A user plane network element selection method and related device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a user plane network element selection method and related equipment, and relates to the field of communication; in the method, first, the identification information of a first radio access network or the DIP instance static characteristic information of the DIP instance that the first radio access network can support is acquired. Then, the DIP instance information of the DIP instance that the first radio access network can support is determined based on the identification information of the first radio access network or the DIP instance static characteristic information of the first radio access network. Finally, the first user plane network element supporting DIP transmission with the first radio access network is determined based on the DIP instance information. Since the DIP instance information is considered for user plane network element selection, it is ensured that the DIP transmission between the first radio access network and the first user plane network element can be reliable, and the determinacy requirement of the service flow is effectively guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a user plane network element selection method and related equipment. Background Technology

[0002] The Deterministic Internet Protocol (DIP) is a deterministic networking (DetNet) technology architecture that introduces a periodic scheduling mechanism for forwarding on the data plane and proposes efficient path planning and resource allocation algorithms on the control plane, aiming to realize a large-scale, scalable, end-to-end deterministic low-latency network system.

[0003] refer to Figure 1A , Figure 1A This application provides a schematic diagram of a 5GS transmission network supporting TSN. When the 5G system (5GS) supports interoperability with the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) deployed in the transmission network, in order to support the determinism of the 5GS transmission network, the Radio Access Network (RAN) and User Plane Function (UPF) network elements can be regarded as end users in the deterministic protocol, that is, the talker and listener defined in the IEEE 802.1Q protocol regarding TSN.

[0004] However, when the transport network (TN) in a mobile communication system supports DIP scenarios, taking 5GS as an example, the mobile communication system replaces the DIP transport network. Figure 1A When using a TSN transmission network, DIP transmission between the RAN and UPF cannot be guaranteed, thus failing to reliably guarantee the deterministic requirements of service flows. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a user plane network element selection method and related equipment, which can reliably guarantee DIP transmission between the radio access network and user plane network elements, and ensure the deterministic requirements of service flow.

[0006] Firstly, a user plane network element selection method is provided, which can be executed by a third network element or by a chip in the third network element.

[0007] The aforementioned user plane network element selection method includes the following steps: obtaining the identification information of a first radio access network or the static characteristic information of a Deterministic Internet Protocol (DIP) instance that the first radio access network can support access to; determining the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support access to based on the identification information of the first radio access network or the static characteristic information of the first radio access network; and determining the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information.

[0008] The aforementioned DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transport network. The aforementioned DIP instance information refers to relevant information about a DIP instance, including its static characteristics. This static characteristic information refers to information within the DIP instance that does not require frequent updates.

[0009] In this scheme, based on the identification information of the first radio access network or the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network, the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support access is determined. Based on the DIP instance information, the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network is determined. By considering the selection of user plane network elements based on DIP instance information, reliable DIP transmission between the first radio access network and the first user plane network element is ensured, effectively guaranteeing the deterministic requirements of service flows.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the DIP instance information for determining the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support based on the identification information of the first radio access network specifically includes the following steps:

[0011] A first information retrieval request is sent to a first network element, the first information retrieval request including the identification information of a first radio access network. A first information retrieval response is received from the first network element, the first information retrieval response including the identification information of a user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. A second information retrieval request is sent to a storage network element, the second information retrieval request including the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. A second information retrieval response is received from the storage network element, the second information retrieval response including DIP instance information, the DIP instance information corresponding to the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

[0012] In this scheme, the identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first wireless access network is first obtained from the first network element based on the identification information of the first wireless access network, as well as the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element; then, the DIP instance information corresponding to the static feature information of the DIP instance is obtained from the storage network element based on the static feature information of the DIP instance; this can ensure that the above DIP instance information is the DIP instance information of the DIP instance that the first wireless access network can support access to.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first network element stores identification information of at least one user plane network element and static characteristic information of a DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element; and / or, the first network element stores identification information of at least one radio access network and static characteristic information of a DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0014] In this scheme, the user plane network element and / or the radio access network stores or registers its own identification information and the static feature information of the DIP instances that it supports accessing in the first network element, so that based on the identification information of the first radio access network, it can obtain the identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the determination of DIP instance information of DIP instances that can be supported by the first radio access network based on the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network specifically includes the following steps: sending a third information acquisition request to a storage network element, the third information acquisition request including the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network; receiving a third information acquisition response sent by the storage network element, the third information acquisition response including DIP instance information, the DIP instance information corresponding to the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network.

[0016] In this scheme, the DIP instance information corresponding to the static feature information of the DIP instance can be obtained from the storage network element based on the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the above-mentioned determination of the first user plane network element supporting DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on DIP instance information specifically includes the following steps: determining the first DIP instance for DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on DIP instance information; requesting the first network element to discover the first user plane network element corresponding to the first DIP instance; receiving the identification information of the first user plane network element sent by the first network element; and determining the first user plane network element based on the identification information of the first user plane network element.

[0018] In this scheme, the first DIP instance used for DIP transmission is first determined based on the DIP instance information, and then a request is made to the first network element to discover the first user plane network element corresponding to the first DIP instance. Upon receiving the identification information of the first user plane network element returned by the first network element, the first user plane network element can be identified based on this identification information.

[0019] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the user plane network element selection method further includes the following step: receiving static feature information of a DIP instance of a first radio access network sent by a second network element. In this solution, the static feature information of a DIP instance of the first radio access network can be obtained from the second network element, eliminating the need for the first network element to store the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network.

[0020] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second network element stores identification information of at least one radio access network and static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0021] In this scheme, the wireless access network stores or registers its own identification information and the static feature information of the DIP instances it supports for access in the second network element, so that the third network element can obtain the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first wireless access network from the second network element.

[0022] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned static characteristic information of the DIP instance includes the identification information of the DIP instance. Exemplarily, the unique identifier of the DIP instance, i.e., the identification information of the DIP instance, can be composed of one or more of the following: numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or special characters.

[0023] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned static characteristic information of the DIP instance further includes a correspondence between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance. The identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network is determined based on the identification information of the first radio access network and the aforementioned correspondence.

[0024] In this scheme, when the static feature information of the DIP instance also includes the correspondence between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance, the first network element or the second network element does not need to store the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0025] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the user plane network element selection method further includes the following steps: receiving a user plane network element modification request sent by a triggering network element, the user plane network element modification request including DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and DIP instance information expected to be bound to the service flow; determining whether to modify the user plane network element of the service flow based on the currently bound DIP instance information and the expected bound DIP instance information; if it is determined that the user plane network element of the service flow should be modified, re-determining the user plane network element of the service flow and sending a modification confirmation response to the triggering network element; if it is determined that the user plane network element of the service flow should not be modified, sending a modification request response to the triggering network element.

[0026] In this solution, when the DIP instance of a service flow needs to be modified, the third network element determines whether the user plane network element of the service flow needs to be modified based on the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information that the service flow is expected to be bound to, so as to meet the modification requirements of the user plane network element.

[0027] Secondly, this application also provides a user plane network element selection method, which is applied to a communication system. The aforementioned communication system includes a first radio access network, a first network element, a third network element, and a storage network element.

[0028] The user plane network element selection method described above includes the following steps: A third network element obtains the identification information of a first radio access network. The third network element sends a first information acquisition request to a first network element, the first information acquisition request including the identification information of the first radio access network. The first network element sends a first information acquisition response to the third network element, the first information acquisition response including the identification information of a user plane network element that shares the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element, wherein the DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element sends a second information acquisition request to a storage network element, the second information acquisition request including the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The storage network element sends a second information acquisition response to the third network element, the second information acquisition response including DIP instance information, the DIP instance information corresponding to the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. Based on the DIP instance information, the third network element determines a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network.

[0029] In this scheme, the third network element determines the identification information of the user plane network element that shares the same DIP instance as the first radio access network, as well as the static characteristic information of the corresponding DIP instance, based on the identification information of the first radio access network. The third network element then determines the DIP instance information based on the static characteristic information; finally, the third network element determines the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information. By considering the DIP instance information in the selection of user plane network elements, reliable DIP transmission between the first radio access network and the first user plane network element is ensured, effectively guaranteeing the deterministic requirements of service flows.

