Data transmission method and device

Abstract

The invention provides a data transmission method and device, and relates to the technical field of communication. The core network equipment can more reasonably schedule the network slices, and the utilization rate of network resources is improved. The method comprises: when it is determined that a preset condition is satisfied, first information is sent to a terminal device, the first information is used for indicating to open a first network slice and / or close a second network slice, and the preset condition is related to a load and / or a network condition of a core network device; and receiving service data from the terminal equipment based on the first information.

Description

Data transmission method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 29, 2023, with application number 202311870014.4 and application name “Data Transmission Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a data transmission method and device. Background Art

[0003] The types of terminal devices and the services they provide are increasing. Using the same network to serve these diverse services is difficult to meet the diverse needs of terminal devices. Therefore, providing differentiated network services for different services through network slicing is an important way to improve network quality.

[0004] Network slicing is an on-demand networking approach that allows operators to create multiple virtual end-to-end networks on a unified infrastructure. Each network slice is logically isolated from the radio access network to the bearer network and then to the core network, adapting to various types of business applications. However, the core network equipment has a single scheduling method for network slices, which may result in low network resource utilization.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a method to enable core network equipment to more reasonably schedule network slices and improve the utilization of network resources.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a data transmission method and device that can enable core network equipment to more reasonably schedule network slices and improve the utilization of network resources.

[0008] In a first aspect, a data transmission method is provided, including: when it is determined that a preset condition is met, sending first information to a terminal device, the first information being used to indicate turning on a first network slice and / or turning off a second network slice, the preset condition being related to the load and / or network conditions of the core network device; based on the first information, receiving service data from the terminal device.

[0009] In the data transmission method of the present application, the core network device can open the first network slice and / or close the second network slice based on the network load, the core network device load, etc. For example, when the network load is large, the network slice corresponding to the application with high bandwidth and latency requirements can be closed, and / or the application with low bandwidth and latency requirements can be opened; when the core network device load is large, for example, the memory occupancy rate is too high, all network slices can be closed. In this way, the core network device can more reasonably instruct the terminal device to open or close a certain type of network slice through the access network device according to the network conditions, the core network device load, etc., so that the core network device can schedule the network slice more reasonably, which helps to improve the utilization rate of network resources.

[0010] It should be understood that the load of the core network device may include, for example, the occupancy rate of the following processor resources and / or the occupancy rate of memory resources, and the network conditions may include, for example, one or more of the following: network resource occupancy rate, the ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value, the disconnection rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice, the packet loss rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice, or the network delay of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice, etc.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information is used to indicate the shutdown of the second network slice, and the preset conditions include one or more of the following: the occupancy rate of processor resources is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold; the occupancy rate of memory resources is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold; the occupancy rate of network resources is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold; the ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset threshold; the disconnection rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the fifth preset threshold; the packet loss rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the sixth preset threshold; or, the network delay of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the seventh preset threshold.

[0012] In this way, when the load on the core network device is large, and / or the load on network resources is large, an instruction can be given to shut down the second network slice. This prevents network resources from being overly concentrated on application services serving the second network slice, helps balance the distribution of network resources, and makes the scheduling of network resources by the core network device more reasonable. When the ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value is too large, and / or when the disconnection rate, packet loss rate, and / or network delay of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice are large, network resources can no longer be overly concentrated on application services serving the second network slice, so that terminal devices not accessing the second network slice can use more network resources, which helps balance the distribution of network resources.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving information indicating network data from a terminal device that is not connected to the second network slice, the network data including one or more of the following: disconnection rate, packet loss rate, or network delay.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice, and the preset conditions include one or more of the following: the occupancy rate of processor resources is less than or equal to the eighth preset threshold; the occupancy rate of memory resources is less than or equal to the ninth preset threshold; the occupancy rate of network resources is less than or equal to the tenth preset threshold.

[0015] In this way, when the core network device load and / or network resource load are low, the core network device can instruct to start the first network slice. The first network slice can be a full or partial network slice, for example, it can start gaming applications and audio and video applications. This helps meet the differentiated needs of services and improve network resource utilization.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first network slice and / or the second network slice is one or more of the following: an uplink network slice, a downlink network slice, a network slice serving the first application, a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to a first threshold, or a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice. In this way, the core network device can determine the network slice to be shut down or enabled based on network conditions, core network device load, etc., and further indicate the type of the network slice through the second information.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information and / or the second information satisfies one of the following: the first information is broadcast; or, the first information is carried in a first request, and the first request is used to request to modify the session; or, the first information is carried in a second request, and the second request is used to request to deregister the session.

[0019] The first request may be understood as a policy control update notification request, and the second request may be understood as a deregistration request.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving a third request from a terminal device, the third request being used to request activation of the first network slice and / or deactivation of the second network slice; and sending first information to the terminal device, including: sending the first information to the terminal device in response to the third request. The terminal device can request activation or deactivation of the network slice from the core network device based on user needs, thereby improving user experience.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice, the business data is data generated by the operation of the first application, the business data is transmitted through the first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice, and the first network slice matches the first application.

[0022] In this way, the terminal device can use the first PDU session dedicated to the first application to transmit business data, which helps to meet the differentiated needs of the business and improve the utilization of network resources.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information is used to indicate the closure of the second network slice, and the service data is transmitted through the second PDU session, which is the default PDU session.

[0024] In this way, when the core network equipment is heavily loaded and / or the network is heavily loaded, the terminal device can use the default PDU session to transmit business data, so that network resources will not be excessively unevenly distributed.

[0025] On the second aspect, another data transmission method is provided, including: receiving first information from a core network device, the first information being used to indicate turning on a first network slice and / or turning off a second network slice; and sending service data to the core network device based on the first information.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first network slice and / or the second network slice is one or more of the following: an uplink network slice, a downlink network slice, a network slice serving the first application, a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to a first threshold, or a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0027] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: receiving second information from the core network device, the second information being used to indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first information satisfies one of the following: the first information is broadcast; or, the first information is carried in a first request, and the first request is used to request to modify the session; or, the first information is carried in a second request, and the second request is used to request to deregister the session.

[0029] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: sending a third request to the core network device, the third request being used to request to turn on the first network slice and / or turn off the second network slice.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice; sending service data to the core network device includes: using the first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice to send service data to the core network device, the service data being data generated by the operation of the first application, and the first network slice matches the first application.

[0031] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first information is used to indicate the closure of the second network slice; sending service data to the core network device includes: using the second PDU session to transmit service data, and the second PDU session is the default PDU session.

