Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and a communication device. The method comprises the following steps: in the process of switching a terminal device from a source station to a target station, a second cluster control network element receives a fourth message, and the fourth message comprises information of a second bearer; in the process of switching the terminal device from the source station to the target station, the second cluster control network element determines whether a first bearer exists according to the information of the second bearer; wherein the first bearer is a bearer to be deleted, the first bearer is used for transmitting first data of the terminal device, and the second bearer is used for transmitting second data of the terminal device. Based on the above, the consistency of the bearers between the core network elements after switching can be ensured, the waste of the bearers can be avoided, and the service continuity can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of mobile internet, the demand for broadband services such as high-definition video backhaul, large-volume file transfer, and mobile video conferencing is constantly growing. Broadband trunking communication (B-TrunC) based on long-term evolution (LTE) technology has emerged to meet this need. B-TrunC is a private network wireless technology that integrates support for high-speed broadband data transmission and multimedia trunking scheduling applications such as voice, data, and video.

[0003] In the cluster core network interconnection architecture defined by B-TrunC, terminal devices can initiate cluster services such as individual calls and group calls across the core network. However, in this application scenario, how to manage the bearers related to cluster services is a problem worth considering. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and a communication device to manage the bearers related to cluster services, thereby ensuring service continuity.

[0005] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a first cluster control network element. For example, the first cluster control network element, or its communication and / or computing modules, or circuits or chips responsible for communication functions within the first cluster control network element (such as modem chips, baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or circuits or chips responsible for communication and / or computing functions within the first cluster control network element (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), or it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first cluster control network element. The following description uses the application of this method to a first cluster control network element as an example.

[0006] The method includes: during the process of a terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, a first cluster control network element receives a first message, which is used to indicate that the deletion of a first bearer has failed. The first bearer is a bearer to be deleted and is used by the terminal device to transmit first data; during the process of the terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, the first cluster control network element sends a second message, which includes information about the first bearer and indication information, and the indication information is used to indicate the deletion of the first bearer.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, during the process of switching terminal equipment from the source station to the target station, there may be a bearer to be deleted (i.e., the first bearer). If the deletion of the bearer to be deleted fails, the trunking control network element of the source station (i.e., the first trunking control network element) can obtain a message indicating that the deletion of the bearer to be deleted has failed (i.e., the first message). Then, it can send the information of the bearer to be deleted to the network element of the target station and instruct it to delete the bearer to be deleted. Based on this, the network element of the target station may not restore (or rebuild) the bearer to be deleted, or restore it and then delete the bearer to be deleted. This can realize the management of the bearers related to the trunking service, ensure the consistency of the bearers among the core network elements after the switch, avoid the waste of bearers, and ensure the continuity of services.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first message includes a cause value, which is used to indicate that the switching caused the first bearer deletion to fail.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, if the deletion of the bearer to be deleted fails due to the switching process, the first message may include a reason value to indicate the reason, so that the first cluster control network element can obtain the reason for the failure and provide a basis for the subsequent corresponding switching process.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before the first cluster control network element sends the second message, the method further includes: the first cluster control network element caching the information carried by the first bearer.

[0011] Based on the above technical solution, the first cluster control network element can cache the information of the bearer to be deleted (such as the identifier of the bearer to be deleted), providing a basis for deleting the bearer to be deleted later.

[0012] Secondly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a second cluster control network element. For example, the second cluster control network element, or its communication and / or computing modules, or circuits or chips responsible for communication functions within the second cluster control network element (such as modem chips, baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or circuits or chips responsible for communication and / or computing functions within the second cluster control network element (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), or it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second cluster control network element. The following description uses the application of this method to a second cluster control network element as an example.

[0013] The method includes: during the process of a terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, a second cluster control network element receives a second message, the second message including information about a first bearer and indication information, the indication information being used to indicate the deletion of the first bearer; after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the second cluster control network element sends a third message, the third message being used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, during the process of switching the terminal device from the source station to the target station, there may be a bearer to be deleted (i.e., the first bearer). If the deletion of the bearer to be deleted fails, the cluster control network element of the target station (i.e., the second cluster control network element) can obtain the information of the bearer to be deleted and the information to indicate the deletion of the bearer to be deleted. Then, it can request other network elements of the target station to delete the bearer to be deleted through a message (i.e., the third message). Based on this, the network elements of the target station may not restore (or rebuild) the bearer to be deleted, or restore it and then delete it. This can realize the management of the bearers related to the cluster service, ensure the consistency of the bearers among the core network elements after the switch, avoid the waste of bearers, and ensure the continuity of services.

[0015] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a first mobility management network element. For example, the first mobility management network element, or its communication and / or computing modules, or circuits or chips responsible for communication functions within the first mobility management network element (such as modem chips, baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or circuits or chips responsible for communication and / or computing functions within the first mobility management network element (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), or it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first mobility management network element. The following description uses the application of this method to a first mobility management network element as an example.

[0016] The method includes: during the process of a terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, a first mobility management network element sends a first message, which is used to indicate that the deletion of a first bearer has failed. The first bearer is a bearer to be deleted, and the first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit first data.

[0017] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first message includes a cause value, which is used to indicate that the switching caused the first bearer deletion to fail.

[0018] The technical effects of the third aspect mentioned above can be referenced from the first aspect.

[0019] Fourthly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a second cluster control network element. For example, the second cluster control network element, or its communication and / or computing modules, or circuits or chips responsible for communication functions within the second cluster control network element (such as modem chips, baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or circuits or chips responsible for communication and / or computing functions within the second cluster control network element (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), or it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second cluster control network element. The following description uses the application of this method to a second cluster control network element as an example.

[0020] The method includes: during the process of a terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, a second cluster control network element receives a fourth message, the fourth message including information about a second bearer; during the process of a terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, the second cluster control network element determines, based on the information about the second bearer, whether a first bearer exists, and / or determines the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list; wherein, the first bearer is a bearer to be deleted, the first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit first data, and the second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit second data.

[0021] For example, the bearer list may include bearers corresponding to the services supported by the terminal device before the handover. For instance, assuming that the services supported by the terminal device before the handover include voice service, SMS service, and video service, the bearer list may include bearers corresponding to voice service, SMS service, and video service.

[0022] For example, the bearer list includes a first bearer and a second bearer, which can be alternatively described as the first bearer and the second bearer being included in the bearer list.

[0023] Based on the above technical solution, the target station's cluster control network element (i.e., the second cluster control network element) can determine whether there are bearers to be deleted, or determine the consistency between the bearers corresponding to the currently supported services and the bearers corresponding to the services supported before the switchover (i.e., the bearers included in the bearer list), based on the information of the bearers corresponding to the services currently supported by the terminal equipment (i.e., the bearers). This facilitates other network elements of the target station to obtain information on bearers to be deleted or to delete bearers to be deleted, thereby enabling the management of bearers related to cluster services. This ensures the consistency of bearers among core network elements after the switchover, avoids bearer waste, and guarantees service continuity.

[0024] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the second cluster control network element determines whether the first bearer exists based on the information of the second bearer, including: if the second bearer is not completely identical to the bearers contained in the bearer list, then the second cluster control network element determines that the first bearer exists.

[0025] Based on the above technical solution, a lightweight and rapid comparison can be performed to determine if the second bearer is completely identical to the bearer list. If the second bearer and the bearer list do not contain identical bearers, the target station's cluster control element (i.e., the second cluster control element) can determine that a bearer to be deleted exists. For example, if the number of identifiers for the second bearer differs from the number of identifiers in the bearer list—that is, the number of bearers corresponding to the current service differs from the number of bearers corresponding to the service before the handover—then the target station's cluster control element (i.e., the second cluster control element) can determine that a bearer to be deleted exists.

[0026] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: the second cluster control network element sending a fifth message, the fifth message being used to indicate the existence of the bearer to be deleted.

[0027] For example, the second cluster control network element can send a fifth message during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station.

[0028] Based on the above technical solution, when there are bearers to be deleted, the cluster control network element of the target station can send a message to notify other network elements that there are bearers to be deleted, which then facilitates other network elements (such as the mobility management network element of the target station) to delete the bearers to be deleted.

[0029] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the second cluster control network element determines whether the first bearer exists based on the information of the second bearer, including: if the second bearer is the same as the bearer contained in the bearer list, then the second cluster control network element determines that the first bearer does not exist.

[0030] For example, if the number of identifiers of the second bearer is the same as the number of identifiers in the bearer list, that is, the number of bearers corresponding to the current service is the same as the number of bearers corresponding to the service before the switch, then the cluster control network element of the target station (that is, the second cluster control network element) can determine that there are no bearers to be deleted.

[0031] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the second cluster control network element determines the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list based on the information of the second bearer, including: determining whether the second bearer and the bearers contained in the bearer list are the same; if the second bearer and the bearers contained in the bearer list are not completely the same, the second cluster control network element determines the first bearer based on the second bearer and the bearer list.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, if the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the terminal device is not exactly the same as the bearer corresponding to the service supported before the switchover, the trunking control network element of the target station (i.e., the second trunking control network element) can determine the bearer to be deleted, providing a basis for subsequently deleting the bearer to be deleted and notifying other network elements to delete the bearer to be deleted. For example, if the second bearer is the bearer corresponding to SMS service and the bearer corresponding to video service, and the bearer list contains bearers corresponding to voice service, SMS service, and video service, the second trunking control network element can determine that the bearer to be deleted is the bearer corresponding to voice service.

[0033] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the second cluster control network element sends a sixth message, which is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, the target station's cluster control network element (i.e., the second cluster control network element) can request other network elements of the target station (such as the target station's mobility management network element) to delete the bearer to be deleted, thereby enabling the management of bearers related to cluster services, ensuring the consistency of bearers among core network elements after handover, avoiding bearer waste, and ensuring service continuity.

[0035] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, before the second cluster control network element receives the fourth message, the method further includes: the second cluster control network element obtaining the bearer list.

[0036] Fifthly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a second mobility management network element. For example, the second mobility management network element, or its communication and / or computing modules, or circuits or chips responsible for communication functions within the second mobility management network element (such as modem chips, baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or circuits or chips responsible for communication and / or computing functions within the second mobility management network element (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), or it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second mobility management network element. The following description uses the application of this method to a second mobility management network element as an example.

[0037] The method includes: during the process of a terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, a second mobility management network element receives a fifth message, the fifth message indicating the existence of a bearer to be deleted; after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, a first bearer is deleted, the first bearer being the bearer to be deleted, the first bearer being used by the terminal device to transmit first data.

