Access gateway connection updating method and device and communication system

Abstract

The invention provides an access gateway connection updating method and device and a communication system, and relates to the technical field of satellite communication. The access gateway connection updating method comprises the steps that a first target IMS-AGW is determined according to connection state information of the IMS-AGW, a control function network element is triggered to establish connection with the IMS-AGW, the first target IMS-AGW is a currently available IMS-AGW, and the IMS-AGW is carried by non-ground equipment.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of satellite communication, and in particular to an access gateway connection updating method, device and communication system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the current 3GPP standard, only terminals are allowed to connect to ground base stations through transparent mode satellites to achieve seamless coverage of terminals. However, due to various restrictions, it is difficult to deploy a gateway station in some areas, so the communication service is still subject to geographical restrictions.

[0003] Combining ground base stations with regenerative mode satellites can solve the above problems and provide a series of value-added services for terminals, especially UE-satellite-UE communication services. This service allows user plane data to realize on-satellite communication between UEs without passing through the ground network under the coverage of one or more service satellites. This service can effectively eliminate the dependence on ground gateway stations, reduce user plane latency, and provide potential business scenarios for future space-ground integration. SUMMARY

[0004] One purpose of the present disclosure is to improve the selection efficiency of on-satellite AGW and the reliability of satellite communication.

[0005] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, an access gateway connection updating method is provided, applied to a control function network element, comprising: determining a first target IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem, IP Multimedia Subsystem)-AGW (IMS Access Media Gateway) according to connection state information of the IMS-AGW; triggering the control function network element to establish a connection with the first target IMS-AGW, wherein the first target IMS-AGW is a currently available IMS-AGW, and the IMS-AGW is carried by a non-ground device.

[0006] In some embodiments, the connection state information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the IMS-AGW, a communication address of the IMS-AGW, an available time of the IMS-AGW, an unavailable time of the IMS-AGW, a constellation identifier where the IMS-AGW is located, a satellite identifier where the IMS-AGW is located, and an address domain of the IMS-AGW.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method further includes a connection establishment process, wherein the connection establishment process is a control function network element recovery process.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control function network element recovery process comprises: in response to an IMS-AGW recovery request from the first target IMS-AGW, sending an IMS-AGW recovery response to the first target IMS-AGW; sending an IMS-AGW recovery hot / cold restart indication to the first target IMS-AGW and receiving a control function network element recovery response feedback from the first target IMS-AGW.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: after triggering the control function network element to establish a connection with the first target IMS-AGW, starting a first timer; in the case that the first timer counts up to a first predetermined time length and no information of the first target IMS-AGW initiating the establishment of the connection is received, initiating an indication of registration or re-registration to the first target IMS-AGW according to the connection state information.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: if the first target IMS-AGW is not registered in the control function network element, allocating a specified address domain for the first target IMS-AGW and triggering an initiation of an indication of registration to the first target IMS-AGW.

[0011] In some embodiments, if the first target IMS-AGW is registered in the control function network element, triggering an initiation of an indication of re-registration to the first target IMS-AGW.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: after triggering the initiation of the indication of registration or re-registration to the first target IMS-AGW, starting a second timer; in the case that the second timer counts up to a second predetermined time length and no information of the first target IMS-AGW initiating the indication of registration is received nor information of the initiation of the indication of re-registration is received, updating the connection state information of the first target IMS-AGW.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: starting an idle timeout activation process or a service loss process for the second target IMS-AGW, wherein the second target IMS-AGW is an IMS-AGW that will enter an unavailable time period within a predetermined time length.

[0014] In some embodiments, the connection state information is pre-configured or pre-stored locally.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control function network element is implemented by a P-CSCF (Proxy-Call Session Control Function) or an IMS-ALG (Application-Level Gateway).

[0016] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, an access gateway connection updating apparatus is provided, comprising: a target AGW determining unit configured to determine a first target IMS-AGW according to connection state information of IMS-AGWs, the first target IMS-AGW being a currently available IMS-AGW, and the IMS-AGW being carried by a non-ground device; and a triggering unit configured to trigger a control function network element to establish a connection with the first target IMS-AGW.

[0017] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a connection establishing unit configured to perform a process of establishing the connection.