[0032] In a third aspect, a data transmission device is provided, configured to execute the method in any possible implementation of the first and second aspects. Specifically, the device includes a module configured to execute the method in any possible implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0033] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides another data transmission device, comprising a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement the method of any possible implementation of the first and second aspects described above. Optionally, the device further comprises a memory. Optionally, the device further comprises a communication interface, the processor coupled to the communication interface.

[0034] In one implementation, the apparatus is a terminal device. When the apparatus is a terminal device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0035] In another implementation, the device is a chip configured in a terminal device. When the device is a chip configured in a terminal device, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0036] In one implementation, the apparatus is a core network device. When the apparatus is a core network device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0037] In another implementation, the device is a chip configured in a core network device. When the device is a chip configured in a core network device, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of any possible implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0039] In a specific implementation process, the processor may be a chip, 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, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but 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.

[0040] In a sixth aspect, a processing device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to read instructions stored in the memory and receive signals via a receiver and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the method of any possible implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0041] Optionally, there are one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0042] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0043] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or set on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory and the setting method of the memory and the processor.

[0044] It should be understood that related data interaction processes, such as sending indication information, can be processes for outputting indication information from a processor, and receiving capability information can be processes for receiving input capability information from a processor. Specifically, the output data of the processor can be output to a transmitter, and the input data received by the processor can come from a receiver. The transmitter and receiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0045] The processing device in the sixth aspect mentioned above can be a chip. The processor can be implemented by hardware or by software. When implemented by hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented by software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, which is implemented by reading the software code stored in the memory. The memory can be integrated in the processor or can be located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0046] In the seventh 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 the method in any possible implementation of the first and second aspects above.

[0047] In an eighth 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 the method in any possible implementation of the first and second aspects above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a scenario in which the method provided in an embodiment of the present application is applicable;

[0050] FIG3 is a flow chart of a data transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG4 is a flow chart of a method for a core network device to send first information and / or second information to a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG5 is a flow chart of another method for a core network device to send first information and / or second information to a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for establishing a PDU session according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a data transmission device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG8 is a schematic block diagram of another data transmission device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] In some embodiments provided by this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish identical or similar items with basically the same functions and roles. For example, the first value and the second value are only used to distinguish different values, and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art can understand that terms such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and terms such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit being different.

[0058] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" aims to present relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0059] In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects and indicates that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item)" or its similar expression refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single item (item) or plural items (items). For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a - b, a - c, b - c, or a - b - c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0060] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication system, 5th generation (5G) system or New Radio (NR), future evolved communication systems, such as 6th generation (6G) system, etc.

[0061] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as: user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent or user device, etc.

[0062] The access network equipment and core network equipment in the embodiments of the present application may be collectively referred to as network equipment.

[0063] The core network device of the embodiment of the present application can be a core network device in a 5G system, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, a policy control function (PCF) network element, etc., or a core network device with other names, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present application.

[0064] The access network device can be any device with wireless transceiver capabilities. Access network equipment 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 base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP) or transmission and reception point (TRP), etc. It can also be a 5G base station (next-generation Node B, gNB) in a 5G, such as NR, system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or it can also be a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), etc.

[0065] In some deployments, the gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and a DU. The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some gNB functions, while the DU implements some gNB functions. For example, the CU may be responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, such as the radio resource control (RRC) layer, the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and / or the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. The DU may be responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services. For example, it may implement the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, the media access control (MAC) layer, and the physical (PHY) layer. A DU can be connected to only one CU or to multiple CUs, and a CU can be connected to multiple DUs. Communication between the CU and DU can be achieved through the F1 interface. The AAU may implement some physical layer processing functions, RF processing, and active antenna related functions. Since the information of the RRC layer will eventually be delivered to the PHY layer and become the information of the PHY layer, or converted from the information of the PHY layer, therefore, in this architecture, high-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered to be sent by DU, or by DU+AAU.

[0066] It is understood that the access network device may include one or more of a CU node, a DU node, and an AAU node. In addition, the CU may be classified as an access network device in an access network (RAN) or as an access network device in a core network (CN), and this application does not limit this.

[0067] The access network equipment provides services for the cell. The terminal device communicates with the cell through the transmission resources (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) allocated by the access network equipment. The cell can belong to a macro base station (for example, macro eNB or macro gNB, etc.) or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here can include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0068] The following introduces some technical terms involved in this application.

[0069] 1. Network slicing is an on-demand networking method that allows operators to create multiple virtual end-to-end networks on a unified infrastructure. Each network slice is logically isolated from the radio access network to the bearer network and then to the core network, adapting to various types of business applications. A network slice can include radio sub-slices, bearer sub-slices, and core network sub-slices. Network slicing can also be understood as a logical network formed by combining related business functions, network resources, and network configurations within the physical network.

[0070] 2. Network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), which can be information used to identify a network slice. For example, NSSAI can include information indicating a slice / service type (SST) and / or information indicating a slice differentiator (SD).

[0071] 3. UE route selection policy (URSP): Information describing the correspondence between applications and network slices. URSP can contain one or more single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) to implement differentiated control strategies for different users and different services.

[0072] Optionally, the URSP includes two parameters, one of which is a traffic descriptor (TD) parameter that describes the APP attributes. The TD parameter includes one or more of the following: APP ID, data network name (DNN), IP triplet (IP Descriptor), domain descriptor, or connection capabilities. The other set of parameters is a routing descriptor that describes the data bearer attributes. The routing descriptor includes one or more of the following: single network slice selection assistance information, session and service continuity mode (SSC mode), DNN and other parameters. There may be a correspondence between the traffic descriptor and the routing descriptor.

[0073] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is first described in detail with reference to FIG1 .

[0074] Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 to which an embodiment of the present application is applied. The communication system 100 includes an access network and a core network.

[0075] The access network includes at least one access network device, such as access network device 110 shown in Figure 1 ; the access network also includes at least one terminal device, such as terminal device 120 shown in Figure 1 . The core network devices in the core network can connect to the access network devices wirelessly or wiredly. When a terminal device is within the coverage area of ​​the access network device, it can connect to the access network device wirelessly. For example, if terminal device 120 is within the coverage area of ​​access network device 110, terminal device 120 can connect to access network device 110 wirelessly.

[0076] The access network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can communicate via a wireless link. The access network device 110 or the terminal device 120 can be configured with multiple antennas, which may include at least one transmit antenna for sending signals and at least one receive antenna for receiving signals. In addition, the access network device 110 or the terminal device 120 also includes a transmitter chain and a receiver chain. Those skilled in the art will understand that they may include multiple components related to signal transmission and reception (such as processors, modulators, multiplexers, demodulators, demultiplexers, or antennas). Therefore, the access network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can communicate via multi-antenna technology.