[0038] Based on the above technical solution, after receiving a message indicating that there is a bearer to be deleted (i.e., the fifth message), the mobility management network element of the target station (i.e., the second mobility management network element) can delete the bearer to be deleted (such as deleting the bearer to be deleted based on its own status), thereby realizing the management of the bearers related to the cluster service, ensuring the consistency of bearers among the core network elements after the handover, avoiding bearer waste, and ensuring service continuity.

[0039] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, after the second mobility management network element receives the fifth message, the method further includes: after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the second mobility management network element sends a seventh message, which is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0040] Based on the above technical solution, the mobility management network element of the target station can instruct other network elements of the target station (such as the service gateway of the target station) to delete the bearers to be deleted, thereby realizing the management of bearers related to cluster services, ensuring the consistency of bearers among core network elements after the switchover, avoiding bearer waste, and ensuring service continuity.

[0041] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, before the second mobility management network element receives the fifth message, the method further includes: the second mobility management network element sending a bearer list, the bearer list including a first bearer and a second bearer, the second bearer being used by the terminal device to transmit second data.

[0042] Sixthly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a second mobility management network element. For example, the second mobility management network element, or its communication and / or computing modules, or circuits or chips responsible for communication functions within the second mobility management network element (such as modem chips, baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or circuits or chips responsible for communication and / or computing functions within the second mobility management network element (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), or it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second mobility management network element. The following description uses the application of this method to a second mobility management network element as an example.

[0043] The method includes: after a terminal device switches to a target station, a second mobility management network element receives a sixth message, the sixth message being used to request the deletion of a first bearer, the first bearer being a bearer to be deleted, the first bearer being used by the terminal device to transmit first data; in response to the sixth message, the second mobility management network element deletes the first bearer.

[0044] Based on the above technical solution, the mobility management network element (i.e., the second mobility management network element) of the target station can receive a message (i.e., the sixth message) from the trunking control network element (i.e., the second trunking control network element) of the target station to request the deletion of the bearer to be deleted, and respond to the message to delete the bearer to be deleted. This enables the management of bearers related to trunking services, ensuring the consistency of bearers among core network elements after the handover, avoiding bearer waste, and ensuring service continuity.

[0045] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, before the second mobility management network element receives the sixth message, the method further includes: during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the second mobility management network element sends a bearer list, the bearer list including a first bearer and a second bearer, the second bearer being used by the terminal device to transmit second data.

[0046] Seventhly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a first cluster control network element. For example, the first cluster control network element, or a communication module and / or computing module within the first cluster control network element, or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions within the first cluster control network element (such as a modem chip, baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core), or a circuit or chip responsible for communication and / or computing functions within the first cluster control network element (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), or it can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first cluster control network element. The following description uses the application of this method to a first cluster control network element as an example.

[0047] The method includes: during the process of a terminal device switching from a source station to a target station, a first cluster control network element sends a fourth message, the fourth message including information about a second bearer, the second bearer being used by the terminal device to transmit second data, and the bearer list including a first bearer and a second bearer.

[0048] The technical effects of the seventh aspect mentioned above can be referenced from the fourth aspect.

[0049] Eighthly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method in any of the possible implementations of the first to seventh aspects. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method in any of the possible implementations of the first to seventh aspects, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0050] In one implementation, the device is a communication device. When the device is a communication device, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0051] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit for a communication device. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit for a communication device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0052] A ninth aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor for executing a computer program or instructions to perform the method in any of the possible implementations of the first to seventh aspects described above.

[0053] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions; correspondingly, at least one processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory.

[0054] Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface coupled to the processor, which can be used to input information to the processor or output information from the processor. Optionally, the processor reads computer programs or instructions from memory through the communication interface.

[0055] In one implementation, the device is a communication device.

[0056] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in communication equipment.

[0057] In a tenth aspect, a processor is provided for performing the methods provided in the first to seventh aspects described above.

[0058] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0059] Eleventhly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program or instructions are stored, which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the methods provided in the first to seventh aspects.

[0060] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions for performing the methods in any of the possible implementations of the first to seventh aspects described above. In other words, when the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the methods provided in the first to seventh aspects.

[0061] In a thirteenth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor reads instructions from a memory through the communication interface and executes the methods provided in the first to seventh aspects.

[0062] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip further includes a memory storing computer programs or instructions, and a processor for executing the computer programs or instructions in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to perform the methods provided in the first to seventh aspects above.

[0063] In a fourteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising at least one of the aforementioned first mobility management network element, second mobility management network element, first trunking control network element, and second trunking control network element.

[0064] The technical effects of aspects nine through fourteen above can be referenced from aspects one through seven. Attached Figure Description

[0065] Figure 1 It is B A schematic diagram of the local network architecture in the TrunC system, which is a single-core network architecture.

[0066] Figure 2 It is B A schematic diagram of the local network architecture in the TrunC system, which is a multi-core network architecture.

[0067] Figure 3 It is B A schematic diagram of the roaming core network architecture in the TrunC system.

[0068] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the process for terminal equipment to switch across the core network.

[0069] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0070] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 600 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0071] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 700 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0072] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 800 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0073] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 900 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0074] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0075] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0076] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a chip system 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0077] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] Before introducing the scheme of this application, the following points should be noted.

[0079] (1) The terminology used in the following embodiments is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be a limitation of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, "a plurality of" or "multiple" means two or more; the singular expressions "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more," unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that in the following embodiments of this application, "at least one," "at least one," and "one or more" refer to one, two, or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist, for example, A and / or B, which can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can represent: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b, and c. Here, a, b, and c can be a single item or multiple items.

[0080] (2) In the embodiments of this application, the ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", "#1", "#2", "#A", and "#B" are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first instruction information and the second instruction information can be the same information or different information, and such names do not indicate that the content, size, application scenario, sending end / receiving end, priority, or importance of the two messages are different. In addition, the step numbers in the various embodiments described in this application are only for distinguishing different steps, and unless otherwise stated, the step numbers are not used to limit the order between steps.

[0081] (3) In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission, and "transmission" can include at least one of sending and / or receiving. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include sending directly via the air interface or sending indirectly via the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include receiving directly from YY via the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY via the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0082] (4) In this application, the terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product or device; or, message #A includes B, which may be equivalent to message #A carrying the entire contents of B.

[0083] (5) In this application, "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as the 5G protocol, the new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit the term "protocol". "Predefined" may include predefined terms, such as protocol definitions. "Preconfiguration" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. This application does not limit the implementation method of this feature.

[0084] (6) In this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction. When describing a certain instruction information A, it may include the instruction information directly indicating A or indirectly indicating A. Unless otherwise stated, this does not mean that the instruction information necessarily carries A. Wherein, direct instruction information A means that information A is included; implicit instruction information A means that information A is indicated through the correspondence between information A and information B and the direct instruction information B. Wherein, the correspondence between information A and information B may be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured.

[0085] (7) References to “one embodiment” or “some embodiments” as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as “in some possible implementations” or “in other possible implementations” appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean “one or more, but not all, embodiments”, unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including, but not limited to,” unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0086] (8) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0087] (9) In this application, the words “exemplary,” “for example,” etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an “example” in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the word “example” is intended to present the concept 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 when their distinctions are not emphasized.

[0088] (10) In this application, descriptions such as “when…” and “under the circumstances of…” all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0089] The following describes the communication system to which this application applies.

[0090] The technical solution of this application embodiment can be applied to B. TrunC system. B TrunC is a standard developed by the Broadband Trunking Industry Alliance for a private broadband trunking system based on LTE, which combines "LTE digital transmission + trunking voice communication".

[0091] As an example, B The TrunC system supports both local network and roaming architectures. Local network architectures include single-core and multi-core network architectures. The following section combines... Figures 1 to 3 Introduction B The architecture supported by the TrunC system.

[0092] See Figure 1 As an example, Figure 1 It is B A diagram illustrating the single-core network architecture of the local network in the TrunC system. (See diagram for example.) Figure 1 As shown, in a single-core network architecture, B The TrunC system includes: a single broadband trunking core network (TCN), LTE broadband trunking terminals, LTE data terminals, and LTE broadband trunking base stations / LTE broadband trunking evolved Node Bs (TNs). eNB, LTE base station / LTE evolved Node B (eNB), dispatch console (DC), and service management console, etc.

[0093] The TCN includes an enhanced home subscriber server (eHSS), a trunking gateway (xGW), a trunking control function (TCF) / trunking media function (TMF), and an evolved mobility management entity (eMME). The eHSS includes a home subscriber server (HSS) and a trunking home subscriber server (THSS), while the xGW includes a packet data network gateway (PGW) and a serving gateway (SGW). The eMME can also be replaced by a mobility management entity (MME); this application primarily uses the eMME as an example.

[0094] The following is about Figure 1 A brief introduction to each part of the architecture shown is provided.

[0095] (1) LTE data terminal:

[0096] LTE data terminals can support packet data transmission services based on the Internet Protocol (IP), but do not support trunking services and functions.

[0097] LTE data terminals can connect to LTE broadband trunking base stations via the Uu interface to enable LTE packet domain data services.

[0098] (2) LTE broadband trunking terminal:

[0099] In addition to supporting IP-based packet data transmission services, LTE broadband trunking terminals can also support broadband trunking services and functions. LTE broadband trunking terminals can also support at least one of the following trunking-related functions: trunking service functions; logical channels and transport channels required for trunking services; trunking-related system information and paging information; and trunking service mobility.

[0100] LTE broadband trunking terminals can connect to LTE broadband trunking base stations via the Uu-T interface to implement LTE packet domain basic services and trunking services.

[0101] (3) LTE base station:

[0102] LTE base stations can support broadband data access, but do not support trunking services and functions.

[0103] LTE base stations can support LTE data terminal access through the LTE-Uu interface to realize LTE packet domain data services.

[0104] (4) LTE broadband trunking base station:

[0105] LTE broadband trunking base stations can support at least one of the following trunking-related functions: trunking radio resource control (RRC) signaling; trunking system message scheduling and transmission; trunking paging message scheduling and transmission; trunking channel mapping control; trunking radio bearer establishment and control; trunking user plane data forwarding; encryption and integrity protection of trunking point-to-multipoint air interface radio access signaling, and data encryption.

[0106] LTE broadband trunking base stations can also support fault mitigation functions.

[0107] LTE broadband trunking base stations can support access for both LTE data terminals and LTE broadband trunking terminals via the Uu-T interface.

