Communication method and device

Abstract

Provided are a communication method and device, the method comprising: receiving a paging message, the paging message comprising a first identifier and a second identifier, the first identifier being used for indicating a target data bearer type in at least two data bearer types, the second identifier being used for indicating a terminal device, the at least two data bearer types comprise an end-to-end bearer and a multi-node bearer, and each node in the multi-node bearer supports channel associated calculation of data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; a first request message is sent, the first request message is used for requesting access, the first request message comprises a third identifier, and the third identifier is used for indicating the target bearer type; and establishing a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type according to the first identifier. According to the method, the terminal equipment is supported to provide the data service, and meanwhile resource waste caused by establishment of the default PDU session is avoided.

Description

Communication method and device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0002] Data is generated, flows, and consumed within communication networks. With the growth of network scale, new technologies, and applications, the amount of data on these networks is increasing, and its importance is growing. Therefore, efficient data utilization requires a comprehensive service architecture. Traditionally, data existed in silos, meaning that an application could only use its own data and not access data from other applications, nor could it provide its own data to other applications. Data services aim to break down these silos, enabling data to be used as a service by various applications within and outside the network, thereby maximizing its value.

[0003] Currently, information exchange between two network nodes requires a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session to provide an end-to-end user plane connection between the user terminal device and the network. Intermediate nodes on this communication path are only responsible for forwarding data packets and do not process them, making it impossible to support the terminal in providing data services.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus that support terminal devices in providing data services while avoiding resource waste caused by establishing a default PDU session.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device, or can also be executed by a chip or circuit configured in the terminal device, and this application does not limit this. The method includes: receiving a paging message, the paging message includes a first identifier and a second identifier, the first identifier is used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, and the second identifier is used to indicate the terminal device, wherein the at least two data bearer types include end-to-end bearer and multi-node bearer, and each node in the multi-node bearer supports on-path calculation of data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; sending a first request message, the first request message is used to request access, the first request message includes a third identifier, and the third identifier is used to indicate the target bearer type; according to the first identifier, establishing a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type.

[0007] As an example and not a limitation, the end-to-end bearer is a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session.

[0008] As an example and not a limitation, the multi-node bearer is a data bearer for carrying a data service. It should be understood that the data bearer for carrying a data service includes one or more data pipelines, and each node on the data pipeline needs to perform on-path computing / on-path packet processing on the data. In other words, the data bearer for carrying a data service supports data conversion and optimization during the data forwarding process.

[0009] Based on the above scheme, after receiving the paging message, the terminal device can determine the type of target data bearer that needs to be established based on the first identifier, and carry the third identifier during the random access process to inform the access network device and the core network device of the type of target data bearer that needs to be established. While supporting the terminal device to provide data services, it avoids the waste of resources caused by the establishment of the default PDU session.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first identifier is used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, including: the first identifier is used to indicate a paging reason, the paging reason including voice paging, data paging, and data service, the target data bearer type corresponds to the paging reason, wherein, when the paging reason is data service, the target bearer type is the multi-node bearer.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the third identifier is used to indicate the target bearer type, including: the third identifier is used to indicate the access reason, the access reason corresponds to the paging reason, wherein, when the paging reason is a data service, the access reason is a called data service.

[0012] Based on the above solution, by adding a data service option in the paging reason, the terminal device avoids determining the target data bearer type to be established and then notifies the RAN and core network devices through the corresponding access reason. While avoiding the waste of resources caused by establishing the default PDU bearer, the current message is reused to reduce resource overhead.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the target bearer type is a multi-node bearer, a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type is established according to the first identifier, including: receiving a second request message, the second request message is used to request a first data service, the terminal device supports providing the first data service, and the second request message includes type information of the first data service; receiving a third request message, the third request message is used to request the establishment of a first multi-node bearer, the first multi-node bearer is used to transmit data of the first data service; and establishing the first multi-node bearer according to the type information of the first data service.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a second response message in response to the second request message, where the second response message is used to confirm the provision of the first data service.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a third response message in response to the third request message, where the third response message is used to confirm the establishment of the first multi-node bearer.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before receiving the paging message, the method also includes: sending a capability registration message, which is used to indicate the data service capability of the terminal device, wherein the capability registration message is non-access stratum NAS signaling, or the capability registration message is radio resource control RRC signaling.

[0017] It should be understood that the capability registration message includes information such as the data services that the terminal device can support and / or the objects that can provide data services. Exemplarily, the data service capabilities of the terminal device include one or more of the following: terminal device identification, data collection capabilities, data preprocessing capabilities, data storage capabilities, data reporting capabilities, data analysis capabilities, data protection capabilities, and data compression capabilities, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0018] It should be understood that the type information of the first data service corresponds to the above-mentioned data service capability, including information such as the data service that the terminal device needs to provide and / or the object that can provide the data service.

[0019] It should be understood that the terminal device supports providing the first data service, which can be understood as the terminal device having the data service capability of providing the first data service.

[0020] It should be understood that the first data service can be provided by a terminal device alone, or the first data service can be provided collaboratively by multiple terminal devices. In other words, the terminal device provides all or part of the first data service, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0021] It should be noted that the terminal device can be in an idle state or a connected state.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device registers its own data service capabilities on the data control function (Data Controller, DC), so that the DC can allocate the first data service to the terminal device based on the capabilities of the terminal device and send a request message. Correspondingly, the terminal device can determine and establish a first multi-node bearer based on the type information of the first data service carried in the third request message, thereby providing the first data service based on the first multi-node bearer.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second identifier is a device identifier of the terminal device, or the second identifier is a group identifier of the terminal device.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the second identifier is the group identifier of the terminal device, before receiving the paging message, the method further includes: receiving a first message, the first message including the second identifier.

[0025] Based on the above scheme, the second identifier can be the group identifier of the terminal device, which is allocated by the DC according to the data service capability of the terminal device, so that the DC can determine that multiple terminal devices provide the same data service based on the group identifier, and improve the efficiency of the terminal in providing data services through multi-terminal paging.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second request message includes a fourth identifier, and the fourth identifier is a task identifier of the first data service.

[0027] Based on the above solution, the terminal device can provide data services based on the task identifier of the first data service, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of the terminal in providing data services.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before receiving the second request message, the method further includes: receiving a second request message for requesting execution of AS encryption; and sending a second response message for indicating that the AS encryption is completed.

[0029] According to a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: receiving a fourth request message, the fourth request message being used to request at least one first terminal device to provide a first data service, the fourth request message including a second identifier, the second identifier being used to indicate the at least one first terminal device; in response to the fourth request message, sending a paging message, the paging message including a first identifier and the second identifier, the first identifier being used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, wherein the at least two data bearer types include an end-to-end bearer and a multi-node bearer, each node in the multi-node bearer supports in-path calculation of data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; receiving a first request message, the first request message being used to request access, the first request message including a third identifier, the third identifier being used to indicate the target bearer type; and establishing a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type according to the first identifier.

[0030] It should be understood that the above method can be performed by an access network device (Radio Access Network, RAN) or an access management network element. Exemplarily, the access management network element is an access and mobility management network element (Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF) in a 5G communication system. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0031] It should be understood that the first request message can be a random access request message or a service access request message. Exemplarily, the first request message can be a random access request message sent by a terminal device, or the first request message can be a service access request message sent by the RAN to an access management network element, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0032] As an example and not a limitation, the end-to-end bearer is a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session.

[0033] As an example and not a limitation, the multi-node bearer is a data bearer for carrying a data service. It should be understood that the data bearer for carrying a data service includes one or more data pipelines, and each node on the data pipeline needs to perform on-path-packet-processing on the data. Exemplarily, the data bearer for carrying a data service converts and optimizes the data during the data forwarding process.

[0034] Based on the above solution, the RAN or access management network element can send a paging message after receiving the fourth request message from the data controller DC, indicate the target bearer type to the terminal device through the first identifier, and receive the first request message from the terminal device, thereby supporting the terminal device to provide data services while avoiding the waste of resources caused by the establishment of the default PDU session.

[0035] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first identifier is used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, including: the first identifier is used to indicate a paging reason, the paging reason including voice paging, data paging, and data service, the target data bearer type corresponds to the paging reason, wherein, when the paging reason is data service, the target bearer type is the multi-node bearer.

[0036] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the third identifier is used to indicate the target bearer type, including: the third identifier is used to indicate the access reason, the access reason corresponds to the paging reason, wherein, when the paging reason is data service, the access reason is called data service.

[0037] Based on the above solution, by adding a data service option in the paging reason, the terminal device avoids determining the target data bearer type to be established and then notifies the RAN and core network devices through the corresponding access reason. While avoiding the waste of resources caused by establishing the default PDU bearer, the current message is reused to reduce resource overhead.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, when the target bearer type is a multi-node bearer, the terminal device establishes a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type based on the first identifier, including: sending a second request message to the at least one first terminal device, the second request message being used to request the first data service, the second request message including type information of the first data service, the type information of the first data service being used to establish a first multi-node bearer, the first multi-node bearer being used to transmit data of the first data service; and receiving a second response message, the second response message being used to determine the provision of the first data service.