[0077] In addition, the access network device 110 can also communicate with the core network device in the core network via a wireless link. Therefore, the terminal device 120 can communicate with the core network device through the access network device 110. For example, the terminal device 120 can send information 1 to the access network device 110, and correspondingly, the access network device 110 receives information 1 from the terminal device 120; the access network device 110 sends information 1 to the core network device, and correspondingly, the core network device receives information 1 from the access network device 110. Alternatively, the core network device sends information 2 to the access network device 110, and correspondingly, the access network device 110 receives information 2 from the core network device; the access network device 110 sends information 2 to the terminal device 120, and correspondingly, the terminal device 120 receives information 2 from the access network device 110.

[0078] The core network's primary functions are to provide user connections, manage users, and carry services. As a bearer network, it provides an interface to external networks. Establishing user connections involves functions such as mobility management (MM), call management (CM), switching / routing, and voice notification (which, combined with intelligent network services, connects to intelligent network peripheral devices).

[0079] The core network of a 4G network is the evolved packet core (EPC). The EPC is the core network of a 4G mobile communications network. It encompasses traditional mobile network capabilities, such as user subscription data storage, mobility management, and data exchange, and provides users with an ultra-high-speed internet experience. The core network of a 5G network is the 5G Core (abbreviated as 5GC). 5GC uses general-purpose network function virtualization equipment to replace the dedicated communication equipment of 4G networks.

[0080] It should be noted that the core network in the network architecture shown in Figure 1 can be obtained by integrating EPC and 5GC. That is to say, the core network in the network architecture can include both network elements in EPC and network elements in 5GC. For example, the core network in the network architecture can include access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, policy control function (PCF) network element, mobility management entity (MME) network element, serving gateway (SGW) network element, packet data network gateway (PGW) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, user plane function (UPF) network element, unified data management function (UDM) network element and home subscriber server (HSS) network element, etc.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, the core network in the network architecture may include converged network elements obtained from network elements in the EPC and network elements in the 5GC. For example, SMF+PGW-C, UPF+PGW-U, UDM+HSS, etc. Among them, PGW-C is the control plane node of the PGW network element, and PGW-U is the user plane node of the PGW network element.

[0082] Each network element in the core network can also be called a functional entity, which can be a network element implemented on dedicated hardware, a software instance running on dedicated hardware, or an instance of a virtualized function on an appropriate platform.

[0083] It should be understood that the core network equipment and the access network equipment can be independent and different physical devices, or the functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the wireless access network equipment can be integrated on the same physical device, or the functions of some core network equipment and some access network equipment can be integrated on one physical device. This application does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0084] It should be understood that the names of all network elements in this application are only examples. In future communications, such as 6G, they may also be called other names, or, in future communications, such as 6G, the network elements involved in this application may also be replaced by other entities or devices with the same functions, etc., and this application does not limit this. A unified explanation is given here and will not be repeated later. Optionally, the various network elements in the embodiments of the present application may be communication devices, or chips or chip systems that can be used in the communication devices, etc., and this embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0085] It is understood that the core network in the network architecture shown in Figure 1 may also include other devices, network elements, network entities, or network subsystems, such as a policy control function (PCF) network element, and this application does not limit this. It should be noted that this application does not limit the distribution method of each network element in the core network. The specific distribution method can be referred to in relevant technical documents, and this application does not elaborate on it here.

[0086] It should be understood that Figure 1 is merely a schematic diagram, and this application does not limit the specific architecture of the applicable system. The communication system 100 may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number and specific form of the core network devices, access network devices, and terminal devices included in the communication system 100.

[0087] Optionally, the communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0088] Currently, there are more and more types of terminal devices and the services provided by terminal devices. For different types of services, if the same network is used to provide services for them, it is difficult to meet the diverse service needs of terminal devices. For example, for cloud gaming applications in terminal devices, the server needs to send real-time audio and video streams to the client; the client needs to send a control instruction stream to the server, and the server applies the control instructions received from the client to the game. Therefore, the services of cloud gaming applications have higher requirements for network latency and bandwidth. For weather applications in terminal devices, the latency requirements are usually much lower than those of cloud gaming applications. For example, for virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, if the latency is large, it may cause motion sickness in users. This type of terminal device usually requires a latency of less than 20ms.

[0089] Based on this, network slicing technology can typically be used to separate multiple virtual end-to-end networks from a unified core network infrastructure. Each virtual end-to-end network is called a network slice. Each network slice can meet specific service requirements, such as latency, jitter, packet loss rate, and bandwidth within a specific range. Through network slicing, the communication system can provide different service carrying capabilities for different types of services on terminal devices, such as cloud gaming applications and weather applications, thereby meeting the diverse service needs of terminal devices. This improves the flexibility and service adaptability of the network architecture.

[0090] Below, the applicable scenarios of network slicing are explained with reference to Figure 2.

[0091] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of network slicing provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, scenario 200 includes a terminal device 210, an access network device 220, and a core network device 230. The terminal device 210 can communicate with the core network device 230 through the access network device 220.

[0092] Multiple applications can run in the terminal device 210, such as application A, application B, application C, and application D shown in Figure 2. The core network device 230 can provide multiple network slices, such as network slice 1, network slice 2, network slice 3, and network slice 4 shown in Figure 2. The applications in the terminal device 210 can access different network slices, so that the network slices can provide services for different application services.

[0093] For example, when the terminal device 210 is running an application, it first establishes a protocol data unit (PDU) session of the network slice corresponding to the application by accessing the network device 220, and then uses the PDU session to transmit business data with the core network device 230.

[0094] It should be noted that an application can correspond to one or more network slices, and a network slice can correspond to one or more applications. Each network slice corresponds to a PDU session.

[0095] As shown in Figure 2, application A and application B can connect to network slice 1 through PDU session 1, so that network slice 1 can provide services for the services of application A and application B; application C can connect to network slice 2 through PDU session 2, so that network slice 2 can provide services for the services of application C; application D can connect to network slice 3 through PDU session 3, and can also connect to network slice 4 through PDU session 4, so that network slice 3 and network slice 4 can provide services for the services of application D.

[0096] During the use of network slicing technology, core network devices usually instruct terminal devices through access network devices to enable network slicing. Even when the terminal device runs an application, the network slice corresponding to the running application is used to provide services for the application. However, the current scheduling method for network slicing by core network devices is relatively simple. Usually, only the terminal device is instructed to enable network slicing, which may cause unreasonable allocation of network resources and waste of network resources. For example, assume that the core network device instructs the terminal device to enable network slicing. Assuming that the current network load is large, if there are many applications with high bandwidth requirements that continue to request the core network device to use network slices, the available network resources of the network slices that provide services to other applications may be further reduced, affecting the operation of other applications.