[0030] Thirdly, this application also provides a communication system, which includes a first wireless access network, a first network element, a third network element, and a storage network element.

[0031] The third network element is used to obtain the identification information of the first radio access network. The third network element is also used to send a first information acquisition request to the first network element, the first information acquisition request including the identification information of the first radio access network. The first network element is used to send a first information acquisition response to the third network element, the first information acquisition response including the identification information of the user plane network element that shares the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The aforementioned DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element is also used to send a second information acquisition request to the storage network element, the second information acquisition request including the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The storage network element is used to send a second information acquisition response to the third network element, the second information acquisition response including DIP instance information, the DIP instance information corresponding to the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The third network element is also used to determine, based on the DIP instance information, a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network.

[0032] Fourthly, this application also provides a user plane network element selection method, which is applied to a communication system. The aforementioned communication system includes a first radio access network, a third network element, and a storage network element.

[0033] The user plane network element selection method described above includes the following steps: A third network element obtains the static characteristic information of a DIP instance that can be accessed by the first radio access network, wherein the DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element sends a third information acquisition request to a storage network element, the third information acquisition request including the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network. The storage network element sends a third information acquisition response to the third network element, the third information acquisition response including DIP instance information, the DIP instance information corresponding to the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network. Based on the DIP instance information, the third network element determines the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network.

[0034] In this scheme, the third network element obtains DIP instance information based on the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network, and then determines the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information. By considering the selection of user plane network elements based on DIP instance information, reliable DIP transmission between the first radio access network and the first user plane network element is ensured, effectively guaranteeing the deterministic requirements of service flow.

[0035] Fifthly, this application also provides a communication system, which includes a first wireless access network, a third network element, and a storage network element.

[0036] The third network element is used to obtain static characteristic information of DIP instances that can be accessed by the first radio access network, where the DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element is also used to send a third information acquisition request to the storage network element, which includes the static characteristic information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network. The storage network element is used to send a third information acquisition response to the third network element, which includes DIP instance information corresponding to the static characteristic information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network. The third network element is also used to determine, based on the DIP instance information, a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network.

[0037] Sixthly, this application also provides a third network element, which includes a unit or module for performing the user plane network element selection method described in the first aspect.

[0038] In a seventh aspect, this application also provides a third network element, including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor and the memory are connected, wherein the memory is used to store program code, and the processor is used to call the program code to execute the user plane network element selection method as described in the first aspect.

[0039] Eighthly, this application also provides a communication system, which includes the third network element described in the sixth or seventh aspect.

[0040] In a ninth aspect, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the user plane network element selection method as described in the first aspect.

[0041] In a tenth aspect, this application also provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when the computer program product is run on a computer, cause the computer to execute the user plane network element selection method described in the first aspect.

[0042] In the eleventh aspect, this application also provides a chip, the chip including a processor and a data interface, the processor reading instructions stored in a memory through the data interface to execute the user plane network element selection method described in the first aspect.

[0043] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip may further include a memory storing instructions, and the processor is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory. When the instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the user plane network element selection method described in the first aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0044] The accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0045] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of a 5GS transmission network supporting TSN is provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 1C A schematic diagram of a DIP provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 1D A schematic diagram illustrating 5GS and TSN interoperability deployed in a transmission network, provided for embodiments of this application;

[0049] Figure 1E A schematic diagram of a session establishment process provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 1F A schematic diagram of a 5GS transmission network supporting DIP is provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a user plane network element selection method provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 3AA schematic diagram illustrating the process of registering static feature information of a UPF DIP instance to an NRF, as provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 3B A schematic diagram illustrating the process of registering static feature information of a RAN's DIP instance to an NRF, as provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 3C A schematic diagram illustrating another process for registering static feature information of a RAN's DIP instance to an NRF, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 4A A schematic flowchart illustrating a user plane network element selection method provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 4B A schematic diagram illustrating the process of registering static feature information of a RAN's DIP instance to the AMF, provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 4C A schematic flowchart illustrating a user plane network element selection method provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 4D A schematic diagram illustrating a specific process for modifying a user plane network element, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a third network element provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another third network element provided for an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] In this application, 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 application 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.

[0063] In this application, "at least one" in the embodiments refers to one or more items, and "more than one" refers to two or more items. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, (a and b), (a and c), (b and c), or (a and b and c), where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. The step numbers in the embodiments of this application (such as step S1, step S21, etc.) are only for distinguishing different steps and do not limit the order of execution between steps.

[0064] Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the use of ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application is for distinguishing multiple objects and is not for limiting the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, "first device" and "second device" are only for ease of description and do not indicate that the first device and the second device are different in structure, importance, etc. In some embodiments, the first device and the second device may also be the same device.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the term "when..." can be interpreted, depending on the context, as meaning "if...", "after...", "in response to determining...", or "in response to detecting...". The above descriptions are merely optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the concept and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0066] The methods described in this application can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, Enhanced Long Term Evolution-Advanced (eLTE) systems, 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication systems, 6th Generation (6G) mobile communication systems, and other future communication networks. They can also be extended to similar wireless communication systems, such as Wireless-Fidelity (WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX), and cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0067] The 5G system architecture will be explained in detail below.

[0068] The 5G system architecture consists of two parts: the access network and the core network. The access network implements functions related to radio access. The core network includes multiple network elements. (Reference) Figure 1B , Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of a 5G network architecture provided for an embodiment of this application; the various network elements that may be involved in this network architecture are described below.

[0069] Terminal Equipment 101: Abbreviated as terminal, also known as User Equipment (UE), refers to the terminal equipment of a network. It can include various handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities (such as mobile phones), in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, IoT terminal devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, as well as various forms of terminals, such as mobile stations (MS), terminals, soft terminals, access terminals, subscriber units, terminal equipment stations, mobile stations, mobile stations (MS), remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, terminal equipment agents, terminal equipment devices, etc. Examples include water meters, electricity meters, and sensors.

[0070] Radio Access Network (RAN) 102: This is a device that provides radio access for terminal devices. Exemplarily, it is a network composed of multiple RAN nodes, capable of implementing radio physical layer functions, resource scheduling and radio resource management, radio access control, and mobility management functions. The RAN connects to user plane network elements through user plane interface N3 to transmit data from terminal devices; the RAN establishes control plane signaling connections with access and mobility management network elements through control plane interface N2 to implement functions such as radio access bearer control.

[0071] Specifically, it can be used to provide network access functionality for authorized terminal devices in specific areas, and can use transmission tunnels of different quality according to the level of the terminal device, business needs, etc.

[0072] The RAN can manage radio resources, provide access services for terminal devices, and thus complete the forwarding of control signals and terminal device data between the terminal devices and the core network.

[0073] The term "wireless access network" can be replaced by any of the following alternative terms: wireless access network, access network equipment, or access network (AN). Access network equipment can be a base station, a gNB (gextralized node B), an eNB (eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a centralized unit (CU) node, a distributed unit (DU) node, a transmission point (TP), a receiving point (RP), an access point (AP), or a World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) base station, etc., without limitation. In this application, a wireless access network is used as an example for illustration; the functions performed by a wireless access network are equally applicable to other alternative terms for wireless access network.

[0074] User plane element 103: mainly responsible for processing user messages, such as forwarding and billing.

[0075] In 5G communication systems, this user plane network element can be a User Plane Function (UPF) network element. In future communication systems, the user plane network element can still be a UPF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0076] Among them, the UPF mainly provides user plane service processing functions. As the anchor point for Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session connections, the UPF is responsible for filtering data packets of user equipment, service routing, packet forwarding, anchoring functions, rate control, generating billing information, Quality of Service (QoS) mapping and execution, uplink identification and routing to the data network, downlink packet buffering and notification triggering of downlink data arrival, and connection with external data networks.

[0077] Data Network 104: Carrier networks used to provide data transmission services to users, such as IP Multimedia Service (IMS) and the Internet.

[0078] In 5G communication systems, the data network can be a data network (DN). In future communication systems, the data network can still be a DN, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0079] For example, the UE accesses the data network by establishing a PDU session between the UE and the RAN, the UPF, and the DN.