[0039] Based on the above solution, the RAN or access management network element sends a second request message to the terminal device, and carries the type information of the first data service in the second request message, thereby instructing the terminal device to establish a first multi-node bearer for carrying the first data service, so that the terminal device can support the provision of data services.

[0040] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, before receiving the fourth request message, the method also includes: receiving at least one first capability registration message, the at least one capability registration message being used to indicate the data service capability of at least one terminal device, the at least one terminal device including the at least one first terminal device, the first capability registration message being non-access stratum NAS signaling, or radio resource control RRC signaling; and sending the at least one second capability registration message to the data control function DC, the second capability registration message being used to indicate the data service capability of the at least one terminal device.

[0041] It should be understood that the relevant description about the capability registration message can be referred to the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0042] Based on the above solution, the terminal device can carry the capability registration message in the RRC signaling or NAS signaling, and forward the capability registration message to the data control function DC through the RAN or access management network element, thereby registering the data service capability of the terminal device.

[0043] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second identifier is a device identifier of the terminal device, or the second identifier is a group identifier of the terminal device.

[0044] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, when the second identifier is the group identifier of the terminal device, before receiving the paging message, the method also includes: receiving a first message from the DC, the first message including the second identifier; and sending the first message to the at least one first terminal device.

[0045] Based on the above scheme, the second identifier can be the group identifier of the terminal device, which is allocated by the DC according to the data service capability of the terminal device, so that the DC can determine that multiple terminal devices provide the same data service based on the group identifier, and support RAN or AMF to improve the efficiency of the terminal in providing data services through multi-terminal paging.

[0046] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, when the second identifier is the group identifier of the first terminal device, the fourth request message includes a fifth identifier, and the fifth identifier is used to indicate the number of the at least one first terminal device.

[0047] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: based on the fifth identifier and the number of terminal devices that have completed access, performing one of the following: sending a first response message, the first response message being used to reject the access; when the fourth request message is received by the access network device RAN, the RAN sends a fifth request message, the fifth request message being used to request service access, the fifth request message including the third identifier; when the fourth request message is received by the access management network element, the access management network element executes the access.

[0048] It should be understood that when the number of terminal devices that have completed access is greater than or equal to the number of first terminal devices indicated by the fifth identifier, the first response message is sent.

[0049] It should be understood that when the number of terminal devices that have completed access is less than the number of first terminal devices indicated by the fifth identifier, the RAN device sends a fifth request message, or the access management network element performs the access.

[0050] Based on the above method, the RAN or access management network element can determine whether to allow the terminal device to access based on the number of first terminal devices to which the first data service needs to be provided, thereby improving the efficiency and flexibility of the terminal device in providing data services.

[0051] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: starting a timer when sending a paging message; if the paging message times out, determining whether to send the paging message again based on the number of first terminal devices providing the first data service and the number of the at least one first terminal device.

[0052] Based on the above scheme, the RAN or access management network element starts a timer when sending a paging message, and after receiving the first response message from the terminal device, determines whether to send a paging message to the at least one terminal device again based on whether the timer has expired, the number of terminal devices that have been connected, and the number of at least one terminal device indicated by the fifth identifier, thereby improving the efficiency and flexibility of the terminal device in providing data services.

[0053] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the fourth request message includes a fourth identifier, and the fourth identifier is a task identifier of the first data service.

[0054] Based on the above solution, the DC can assign a task identifier to each data service, so that the terminal device can provide data services based on the task identifier of the first data service, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of the terminal in providing data services.

[0055] According to a third aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: a data control network element receives a sixth request message, wherein the sixth request message is used to request a first data service; the data control network element determines at least one first terminal device based on the sixth request message and locally stored capability information, wherein the locally stored capability information includes the data service capability of at least one terminal device, and each of the first terminal devices supports providing the first data service; the data control network element sends a fourth request message, wherein the fourth request message is used to request the at least one first terminal device to provide the first data service, and the fourth request message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to indicate the at least one first terminal device.

[0056] It should be understood that the above solution can be executed by the data control function DC, which can be deployed on the access network device side, or the DC can be deployed on the core network device side. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0057] Based on the above scheme, the data control function DC can determine the terminal device that can provide the data service based on the data service capabilities of the terminal device stored locally and the data service requested by the consumer, and send a data service request message to the corresponding terminal device, thereby supporting the terminal to provide data services.

[0058] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, before receiving the fourth request message, the method further includes: receiving and saving at least one capability registration message, where the at least one capability registration message is used to indicate the data service capability of the at least one terminal device.

[0059] It should be understood that the capability registration information includes information such as the data services that the terminal device can support and / or the objects that can provide data services. Exemplarily, the data service capabilities of the terminal device include one or more of the following: terminal device identification, data collection capabilities, data preprocessing capabilities, data storage capabilities, data reporting capabilities, data analysis capabilities, data protection capabilities, and data compression capabilities, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0060] Based on the above solution, DC can receive and save the data service capabilities of the terminal device, so that after receiving the consumer's data service request, it can determine the terminal device providing data service based on the locally stored capability information, thereby supporting the terminal to provide data services.

[0061] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the second identifier is a device identifier of the first terminal device, or the second identifier is a group identifier of the first terminal device.

[0062] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: allocating the second identifier to each of the first terminal devices based on the data service capability of the at least one terminal device; and sending a first message, wherein the first message includes the second identifier.

[0063] It should be understood that DC can assign at least one group identifier to each terminal device based on the data service capability of each terminal device in the at least one terminal device according to the locally stored capability information, and the at least one group identifier corresponds one-to-one with the at least one data service capability mentioned above, that is, each of the group identifiers is used to indicate a data service capability.

[0064] It should be understood that terminal devices with the same group identifier at least have the data service capability indicated by the group identifier.

[0065] Based on the above scheme, the second identifier can be the group identifier of the terminal device, which is allocated by the DC according to the data service capability of the terminal device, so that the DC can determine that multiple terminal devices provide the same data service based on the group identifier, thereby improving the efficiency of the terminal in providing data services.

[0066] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, when the second identifier is the group identifier of the first terminal device, the method also includes: carrying a fifth identifier in the fourth request message based on the type identifier and the locally stored capability information, and the fifth identifier is used to indicate the number of the at least one first terminal device.

[0067] Based on the above scheme, when DC determines that multiple terminal devices are required to provide the same data service task, it will carry a fifth identifier indicating the number of terminal devices in the fourth request message, explicitly indicating the number of terminals that need to establish data bearers, thereby avoiding the provision of the data service by terminal devices exceeding the specified number, and improving the efficiency of the terminal devices in providing data services.

[0068] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the fourth request message includes a fourth identifier, and the fourth identifier is a task identifier of the first data service.

[0069] Based on the above solution, the DC can assign a task identifier to each data service, so that the terminal device can provide data services based on the task identifier of the first data service, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of the terminal in providing data services.

[0070] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is used to receive a paging message, which includes a first identifier and a second identifier. The first identifier is used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, and the second identifier is used to indicate a terminal device, wherein the at least two data bearer types include end-to-end bearer and multi-node bearer, and each node in the multi-node bearer supports in-path calculation of data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; the transceiver unit is also used to send a first request message, which is used to request access, and the first request message includes a third identifier, which is used to indicate the target bearer type; the processing unit is used to establish a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type based on the first identifier.

[0071] It should be understood that the fourth aspect is an implementation method on the device side corresponding to the first aspect. The supplement, explanation and beneficial effects of the first aspect are also applicable to the fourth aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0072] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the transceiver unit being used to receive a fourth request message, the fourth request message being used to request at least one first terminal device to provide a first data service, the fourth request message including a second identifier, the second identifier being used to indicate the at least one first terminal device; the transceiver unit is also used to send a paging message in response to the fourth request message, the paging message including a first identifier and the second identifier, the first identifier being used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, wherein the at least two data bearer types include an end-to-end bearer and a multi-node bearer, each node in the multi-node bearer supports in-path calculation of data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; receiving a first request message, the first request message being used to request access, the first request message including a third identifier, the third identifier being used to indicate the target bearer type; the processing unit being used to establish a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type based on the first identifier.

[0073] It should be understood that the fifth aspect is an implementation method on the device side corresponding to the first aspect. The supplement, explanation and beneficial effects of the second aspect are also applicable to the fifth aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0074] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the transceiver unit is used to receive a sixth request message from a service request network element, the sixth request message is used to request a first data service; the processing unit is used to determine at least one first terminal device based on the sixth request message and locally stored capability information, the locally stored capability information includes the data service capability of at least one terminal device, each of the first terminal devices supports providing the first data service; the transceiver unit is also used to send a fourth request message, the fourth request message is used to request the at least one first terminal device to provide the first data service, the fourth request message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to indicate the at least one first terminal device.

[0075] It should be understood that the sixth aspect is an implementation method on the device side corresponding to the third aspect. The supplement, explanation and beneficial effects of the third aspect are also applicable to the sixth aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0076] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement any of the first through third aspects described above, as well as the method of any possible implementation of the first through third aspects. Optionally, the device further comprises a memory, which may be deployed separately from the processor or centrally. Optionally, the device further comprises a communication interface, the processor coupled to the communication interface.