[0097] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a data transmission method and apparatus, wherein the core network device can turn off or on a certain type of network slice based on network load, core network device load, and other conditions. For example, when the network load is large, the network slice corresponding to the application with high bandwidth and latency requirements can be turned off; when the network load is small, all network slices can be turned on; or, when uplink data transmission is congested, the network slice used to transmit uplink data can be turned off. In this way, the core network device can more reasonably instruct the terminal device through the access network device to turn on or off a certain type of network slice based on the network conditions, core network device load, and other conditions, making the core network device's scheduling of network slices more reasonable and helping to improve the utilization of network resources.

[0098] The data transmission method of the present application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The embodiment shown in this application illustrates the data transmission method provided by this application from the perspective of device interaction. The specific form and quantity of each device shown therein are only examples and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation of the method provided by this application. Below, taking the terminal device, access network device and core network device as the execution subjects as an example, the data transmission method of the embodiment of this application is described in detail.

[0099] It should be understood that the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be a chip, chip system or processor that supports the terminal device to implement the data transmission method, or it can be a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device; the access network device can be the access network device itself, or it can be a chip, chip system or processor that supports the access network device to implement the data transmission method, or it can be a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the access network device; the core network device can be the core network device itself, or it can be a chip, chip system or processor that supports the core network device to implement the data transmission method, or it can be a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the core network device. Please do not make specific limitations on this.

[0100] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the information interaction between the terminal device and the core network device can be achieved through the access network device. In order to make the description more concise, the process of the access network device forwarding the signaling during the signaling interaction between the terminal device and the core network device will not be described in detail below.

[0101] FIG3 is a flow chart of a data transmission method 300 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method 300 can be applied to the system 100. As shown in FIG3 , the method 300 includes the following steps:

[0102] S301. When a preset condition is met, a core network device sends first information to a terminal device. The first information is used to instruct the activation of a first network slice and / or the deactivation of a second network slice. The preset condition is related to the load and / or network status of the core network device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the core network device.

[0103] It should be understood that the first network slice may include one or more network slices; the second network slice may also include one or more network slices. The first network slice and / or the second network slice may also refer to all types of network slices. The load of the core network device may, for example, include the following processor resource occupancy rate and / or memory resource occupancy rate, etc., and the network conditions may, for example, include one or more of the following: network resource occupancy rate, the ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value, the disconnection rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice, the packet loss rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice, or the network delay of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice, etc. The saturation value can be understood as the maximum number of users that can access the second network slice. The number of users can be understood as the number of terminal devices.

[0104] In addition, the network status may also include network security, etc.

[0105] Among them, opening and closing can be indicated in the following ways.

[0106] In the first type, the first information may include a first identifier and / or a second identifier, where the first identifier indicates on and the second identifier indicates off. For example, the first identifier is 1 and the second identifier is 0, or the first identifier is 0 and the second identifier is 1; or the first identifier is true and the second identifier is false, or the first identifier is false and the second identifier is true; or the first identifier is true and the second identifier is false; the first identifier is activate and the second identifier is deactivate; or the first identifier is enable and the second identifier is de-enable.

[0107] In the second case, the first information may include a third flag, which indicates on, and if the first information does not include the third flag, it indicates off; or, the first information may include a fourth flag, which indicates off, and if the first information does not include the fourth flag, it indicates on. The third flag may be, for example, one of the following: 0, 1, true, false, activate, or enable; the fourth flag may be, for example, one of the following: 0, 1, true, false, deactivate, de-enable, or default.

[0108] Optionally, default can indicate that all service data is transmitted through the default PDU session, that is, all network slices are closed.

[0109] The first information may indicate turning on the first network slice and / or turning off the second network slice in the following manner.

[0110] In the first manner, if the first information includes an identifier in the first or second manner of indicating opening and closing, the first information indicates opening or closing all types of network slices. For example, the first information includes default, indicating that all types of network slices are closed; or the first information includes an identifier 1 indicating opening, indicating that all types of network slices are opened.

[0111] The second method and the first information include the identifier in the above-mentioned first or second method of indicating opening and closing, and also include information for indicating the first network slice and / or information for indicating the second network slice.

[0112] In one example, in combination with the first method of indicating on and off described above, the first information includes a first identifier, information indicating a first network slice, a second identifier, and information indicating a second network slice. For example, if the first information includes 1 and A, and 0 and B, the first information indicates that the network slice indicated by A is turned on and the network slice indicated by B is turned off.

[0113] In another example, in combination with the second method of indicating on and off described above, the first information includes a third identifier, information indicating the first network slice, and information indicating the second network slice. For example, the first information includes 1, A, and B; the first information indicates that the network slice indicated by A is turned on and the network slice indicated by B is turned off.

[0114] In another example, in combination with the second method of indicating on and off described above, the first information includes information for indicating the first network slice, a fourth identifier, and information for indicating the second network slice. For example, the first information includes A, default, and B; the first information indicates that the network slice indicated by A is turned on and the network slice indicated by B is turned off.

[0115] S302: Based on the first information, the terminal device sends service data to the core network device. Correspondingly, the core network device receives the service data from the terminal device.

[0116] The service data may be data generated when an application installed in the terminal device is running, such as a music application, a game application, etc.

[0117] After the terminal device receives the first information, the first information is used to indicate the start of the first network slice. For the application corresponding to the first network slice, when the terminal device starts the application corresponding to the first network slice, or the terminal device is running the application corresponding to the first network slice, the terminal device sends a PDU session establishment request to the core network device, and the PDU session establishment request carries information used to indicate the first network slice; the core network device sends a PDU session establishment response to the terminal device, and the terminal device can use the PDU session corresponding to the first network slice to send data generated by the operation of the application corresponding to the first network slice to the core network device.

[0118] And / or, after the terminal device receives the first information, the first information is used to indicate the closing of the second network slice. Then, for the application corresponding to the second network slice, when the terminal device starts the application corresponding to the second network slice, the terminal device uses the default PDU session (default PDU session) to send the data generated by the operation of the application corresponding to the second network slice to the core network device; or, if the terminal device is running the application corresponding to the second network slice, the terminal device closes the second network slice, that is, uses the default PDU session to send the data generated by the operation of the application corresponding to the second network slice to the core network device.

[0119] Among them, the default PDU session can also be understood as the PDU session corresponding to the default slice. The default PDU session is the default PDU session used to transmit data generated by applications running in the terminal device when the terminal device does not use network slicing technology, that is, when the network slicing is turned off. This PDU session is not a PDU session dedicated to a certain type of application, but a PDU session that can be used by multiple or all applications. It can also be called a public PDU session, etc.