[0080] Access and mobility management function network element 105: mainly used for mobility management and access management, and can be used to implement other functions in the Mobility Management Entity (MME) besides session management, such as user location update, user registration network, user handover and other functions.

[0081] In 5G communication systems, the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element can be an AMF network element. In future communication systems, the AMF network element can still be an AMF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0082] Among them, the AMF is mainly responsible for UE authentication, UE mobility management, network slice selection, session management network element selection and other functions; it serves as the anchor point for N1 and N2 signaling connections and provides routing for N1 / N2 session management (SM) messages for session management network elements; and it maintains and manages the UE's state information.

[0083] SMF is primarily responsible for session management in mobile networks, such as session establishment, modification, and release. Specific functions include assigning IP addresses to users and selecting the UPF that provides packet forwarding capabilities.

[0084] Session Management Element 106: Primarily used for session management (such as session establishment, modification, and release), Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management for terminal devices, selection of endpoints for manageable user plane functions, policy control, and billing function interfaces, and downlink data notification. Specific functions include assigning IP addresses to users and selecting UPFs that provide packet forwarding capabilities.

[0085] In 5G communication systems, this session management network element can be a Session Management Function (SMF) network element. In future communication systems, the session management network element can still be an SMF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0086] Among them, SMF is mainly responsible for all control plane functions of UE session management, including user plane network element selection, IP address allocation, session QoS management, and obtaining policy and charging control (PCC) information (from policy control network elements).

[0087] Policy control network element 107: A unified policy framework used to guide network behavior, providing configuration policy information to UEs and policy rule information (such as slice selection policy, QoS policy, etc.) to control plane function network elements (such as AMF, SMF, etc.).

[0088] In 5G communication systems, this policy control network element can be a Policy Control Function (PCF) network element. In future communication systems, the policy control network element can still be a PCF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0089] Application service network element 108: Interacts with core network elements to provide services, such as interacting with policy control network elements to perform service policy control, interacting with network capability opening network elements to obtain network capability information or provide some application information to the network, and providing some data network access point information to policy control network elements to generate corresponding data service routing information.

[0090] In 5G communication systems, the application service network element can be an application service function (AF) network element. In future communication systems, the application service network element can still be an AF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this. For example, the application service network element can have any of the following alternative terms: application server (AS), AF, third party, third-party application, application (APP), etc.

[0091] Network slice selection element 109: Used to select a set of slice instances for the UE, determine the AMF set and allowed NSSAIs for the UE. (NSSAI is an abbreviation for Network Slice Selection Assistance Information. A network slice is uniquely identified by a single S-NSSAI, and a set of one or more S-NSSAIs is called an NSSAI).

[0092] In 5G communication systems, the network slice selection element can be a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) element. In future communication systems, the network slice selection element can still be an NSSF element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0093] Authentication service element 110: Used for security authentication of UE when UE accesses the network.

[0094] In 5G communication systems, this authentication service network element can be an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) network element. In future communication systems, the authentication service network element can still be an AUSF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0095] Data management network element 111: Used to handle terminal device identification, access authentication, registration, and mobility management, etc.

[0096] In 5G communication systems, this data management network element can be a Unified Data Management (UDM) network element. In future communication systems, the data management network element can still be a UDM network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0097] UDM network elements primarily manage user data, such as subscription information and authentication / authorization information. This includes retrieving subscription information from the data repository and providing it to other network elements (such as the AMF); generating 3GPP authentication credentials for the UE; and registering and maintaining the network elements currently serving the UE.

[0098] Network slice admission control element 112: Used to monitor and control the number of registered UEs on each network slice; monitor and control the number of PDU sessions established on each network slice. Provides event-based network slice status notifications and reports to user network functions (NFs).

[0099] In 5G communication systems, the network slice admission control element can be a Network Slice Admission Control Function (NSACF) element. In future communication systems, the network slice admission control element can still be an NSACF element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0100] Network slice authentication and authorization element 113: It is mainly responsible for the authentication and authorization of network slices. It can interact with the authentication, authorization, and accounting server (AAA-S) through the authentication, authorization, and accounting proxy (AAA-P).

[0101] In 5G communication systems, the network slice authentication and authorization network element can be a Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF) network element. In future communication systems, the network slice authentication and authorization network element can still be an NSSAAF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0102] It should be noted that the aforementioned "network element" can also be referred to as an entity, device, apparatus, or module, etc., and this application does not specifically limit it. Furthermore, in this application, for ease of understanding and explanation, the description of "network element" is omitted in some descriptions. For example, the AMF network element is abbreviated as AMF. In this case, "AMF" should be understood as an AMF network element or an AMF entity. The following descriptions of the same or similar cases are omitted.

[0103] This network architecture may also include a unified data storage network element, which provides storage capabilities for contract data, policy data, and capability-related data.

[0104] In 5G communication systems, this unified data storage network element can be a Unified Data Repository (UDR) network element. In future communication systems, the unified data storage network element can still be a UDR network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0105] This network architecture may also include network capability open network elements, which are used to connect the interaction between other internal network elements of the core network and external application servers of the core network, so as to provide network capability information to external application servers, or provide information from external application servers to core network elements.

[0106] In 5G communication systems, this network capability open element can be a Network Exposure Function (NEF) element. In future communication systems, the network capability open element can still be NEF, or it can have other names; this application does not limit its scope.

[0107] This network architecture may also include a network storage element, responsible for registering network function services (NFs), monitoring their status, and enabling automated management, selection, and scalability of NFs. It also allows each NF to discover services provided by other NFs. This element is used for NF registration, management, and status monitoring, achieving automated management of all NFs. Each NF must register with the NRF upon startup to provide services; registration information includes NF type, address, and service list.

[0108] In 5G communication systems, this network storage element can be a Network Repository Function (NRF) element. In future communication systems, the network storage element can still be an NRF, or it can have other names; this application does not limit its scope.

[0109] This network architecture may also include network data analysis elements for analyzing various types of network data, including network operation data collected from the Network Function (NF), terminal and network-related statistical data obtained from the OAM (On-Demand Array) element, and application data obtained from third-party Application Firewalls (AFs). The analysis results generated by the NWDAF will also be output to the NF, OAM, or third-party AF. The specific working steps of the network data analysis element can be divided into several categories, including request analysis, subscription analysis, and data collection.

[0110] In 5G communication systems, this network data analysis element can be a Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) element. In future communication systems, the network data analysis element can still be an NWDAF, or it can have other names; this application does not limit its scope.

[0111] This network architecture may also include Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) network elements. Based on the actual needs of the operator's network operation, OAM network elements divide network management work into three main categories: Operation, Administration, and Maintenance. Operation primarily involves the analysis, forecasting, planning, and configuration of daily network and services; Maintenance mainly involves routine operational activities such as testing and fault management of the network and its services.

[0112] In 5G communication systems, the operation and maintenance management network element can be an OAM network element, or more generally, a network management device. In future communication systems, the operation and maintenance management network element can still be OAM, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0113] This network architecture may also include external operator management network elements, which are used to assess whether service network elements are abnormal based on data.

[0114] In 5G communication systems, the external operator-managed network element can be an External Operator Managed Function (EOMF) network element. In future communication systems, the external operator-managed network element can still be an EOMF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit its scope.

[0115] This network architecture may also include an authentication server, which can be a service function located inside the core network, such as an AUSF network element, an NRF network element, or a third-party authentication server; it can also be a network element outside the operator, such as an external AF.

[0116] It should be understood that the network architecture described above in the embodiments of this application is merely an example of a network architecture described from the perspective of a service-oriented architecture. The network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application is not limited to this, and any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0117] For example, in some network architectures, network functional entities such as AMF, SMF, PCF, and UDM are all called NF network elements; or, in other network architectures, the collection of network elements such as AMF, SMF, PCF, and UDM can be called control plane function (CPF) network elements.

[0118] The following section uses network elements in a 5G system as an example to introduce the specific solution details. It is understood that when this solution is used in an LTE system or a future communication system, the network elements in the solution can be replaced with other network elements that have corresponding functions; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0119] It should be understood that Figure 1B This is merely an exemplary network architecture, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application is not limited to this. Any network architecture capable of implementing the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0120] The following is a detailed explanation of DIP transmission.

