Network switching method and device, equipment, storage medium and program product

Abstract

According to the network switching method and apparatus, the device, the storage medium and the program product provided by the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can determine whether the communication link between the terminal device and the network device is in the congestion state, and actively switch the network when the communication link is in the congestion state. Through the scheme, the network communication performance of the terminal equipment can be guaranteed, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network switching method, apparatus, device, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of communication technology, the carrying capacity of communication networks is often limited. However, with the booming development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, hundreds of millions of terminal devices need to access communication networks.

[0003] When a large number of terminal devices access the same network, the data traffic in the network surges rapidly, which may cause communication congestion, reduce the communication performance of these terminal devices, and thus affect the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a network switching method, apparatus, device, storage medium, and program product to ensure the network communication performance of terminal devices and improve user experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a network switching method applied to a terminal device, wherein the terminal device is communicatively connected to a first network device, the method comprising:

[0006] Acquire first measurement data and / or indication information sent by the first network device, wherein the first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device, and the indication information is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0007] If communication link congestion is determined based on the first measurement data and / or indication information, then access is granted to the second network device.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes an uplink between the terminal device and the first network device, and the first measurement data includes uplink measurement data of the uplink.

[0009] Acquire the first measurement data, including:

[0010] The uplink is measured to obtain uplink measurement data.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the uplink measurement data includes at least one of the following: the amount of uplink packet data aggregation protocol (PDCP) cached data of the terminal device and the uplink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0013] Acquire the first measurement data, including:

[0014] Receive downlink measurement data sent by the first network device, which is obtained by the first network device from measuring the downlink.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0016] In one possible implementation, it also includes:

[0017] If it is determined that the terminal device has no transmission service, it is connected to the first network device.

[0018] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a network switching method applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0019] Obtain the first measurement data;

[0020] Send first measurement data and / or indication information to the terminal device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device. The indication information is obtained based on the first measurement data and is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0022] Acquire the first measurement data, including:

[0023] The downlink is measured to obtain downlink measurement data.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0025] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a network switching device applied to a terminal device, wherein the terminal device is communicatively connected to a first network device, comprising:

[0026] The acquisition module is used to acquire first measurement data and / or indication information sent by the first network device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device, and the indication information is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0027] The processing module is configured to access the second network device if it is determined that the communication link is congested based on the first measurement data and / or indication information.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes an uplink between the terminal device and the first network device, and the first measurement data includes uplink measurement data of the uplink.

[0029] The acquisition module is specifically used to: acquire the first measurement data, including:

[0030] The uplink is measured to obtain uplink measurement data.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the uplink measurement data includes at least one of the following: the amount of uplink packet data aggregation protocol (PDCP) cached data of the terminal device and the uplink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0033] The acquisition module is specifically used to: acquire the first measurement data, including:

[0034] Receive downlink measurement data sent by the first network device, which is obtained by the first network device from measuring the downlink.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the processing module is specifically used for:

[0037] If it is determined that the terminal device has no transmission service, it is connected to the first network device.

[0038] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a network switching device applied to a network equipment, the method comprising:

[0039] The acquisition module is used to acquire the first measurement data;

[0040] The processing module is used to send first measurement data and / or indication information to the terminal device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device. The indication information is obtained based on the first measurement data and is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0042] The acquisition module is specifically used to: acquire the first measurement data, including:

[0043] The downlink is measured to obtain downlink measurement data.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0045] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a terminal device, including: a transceiver, a memory, and a processor;

[0046] The memory stores the instructions that the computer executes;

[0047] The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in memory, causing the processor to perform the first aspect and / or various possible implementations of the first aspect as described above.

[0048] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a network device, including: a transceiver, a memory, and a processor;

[0049] The memory stores the instructions that the computer executes;

[0050] The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in memory, causing the processor to perform the second aspect and / or various possible implementations of the second aspect as described above.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement various possible implementations of the first and / or second aspects as described above, or, various possible implementations of the second and / or second aspects.

[0052] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the first aspect and / or various possible implementations of the first aspect, or the second aspect and / or various possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0053] The network switching method, apparatus, device, storage medium, and program product provided in this application embodiment enable a terminal device to determine whether the communication link between the terminal device and the network device is congested, and to actively switch networks when congestion occurs. This solution ensures the network communication performance of the terminal device and improves the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0054] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0055] Figure 1Interactive scenario diagrams provided for embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 2 Interactive illustration of the network handover method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 ;

[0057] Figure 3 Interactive illustration of the network handover method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 ;

[0058] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the network switching device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 ;

[0059] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the network switching device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 ;

[0060] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in this application.