[0120] In the data transmission method of the present application, the core network device can enable the first network slice and / or disable the second network slice based on network load and other conditions; for example, when the network load is large, the network slice corresponding to the application with high bandwidth and latency requirements can be disabled, and / or the application with low bandwidth and latency requirements can be enabled; when the core network device load is large, for example, the memory usage is too high, all network slices can be disabled. This allows the core network device to more reasonably instruct the terminal device through the access network device to enable or disable a certain type of network slice based on the network conditions, core network device load, and other conditions, making the core network device's scheduling of network slices more reasonable and helping to improve the utilization of network resources.

[0121] Next, the preset conditions in S301 are described.

[0122] In the first case, the first information is used to instruct the closure of the second network slice. The preset conditions may include one or more of the following: the occupancy rate of processor resources is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold; the occupancy rate of memory resources is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold; the occupancy rate of network resources is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold; the ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset threshold; the disconnection rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the fifth preset threshold; the packet loss rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the sixth preset threshold; or the network latency of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the seventh preset threshold.

[0123] The first preset threshold, the second preset threshold, the third preset threshold, the fourth preset threshold, the fifth preset threshold, the sixth preset threshold and the seventh preset threshold are preset positive values, such as 80%.

[0124] When the load on the core network device is large, for example, the occupancy rate of the processor resources and / or the occupancy rate of the memory resources of the core network device is large, the core network device may instruct to shut down all or part of the network slices.

[0125] When network resource load is high, such as when network resource utilization is high, core network equipment can instruct the shutdown of some or all network slices. For example, the network slice corresponding to a gaming application with high latency and bandwidth requirements can be shut down. This prevents excessive concentration of network resources on applications serving the second network slice, helps balance the distribution of network resources, and enables more reasonable scheduling of network resources by core network equipment.

[0126] When the ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value is too large, more network resources may be concentrated in the second network slice, or the network security conditions of the second network slice may be poor. Therefore, the core network device can instruct to shut down the second network slice. On the one hand, this prevents network resources from being overly concentrated on applications serving the second network slice, helping to balance the distribution of network resources. On the other hand, if the second network slice serves banking applications with high network security requirements, if the network security conditions of the second network slice may be poor, the second network slice can be shut down, thereby reducing the possibility of banking applications being attacked due to the network security of the second network slice.

[0127] If the disconnection rate, packet loss rate, and / or network latency of terminal devices not connected to the second network slice are high, it indicates that network resources may be overly concentrated on application services serving the second network slice, resulting in fewer network resources available to terminal devices not connected to the second network slice, making it difficult to meet the needs of terminal devices not connected to the second network slice. Therefore, the core network device can shut down the second network slice, so that network resources are no longer overly concentrated on application services serving the second network slice, which helps to balance the distribution of network resources.

[0128] Optionally, the network resource occupancy rate may also be the uplink network resource occupancy rate or the downlink network resource occupancy rate. For example, when the uplink network resource occupancy rate is greater than or equal to a third preset threshold, the second network slice may include an uplink network slice; when the downlink network resource occupancy rate is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold, the second network slice may include a downlink network slice.

[0129] In one possible implementation, method 300 further includes: a terminal device that does not access the second network slice sending information indicating network data to a core network device, where the network data includes one or more of the following: a call drop rate, a packet loss rate, or a network latency. Correspondingly, the core network device receives the information indicating the network data from the terminal device that does not access the second network slice.

[0130] It should be understood that the aforementioned disconnection rate, packet loss rate, and network latency of the terminal device that is not connected to the second network slice may be obtained by the core network device from the terminal device that is not connected to the second network slice. Optionally, the core network device may send a request 1 for requesting network data to the terminal device that is not connected to the second network slice; and the terminal device, in response to the request 1, sends information indicating the network data to the core network device.

[0131] In the second case, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice, and the preset conditions include one or more of the following: the occupancy rate of the processor resources is less than or equal to the eighth preset threshold; the occupancy rate of the memory resources is less than or equal to the ninth preset threshold; the occupancy rate of the network resources is less than or equal to the tenth preset threshold.

[0132] The eighth preset threshold, the ninth preset threshold, and the tenth preset threshold are preset positive values, such as 60%.

[0133] When the core network device is under load and / or the network resource load is under load, the core network device may instruct to start a first network slice. The first network slice may be a full or partial network slice, for example, starting a gaming application or an audio and video application.

[0134] Optionally, the network resource occupancy rate may also be the uplink network resource occupancy rate or the downlink network resource occupancy rate. For example, when the uplink network resource occupancy rate is less than or equal to the tenth preset threshold, the first network slice may include an uplink network slice; when the downlink network resource occupancy rate is less than or equal to the tenth preset threshold, the first network slice may include a downlink network slice.

[0135] In the third case, the first and second cases mentioned above can also be executed in parallel. For example, the first information is used to indicate turning on the first network slice and turning off the second network slice.

[0136] For example, if the core network device determines that the current core network device load is small, the uplink network resource load is small, and the terminal device that is not connected to the second network slice has a large drop rate, packet loss rate, and network latency, the core network device can instruct to open the first network slice and close the second network slice. The first network slice can be, for example, an uplink network slice; the second network slice can be, for example, a downlink network slice.

[0137] It should be understood that for the third case, reference can be made to the descriptions of the first and second cases above, and they will not be listed one by one here.

[0138] As an optional embodiment, method 300 further includes: the terminal device sending a third request to the core network device for requesting to enable the first network slice and / or disable the second network slice; and correspondingly, the core network device receiving the third request. S301 can be implemented as follows: in response to the third request, the core network device sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0139] For example, when a terminal device is running a gaming application, the network latency of the gaming application is large, resulting in a poor user experience. In this case, the terminal device can send a third request to the core network device, requesting to enable the network slice corresponding to the gaming application. Alternatively, when the network slice corresponding to a download application is enabled, the terminal device uses the download application to download a file, but the download speed is too slow. The terminal device can send a third request to the core network device, requesting to disable the network slice corresponding to the download application. This shows that in this way, the terminal device can request the core network device to enable or disable network slices according to user needs, which can improve the user experience.

[0140] As an optional embodiment, the first network slice and / or the second network slice may include but is not limited to one or more of the following: an uplink network slice, a downlink network slice, a network slice serving the first application, a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to a first threshold, or a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0141] The uplink network slice can be understood as a network slice serving uplink data transmission; the downlink network slice can be understood as a network slice serving downlink data transmission. The first application can be one or more applications, or one or more types of applications. The first threshold and the second threshold can be preset positive values.

[0142] Optionally, the first network slice and / or the second network slice may be agreed upon by protocol or configured by the core network device through signaling.

