Communication method, device and system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication, and discloses a communication method, device and system. The method comprises: a network device receiving first information from a core network element, the first information being used for indicating a first time difference; determining that the time difference of submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal equipment by the access layer of the terminal equipment is a first time difference, or determining to schedule the first data and the second data based on the first time difference; wherein the first data and the second data are data of the first service. By adopting the method, the network element of the core network sends the time difference to the network equipment, so that the network equipment can perform congestion pre-control according to the time difference, the service quality of a service is improved, and the user experience is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, and in particular to a communication method, device and system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the explosive growth of service data volume, the transmission of services puts forward new demands on communication technology. For example, the explosive growth of data volume in the media industry, especially the emergence of emerging media streams such as extended reality (XR), poses unprecedented challenges to network transmission capability; wherein XR refers to various environments generated by computing technology and wearable devices that combine reality and virtuality, as well as human-computer interaction, which specifically includes the following several typical forms: augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR).

[0003] Considering the instability of the network channel, the application layer of the source end (such as an application server) usually encodes service data at different code rate levels and uses adaptive code rate technology to counteract the underlying network fluctuations. For example, the application layer of the source end can adjust the code rate according to network operating parameters (such as packet loss rate, etc.) to improve the quality of experience (QoE) of users.

[0004] However, the regulation mechanism of the application layer of the source end cannot timely evaluate the network channel changes, so that when the network channel changes, the application layer of the source end cannot timely perceive and regulate. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a communication method, device and system for sending a time difference from a core network element to a network device, so that the network device can perform congestion pre-control according to the time difference, thereby facilitating the improvement of service quality and user experience.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a first communication device, and the first communication device is a network device or a component (such as a chip or a circuit) in the network device. For example, in the method provided in the first aspect, the network device receives first information from a core network element, and the first information is used to indicate a first time difference; determines that the time difference at which the access layer of a terminal device submits first data and second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, or determines to schedule the first data and the second data based on the first time difference; wherein the first data and the second data are data of a first service. For example, the core network element here is a mobility management network element.

[0007] By using the method, the core network element sends the time difference to the network device, so that the network device can perform congestion pre-control according to the time difference, thereby improving service quality of services and user experience.

[0008] In a possible design, the first time difference is a time difference for the first service, and the first information includes information of a first PDU session and / or information of a first QoS flow, the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow corresponding to the first service.

[0009] In a possible design, in a case where it is determined that the time difference at which the access layer of the terminal device submits the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, the method further includes: sending, to the terminal device, indication information, the indication information being used to indicate that the time difference at which the access layer of the terminal device submits the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, or the indication information being used to indicate a submission time of the first data and a submission time of the second data, a time difference between the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data being the first time difference.

[0010] In a possible design, the method further includes: sending, to the core network element, second information, the second information being used to indicate a predicted channel rate for the first service; and wherein the first time difference is obtained according to the channel rate.

[0011] In a possible design, sending, to the first core network element, the second information includes: in a case where a difference between the channel rate and a current channel rate for the first service is greater than or equal to a threshold value, sending, to the first core network element, the channel rate.

[0012] In this way, the channel rate for the first service can be sent to the UPF network element in a targeted manner, thereby saving transmission resources.

[0013] In a possible design, the second information includes information of a first PDU session and / or information of a first QoS flow, the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow corresponding to the first service.

[0014] In a possible design, the method further includes: sending, to the core network element, a request message, the request message being used to request establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service; and wherein the first time difference is obtained according to the knowledge graph.

[0015] In a possible design, the request message is a PDU session resource modification request message.

[0016] For example, in the method provided in the first aspect, the network device receives third information from a core network element, the third information indicating a predicted source rate for a first service; and schedules data for the first service based on the third information.

[0017] Using the above method, the core network element sends the predicted source rate for the first service to the network device, so that the network device can determine the scheduling strategy based on the source rate and improve the utilization of channel resources.

[0018] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to a second communication device, which is a user plane function network element or a component (such as a chip or circuit) within the user plane function network element. For example, in the method provided in the second aspect, the user plane function network element receives second information, which indicates a predicted channel rate for the first service; based on the channel rate, it sends first information, which indicates a first time difference; wherein the first time difference is used to determine the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device delivering first data and second data to the application layer of the terminal device, or to determine the scheduling of the first data and the second data based on the first time difference; the first data and the second data are data for the first service.

[0019] In one possible design, the second information includes information about a first PDU session and / or information about a first QoS flow, wherein the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow corresponds to the first service.

[0020] In one possible design, the method further includes: determining the first time difference based on the channel rate and a knowledge graph for the first service.

[0021] In one possible design, the method further includes: determining the first time difference based on the channel rate and a knowledge graph for the first service, if the predicted source rate for the first service is greater than the channel rate.

[0022] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving a request message for requesting the establishment of the knowledge graph; and establishing the knowledge graph in response to the request message.

[0023] In one possible design, establishing the knowledge graph includes: establishing the knowledge graph based on sender reports (SR) and / or receiver reports (RR) for the first service or the second service; wherein the first service and the second service correspond to the same application server.

[0024] In one possible design, the request message is a session modification request message.

[0025] For example, in the method provided in the second aspect, the user plane function network element receives second information, which indicates a predicted channel rate for the first service; and sends third information based on the channel rate, which indicates a predicted source rate for the first service.

[0026] In one possible design, the method further includes transmitting the third information if the predicted source rate for the first service is less than or equal to the channel rate.

[0027] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to a third communication device, which is a terminal device or a component (such as a chip or circuit) within the terminal device. For example, in the method provided in the third aspect, the terminal device receives indication information from a network device, the indication information indicating that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is a first time difference; or, the indication information indicates the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data, the time difference between the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data being the first time difference; according to the indication information, the first data and the second data are submitted to the application layer of the terminal device; wherein, the first data and the second data are data for a first service.

[0028] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions involved in any of the first to third aspects described above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in any of the first to third aspects described above. The functions, units, or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software.

