data stream.

[0076] As an example, the first packet can be processed by at least adding an IP header (GTP-U packets already have this feature) and adding a redundancy flag to obtain the second packet. That is, an IP header is encapsulated in the first packet, and then a redundancy flag is added to the encapsulated first packet to generate a TSN over DetNet packet, thus obtaining the second packet. TSN over DetNet can be understood as encapsulating a TSN packet within a DetNet packet. For a description of how to perform DetNet conversion on the first packet after adding the IP header and redundancy flag to obtain the second packet, please refer to the descriptions in related technologies, which will not be repeated here. The redundancy flag may also have other names, such as redundancy field, which is not limited to this embodiment.

[0077] It should be noted that in related technologies, the DetNet redundancy flag is generally added at the multi-protocol labelswitching (MPLS) layer. Since the 6GS / 5GS bridge does not encapsulate MPLS packets, the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure use the addition of the DetNet redundancy flag in the IP header.

[0078] In some embodiments, the aforementioned redundancy flag is added to the extended field of the Option header in the IP packet header. It should be understood that, to ensure the transmission of the second packet described below, it is necessary to replicate and deredundate the first packet belonging to the TSN data stream and the second packet belonging to the DetNet data stream, and to ensure the correct mapping between the TSN data stream and the DetNet data stream. This disclosure proposes carrying a redundancy flag in the extended field of the Option header in the IP packet header to achieve the mapping and deredundancy of the first packet belonging to the TSN data stream and the DetNet data stream.

[0079] In some embodiments, the IP header encapsulation format includes the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) Option encapsulation format and the IPv6 Option encapsulation format. For example, the IPv4 Option encapsulation format can be as shown in Table 1 below:

[0080] Table 1

[0081]

[0082] First byte:

[0083] The highest bit is the replication flag. Setting this bit to 1 indicates that this option (Option) should be replicated in all fragmented packets.

[0084] The 2nd and 3rd positions being 0 indicates that this Option is a control item.

[0085] The 4th to 8th bits are 'x' (the specific value is not specified here, but needs to be specified in actual application), indicating that this Option is a redundancy control field for IPv4 packets.

[0086] Second byte:

[0087] Identifies the length of the option, indicating that the length of this Option field is 4 bytes.

[0088] Third and fourth bytes:

[0089] The message sequence number is used to represent the sequence number of a message and is used for message duplication and deduplication.

[0090] For example, the IPv6 Option encapsulation format can be as shown in Table 2 below:

[0091] Table 2

[0092]

[0093] In Table 2 above, the Next Header field of the IPv6 header is set to 0, indicating that the first extension header is a hop-by-hop extension header; a sequence number field for duplication and deduplication is added to the Option field of the hop-by-hop extension header. The format of the Option field can be as shown in Table 3 below.

[0094] Table 3

[0095] Next header Header extension length Option type (x) Option data length Message sequence number 2-byte padding

[0096] In Table 3 above, the header extension length (Hdr Ext Len) is 0, indicating that the total length of this extension header is 8 bytes. The option type (x) indicates that this extension header is used for copying and deduplication (in actual use, a specific value must be assigned to x). The option data length (Opt DataLen) is 4, indicating that the data length of the option is 4 bytes, of which the message sequence number occupies 2 bytes and the other 2 bytes are padding bytes.

[0097] S103. Send multiple second messages to the second node through multiple transmission paths respectively.

[0098] One transmission path corresponds to one second message.

[0099] In some embodiments, after receiving the second message, the first node can copy the second message to obtain multiple second messages, and then send the multiple second messages to the second node through multiple transmission paths. One transmission path can be as described above. Figure 2 In a transmission network as shown, for example with RAN15 as the first node, RAN15 can send multiple second messages to NPU19 via TN17 and TN18 respectively, with one TN used to transmit one second message. Thus, even if TN17 fails, the second message can still reach the second node via TN18, thereby improving the reliability of data transmission in the TSN.

[0100] As an example, network plane information is pre-configured on the first node. For instance, network plane A and network plane B are pre-configured on the first node. Network plane A includes four network ports (1-4), and network plane B includes four network ports (5-8). Network plane A corresponds to one transmission network, and network plane B corresponds to another transmission network. After the first node copies the second message, it can send the original second message through one of the network ports in network plane A, and send the copied second message through one of the network ports in network plane B.