[0077] In one implementation, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0078] In another implementation, the device is a first communication device, which may be a functional network element in the network, a chip or circuit in a terminal device, an access network device, or a core network device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device, access network device, or core network device. This application does not limit this. When the device is a chip, the communication interface may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip or chip system. The processor may also be embodied as a processing circuit or a logic circuit.

[0079] Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0080] In a specific implementation, the processor may be one or more chips, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, but is not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, but is not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0081] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a logic circuit and an input / output interface, wherein the logic circuit is used to couple with the input / output interface and transmit data through the input / output interface to execute any aspect of the above-mentioned first to third aspects, and any possible implementation method of the first to third aspects.

[0082] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the communication device according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects.

[0083] In the tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions) which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the above-mentioned first to third aspects, as well as any possible implementation method of the first to third aspects.

[0084] In the eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions), which, when executed, enables a computer to execute any one of the above-mentioned first to third aspects, and any possible implementation of the first to third aspects.

[0085] In the twelfth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes functions or modules for executing any aspect of the above-mentioned first to third aspects, and any possible implementation of the method in the first to third aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0086] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] FIG2 is a schematic block diagram of a communication protocol stack;

[0088] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the functions of a data service architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a terminal initial access process;

[0090] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a method 100 for a terminal to provide data services according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0091] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a method 200 for a terminal to provide data services according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0092] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a method 300 for a terminal to provide data services according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0093] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a method 400 for a terminal to provide data services according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0094] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a method 500 for a terminal to provide data services according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0095] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0096] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0097] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0098] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0099] It should be understood that the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0100] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, wired network, vehicle to everything (V2X) communication system, device-to-device (D2D) communication system, Internet of Vehicles communication system, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system, such as long term evolution (LTE) system, world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, such as new radio (NR) system, and future communication systems, such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system.

[0101] The access network device in the embodiment of the present application can be any communication device with wireless transceiver function for communicating with a terminal device. The access network device includes but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home evolved NodeB (HeNB, or home Node B, HNB), next-generation base station in the sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, access network device or module of access network device in open access network (ORAN) system, base station in future mobile communication system or access node in WiFi system, baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP) or transmission and reception point (TP) It can also be a 5G, such as a gNB in ​​an NR system, a transmission point (TRP or TP), or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), or a satellite or a drone.

[0102] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application is a terminal that accesses a communication system and has wireless transceiver functions, or a chip or chip system that can be set in the terminal. The terminal device in the present application can also be called a terminal, user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a drone, a computer with wireless transceiver function, customer premise equipment (CPE), a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a drone, or a terminal in a 5G network or a terminal in a future evolution network, etc.

[0103] For another example, the terminal device in the present application can be an express terminal in smart logistics (for example, a device that can monitor the location of cargo vehicles, a device that can monitor the temperature and humidity of cargo, etc.), a wireless terminal in smart agriculture (for example, a wearable device that can collect relevant data of poultry and livestock, etc.), a wireless terminal in smart buildings (for example, smart elevators, fire monitoring equipment, and smart electricity meters, etc.), a wireless terminal in smart medical care (for example, a wearable device that can monitor the physiological state of humans or animals), a wireless terminal in smart transportation (for example, smart buses, smart vehicles, shared bicycles, charging pile monitoring equipment, smart traffic lights, and smart monitoring and smart parking equipment, etc.), a wireless terminal in smart retail (for example, vending machines, self-service checkout machines, and unmanned convenience stores, etc.). For another example, the terminal device in the present application can be an on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip or on-board unit that is built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the method provided in the present application through the built-in on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip or on-board unit.

[0104] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail using the communication system shown in Figure 1 as an example. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0105] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a data orchestration (DO) network element and a data agent (DA) network element. There can be one or more DO network elements and one or more data agent network elements.

[0106] It should be noted that a network element can be a logical entity or a physical entity. In the embodiments of the present application, "device" can be replaced with "network element", which is described here uniformly and will not be repeated below.

[0107] Among them, the above-mentioned data orchestration network element can obtain service requests, translate the service requests into service requirements for data, determine the data proxy network elements used to implement the service requirements, orchestrate the functions of each data proxy network element, enable the data proxy network element to perform corresponding operations and establish a dynamic logical network topology to achieve the corresponding service requirements.

[0108] It should be understood that the data orchestration network element can be deployed in any core network (CN) equipment, transfer network (TN) equipment, access network (RAN) equipment, or other equipment / network elements (such as operation, management and maintenance (OAM) network elements, etc.), or the data orchestration network element can be deployed independently. For example, the data orchestration network element can be hierarchically deployed on the CN or RAN equipment side. The data orchestration network element can be deployed in the network service (NS) network element. For another example, the data orchestration network element can be independently deployed in the network as a network function (NF) or network element. In actual deployment, one or more NFs can form a network element.

[0109] Among them, the above-mentioned data proxy network element can realize one or more of the following functions: data collection, preprocessing, storage, analysis, and data protection, etc. Different data proxy network elements can have the same or different data service capabilities and can realize the same or different functions. The data proxy network element can interact with the data orchestration network element to obtain the relevant operations that need to be performed to achieve service requirements and execute the operations. The data proxy network element can establish a logical network topology to form a dynamic data pipeline (or called data flow, business logic, function chain, or operation chain, etc.). The data pipeline is composed of the functions corresponding to one or more data proxy network elements according to service requirements. The output of the previous function is the input of the next function, thereby realizing responsive data services.

[0110] It should be understood that Figure 1 is only a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding. The communication system may also include other devices, such as a trusted anchor agent (TAA), a service request network element and / or a data storage network element (for specific implementation, please refer to the corresponding description in Figure 2 below), which are not drawn in Figure 1.

[0111] The data proxy network element can be deployed in any core network device, transmission network device, terminal device, access network device or other device / network element, or the data proxy network element can be deployed independently. For example, the data proxy network element can be deployed independently in the network as a network function NF or network element.

[0112] Optionally, data proxy network elements can be deployed in any core network device, transmission network device, terminal device, access network device, or other network element based on the network element's resources and / or capabilities, enabling cross-domain data collection. Data can be collected across the entire domain, enabling cross-domain data management and collaboration.

[0113] When there are multiple data proxy network elements in a communication system, some of the data proxy network elements can be built into the network equipment (referring to any core network equipment, terminal equipment, access network equipment, or other network elements, etc.), and some of the data proxy network elements can be deployed independently; or, multiple data proxy network elements are all built into the network equipment, or, multiple data proxy network elements are all deployed independently, which is not limited in this application.

[0114] It should be noted that the data orchestration network element can be a logical entity or a physical entity, and the data proxy network element can be a logical entity or a physical entity, which is not limited in this application.

[0115] The above-mentioned core network equipment is located on the network side of the communication system and can be used to provide network services for access network equipment, terminal equipment, etc. The core network equipment may include but is not limited to one or more of the following: mobility management network element, session management network element, user plane network element, policy control network element, network open network element, application network element. Among them, the user plane network element (User Plane Function, UPF) is the user plane network element under the 5G network SBA architecture, which is responsible for basically all user plane functions, including packet routing and forwarding, policy implementation, traffic reporting, QoS processing, etc. The main functions of UPF are as follows (see 3GPP TS 23.501):

[0116] - Anchor point for intra-system / inter-system mobility

[0117] - External Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session point connected to the data network

[0118] -Packet routing and forwarding;

[0119] - User plane policy rule execution and packet inspection;

[0120] - Traffic usage report;

[0121] - Uplink classifier that supports routing traffic to the data network;

[0122] -Support branch points for multi-homed PDU sessions;

[0123] -QoS processing for the user plane, such as packet filtering, gating, and UL / DL rate enforcement;

[0124] - Uplink traffic verification (SDF to QoS flow mapping);

[0125] - Downlink message buffering and downlink data notification triggering.

[0126] The communication between the access network device and the terminal device can follow a certain protocol layer structure. Exemplarily, the protocol layer structure may include a control plane protocol layer structure and a user plane protocol layer structure. For example, the control plane protocol layer structure may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer, etc. For example, the user plane protocol layer structure may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc. As shown in Figure 2, it is a user plane protocol stack that can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1 above. The protocol stack can be applied to a terminal device or an access network device. The user plane protocol stack includes the following:

[0127] Service Data Adaptation Protocol layer SDAP, Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer PDCP, Radio Link Control layer RLC, Medium Access Control layer MAC, Physical layer PHY. Among them:

[0128] The SDAP layer is located above the PDCP layer and is used to carry user plane data. It is responsible for mapping Quality of Service (QoS) flows to Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) and adding QFI (QoS flow ID) tags to data packets.

[0129] The main functions of the PDCP layer are:

[0130] (1) User plane header compression (the compression algorithm is determined by the mobile phone and the base station);

[0131] (2) Encryption / decryption (control plane / user plane);

[0132] (3) Control plane integrity check;

[0133] (4) sequencing and replication detection;

[0134] (5) For the Option 3X architecture in NSA networking, the PDCP of gNodeB performs traffic diversion and has routing functions.