[0108] (5) eHSS:

[0109] eHSS is the contract data management center and authentication center, and is divided into two logical units: LTE data contract management HSS and cluster contract data management THSS.

[0110] HSS functionality may include at least one of the following: management of user data; management of user location information; management of user security information; mobility management; support for access restriction functions; handling notification requests from eMME; IP address allocation; and location registration functionality.

[0111] THSS functionality may include at least one of the following: cluster user subscription information management; cluster user service subscription information management; cluster group subscription information management; cluster user security information management: authentication, authorization, integrity protection and encryption of security information; cluster user location information management: support for user registration; cluster user status and service status information management.

[0112] The eHSS can store static information about UE subscriptions and group subscriptions, as well as the TCF domain name to which the UE currently resides, and is responsible for subscription information management and the UE's current registration status. The eHSS can maintain the UE's home TCF domain name and the group master TCF (G-TCF) domain name, which is pushed to the TCF during initial system startup and updated to the TCF when changes occur. The eHSS does not need to store and process information related to a single call; this is stored and processed by the TCF. The eHSS does not store intermediate states such as remote knockdown / death or dynamic reassembly.

[0113] (6) eMME:

[0114] eMME is a mobility management entity responsible for mobility and bearer management.

[0115] Basic LTE functions of eMME may include any of the following: access control; law enforcement monitoring; mobility management; session management; network element selection; device security; IP address allocation assistance; and identification management between radio network elements.

[0116] eMME enhanced clustering capabilities may include any of the following: cluster NAS signaling and its security; cluster access layer security control; xGW selection; cluster bearer management; and mobility management, access control, and session management for cluster services.

[0117] (7) xGW:

[0118] xGW is composed of two logical network elements, SGW and PGW.

[0119] xGW basic LTE functions may include at least one of the following: IP address allocation; session management; routing and data forwarding; quality of service (QoS) control; law enforcement monitoring; security requirements; permission control; support for multi-packet data network (PDN) connections; and access to external data networks.

[0120] xGW enhanced cluster functionality may include at least one of the following: cluster bearer creation, modification, and deletion; cluster data routing and forwarding.

[0121] (8) TCF:

[0122] The TCF (Trunking Control Function) is responsible for the control and management of trunking services. Its main functions include at least one of the following: supporting multimedia trunking service scheduling, including voice, video, and data; trunking service authentication and authorization; trunking registration and deregistration; trunking call establishment and release; call rights management; trunking management functions such as remote stun / kill / revive, dynamic reassembly, etc.; and trunking group information subscription and updates. The main functions of the group master TCF include at least one of the following: responsible for trunking group management and point-to-multipoint multimedia trunking service scheduling.

[0123] (9) TMF:

[0124] TMF is responsible for data transmission of trunking services. Its main functions include at least one of the following: trunking user plane management; routing and forwarding of trunking service data; and replication and distribution of trunking service data.

[0125] (10) Dispatch console:

[0126] The dispatch console is a unique terminal in a trunking system, providing dispatchers or operators with special privileges with scheduling and management functions for trunking services. The main functions of the dispatch console include at least one of the following: scheduling functions, including individual calls, group calls, forced insertion / forced disconnection, etc.; management functions, including information acquisition, remote stun / kill / revive, dynamic reassembly, etc.; and other functions, including interface display and dialing.

[0127] (11) Business Management Console:

[0128] The service management console connects to the eHSS and TCF network elements of the cluster core network through internal interfaces to configure services, which mainly includes at least one of the following service configurations: user / group subscription data configuration; TCF configuration.

[0129] See Figure 2 As an example, Figure 2 It is B A schematic diagram of the local network architecture in the TrunC system, which is a multi-core network architecture.

[0130] like Figure 2As shown, in the multi-core network architecture, the system consists of multiple broadband trunking core networks sharing an eHSS, LTE broadband trunking terminals, LTE data terminals, T-eNBs, eNBs, etc. The multiple broadband trunking core networks sharing an eHSS have their eMMEs connected to the HSS via the S6a interface to transmit IP packet data user and service subscription information, and their TCFs connected to the THSS via the TC1 interface to transmit trunking user and service subscription information.

[0131] See Figure 3 As an example, Figure 3 It is B A schematic diagram of the roaming core network architecture in the TrunC system.

[0132] like Figure 3 As shown, in the roaming core network architecture, the eMME connects to the HSS via the S6a interface to transmit IP packet data and user / service subscription information; the TCF connects to the THSS via the Tc1 interface to transmit trunking user / service subscription information; TCF / TMF transmit signaling and media data via the Tc2 interface; eMMEs connect via the S10 interface; and xGWs connect via the S5 / S8 interfaces. For a unified eHSS networking scenario, the roaming and home eHSS locations in the diagram are the same logical entity.

[0133] It should be understood that the above Figures 1 to 3 The network architecture shown is provided for ease of understanding only, and other possible implementation methods are not excluded.

[0134] As mentioned earlier, the eMME is responsible for mobility and bearer management, while the TCF / TMF is responsible for control management of trunking services or data transmission. Therefore, during core network handover, the eMME and TCF / TMF can perform bearer transfer or recovery, etc. This application mainly uses the example of a bearer to be deleted during a terminal device's cross-core network handover to illustrate the relevant points.

[0135] As an example, "bearer" can be understood as resources reserved for data forwarding and management to meet specific business needs, or logical data transmission channels established, etc.

[0136] As an example, a bearer to be deleted can be understood as one or more bearers corresponding to a terminal device that stops performing one or more services.

[0137] The embodiments of this application can be applied to trunking core network interconnection architectures, such as the multi-core network architecture and roaming core network architecture described above. The trunking terminal described above is hereinafter referred to as a terminal device; the eMME or MME described above can be the mobility management network element described below; and the TCF or TMF described above can be the trunking control network element described below.

[0138] In this application embodiment, the terminal device may include various devices with wireless communication capabilities, which can be used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The terminal device can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation, autonomous delivery, etc. The terminal device can be a terminal in any of the above scenarios, such as an MTC terminal, an IoT terminal, etc. Terminal equipment can be user equipment (UE), terminal, fixed equipment, mobile station equipment or mobile equipment, subscriber unit, handheld device, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, cellular phone, smartphone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), computer, tablet, laptop, wireless modem, handset, laptop computer, computer with wireless transceiver capability, smart book, vehicle, satellite, global positioning system (GPS) equipment, aircraft (e.g., drones, helicopters, multiple helicopters, four helicopters, or airplanes), ship, remote control equipment, smart home device, industrial equipment, transportation vehicle with wireless communication capability, communication module, or roadside unit with terminal function, all conforming to the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standard. The device (RSU), or a device built into the aforementioned device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip in the aforementioned device), or other processing devices connected to the wireless modem.This application does not limit the embodiments in this regard; this application uses the UE as an example for illustration.

[0139] In the cluster core network interconnection architecture defined by B-TrunC, terminal devices support initiating cluster services such as single calls and group calls across core networks.

[0140] Below, in conjunction with Figure 4 An example is provided to illustrate the process of handover between terminal devices and the core network.

[0141] See Figure 4 As an example, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the handover process for terminal devices across the core network. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the process includes several steps. For details not covered, please refer to existing related descriptions, which will not be elaborated here. Among them, S-eNB, S-eMME, and S-TCF can be understood as the eNB, eMME, and TCF of the source station (or source side), and T-eNB, T-eMME, T-TCF, and T-SGW can be understood as the eNB, eMME, TCF, and SGW of the target station (target side).

[0142] S401, the S-eNB sends a handover request to the S-eMME.

[0143] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives handover requests from the S-eNB.

[0144] For example, when a UE moves from the coverage area of ​​the S-eNB to near the edge of the coverage area of ​​the T-eNB, the S-eNB determines a cross-core network handover. Further, the S-eNB initiates a handover procedure.

[0145] S402, the S-eMME sends a forward relocation request to the T-eMME.

[0146] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives forwarding relocation requests from the S-eMME.

[0147] For example, the forwarding relocation request may include information indicating the bearers corresponding to the services supported by the UE before the handover. For instance, assuming the services supported by the UE before the handover include voice service, SMS service, and video service, the forwarding relocation request may include information on the bearers corresponding to the aforementioned services, such as an EBI (evolved packet system bearer identity document) list. That is, the forwarding relocation request may include the EBI of the bearer corresponding to the voice service, the EBI of the bearer corresponding to the SMS service, and the EBI of the bearer corresponding to the video service.

[0148] The above is merely an example. This application does not limit the information of the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover. For example, the information may also include the QoS class identifier (QCI) of the bearer corresponding to the aforementioned service.

[0149] S403, T-eMME and T-SGW respectively send a create session request / response.

[0150] In other words, the T-eMME sends a session creation request to the T-SGW, and the T-SGW receives the session creation request from the T-eMME. Then, the T-SGW sends a session creation response to the T-eMME, and the T-eMME receives the session creation response from the T-SGW.

[0151] For example, the session creation request can be used to request the establishment of a data transmission channel.

[0152] For example, the session creation request may include information about the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover, such as the EBI mentioned above.

[0153] S404, T-eMME sends a handover notification to T-TCF.

[0154] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives a handover notification from the T-eMME.

[0155] For example, the handover notification is used to notify the T-TCF to perform a core network handover.

[0156] S405, S-eMME sends a trunking handover request to S-TCF.

[0157] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives cluster switching requests from the S-eMME.

[0158] For example, the cluster handover request is used to request the S-TCF to perform a core network handover.

[0159] S406, S-TCF sends a trunking handover response to S-eMME.

[0160] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives the cluster handover response from the S-TCF.

[0161] The steps S401 to S406 above are mainly the process of establishing a session.

[0162] S409, S-TCF, G-TCF and T-TCF establish a cluster signaling channel.

[0163] For example, this cluster signaling channel can be used to transmit cluster signaling between S-TCF and T-TCF.

[0164] S410, S-TCF sends INVITE message to T-TCF.

[0165] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives the INVITE message from the S-TCF.

[0166] For example, the INVITE message can be used to initiate a session invitation.

[0167] For example, the INVITE message may include information indicating the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the UE.

[0168] S411, T-TCF sends 100 Trying to S-TCF.

[0169] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives 100 Trying from the T-TCF.

[0170] For example, the 100 Trying message can be used to respond to the INVITE message mentioned above.

[0171] Based on S410 and S411 above, T-TCF can restore (or recreate) the bearers of the services currently supported by the UE, thereby achieving a successful T-TCF handover. For example, assuming the services currently supported by the UE include voice, SMS, and video services, T-TCF can restore the bearers corresponding to voice, SMS, and video services.