[0029] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the communication unit can be used to transmit and receive signals to enable communication between the communication device and other devices; the processing unit can be used to perform some internal operations of the communication device. The functions performed by the processing unit and the communication unit can correspond to the operations involved in any of the first to third aspects described above.

[0030] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor that can be coupled to a memory. The memory can store necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in any of the first to third aspects described above. The processor can execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first to third aspects described above when the computer programs or instructions are executed.

[0031] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory of which may store necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in any of the first to third aspects described above. The processor may execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first to third aspects described above.

[0032] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices via the interface circuit and execute the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first to third aspects described above.

[0033] Understandably, in the fourth aspect mentioned above, the processor can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. Furthermore, there can be one or more processors, and one or more memories. The memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory and processor can be separate. In specific implementations, the memory can be integrated with the processor on the same chip, or it can be set on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory or the arrangement of the memory and processor.

[0034] Fifthly, this application provides a communication system that may include a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device; wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method described in the first aspect, the second communication device is used to perform the method described in the second aspect, and the third communication device is used to perform the method described in the third aspect.

[0035] Sixthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (or computer-readable instructions) in which, when a computer reads and executes some or all of the computer-readable instructions, the method in any of the possible designs in the first to third aspects described above is executed.

[0036] For example, a computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. This includes, but is not limited to, non-transient computer-readable media, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer.

[0037] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a computer program product that, when read and executed by a computer, causes any of the possible designs in the first to third aspects described above to be performed.

[0038] Eighthly, this application provides a chip (or chip system) including a processor coupled to a memory storing a computer program; the processor is configured to invoke part or all of the computer program in the memory, such that any of the possible designs in the first to third aspects described above are executed. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture for a communication system to which this application applies;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a more specific network architecture;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control mechanism at the application layer.

[0042] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0043] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Schematic diagrams for SR and RR, respectively;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0045] Figure 7 This is an exemplary block diagram of the apparatus involved in the embodiments of this application;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This application will focus on various aspects, embodiments, or features of a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these solutions may also be used.

[0048] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0049] The technical solutions in this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) system), 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system (such as New Radio (NR) system), Future Communication System, or other similar communication systems, without limitation.

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture for a communication system to which this application applies. The network architecture comprises four components: terminal equipment, access network (AN), core network (CN), and data network (DN). The access network can be a radio access network (RAN).

[0051] Terminal equipment, access network, and core network are the main components of the aforementioned network architecture. Logically, they can be divided into two parts: the user plane and the control plane. The control plane is responsible for the management of the mobile network, while the user plane is responsible for the transmission of service data. For example, as... Figure 1 As shown, in a 5G communication system, the next generation (NG) 2 reference point is located between the access network control plane and the core network control plane, the NG3 reference point is located between the access network user plane and the core network user plane, and the NG6 reference point is located between the core network user plane and the data network.

[0052] (1) Terminal equipment

[0053] A terminal device is a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. Terminal devices may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, access terminal, terminal unit, terminal station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal (MT), wireless communication equipment, terminal agent, or terminal equipment, etc.

[0054] For example, the terminal device can be a handheld device with wireless connectivity, or a vehicle with communication capabilities, such as in-vehicle equipment (e.g., in-vehicle communication device, in-vehicle communication chip). Examples of current terminal devices include: mobile phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, tablet computers, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, laptops, handheld computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes.

[0055] Terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water (such as ships); and they can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons, and satellites). This application does not limit the specific technologies, device forms, application scenarios, or names used in the terminal devices.

[0056] (2) Access Network

[0057] The access network is deployed close to the terminal equipment, providing network access functionality for authorized users in a specific area. It can determine different quality transmission tunnels to transmit user data based on user level, service requirements, and other factors. The access network manages and utilizes its own resources efficiently, providing access services to terminal equipment on demand, and is responsible for forwarding control signals and service data between the terminal equipment and the core network.

[0058] The access network can be an access network in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G, or future networks. The RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a communication network combining two or more of the above.

[0059] The access network deploys network equipment used to connect terminal devices to the wireless network. Network equipment is typically connected to the core network via wired links (such as fiber optic cables). Network equipment can also be called access network equipment or RAN equipment / nodes. Network equipment can be base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, and base stations in future mobile communication systems, etc.

[0060] Network equipment can also be modules or units that perform some of the functions of a base station. For example, it can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and PDCP protocols of the base station, and can also perform the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The CU can be further divided into a CU control plane (CP) (i.e., CU-CP) and a CU user plane (UP) (i.e., CU-UP). The DU performs the functions of the RLC and MA layers of the base station, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The CU and DU can be set up separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as in the baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radiohead (RRH). In different systems, CU, DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU units in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. RA equipment can be a macro base station (such as...) Figure 1 110a in the text), can also be a micro base station or an indoor station (such as... Figure 1 In 110b), it can also be a relay node or a donor node, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the network equipment.

[0061] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the network device can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the network device, or by a control subsystem that includes the functions of the network device. This control subsystem, which includes the functions of the network device, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities.

[0062] (3) Core Network

[0063] The core network is responsible for maintaining the subscription data of the mobile network, managing the network elements of the mobile network, and providing terminal devices with functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication.

[0064] Specifically, this may include: providing network access authentication for the terminal device when it attaches; allocating network resources for the terminal device when it has a service request; updating network resources for the terminal device when it moves; providing a fast recovery mechanism for the terminal device when it is idle; releasing network resources for the terminal device when it detaches; and providing data routing functions for the terminal device when it has service data, such as forwarding uplink data to the data network, or receiving downlink data from the data network and forwarding it to the access network, and then sending it to the terminal device.

[0065] (4) Data Network

[0066] A data network, also known as a packet data network (PDN), is a network located outside of the carrier's network. A carrier's network can connect to multiple data networks. These data networks can deploy application servers for various services (such as application servers for XR services), providing a variety of possible services to terminal devices. Data networks can be private networks, such as local area networks (LANs), external networks not controlled by the carrier, such as the Internet, or dedicated networks jointly deployed by carriers; the specific type is not limited.