[0135] The RLC layer is located below the PDCP layer. Entities are divided into TM entities, UM entities, and AM entities. AM data transmission and reception share one entity, while UM and TM data transmission and reception entities are separate. The main functions are as follows:

[0136] (1) Transparent Mode (TM) (broadcast messages), Unacknowledged Mode (UM) (voice services with latency requirements), Acknowledged Mode (AM) (normal services with high accuracy);

[0137] (2) Segmentation and reassembly (UM / AM, the size of the segmented data packet is determined by the MAC, which is larger in a good wireless environment and smaller in a poor wireless environment);

[0138] (3) Error correction (for AM, ARQ, high accuracy).

[0139] The main function of the MAC layer is scheduling, including resource scheduling, mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing / demultiplexing, and Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) (asynchronous uplink and downlink).

[0140] The main functions of the PHY layer are: error detection, forward error correction (FEC) encryption and decryption, rate matching, physical channel mapping, modulation and demodulation, frequency synchronization and time synchronization, wireless measurement, and MIMO processing.

[0141] Traditional session-oriented networks are primarily used to carry sessions, that is, information exchange between two communication nodes, primarily occurring between people and people and between people and machines. The establishment of a session is premised on the establishment of a communication path. Nodes along the path are only responsible for forwarding session messages and do not process them. Specifically, forwarding is done based on the message's destination address. With the generation and consumption of massive amounts of data in the future, there will be an increasing need for data-oriented networks. For example, massive amounts of data (such as AI data and perception data) need to be carried in data pipelines composed of network collection, processing, transmission, storage, and analysis functions. Large amounts of data are generated and consumed by machines / algorithms. The establishment of a data pipeline also relies on the establishment of a communication path in the underlying network, but each node on the data pipeline needs to perform on-path packet processing on the message before forwarding it to the next node, specifically based on the data service identifier. The differences between session-oriented routing / forwarding and data-oriented forwarding mechanisms are as follows:

[0142] Among them, session-oriented routing / forwarding mode:

[0143] The header information used for routing remains unchanged;

[0144] The data payload of the message remains unchanged;

[0145] Point-to-point access;

[0146] Data-oriented forwarding mechanism:

[0147] The header information used for routing remains unchanged;

[0148] The data payload of the message is changing (data is processed along the path);

[0149] Flexible topology.

[0150] Data management and processing takes the form of pipelines, where data flows through nodes, completing various functions such as collection, transmission, storage, and processing. Each network element in the communication system, including terminals, base stations, and core networks, can participate in data services.

[0151] 2. Data Services

[0152] Data services are a framework based on data collection, preprocessing, distribution, publication, and analysis, providing data as a service product. The demand for data services in the 6G era will be even more urgent, and unlike traditional monolithic data service architectures, a unified data service architecture will be required to meet this demand. This analysis of data services from numerous industry organizations and university laboratories, including the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the ITU-T for ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), and open RAN (ORAN), reveals the following challenges facing existing data services and their architectures, considering multiple dimensions, including the type of data collected by data sources and the use cases of the services.

[0153] 1) The types of data that can be collected or collected are incomplete. The scope of communication network data sources covers the UE side, RAN side, TN side, CN side, and various functional nodes of operation administration and maintenance (OAM). The data that can be collected or collected include network data such as various network status and behaviors collected or collected from these nodes, user contract data, AI model data, and Internet of Things (IoT) data, etc., especially RAN and CN side data. Moreover, with the deep integration of AI and networks and the widespread development of the Internet of Things, AI model data and IoT data will also be important data flowing in the network. However, there is currently no architecture that can realize the collection or receipt of all this data.

[0154] 2) From the perspective of trusted data services, the current data service architecture only has basic authentication capabilities between network functions (NFs), but cannot support the provision of trusted services such as access control, traceability, and auditing of data, especially meeting the end-to-end (E2E) trusted service requirements of laws and regulations such as the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

[0155] 3) Single-domain intelligence. Existing data service architectures are mostly monolithic and centrally deployed, providing data services only for specific types of data or network domains. They lack the ability to perceive and orchestrate global data, making it difficult to achieve agile responses and flexible deployment when faced with new businesses and demands.

[0156] 4) Limited sharing capabilities. In most current data service architectures, data consumers are primarily applications within the network. For third parties, the lack of trusted mechanisms like traceability and auditing makes it impossible to support data sharing, exchange, and transaction services for data subjects.

[0157] 5) Lack of E2E data management. A communications network is a systemic project involving end-to-end, edge-to-pipe, and cloud collaboration. Data flows throughout it, requiring a series of processes, from data collection, preprocessing, storage, analysis, to distribution. Current monolithic data service architectures lack global data awareness and cross-domain coordination capabilities, making it impossible to collaboratively process E2E data from a global perspective or to achieve global coordination within the data processing workflow.

[0158] 6) Limited application scenarios and use cases supported. The current data service architecture is basically only used in scenarios such as network optimization and customer experience improvement, and requires predefined support.

[0159] 7) Not suitable for cloud-native and distributed systems like Kubernetes (K8S). With the rapid and widespread development of cloud computing and container technologies, IT technologies like cloud-native and containerization are deeply integrated with communication networks. The introduction of the 5GSBA architecture enhances security: 1) SBI port encryption encrypts all traffic between NFs; 2) Cloud NFs are instantiated and cannot be anchored to a single NF; 3) Kubernetes NFs are composed of multiple pods, and encryption is required between pods. Traditional hard data collection methods are unsuitable, requiring built-in soft data collection.

[0160] From the perspective of data value discovery, technology development trends and other aspects, the demand for data services in the 6G era will be more urgent, and unlike the traditional single data service architecture, a unified data service architecture is required to meet it.

[0161] Furthermore, with decreasing computing and storage costs and the emergence of a large number of low-latency services and local applications, computing and storage, as well as the intelligent algorithms that rely on them, are trending towards deployment at the network edge, close to the data source, thus forming a data-centric network architecture. The basic function of mobile communication networks will also begin to shift from being information transmission pipelines to being platforms for data management and control. Intrinsic perception and intelligence are two key new capabilities of 6G networks. The former uses sensor devices to perceive the massive amounts of data generated by the network's own state, surrounding environment, and user / device behavior. The latter uses technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins for modeling, analysis, and automated decision-making to improve network operational efficiency, enhance system performance, and provide data services for intelligent applications.

[0162] Through analysis of numerous application scenarios and requirements, this application summarizes the data services that the data architecture can provide into eight categories as shown in Table 1.

[0163] Table 1: Data service classification

[0164] As shown in Table 2, 5G communication networks are built on sessions, with the user plane used to carry session data. Because it lacks the "path-associated computing" and "arbitrary topology" support required for 6G data transport, the user plane cannot carry the new data types of 6G networks. 5G user-plane session connections enable information exchange between two communicating devices. Specifically, protocol data unit (PDU) sessions provide end-to-end user-plane connectivity between user terminals and the network. 6G data plane transmission, on the other hand, consists of functions such as data acquisition, preprocessing, forwarding, storage, and analysis. User plane transmission is for communication between people or between people and machines, while the data plane processes data produced and consumed by machines / algorithms. 5G user-plane sessions only transmit data packets, while 6G data plane transmission networks require path-associated computing. Within the data pipeline (the communication network serves as the "pipeline" for data transmission), data is transformed and optimized to achieve the state required for data analysis and intelligent applications. In terms of data forwarding, session packets are forwarded based on the destination address; within the data pipeline, packets are forwarded based on the data service and data pipeline identifier. Data forwarding based on 5G user plane sessions belongs to the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) / Internet Protocol (IP) layer, while data plane data forwarding belongs to the application layer. Furthermore, session-based topologies are point-to-point connections, while the 6G data plane needs to support arbitrary topologies (such as the tree structure required for data distribution and aggregation). If the existing user plane is used to carry all 6G network data, data origination and termination can only occur at the two ends of the PDU session, namely the UE or user plane functions (UPF), which cannot meet the distributed management and control of perception data, AI data, network behavior, and status data. To systematically address data service challenges and solve the problem that the existing mobile network user plane and data-driven architecture cannot meet the needs of new 6G services and data, an independent data plane is introduced for 6G networks based on 6G mobile communication network data and data services. The data plane aims to build a unified and trusted data service framework, providing trusted data services while meeting the regulatory requirements of data regulations and enabling cross-domain and cross-vendor data sharing.

[0165] Table 2: Comparison of data plane data carrying capacity between 5G and 6G systems

[0166] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the data plane architecture of a 6G mobile communication network. The communication system shown in Figure 1 can be applied to the data plane architecture shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the data plane architecture primarily consists of four functional components: a data orchestrator (DO) and data controller (DC), a data agent (DA), a trusted anchor agent (TAA), and a data storage function (DSF). The DO supports programmable data pipelines and implements data service request translation (building data pipelines based on data service requests). The DA can be embedded in network functions or deployed independently, performing data collection, data preprocessing, data storage, data analysis, data sharing, and other data services orchestrated in the data pipeline. The TAA is an independent component defined in the data plane architecture specifically for ensuring the trustworthiness of 6G data. Data processing and use must meet regulatory requirements such as PIPL / GDPR. If data is subject to various security and privacy attacks from entities within and outside the network, it can pose serious risks. Therefore, the TAA plays a vital role in protecting data confidentiality, integrity, and reliability in 6G networks. DSF acts as a storage expansion component for DA when large-scale data storage or long-term storage is required.