[0062] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0063] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0064] The inventors discovered that when a large number of terminal devices connect to the same network device at the same time, it may cause communication congestion, resulting in a decrease in the network communication performance of these terminal devices, which in turn affects the user experience.

[0065] Therefore, based on the above problems, this application provides a network switching method, which allows the terminal device to determine whether the communication link between the terminal device and the network device is in a congested state, and actively switch networks when the link is in a congested state, so as to ensure the network communication performance of the terminal device, avoid the problem of reduced communication performance caused by network congestion, and improve the user experience.

[0066] Figure 1 The interactive scenario diagram provided in the embodiments of this application includes multiple network devices (network device 1, network device 2... network device n) and a terminal device, wherein the terminal device can communicate and connect with any one of the network devices.

[0067] It should be understood that the number of network devices n is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0068] The network device involved in the embodiments of this application can be a base station, which may include multiple cells providing services to terminals. Depending on the specific application, a base station may also be called an access point, or a device in an access network that communicates with wireless terminal devices through one or more sectors on the air interface, or other names.

[0069] The terminal devices involved in the embodiments of this application can be devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users, handheld devices with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. The names of the terminal devices may differ in different systems; for example, in 5G or 6G systems, the terminal device may be called User Equipment (UE). Wireless terminal devices can be USB storage devices, other personal computer memory devices, and dongles. They can also communicate with one or more core networks (CNs) via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Wireless terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones) and computers with mobile terminal devices. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with the radio access network. Examples of such devices include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), personal computers, tablets, and Machine-type Communication (MTC) terminal devices. Wireless terminal devices can also be referred to as systems, subscriber units, subscriber stations, mobile stations, mobile devices, remote stations, access points, remote terminals, access terminals, user terminals, user agents, user devices, and wireless access devices and routers / modems that meet the limitations of this definition; however, this application does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0070] It should be noted that this application does not limit the first network device, the second network device, and the terminal device in the embodiments of this application. For example, either the first network device or the second network device can be any of the 3G, 4G, 5G, or 6G base stations. The first network device and the second network device can be base stations of different types; for example, the first network device can be a 5G base station and the second network device can be a 4G base station; or, the first network device and the second network device can be different base stations of the same type; for example, the first network device and the second network device can be different 5G base stations.

[0071] For example, in one possible scenario, the first network device is a 5G base station, the second network device is a 4G base station, and the terminal device can be a lightweight (Reduced Capability, RedCap) terminal device.

[0072] It should be noted that while Redcap terminal devices support 5G Redcap networks and 4G networks, the scale and density of 5G Redcap may be insufficient to support a large number of terminal devices communicating and accessing the network. Furthermore, the 5G Redcap network itself has limitations in bandwidth and antenna configuration; for example, the bandwidth of a 5G Redcap network is only 20MHz, and the antenna configuration only supports one transmitter and two receivers (1T2R) or one transmitter and one receiver (1T1R). Therefore, when a large number of Redcap terminal devices communicate, communication congestion can easily occur, leading to a decrease in network communication performance. This can result in Redcap terminal devices experiencing lower speeds and a poor user experience in certain areas.

[0073] In this scenario, the solution proposed in this application allows the terminal device to proactively switch to a 4G network when it determines that the currently connected 5G network is congested. This ensures the network communication performance of the terminal device, avoids the problem of reduced communication performance caused by network congestion, and improves the user experience.

[0074] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] Figure 2 Interactive illustration of the network handover method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 .like Figure 2As shown, the network switching method in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0076] S201, The first network device acquires the first measurement data.

[0077] The first network device is the network device currently communicating with the terminal device.

[0078] S202, The first network device sends the first measurement data and / or indication information to the terminal device.

[0079] The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device. The indication information is obtained based on the first measurement data and is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0080] In some embodiments, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first network device may periodically measure downlink measurement data between the first network device and the terminal device, and send the measured downlink measurement data to the terminal device in real time, so that the terminal device can determine whether to switch networks based on the downlink measurement data.