[0018] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a timing unit configured to start a first timer after the triggering unit triggers the control function network element to establish the connection with the first target IMS-AGW, and the triggering unit is further configured to initiate an indication of registration or re-registration to the first target IMS-AGW according to the connection state information in a case that the first timer reaches a first predetermined time length and no information of initiating the establishment of the connection by the first target IMS-AGW is received.

[0019] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a monitoring unit configured to start an idle timeout activation process or an out-of-service process for a second target IMS-AGW, wherein the second target IMS-AGW is an IMS-AGW that will enter an unavailable time period within a predetermined time length.

[0020] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, an access gateway connection updating apparatus is provided, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute any of the above access gateway connection updating methods based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0021] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored therein is provided, the instructions being executed by a processor to implement any of the above access gateway connection updating methods.

[0022] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising computer programs or instructions, the computer programs or instructions being executed by a processor to implement any of the above access gateway connection updating methods.

[0023] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising: a plurality of IMS-AGWs carried by non-ground devices; and a control function network element configured to perform any of the above access gateway connection updating methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and constitute a part of the disclosure, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the disclosure and serve to explain the principles of the disclosure, and do not limit the disclosure in any manner. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 Flow chart of some embodiments of the access gateway connection update method of the disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 Flow chart of some other embodiments of the access gateway connection update method of the disclosure.

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of some embodiments of the IMS-ALG restoration process in the access gateway connection update method of the disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of some embodiments of the registration and re-registration process in the access gateway connection update method of the disclosure.

[0029] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of some embodiments of the service loss process in the access gateway connection update method of the disclosure.

[0030] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of some embodiments of the access gateway connection update device of the disclosure.

[0031] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of some other embodiments of the access gateway connection update device of the disclosure.

[0032] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of some other embodiments of the access gateway connection update device of the disclosure.

[0033] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of some embodiments of the communication system of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions of the disclosure are described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] Support of IMS voice service over UE-satellite-UE communication will be further studied in 3GPP SA2 R19. For operators, IMS voice service imposes clear requirements on the deployment of AGW on the media path of UE, which will allocate IP addresses for the service terminal, which are used as target IP addresses by the opposite terminal to support a series of vital functions, including but not limited to transcoding, security isolation with the IMS core network, lawful interception and data retention, etc. Therefore, in order to realize IMS voice service in the UE-satellite-UE communication mode, the network must have the ability to deploy AGW on the satellite.

[0036] In view of the fact that the 3GPP standard specifies that the high-orbit satellite is 35786 km away from the ground, and the low-orbit satellite is between 300-500 km, deploying AGW on a low-orbit satellite can provide smaller latency and meet more types of service requirements. However, the dynamic change of the low-orbit satellite causes the AGW position on it to also change dynamically, which makes it difficult for the P-CSCF to perceive the AGW information and establish and release the connection with the AGW. When the P-CSCF establishes an IMS session for a user, it is difficult to select a suitable on-board AGW for the user.

[0037] To solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides an access gateway connection updating method, device and communication system, which can discover and connect available AGW in time, and improve the selection efficiency of on-board AGW and the reliability of satellite communication.

[0038] The flowchart of some embodiments of the access gateway connection updating method of the present disclosure is shown in Figure 1 The access gateway connection updating method of the present disclosure is executed by a control function network element, such as a media session control function network element. In some embodiments, the control function network element can be at least one of a P-CSCF or an IMS-ALG.

[0039] In step S11, the control function network element determines a first target IMS-AGW according to the connection state information of the IMS-AGW, the first target IMS-AGW being a currently available IMS-AGW, and the IMS-AGW being carried by a non-ground device.

[0040] The connection state information can be pre-stored or pre-configured information that the control function network element can obtain, which can be stored locally in the control function network element or in a location that the control function network element can read through real-time communication. The connection state information relates to at least one IMS-AGW, and each IMS-AGW has corresponding connection state information.

[0041] In some embodiments, the connection state information comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of the IMS-AGW, a communication address of the IMS-AGW, an available time of the IMS-AGW, an unavailable time of the IMS-AGW, a constellation identifier in which the IMS-AGW is located, a satellite identifier in which the IMS-AGW is located, and an address domain of the IMS-AGW.