[0167] Based on the real-time requirements and cross-domain nature of tasks, data orchestrators are divided into two categories: DO and DC. DO is responsible for coarse-grained, non-real-time data orchestration, while DC is responsible for fine-grained, real-time orchestration tasks. Together, DO and DC achieve data pipeline elasticity and programmability. DC can be deployed on either the RAN equipment side or the CN side. DO primarily performs the following functions: First, DO serves as the portal for receiving data service requests and converts them into combined requests for the data pipeline. Furthermore, DO collaborates with other network services. For example, the computing network service orchestrates computing power, while DO orchestrates data. Based on data service requests and the service capabilities of the data orchestrator (DA), DO implements coarse-grained, cross-domain data pipeline orchestration. Furthermore, DO incorporates a built-in data protection technology repository (DPTR), including technologies such as differential privacy, homomorphic encryption, secure multi-party computation, and zero-knowledge proofs, providing data security and privacy protection capabilities. It also empowers the DA with data protection technology (DPT) on demand. In contrast, the DC implements fine-grained DA orchestration, combining data pipelines in the local domain based on DA capabilities and data service requests, enabling real-time and efficient service management. Secondly, the DC receives DA capability reports and implements DA registration and deregistration functions, enabling real-time oversight of DAs by monitoring their heartbeats. Furthermore, the DC has a built-in trusted anchor client (TAC), which initiates requests to the TAA for security mechanisms such as authentication, authorization, and access control, as well as for traceability and auditing services for data access.

[0168] DA can be optionally deployed on each NF, RAN, TN node terminal, and OAM, and also supports independent deployment. By establishing a dynamic data pipeline, it is composed of a series of data processing units that are sequentially connected on demand, with the output of the previous unit serving as the input of the next unit. This forms a data flow that can be output from the DA on demand, from data acquisition, preprocessing, storage, to application / analysis, and provides an interface to access data services.

[0169] Data collection acquires data from data sources, supporting both subscription / notification and request / response methods. Data collection requests specify one or more of the following: the trigger method, trigger conditions, reporting period, and data volume for data reporting. This functionality supports the collection of one or more of user data, network data, AI data, and IoT data. Both streaming and batch data collection, as well as real-time and non-real-time data collection, are supported.

[0170] Data preprocessing involves a series of operations performed on collected raw data, such as cleaning, padding, smoothing, merging, normalization, and consistency checking. This process aims to improve data quality and lay the foundation for subsequent analysis. Raw data often contains dirty data, such as missing data, data noise, data redundancy, and data set imbalance.

[0171] Data privacy protection applies technologies such as k-anonymity, l-diversity, t-closeness, and differential privacy to collected data, preventing malicious attackers from directly accessing sensitive information from desensitized data, thereby safeguarding confidentiality and privacy. Data protection technology can be pre-installed in the DA or pushed on-demand by the DO, ensuring security and privacy at every level of the DA.

[0172] Data analytics are loosely coupled with DA and can be deployed separately as needed. They support various data analytics technologies, such as AI / ML, Hive (a data warehouse tool), and Spark (a computing engine). Data analytics utilizes an application programming interface (API) to access DA's data collection, preprocessing, storage, and other data services.

[0173] TAA is the agent of the 6G trusted surface on the data plane, including trusted functions such as authentication, authorization, access control, auditing, and traceability. It also provides support interfaces for trusted technologies such as blockchain to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and reliability of all data.

[0174] DSF is responsible for data storage, including AI model data, key performance indicators (KPIs), logs, alarms, and other information. DSF supports unified storage of structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data; it supports dynamic classification and multi-level storage of various types of files, using the following different data storage technologies: DSF can be a centralized database or a distributed database, such as a distributed hash table (DH) or interplanetary file system (IPFS). DSF supports a variety of data storage encryption technologies, such as database facade encryption, transparent data encryption (TDE), transparent file encryption (TFE), user-defined function (UDF) encryption, and full disk encryption (FDE).

[0175] It should be noted that the solutions in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can also be replaced by the names of corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0176] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a terminal initial access process.

[0177] As shown in Figure 4, after the terminal completes cell selection, random access, security authentication, and default bearer establishment, it establishes a PDU session for data transmission. Specifically, when in idle state, the terminal passively accesses the network by listening for paging messages. Paging reasons include voice paging and data paging. By default, the terminal and the core network need to establish a PDU session to transmit voice or data traffic.

[0178] It can be seen that since the core of the 5G user plane is to establish a PDU session between the user terminal and the data network, the start and end of the data can only be at the two ends of the PDU session, that is, the user equipment or the user plane function UPF. However, when the terminal provides the aforementioned data services, the termination point of the data packet in the data bearer is not the UPF, but any base station or terminal or core network element, so there is no need to establish a default PDU session. Therefore, if the existing user plane is used to carry all 6G network data, there is a problem that the data can only be terminated at the user plane function UPF, which cannot meet the distributed control of perception data, AI data, network behavior and status data, that is, the current access process cannot support the scenario where the terminal provides data services.

[0179] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application combines the above-mentioned data service architecture to propose a method for a terminal to provide data services.

[0180] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a method 100 for providing a data service by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG5 , the method 100 includes the following steps:

[0181] S101, the terminal device UE sends a capability registration message to the DC, and correspondingly, the DC receives the capability registration message.

[0182] It should be understood that DC can be deployed in any core network (CN) side device or access network (RAN) side device. For example, DC can be deployed at the access management network element of the CN side device. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific access management network element. The following description takes the access and mobility management network element (AMF) of the 5G communication system in the CN side device as an example.

[0183] Specifically, the terminal device UE sends a capability registration message to the AMF, and further, the AMF forwards the DA capability registration message to the DC.

[0184] It should be understood that the capability registration message includes the data service capabilities of the terminal device. Specifically, the capability registration message includes information such as the data services that the terminal device can support and / or the objects that can provide data services. Exemplarily, the data service capabilities of the terminal device include one or more of the following: terminal device identification, data collection capabilities, data preprocessing capabilities, data storage capabilities, data reporting capabilities, data analysis capabilities, data protection capabilities, and data compression capabilities, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0185] Exemplarily, UE1 only supports providing original data to UE2, or UE1 supports providing original data, data preprocessing and data storage to UE2 and UE3, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0186] Optionally, when the DC is deployed on the CN side, the UE carries DA capability information in the non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0187] S102, CN-DC sends a data service startup request message #1 to AMF, and correspondingly, AMF receives the data service startup request message.

[0188] Specifically, CN-DC receives a data service start request message #2 (an example of the sixth request message, not shown in the figure) sent by a consumer (or a service requesting network element), and the data service start request message #2 includes data service type information. Furthermore, CN-DC determines that a specific UE (an example of a first terminal device) provides the data service from the locally stored capability information based on the data service type. Subsequently, CN-DC sends a data service start request message #1 (an example of the fourth request message) to the AMF to instruct the UE to provide the data service.

[0189] In a possible implementation, the data service start request message includes a specific UEID and a data service task identifier (DSID) requested to be provided (an example of a fourth identifier).

[0190] It should be understood that the DSID is allocated by CN-DC based on the data service start request message #2.

[0191] As an example and not a limitation, CN-DC determines that UE1 needs to provide data service #1 (an example of the first data service) based on the data service startup request message #2, and then carries DSID #1 for indicating data service #1 and UEID #1 indicating UE1 in the data service startup request message #1.

[0192] S103a: The AMF sends a paging message to the RAN, and correspondingly, the RAN receives the paging message.

[0193] Specifically, if the AMF finds that a specific UE is not in a connected state, it sends a paging message to the RAN, where the paging cause (i.e., the first identifier) ​​is the data service and the UEID (i.e., the second identifier) ​​carried in the data service start request message #1.

[0194] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application adds data service related options in the paging message, that is, the paging reasons carried in the paging message include voice paging, data paging and data service.

[0195] As an example and not a limitation, the paging message format is:

[0196] S103b: The RAN sends a paging message to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives the paging message.

[0197] After receiving the paging message, the UE determines that it is its own paging message through the UEID carried therein, and determines that the paging reason is the called data service. Furthermore, the UE determines the type of data bearer it needs to establish based on the paging reason.

[0198] In a possible implementation, when the paging reason is voice paging or data paging, the UE determines that it needs to establish a PDU session to transmit voice or data traffic.

[0199] In another possible implementation, when the paging reason is data service, the UE determines that it needs to establish a data bearer for carrying data service (ie, a data plane data bearer in the full text). In other words, the UE determines that it does not need to establish a PDU session.

[0200] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the paging reason is data service as an example for description.

[0201] S104: The UE initiates random access and performs authentication encryption.