[0143] In the case where the first network slice and / or the second network slice are agreed upon by the protocol, the first information can indicate closing and / or opening, and the terminal device can use the first network slice and / or close the second network slice accordingly. Exemplarily, the second network slice is a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to the first threshold, and the first network slice is a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to the second threshold, then the core network device can send the first information to the terminal device in the case of network congestion. After the terminal device receives the first information, it can use the network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to the second threshold, and / or not use the network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0144] In a case where the first network slice and / or the second network slice are configured by a core network device through signaling, method 300 further includes: the core network device sending second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information.

[0145] It should be understood that the first information and the second information may be sent via the same signaling or via different signaling. When the first information and the second information are sent via the same signaling, the first information and the second information may be carried in the same or different fields, or in the same or different information elements, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0146] The second information may indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice in the following manner.

[0147] In the case where the first network slice or the second network slice includes an uplink network slice, the second information may include a first preset identifier, where the first preset identifier indicates the uplink network slice. The first preset identifier may be, for example, up, 0, 1, or 11.

[0148] In the case where the first network slice or the second network slice includes a downlink network slice, the second information may include a second preset identifier, where the second preset identifier indicates an uplink network slice. The second preset identifier may be, for example, down, 0, 1, or 00.

[0149] When the first network slice or the second network slice includes a network slice serving the first application, the second information may include a third preset identifier, which indicates the network slice serving the first application. For example, the third preset identifier may be "bank," indicating a network slice serving banking applications. Alternatively, the third preset identifier may be 00 and 11, with 00 indicating a network slice serving music applications and 11 indicating a network slice serving gaming applications. Alternatively, the second information may represent the first application using a bitmap. For example, 1 indicates selection and 0 indicates non-selection, and the second information may include 1100, indicating that the first application includes Application A and Application B.

[0150] In the case where the first network slice or the second network slice includes a network slice whose bandwidth is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the second information may include a fourth preset identifier. The fourth preset identifier indicates a network slice whose bandwidth is greater than or equal to the first threshold. The fourth preset identifier can be, for example, the first threshold, 0, 1, etc.

[0151] In the case where the first network slice or the second network slice includes a network slice whose bandwidth is less than or equal to the second threshold, the second information may include a fifth preset identifier. The fifth preset identifier indicates a network slice whose bandwidth is less than or equal to the second threshold. The fifth preset identifier may be, for example, the second threshold, 0, 1, etc.

[0152] As an optional embodiment, the first information and / or the second information satisfies any one of the following: the first information is broadcast; or, the first information is carried in a first request, and the first request is used to request to modify the session; or, the first information is carried in a second request, and the second request is used to request to deregister the session.

[0153] 1. The first information and / or the second information are broadcast. The first information being broadcast can be understood as the first information being broadcast by the access network device at the instruction of the core network device. In this way, terminal devices within the coverage of the access network device can obtain the first information and / or the second information.

[0154] 2. The first information and / or the second information are carried in the first request. The first request may be a policy control update notify request. The policy control update notify request may be a request sent by the PCF network element to the SMF network element to provide, update, or delete policies and policy and charging control (PCC) rules related to the execution of the PDU session.

[0155] In this case, the core network device may indicate the first information and / or the second information to the terminal device through the method 400 shown in Figure 4. The method 400 includes the following steps:

[0156] S401. A PCF network element sends a policy control update notification request to an SMF network element. The policy control update notification request carries first information and / or second information. Correspondingly, the SMF network receives the policy control update notification request.

[0157] S402. The SMF network element sends third information to the AMF network element. The third information includes the first information and / or the second information. Correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the third information. The third information is information sent by the SMF network element to the AMF network element in response to the policy control update notification request. Exemplarily, the third information may be a PDU session update SM context response; or a PDU session release SM context response; or an N1 N2 message transfer, etc. The N2 message may be a message carrying information such as a PDU session ID and SM information.

[0158] S403. The AMF network element sends fourth information to the access network device. The fourth information includes the first information and the second information. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the fourth information. The fourth information is information sent by the AMF network element to the access network device in response to the third information. Exemplarily, the fourth information may be an N2 resource release request, etc.

[0159] S404. The access network device sends fifth information to the terminal device. The fifth information includes the first information and the second information. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the fifth information. The fifth information is information sent by the access network device to the terminal device in response to the fourth information. Exemplarily, the fifth information may be specific resource modification information, such as a PDU session modification command.

[0160] It should be noted that method 400 can be a PDU session release signaling process triggered by the core network device when it determines that the preset conditions are met, or it can also be understood as a PDU session update process or a PDU session modification process. The first information and / or the second information are sent in the signaling carried in the process. This application does not make specific limitations on the signaling involved in the process and the signaling used to carry the first information and / or the second information.

[0161] 3. The first information and / or the second information are carried in a second request. The second request may be a de-registration request.

[0162] In this case, the core network device may indicate the first information and / or the second information to the terminal device through the method 500 shown in Figure 5. The method 500 includes the following steps:

[0163] S501: An AMF network element sends a deregistration request to a terminal device via an access network device. The deregistration request carries first information and / or second information. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the deregistration request. The AMF network element is a type of core network device.

[0164] Optionally, the terminal device may also execute S502, where the terminal device sends a deregistration response or a deregistration (de-registration accept) message to the AMF network element through the access network device.

[0165] It should be noted that method 500 may be a deregistration process triggered by the core network device when it determines that the preset conditions are met. The first information and / or the second information are sent in the signaling carried in the process. This application does not make specific limitations on the signaling involved in the process and the signaling used to carry the first information and / or the second information.

[0166] As an optional embodiment, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice. S302 can be implemented in the following manner: using the first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice, service data is sent to the core network device, the service data is data generated by the operation of the first application, and the first network slice matches the first application.

[0167] It should be understood that the first application can be, for example, a gaming application, a banking application, a music application, and the like. The matching of the first network slice to the first application can be understood as a correspondence between the traffic descriptor corresponding to the first application and the routing descriptor corresponding to the first network slice included in the URSP. Different traffic descriptors included in the URSP can correspond to different routing descriptors, that is, different network service qualities can be provided for different applications. For example, when a gaming application connects to the network, the network slice with the lowest latency can be matched for the gaming application; when a downloading application connects to the network, the network slice with the largest bandwidth and the fastest average network speed can be matched for the downloading application; when a banking application connects to the network, the network slice with the highest network security can be matched for the banking application.

[0168] For the examples shown in the above-mentioned method 400 and method 500, the first information carried in the first request or the second request is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice, and the terminal device may also continue to execute the above-mentioned S302 implementation method.

[0169] In a possible implementation, the first PDU session can be established by method 600 as shown in 6. That is, when using the first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice to send service data to the core network device, the terminal device can first establish the first PDU session by using method 600.

[0170] S601. The terminal device obtains a traffic descriptor corresponding to a first application.