[0067] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a more specific network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application, which is the network architecture of a 5G communication system. For example... Figure 2 As shown, this network architecture includes terminal devices, network devices, various types of core network elements / functional entities, and data networks.

[0068] The core network user plane includes user plane function (UPF) network elements. The core network control plane includes, but is not limited to: access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, authentication server function (AUSF) network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, network function repository function (NRF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, and application function (AF) network elements.

[0069] UPF network elements are primarily responsible for connecting to external networks and executing user data packet forwarding according to the routing rules of SMF network elements. For example, uplink data is sent to the data network or other UPF network elements, and downlink data is sent to other UPF network elements or access network devices.

[0070] AMF network elements are mainly responsible for the access management and mobility management of terminal devices, such as the status maintenance of terminal devices, the reachability management of terminal devices, the forwarding of non-access-stratum (MM NAS) messages, and the forwarding of session management (SM) N2 messages.

[0071] SMF (Service Provider Function) network elements are primarily responsible for session management in mobile networks, including establishing sessions for terminal devices, allocating and releasing resources for sessions, such as session quality of service (QoS), session paths, and forwarding rules. For example, they may allocate Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to terminal devices and select UPF (User Provider Function) network elements that provide packet forwarding functions.

[0072] The AUSF network element is primarily responsible for performing security authentication of terminal devices.

[0073] NEF network elements are used to connect other internal network elements of the core network with external application servers of the core network, so as to provide network capability information to external application servers, or to provide information from external application servers to core network elements.

[0074] The NRF network element is primarily responsible for providing other network elements with the functions of storing and selecting network function entity information.

[0075] The PCF network element is mainly responsible for user policy management, including policy authorization, quality of service and generation of billing rules, and distributing the corresponding rules to the UPF network element through the SMF network element to complete the installation of the corresponding policies and rules.

[0076] UDM network elements are primarily responsible for data management and control. For example, UDM network elements can manage user subscription information, including obtaining subscription information and providing it to other network elements (such as AMF network elements); generating 3GPP authentication credentials for terminal devices; and registering and maintaining the network elements currently serving the terminal devices (for example, the AMF represented by AMF ID1 is the current serving AMF of the terminal device, i.e., the serving AMF).

[0077] The AF (Area Function) network element is mainly responsible for providing various application service data to the control plane network elements of the operator's communication network, or obtaining network data and control information from the control plane network elements of the communication network.

[0078] Although not shown, the above network architecture may include other possible network elements, without any specific limitations.

[0079] Understandable Figure 2 This example illustrates a service-oriented architecture for the core network control plane. In this architecture, each control plane network element is connected to a service bus, and interactions between control plane network elements occur via service calls. That is, a control plane network element exposes its services to other control plane network elements for them to call. In other possible implementations, the core network control plane can also adopt a point-to-point communication method. In point-to-point communication, a specific set of messages exists between the communication interfaces of control plane network elements. Of course, in future communication systems, the names of these interfaces may remain unchanged or may be replaced with other names; this application does not limit this. In future communication systems, the aforementioned network elements or devices can still use their names from 4G or 5G communication systems, or have other names; the functions of the aforementioned network elements or devices can be performed by a single network element or by several network elements working together; this application does not limit this.

[0080] The network elements / functional entities in the various possible network architectures described above can be network components in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Optionally, the aforementioned network elements or functional entities can be implemented by a single device, multiple devices working together, or different functional modules within a single device; this application embodiment does not specifically limit this. In actual deployment, the aforementioned network elements can be co-located. For example, the access and mobility management function network element can be co-located with the session management function network element; the session management function network element can be co-located with the user plane function network element. When two network elements are co-located, the interaction between these two network elements provided in this application embodiment becomes an internal operation of the co-located network element or can be omitted.

[0081] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of communication system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0082] by Figure 2 Taking the illustrated network architecture as an example, data transmission between the terminal device and the application server can occur through the user plane data transmission channel. This channel can be established through a control plane signaling interaction process, such as the protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment process. The application server can send downlink data to the terminal device through the user plane data transmission channel. The downlink data transmission path is: application server → UPF network element → network device → terminal device. Similarly, the terminal device can send uplink data to the application server through the user plane data transmission channel. The uplink data transmission path is: terminal device → network device → UPF network element → application server.

[0083] To facilitate data transmission, the sending end needs to encode the data, which can also be understood as compression; correspondingly, the receiving end can decode the data after receiving it. For example, the sending end is an application server and the receiving end is a terminal device; or, the sending end is a terminal device and the receiving end is an application server. In this embodiment, the example of "the sending end is an application server and the receiving end is a terminal device" will be used for description.

[0084] The rate at which the sending end transmits data can be called the source rate. The source rate is related to the encoding bitrate of the sending end; for example, the higher the encoding bitrate, the higher the source rate. Taking video services as an example, different encoding bitrates correspond to different video resolutions (such as smooth, high-definition, ultra-high-definition, Blu-ray, etc.). For instance, if the application server encodes data according to encoding bitrate 1 and sends it at source rate 1, the terminal device can display smooth video after receiving the data. If the application server encodes data according to encoding bitrate 2 and sends it at source rate 2, the terminal device can display high-definition video after receiving the data. Bitrate 2 is greater than bitrate 1, and source rate 2 is greater than source rate 1.

[0085] Due to the instability of network channels, when the application server sends video service data at source rate 2, if the network channel conditions are good (e.g., the channel rate is greater than or equal to the source rate 2), the data can be successfully delivered to the application layer of the terminal device. However, if the network channel fading occurs (e.g., the channel rate is less than the source rate 2), the data will fail to be transmitted at the lower network layer and cannot be delivered to the application layer. Since video services have high latency requirements, data transmission failure at the lower network layer may lead to a poor user experience, such as causing screen stuttering when watching high-definition videos.