[0042] In some embodiments, the connection state information comprises at least one of the available time of the IMS-AGW or the unavailable time of the IMS-AGW, and the connection state information can comprise an identifier of the IMS-AGW, so that different connection state information corresponding to different IMS-AGWs can be identified and distinguished by the identifier of the IMS-AGW.

[0043] In some embodiments, the connection state information can further comprise a communication address of the IMS-AGW. Considering that one low earth orbit satellite can have multiple ISLs with multiple satellites, when the AGW receives a media data packet from the UE, it cannot determine which ISL to use to send the received media data packet. In order to avoid the AGW sending the media packet to every ISL it owns and wasting ISL resources, by allocating a specific address range for each AGW in the connection state information, ISL resource waste can be avoided.

[0044] In some embodiments, the connection state information can be as shown in Table 1. The connection state information shown in Table 1 comprises the association between the identifier of the IMS-AGW, the available time of the IMS-AGW, the unavailable time of the IMS-AGW, and the communication address of the IMS-AGW. The connection state information shown in Table 1 is only an example and does not constitute an improper limitation on the present disclosure.

[0045] Table 1: One embodiment of connection state information

[0046]

[0047] The control function network element queries the IMS-AGW in the available state in the connection state information as the first target IMS-AGW based on the current time period.

[0048] In some embodiments, the control function network element can calculate the first target IMS-AGW according to the satellite information in which the AGW is located, such as the satellite identifier, the constellation identifier, the orbital height, the orbital inclination, etc. The connection state information can comprise one or more of the satellite identifier, the constellation identifier, the orbital height, and the orbital inclination. The connection state information can be as shown in Table 2. Figure 2

[0049] Figure 2 Another embodiment of connection state information

[0050] ​

[0051] Considering the mobility of the low-orbit satellite, the address information connected to the ground by the on-board AGW can dynamically change, and therefore the technical solution limits that the same IP address is used when the on-board AGW connects to the ground through the same feeder link, and different IP addresses can be used for different feeder links.

[0052] In step S12, the control function network element triggers the control function network element to establish a connection with the first target IMS-AGW. In some embodiments, the control function network element can trigger the establishment of the connection with the first target IMS-AGW by sending a trigger message to the first target IMS-AGW.

[0053] Based on the method in the above-mentioned embodiments, the control function network element can determine the IMS-AGW in the available state based on the connection state information, and then establish a connection, thereby improving the accuracy and timeliness of selecting the IMS-AGW, improving the selection efficiency of the on-board AGW and the reliability of the satellite communication, and improving the support capability for the IMS service.

[0054] In some embodiments, the process of establishing a connection between the control function network element and the IMS-AGW in step S12 above can be a control function network element recovery process. The control function network element recovery process includes: in response to an IMS-AGW recovery request from the first target IMS-AGW, sending an IMS-AGW recovery response to the first target IMS-AGW; sending an IMS-AGW recovery hot / cold restart instruction to the first target IMS-AGW, and receiving an IMS-ALG recovery response fed back by the first target IMS-AGW. In some embodiments, taking the control function network element as an example, the IMS-ALG recovery process is as shown in Figure 3 .

[0055] In step 301, the first target IMS-AGW sends a communications UP, IMS-AGW restoration request to the IMS-ALG.

[0056] In step 302, the IMS-ALG sends a communications UP response, IMS-AGW restoration response to the IMS-AGW.

[0057] In step 303, the IMS-ALG sends an IMS-AGW restoration hot / cold restart instruction to the IMS-AGW.

[0058] In step 304, the first target IMS-AGW feeds back an IMS-ALG recovery response to the IMS-ALG.

[0059] Through the recovery process, the efficiency of establishing a connection with the first target IMS-AGW can be further improved.

[0060] A flowchart of another embodiment of the access gateway connection update method of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 13, comprising steps S13-S15. Figure 2

[0061] In step S12, after the control function network element triggers the establishment of a connection with the first target IMS-AGW (e.g., sends a trigger message), step S13 is performed.

[0062] In step S13, a first timer is started.

[0063] In step S14, if the first timer counts up to a first predetermined time length (Tw1) but the control function network element does not receive information from the first target IMS-AGW initiating an IMS-ALG, step S15 is performed.

[0064] In step S15, the control function network element initiates a registration or re-registration indication to the first target IMS-AGW according to the connection state information.

[0065] For example, if the first target IMS-AGW is already registered with the control function network element, a re-registration indication is triggered to the first target IMS-AGW.