[0101] It should be understood that in related technologies, there is a transmission path between the first node (e.g., RAN) and the second node (e.g., NPU). A failure in this transmission path leads to an interruption in data transmission between the first and second nodes, affecting the reliability of data transmission in TSN. Furthermore, while the application of TSN technology in 5GS / 6GS bridges improves the deterministic guarantee of Layer 2 Ethernet networks, a solution has not yet been provided for the deterministic guarantee of Layer 3 networks, i.e., IP networks, on the backhaul side.

[0102] Based on this, this disclosure provides a data transmission method. By establishing multiple transmission networks (i.e., multiple transmission paths) between the NPU and RAN, and processing a first packet belonging to the TSN data stream into a second packet belonging to the DetNet data stream, the reliability of data transmission in the TSN can be improved. Specifically, the data flow between the TSN bridge and the RAN is the TSN data stream, ensuring deterministic guarantees for the Layer 2 network. The data flow between the RAN and the NPU via the transmission network is the DetNet data stream, ensuring deterministic guarantees for the Layer 3 network. Subsequently, multiple second packets are sent to the second node through multiple transmission paths, i.e., the second packets are copied and sent to the second node through multiple transmission paths. Each transmission path is used to transmit the second packets. Thus, even if a faulty transmission path exists, the second packets can still be transmitted to the second node, further improving the reliability and determinism of data transmission in the TSN.

[0103] In some embodiments, the data transmission method provided in this disclosure can be applied to deterministic 5G network transmission or 6G network transmission, such as end-to-end service determinism in 5G / 6G industrial field networks, to achieve end-to-end service-level high reliability assurance.

[0104] The above Figure 3The step S101 shown is illustrated using the example of the first node directly obtaining the message that needs redundant transmission (i.e., the first message). In some embodiments, the first node obtains it from the original messages. Based on this, obtaining the first message can be achieved by receiving a third message and then obtaining the first message that meets the preset message characteristics from the third message. Here, the third message can be referred to as the original message, and this embodiment of the disclosure does not limit this. For the description of the first node receiving the third message, please refer to the description of the first node receiving the first message in step S101 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0105] In some embodiments, the preset message features include at least one of the following: a preset destination address and a preset virtual local area network (VLAN). For example, the preset message features include a preset destination address; or, for example, the preset message features include a preset VLAN; or, for example, the preset message features include both a preset destination address and a preset VLAN.

[0106] The preset destination address can be the destination address of the TSN service flow. The preset message characteristics are either sent by the CNC or are pre-configured. The preset destination address includes the preset media access control (MAC) address. The CNC can be one of the above. Figure 2 The CNC22 shown.

[0107] In other words, after receiving a third message, the first node can determine the first message that requires redundant transmission based on preset message characteristics sent by the CNC or pre-configured, as well as the message characteristics of the third message itself. Message characteristics include the destination address and / or the VLAN to which the message belongs. For example, assuming the preset message characteristics include a preset destination address, if the MAC address of a third message matches the preset MAC address, the first node determines that this third message is the first message requiring redundant transmission. Similarly, assuming the preset message characteristics include a preset VLAN, if the VLAN to which a third message belongs matches the preset VLAN, the first node determines that this third message is the first message requiring redundant transmission.

[0108] In some embodiments, the preset message characteristics are sent by the CNC, and may be carried in the per-stream filtering and policing (PSFP) information sent by the CNC. That is, the first node receives the PSFP information dynamically sent by the CNC, and the PSFP information includes the preset message characteristics.

[0109] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, a data transmission method is provided. This method is applied to a second node in a TSN, and the method may include the following steps:

[0110] S201, Receive the second message sent by the first node through multiple transmission paths.

[0111] The first node is one of the RAN and NPU, and the second node is the other of the RAN and NPU. The second message belongs to the DetNet data stream. For a description of multiple transmission paths, please refer to the above. Figure 3 The corresponding descriptions in the illustrated embodiments are not repeated here.

[0112] S202. Process the second message to obtain the first message.

[0113] The first message belongs to the TSN data stream.

[0114] In some embodiments, after receiving the second message, the second node may perform deredundancy processing on the second message to restore the second message to the first message.

[0115] From the above Figure 3 As can be seen from the illustrated embodiment, the second message is obtained by adding at least an IP header and a redundancy flag to the first message. As an example, the second node performs deredundancy processing on the second message based on the redundancy flag to obtain the first message. That is, after receiving the second message, the second node can perform deredundancy processing on the IP layer message based on the redundancy flag to remove duplicate messages and obtain the first message.