[0202] Among them, when initiating random access, the UE can carry mt-DataService information (an example of the third identifier) ​​in the RRC access request (RRCSetupRequest) message sent to the RAN, which is used to indicate that the reason value of its own access is the called data service. Furthermore, the RAN sends a service request (ServiceRequest) message (an example of the first request message) carrying the mt-DataService information to the AMF to carry out the service access process. After completing the service access, authentication and encryption are completed between the AMF and the UE.

[0203] S105, AMF sends data service activation request message #3 (an example of a second request message) to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives data service request message #3.

[0204] Specifically, the AMF will carry the DSID and detailed data service type information in the data service start request message #3, where the detailed data service type information includes the type of data service and the target interaction object. For example, the AMF carries DSID#1 in the data service request message #3 sent to UE1, and the relevant information of DSID#1 specifically instructs UE1 to collect the original data from UE2.

[0205] Optionally, the data service request message #3 can be carried in NAS signaling.

[0206] S106, the UE sends a data service start response message #3 (an example of a second response message) to the AMF, and correspondingly, the AMF receives a data service request response message #3.

[0207] Specifically, the UE will carry the DSID in the data service start response message #3.

[0208] Optionally, the UE further carries detailed data service type information in the data service start response message #3.

[0209] It should be understood that the information carried by the UE in the data service request response message #3 can be part or all of the data service start request message #3 received in S105, and this application does not limit this.

[0210] S107: The AMF sends a data service activation request message #4 to the RAN. In response, the RAN receives the data service activation request message. Specifically, the data service activation request message carries the UEID and DSID.

[0211] S108, RAN starts AS encryption and establishes a data service bearer.

[0212] Specifically, the RAN sends an AS Security Mode Command (ASSecurityModeCommand) message to the UE. In response, the UE sends an ASSecurityModeComplete message to the RAN, thereby enabling random access between the UE and the RAN. Subsequently, the RAN sends an RRC Reconfiguration (RRCReconfigration) message (an example of the third request message) to the UE to request establishment of a data service bearer. In response, the UE sends an RRC Reconfiguration Complete (RRCReconfigrationComplete) message (an example of the third response message) to the RAN to notify the RAN that the data service bearer establishment is complete.

[0213] S109: RAN sends a data service start response message #4 to AMF. Correspondingly, AMF receives a data service start success message #4. Specifically, the data service start success message carries the UEID and DSID.

[0214] S110, the AMF forwards the data service start response message #1 to the CN-DC. Correspondingly, the CN-DC receives the data service start confirmation message. Similarly, the data service start confirmation message carries the UEID and DSID.

[0215] It should be understood that after completing the above steps S101 to S110, the UE can provide corresponding data services through the data bearer established in S108.

[0216] When the DC is deployed on the RAN side, a method 200 for a terminal to provide data services provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG6 . Specifically, the method 200 includes the following steps:

[0217] S201, UE sends a capability registration message to DC, and correspondingly, DC receives the DA capability registration message. For detailed description, please refer to S101, which will not be repeated here.

[0218] Optionally, when the DC is deployed on the RAN side, the UE carries the capability registration message in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0219] S202, RAN-DC sends a data service activation request message #5 to RAN, and correspondingly, RAN receives the data service activation request message #5. For details, please refer to S102 and will not be repeated here.

[0220] In a possible implementation, the data service activation request message includes a specific UEID and a DSID of the provided data service.

[0221] S203: The RAN sends a paging message to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives the paging message.

[0222] Specifically, the RAN finds that the specific UE is not in a connected state and sends a paging message, which carries the paging reason (i.e., the first identifier) ​​of the data service and the UEID (i.e., the second identifier). The specific format of the paging message can be found in S103a and will not be repeated here.

[0223] S204: The UE initiates random access and performs authentication encryption. Detailed descriptions can be found in S104 and will not be repeated here.

[0224] S205: The AMF sends a data service activation request message #6 to the RAN. Correspondingly, the RAN receives the data service activation request message #6.

[0225] Specifically, the data service activation request message includes the UEID, so that the RAN can perform subsequent steps based on the UEID.

[0226] S206: RAN starts AS encryption. The specific process can be referred to S108 and will not be repeated here.

[0227] S207 , the RAN sends a data service activation request message #7 (an example of a second request message) to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives the data service activation message.

[0228] S208 , the UE sends a data service activation response message #7 (an example of a second response message) to the RAN. Correspondingly, the RAN receives the data service activation response message #7.

[0229] The information carried in the data service start request message #7 and the data service start response message #7 may be referred to the relevant descriptions in S105 and S106 and will not be repeated here.

[0230] Optionally, the data service request message #7 can be carried in RRC signaling.

[0231] S209: The UE establishes a data service bearer with the RAN. The specific process can be found in S108 and will not be described again here.

[0232] S210, RAN sends a data service start response message #8 to RAN-DC, and correspondingly, RAN-DC receives a data service start success message. Detailed description can be found in S108 and will not be repeated here.

[0233] S211: The RAN sends a data service activation success message #9 (an example of the fifth response message) to the AMF. Correspondingly, the AMF receives the data service activation success message. Specifically, the data service activation success message carries the UEID and DSID.

[0234] Likewise, after completing the above steps S201 to S211 , the UE can provide corresponding data services through the data bearer established in S209 .

[0235] It should be understood that the above solution is applicable to the scenario of paging a single terminal. For the scenario where multiple terminals need to provide a data service corresponding to a DSID, the embodiment of the present application also proposes a method 300 for a terminal to provide a data service. Specifically, the method 300 shown in Figure 7 includes:

[0236] S301, UE sends a capability registration message to DC, and correspondingly, DC receives the capability registration message. For the specific description of the capability registration message, please refer to S101 and will not be repeated here.

[0237] Furthermore, the DC will group the UEs according to their data service capabilities and assign them data service capability group identifiers (hereinafter referred to as group identifiers, an example of the second identifier). Specifically, the DC will group UEs that can provide the same data service and assign them data service capability group identifiers. For example, if UE1 and UE3 support data storage, and UE2 and UE4 support data preprocessing, the DC will assign group identifier 1 to UE1 and UE3, and group identifier 2 to UE2 and UE4.

[0238] In a possible implementation, the same UE can have multiple data service capabilities. Furthermore, the DC allocates multiple group identifiers to the UE according to the data service capabilities of the UE.

[0239] As an example but not limitation, UE5 supports providing data storage and data preprocessing, and UE6 supports providing data storage, so the DC allocates group ID 3 and group ID 4 to UE5, and allocates group ID 3 to UE6.

[0240] As an example but not limitation, UE5 supports providing data storage to UE7, and UE6 supports providing data storage to UE7 and UE8, then DC allocates group ID 5 to UE5, and allocates group ID 5 and group ID 6 to UE6.

[0241] S302: The DC sends a first message to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives the first message, wherein the first message includes a data service capability group identifier.

[0242] Specifically, when the DC is deployed in a CN device, it sends the data service capability group identifier to the UE via the AMF. When the DC is deployed in a RAN device, it sends the data service capability group identifier to the UE via the RAN. The following describes the subsequent steps using the example of a DC deployed in a CN device.

[0243] S303: The DC sends a data service activation request message #1' to the AMF. Correspondingly, the AMF receives the data service activation request message #1'. For details, please refer to S102 and will not be repeated here.

[0244] Optionally, the DC includes in the data service start request message #1' a number of UEs for which data service provision is requested (an example of a fourth identifier). As an example and not a limitation, the CN-DC determines, based on the data service start request message #2' sent by the consumer, that UEs with group identifier 1 are required to provide data service #2 (an example of the first data service), and then carries in the data service start request message #1' DSID #2 indicating data service #2, group identifier 1, and an identifier indicating that five UEs are required to provide data service #2.

[0245] S304a: The AMF sends a paging message to the RAN, and correspondingly, the RAN receives the paging message.

[0246] Specifically, the AMF carries the paging reason "Data Service" and the group ID in the paging message. The specific format of the paging message can be referred to the description in S103a and will not be repeated here.

[0247] Optionally, the AMF starts a timer when sending a paging message to determine whether the paging time has expired.

[0248] S304b: The RAN sends a paging message to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives the paging message.

[0249] Specifically, the RAN will randomly select a paging occasion (PO) to send a paging message. After monitoring the paging message, the UE compares the group ID in the message with its own assigned group ID to see if they are consistent. If they are consistent, the UE proceeds to the subsequent steps.

[0250] S305: The UE initiates random access. The specific process can be found in S104 and will not be described again here.

[0251] S306: The AMF determines whether to allow the UE to complete access based on whether the number of UEs that have completed access meets the requirement.

[0252] Specifically, after receiving the service request message from the RAN, the AMF determines whether to allow the UE to complete access based on whether the number of UEs that have completed access meets the requirements. Among them, whether the AMF allows the UE to access can be divided into the following two situations:

[0253] Method 1:

[0254] The AMF determines whether the number of UEs that have completed access meets the number of UEs required to provide the service determined by the DC. If so, the service access is rejected and S307a is executed: the AMF sends a ServiceReject message (i.e., the first response message) to the UE.

[0255] As an example and not a limitation, DC indicates through a data service start request message that 5 UEs are required to provide data services corresponding to DSID#1, and UE1-UE5 have completed random access. At this time, UE6 sends a servicerequest message to AMF requesting random access, and AMF will reject UE6's access request.