[0171] S602: The terminal device determines a first network slice using a URSP and a traffic descriptor. The URSP may include a traffic descriptor and a routing descriptor for indicating the first network slice.

[0172] S603. The terminal device sends a PDU session establishment request to the AMF network element through the access network device. The PDU session establishment request carries a routing descriptor for indicating the first network slice. Correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the PDU session establishment request.

[0173] S604. The AMF network element sends a PDU session establishment request to the SMF network element. The PDU session establishment request carries a routing descriptor for indicating the first network slice. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the PDU session establishment request.

[0174] It should be understood that the routing descriptor used to indicate the first network slice can also be understood as information used to describe the attributes of the first PDU session. Based on the routing descriptor used to indicate the first network slice, the core network device can create the first PDU session.

[0175] S605. The SMF network element sends a PDU session establishment response to the AMF network element. The PDU session establishment response is used to indicate that the PDU session is successfully established. Correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the PDU session establishment response.

[0176] S606. The AMF network element sends a PDU session establishment response to the terminal device through the access network device. The PDU session establishment response is used to indicate that the PDU session is successfully established. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the PDU session establishment response.

[0177] Based on the PDU session establishment response, the terminal device can determine that the first PDU session is successfully established, and then the data stream of the first application can be transmitted through the first PDU session.

[0178] Optionally, before S601, method 600 further includes: S607, the terminal device sends a registration request to the PCF network element through the access network device and the AMF network element in sequence to request to obtain the URSP; in response to the registration request, the PCF network element sends information indicating the URSP to the terminal device through the AMF network element and the access network device in sequence. In this way, the terminal device can obtain the URSP from the core network device, so that the terminal device can match the network slice for the application running in the terminal device. In this case, assuming that the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice, and the second information is used to indicate that the first network slice is the network slice corresponding to the gaming application, then when the terminal device runs the gaming application, it can establish a PDU session for transmitting the data stream generated by the running of the gaming application through method 600.

[0179] As an optional embodiment, the first information is used to indicate the closing of the second network slice, and S302 can be implemented in the following manner: using the second PDU session to transmit business data, and the second PDU session is the default PDU session.

[0180] It should be understood that the default PDU session can refer to the description above and will not be repeated here. Assuming that the service data is data generated by the second application running in the second network slice, the second network slice corresponds to the third PDU session; when the first information is used to indicate the relationship with the second network slice, the terminal device does not use the third PDU session to transmit the service data, but uses the default PDU session to transmit the service data.

[0181] If the terminal device uses the third PDU session to transmit business data before the terminal device receives the first information, then after the terminal device receives the first information, the terminal device can delete the resource information corresponding to the third PDU session, such as the third PDU session ID, etc., and transmit the business data through the default PDU session.

[0182] It should be noted that the default PDU session may be an already established PDU session. Alternatively, if the default PDU session is not established, the terminal device may establish the default PDU session through the above-mentioned S603 to S606, which will not be described here for brevity.

[0183] It should also be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, turning on or off network slicing can also be replaced by activating or deactivating network slicing, or enabling or disabling network slicing, and this application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0184] It should be understood that the order of execution of the above methods does not necessarily mean the order in which they are executed. The order in which each process is executed should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0185] It should also be understood that in some possible implementations, the PDU session in the embodiments of the present application may also be replaced by other sessions, such as packet data network (PDN) sessions, etc., and the present application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0186] The data transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 3 to 6. The data transmission device according to an embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 7 and 8. The data transmission device includes a module or unit for executing each part of the above embodiment. The module or unit can be software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The following is only a brief example of the data transmission device. For the details of the implementation of the solution, please refer to the description of the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated below.

[0187] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a data transmission device 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG7 , the device 700 includes: a sending module 701 and a receiving module 702 .

[0188] In one possible implementation, the device 700 is used to implement the steps corresponding to the core network equipment (AMF network, SMF network element, PCF network element) in the above-mentioned methods 300, 400, 500 and 600.

[0189] The sending module 701 is used to send first information to the terminal device when it is determined that the preset conditions are met. The first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice and / or the closure of the second network slice. The preset conditions are related to the load and / or network conditions of the core network device; the receiving module 702 is used to receive business data from the terminal device based on the first information.

[0190] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate the shutdown of the second network slice, and the preset conditions include one or more of the following: the occupancy rate of processor resources is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold; the occupancy rate of memory resources is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold; the occupancy rate of network resources is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold; the ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset threshold; the disconnection rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the fifth preset threshold; the packet loss rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the sixth preset threshold; or, the network delay of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to the seventh preset threshold.

[0191] Optionally, the receiving module 702 is also used to: receive information indicating network data from a terminal device that is not connected to the second network slice, where the network data includes one or more of the following: disconnection rate, packet loss rate or network delay.

[0192] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice, and the preset conditions include one or more of the following: the occupancy rate of processor resources is less than or equal to the eighth preset threshold; the occupancy rate of memory resources is less than or equal to the ninth preset threshold; the occupancy rate of network resources is less than or equal to the tenth preset threshold.

[0193] Optionally, the first network slice and / or the second network slice is one or more of the following: an uplink network slice, a downlink network slice, a network slice serving the first application, a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to a first threshold, or a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0194] Optionally, the sending module 701 is also used to: send second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice.

[0195] Optionally, the first information and / or the second information satisfies one of the following: the first information is broadcast; or, the first information is carried in a first request, and the first request is used to request to modify the session; or, the first information is carried in a second request, and the second request is used to request to deregister the session.

[0196] Optionally, the receiving module 702 is also used to: receive a third request from the terminal device, the third request is used to request to turn on the first network slice and / or turn off the second network slice; the sending module 701 is specifically used to: send the first information to the terminal device in response to the third request.

[0197] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice, the business data is data generated by the operation of the first application, the business data is transmitted through the first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice, and the first network slice matches the first application.

[0198] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate the closing of the second network slice, and the service data is transmitted through the second PDU session, which is the default PDU session.

[0199] In another possible implementation, the apparatus 700 is used to implement the steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above-mentioned methods 300, 400, 500 and 600.

[0200] The receiving module 702 is used to receive first information from the core network device, where the first information is used to indicate whether to enable the first network slice and / or disable the second network slice; the sending module 701 is used to send service data to the core network device based on the first information.

[0201] Optionally, the first network slice and / or the second network slice is one or more of the following: an uplink network slice, a downlink network slice, a network slice serving the first application, a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to a first threshold, or a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0202] Optionally, the receiving module 702 is also used to: receive second information from the core network device, where the second information is used to indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice.

[0203] Optionally, the first information satisfies one of the following: the first information is broadcast; or, the first information is carried in a first request, and the first request is used to request to modify the session; or, the first information is carried in a second request, and the second request is used to request to deregister the session.