[0066] In some embodiments, if the first target IMS-AGW is not registered with the control function network element, a registration indication is triggered to the first target IMS-AGW, and the first target IMS-AGW is assigned a specified address domain IP Realm. The assignment of the IP Realm can be based on the constellation in which it is located, or the satellite in which it is located.

[0067] In some embodiments, the registration or re-registration indication process is as shown in FIG. 14. Figure 4

[0068] In step 401, the control function network element sends a registration or re-registration request to the IMS-AGW, and the request carries the address of the control function network element and the IP address domain.

[0069] In step 402, the control function network element receives a registration or re-registration response from the IMS-AGW.

[0070] Based on the method in the above embodiments, the IMS-AGW can be actively requested without receiving a request for recovery, and the likelihood of establishing a connection with the first target IMS-AGW can be improved.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 15, the method further comprises steps S16-S18. Figure 2 ​​As shown, the access gateway connection updating method of the present disclosure further comprises steps S16-S18.

[0072] In step S16, after triggering the initiation of the indication of registration or re-registration to the first target IMS-AGW (for example, sending a request indicating registration or re-registration to the first target IMS-AGW), a second timer is started.

[0073] In step S17, if the second timer reaches the second predetermined time length (Tw2) but no information indicating registration or re-registration initiated by the second target IMS-AGW is received, step S18 is performed. The above-mentioned Tw1 and Tw2 can be the same or different.

[0074] In step S18, the connection state information of the first target IMS-AGW is updated.

[0075] Based on the method in the above-mentioned embodiment, when the connection of the IMS-AGW cannot be established through the connection establishment and registration, re-registration process, the connection state information can be updated in time, the probability of subsequent connection failure is reduced, and the efficiency of subsequent successful connection establishment is improved.

[0076] In some embodiments, the access gateway connection updating method of the present disclosure further comprises, for the IMS-AGW that will enter the unavailable time period, starting an idle timeout activation process or a service loss process, for example, determining the IMS-AGW that will enter the unavailable time period within a predetermined time length as the second target IMS-AGW according to the connection state information, and then starting the idle timeout activation process or the service loss process for the second target IMS-AGW. The service loss process can be as shown in Figure 5

[0077] In step 501, the control function network element sends a service loss request to the IMS-AGW.

[0078] In step 502, the control function network element receives a service loss response feedback by the IMS-AGW.

[0079] Based on the method in the above-mentioned embodiment, the IMS-AGW that will enter the unavailable time period can be found in time, and then the idle timeout activation process or the service loss process is performed on it, so that the IMS-AGW can be switched in time, and the continuity of the service and the reliability of the communication are improved.

[0080] In some embodiments, when selecting the AGW for the user, the control function network element will determine which on-board AGW to select for the user according to the locally configured or stored connection state information, and the reliability of AGW selection and service for the user is improved.

[0081] ​Based on the method in each of the embodiments shown above, the establishment, maintenance and release method of the connection between the satellite AGW device can be improved on the basis of little change to the entire network architecture process, the control of the network by the operator is increased, the utilization rate of network resources is improved, and the foundation technical support is laid for the subsequent satellite IMS voice service development.

[0082] A schematic diagram of some embodiments of the access gateway connection updating apparatus of the present disclosure is shown in Figure 6

[0083] The target AGW determining unit 601 can determine a first target IMS-AGW according to the connection state information of the IMS-AGW, and the first target IMS-AGW is a currently available IMS-AGW carried by a non-ground device. In some embodiments, the target AGW determining unit 601 can perform the method in any of the embodiments of step S11 above.

[0084] The triggering unit 602 can trigger the control function network element to establish a connection with the IMS-AGW. In some embodiments, the triggering unit 602 can perform the method in any of the embodiments of step S12.

[0085] Based on the access gateway connection updating apparatus shown above, the IMS-AGW in the available state can be determined based on the connection state information, and then a connection is established, thereby improving the accuracy and timeliness of selecting the IMS-AGW, improving the selection efficiency of the satellite AGW and the reliability of the satellite communication, and improving the support capability for the IMS service.

[0086] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6 The access gateway connection updating apparatus further includes a connection establishing unit 603, which can perform the process of establishing a connection between any of the control function network elements and the IMS-AGW mentioned above.