[0086] To improve user experience, application-layer control has been introduced. Google Congestion Control (GCC) is a typical example, comprising latency-based rate control and loss-based rate control. Latency-based rate control calculates the delta delay between the first and last packets in each packet group based on their arrival time. This delta delay across multiple packets is then used to determine network overload and adjust the rate accordingly; for example, if network overload is detected, the rate can be reduced. Loss-based rate control reduces the rate when packet loss is severe and increases it when loss is normal.

[0087] However, the application layer's control mechanism is based on "detect first, adjust later," which cannot promptly assess changes in the network channel. Consequently, when changes occur in the network channel, the application layer at the source cannot detect them in time, resulting in untimely control. For example, see... Figure 3As shown, when channel capacity decreases, it leads to increased latency and / or severe packet loss between the first and last data packets in multiple data packets. After detecting the increased latency and / or severe packet loss, the application layer reduces the source code rate, a process that requires a certain response time. Conversely, when channel capacity increases, the latency and / or packet loss between the first and last data packets in multiple data packets decrease. After detecting the decreased latency and / or packet loss, the application layer increases the source code rate, a process that also requires a certain response time.

[0088] Based on this, this application provides a communication method for enabling core network elements to send time differences to network devices, thereby allowing network devices to perform congestion pre-control based on the time differences, which facilitates improving service quality and enhancing user experience.

[0089] The communication method provided in this application involves interaction between multiple communication devices, such as a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device. The first communication device is a network device or a component of a network device, such as a chip or chip system disposed within a network device; the second communication device is a core network element (such as a UPF network element) or a component of a UPF network element, such as a chip or chip system disposed within a UPF network element; the third communication device is a terminal device or a component of a terminal device, such as a chip or chip system disposed within a terminal device. Different devices / network elements can communicate through predefined communication interfaces, or through relays from other devices / network elements; for example, network devices and terminal devices can communicate through a Uu interface, and network devices and UPF network elements can communicate through relays from AMF and SMF network elements. It is understood that this application describes network element names in a 5G communication system as examples, and this application does not limit the network element names.

[0090] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2.

[0091] Example 1

[0092] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in Embodiment 1 of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the process may include:

[0093] S401, the UPF network element sends first information to the network device, the first information being used to indicate the first time difference; correspondingly, the network device receives the first information.

[0094] Here, the UPF network element can send the first information to the network device through other network elements. For example, the UPF network element sends the first information to the SMF network element. After receiving the first information, the SMF network element sends the first information to the AMF network element, and then the AMF network element receives the first information and sends the first information to the network device.

[0095] For example, the first time difference is a time difference for the first service. The first time difference can refer to the time difference between different data points of the first service arriving at the application layer of the receiving end, such as the time difference between the first and last data packets in the same data frame of the first service arriving at the application layer of the receiving end. For instance, the first information includes the first time difference, as well as information about the first PDU session and / or the first QoS stream; the first PDU session and / or the first QoS stream correspond to the first service, that is, the first PDU session is a session used to carry the first service, and the first QoS stream is a QoS stream used to carry the first service. The information about the first PDU session may include the identifier of the first PDU session, and the information about the first QoS stream may include the identifier of the first QoS stream.

[0096] (1) Describe the implementation of “UPF network element determines the first time difference”.

[0097] There are several specific implementations for UPF network elements to determine the first time difference. For example, the UPF network element can predict the source rate for the first service based on the knowledge graph (KG). After receiving the predicted channel rate for the first service from the network device, it compares the channel rate with the source rate. If the source rate is greater than the channel rate, it indicates that congestion may occur in the future. In this case, the UPF network element can determine the first time difference based on the channel rate and the knowledge graph, and send the first time difference to the network device so that the network device can perform congestion pre-control based on the first time difference. Here, the channel rate represents the network capability provided by the network device to the terminal device. "Channel rate" can also be replaced by "channel transmission rate," "channel bandwidth," or other possible descriptions, without specific limitations.

[0098] Optionally, if the source rate is less than or equal to the channel rate, it indicates that congestion is unlikely to occur in the future. In this case, the UPF element can send third information to the network device. This third information indicates the predicted source rate for the first service, allowing the network device to determine a scheduling strategy based on the source rate and improve the utilization of channel resources. It is understood that in other examples, when the source rate is less than or equal to the channel rate, the UPF element may not perform any operation (e.g., not send the third information to the network device), or the UPF element may send fourth information to the network device, indicating that the source rate is less than or equal to the channel rate.

[0099] Among them, knowledge graphs can be simply referred to as graphs. Knowledge graphs utilize theories and methods from disciplines such as applied mathematics, computer graphics, information visualization technology, information science, and metrology to vividly display various information through visual graphs. Therefore, knowledge graphs can be understood as structured semantic knowledge bases used to describe concepts and their interrelationships in the physical world in symbolic form.

[0100] For example, the channel rate and source rate compared by the UPF network element correspond to the same point in time (or time period). For instance, after the network device predicts the channel rate for the first service at the first time point, it can send the channel rate for the first service and the corresponding time information (this time information indicates the first time point, which is a future time point, such as 10ms from the current time) to the UPF network element; correspondingly, the UPF network element can compare the predicted source rate at the first time point with the channel rate (assuming that the UPF network element and the network device are time-synchronized).

[0101] (2) Describe the implementation of “UPF network element establishes knowledge graph for the first service”.

[0102] For example, a UPF network element can build a knowledge graph for the first service based on feedback from the real-time transport protocol (RTP) for that service, such as RTP feedback including sender reports (SR) and / or receiver reports (RR). Alternatively, the UPF network element can also build a knowledge graph for the first service based on SR and / or RR for other services (such as the second service). The second service and the first service can correspond to the same application server; that is, the first service and the second service are services provided by the same application server.

[0103] SR and RR are two message types defined in the RTP control protocol (RTCP). The following section combines... Figure 5A and Figure 5B A brief introduction to SR and RR will help you understand that... Figure 5A and Figure 5B The meanings of the parameters involved can be found in existing technologies and will not be repeated here.