[0116] It should be understood that the second node performs deredundancy processing on the second message based on the redundancy flag, which can improve the reliability of data transmission in the TSN.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first message is a message that requires redundant transmission.

[0118] S203, Send the first message.

[0119] After receiving the first message, the second node can send the first message. For example, combining the above... Figure 2 In the communication system shown, if the second node is RAN15 or RAN16, RAN15 or RAN16 sends the first message to UE14. If the second node is NPU19, NPU19 sends the first message to terminal site 21.

[0120] based on Figure 4In the embodiment shown, after receiving a second message sent by the first node through multiple transmission paths, the second node processes the second message to restore the second message to obtain the first message, and then sends the first message, which can improve the reliability and determinism of data transmission in TSN.

[0121] The following examples illustrate a data transmission method provided in this disclosure.

[0122] Taking a pre-configured message feature as an example, the following examples may be included.

[0123] Example 1: Uplink data transmission.

[0124] Taking the first node as RAN and the second node as NPU as an example, the following steps can be included:

[0125] S301. Pre-configure flow rules in the RAN so that the RAN can identify the first message that requires redundant transmission.

[0126] The first packet requiring redundant transmission can be replaced with a service requiring redundant TSN over DetNet transmission. Flow rules include network plane information and preset packet characteristics. The network plane information can be configured as follows: Network planes A and B are configured on the RAN. Network plane A includes four network ports (1-4); network plane B includes four network ports (5-8). Uplink outbound TSN over DetNet packets on the RAN (i.e., the original second packet) are sent from one of the network ports selected from plane A. Redundant TSN over DetNet packets (i.e., the copied second packet) are sent from one of the network ports selected from plane B. Preset packet characteristics can be configured as follows: Preset packet characteristics, such as TSN packet characteristics, are configured on the RAN. These preset packet characteristics include a preset destination address and a preset VLAN. The preset destination address can be the destination MAC address of the TSN service flow.

[0127] S302, the UE receives the third message sent by the terminal site, copies the third message twice and sends it to the two RANs respectively.

[0128] The third message is a TSN message or a message containing a TSN message.

[0129] After receiving the third packet, S303 and RAN determine whether it is the first packet that needs redundant transmission based on the preset packet characteristics and the destination MAC address and / or VLAN of the third packet. If it is determined to be the first packet that needs redundant transmission, the first packet is encapsulated with an IP header. The first packet with the encapsulated IP header is a TSN over DetNet packet. Then, a redundancy flag is added to the packet to obtain the second packet. The second packet is then copied to obtain multiple second packets, and then the multiple second packets are forwarded to the NPU through different TNs.

[0130] After receiving the second packet, S304 and NPU perform deredundancy processing on the IP layer packet according to the redundancy field, removing duplicate packets to obtain the first packet. Then, NPU sends the first packet.

[0131] It should be understood that Example 1 applies to uplink TSN packets traversing the transport network to the NPU side, where preset packet characteristics need to be pre-configured. Based on the above data transmission method, the reliability of uplink TSN packets traversing the transport network is guaranteed.

[0132] The following is combined with Figure 2 The communication system shown is an example of Example 1 above.

[0133] Figure 5 The diagram shown is an overall flowchart of a data transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. (See also...) Figure 5 It may include the following steps:

[0134] S301a and RAN are configured with multiple network ports.

[0135] Configure redundant TSN MAC addresses and VLANs on S301b and RAN.

[0136] S302, UE copies the TSN message and sends the TSN message to RAN.

[0137] S303a, RAN determines whether the TSN message is the first message.

[0138] If it is determined that the TSN message is the first message requiring redundant transmission, then step S303b is executed. If it is determined that the TSN message is not a message requiring redundant transmission, then the message is sent directly to the NPU through a transmission network.

[0139] S303b and RAN are used to encapsulate the IP header of this TSN message.

[0140] It should be noted that if the TSN packet has already encapsulated the IP packet header, then S303b can be skipped after S303a, and S303c can be executed instead.

[0141] S303c and RAN add redundancy flags to the TSN packets encapsulated with IP headers to obtain DetNet packets.

[0142] S303d and RAN copy DetNet messages and send DetNet messages through different TNs.

[0143] S304a and NPU perform redundancy reduction on DetNet packets.

[0144] The S304b and NPU will forward the decapsulated packets.

[0145] Example 2: Downlink data transmission.

[0146] Taking the first node as the NPU and the second node as the RAN as an example, the following steps can be included:

[0147] S401. Pre-configure flow rules in the NPU so that the NPU can identify the first message that requires redundant transmission.