[0121] refer to Figure 1C , Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram of a DIP provided for an embodiment of this application; PE refers to a provider edge device. The DIP has the following characteristics:

[0122] a) Data packets are not allowed to be sent (received) arbitrarily. Each data packet is assigned a specific sending (receiving) time period to avoid bursts, control queuing delays within nodes, and eliminate the long-tail effect.

[0123] b) The periodic shaping and scheduling mechanism is adopted, thereby forming inter-period isolation and avoiding micro-bursts and their hop-by-hop accumulation.

[0124] c) The upper bound of the system end-to-end delay and the upper limit of jitter are determined.

[0125] Specifically, DIP has the following main functions:

[0126] a) Implementing admission control on the control plane: The control plane of the ingress edge node can record the resource reservation status of each flow. Based on the resource reservation results, the ingress edge node can determine whether a deterministic flow is allowed to enter the network for deterministic forwarding. The resource reservation status of a data flow can be dynamically refreshed, enabling resource reservation renewal.

[0127] b) Implement path planning and resource reservation in the control plane: Deterministic path planning for data flow transmission can be implemented based on distributed routing algorithms or centralized path calculation to plan transmission paths for data flow and support the reservation of necessary deterministic resources along the route in advance.

[0128] c) Implement path binding in the data plane: The resource reservation for DIP transmission is reflected in the nodes of the data forwarding path, and subsequent data packet transmission needs to be bound to this path; path binding technology can be coupled with label carrying technology.

[0129] d) Deterministic periodic forwarding on the data plane: The ingress edge node embeds a time period number into the data packet based on the time it is sent. After receiving the packet, the intermediate node performs deterministic periodic forwarding according to the period mapping, so that the data packet carries the local time period number when it is sent, until the data packet is delivered to the egress edge node.

[0130] DIP's specific implementation mechanisms include Tagged Cyclic Queuing and Forwarding (TCQF) and Cycle Specified Queuing and Forwarding (CSQF).

[0131] TCQF supports more than two cycles, indicating the cycle number through an existing or new packet header field called a tag, replacing the cycle mapping in CQF in TSN, which is purely based on synchronous receive clocks (the cycle mapping is calculated by the controller plane, taking into account link, intra-node forwarding delays, and cycle clock offsets). The TCQF option helps the receive port identify the time period from which packets are sent from the upstream router; it can be used to determine the output port cycle buffer for queuing packets. The target advantages of TCQF include low end-to-end jitter, ease of high-speed hardware implementation, the optional ability to support a large number of flows in large networks by applying TCQF to DetNet aggregations instead of individually to each DetNet flow (via DiffServ-style aggregation), and support for wide-area DetNet networks with arbitrary link delays and latency variations, and low-precision clock synchronization.

[0132] CSQF improves upon CQF by explicitly specifying the transmission period of each node along the path, enabling end-to-end bounded latency. This is achieved by specifying the segment ID (SID) of the proxy segment in Segment Routing (SR). SR is a source routing technique that does not maintain per-flow status at intermediate and egress nodes. CSQF based on SR supports flow aggregation, which is beneficial for scaling to macro networks. CSQF defines a new field called Cycle Segment to identify cycle periods. Cycle Segment identifies the interface / link and the cycle period of the interface / link. To specify which interface and cycle a packet should be transmitted to, simply append a cycle segment to the packet. By appending a list of cycle segments to a packet, not only can explicit routing of packets be achieved, but the transmission period of each node along the path can also be specified without requiring per-flow status at intermediate and egress nodes.

[0133] refer to Figure 1A When the 5GS transmission network supports TSN, the Session Management Element (SMF) acts as the Central User Control (CUC) element (or the CUC function is shared with the SMF). The SMF provides user / network configuration information (i.e., Talker Group & Listener Group, also known as the merged flow requirements) to the Central Network Control (CNC) in the TN. The CNC provides the SMF with state group information containing end-station communication configurations. The specific implementation process is as follows: Figure 1D As shown.

[0134] If the RAN and UPF support AN-TL and CN-TL functions, then there are Figure 1D Steps 2, 3, 9, 10, 12, and 13. Specifically:

[0135] In steps 2 and 3, SMF / CUC obtains relevant information about the Talker or Listener group from AN-TL or CN-TL.

[0136] In step 9, the SMF / CUC provides the QoS-based flow requirements to the TN CNC through the User / Network Interface (UNI). The TNCNC uses the flow requirements as input to configure the corresponding paths and scheduling in the TN.

[0137] In step 10, the TN CNC provides the SMF / CUC with a status group containing the end station communication configuration.

[0138] In steps 12 and 13, the SMF / CUC sends relevant information about the status group to the AN-TL or CN-TL.

[0139] The UPF provides user plane functions such as user packet forwarding, processing, connection to the DN, session anchoring, and QoS policy enforcement. In session establishment, UE mobility, or other scenarios, the selection of the UPF is frequently involved. (Refer to...) Figure 1E , Figure 1E This is a schematic diagram of a session establishment process provided for an embodiment of this application. In the session establishment process, after completing a series of processes from step 1 to step 7, the SMF needs to select one or more UPFs for the UE. The UPF can be selected based on the session type, user location information, UPF capabilities, and the functions required for a specific UE session.

[0140] When the transmission network (TN) in a mobile communication system supports DIP, taking 5GS as an example, that is... Figure 1A The TSN transport network in the reference is replaced with the DIP transport network. Figure 1F , Figure 1F This application provides a schematic diagram of a 5GS transport network supporting DIP, as illustrated in an embodiment. A DIP instance refers to a subnet (or subpath) of the DIP transport network. For example, DIP instance 1 is edge node A—core node G—core node J—edge node D; DIP instance 2 is edge node A—core node H—core node K—edge node D; and DIP instance 3 is edge node A—core node I—core node L—edge node E. It is evident that different DIP instances correspond to or are connected to different UPFs. If the UPF currently selected by the user plane does not match the expected DIP instance, or if the UPF selected during session establishment is inappropriate, resulting in the inability to support access to the DIP instance or the accessed DIP instance being unsuitable, then DIP transmission between the RAN and the UPF cannot be guaranteed, and the deterministic requirements of the service flow cannot be guaranteed.

[0141] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a user plane network element selection method, which can reliably guarantee DIP transmission between the radio access network and user plane network elements, and ensure the deterministic requirements of service flow.

[0142] The user plane network element selection method described above can be executed by a third network element in the communication system, or by a chip within the third network element. The aforementioned communication system can be any of the communication systems described above, such as the LTE system, 5G system, or 6G system.

[0143] The following section provides a detailed explanation of the user plane network element selection method.

[0144] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a user plane network element selection method provided for an embodiment of this application; the user plane network element selection method includes the following steps:

[0145] 201. The third network element obtains the identification information of the first wireless access network or the static characteristic information of the DIP instance that the first wireless access network can support access to.

[0146] Specifically, the identification information of the first wireless access network can be composed of one or more of the following: numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or special characters.

[0147] In this embodiment, the third network element can be an SMF network element.

[0148] 202. The third network element determines the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first wireless access network can support access based on the identification information of the first wireless access network or the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network.

[0149] Specifically, the aforementioned DIP instance information refers to various related information about a DIP instance. A DIP instance can be configured by the DIP control plane or network management system, and can be a subnet or subpath of a DIP transport network. Each DIP instance has corresponding DIP transport paths, periodic forwarding, edge shaping, and other DIP configurations. The aforementioned DIP instance information can include various configuration details of the DIP instance.

[0150] For example, DIP instance information includes dynamic characteristic information and the aforementioned static characteristic information. The dynamic characteristic information refers to information in the DIP instance information that changes dynamically, such as DIP transmission path information, DIP forwarding configuration information, DIP instance QoS information, currently available remaining resources of the DIP instance, or flow identification information of the DIP instance. The static characteristic information refers to information in the DIP instance information that does not require frequent updates, such as the DIP instance's identification information, or the correspondence or connection relationship between the DIP instance and the RAN and UPF (e.g., gNB ID and UPF ID can be used to indicate the corresponding or connected RAN and UPF). The DIP instance identifier is assigned a corresponding identifier (DIP Instance ID) by the DIP control plane or network management system to distinguish different DIP instances.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the identification information of the DIP instance can be composed of one or more of the following: numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or special characters.