[0256] Method 2:

[0257] The AMF determines whether the number of UEs that have completed access meets the number of UEs required to provide services determined by the DC. If not, the AMF allows access and executes subsequent processes.

[0258] S307b, UE and AMF complete authentication and encryption.

[0259] S308: The UE executes the data service activation process. For details, refer to S105 to S108 and will not be described again here.

[0260] S311: RAN sends a data service activation success message #4' to AMF. Correspondingly, AMF receives the data service activation success message #4'. Specifically, the data service activation success message #4' carries the UEID and DSID.

[0261] S312a: The AMF sends a data service start success message to the CN-DC. Correspondingly, the AMF receives the data service start success message. Specifically, the data service start success message carries the UEID and DSID.

[0262] S312b, AMF determines whether to repeat the paging process based on whether the number of terminals meets the requirements.

[0263] Specifically, if the number of UEs that have completed access meets the number of UEs required for providing services determined by the DC, no paging message is sent. If the requirement is not met, the paging process in S304 is repeated.

[0264] Optionally, after the AMF receives the data service startup success message, if the timer set in S304a times out (that is, the timeout period from the last time the paging message was sent is reached), the above judgment is performed.

[0265] It should be noted that the above S312a and S312b can be executed simultaneously or separately, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the order of execution.

[0266] Similarly, in a multi-terminal paging scenario, for the case where the DC is deployed on a RAN side device, the present application also provides a method 400 for a terminal to provide data services. Specifically, the method 400 shown in FIG8 includes:

[0267] S401, UE sends capability registration information to DC, and correspondingly, DC receives the capability registration information. For detailed description, please refer to S101, which will not be repeated here.

[0268] S402, RAN-DC sends a data service capability group identifier to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives the data service capability group identifier. For detailed description, please refer to S102 and S402, which will not be repeated here.

[0269] S403, RAN-DC sends a data service activation request message #5' to RAN, and correspondingly, RAN receives the data service activation request message #5'. For details, please refer to S303 and will not be repeated here.

[0270] S404: The RAN sends a paging message to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives the paging message.

[0271] Specifically, the RAN will randomly select a PO to send a paging message, which carries the paging reason of Data Service and the group ID. The specific format of the paging message can be found in the description of S103a and will not be repeated here.

[0272] Furthermore, after monitoring the paging message, the UE compares the group ID in the message with its own assigned group ID to see if they are consistent. If they are consistent, the UE proceeds to subsequent steps.

[0273] Optionally, the RAN starts a timer when sending the paging message to determine whether the paging time has timed out.

[0274] S405: The UE initiates random access. The specific process can be found in S104 and will not be described again here.

[0275] S406: The RAN determines whether to allow the UE to complete access based on whether the number of UEs that have completed access meets the requirement.

[0276] Depending on whether the RAN allows UE access, there are two situations:

[0277] Method 1:

[0278] RAN determines whether the number of UEs that have completed access meets the number of UEs required to provide services determined by DC. If so, RAN rejects the access and executes S407a: RAN sends an RRCSetupReject message (an example of a first response message) to the UE.

[0279] Method 2:

[0280] The RAN determines whether the number of UEs that have completed access meets the number of UEs required to provide services determined by the DC. If not, the subsequent process is executed.

[0281] S407b, RAN sends a service access request message (an example of the fifth request message) to AMF.

[0282] Specifically, the random access request message can be a ServiceRequest message, and carries therein the called reason being a data service. Exemplarily, the called reason is mt-DataService.

[0283] S408: UE and AMF complete authentication and encryption.

[0284] S409: The UE executes the data service activation process. For details, refer to S105 to S108 and will not be described again here.

[0285] S410a: RAN sends a data service activation success message to RAN-DC. Correspondingly, RAN-DC receives the data service activation success message. Specifically, the data service activation success message carries UEID and DSID.

[0286] S410b: The RAN determines whether to repeat the paging process based on whether the number of terminals meets the requirement.

[0287] Specifically, if the number of UEs that have completed access meets the number of UEs required for providing services determined by the DC, no paging message is sent. If the requirement is not met, the paging process in S404 is repeated.

[0288] Optionally, if the timer set by the RAN in S304a times out (ie, the timeout period from the last time the paging message was sent has expired), the above judgment is performed.

[0289] It should be noted that the above S410a and S410b can be executed simultaneously or separately, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the order of executing the above S410a and S410b.

[0290] It should be understood that the data service startup process of the above methods 100-400 is also applicable to the scenario where the UE is in a connected state. For the scenario where the UE is in a connected state, the following description is given using the DC deployed on the AMF side as an example. Specifically, the method 500 shown in Figure 9 includes:

[0291] S501: UE sends a DA capability registration message to DC, and correspondingly, DC receives the DA capability registration message.

[0292] S502, DC sends a data service startup request message #11 (an example of the sixth request message) to AMF, and correspondingly, AMF receives the data service startup request message #11.

[0293] S503, AMF sends data service activation request message #12 (an example of a second request message) to the UE, and correspondingly, the UE receives data service activation request message #12.

[0294] S504, the UE sends a data service start request response message #12 (an example of a second response message) to the AMF, and correspondingly, the AMF receives a data service start request acceptance message #12.

[0295] S505: AMF sends a data service start request message #13 to RAN.

[0296] S506: The RAN sends a data service start response message #13 to the AMF. Correspondingly, the AMF receives a data service start success message #13. Specifically, the data service start success message carries the UEID and DSID.

[0297] S507: The AMF forwards the data service activation response message #11 (an example of the fourth response message) to the CN-DC. Correspondingly, the CN-DC receives the data service activation confirmation message #11. Similarly, the data service activation confirmation message carries the UEID and DSID.

[0298] It should be understood that the sequence of the steps in the embodiments of the present application is determined according to the inherent logic of the method, and the serial numbers shown above are only examples and do not limit the sequence of the steps of the present application.

[0299] It should also be understood that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be used alone or in combination, and the present application does not limit this. The various implementation methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be used alone or in combination, and the present application does not limit this. The various examples provided in the embodiments of the present application can be used alone or in combination, and the present application does not limit this.

[0300] It should be noted that the execution entities illustrated in the above embodiments are only examples. The execution entity may also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the execution entity to implement the method shown, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0301] The method embodiment of the present application is described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The device embodiment of the present application is described below. It can be understood that the description of the method embodiment and the description of the device embodiment can correspond to each other. Therefore, for parts not described, reference can be made to the previous method embodiment.

[0302] It is understood that in the above-mentioned various method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by the base station can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) in the data center base station, and the methods and operations implemented by the UE can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) in the UE. The methods and operations implemented by the DC can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) in the DC.

[0303] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various devices. It is understandable that each device, such as a transmitting end device or a receiving end device, includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function in order to implement the above functions. Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0304] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the transmitting device or the receiving device can be divided according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0305] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1000 shown in Figure 10 includes a transceiver unit 1010 and a processing unit 1020. The transceiver unit 1010 can communicate with the outside world, and the processing unit 1020 is used to process data. The transceiver unit 1010 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0306] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1010 may include a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit is configured to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiment. The receiving unit is configured to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiment.

[0307] It should be noted that the communication device 1000 may include a sending unit but not a receiving unit. Alternatively, the communication device 1000 may include a receiving unit but not a sending unit. The specific implementation depends on whether the above solution executed by the communication device 1000 includes a sending action and a receiving action.

[0308] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 1020 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit.

[0309] In one design, the communication device 1000 can be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1000 can be a terminal device, a chip or circuit in the terminal device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions, which is not limited in this application.

[0310] Specifically, the communication device 1000 can be a terminal device, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform the receiving or sending operations of the terminal device (such as UE) in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1020 is used to perform the internal processing operations of the terminal device (such as UE) in the above method embodiment.

[0311] In one possible implementation:

[0312] The transceiver unit 1010 is configured to receive a paging message, the paging message including a first identifier and a second identifier, the first identifier being used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, and the second identifier being used to indicate a terminal device, wherein the at least two data bearer types include an end-to-end bearer and a multi-node bearer, and each node in the multi-node bearer supports processing data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; and send a first request message, the first request message being used to request access, the first request message including a third identifier, the third identifier being used to indicate the target bearer type;

[0313] The processing unit 1020 is configured to establish a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type according to the first identifier.

[0314] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1000 may be a RAN or an access management network element, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform the receiving or sending operations of the RAN or the access management network element in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1020 is used to perform the internal processing operations of the RAN or the access management network element in the above method embodiment.

[0315] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1000 may be a device including a DC. Alternatively, the communication device 1000 may be a component configured in the DC, such as a chip in the DC. In this case, the transceiver unit 1010 may be an interface circuit, a pin, etc. Specifically, the interface circuit may include an input circuit and an output circuit, and the processing unit 1020 may include a processing circuit.

[0316] As shown in Figure 11, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1100. The communication 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 and / or data stored in the memory 1120, so that the method in the above method embodiment is executed.

[0317] Optionally, the communication device 1100 includes one or more processors 1110.