[0148] For a description of the flow rules, please refer to the corresponding description in Example 1 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0149] After receiving the third packet sent by the network side, the S402 and NPU determine whether it is the first packet that needs redundant transmission based on the preset packet characteristics and the destination MAC and / or VLAN of the third packet. If it is determined to be the first packet that needs redundant transmission, the first packet is encapsulated with an IP header. The first packet with the encapsulated IP header is a TSN over DetNet packet. Then, a redundancy flag is added to the packet to obtain the second packet. The second packet is then copied to obtain multiple second packets, and then the multiple second packets are sent through different TNs.

[0150] S403. After the second message arrives at the RAN, the RAN performs deredundancy processing on the IP layer of the second message to obtain the first message.

[0151] Then, the RAN sends the first message to the UE.

[0152] It should be understood that Example 2 applies to downlink TSN messages traversing the transport network to the RAN side, where preset message characteristics need to be pre-configured. Based on the above data transmission method, the reliability of downlink TSN messages traversing the transport network is guaranteed.

[0153] The following is combined with Figure 2 The communication system shown is an example of Example 2 above.

[0154] Figure 6 The diagram shown is an overall flowchart of another data transmission method provided in this disclosure embodiment. (See also...) Figure 6 It may include the following steps:

[0155] The S401a and NPU are configured with multiple network ports.

[0156] Configure redundant TSN MAC addresses and VLANs for S401b and NPU.

[0157] S402a and NPU determine whether the TSN message sent by the network side is the first message.

[0158] If the TSN message is determined to be the first message, then S402b is executed as follows. If the TSN message is determined not to be the first message, then the NPU directly sends the TSN message through a transport network.

[0159] S402b and NPU encapsulate the IP header for this TSN message.

[0160] The S402c and NPU add redundancy flags to the TSN packets encapsulated with IP headers to obtain DetNet packets.

[0161] The S402d and NPU copy DetNet packets and send them through different TNs.

[0162] S403a and RAN perform redundancy removal on DetNet messages.

[0163] S403b and RAN will forward the decapsulated message.

[0164] The above example illustrates a data transmission method provided in this disclosure embodiment, using a pre-configured preset message characteristic as an example. In some embodiments, Figure 2 The communication system shown may also include other devices, such as access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), policy control function (PCF), data network (DN), and time-sensitive networking application function (TSN AF).

[0165] The following example illustrates the process of sending messages with preset message characteristics, using newly added devices in the communication system and messages with preset message characteristics sent by CNC as examples.

[0166] As an example, taking the first node as RAN and the second node as NPU, see [link to example]. Figure 7 The distribution process 1 may include the following steps:

[0167] S501. Configure the uplink outgoing network plane on the RAN side of the transmission network. The network plane may include multiple network ports.

[0168] For example, network planes A and B are configured on the RAN. Network plane A includes four network ports (1-4), and network plane B includes four network ports (5-8). Uplink TSN over DetNet packets on the RAN are sent from one of the network ports selected from plane A, while redundant TSN over DetNet packets are sent from one of the network ports selected from plane B.

[0169] S502. Configure preset message characteristics in CNC and send preset message characteristics by dynamically sending PSFP information.

[0170] S503, send preset message characteristics to TSN AF via CNC.

[0171] S504 and TSN AF send preset message characteristics to PCF.

[0172] S505, Send a preset message feature to the SMF via the PCF.

[0173] S506. Send a preset message feature to the AMF via the SMF.

[0174] S507, Send the message characteristics to the RAN via AMF.

[0175] This completes the process of the CNC sending preset message characteristics to the RAN.

[0176] As another example, taking the first node as NPU and the second node as RAN, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 The distribution process 2 may include the following steps:

[0177] S601. Configure the uplink outgoing network plane on the transmission network side on the NPU. The network plane can include multiple network ports.

[0178] For example, network planes A and B are configured on the NPU. Network plane A includes four network ports (1-4), and network plane B includes four network ports (5-8). Downlink outbound TSN over DetNet packets on the NPU are sent from one of the network ports selected from plane A, while redundant TSN over DetNet packets are sent from one of the network ports selected from plane B.

[0179] S602. Configure preset message characteristics in CNC and send preset message characteristics by dynamically sending PSFP information.

[0180] S603, Send preset message characteristics to TSN AF via CNC.

[0181] S604 and TSN AF send preset message characteristics to PCF.