[0087] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6 The access gateway connection updating apparatus further includes a timing unit 604, which can start a first timer after the triggering unit triggers the control function network element to establish a connection with the IMS-AGW. In some embodiments, the timing unit 604 can perform the method in any of the embodiments of steps S13 and S14 above.

[0088] The triggering unit 602 can also initiate an indication of registration or re-registration to the first target IMS-AGW according to the connection state information in the case that the first timer counts up to a first predetermined time length and no information of the first target IMS-AGW initiating the IMS-ALG is received. In some embodiments, the triggering unit 602 can also perform the method in any of the embodiments of step S15 above. ​

[0089] Such device can initiate request to IMS-AGW actively without receiving request of IMS-AGW recovery, improve the possibility of establishing connection with first target IMS-AGW.

[0090] In some embodiments, the timing unit 604 can perform the method in any of the embodiments of the above steps S16, S17, and the triggering unit 602 can perform the method in any of the embodiments of the above step S18. Such device can update the connection state information in time, reduce the probability of subsequent connection failure, and improve the efficiency of subsequent successful connection.

[0091] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6 The access gateway connection updating device further includes a monitoring unit 605, which can start an idle timeout activation process or a service loss process for the second target IMS-AGW, wherein the second target IMS-AGW is an IMS-AGW that will enter an unavailable time period within a predetermined length of time.

[0092] Such device can discover IMS-AGW that will enter an unavailable time period in time, and then perform an idle timeout activation process or a service loss process on it, thereby facilitating timely switching of IMS-AGW and improving the continuity of services and the reliability of communication.

[0093] The structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the access gateway connection updating device of the present disclosure is shown in Figure 7 The access gateway connection updating device includes a memory 701 and a processor 702. The memory 701 can be a disk, a flash memory, or any other non-volatile storage medium. The memory is used to store the instructions in the corresponding embodiments of the above access gateway connection updating method. The processor 702 is coupled to the memory 701 and can be implemented as one or more integrated circuits, such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller. The processor 702 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory, and can improve the selection efficiency of the on-board AGW and the reliability of satellite communication, and improve the support capability for IMS services.

[0094] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 8 The access gateway connection updating device 800 includes a memory 801 and a processor 802. The processor 802 is coupled to the memory 801 through a BUS bus 803. The access gateway connection updating device 800 can also be connected to an external storage device 805 through a storage interface 804 to call external data, and can also be connected to a network or another computer system (not shown) through a network interface 806. Details are not described here.

[0095] In the embodiment, the data instruction is stored in the memory, and the processor processes the data instruction, so that the selection efficiency of the AGW on the satellite and the reliability of the satellite communication are improved, and the support capability for the IMS service is improved.

[0096] In another embodiment, a computer readable storage medium stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method in the corresponding embodiment of the access gateway connection update method. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the disclosure can be provided as a method, device, or computer program product. Therefore, the disclosure can be in the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the disclosure can be in the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable non-transitory storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROMs, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0097] A schematic diagram of some embodiments of the communication system of the disclosure is shown in Figure 9

[0098] The plurality of IMS-AGWs 921-92n, n being a positive integer, are carried by non-terrestrial equipment.

[0099] The control function network element 91 can be any one of the control function network elements mentioned above, and can execute any one of the access gateway connection update methods mentioned above. In some embodiments, the control function network element can be at least one of a P-CSCF or an IMS-ALG.

[0100] In such a communication system, the control function network element can determine the IMS-AGW in the available state based on the connection state information, and then establish a connection, so as to improve the accuracy and timeliness of selecting the IMS-AGW, improve the selection efficiency of the AGW on the satellite and the reliability of the satellite communication, and improve the support capability for the IMS service.

[0101] The disclosure is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to the embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood that each flow and / or block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams and the combination of the flows and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device that implements the functions specified in the flow Figure One The device that implements the functions specified in one flow or multiple flows and / or blocks Figure One one flow or multiple flows and / or blocks. ​

[0102] These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer- readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the flow Figure One one or more flow or block Figure One one or more flow or block

[0103] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the flow Figure One one or more flow or block Figure One Figure One one or more flow or block

[0104] Thus far, the present disclosure has been described in detail. In order to avoid obscuring the idea of the present disclosure, some details well-known in the art are not described. A person skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein according to the above description.