[0172] S412, T-TCF sends a handover notification acknowledgment character (ACK) to T-eMME.

[0173] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover notification ACK from the T-TCF.

[0174] For example, the handover notification ACK can be used to confirm that the T-TCF handover was successful.

[0175] S413, the T-eMME sends a handover request to the T-eNB.

[0176] Correspondingly, the T-eNB receives a handover request from the T-eMME.

[0177] For example, this handover request can be used to request a T-eNB to perform a handover.

[0178] S414, the T-eNB sends a handover request ACK to the T-eMME.

[0179] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover request ACK from the T-eNB.

[0180] For example, the switch request ACK can be used to confirm that a switch has been made.

[0181] S415, T-eMME and T-SGW create an indirect data forwarding tunnel.

[0182] S416, T-eMME sends a forwarding relocation response to S-eMME.

[0183] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives a forward relocation response from the T-eMME.

[0184] For example, the forwarding relocation response is used to respond to the forwarding relocation request in step S402.

[0185] S417, T-eMME, etc. continue to switch processing.

[0186] For example, the T-eMME can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover, based on the information carried in the forwarding relocation request in step S402 indicating the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover. Other network elements such as the T-SGW can also restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the existing relevant descriptions. For the sake of brevity, it will not be explained here.

[0187] During the above switching process, there may be bearers to be deleted. Optionally, the above method may also include steps S407 and S408.

[0188] S407, S-TCF sends a trunking bearer delete request to S-eMME.

[0189] For example, the cluster bearer deletion request can be used to request the deletion of a bearer to be deleted. For instance, assuming that the services supported by the UE before the handover include voice service, SMS service, and video service, the cluster bearer deletion request can be used to request the deletion of the bearer corresponding to at least one of the above three services, in which case the bearer to be deleted is the bearer to be deleted.

[0190] For example, the triggering of the above cluster carrying the deletion request can include two scenarios.

[0191] Scenario 1, triggered by UE.

[0192] For example, based on the UE's capabilities and needs, the UE can stop one or more services. At this time, the UE can actively trigger a request to delete the cluster bearer corresponding to the one or more services.

[0193] Scenario 2, cluster trigger.

[0194] For example, when a cluster call fails, the cluster can stop calling the corresponding one or more services. At this time, the cluster can trigger a request to delete the cluster bearer corresponding to the one or more services.

[0195] S408, S-eMME sends a cluster bearer deletion response to S-TCF.

[0196] For example, since the S-eMME is in a switching process, the S-eMME cannot process the above cluster bearer deletion request. Therefore, the cluster bearer deletion response can indicate that the above bearer deletion failed.

[0197] As mentioned earlier, in the handover process where there are bearers to be deleted, for example in step S410, since the INVITE message can include information indicating the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the UE, the T-TCF can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the UE. However, other network elements (such as T-eMME and T-SGW) can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover, based on the information carried in the forwarding relocation request indicating the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover.

[0198] For example, assuming that the services supported by the UE before the handover include voice service, SMS service and video service, if the bearer to be deleted in the above steps S407 and S408 is the bearer corresponding to the voice service, then the T-TCF can restore (or recreate) the bearers corresponding to the SMS service and video service, while other network elements such as T-eMME and T-SGW can restore the bearers corresponding to the voice service, SMS service and video service.

[0199] In the scenario where the aforementioned terminal equipment is switched, the bearers restored (or recreated) by the core network elements after the switch may be different, which will affect the bearer consistency of the core network elements after the switch, making it difficult to achieve unified management, and may even cause the bearer waste of some network elements (such as the aforementioned T-eMME and T-SGW network elements), affecting the continuity of subsequent services.

[0200] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a communication method for managing the bearers related to cluster services, thereby ensuring service continuity.

[0201] The following will combine Figures 5 to 9 This application provides a detailed description of the communication method provided in its embodiments. The embodiments provided in this application can be applied to the aforementioned communication systems. It is understood that the embodiments in this application use a first mobility management network element, a second mobility management network element, a first trunking control network element, and a second trunking control network element as illustrative examples, but this application does not limit the illustrative execution entities.

[0202] For example, the first mobility management element can be understood as the mobility management element of the source station, such as the source station's MME (S-MME) or the source station's eMME (S-eMME), etc.

[0203] For example, the second mobility management element can be understood as the mobility management element of the target station, such as the target station's MME (T-MME) or the target station's eMME (T-eMME), etc.

[0204] For example, the first cluster control network element can be understood as the cluster control network element of the source station, such as the source station's TCF (S-TCF) or the source station's TMF (S-TMF), etc.

[0205] For example, the second cluster control network element can be understood as the cluster control network element of the target station, such as the target station's TCF (T-TCF) or the target station's TMF (T-TMF), etc.

[0206] As an example, the core network corresponding to the source station and the core network corresponding to the target station can belong to the same cluster core network. For detailed descriptions of network elements, please refer to the relevant network architecture description above; for brevity, they will not be elaborated upon here.

[0207] In the embodiments of this application, the execution entities, such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first cluster control network element, and the second cluster control network element, can be network function entities, such as physical entities in hardware devices, software instances running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions on shared platforms (e.g., cloud platforms), or logical network elements, without limitation.

[0208] See Figure 5 As an example, Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. In this method 500, the first trunking control network element, the second trunking control network element, and the second mobility management network element can obtain information about the bearer to be deleted or delete the bearer to be deleted through information exchange. Figure 5 As shown, this method includes the following steps; for details not covered herein, please refer to the above. Figure 4 The relevant descriptions will not be repeated here.

[0209] S510, the first mobility management network element sends the first message to the first trunking control network element.

[0210] Correspondingly, the first cluster control network element receives the first message from the first mobility management network element.

[0211] For example, the first mobility management network element can send a first message to the first trunking control network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station. Correspondingly, the first trunking control network element can receive the first message from the first mobility management network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station.

[0212] The first message indicates that the deletion of the first bearer failed.

[0213] As an example, the first message could be Figure 4 In the cluster bearer deletion response, the cluster bearer deletion response can be used to indicate that the first bearer deletion failed.

[0214] The aforementioned first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit first data.

[0215] For example, the first bearer can be the bearer to be deleted.

[0216] This application does not limit the number of first bearers. For example, the first bearer can be one bearer or multiple bearers.

[0217] As an example, the first bearer can be a single bearer. For instance, the first bearer could be a bearer used by a terminal device for voice services. That is, if the terminal device terminates its voice service during the handover from the source station to the target station, the bearer corresponding to that voice service becomes a bearer to be deleted. In this case, the first data could include voice data.

[0218] As an example, the first bearer can be multiple bearers. For instance, the first bearer can be a bearer used by the terminal device for voice services and a bearer used for SMS services. That is, if the terminal device terminates the voice service and the SMS service during the process of switching from the source station to the target station, the bearer corresponding to the voice service and the bearer corresponding to the SMS service are bearers to be deleted. In this case, the first data can include voice data and SMS data.

[0219] It should be understood that the termination of voice service by the aforementioned terminal device, or the termination of both voice and SMS service by the terminal device, can be initiated by the terminal device itself or by the cluster; this application embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0220] The embodiments of this application do not limit the name of the first bearer. For example, the first bearer may also be called the first data channel, the first resource, etc.

[0221] For example, the first message includes a reason value that indicates that the switch caused the first bearer deletion to fail.

[0222] As an example, this reason value is used to indicate that the handover caused the first bearer deletion to fail. It can also be described as follows: the reason for the failure of the first bearer deletion corresponding to this reason value is handover. For example, a single bit can be used to indicate whether the first bearer deletion failed due to handover or not. For instance, the reason value can be "1" to indicate that the first bearer deletion failed due to handover. The above is merely an illustrative example, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0223] S520, optionally, the first cluster control network element caches (or saves, or stores, etc.) the information carried by the first carrier.

[0224] For example, the first cluster control network element can cache (or save, or store, etc.) the information carried by the first carrier during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station.

[0225] For example, the information of the first bearer may include at least one of the following: the identifier of the first bearer (e.g., the identifier (ID) of the first bearer), the EBI of the first bearer, or the QCI of the first bearer, etc. For instance, if the first bearer is a bearer corresponding to a voice service, the information of the first bearer may include the identifier of the bearer corresponding to the voice service, the EBI, or the QCI. This application does not limit the form in which the information of the first bearer is presented.

[0226] S530, the first cluster control network element sends a second message to the second cluster control network element.

[0227] Correspondingly, the second cluster control network element receives the second message from the first cluster control network element.

[0228] For example, the first cluster control network element can send a second message to the second cluster control network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station. Correspondingly, the second cluster control network element can receive the second message from the first cluster control network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station.

[0229] The second message includes information about the first bearer and instruction information, the instruction information being used to instruct the deletion of the aforementioned first bearer.

[0230] As an example, the second message could be Figure 4The INVITE message in the context of this process may include information about the first bearer and an instruction message, which instructs the deletion of the first bearer.

[0231] Based on this, the second cluster control network element can obtain information about the bearer to be deleted. Optionally, during the handover process of terminal devices, the second cluster control network element may not restore the first bearer.

[0232] S540, the second trunking control network element sends a third message to the second mobility management network element.

[0233] Correspondingly, the second mobility management network element receives a third message from the second trunking control network element.

[0234] For example, the second trunking control network element can send a third message to the second mobility management network element after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station. Correspondingly, the second mobility management network element can receive the third message from the second trunking control network element after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station.

[0235] The third message is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0236] For example, the third message may include the information carried by the first message.

[0237] Optionally, the third message can also be sent or received during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station. Based on this, the second mobility management network element can obtain the message requesting the deletion of the first bearer in advance.

[0238] S550, the second mobility management element deletes the first bearer.

[0239] For example, the second mobility management network element can delete the first bearer in response to a third message after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station.

[0240] Optionally, the second mobility management element may subsequently instruct other network elements (e.g., the service gateway of the target station, such as...) via messages. Figure 4 (e.g., T-SGW) Remove the first bearer.

[0241] Based on the above technical solution, when a terminal device is switched, there may be a bearer to be deleted (e.g., the first bearer). Each network element can obtain information about the first bearer or delete the first bearer through information exchange. Based on this, the management of bearers related to cluster services can be realized, so that the bearers among the core network elements after the switch can remain consistent, and the waste of bearers can be avoided, thus ensuring service continuity.