[0182] S605, Send a preset message feature to the SMF via the PCF.

[0183] S606, Send a preset message feature to NPU / UPF / NW-TT via SMF.

[0184] This completes the process of the CNC sending preset message characteristics to the NPU.

[0185] The following is combined with Figure 7 The distribution process shown is 1 or Figure 8 The illustrated distribution process 2 and the newly added devices in the communication system provide an example of a data transmission method provided in this disclosure embodiment. Examples may include the following.

[0186] Example 3: Uplink data transmission.

[0187] Taking the first node as RAN and the second node as NPU as an example, combined with Figure 7 The distribution process shown in step 1 can be found in [reference 1]. Figure 9 After the CNC sends a preset message feature to the RAN, the data transmission method provided in this embodiment may include the following steps:

[0188] S508, UE / DS-TT sends the first message to RAN.

[0189] S509 and RAN encapsulate the first message with an IP header, add a redundancy flag, generate a second message, and copy the second message to obtain multiple second messages.

[0190] S510 and RAN send a second message to NPU / UPF / NW-TT through different TNs.

[0191] S511 and NPU / UPF / NW-TT perform deredundancy processing on the second message based on the redundancy flag to obtain the first message.

[0192] S512, NPU / UPF / NW-TT send the first message to DN.

[0193] It should be understood that Example 3 applies to uplink TSN messages traversing the transport network to the NPU side, where the preset message characteristics are dynamically distributed by the CNC. Based on the above data transmission method, the reliability of uplink TSN messages traversing the transport network is guaranteed.

[0194] It should be noted that S508 to S512 are the flow of the data transmission method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure. The execution of S508 to S512 after S501 to S507 is merely exemplary. The execution of S508 to S512 does not depend on the execution of S501 to S507. S501 to S507 are only used to describe how the preset message features are sent from the CNC to the RAN. In actual applications, the CNC can also send the preset message features to the RAN in other ways. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0195] Example 4: Downlink data transmission.

[0196] Taking the first node as NPU and the second node as RAN as an example, combined with Figure 8 The distribution process shown in step 2 can be found in [reference 2]. Figure 10 After the CNC sends a preset message feature to the NPU, the data transmission method provided in this embodiment may include the following steps:

[0197] S607, DN sends the first message to NPU.

[0198] The S608 and NPU encapsulate the IP header of the first packet, add a redundancy flag, generate the second packet, and copy the second packet to obtain multiple second packets.

[0199] The S609 and NPU send multiple second messages to the RAN through different TNs.

[0200] S610 and RAN perform deredundancy processing on the second message based on the redundancy flag to obtain the first message.

[0201] S611, RAN sends the first message to UE.

[0202] It should be understood that Example 4 applies to downlink TSN messages traversing the transmission network to the RAN side, where the preset message characteristics are dynamically distributed by the CNC. Based on the above data transmission method, the reliability of downlink TSN messages traversing the transmission network is guaranteed.

[0203] It should be noted that S607 to S611 is the flow of the data transmission method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure. The execution of S607 to S611 after S601 to S606 is merely exemplary. The execution of S607 to S611 does not depend on the execution of S601 to S606. S601 to S606 is only to describe how the preset message features are sent from the CNC to the NPU. In actual applications, the CNC can also send the preset message features to the NPU in other ways. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0204] The foregoing primarily describes the solution provided in this disclosure from the perspective of the interaction between various nodes. It is understood that each node, such as the first node or the second node, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules to perform the aforementioned functions. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the algorithmic steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art 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 disclosure.

[0205] This disclosure embodiment can divide the first node or the second node into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or software. It should be noted that the module division in this disclosure embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0206] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the composition of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 11 As shown, the communication device 70 includes an acquisition unit 701, a processing unit 702, and a transmission unit 703.

[0207] The communication device 70 can be the first node or a chip of the first node. When the communication device 70 is used to implement the function of the first node in the above embodiments, each unit is specifically used to implement the following functions.

[0208] Acquisition unit 701 is used to acquire the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream.

[0209] Processing unit 702 is used to process the first message to obtain a second message, which belongs to the Deterministic Network (DetNet) data stream.

[0210] The sending unit 703 is used to send multiple second messages to the second node through multiple transmission paths, with one second message corresponding to one transmission path.

[0211] In some embodiments, the processing unit 702 is specifically used to perform at least the addition of an Internet Protocol (IP) header and the addition of a redundancy flag on the first message to obtain a second message.