[0152] For example, details of DIP instance information can be found in Table 1 below.

[0153] Table 1 DIP Instance Information Table

[0154]

[0155] DIP can be explicitly routed via SRv6, and its SID can be used to identify the nodes of the DIP transmission path planned at the node level.

[0156] Cycle length refers to the duration of one DIP forwarding cycle.

[0157] The number of cycle cycles refers to the maximum number of cycle cycles supported by a DIP instance. For example, TCQF supports three or more cycle cycles alternating.

[0158] Edge shaping refers to the ability of DIP ingress edge nodes to perform edge shaping on service flows, distributing data packets into different DIP cycles for transmission.

[0159] DIP instances can provide deterministic QoS guarantees for service flows, such as latency and jitter.

[0160] Link speed refers to the link rate that a DIP instance can provide for the transmission of service flow data packets, which generally corresponds to the interface rate of the DIP instance interface.

[0161] 203. The third network element determines the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information.

[0162] In this embodiment of the invention, the third network element determines the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support, based on the identification information of the first radio access network or the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network. Based on the DIP instance information, a first user plane network element supporting DIP transmission with the first radio access network is determined. By considering the DIP instance information in the selection of user plane network elements, reliable DIP transmission between the first radio access network and the first user plane network element is ensured, effectively guaranteeing the deterministic requirements of service flows.

[0163] In one possible implementation, when the static feature information of the DIP instance includes the identification information of the DIP instance, the first network element is configured to store the identification information of at least one user plane network element and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element; and / or, the first network element stores the identification information of at least one radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0164] For example, the first network element can be an NRF network element. The identification information of the user plane network element and / or the radio access network can be composed of one or more of the following: numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or special characters.

[0165] In this embodiment, the user plane network element and / or the radio access network stores or registers its own identification information and the static characteristic information of the DIP instances it supports accessing in the first network element. The first network element can provide this information to the third network element when necessary. For example, based on the identification information of the first radio access network, the third network element can obtain from the first network element the identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to that user plane network element.

[0166] refer to Figure 3A , Figure 3A This application provides a schematic diagram of a process for registering the static feature information of a UPF's DIP instance to an NRF, as an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the first network element is an NRF network element. Before the session is established, the UPF pre-registers its own DIP instance static feature information to the NRF. The specific process includes:

[0167] A301. The UPF sends a registration request to the NRF, which includes the UPF's identification information and the static characteristic information of the corresponding DIP instance of the UPF.

[0168] For example, the service message corresponding to the above registration request can be Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Request.

[0169] A302 and NRF store the identification information of UPF and the static characteristic information of its DIP instance.

[0170] A303, NRF returns a registration response to UPF.

[0171] For example, the service message corresponding to the above registration response can be an Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister response. The registration response informs the user of the UPF registration result.

[0172] refer to Figure 3B , Figure 3B This application provides a schematic diagram of a process for registering the static feature information of a RAN's DIP instance to an NRF, as shown in the embodiments below. In this embodiment, the first network element is an NRF network element. The RAN pre-registers its own DIP instance static feature information to the NRF. At this time, it is necessary to enhance the existing functions of the RAN and NRF with the help of the AMF. The specific process includes:

[0173] B301, RAN sends a registration request to AMF.

[0174] Specifically, the registration request includes the RAN's identification information and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the RAN.

[0175] B302, AMF sends a registration request to NRF.

[0176] For example, the service message corresponding to the registration request in step B302 can be an Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Request.

[0177] B303, NRF storage RAN identification information and its DIP instance static characteristic information.

[0178] B304, NRF returns a registration response to AMF.

[0179] For example, the service-oriented message corresponding to the above registration response can be Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegisterresponse.

[0180] B305 and AMF return a registration response to the RAN. The registration response informs the RAN of the registration result.

[0181] refer to Figure 3C , Figure 3C This application provides another schematic diagram of the process for registering the static feature information of a RAN's DIP instance to the NRF, as provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the first network element is an NRF network element. The RAN pre-registers its own DIP instance static feature information to the NRF. The specific process includes:

[0182] C301, RAN sends a registration request to NRF.

[0183] Specifically, the registration request includes the RAN's identification information and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the RAN.

[0184] C302, NRF storage RAN identification information and its DIP instance static characteristic information.

[0185] C303 and NRF return a registration response to the RAN. The registration response informs the RAN of the registration result.

[0186] In one possible implementation, a storage network element is configured to store DIP instance information. This storage network element can provide this information to the first network element when necessary. The DIP instance information includes static characteristic information of the DIP instance; therefore, the corresponding DIP instance information can be obtained based on the static characteristic information of the DIP instance.

[0187] The aforementioned storage network elements can take the following possible forms:

[0188] Form 1, DIP edge node: suitable for distributed architecture.

[0189] Form 2, DetNet Controller: Suitable for centralized architecture.

[0190] Storing DIP instance information on the DIP transport network side (corresponding to Form 1 and Form 2) has the following advantages: a. It saves storage resources for 5GS network elements. b. Subsequent changes to the DIP transport network mechanism and improvements / modifications to DIP instance information will not have a significant impact on 5GS. c. The update process for DIP instance information depends on the internal implementation of DIP and does not require frequent interaction between the DIP transport network and 5GS.

[0191] Forms 3, RAN, and UPF: suitable for distributed architectures.

[0192] Form 4, UDR: Suitable for centralized and distributed architectures.

[0193] DIP instance information is stored on the 5GS side (corresponding to forms 3 and 4), facilitating the execution of functions such as service flow admission and flow identification information generation on the 5GS side without requiring frequent interaction between the 5GS and the DIP transport network. Furthermore, storing DIP instance information in the RAN and UPF requires consideration of DIP instance information synchronization (e.g., in scenarios where different RANs (or UPFs) share the same DIP instance, when the DIP instance information needs to be updated, all different RANs (or UPFs) connected to that DIP instance need to synchronously update the DIP instance information). This is not a concern if stored in the UDR.

[0194] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 4A , Figure 4A This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a user plane network element selection method provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system involved in this user plane network element selection method includes a first radio access network, a first network element, a third network element, and a storage network element. When the static feature information of the aforementioned DIP instance includes the identification information of the DIP instance, in step 202, the third network element determines the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support based on the identification information of the first radio access network. This specifically includes the following steps:

[0195] A221. The third network element sends a first information acquisition request to the first network element, the first information acquisition request including the identification information of the first radio access network.

[0196] For example, the service message corresponding to the first information acquisition request can be Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusSubscribe. The third network element requests the first network element, based on the identification information of the first radio access network, to find the optional user plane network element that supports access to the DIP instance and accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network, and its corresponding DIP instance static feature information.

[0197] Accordingly, the first network element receives the first information acquisition request and, based on the identification information of the first radio access network, finds the identification information of the user plane network element that is connected to the same DIP instance as the first radio access network, as well as the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to that user plane network element. The number of user plane network elements connected to the same DIP instance as the first radio access network can be one or more, and correspondingly, the number of static feature information of the DIP instance can be one or more, without any particular limitation.

[0198] The first network element sends a first information acquisition response to the third network element. The first information acquisition response includes the identification information of the user plane network element that is connected to the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

[0199] For example, the service message corresponding to the first information acquisition response can be Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify.

[0200] A222, the third network element receives the first information sent by the first network element and obtains the response.

[0201] A223. The third network element sends a second information acquisition request to the storage network element. The second information acquisition request includes the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

[0202] Specifically, the third network element requests the storage network element to find the DIP instance information corresponding to the static feature information of the DIP instance based on the static feature information of the DIP instance returned by the first network element in step A222 (such as the identification information of the DIP instance).

[0203] Accordingly, the storage network element receives the second information acquisition request and finds the corresponding DIP instance information based on the static feature information of the DIP instance. The storage network element sends a second information acquisition response to the third network element, which includes the DIP instance information, and the DIP instance information corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance of the user plane network element returned in step A222.