[0104] Figure 5A This is an example of a message format for an SR. For example... Figure 5AAs shown, the Reporting Message (SR) includes a header, sender information, report block 1, and report block 2. Report block 1 includes the RTP timestamp, the sender's packet count, and the sender's octet count. Throughput is the ratio of the number of bytes between two adjacent SRs to the time between two adjacent SRs.

[0105] Figure 5B This is an example of a message format for RR. For example... Figure 5B As shown, the RR includes a header, report block 1, and report block 2. Report block 1 includes the fraction lost between two adjacent RR messages, the interarrival jitter between two inputs, the timestamp of the last SR message (last SR, LSR), and the delay since the last SR (DLSR). The round-trip time (RTT) is equal to the current time minus the LSR and then minus the DLSR.

[0106] (3) Describe the implementation of “triggering UPF network elements to establish a knowledge graph”.

[0107] For example, there are multiple ways to trigger a UPF network element to establish a knowledge graph for the first service. For instance, a UPF network element can establish a knowledge graph for the first service based on a request from a network device. Specifically, a network device can send a request message 1a to an AMF network element, requesting the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service. Request message 1a includes information about a first PDU session and / or a first QoS flow, which corresponds to the first service. After receiving request message 1a, the AMF network element sends a request message 1b to an SMF network element, requesting the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service. Request message 1b includes information about a first PDU session and / or a first QoS flow. After receiving request message 1b, the SMF network element sends a request message 1c to the UPF network element, requesting information about a first PDU session and / or a first QoS flow. Accordingly, after receiving request message 1c, the UPF network element can send response message 1c to the SMF network element. Response message 1c is used to confirm the establishment of the knowledge graph, that is, response message 1c includes confirmation information for the establishment of the knowledge graph. After receiving response message 1c, the SMF network element sends response message 1b to the AMF network element. Response message 1b is used to confirm the establishment of the knowledge graph. After receiving response message 1b, the AMF network element sends response message 1a to the network device. Response message 1a is used to confirm the establishment of the knowledge graph.

[0108] For example, request message 1a is a PDU session resource modify request message, request message 1b is a session modification request message, and request message 1c is a session modification request message. Response message 1a is a PDU session resource modify response message, response message 1b is a session modification response message, and response message 1c is a session modification response message.

[0109] It is understandable that after receiving request message 1c, the UPF network element can use the existing knowledge graph for other services (such as the second service) as the knowledge graph for the first service, or the UPF network element can also build a knowledge graph for the first service based on the SR and / or RR of the first service (or other services), without any specific limitation. Furthermore, the UPF network element can send response message 1c to the SMF network element before or after building the graph. This application embodiment does not limit the order in which the UPF network element builds the graph and sends response message 1c.

[0110] (4) Describe the implementation of “the network device sends the predicted channel rate for the first service to the UPF network element”.

[0111] The network device can predict the channel rate for the first service and send second information to the UPF network element. The second information indicates the predicted channel rate for the first service. For example, the second information includes the predicted channel rate for the first service, as well as information about the first PDU session and / or information about the first QoS flow.

[0112] There are several ways for network devices to predict the channel rate for the first service. For example, network devices can predict the channel rate for the first service based on artificial intelligence-machine learning algorithms.

[0113] As one possible implementation, the network device can periodically predict the channel rate for the first service and periodically send the predicted channel rate for the first service to the UPF network element.

[0114] As another possible implementation, the network device can periodically predict the channel rate for the first service. If the difference between the predicted channel rate for the first service and the current channel rate for the first service is greater than or equal to a threshold, the network device sends the predicted channel rate for the first service to the UPF network element. If the difference between the predicted channel rate for the first service and the current channel rate for the first service is less than the threshold, the network device does not need to send the predicted channel rate for the first service to the UPF network element. This facilitates the targeted sending of the channel rate for the first service to the UPF network element, saving transmission resources.

[0115] Furthermore, for example, the specific implementation of the network device sending the predicted channel rate for the first service to the UPF network element can refer to the description above of "the network device sending information about the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow to the UPF network element". The specific implementation of the UPF network element sending the first time difference to the network device can refer to the description above of "the UPF network element sending confirmation information for establishing a knowledge graph to the network device".

[0116] S402, the network device determines that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, or determines to schedule the first data and the second data based on the first time difference.

[0117] For example, after receiving the first time difference, the network device can determine that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, that is, congestion pre-control is achieved by indicating the data submission time; or it can determine that the first data and the second data are scheduled based on the first time difference, that is, congestion pre-control is achieved by adjusting the scheduling strategy. Which method is adopted depends on the internal implementation of the network device, and this application embodiment does not limit it.

[0118] For example, the first data and the second data can be the first and last data packets in a group of data packets. For instance, the first data packet is the first data packet in the group of data packets, and the second data packet is the last data packet in the group of data packets. Here, a group of data packets can refer to multiple data packets in a data frame.

[0119] S403-a, when the network device determines that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is a first time difference, the network device sends an indication message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the indication message accordingly.

[0120] Here, the network device can also send first data and second data to the terminal device, and then the access layer of the terminal device receives the first data and second data, and submits the first data and second data to the application layer of the terminal device according to the instruction information.

[0121] For example, the indication information can be either a first indication information or a second indication information. The first indication information is used to instruct the access layer of the terminal device to submit the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device within a first time difference. Accordingly, after receiving the first indication information, the access layer of the terminal device can submit the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device based on the first time difference. For instance, if the access layer of the terminal device submits the first data to the application layer of the terminal device at time point a, it can wait until time point b (the time difference between time point b and time point a is the first time point) to submit the second data to the application layer of the terminal device.

[0122] The second indication information is used to indicate the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data. The time difference between the submission times of the first data and the second data is called the first time difference. The submission times of the first data and the second data are determined by the network device based on the first time difference. Accordingly, after receiving the second indication information, the access layer of the terminal device can submit the first data to the application layer of the terminal device at the submission time of the first data, and submit the second data to the application layer of the terminal device at the submission time of the second data.