[0242] See Figure 6 As an example, Figure 6This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 600 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 60 is primarily illustrated using the terminal device as a UE, the first mobility management network element as an S-eMME, the first trunking control network element as an S-TCF, the second mobility management network element as a T-eMME, and the second trunking control network element as a T-TCF. Figure 6 The method shown can be seen as a specific implementation process of the above method 500. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the method 600 includes the following steps.

[0243] S601, the S-eNB sends a handover request to the S-eMME.

[0244] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives handover requests from the S-eNB.

[0245] S602, S-eMME sends a forwarding relocation request to T-eMME.

[0246] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives forwarding relocation requests from the S-eMME.

[0247] S603, T-eMME and T-SGW respectively send session creation request / response.

[0248] S604, T-eMME sends a handover notification to T-TCF.

[0249] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives a handover notification from the T-eMME.

[0250] S605, S-eMME sends a cluster switch request to S-TCF.

[0251] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives cluster switching requests from the S-eMME.

[0252] For example, the cluster handover request is used to request the S-TCF to perform a core network handover.

[0253] S606, S-TCF sends a cluster handover response to S-eMME.

[0254] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives the cluster handover response from the S-TCF.

[0255] S607, S-TCF sends cluster bearer deletion request #1 to S-eMME.

[0256] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives cluster bearer deletion request #1 from the S-TCF.

[0257] For example, the cluster bearer deletion request #1 can be used to request the deletion of bearer #1 (which may correspond to the first bearer mentioned above). Bearer #1 is used by the UE to transmit data #1 (which may correspond to the first data mentioned above).

[0258] As an example, the cluster bearer deletion request #1 may include information about bearer #1. For example, the information about bearer #1 may include its identifier, EBI, or QCI, etc.

[0259] Assuming that the services supported by the UE before the handover include voice service, SMS service and video service, and the UE stops the voice service afterwards, then bearer #1 can be the bearer corresponding to the voice service, and data #1 can include voice data.

[0260] Optionally, bearer #1 can be a single bearer or multiple bearers.

[0261] S608, S-eMME sends a cluster bearer deletion response to S-TCF (which can correspond to the first message mentioned above).

[0262] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives a cluster bearer deletion response from the S-eMME.

[0263] For example, a cluster bearer deletion response can be used to indicate that bearer #1 deletion failed.

[0264] Step S608 can be referred to in the relevant description of step S510 in method 500, and will not be described here for the sake of brevity.

[0265] S609, optionally, the S-TCF cache carries information #1 (which may correspond to the information carried in the first cache mentioned above).

[0266] Step S609 can be referred to in the relevant description of step S520 in method 500, and will not be described again here for the sake of brevity.

[0267] S610, S-TCF, G-TCF and T-TCF establish a cluster signaling channel.

[0268] For example, this cluster signaling channel can be used to transmit cluster signaling between S-TCF and T-TCF.

[0269] S611, S-TCF sends an INVITE message to T-TCF (which corresponds to the second message mentioned above).

[0270] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives the INVITE message from the S-TCF.

[0271] For example, the INVITE message may include information about bearer #1 and indication information for instructing the deletion of the aforementioned bearer #1.

[0272] This step S611 can be referred to in the relevant description of step S530 in method 500, and will not be described here for the sake of brevity.

[0273] S612, T-TCF sends 100 Trying to S-TCF.

[0274] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives 100 Trying from the T-TCF.

[0275] Based on the above steps S611 and S612, the T-TCF can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the currently supported service of the UE, which may not include bearer #1.

[0276] S613, T-TCF sends a handover notification confirmation character to T-eMME.

[0277] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover notification ACK from the T-TCF.

[0278] S614, the T-eMME sends a handover request to the T-eNB.

[0279] Correspondingly, the T-eNB receives a handover request from the T-eMME.

[0280] S615, the T-eNB sends a handover request ACK to the T-eMME.

[0281] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover request ACK from the T-eNB.

[0282] For example, the switch request ACK can be used to confirm that a switch has been made.

[0283] S616, T-eMME and T-SGW create an indirect data forwarding channel.

[0284] S617, T-eMME sends a forwarding relocation response to S-eMME.

[0285] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives a forwarding relocation response from the T-eMME.

[0286] S618, T-eMME, etc. continue to be switched.

[0287] For example, the T-eMME can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover, based on the information of the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover included in the forwarding relocation request in step S602. Other network elements such as the T-SGW can also restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover.

[0288] As an example, the bearer that is restored (or recreated) in step S618, such as T-eMME, may include bearer #1.

[0289] S619, T-TCF sends a cluster bearer deletion request #2 to T-eMME (which corresponds to the third message mentioned above).

[0290] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives cluster bearer deletion request #2 from the T-TCF.

[0291] Among them, cluster bearer deletion request #2 is used to request the deletion of bearer #1.

[0292] For example, cluster bearer deletion request #2 may include information from bearer #1.

[0293] Understandably, T-eMME can subsequently instruct other network elements (such as T-SGW) to delete bearer #1.

[0294] Step S619 can be referred to in the relevant description of step S540 in method 500, and will not be described here for the sake of brevity.

[0295] For a detailed explanation of the parameters involved in steps S601-S607, S610, and S618 above, as well as their specific implementation methods, please refer to the above. Figure 4 For the sake of brevity, the relevant descriptions of steps S401-S417 will not be repeated here.

[0296] Based on the above technical solution, when a terminal device is switched, there may be bearers to be deleted. Each network element can obtain information about bearer #1 or delete bearer #1 through message indication. Based on this, the management of bearers related to cluster services can be realized, so that the bearers among the core network elements after the switch can maintain consistency and ensure service continuity.

[0297] See Figure 7 As an example, Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 700 provided in an embodiment of this application. Compared to method 500 described above, in method 700, the second cluster control network element or the second mobility management network element can delete the bearer to be deleted and / or instruct other network elements to delete the bearer to be deleted through a method determined by itself. Furthermore, this allows the core network after handover to not include the aforementioned bearer to be deleted. Figure 7 As shown, the method 700 includes the following steps, which are described in detail below. For any parts not covered in detail, please refer to the above. Figure 4 The steps in the document and the relevant descriptions of each step in Method 500.

[0298] S710, the first cluster control network element sends the fourth message to the second cluster control network element.

[0299] Correspondingly, the second cluster control network element receives the fourth message from the first cluster control network element.

[0300] For example, the first cluster control network element can send a fourth message to the second cluster control network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station. Correspondingly, the second cluster control network element can receive the fourth message from the first cluster control network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station.

[0301] The fourth message includes information carried by the second carrier.

[0302] As an example, it can be... Figure 4 In the INVITE message, the INVITE message may include information carried by the second bearer.

[0303] The relationship between the first and second load-bearing elements is explained below.

[0304] As an example, the second bearer can be understood as the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the terminal device. Optionally, the second bearer can be one bearer or multiple bearers, and this embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0305] For example, suppose the terminal device supports voice service, SMS service and video service before the handover, and the terminal device ends the voice service during the handover. At this time, the bearer corresponding to the voice service is the bearer to be deleted. Then the first bearer is the bearer corresponding to the voice service, and the second bearer is the bearer corresponding to the SMS service and the bearer corresponding to the video service.

[0306] For example, the second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit second data.

[0307] For example, taking the first bearer as the bearer corresponding to voice service and the second bearer as the bearer corresponding to SMS service and video service as an example, the first data transmitted by the first bearer may include voice data, and the second data transmitted by the second bearer may include SMS data and video data.

[0308] For example, the information of the second bearer may include at least one of the following: the identifier of the second bearer (e.g., the identifier (ID) of the second bearer), the EBI of the second bearer, or the QCI of the second bearer, etc. For instance, if the second bearer includes a bearer corresponding to SMS service and a bearer corresponding to video service, then the information of the second bearer may include the identifier, EBI, or QCI of the bearer corresponding to voice service, and the identifier, EBI, or QCI of the bearer corresponding to video service. This application does not limit the information of the second bearer.

[0309] S720, the second cluster control network element determines whether the first bearer exists and / or, based on the information of the second bearer, the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list.

[0310] For example, the second cluster control network element can determine whether the first bearer exists and / or determine the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list based on the information of the second bearer during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station.

[0311] As an example, the above determination of whether the first bearer exists and / or determination of the consistency of the second bearer with the bearer list can also be described as checking whether the first bearer exists and / or checking the consistency of the second bearer with the bearer list.

[0312] For example, the bearer list may include bearers corresponding to the services supported by the terminal device before the handover. For instance, assuming that the services supported by the terminal device before the handover include voice service, SMS service, and video service, the bearer list may include bearers corresponding to voice service, SMS service, and video service.

[0313] As an example, the bearer list may include the identifier of the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the terminal device before the handover, at least one of EBI or QCI.

[0314] Understandably, the bearer list can include a first bearer and a second bearer.

[0315] Optionally, before the second cluster control element receives the fourth message, method 700 further includes: the second cluster control element obtaining the bearer list.

[0316] This application does not limit the acquisition of the bearer list; it can be predefined or preconfigured, or it can be indicated by other network elements.

[0317] For example, the process of the second trunking control element obtaining the bearer list may include: the second trunking control element receiving the bearer list from the second mobility management element. Correspondingly, the second mobility management element sending the bearer list to the second trunking control element.

[0318] As an example, the second mobility management network element can... Figure 4 The handover notification sends a bearer list to the second cluster control network element at this time. Figure 4 The switching notification in the application can carry the above bearer list.

[0319] In step S720, the second cluster control network element can be implemented in two possible ways based on the information of the second bearer.

[0320] In the first possible implementation, the second cluster control network element determines whether the first bearer exists based on the information of the second bearer.

[0321] Under this possible implementation, there are two possible scenarios.

[0322] Scenario 1: The second cluster control network element determines that the first bearer exists.

[0323] For example, if the second bearer is not exactly the same as the bearers included in the bearer list, the second cluster control network element determines that the first bearer exists.

[0324] For example, if the second bearer is the bearer corresponding to SMS service and the bearer corresponding to video service, and the bearer list contains bearers corresponding to voice service, SMS service, and video service, then based on the information of the second bearer (such as its identifier), the second cluster control network element can determine that the first bearer exists, i.e., there is a bearer to be deleted. In this case, the first bearer is the bearer corresponding to voice service.

[0325] Scenario 2: The second cluster control network element determines that the first bearer does not exist.

[0326] For example, if the second bearer is the same as the bearer included in the bearer list, the second cluster control network element determines that the first bearer does not exist.

[0327] For example, if the second bearer is the bearer corresponding to the SMS service and the bearer corresponding to the video service, and the bearer list contains the bearers corresponding to the SMS service and the bearers corresponding to the video service, then based on the information of the second bearer (such as the identifier), the second cluster control network element can determine that the first bearer does not exist, that is, there is no bearer to be deleted.