[0318] Optionally, as shown in FIG11 , the communication device 1100 may further include a memory 1120 .

[0319] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may include one or more memories 1120 .

[0320] Optionally, the memory 1120 may be integrated with the processor 1110 or provided separately.

[0321] Optionally, as shown in FIG11 , the communication device 1100 may further include a transceiver 1130 and / or a communication interface, where the transceiver 1130 and / or the communication interface are configured to receive and / or transmit signals. For example, the processor 1110 is configured to control the transceiver 1130 and / or the communication interface to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0322] Alternatively, the device implementing the receiving function in transceiver 1130 may be considered a receiving module, and the device implementing the transmitting function in transceiver 1130 may be considered a transmitting module. That is, transceiver 1130 includes a receiver and a transmitter. A transceiver may also be sometimes referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver module, or a transceiver circuit. A receiver may also be sometimes referred to as a receiver, a receiving module, or a receiving circuit. A transmitter may also be sometimes referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, a transmitting module, or a transmitting circuit.

[0323] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1100 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device (UE) in the above method embodiment. For example, the processor 1110 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver 1130 is used to implement the receiving or sending operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0324] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1100 is used to implement the operations performed by the DC in the above method embodiment. For example, the processor 1110 is used to implement the operations performed by the DC in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver 1130 is used to implement the receiving or sending operations performed by the DC in the above method embodiment.

[0325] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1100 is configured to implement the operations performed by the RAN or access management network element in the above method embodiments. For example, the processor 1110 is configured to implement the operations performed by the RAN or access management network element in the above method embodiments, and the transceiver 1130 is configured to implement the receiving or sending operations performed by the RAN or access management network element in the above method embodiments.

[0326] The specific process of each module executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0327] As shown in FIG12 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1200 . The communication device 1200 includes a logic circuit 1210 and an input / output interface 1220 .

[0328] Logic circuit 1210 may be a processing circuit within communication device 1200. Logic circuit 1210 may be coupled to a storage unit and invoke instructions within the storage unit, enabling communication device 1200 to implement the methods and functions of various embodiments of the present application. Input / output interface 1220 may be an input / output circuit within communication device 1200 that outputs information processed by communication device 1800 or inputs data or signaling information to be processed into communication device 1800 for processing.

[0329] As a solution, the communication device 1200 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device (such as UE) in each of the above method embodiments. For example, the logic circuit 1210 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the terminal device (such as UE) in the above method embodiments. The input / output interface 1220 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the terminal device (such as UE) in the above method embodiments.

[0330] As another solution, the communication device 1200 is used to implement the operations performed by the DC in the various method embodiments described above. For example, the logic circuit 1210 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the DC in the method embodiments described above. The input / output interface 1220 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the DC in the method embodiments described above.

[0331] As another solution, the communication device 1200 is used to implement the operations performed by the RAN or access management network element in each of the above method embodiments. For example, the logic circuit 1210 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the RAN or access management network element in the above method embodiments. The input / output interface 1220 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the RAN or access management network element in the above method embodiments.

[0332] The specific process of each module executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0333] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored for implementing the method executed by a terminal device (e.g., UE) or DC or access management network element or RAN in the above method embodiment.

[0334] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the method performed by the terminal device (such as UE) or DC or access management network element or RAN in the above method embodiment.

[0335] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to implement the method executed by a terminal device (e.g., UE) or DC or access management network element or RAN in the above method embodiment.

[0336] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device (such as UE), DC, access management network element and RAN in the above embodiment.

[0337] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the communication devices provided above can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0338] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state drive (SSD)).

[0339] The data control device DC in each of the aforementioned apparatus embodiments corresponds to the data control device DC in the method embodiments, and the corresponding modules or units perform the corresponding steps. For example, the communication unit (transceiver) performs the receiving or sending steps in the method embodiments, while all other steps except sending and receiving may be performed by the processing unit (processor). The functions of the specific units can be referred to in the corresponding method embodiments. There may be one or more processors.

[0340] As used in this specification, the terms "component," "module," "system," and the like are used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computing device and a computing device can be a component. One or more components can reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and a component can be located on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media having various data structures stored thereon. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component across a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0341] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0342] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0343] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0344] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0345] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0346] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0347] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Receive a paging message, the paging message including a first identifier and a second identifier, the first identifier is used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, and the second identifier is used to indicate a terminal device, wherein the at least two data bearer types include an end-to-end bearer and a multi-node bearer, and each node in the multi-node bearer supports path-associated calculation of data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; Sending a first request message, where the first request message is used to request access, and the first request message includes a third identifier, where the third identifier is used to indicate the target bearer type; A data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type is established according to the first identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first identifier is used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, including: The first identifier is used to indicate a paging reason, the paging reason includes voice paging, data paging and data service, the target data bearer type corresponds to the paging reason, wherein, When the paging reason is data service, the target bearer type is the multi-node bearer.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The third identifier is used to indicate the target bearer type, including: The third identifier is used to indicate an access reason, and the access reason corresponds to the paging reason. When the paging reason is a data service, the access reason is a called data service.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that When the target bearer type is a multi-node bearer, establishing a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type according to the first identifier includes: receiving a second request message, where the second request message is used to request a first data service, the terminal device supports providing the first data service, and the second request message includes type information of the first data service; receiving a third request message, where the third request message is used to request establishment of a first multi-node bearer, where the first multi-node bearer is used to transmit data of the first data service; The first multi-node bearer is established according to the type information of the first data service.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that Before receiving the paging message, the method further includes: Send a capability registration message, where the capability registration message is used to indicate the data service capability of the terminal device, wherein the capability registration message is non-access layer NAS signaling, or the capability registration message is radio resource control RRC signaling.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The second identifier is a device identifier of the terminal device, or the second identifier is a group identifier of the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that When the second identifier is the group identifier of the terminal device, before receiving the paging message, the method further includes: A first message is received, where the first message includes the second identifier.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that The second request message includes a fourth identifier, where the fourth identifier is a task identifier of the first data service.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving a fourth request message, where the fourth request message is used to request at least one first terminal device to provide a first data service, where the fourth request message includes a second identifier, where the second identifier is used to indicate the at least one first terminal device; In response to the fourth request message, sending a paging message, the paging message including a first identifier and the second identifier, the first identifier being used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, wherein the at least two data bearer types include an end-to-end bearer and a multi-node bearer, and each node in the multi-node bearer supports path-associated calculation of data transmitted on the multi-node bearer; receiving a first request message, where the first request message is used to request access, and the first request message includes a third identifier, where the third identifier is used to indicate the target bearer type; A data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type is established according to the first identifier.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first identifier is used to indicate a target data bearer type among at least two data bearer types, including: The first identifier is used to indicate a paging reason, the paging reason includes voice paging, data paging and data service, the target data bearer type corresponds to the paging reason, wherein, When the paging reason is data service, the target bearer type is the multi-node bearer.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The third identifier is used to indicate the target bearer type, including: The third identifier is used to indicate an access reason, and the access reason corresponds to the paging reason. When the paging reason is a data service, the access reason is a called data service.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that When the target bearer type is a multi-node bearer, the terminal device establishes a data bearer corresponding to the target data bearer type according to the first identifier, including: Sending a second request message to the at least one first terminal device, where the second request message is used to request the first data service, the second request message includes type information of the first data service, the type information of the first data service is used to establish a first multi-node bearer, and the first multi-node bearer is used to transmit data of the first data service; A second response message is received, where the second response message is used to determine to provide the first data service.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that Before receiving the fourth request message, the method further includes: Receiving at least one first capability registration message, where the at least one capability registration message is used to indicate a data service capability of at least one terminal device, where the at least one terminal device includes the at least one first terminal device, and the first capability registration message is a non-access stratum NAS signaling, or a radio resource control RRC signaling; At least one second capability registration message is sent to the data control function DC, where the second capability registration message is used to indicate the data service capability of the at least one terminal device.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that The second identifier is a device identifier of each of the first terminal devices, or the second identifier is a group identifier of the at least one first terminal device.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that When the second identifier is the group identifier of the first terminal device, the fourth request message includes a fifth identifier, and the fifth identifier is used to indicate the number of the at least one first terminal device.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: According to the fifth identifier and the number of terminal devices that have completed access, perform one of the following: Sending a first response message, where the first response message is used to reject the access; When the fourth request message is received by the access network device RAN, the RAN sends a fifth request message, where the fifth request message is used to request service access, and the fifth request message includes the third identifier; When the fourth request message is received by the access management network element, the access management network element performs the access.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: Start a timer when sending a paging message; If the paging message times out, it is determined whether to send the paging message again based on the number of first terminal devices providing the first data service and the number of the at least one first terminal device.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a unit or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-8, 9-17.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a processor coupled to the memory; The processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication device executes the communication method according to any one of claims 1-8, 9-17, and 18-23.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: include: processor and interface circuit; wherein, The interface circuit is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; The processor is configured to run the code instructions to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8, 9-17.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a processor and a transceiver, wherein the transceiver is used for information exchange between the communication device and other communication devices, and the processor executes program instructions to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-8 and 9-17.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 9 to 17.

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