[0204] Optionally, the sending module 701 is also used to: send a third request to the core network device, where the third request is used to request to turn on the first network slice and / or turn off the second network slice.

[0205] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate the activation of the first network slice; the sending module 701 is specifically used to: use the first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice to send business data to the core network device, the business data is data generated by the operation of the first application, and the first network slice matches the first application.

[0206] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate the closing of the second network slice; the sending module 701 is specifically used to: use the second PDU session to transmit business data, and the second PDU session is the default PDU session.

[0207] It should be understood that the apparatus 700 herein is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" herein may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuits, and / or other suitable components that support the described functionality.

[0208] In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 700 may specifically be a terminal device or core network device (AMF network, SMF network element, PCF network element) in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the device 700 may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device or core network device (AMF network, SMF network element, PCF network element) in the above-mentioned method embodiment. To avoid repetition, they will not be repeated here.

[0209] The above-mentioned device 700 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the terminal device or core network device (AMF network, SMF network element, PCF network element) in the above-mentioned method; the above-mentioned functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0210] In the embodiment of the present application, the device 700 in FIG. 7 may also be a chip, such as a SOC, a Modem, etc.

[0211] Figure 8 shows a schematic block diagram of a data transmission device 800 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 800 includes a processor 801, a transceiver 802, and a memory 803. The processor 801, the transceiver 802, and the memory 803 communicate with each other via an internal connection path. The memory 803 is used to store instructions, and the processor 801 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 803 to control the transceiver 802 to send and / or receive signals.

[0212] It should be understood that the apparatus 800 can be specifically a terminal device or core network device (AMF network, SMF network element, or PCF network element) in the above-described embodiments, and can be used to execute the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the terminal device or core network device (AMF network, SMF network element, or PCF network element) in the above-described method embodiments. Optionally, the memory 803 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include a non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 801 can be used to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 801 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 801 is used to execute the various steps and / or processes of the above-described method embodiments. The transceiver 802 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter can be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the above-described transceiver for performing a sending action, and the receiver can be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the above-described transceiver for performing a receiving action.

[0213] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0214] During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in a processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in a memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory, and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0215] Some embodiments of the present application provide a chip system, applied to a terminal, comprising at least one processor and an interface, the interface being configured to receive instructions and transmit them to the at least one processor; the at least one processor executing the instructions causes the terminal to execute the paging message processing method described above. The chip system may be a modem, or a system on chip (SoC) including a modem, and the method described above may be implemented by the modem, etc.

[0216] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is used to store a computer program, and the computer program is used to implement the method shown in the above method embodiment.

[0217] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer can execute the method shown in the above method embodiment.

[0218] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules 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.

[0219] 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 modules described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0220] 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 modules is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple modules 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 modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0221] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules may be selected to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment according to actual needs.

[0222] In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing module, or each module may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into one module.

[0223] If the functions are implemented in the form of software function modules 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.

[0224] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present application, and such changes or substitutions should be included in the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A data transmission method, characterized in that, The method includes: When it is determined that a preset condition is satisfied, sending first information to a terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate enabling a first network slice and / or disabling a second network slice, and the preset condition is related to the load and / or network condition of a core network device; Receiving service data from the terminal device based on the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first information is used to indicate disabling the second network slice, and the preset condition includes one or more of the following: The occupancy rate of processor resources is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold; The occupancy rate of memory resources is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold; The network resource occupancy rate is greater than or equal to a third preset threshold; The ratio of the number of users accessing the second network slice to the saturation value is greater than or equal to a fourth preset threshold; The disconnection rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to a fifth preset threshold; The packet loss rate of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to a sixth preset threshold; Or, The network latency of terminal devices not accessing the second network slice is greater than or equal to a seventh preset threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The method further includes: Receiving information from a terminal device not accessing the second network slice, where the information is used to indicate network data, and the network data includes one or more of the following: disconnection rate, packet loss rate, or network latency.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first information is used to indicate enabling the first network slice, and the preset condition includes one or more of the following: The occupancy rate of processor resources is less than or equal to an eighth preset threshold; The occupancy rate of memory resources is less than or equal to a ninth preset threshold; The network resource occupancy rate is less than or equal to a tenth preset threshold.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first network slice and / or the second network slice is one or more of the following: an uplink network slice, a downlink network slice, a network slice serving a first application, a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to a first threshold, or a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to a second threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first information and / or the second information satisfies one of the following: The first information is broadcast; or, The first information is carried in a first request, and the first request is used to request modifying a session; or, The first information is carried in a second request, and the second request is used to request deregistering a session.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a third request from the terminal device, where the third request is used to request enabling the first network slice and / or disabling the second network slice; The sending the first information to the terminal device includes: Responding to the third request and sending the first information to the terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate enabling the first network slice, the service data is data generated by running a first application, the service data is transmitted through a first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice, and the first network slice matches the first application.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate disabling the second network slice, and the service data is transmitted through a second PDU session, and the second PDU session is a default PDU session.

11. A data transmission method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receiving first information from a core network device, where the first information is used to indicate enabling a first network slice and / or disabling a second network slice; Based on the first information, sending service data to the core network device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The first network slice and / or the second network slice is one or more of the following: an uplink network slice, a downlink network slice, a network slice serving a first application, a network slice with a bandwidth greater than or equal to a first threshold, or a network slice with a bandwidth less than or equal to a second threshold.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The method further includes: Receiving second information from the core network device, where the second information is used to indicate the first network slice and / or the second network slice.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The first information satisfies one of the following: The first information is broadcast; or, The first information is carried in a first request for requesting modification of a session; or, The first information is carried in a second request for requesting de-registration of a session.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a third request to the core network device, where the third request is used to request enabling the first network slice and / or disabling the second network slice.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate enabling the first network slice; The sending service data to the core network device includes: Using a first PDU session corresponding to the first network slice to send the service data to the core network device, where the service data is data generated by running a first application, and the first network slice matches the first application.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that The first information is used to indicate disabling the second network slice; The sending service data to the core network device includes: Transmitting the service data using a second PDU session, where the second PDU session is a default PDU session.

18. A data transmission device, characterized in that, Includes a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 17.

19. A data transmission device, characterized in that, Includes: A processor, where the processor is coupled to a memory for storing a computer program. When the processor calls the computer program, the device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 17.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, For storing a computer program, where the computer program includes instructions for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 17.

21. A chip system, characterized in that, Includes at least one processor and a communication interface, where the communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected by a line, and the at least one processor is used to run a computer program or instructions to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 17.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer program code, and when the computer program code runs on a computer, the computer is caused to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 17.

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