[0328] It is understandable that the determination of the existence of the first bearer based on the information of the second bearer can be achieved through lightweight comparisons such as the number of identifiers. For example, if the number of identifiers included in the information of the second bearer is different from the number of identifiers included in the bearer list, the second cluster control network element can determine that the first bearer exists, that is, there is a bearer to be deleted; or, if the number of identifiers included in the information of the second bearer is the same as the number of identifiers included in the bearer list, the second cluster control network element can determine that the first bearer does not exist, that is, there is no bearer to be deleted.

[0329] In the second possible implementation, the second cluster control network element determines the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list based on the information of the second bearer.

[0330] In this possible implementation, the second cluster control network element can determine whether the second bearer is the same as the bearer contained in the bearer list. There are also two possible scenarios here.

[0331] Scenario 1: The second bearer is the same as the bearer contained in the bearer list.

[0332] In this case, there is no bearer to be deleted, that is, there is no first bearer.

[0333] For example, if the second bearer is the bearer corresponding to the SMS service and the bearer corresponding to the video service, and the bearer list contains the bearers corresponding to the SMS service and the bearers corresponding to the video service, then the second bearer is the same as the bearers contained in the bearer list, that is, there is no first bearer.

[0334] Scenario 2: The second bearer is not exactly the same as the bearers contained in the bearer list.

[0335] In this scenario, the second cluster control network element can determine the first bearer based on the second bearer and the bearer list.

[0336] For example, if the second bearer is the bearer corresponding to SMS service and the bearer corresponding to video service, and the bearer list contains bearers corresponding to voice service, SMS service and video service, the second cluster control network element can determine that the first bearer is the bearer corresponding to voice service.

[0337] The two possible implementation methods described above can also be combined. That is, the second cluster control network element determines whether the first bearer exists based on the information of the second bearer, and also determines the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list. For example, the second cluster control network element can determine the existence of the first bearer based on information such as the number of identifiers, and then determine the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list, thereby identifying the first bearer.

[0338] Regarding the above possible implementation methods, in the case where the first bearer exists, there are two subsequent methods for other network elements (such as the second mobility management network element, etc.) to delete the first bearer.

[0339] Method 1, in which method 700 may include steps S730 and S740. This method can be applied to both the first and second possible implementations described above, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0340] S730, the second trunking control network element sends the fifth message to the second mobility management network element.

[0341] Correspondingly, the second mobility management network element receives the fifth message from the second trunking control network element.

[0342] For example, the second trunking control network element can send a fifth message to the second mobility management network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station. Correspondingly, the second mobility management network element can receive the fifth message from the second trunking control network element during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station.

[0343] The fifth message is used to indicate that there is a bearer to be deleted.

[0344] As an example, the fifth message could be Figure 4 In the case of a handover notification ACK, the handover notification ACK can be used to indicate that there is a bearer to be deleted.

[0345] Optionally, the fifth message can also be sent or received after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station. Based on this, the second mobility management network element can obtain a message indicating the existence of a bearer to be deleted after the switch.

[0346] S740, the second mobility management element determines that the bearer to be deleted is the first bearer.

[0347] This application embodiment does not restrict the method by which the second mobility management network element determines the bearer to be deleted as the first bearer.

[0348] For example, the second mobility management element can determine the bearer to be deleted as the first bearer based on its own state. For instance, the second mobility management element can determine the bearer to be deleted as the first bearer through data monitoring and by observing uplink and downlink data transmissions. For example, it can determine that a bearer with no uplink or downlink data transmissions within a certain period is the bearer to be deleted, i.e., the first bearer. Alternatively, the second mobility management element can determine the first bearer through bearer context. For example, it can determine that a bearer whose context is not detected at a certain moment is the bearer to be deleted, i.e., the first bearer.

[0349] Furthermore, the second mobility management element can delete the first bearer. Optionally, the second mobility management element can subsequently instruct other network elements (e.g., the serving gateway of the target station, such as...) via messages. Figure 4 (e.g., T-SGW) Remove the first bearer.

[0350] Method 2, in which method 700 may include steps S750 and S760. This method is applicable to the second possible implementation described above.

[0351] S750, the second trunking control network element sends the sixth message to the second mobility management network element.

[0352] Correspondingly, the second mobility management network element receives the sixth message from the second trunking control network element.

[0353] For example, after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the second trunking control network element sends a sixth message to the second mobility management network element. Correspondingly, the second mobility management network element can receive the sixth message from the second trunking control network element after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station.

[0354] The sixth message is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0355] For example, the sixth message may include information about the first bearer. For instance, the sixth message may include at least one of the following: the identifier of the first bearer (e.g., the identifier (ID) of the first bearer), the EBI of the first bearer, or the QCI of the first bearer.

[0356] S760, the second mobility management element deletes the first bearer.

[0357] As an example, based on this, after receiving the sixth message, the second mobility management network element can respond to the sixth message by deleting the first bearer.

[0358] The second mobility management network element can also instruct other network elements to delete the first bearer via a message. Therefore, optionally, method 700 may further include: the second mobility management network element sending a seventh message. The seventh message is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0359] Optionally, the fifth, sixth, or seventh message mentioned above can be sent / received during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, or it can be sent / received after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0360] Based on the above technical solution, when a terminal device switches over, there may be bearers to be deleted. The second cluster control network element can determine whether there are bearers to be deleted based on the bearers corresponding to the currently supported services. If there are bearers to be deleted, it can indicate to the second mobility management network element that there are bearers to be deleted, so that the second mobility management network element can delete the first bearer (e.g., based on its own status). Alternatively, the second cluster control network element can determine the consistency between the bearers corresponding to the currently supported services and the bearers corresponding to the services supported before the switchover, thereby determining the first bearer, and then requesting the second mobility management network element to delete the first bearer. Based on this, the management of bearers related to cluster services can be realized, ensuring the consistency of bearers among core network elements after the switchover, avoiding bearer waste, and ensuring service continuity.

[0361] See Figure 8 As an example, Figure 8This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 800 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 800 is primarily illustrated using the terminal device as a UE, the first mobility management network element as an S-eMME, the first trunking control network element as an S-TCF, the second mobility management network element as a T-eMME, and the second trunking control network element as a T-TCF. Figure 8 The method shown can be viewed as a specific implementation process of the above method 700, specifically the first possible implementation method and method 1 in the above method 700. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the method 800 includes the following steps.

[0362] S801, S-eNB sends a handover request to S-eMME.

[0363] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives handover requests from the S-eNB.

[0364] S802, S-eMME sends a forwarding relocation request to T-eMME.

[0365] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives forwarding relocation requests from the S-eMME.

[0366] S803, T-eMME and T-SGW respectively send session creation request / response.

[0367] S804, T-eMME sends a handover notification to T-TCF.

[0368] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives a handover notification from the T-eMME.

[0369] For example, the handover notification may include a bearer list. As an example, the bearer list may contain bearers corresponding to services supported by the UE before the handover, such as the bearer list including the EBI of the bearers corresponding to services supported by the UE before the handover.

[0370] S805, S-eMME sends a cluster switch request to S-TCF.

[0371] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives cluster switching requests from the S-eMME.

[0372] For example, the cluster handover request is used to request the S-TCF to perform a core network handover.

[0373] S806, S-TCF sends a cluster handover response to S-eMME.

[0374] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives the cluster handover response from the S-TCF.

[0375] S807, S-TCF sends cluster bearer deletion request #1 to S-eMME.

[0376] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives cluster bearer deletion request #1 from the S-TCF.

[0377] For example, the cluster bearer deletion request #1 can be used to request the deletion of bearer #1 (which may correspond to the first bearer mentioned above). Bearer #1 is used by the UE to transmit data #1 (which may correspond to the first data mentioned above).

[0378] As an example, the cluster bearer deletion request #1 may include information about bearer #1. For example, the information about bearer #1 may include at least one of bearer #1's identifier, EBI, or QCI.

[0379] Assuming that the services performed by the UE before the handover include voice service, SMS service and video service, and if the UE stops the voice service during the handover process, then bearer #1 can be the bearer corresponding to the voice service, and data #1 can include voice data.

[0380] Optionally, bearer #1 can be a single bearer or multiple bearers.

[0381] S808, S-eMME sends a cluster bearer deletion response to S-TCF.

[0382] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives a cluster bearer deletion response from the S-eMME.

[0383] The cluster bearer deletion response is used to indicate that bearer #1 deletion failed.

[0384] S809, S-TCF, G-TCF and T-TCF establish a cluster signaling channel.

[0385] For example, this cluster signaling channel can be used to transmit cluster signaling between S-TCF and T-TCF.

[0386] S810, S-TCF sends an INVITE message to T-TCF (which corresponds to the fourth message mentioned above).

[0387] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives the INVITE message from the S-TCF.

[0388] For example, the INVITE message may include information about bearer #2 (which may correspond to the second bearer mentioned above).

[0389] As an example, bearer #2 can be understood as the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the UE.

[0390] The description of step S810 can be found in step S710 of method 700. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0391] S811, T-TCF sends 100 Trying to S-TCF.

[0392] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives 100 Trying from the T-TCF.

[0393] Based on the above steps S810 and S811, the T-TCF can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the currently supported service of the UE, namely bearer #2.

[0394] S812, T-TCF determines whether bearer #1 exists.

[0395] For example, the T-TCF can determine whether bearer #1 exists based on the information of bearer #2.

[0396] As an example, if bearer #2 is not exactly the same as the bearers contained in the bearer list, then T-TCF determines that bearer #1 exists.

[0397] As an example, if bearer #2 is the same as a bearer in the bearer list, then T-TCF determines that bearer #1 does not exist.

[0398] The description of step S812 can be found in step S720 of method 700, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0399] The following describes how T-TCF determines that bearer #1 exists. If T-TCF determines that bearer #1 does not exist, the subsequent procedures can be referred to the existing relevant descriptions.

[0400] S813, T-TCF sends a handover notification ACK to T-eMME (which corresponds to the fifth message mentioned above).

[0401] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover notification ACK from the T-TCF.

[0402] For example, the switch notification ACK can be used to indicate the existence of a bearer to be deleted.

[0403] This step S813 can be referred to in the relevant description of step S730 in method 700, and will not be described here for the sake of brevity.

[0404] S814, the T-eMME sends a handover request to the T-eNB.

[0405] Correspondingly, the T-eNB receives a handover request from the T-eMME.