[0204] A224. The third network element receives and stores the second information acquisition response sent by the network element.

[0205] In this embodiment, the third network element first obtains the identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network from the first network element based on the identification information of the first radio access network, as well as the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element; then, based on the static feature information of the DIP instance, it obtains the DIP instance information corresponding to the static feature information of the DIP instance from the storage network element; this can ensure that the above-mentioned DIP instance information is the DIP instance information of the DIP instance that the first radio access network can support access to.

[0206] refer to Figure 4A In step 203, the third network element uses the DIP instance information returned by the storage network element in step A224 as input parameters. Based on this, it knows the available resource size of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element, the QoS guarantee that the DIP instance can provide, the DIP path length or hop count between the user plane network element and the radio access network, etc. Based on the above information, it can select a suitable user plane network element, that is, determine the first user plane network element based on the DIP instance information.

[0207] Figure 4A In the illustrated embodiment, other steps may be included before or after selecting the user plane network element, and are not particularly limited thereto. For example, Figure 4A The steps for selecting user plane network elements shown can be replaced with... Figure 1E The "UPF selection" option considers the impact of DIP instance configuration during PDU session establishment to assist in UPF selection.

[0208] Figure 4A In the illustrated embodiment, the radio access network and user plane network elements can pre-store or register their own DIP instance static characteristic information related to the DIP transport network to the first network element. This allows the third network element to discover the corresponding radio access network and user plane network elements based on the DIP instance static characteristic information, and to find the available user plane network elements and DIP instances. The DIP instance information is stored in the storage network element to assist in the selection of DIP instances or the execution of other functions. Furthermore, the DIP instance configuration of the 5GS TN serves as an input parameter for user plane network element selection, influencing the selection of user plane network elements. This embodiment's solution considers the impact of the DIP transport network configuration during session establishment, providing a more comprehensive set of reference factors and helping 5GS provide deterministic guarantees based on DIP for subsequent service flows.

[0209] In another possible implementation, the aforementioned static characteristic information of the DIP instance further includes the correspondence (binding) between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance. This correspondence indicates the radio access network and user plane network element to which the DIP instance is connected.

[0210] Accordingly, the identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network is determined based on the identification information of the first radio access network and the above-mentioned correspondence.

[0211] In this embodiment, when the static feature information of the DIP instance also includes the correspondence between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance, the first network element does not need to store the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0212] In this embodiment, when the aforementioned DIP instance static feature information includes the correspondence between the DIP instance's identifier information, the radio access network identifier information corresponding to the DIP instance, and the user plane network element identifier information corresponding to the DIP instance, the first network element stores the user plane network element identifier information and the DIP instance static feature information corresponding to that user plane network element. The storage network element stores the DIP instance information of the DIP instance. In this embodiment, the specific process of the user plane network element selection method is as follows... Figure 4A Similar to the previous example, but different in step A221, after the first network element receives the first information acquisition request, it determines the identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network based on the identification information of the first radio access network and the aforementioned correspondence. Then, based on the identification information of the user plane network element, it determines the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. This embodiment provides a solution for when a third network element uses DIP instance information as an input parameter to influence the selection of user plane network elements in a 5GS TN-supported DIP scenario. The radio access network does not need to register or report its own DIP instance static feature information; it only needs to find the available user plane network elements and, based on the DIP instance static feature information provided by the user plane network element, find the DIP instance that can access the first radio access network and its DIP instance information as input parameters to assist in the selection of user plane network elements.

[0213] In another possible implementation, the radio access network (RAN) does not need to pre-store or register its own DIP instance static characteristic information with the first network element. Instead, during session establishment, the second network element proactively reports the DIP instance static characteristic information to the third network element to assist in user plane network element selection. Alternatively, the RAN can directly report its own DIP instance static characteristic information to the third network element during session establishment. For example, the third network element, using an SMF network element, carries the RAN's DIP instance static characteristic information in... Figure 1E The messages in steps 1 and 3 are reported to the SMF network element. For example, the second network element can be an AMF network element, etc. The first network element stores the identification information of the user plane network element and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The registration process of the user plane network element can be referenced... Figure 3A The relevant descriptions will not be repeated here. The storage network element stores the DIP instance information of the DIP instance. Therefore, the communication system involved in the user plane network element selection method in this embodiment includes a first radio access network, a first network element, a second network element, a third network element, and a storage network element. The interaction process of each network element can be referred to below. Figure 4C Related descriptions.

[0214] In one possible implementation, the second network element stores identification information of at least one radio access network and static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0215] In this embodiment, the wireless access network stores or registers its own identification information and the static feature information of the DIP instances it supports for access in the second network element, so that the third network element can obtain the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first wireless access network from the second network element.

[0216] refer to Figure 4B , Figure 4B This application provides a schematic diagram of a RAN's DIP instance static feature information registration process to the AMF, as illustrated in an embodiment. In this embodiment, the second network element is an AMF network element. The RAN first stores its own DIP instance static feature information in the AMF using the Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP). The specific process includes:

[0217] 401. The RAN sends the RAN's identification information and the RAN's DIP instance static characteristic information to the AMF.

[0218] For example, the RAN can send an NG setup request or a RAN configuration update message to the AMF. The NG setup request or RAN configuration update message includes the RAN's identification information and the RAN's DIP instance static characteristic information. The serviced message corresponding to the NG setup request can be NG SETUP REQUEST, while the serviced message corresponding to the RAN configuration update message can be RANCONFIGURATION UPDATE.

[0219] 402. AMF stores / updates static characteristic information of RAN's DIP instances.

[0220] 403. The AMF returns a request response or acknowledgment message to the RAN. The serviced message corresponding to the request response can be NGSETUP RESPONSE, while the serviced message corresponding to the acknowledgment message can be RAN CONFIGURATION UPDATEACKNOWLEDGE.

[0221] AMF returns a response to RAN to inform it of the processing result of the static feature information of the DIP instance.

[0222] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 4C , Figure 4C A schematic flowchart illustrating a user plane network element selection method provided for embodiments of this application; the user plane network element selection method includes the following steps:

[0223] 404. The UE sends a PDU session establishment request to the second network element through the first radio access network.

[0224] In this embodiment, the second network element is exemplified by an AMF network element. For instance, the first radio access network stores its own DIP instance static feature information in the second network element, and the second network element sends the first radio access network's DIP instance static feature information to the third network element. Exemplarily, the second network element can append the first radio access network's DIP instance static feature information to...

[0225] The Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request is sent to the third network element. It is evident that the static characteristic information of the DIP instance on the radio access network side is actively reported by the second network element during session establishment, without requiring enhanced interaction between the radio access network and the first network element.

[0226] Other steps may be included after step 404, which are not limited here.

[0227] 405. The third network element receives the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network sent by the second network element.

[0228] In this embodiment, the third network element can obtain the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network from the second network element, without the first network element needing to store the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network.

[0229] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 4C In step 202 above, the third network element determines the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support based on the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network. This specifically includes the following steps:

[0230] B221. The third network element sends a third information retrieval request to the storage network element.

[0231] The aforementioned third information acquisition request includes the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network. Accordingly, the storage network element receives the third information acquisition request and determines the DIP instance information corresponding to the static characteristic information of the DIP instance based on the static characteristic information of the first radio access network. The storage network element returns a third information acquisition response to the third network element, which includes the DIP instance information, and the DIP instance information corresponds to the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network.

[0232] B222, The third network element receives and stores the third information acquisition response sent by the network element.

[0233] In this embodiment, the third network element can obtain the DIP instance information corresponding to the static feature information of the DIP instance from the storage network element based on the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network.

[0234] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 4C Step 203 above specifically includes the following steps:

[0235] 231. The third network element determines the first DIP instance based on the DIP instance information. The first DIP instance is the DIP instance used by the first radio access network when performing DIP transmission.

[0236] Specifically, based on the DIP instance information received in step B222, the third network element knows the available resource size of the DIP instance, the QoS guarantee that the DIP instance can provide, the DIP path length or hop count, and other DIP instance information. Based on the above DIP instance information, it can select a suitable DIP instance as the first DIP instance.