[0123] S403-b, when the network device determines that the first data and the second data are scheduled based on the first time difference, the network device can adjust the scheduling strategy and schedule the first data and the second data according to the adjusted scheduling strategy, so that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device and the application layer of the terminal device delivering the first data and the second data is the first time difference.

[0124] Using the above method, when the UPF network element determines that congestion may occur in the future by comparing the channel rate and the source rate, the UPF network element determines the first time difference based on the channel rate and sends the first time difference to the network device. Before congestion occurs, the network device can adjust (i.e., extend) the delivery time difference of different data based on the first time difference, increasing the latency of different data reaching the application layer of the terminal device (since it extends the delivery time difference of different data without packet loss, the video clarity presented by the terminal device may slightly decrease, taking video services as an example). Furthermore, according to the application layer control mechanism described above, after detecting the increased latency of different data reaching the application layer of the terminal device, the application server's application layer will reduce the source rate, thus facilitating the reduction of the source rate before congestion occurs and preventing the source rate from exceeding the channel rate. Taking video services as an example, although reducing the source rate before congestion may lead to a decrease in video clarity, it effectively improves the user experience compared to the stuttering caused by the source rate exceeding the channel rate.

[0125] Example 2

[0126] In Embodiment 2, based on Embodiment 1 above, taking a scenario where the network device includes CU and DU as an example, a possible implementation process will be described.

[0127] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in Embodiment 2 of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the process may include:

[0128] S601, the CU sends a request message 1a to the AMF network element. The request message 1a includes information about the first PDU session and / or information about the first QoS flow. Accordingly, the AMF network element receives the request message 1a.

[0129] For example, request message 1a is a PDU session resource modification request message, and request message 1a is used to request the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first business.

[0130] S602, the AMF network element sends a request message 1b to the SMF network element. The request message 1b includes information about the first PDU session and / or information about the first QoS flow. Accordingly, the SMF network element receives the request message 1b.

[0131] For example, request message 1b is a session modification request message, which is used to request the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first business.

[0132] S603, the SMF network element sends a request message 1c to the UPF network element. The request message 1c includes information about the first PDU session and / or information about the first QoS flow. Accordingly, the UPF network element receives the request message 1c.

[0133] For example, request message 1c is a session modification request message, which is used to request the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first business.

[0134] S604, the UPF network element sends a response message 1c to the SMF network element; correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the request message 1c.

[0135] Optionally, response message 1c includes information about the first PDU session and / or information about the first QoS flow. For example, response message 1c modifies the response message for the session, and response message 1c is used to confirm the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service.

[0136] S605, the SMF network element sends a response message 1b to the AMF network element; correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the request message 1b.

[0137] Optionally, response message 1b includes information about the first PDU session and / or information about the first QoS flow. For example, response message 1b is a session modification response message, and response message 1b is used to confirm the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service.

[0138] S606, the AMF network element sends a response message 1a to the CU; correspondingly, the CU receives the request message 1a.

[0139] Optionally, response message 1a includes information about the first PDU session and / or information about the first QoS flow. For example, response message 1a is a PDU session resource modification response message, and response message 1a is used to confirm the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service.

[0140] S607, UPF network elements establish a knowledge graph for the primary service.

[0141] For example, the specific implementation of the UPF network element establishing a knowledge graph for the first service can be referred to in Embodiment 1.

[0142] S608, the CU sends configuration information to the DU; correspondingly, the DU receives the configuration information.

[0143] For example, the configuration information includes information about the first QoS flow (such as the QoS parameters of the first QoS flow, which correspond to the logical channel), and then DU can predict the channel rate for the first service based on the configuration information.

[0144] S609, DU sends the predicted channel rate for the first service to CU; correspondingly, CU receives the predicted channel rate for the first service.

[0145] S610, the CU sends second information (such as the predicted channel rate for the first service) to the AMF network element, the first information being used to indicate the predicted channel rate for the first service; correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the predicted channel rate for the first service.

[0146] For example, the CU sends the predicted channel rate for the first service to the AMF network element through the PDU session resource modification request message. That is, the PDU session resource modification request message includes the predicted channel rate for the first service.

[0147] S611, the AMF network element sends second information (such as the predicted channel rate for the first service) to the SMF network element; correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the predicted channel rate for the first service.

[0148] For example, the AMF network element sends the predicted channel rate for the first service to the SMF network element through a session modification request message; that is, the session modification request message includes the predicted channel rate for the first service.

[0149] S612, the SMF network element sends second information (such as the predicted channel rate for the first service) to the UPF network element; correspondingly, the UPF network element receives the predicted channel rate for the first service.

[0150] For example, the SMF network element sends the predicted channel rate for the first service to the UPF network element through a session modification request message. That is, the session modification request message includes the predicted channel rate for the first service.

[0151] S613, the UPF network element sends the first information (such as the first time difference) to the SMF network element; correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the first time difference.

[0152] For example, the UPF network element sends the first time difference to the SMF network element through the session modification response message, that is, the session modification response message includes the first time difference.

[0153] For example, the specific implementation of the UPF network element determining the first time difference can be referred to in Embodiment 1. This process takes "the UPF network element sending the first time difference" as an example. In other examples (such as when the source rate is less than or equal to the channel rate), the UPF network element can also send the predicted source rate for the first service to the CU, and then the CU sends the predicted source rate for the first service to the DU so that the DU can adjust the scheduling strategy.

[0154] S614, the SMF network element sends the first information (such as the first time difference) to the AMF network element; correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the first time difference.

[0155] For example, the SMF network element sends the first time difference to the AMF network element through the session modification response message, that is, the session modification response message includes the first time difference.

[0156] S615, the AMF network element sends the first information (such as the first time difference) to the CU; correspondingly, the CU receives the first time difference.

[0157] For example, the AMF network element sends the first time difference to the CU through the PDU session resource modification response message, that is, the PDU session resource modification response message includes the first time difference.