[0406] S815, T-eNB sends a handover request ACK to T-eMME.

[0407] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover request ACK from the T-eNB.

[0408] For example, the switch request ACK can be used to confirm that a switch has been made.

[0409] S816, T-eMME and T-SGW create an indirect data forwarding channel.

[0410] S817, T-eMME sends a forwarding relocation response to S-eMME.

[0411] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives a forwarding relocation response from the T-eMME.

[0412] S818, T-eMME, etc. continue to be switched.

[0413] For example, the T-eMME can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover, based on the information of the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover included in the forwarding relocation request in step S802. Other network elements such as the T-SGW can also restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover.

[0414] As an example, the bearer that is restored (or recreated) in step S818, such as T-eMME, may include bearer #1.

[0415] S819, T-eMME determines that the bearer to be deleted is bearer #1.

[0416] Furthermore, T-eMME removes bearer #1.

[0417] Step S819 can be referred to in the relevant description of step S740 in method 700, and will not be described here for the sake of brevity.

[0418] Understandably, T-eMME can subsequently instruct other network elements (such as T-SGW) to delete bearer #1.

[0419] For a detailed explanation of the parameters involved in steps S801-S809, S811, and S814-S818 above, as well as their specific implementation methods, please refer to the above. Figure 4 For the sake of brevity, the relevant descriptions of steps S401-S417 will not be repeated here.

[0420] Based on the above scheme, when a UE undergoes handover, there may be bearers to be deleted. The T-TCF can determine whether there are bearers to be deleted based on the bearers corresponding to the currently supported services. If there are bearers to be deleted, it can indicate to the T-eMME that there are bearers to be deleted, so that the T-eMME can delete bearer #1 (such as deleting bearer #1 based on its own status). Based on this, the management of bearers related to cluster services can be realized, so that the bearers between core network elements after handover can maintain consistency and ensure service continuity.

[0421] See Figure 9 As an example, Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method 900 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 900 is primarily illustrated using the terminal device as a UE, the first mobility management network element as an S-eMME, the first trunking control network element as an S-TCF, the second mobility management network element as a T-eMME, and the second trunking control network element as a T-TCF. Figure 9 The method shown can be seen as a specific implementation process of the above method 700, specifically regarding the second possible implementation method and method 2 in the above method 700. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the method 900 includes the following steps.

[0422] S901, S-eNB sends a handover request to S-eMME.

[0423] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives handover requests from the S-eNB.

[0424] S902, S-eMME sends a forwarding relocation request to T-eMME.

[0425] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives forwarding relocation requests from the S-eMME.

[0426] S903, T-eMME and T-SGW respectively send session creation request / response.

[0427] S904, T-eMME sends a handover notification to T-TCF.

[0428] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives a handover notification from the T-eMME.

[0429] For example, the handover notification may include a bearer list. As an example, the bearer list may contain bearers corresponding to services supported by the UE before the handover, such as the bearer list including the EBI of the bearers corresponding to services supported by the UE before the handover.

[0430] S905, S-eMME sends a cluster switch request to S-TCF.

[0431] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives cluster switching requests from the S-eMME.

[0432] For example, the cluster handover request is used to request the S-TCF to perform a core network handover.

[0433] S906, S-TCF sends a cluster handover response to S-eMME.

[0434] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives the cluster handover response from the S-TCF.

[0435] S907, S-TCF sends cluster bearer deletion request #1 to S-eMME.

[0436] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives cluster bearer deletion request #1 from the S-TCF.

[0437] For example, the cluster bearer deletion request #1 can be used to request the deletion of bearer #1 (which may correspond to the first bearer mentioned above). Bearer #1 is used by the UE to transmit data #1 (which may correspond to the first data mentioned above).

[0438] Optionally, bearer #1 can be a single bearer or multiple bearers.

[0439] S908, S-eMME sends a cluster bearer deletion response to S-TCF.

[0440] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives a cluster bearer deletion response from the S-eMME.

[0441] The cluster bearer deletion response is used to indicate that bearer #1 deletion failed.

[0442] S909, S-TCF, G-TCF and T-TCF establish a cluster signaling channel.

[0443] For example, this cluster signaling channel can be used to transmit cluster signaling between S-TCF and T-TCF.

[0444] S910, S-TCF sends an INVITE message to T-TCF (which corresponds to the fourth message mentioned above).

[0445] Correspondingly, the T-TCF receives the INVITE message from the S-TCF.

[0446] For example, the INVITE message may include information about bearer #2 (which may correspond to the second bearer mentioned above).

[0447] As an example, bearer #2 can be understood as the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the UE.

[0448] The description of step S910 can be found in step S710 of method 700. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described here again.

[0449] S911, T-TCF sends 100 Trying to S-TCF.

[0450] Correspondingly, the S-TCF receives 100 Trying from the T-TCF.

[0451] Based on the above steps S910 and S911, the T-TCF can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service currently supported by the UE, namely bearer #2.

[0452] S912, T-TCF confirms the consistency between bearer #2 and the bearer list.

[0453] For example, if it is determined that bearer #2 is the same as the bearer contained in the bearer list, then there is no bearer #1.

[0454] For example, if it is determined that bearer #2 and the bearer list contain different bearers, T-TCF can determine bearer #1 based on bearer #2 and the bearer list.

[0455] The description of step S912 can be found in step S720 of method 700, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0456] The following describes the determination of bearer #1 for T-TCF. If there is no bearer #1, the subsequent process can be referred to the existing relevant descriptions.

[0457] S913, T-TCF sends a handover notification ACK to T-eMME.

[0458] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover notification ACK from the T-TCF.

[0459] S914, T-eMME sends a handover request to T-eNB.

[0460] Correspondingly, the T-eNB receives a handover request from the T-eMME.

[0461] S915, T-eNB sends a handover request ACK to T-eMME.

[0462] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives the handover request ACK from the T-eNB.

[0463] For example, the switch request ACK can be used to confirm that a switch has been made.

[0464] S916, T-eMME and T-SGW create an indirect data forwarding channel.

[0465] S917, T-eMME sends a forwarding relocation response to S-eMME.

[0466] Correspondingly, the S-eMME receives a forwarding relocation response from the T-eMME.

[0467] S918, T-eMME, etc. continue to be switched.

[0468] For example, the T-eMME can restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover, based on the information of the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover included in the forwarding relocation request in step S802. Other network elements such as the T-SGW can also restore (or recreate) the bearer corresponding to the service supported by the UE before the handover.

[0469] As an example, the bearer that is restored (or recreated) in step S918, such as T-eMME, may include bearer #1.

[0470] S919, T-TCF sends cluster bearer deletion request #2 to T-eMME (which corresponds to the sixth message mentioned above).

[0471] Correspondingly, the T-eMME receives cluster bearer deletion request #2 from the T-TCF.

[0472] For example, the cluster bearer deletion request #2 can be used to request the deletion of bearer #1. As an example, the cluster bearer deletion request #2 may include information about bearer #1.

[0473] The description of step S919 can be found in step S760 of method 700, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0474] Based on this, T-eMME can respond to cluster bearer deletion request #2 and delete bearer #1.

[0475] Understandably, T-eMME can subsequently instruct other network elements (such as T-SGW) to delete bearer #1.

[0476] For a detailed explanation of the parameters involved in steps S901-S909, S911, and S913-S918 above, as well as their specific implementation methods, please refer to the above. Figure 4 For the sake of brevity, the relevant descriptions of steps S401-S417 will not be repeated here.

[0477] Based on the above scheme, when a UE is switched over, there may be bearers to be deleted. T-TCF can determine the consistency between the bearer corresponding to the current service and the bearer corresponding to the service before the switchover, thereby determining the bearer to be deleted (i.e., bearer #1). Then, it requests T-eMME to delete the bearer to be deleted. Based on this, the management of bearers related to cluster services can be realized, so that the bearers between core network elements after the switchover remain consistent, ensuring service continuity.

[0478] It should be noted that the step numbers in the flowcharts described in the above embodiments are merely examples of the execution flow and do not constitute a restriction on the order of step execution. There is no strict execution order between steps in this application embodiment that have no temporal dependency. Not all steps shown in the flowcharts are mandatory; some steps can be deleted or added as needed. Furthermore, the above description focuses on the differences between different embodiments; aside from the differences, the embodiments can be referenced interchangeably. In addition, different implementations or examples within the same embodiment can also be referenced interchangeably.

[0479] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to several accompanying drawings. The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the method embodiments; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0480] See Figure 10 As an example, Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1000 includes a transceiver unit 1010 and a processing unit 1020. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 1010 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit. The processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing.

[0481] Optionally, the device 1000 further includes a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 1020 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit to enable the device to implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0482] In a first possible design, the device 1000 may be the first cluster control network element in the aforementioned embodiments (such as...). Figure 6 , 8As shown in Figure 9 (S-TCF), the device 1000 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the first cluster control network element executed in the above method embodiment. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first cluster control network element in the above method embodiment (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages); the processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the first cluster control network element in the above method embodiment, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0483] In one possible implementation, during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive a first message, which indicates that the deletion of the first bearer has failed. The first bearer is a bearer to be deleted and is used by the terminal device to transmit first data. During the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to send a second message, which includes information about the first bearer and indication information, and the indication information is used to indicate the deletion of the first bearer.

[0484] Optionally, the first message includes a reason value, which indicates that the switch caused the first bearer deletion to fail.

[0485] Optionally, the processing unit 1020 is used to cache the information carried in the first carrier.

[0486] In a second possible design, the device 1000 could be the second cluster control network element (such as...) in the aforementioned embodiments. Figure 6 , 8 The device 1000 (as shown in Figure 9, T-TCF) can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those executed by the second cluster control network element in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second cluster control network element in the above method embodiments (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages); the processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the second cluster control network element in the above method embodiments, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0487] In one possible implementation, during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive a second message, which includes information about the first bearer and indication information, the indication information being used to indicate the deletion of the first bearer; after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send a third message, the third message being used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0488] In a third possible design, the device 1000 could be the first mobility management network element (e.g., in the aforementioned embodiments) Figure 6 , 8As shown in Figure 9 (S-eMME), the device 1000 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the first mobility management network element executed in the above method embodiment. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first mobility management network element in the above method embodiment (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages); the processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the first mobility management network element in the above method embodiment, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0489] In one possible implementation, during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to send a first message, which is used to indicate that the deletion of the first bearer has failed. The first bearer is a bearer to be deleted, and the first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit first data.