[0237] 232. The third network element requests the first network element to discover the first user plane network element corresponding to the first DIP instance.

[0238] For example, a third network element can send an `Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusSubscribe` message to a first network element to request the discovery of user plane network elements that support access to the first DIP instance. The `Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusSubscribe` message may include the identification information of the first DIP instance. The first network element finds the identification information of the corresponding user plane network element based on the identification information of the first DIP instance, i.e., the identification information of the first user plane network element. The first network element returns the identification information of the first user plane network element to the third network element. For example, the first network element can send an `Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify` message to the third network element, carrying the identification information of the first user plane network element in the `Nnrf_NFManagement_NFStatusNotify` message.

[0239] 233. The third network element receives the identification information of the first user plane network element sent by the first network element.

[0240] 234. The third network element determines the first user plane network element based on the identification information of the first user plane network element.

[0241] Specifically, the third network element confirms the user plane network element to be selected based on the identification information of the first user plane network element received in step 233, that is, it determines the first user plane network element as the user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network.

[0242] In this embodiment, the third network element first determines the first DIP instance used for DIP transmission based on the DIP instance information, and then requests the first network element to discover the first user plane network element corresponding to the first DIP instance. Upon receiving the identification information of the first user plane network element returned by the first network element, the first user plane network element can be identified based on the identification information.

[0243] Figure 4C In the illustrated embodiment, other steps may be included before or after selecting the user plane network element, and are not particularly limited thereto. For example, Figure 4C The steps for selecting user plane network elements shown can be replaced with... Figure 1E The "UPF selection" option considers the impact of DIP instance configuration during PDU session establishment to assist in UPF selection.

[0244] Figure 4C The illustrated embodiment presents a scheme where, in a 5GS TN scenario supporting DIP, the third network element uses DIP instance information as an input parameter during session establishment, influencing the selection of user plane network elements. Since the selection of user plane network elements during session establishment takes into account the impact of DIP transport network configuration, it helps 5GS provide deterministic guarantees based on DIP for subsequent service flows.

[0245] When the DIP instance bound to a service flow needs to be changed, since a user plane network element can support one or more DIP instances, modifying the DIP instance does not necessarily require modifying the user plane network element. (Reference) Figure 4D , Figure 4D This application provides a schematic diagram illustrating the specific process of modifying a user plane network element according to an embodiment of the present application; the specific process of modifying a user plane network element using 5GS includes the following steps:

[0246] 406. The third network element receives a user plane network element modification request sent by the triggering network element. The user plane network element modification request includes the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information that the service flow is expected to be bound to.

[0247] Specifically, the triggering network element is the network element that detects the need to change a DIP instance. Events that trigger a DIP instance change may include changes or updates to the DIP transport network instance status that render it unable to meet service flow requirements, necessitating a change to the transport DIP instance, or service flow admission failure requiring a third network element to reselect a user plane network element to provide a new optional DIP instance. The triggering network element can be a radio access network, a user plane network element, or a DetNet controller, etc.

[0248] For example, when the triggering network element detects that a DIP instance needs to be changed, if the DIP instance information does not include the correspondence between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance, the triggering network element sends the aforementioned user plane network element modification request to the third network element, and the third network element determines whether the user plane network element needs to be modified.

[0249] For example, if the DIP instance information includes the correspondence between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance, then no subsequent steps need to be performed, and the triggering network element can determine whether the user plane network element needs to be modified based solely on the DIP instance information before and after the change.

[0250] 407. The third network element determines whether to modify the user plane network element of the service flow based on the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information expected to be bound to the service flow.

[0251] For example, the first network element stores the identification information of the user plane network element and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. Since the DIP instance information includes the static characteristic information of the DIP instance, the third network element provides the first network element with the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information that the service flow is expected to bind to in order to request the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance information.

[0252] The third network element determines whether the user plane network element needs to be changed based on the identification information of the two user plane network elements returned by the first network element (i.e., confirming whether the DIP instances before and after the change correspond to the same user plane network element).

[0253] 408A1. When determining the user plane network element for modifying a service flow, the third network element re-determines the user plane network element for the service flow.

[0254] Specifically, if the identification information of the two user plane network elements returned by the first network element is different, the user plane network element of the service flow needs to be changed. The third network element reselects the user plane network element for the service flow and triggers the session modification process to change the user plane network element.

[0255] 408A2. The third network element sends a modification confirmation response to the triggering network element.

[0256] Specifically, after the user plane network element is modified, the third network element returns a modification confirmation response to the triggering network element to inform the triggering network element that the user plane network element of the service flow has been modified.

[0257] 408B. When it is determined that the user plane network element of the service flow should not be modified, the third network element sends a modification request response to the triggering network element.

[0258] Specifically, if the identification information of the two user plane network elements returned by the first network element is the same, then there is no need to change the user plane network element of the service flow. In this case, the third network element returns a modification request response to the triggering network element to inform the triggering network element that there is no need to change the user plane network element.

[0259] Steps 408A1-408A2 and step 408B above correspond to two optional execution scenarios.

[0260] Figure 4D In the illustrated embodiment, when the DIP instance of a service flow needs to be modified, the third network element determines whether the user plane network element of the service flow needs to be modified based on the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information expected to be bound to the service flow, so as to meet the user plane network element modification requirements.

[0261] In this embodiment, compared to the prior art, the third network element needs to support new actions or functions. It obtains selectable user plane network elements and DIP instance information by interacting with the first network element and the storage network element as a reference for UPF selection, thereby enhancing the selection of user plane network elements in 5GS.

[0262] The apparatus provided in this application will now be described in detail.

[0263] refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a third network element provided for an embodiment of this application; wherein, Figure 5 The third network element shown can be used to implement the above. Figure 2 The user plane network element selection method embodiment shown can achieve the same functions as the user plane network element selection method embodiment described above. In the embodiments of this application, the third network element can be an electronic device or a module (such as a chip) applied in an electronic device.

[0264] like Figure 5 As shown, the third network element 500 includes an acquisition module 510 and a determination module 520. The third network element 500 is used to implement the functions of the above-described user plane network element selection method embodiment. Alternatively, the third network element 500 may include a module for implementing any function or operation of the above-described user plane network element selection method embodiment, and this module may be implemented wholly or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0265] When the third network element 500 is used to implement the functions of the user plane network element selection method embodiment described above, the acquisition module 510 is used to acquire the identification information of the first radio access network or the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the deterministic Internet Protocol (DIP) instance that the first radio access network can support access to. The determination module 520 is used to determine the DIP instance information of the DIP instance that the first radio access network can support access to based on the identification information of the first radio access network or the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network. The determination module 520 is also used to determine the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information.

[0266] In one possible implementation, the determining module 520, in determining the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support based on the identification information of the first radio access network, is specifically used for:

[0267] Send a first information acquisition request to the first network element, the first information acquisition request including the identification information of the first radio access network.

[0268] The system receives a first information acquisition response sent by a first network element. The first information acquisition response includes the identification information of a user plane network element that is connected to the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

[0269] A second information acquisition request is sent to the storage network element, the second information acquisition request including the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

[0270] The system receives a second information acquisition response sent by the storage network element. The second information acquisition response includes DIP instance information, which corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

[0271] In one possible implementation, the first network element stores identification information of at least one user plane network element and static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element; and / or, the first network element stores identification information of at least one radio access network and static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0272] In one possible implementation, the determining module 520, in determining the DIP instance information of DIP instances that the first radio access network can support based on the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network, is specifically used for:

[0273] Send a third information acquisition request to the storage network element. The third information acquisition request includes the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the first radio access network.

[0274] The system receives a third information acquisition response sent by the storage network element. The third information acquisition response includes DIP instance information, which corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance in the first radio access network.

[0275] In one possible implementation, the determining module 520, in determining the first user plane network element supporting DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on DIP instance information, is specifically used for:

[0276] The first DIP instance for DIP transmission in the first wireless access network is determined based on the DIP instance information.

[0277] Request the first network element to discover the first user plane network element corresponding to the first DIP instance.