[0105] The method and device of the present disclosure can be implemented in many ways. For example, the method and device of the present disclosure can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of software, hardware, and firmware. The above-mentioned order of steps for the method is only for illustration, and the steps of the method of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned order, unless otherwise specifically described. In addition, in some embodiments, the present disclosure can also be implemented as programs recorded in a recording medium, which include machine-readable instructions for implementing the method according to the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure also covers the recording medium storing the programs for executing the method according to the present disclosure.

[0106] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", and the like in the description and claims of the present disclosure and the drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily indicate a specific order or a chronological sequence. It should be understood that the data thus used can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein can be implemented in other than the order illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or device including a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but can include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0107] It should be noted that the above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure rather than limit them; although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the specific embodiments of the present disclosure can be modified or some technical features can be replaced by equivalent ones; without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present disclosure, which should be covered in the technical solution range of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for updating a connection to an access gateway, applied to a control function network element, comprising: Based on the connection status information of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Media Plane Access Gateway (AGW), a first target IMS-AGW is identified, and the control function network element is triggered to establish a connection with the first target IMS-AGW. The first target IMS-AGW is a currently available IMS-AGW, which is carried by a non-ground device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The connection status information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the IMS-AGW, the communication address of the IMS-AGW, the available time of the IMS-AGW, the unavailable time of the IMS-AGW, the constellation identifier of the IMS-AGW, the satellite identifier of the IMS-AGW, and the address field of the IMS-AGW.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the connection establishment process, wherein, The process of establishing a connection is a control function network element recovery process.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The control function network element recovery process includes: In response to the IMS-AGW recovery request from the first target IMS-AGW, an IMS-AGW recovery response is sent to the first target IMS-AGW; Send IMS-AGW recovery hot / cold restart instructions to the first target IMS-AGW, and receive control function network element recovery responses from the first target IMS-AGW.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After the control function network element establishes a connection with the first target IMS-AGW, the first timer is started; If the first timer reaches a first predetermined duration and no connection establishment information is received from the first target IMS-AGW, an instruction to register or re-register is sent to the first target IMS-AGW based on the connection status information.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: If the first target IMS-AGW is not registered in the control function network element, a specified address field is allocated to the first target IMS-AGW, triggering an instruction registration to be initiated to the first target IMS-AGW.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, If the first target IMS-AGW has already been registered with the control function network element, then an instruction to re-register is triggered to the first target IMS-AGW.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: After triggering the instruction to register or re-register to the first target IMS-AGW, the second timer is started; If the second timer reaches the second predetermined duration and no registration instruction is received from the second target IMS-AGW, nor any re-registration instruction is received, the connection status information of the first target IMS-AGW is updated.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Initiate an idle timeout activation process or a service loss process for the second target IMS-AGW, wherein the second target IMS-AGW is an IMS-AGW that will enter an unavailable period within a predetermined time length.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The connection status information is pre-configured or pre-stored locally.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The control function network element is executed by the proxy call session control function P-CSCF or the IMS-application layer gateway ALG.

12. An access gateway connection update device, comprising: The target AGW determination unit is configured to determine a first target IMS-AGW based on the connection status information of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Media Plane Access Gateway (AGW). The first target IMS-AGW is a currently available IMS-AGW, and the IMS-AGW is carried by a non-terrestrial device. The triggering unit is configured to trigger the connection between the control function network element and the IMS-AGW.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising: The connection establishment unit is configured to perform the connection establishment process.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising: The timing unit is configured to start a first timer after the control function network element is triggered to establish a connection with the first target IMS-AGW; The triggering unit is further configured to, when the first timer reaches a first predetermined duration and no connection establishment information is received from the first target IMS-AGW, initiate an instruction to register or re-register to the first target IMS-AGW based on the connection status information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: The monitoring unit is configured to initiate an idle timeout activation process or a service loss process for a second target IMS-AGW, wherein the second target IMS-AGW is an IMS-AGW that will enter an unavailable period within a predetermined time length.

16. An access gateway connection update device, comprising: Memory; as well as A processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11 based on instructions stored in the memory.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

19. A communication system, comprising: Multiple IMS-AGWs are mounted on non-ground equipment; and The control function network element is configured to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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