[0490] Optionally, the first message includes a reason value, which indicates that the switch caused the first bearer deletion to fail.

[0491] A fourth possible design is that the device 1000 can be the second cluster control network element in the aforementioned embodiments (such as...). Figure 6 , 8 The device 1000 (as shown in Figure 9, T-TCF) can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those executed by the second cluster control network element in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second cluster control network element in the above method embodiments (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages); the processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the second cluster control network element in the above method embodiments, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0492] In one possible implementation, during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive a fourth message, the fourth message including information about the second bearer; during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the processing unit 1020 is used to determine whether the first bearer exists based on the information about the second bearer, and / or to determine the consistency between the second bearer and the bearer list; wherein, the first bearer is a bearer to be deleted, the first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit first data, the second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit second data, and the bearer list includes the first bearer and the second bearer.

[0493] Optionally, if the second bearer is not exactly the same as the bearers included in the bearer list, the processing unit 1020 is also used to determine that the first bearer exists.

[0494] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send a fifth message, which is used to indicate that there is a bearer to be deleted.

[0495] Optionally, if the second bearer is the same as the bearer included in the bearer list, the processing unit 1020 is also used to determine that the first bearer does not exist.

[0496] Optionally, the processing unit 1020 is further configured to determine whether the second bearer is the same as the bearer contained in the bearer list; if the second bearer is not exactly the same as the bearer contained in the bearer list, the processing unit 1020 is further configured to determine the first bearer based on the second bearer and the bearer list.

[0497] Optionally, after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send a sixth message, which is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0498] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to obtain a bearer list.

[0499] A fifth possible design is that the device 1000 can be the second mobility management network element (such as...) in the aforementioned embodiments. Figure 6 , 8 The device 1000 (as shown in Figure 9, T-eMME) can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the second mobility management network element in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second mobility management network element in the above method embodiments (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages); the processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the second mobility management network element in the above method embodiments, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0500] In one possible implementation, during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive a fifth message, which indicates that there is a bearer to be deleted; after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the processing unit is used to delete a first bearer, which is a bearer to be deleted and is used by the terminal device to transmit first data.

[0501] Optionally, after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send a seventh message, which is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

[0502] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send a bearer list, which includes a first bearer and a second bearer, the second bearer being used by the terminal device to transmit second data.

[0503] A sixth possible design is that the device 1000 can be the second mobility management network element (e.g., in the aforementioned embodiments) Figure 6 , 8The device 1000 (as shown in Figure 9, T-eMME) can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the second mobility management network element in the above method embodiments. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second mobility management network element in the above method embodiments (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages); the processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the second mobility management network element in the above method embodiments, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0504] In one possible implementation, after the terminal device switches to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive a sixth message, which requests the deletion of a first bearer, the first bearer being a bearer to be deleted, and the first bearer being used by the terminal device to transmit first data; the processing unit is used to delete the first bearer in response to the sixth message.

[0505] Optionally, during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is also used to send a bearer list, which includes a first bearer and a second bearer, and the second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit second data.

[0506] A seventh possible design is that the device 1000 can be the first cluster control network element in the aforementioned embodiments (such as...). Figure 6 , 8 As shown in Figure 9 (S-TCF), the device 1000 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the first cluster control network element executed in the above method embodiment. The transceiver unit 1010 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first cluster control network element in the above method embodiment (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages); the processing unit 1020 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the first cluster control network element in the above method embodiment, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0507] In one possible implementation, during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to send a fourth message. The fourth message includes information about the second bearer. The second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit second data. The bearer list includes the first bearer and the second bearer.

[0508] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0509] It should also be understood that the device 1000 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuitry, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a proprietary processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1000 can be specifically the communication device in the above embodiments, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the communication device in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0510] The apparatus 1000 of each of the above-described schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the communication devices (such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first trunking control network element, and the second trunking control network element) in the above-described methods. The functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (e.g., the transmitting unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing units, can be replaced by processors, each performing the transceiver operations and related processing operations in the respective method embodiments.

[0511] In addition, the transceiver unit 1010 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, it may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit may be a processing circuit.

[0512] It should be pointed out that, Figure 10 The device in this context can be the communication equipment described in the foregoing embodiments (such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first trunking control network element, and the second trunking control network element), or it can be a chip or a chip system, such as a SoC. The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit is a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip, and is not limited thereto.

[0513] See Figure 11 As an example, Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 1100 includes a processor 1110, which is coupled to a memory 1120. The memory 1120 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 1110 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 1120, or to read the data stored in the memory 1120, in order to execute the methods in the above method embodiments.

[0514] Optionally, there may be one or more processors 1110.

[0515] Optionally, the memory 1120 may be one or more.

[0516] Alternatively, the memory 1120 can be integrated with the processor 1110, or it can be set separately.

[0517] Optionally, such as Figure 11 As shown, the device 1100 also includes a transceiver 1130, which is used for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, the processor 1110 is used to control the transceiver 1130 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0518] As an example, processor 1110 may have Figure 10 The processing unit 1020 shown has the function of a storage unit, the memory 1120 may have the function of a storage unit, and the transceiver 1130 may have the function of a storage unit. Figure 10 The function of the transceiver unit 1010 shown is illustrated.

[0519] As one approach, the device 1100 is used to implement the operations performed by the communication devices (such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first trunking control network element, and the second trunking control network element) in the various method embodiments described above.

[0520] For example, processor 1110 is used to execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory 1120 to implement the relevant operations of the communication device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0521] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0522] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0523] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0524] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0525] See Figure 12 As an example, Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a chip system 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 1200 (or may also be referred to as a processing system) includes logic circuitry 1210 and an input / output interface 1220.

[0526] The logic circuit 1210 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 1200. The logic circuit 1210 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 1200 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 1220 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 1200, outputting processed information from the chip system 1200, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 1200 for processing.

[0527] As one approach, the chip system 1200 is used to implement the operations performed by the communication devices (such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first trunking control network element, and the second trunking control network element) in the various method embodiments described above.

[0528] For example, logic circuit 1210 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by communication devices (such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first trunking control network element, and the second trunking control network element) in the above method embodiments; input / output interface 1220 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by communication devices (such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first trunking control network element, and the second trunking control network element) in the above method embodiments.

[0529] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions for implementing the methods executed by a communication device (such as a first mobility management network element, a second mobility management network element, a first trunking control network element, and a second trunking control network element) in the above-described method embodiments. For example, when the computer program or instructions are executed on the communication device, they cause the communication device (such as the first mobility management network element, the second mobility management network element, the first trunking control network element, and the second trunking control network element) to execute the above-described methods (such as methods 500 to 900).

[0530] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the methods described above, which are performed by communication devices (such as a first mobility management network element, a second mobility management network element, a first trunking control network element, and a second trunking control network element). For example, when the computer program or instructions are run on the communication device, they cause the communication device (such as a first mobility management network element, a second mobility management network element, a first trunking control network element, and a second trunking control network element) to perform the methods described above (such as methods 500 to 900).

[0531] This application also provides a communication system, which includes, in the above embodiments, a first mobility management network element, a second mobility management network element, a first trunking control network element, and a second trunking control network element.

[0532] The explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0533] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of apparatus or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0534] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs). For example, the aforementioned available media include, but are not limited to, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks, and other media capable of storing program code.

[0535] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, applied to a cluster control network element at the target station, includes: During the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, a fourth message is received from the trunking control network element of the source station. The fourth message includes information about the second bearer, which is the bearer corresponding to the second service currently supported by the terminal device. Based on the information of the second bearer, it is determined whether the first bearer exists, and the first bearer is the bearer to be deleted; If the existence of the first bearer is confirmed, a fifth message is sent to the mobility management network element of the target station, the fifth message being used to indicate the existence of the bearer to be deleted; The bearer to be deleted is the bearer corresponding to the first service that the terminal device stops during the switch. The first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit the first data associated with the first service, and the second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit the second data associated with the second service.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first bearer and the second bearer are included in a bearer list, which contains bearers corresponding to the services supported by the terminal device before the switch.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining whether the first bearer exists based on the information from the second bearer includes: If the second bearer is not exactly the same as the bearers contained in the bearer list, then the first bearer is determined to exist.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining whether the first bearer exists based on the information from the second bearer includes: If the second bearer is the same as a bearer contained in the bearer list, then it is determined that the first bearer does not exist.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Before receiving the fourth message from the cluster control network element of the source station, the method further includes: Obtain the bearer list.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, applied to a mobility management network element at a target station, includes: During the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, a fifth message is received from the cluster control network element of the target station. The fifth message is used to indicate that there is a bearer to be deleted. After the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, the first bearer is deleted. The first bearer is the bearer to be deleted, which is the bearer corresponding to the first service that the terminal device stopped during the switch. The first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit the first data associated with the first service.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, After receiving the fifth message from the cluster control network element of the target station, the method further includes: After the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station, it sends a seventh message, which is used to request the deletion of the first bearer.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, Before receiving the fifth message from the cluster control network element of the target station, the method further includes: A bearer list is sent to the cluster control network element of the target station. The bearer list contains bearers corresponding to the services supported by the terminal device before the handover. The bearer list includes the first bearer and the second bearer. The second bearer is the bearer corresponding to the second service currently supported by the terminal device. The second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit the second data associated with the second service.

9. A communication system, characterized in that, This includes the trunking control network elements of the source station, the trunking control network elements of the target station, and the mobility management network elements of the target station. The trunking control network element of the source station is used to send a fourth message to the trunking control network element of the target station during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station. The fourth message includes information about the second bearer, which is the bearer corresponding to the second service currently supported by the terminal device. The cluster control network element of the target station is used to receive the fourth message and determine whether the first bearer exists based on the information of the second bearer, wherein the first bearer is a bearer to be deleted. If the existence of the first bearer is confirmed, the cluster control network element of the target station is further configured to send a fifth message to the mobility management network element of the target station during the process of the terminal device switching from the source station to the target station, the fifth message being used to indicate the existence of the bearer to be deleted; The bearer to be deleted is the bearer corresponding to the first service that the terminal device stops during the switch. The first bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit the first data associated with the first service, and the second bearer is used by the terminal device to transmit the second data associated with the second service.

10. The communication system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The mobility management network element of the target station is used to receive the fifth message; and delete the first bearer after the terminal device switches from the source station to the target station.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for executing computer programs or instructions to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 8.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, The device also includes a memory and / or a communication interface. The memory, coupled to the processor, is used to store the computer program or instructions; The communication interface is coupled to the processor and is used for inputting and / or outputting information.

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

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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