[0158] S616, the CU sends a first time difference to the DU; correspondingly, the DU receives the first time difference and determines that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, or determines to schedule the first data and the second data based on the first time difference.

[0159] For example, the implementation of DU in S616 can refer to the implementation on the network device side in S402 of Embodiment 1.

[0160] S617-a, DU sends instruction information to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the instruction information accordingly.

[0161] S617-b, DU can adjust the scheduling strategy and schedule the first data and the second data according to the adjusted scheduling strategy, so that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device and the application layer of the terminal device delivering the first data and the second data is the first time difference.

[0162] For example, the specific implementation of S617-a can refer to the description of S403-a in Embodiment 1, and the specific implementation of S617-b can refer to the description of S403-b in Embodiment 1.

[0163] It is understood that the above example is based on "network devices including CU and DU". When the network device is regarded as a whole, the specific implementation process can be referred to in Example 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0164] Regarding the above embodiments, it is understood that:

[0165] (1) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships. In addition, different implementations or different examples in the same embodiment can also be referenced or referenced by each other.

[0166] (2) The various numerical designations used in this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The step numbers in the above flowcharts are only examples of the execution process and do not constitute a restriction on the order of execution of the steps. That is, the size of each step number does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each step should be determined by its function and internal logic. Furthermore, not all steps shown in the flowcharts are mandatory steps; some steps may be added or deleted based on actual needs.

[0167] The foregoing mainly describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of communication device interaction. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the communication device may include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0168] The embodiments of this application can divide the communication device into functional units according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0169] When using integrated units, Figure 7 A possible exemplary block diagram of the apparatus involved in an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 7As shown, the device 700 may include a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 703. The processing unit 702 is used to control and manage the operation of the device 700. The communication unit 703 is used to support communication between the device 700 and other devices. Optionally, the communication unit 703 is also called a transceiver unit, and may include a receiving unit and / or a sending unit, respectively used to perform receiving and sending operations. The device 700 may also include a storage unit 701 for storing the program code and / or data of the device 700.

[0170] (1) The device 700 can be the first communication device (such as a network device) in the above embodiments, and the processing unit 702 can support the device 700 to perform the actions of the first communication device in the above embodiments. Alternatively, the processing unit 702 mainly performs the internal actions of the first communication device in the embodiments, and the communication unit 703 can support communication between the device 700 and other devices.

[0171] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 703 is configured to: receive first information from a core network element, the first information indicating a first time difference; the processing unit 702 is configured to: determine the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting first data and second data to the application layer of the terminal device as the first time difference, or determine to schedule the first data and the second data based on the first time difference; wherein, the first data and the second data are data for a first service. For example, the core network element here is a mobility management network element.

[0172] In one possible design, if the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is determined to be the first time difference, the communication unit 703 is further configured to: send indication information to the terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate that the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference; or, the indication information being used to indicate the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data, the time difference between the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data being the first time difference.

[0173] In one possible design, the communication unit 703 is further configured to: send second information to the core network element, the second information being used to indicate a predicted channel rate for the first service; wherein the first time difference is obtained based on the channel rate.

[0174] In one possible design, the communication unit 703 is specifically used to: transmit the channel rate to the first core network element when the difference between the channel rate and the current channel rate for the first service is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

[0175] In one possible design, the second information includes information about a first PDU session and / or information about a first QoS flow, wherein the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow corresponds to the first service.

[0176] In one possible design, the communication unit 703 is further configured to: send a request message to the core network element, the request message being used to request the establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service; wherein the first time difference is obtained based on the knowledge graph.

[0177] (2) The device 700 can be the second communication device (such as a UPF network element) in the above embodiments, and the processing unit 702 can support the device 700 in performing the actions of the second communication device in the above embodiments. Alternatively, the processing unit 702 mainly performs the internal actions of the second communication device in the embodiments, and the communication unit 703 can support communication between the device 700 and other devices.

[0178] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 703 is configured to: receive second information, the second information being used to indicate a predicted channel rate for the first service; and send first information according to the channel rate, the first information being used to indicate a first time difference; wherein the first time difference is used to determine the time difference between the access layer of the terminal device submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device as the first time difference, or to determine to schedule the first data and the second data based on the first time difference; the first data and the second data are data for the first service.

[0179] In one possible design, the second information includes information about a first PDU session and / or information about a first QoS flow, wherein the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow corresponds to the first service.

[0180] In one possible design, the processing unit 702 is configured to: determine the first time difference based on the channel rate and the knowledge graph for the first service.

[0181] In one possible design, the communication unit 703 is further configured to: receive a request message, the request message being used to request the establishment of the knowledge graph; and the processing unit 702 is configured to: establish the knowledge graph in response to the request message.

[0182] In one possible design, the processing unit 702 is specifically configured to: establish the knowledge graph based on the sender report SR and / or receiver report RR for the first service or the second service; wherein the first service and the second service correspond to the same application server.

[0183] (3) The device 700 can be the third communication device (such as a terminal device) in the above embodiments, and the processing unit 702 can support the device 700 to perform the actions of the third communication device in the above embodiments. Alternatively, the processing unit 702 mainly performs the internal actions of the third communication device in the embodiments, and the communication unit 703 can support communication between the device 700 and other devices.

[0184] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 703 is configured to: receive indication information from a network device, the indication information being configured to instruct the access layer of the terminal device to submit the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device at a time difference equal to the first time difference; or, the indication information being configured to indicate the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data, the time difference between the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data being the first time difference; the processing unit 702 is configured to: submit the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device according to the indication information; wherein, the first data and the second data are data of a first service.

[0185] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, all units in the device can be implemented entirely through software calls from processing elements; all units can be implemented entirely in hardware; or some units can be implemented through software calls from processing elements, and some units can be implemented in hardware. For example, each unit can be a separate processing element, or it can be integrated into a chip within the device. Alternatively, it can be stored as a program in memory, called and executed by a processing element of the device. Moreover, these units can be fully or partially integrated together, or implemented independently. The processing element mentioned here can also be called a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, the operations of the above methods or the various units mentioned above can be implemented through integrated logic circuits in the processor element or through software calls from processing elements.