[0278] Receive the identification information of the first user plane network element sent by the first network element.

[0279] The first user plane network element is determined based on its identification information.

[0280] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 5 The third network element 500 also includes a receiving module 530, which is used to receive the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network sent by the second network element.

[0281] In one possible implementation, the second network element stores identification information of at least one radio access network and static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

[0282] In one possible implementation, the static characteristic information of the DIP instance mentioned above includes the identification information of the DIP instance.

[0283] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned static characteristic information of the DIP instance further includes the correspondence between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance. The identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network is determined based on the identification information of the first radio access network and the aforementioned correspondence.

[0284] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 530 is further configured to receive a user plane network element modification request sent by the triggering network element. This user plane network element modification request includes the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information the service flow is expected to be bound to. The determining module 520 is further configured to determine whether to modify the user plane network element of the service flow based on the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information the service flow is expected to be bound to. The determining module 520 is further configured to, when determining that the user plane network element of the service flow should be modified, re-determine the user plane network element of the service flow and send a modification confirmation response to the triggering network element. The determining module 520 is further configured to, when determining that the user plane network element of the service flow should not be modified, send a modification request response to the triggering network element.

[0285] For a description of each of the above modules, please refer to the description of the aforementioned user plane network element selection method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0286] refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another third network element provided in an embodiment of this application; the third network element 600 includes a processor 610 and an interface circuit 620. The processor 610 and the interface circuit 620 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 620 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the third network element 600 may also include a memory 630 for storing instructions executed by the processor 610, or storing input data required by the processor 610 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 610 executes instructions. The memory 630 can be one or more, and the processor 610 can be one or more.

[0287] When the third network element 600 is used to implement Figure 2 When the method shown is in operation, the processor 610 is used to implement the function of the determination module 520, and the interface circuit 620 is used to implement the function of the acquisition module 510 and the receiving module 530.

[0288] When the aforementioned third network element 600 is a chip applied to a network device, the network device chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The network device chip receives information from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, which is information sent by the terminal device to the network device; or, the network device chip sends information to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the network device, which is information sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0289] For example, the third network element 600 can be a chip or a chip system.

[0290] It is understood that the processor 610 in the embodiments of this application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0291] The memory 630 may be a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, or a random access memory (RAM). The memory 630 may store a program, and when the program stored in the memory 630 is executed by the processor 610, the processor 610 is used to perform the various steps of the user plane network element selection method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0292] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the third network element described in any of the above embodiments.

[0293] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Additionally, the ASIC can reside in a network device or terminal device. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can exist as discrete components in the network device or terminal device.

[0294] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive.

[0295] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

Claims

1. A method for selecting user plane network elements, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain the identification information of the first wireless access network or the static characteristic information of the DIP instance of the deterministic Internet Protocol (DIP) instance that the first wireless access network can support access, wherein the DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transport network. Based on the identification information of the first wireless access network or the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network, determine the DIP instance information of the DIP instance that the first wireless access network can support access. Based on the DIP instance information, a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first wireless access network is determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first wireless access network can support based on the identification information of the first wireless access network includes: Send a first information acquisition request to the first network element, wherein the first information acquisition request includes the identification information of the first wireless access network; The system receives a first information acquisition response sent by the first network element. The first information acquisition response includes the identification information of the user plane network element that is connected to the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. Send a second information acquisition request to the storage network element, the second information acquisition request including the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element; The system receives a second information acquisition response sent by the storage network element. The second information acquisition response includes the DIP instance information, which corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first network element stores identification information of at least one user plane network element and static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element, and / or, the first network element stores identification information of at least one radio access network and static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the radio access network.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the DIP instance information of the DIP instances that the first radio access network can support based on the static feature information of the DIP instances of the first radio access network includes: Send a third information acquisition request to the storage network element, wherein the third information acquisition request includes the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network; The system receives a third information acquisition response sent by the storage network element. The third information acquisition response includes the DIP instance information, which corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance in the first wireless access network.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining the first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information includes: Based on the DIP instance information, the first DIP instance for DIP transmission in the first wireless access network is determined. Request the first network element to discover the first user plane network element corresponding to the first DIP instance; Receive the identification information of the first user plane network element sent by the first network element; The first user plane network element is determined based on its identification information.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network sent by the second network element.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second network element stores the identification information of at least one wireless access network and the static characteristic information of the DIP instance corresponding to the wireless access network.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The static characteristic information of the DIP instance includes the identification information of the DIP instance.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The static feature information of the DIP instance also includes the correspondence between the identification information of the radio access network corresponding to the DIP instance and the identification information of the user plane network element corresponding to the DIP instance. The identification information of the user plane network element that accesses the same DIP instance as the first radio access network is determined based on the identification information of the first radio access network and the corresponding relationship.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a user plane network element modification request sent by the triggering network element. The user plane network element modification request includes the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information that the service flow is expected to be bound to. Based on the DIP instance information currently bound to the service flow and the DIP instance information expected to be bound to the service flow, determine whether to modify the user plane network element of the service flow; When it is determined that the user plane network element of the service flow needs to be modified, the user plane network element of the service flow is re-determined, and a modification confirmation response is sent to the triggering network element. When it is determined that the user plane network element of the service flow should not be modified, a modification request response is sent to the triggering network element.

11. A method for selecting user plane network elements, characterized in that, The method is applied to a communication system, the communication system including a first wireless access network, a first network element, a third network element, and a storage network element, the method comprising: The third network element obtains the identification information of the first wireless access network; The third network element sends a first information acquisition request to the first network element, and the first information acquisition request includes the identification information of the first wireless access network; The first network element sends a first information acquisition response to the third network element. The first information acquisition response includes the identification information of the user plane network element that is connected to the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element sends a second information acquisition request to the storage network element. The second information acquisition request includes static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The storage network element sends a second information acquisition response to the third network element. The second information acquisition response includes DIP instance information, and the DIP instance information corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The third network element determines a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information.

12. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first wireless access network, a first network element, a third network element, and a storage network element, wherein, The third network element is used to obtain the identification information of the first wireless access network; The third network element is also used to send a first information acquisition request to the first network element, wherein the first information acquisition request includes the identification information of the first wireless access network; The first network element is used to send a first information acquisition response to the third network element. The first information acquisition response includes the identification information of the user plane network element that is connected to the same DIP instance as the first radio access network and the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element is also used to send a second information acquisition request to the storage network element, the second information acquisition request including the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element; The storage network element is used to send a second information acquisition response to the third network element. The second information acquisition response includes DIP instance information, and the DIP instance information corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance corresponding to the user plane network element. The third network element is also used to determine, based on the DIP instance information, a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network.

13. A method for selecting user plane network elements, characterized in that, The method is applied to a communication system, the communication system including a first wireless access network, a third network element, and a storage network element, the method comprising: The third network element obtains the static characteristic information of the DIP instance that the first wireless access network can support access to, wherein the DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element sends a third information acquisition request to the storage network element, and the third information acquisition request includes the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network. The storage network element sends a third information acquisition response to the third network element. The third information acquisition response includes DIP instance information, which corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance in the first wireless access network. The third network element determines a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network based on the DIP instance information.

14. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first wireless access network, a third network element, and a storage network element, wherein... The third network element is used to obtain the static characteristic information of the DIP instance that can be accessed by the first wireless access network, wherein the DIP instance is a subnet of the DIP transmission network. The third network element is also used to send a third information acquisition request to the storage network element, the third information acquisition request including the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network; The storage network element is used to send a third information acquisition response to the third network element. The third information acquisition response includes DIP instance information, which corresponds to the static feature information of the DIP instance of the first wireless access network. The third network element is also used to determine, based on the DIP instance information, a first user plane network element that supports DIP transmission with the first radio access network.

15. A third network element, characterized in that, The third network element includes a unit or module for performing the user plane network element selection method according to any one of claims 1-10.

16. A third network element, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory, wherein the processor and the memory are connected together, wherein the memory is used to store program code, and the processor is used to call the program code to execute the user plane network element selection method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

17. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes the third network element as described in claim 15 or 16.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the user plane network element selection method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

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