[0212] In some embodiments, the acquisition unit 701 is specifically used to receive a third message; and to acquire a first message that meets preset message characteristics from the third message. The preset message characteristics include at least one of the following: a preset destination address; a preset VLAN.

[0213] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the composition of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. (See diagram below.) Figure 12 As shown, the communication device 80 includes a receiving unit 801, a processing unit 802, and a transmitting unit 803.

[0214] The communication device 80 can be the second node or a chip within the second node. When the communication device 80 is used to implement the functions of the second node in the above embodiments, each unit is specifically used to implement the following functions.

[0215] The receiving unit 801 is used to receive a second message sent by the first node through multiple transmission paths, the second message belonging to the DetNet data stream;

[0216] The processing unit 802 is used to process the second message to obtain the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream;

[0217] The sending unit 803 is used to send the first message.

[0218] In some embodiments, the second message is obtained by adding at least an IP header and a redundancy flag to the first message; the processing unit 802 is specifically used to perform deredundancy processing on the second message based on the redundancy flag to obtain the first message.

[0219] It should be noted that, Figure 11 and Figure 12 The units within can also be called modules; for example, a transmitting unit can be called a transmitting module. Additionally, in... Figure 11 and Figure 12 In the embodiments shown, the names of the various units may not be the same as those shown in the figures. For example, the transmitting unit may also be called the communication unit, and the receiving unit may also be called the communication unit.

[0220] Figure 11 and Figure 12 If the various units in the present disclosure are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, in essence, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solutions, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or electronic device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this disclosure. Storage media for storing computer software products include various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0221] When the communication device 70 or communication device 80 implements the functions of the integrated module in hardware, this disclosure provides a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the electronic device 90 includes: a processor 902, a communication interface 903, and a bus 904. Optionally, the electronic device 90 may also include a memory 901.

[0222] Processor 902 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 902 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 902 may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as including one or more microprocessor combinations, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0223] The communication interface 903 is used to connect to other devices via a communication network. This communication network can be Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0224] The memory 901 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0225] In one possible implementation, the memory 901 can exist independently of the processor 902. The memory 901 can be connected to the processor 902 via a bus 904 and is used to store instructions or program code. When the processor 902 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in the memory 901, it can implement the data transmission method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0226] In another possible implementation, the memory 901 can also be integrated with the processor 902.

[0227] The 904 bus can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The 904 bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 13 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0228] Through the above description of the implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the base station or terminal can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0229] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be executed by computer instructions instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device for the first or second node, such as a pluggable hard drive, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the first or second node. Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include both internal storage units of the first or second node and external storage devices. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the first or second node. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0230] This disclosure also provides a computer program product comprising computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the data transmission methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0231] Although this disclosure has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims in carrying out the claimed disclosure. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0232] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and are to be considered as covering any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this disclosure. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, this disclosure is also intended to include any such modifications and modifications that fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents.

[0233] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A data transmission method, characterized in that, The method, applied to the first node in a Time-Sensitive Network (TSN), includes: Obtain the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream; The first message is processed to obtain a second message, which belongs to the Deterministic Network (DetNet) data stream; Multiple second messages are sent to the second node through multiple transmission paths, with one transmission path corresponding to one second message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first message is processed to obtain the second message, which includes: The first message is processed by adding an Internet Protocol (IP) header and adding a redundancy flag to obtain the second message.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the first message includes: Receive third message; Obtain the first message that satisfies the preset message characteristics from the third message, wherein the preset message characteristics include at least one of the following: Preset destination address; Preset Virtual LAN (VLAN).

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The preset message characteristics are sent by the centralized network configuration CNC, or the preset message characteristics are pre-configured.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The preset message characteristics are those sent by the centralized network configuration CNC, including: The preset message features are carried in the per-stream filtering and policy PSFP information sent by the CNC.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first node is one of the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the Network Processing Unit (NPU), and the second node is the other of the RAN and the NPU.

7. A data transmission method, characterized in that, The method, applied to a second node in a TSN, includes: Receive a second message sent by the first node through multiple transmission paths, the second message belonging to the DetNet data stream; The second message is processed to obtain the first message, which belongs to the TSN data stream; Send the first message.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second message is obtained by adding at least an IP header and a redundancy flag to the first message; The process of processing the second message to obtain the first message includes: The second message is deredundanted based on the redundancy flag to obtain the first message.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A processor and a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; The processor is configured to execute the instructions, causing the electronic device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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