[0186] In one example, a unit in any of the above devices can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the methods described above, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these forms of integrated circuits. As another example, when a unit in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element can be a processor, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), or other processor capable of calling programs. Furthermore, these units can be integrated together and implemented as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

[0187] The receiving unit described above is an interface circuit of the device, used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the receiving unit is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices. The transmitting unit described above is an interface circuit of the device, used to transmit signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the transmitting unit is an interface circuit for the chip to transmit signals to other chips or devices.

[0188] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, see below. Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 may include a processor 801. Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a memory 802. The memory 802 may be located inside or outside the communication device 800.

[0189] Specifically, the processor 801 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor 801 may further include a hardware chip. The hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0190] The processor 801 and the memory 802 are interconnected. Optionally, the processor 801 and the memory 802 are interconnected via a bus 803; the bus 803 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 8 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0191] In one optional implementation, the memory 802 is used to store programs, etc. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. The memory 802 may include RAM, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices. The processor 801 executes the application program stored in the memory 802 to implement the above-mentioned functions, thereby realizing the functions of the communication device 800.

[0192] For example, the communication device 800 may be a network device in the above embodiments, a UPF network element in the above embodiments, or a terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0193] In one embodiment, when the communication device 800 implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiment, the transceiver 801 can implement the send / receive operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment; the processor 801 can implement other operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiment besides the send / receive operations. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0194] In another embodiment, when the communication device 800 implements the functions of the UPF network element in the above method embodiments, the transceiver 801 can implement the transmit / receive operations performed by the UPF network element in the above method embodiments; the processor 801 can implement other operations performed by the UPF network element in the above method embodiments besides the transmit / receive operations. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0195] In one embodiment, when the communication device 800 implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments, the transceiver 801 can implement the send / receive operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments; the processor 801 can implement other operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments besides the send / receive operations. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0196] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the network device, UPF network element and terminal device involved in the above embodiments. Optionally, it also includes the AMF network element and / or SMF network element involved in the above embodiments.

[0197] In this application embodiment, "multiple" can refer to two or more. Therefore, in this application embodiment, "multiple" can also be understood as "at least two". "At least one" can be understood as one or more, such as one, two, or more. For example, "including at least one" means including one, two, or more. For example, including at least one of A, B, and C, then it could include A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C. "And / or" describes the association relationship between related objects. Specifically, there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / ", unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0198] Furthermore, the terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably, as can "according to" and "based on". The ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are generally used to distinguish different objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first communication device and the second communication device in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish between two communication devices, and do not limit the priority or importance of these two communication devices.

[0199] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0200] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0201] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0202] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving first information from a core network element, the first information being used to indicate a first time difference; determining that a time difference at which an access layer of a terminal device submits first data and second data to an application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, or determining that the first data and the second data are scheduled based on the first time difference; wherein the first data and the second data are data of a first service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, In a case where it is determined that the time difference at which the access layer of the terminal device submits the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, the method further comprises: sending indication information to the terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate that the time difference at which the access layer of the terminal device submits the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, or the indication information being used to indicate a submission time of the first data and a submission time of the second data, a time difference between the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data being the first time difference.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending second information to the core network element, the second information being used to indicate a predicted channel rate for the first service; wherein the first time difference is obtained according to the channel rate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The sending of the second information to the first core network element comprises: in a case where a difference between the channel rate and a current channel rate for the first service is greater than or equal to a threshold value, sending the channel rate to the first core network element.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The second information comprises information of a first protocol data unit (PDU) session and / or information of a first quality of service (QoS) flow, the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow corresponding to the first service.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending a request message to the core network element, the request message being used to request establishment of a knowledge graph for the first service; wherein the first time difference is obtained according to the knowledge graph.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The request message is a PDU session resource modification request message.

8. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving second information, the second information being used to indicate a predicted channel rate for the first service; sending first information according to the channel rate, the first information being used to indicate a first time difference; wherein the first time difference is used to determine that a time difference at which an access layer of a terminal device submits first data and second data to an application layer of the terminal device is the first time difference, or to determine that the first data and the second data are scheduled based on the first time difference; the first data and the second data being data of a first service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The second information comprises information of a first PDU session and / or information of a first QoS flow, the first PDU session and / or the first QoS flow corresponding to the first service.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further comprises: determining the first time difference according to the channel rate and a knowledge graph for the first service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving a request message, the request message being used to request establishment of the knowledge graph; in response to the request message, establishing the knowledge graph.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The establishing the graph comprises: establishing the knowledge graph according to a sender report (SR) and / or a receiver report (RR) of the first service or the second service; wherein the first service and the second service correspond to a same application server.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The request message is a session modification request message.

14. A communication method, comprising: The method comprises: receiving indication information from a network device, the indication information being used to indicate that an access layer of the terminal device submits a time difference between the first data and the second data to an application layer of the terminal device as the first time difference, or the indication information being used to indicate a submission time of the first data and a submission time of the second data, and a time difference between the submission time of the first data and the submission time of the second data being the first time difference; submitting the first data and the second data to the application layer of the terminal device according to the indication information; wherein the first data and the second data are data of a first service.

15. A communications device, characterized by comprising a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, or a unit for executing the method according to claim 14.

16. A communications device, characterized by comprising a processor coupled to a memory, and the memory stores a computer program; the processor is configured to invoke part or all of the computer program in the memory, so that the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13 is executed, or the method according to claim 14 is executed.

17. A communication system, characterized by comprising a first communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device, the first communication device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the second communication device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, and the third communication device is configured to execute the method according to claim 14.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program, when part or all of the computer program is executed by a computer, so that the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13 is executed, or the method according to claim 14 is executed.

19. A computer program product, characterised in that, When the computer reads and executes the computer program product, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13 is executed, or the method according to claim 14 is executed.

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