[0082] In some embodiments, after the first network device obtains downlink measurement data, it determines whether the downlink is currently congested based on the downlink measurement data; and when congestion is determined, it sends indication information to the terminal device to indicate downlink communication link congestion, or sends indication information to the terminal device to indicate network switching.

[0083] It should be noted that if the first network device determines, based on downlink measurement data, that the downlink is not currently congested, it can send an indication message to the terminal indicating that the downlink is not congested, or send an indication message to the terminal device indicating that network switching is not required, allowing the terminal device to further determine whether to switch networks. In this embodiment, the reliability of the congestion assessment result can be improved, ensuring the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0084] Alternatively, if the first network device determines from downlink measurement data that there is currently no congestion on the downlink, then there is no need to send an indication message. In this embodiment, the power consumption of the network device can be reduced.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first network device may also send both the downlink measurement data and the aforementioned indication information to the terminal device, which then determines whether to switch networks based on the downlink measurement data and the aforementioned indication information. This embodiment can improve the reliability of the downlink congestion determination result and ensure the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0086] S203, The terminal device acquires the first measurement data and / or the indication information sent by the first network device.

[0087] In some embodiments, the communication link includes an uplink and / or a downlink between the terminal device and the first network device, and the first measurement data includes uplink measurement data of the uplink and downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0088] On the one hand, the aforementioned downlink measurement data can be sent from the first network device to the terminal device. For details on how to acquire the downlink measurement data, please refer to the above. Figure 2 The embodiments shown are not described in detail here.

[0089] On the other hand, the aforementioned uplink measurement data can be obtained by the terminal device. Optionally, the terminal device can periodically measure the uplink congestion between the terminal device and the first network device to obtain uplink measurement data.

[0090] S204. If the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested based on the first measurement data and / or indication information, it shall access the second network device.

[0091] Specifically, in some embodiments, after obtaining the first measurement data, the terminal device determines whether the downlink and / or uplink between the terminal device and the first network device is congested. If it is determined that the downlink or at least one of the downlinks is congested, the communication connection with the first network device is disconnected, and the terminal device connects to the second network device. This scheme allows for timely network switching when communication links are congested, ensuring the network communication performance of the terminal device, avoiding performance degradation due to network congestion, and improving user experience.

[0092] In some embodiments, upon receiving an indication message, if the indication message indicates downlink congestion between the terminal device and the first network device, the terminal device disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and connects to the second network device. Alternatively, if the indication message indicates that the terminal device should switch networks, the terminal device disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and connects to the second network device. This scheme allows for timely network switching when the communication link is congested, ensuring the network communication performance of the terminal device and improving user experience. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for measurement by the terminal device, reducing its data processing burden.

[0093] Optionally, after receiving the indication information, if the indication information indicates that the downlink between the terminal device and the first network device is not congested, or indicates that network switching is not required, the terminal device can further determine whether network switching is necessary. For example, the terminal device can determine whether the uplink is congested based on uplink measurement data. If the terminal device determines that the uplink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and connects to the second network device; if the uplink is not congested, it does not switch networks. In this embodiment, the reliability of the congestion determination result can be improved, ensuring the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0094] In some embodiments, if a terminal device receives downlink measurement data and indication information sent by a network device, and the indication information indicates downlink congestion between the terminal device and the first network device, or instructs the terminal device to switch networks, the terminal device further determines whether the downlink is congested based on the downlink measurement data. If the terminal device determines that the downlink is congested based on the downlink measurement data, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and connects to the second network device. If the terminal device determines that the downlink is not congested based on the downlink measurement data, it can further determine whether the uplink is congested based on the uplink measurement data measured by the terminal device. If the uplink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and connects to the second network device; if the uplink is not congested, it does not switch networks. In this embodiment, the reliability of the congestion determination result can be improved, ensuring the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0095] Alternatively, if the terminal device receives downlink measurement data and indication information from the network device, and the indication information indicates that the downlink between the terminal device and the first network device is not congested, or indicates that the terminal device does not need to switch networks, then the terminal device can further determine whether the communication link with the first network device is congested, and determine whether to switch networks based on the determination result. For example, the terminal device can determine whether the uplink with the first network device is congested based on uplink measurement data, or the terminal device can determine whether the downlink with the first network device is congested based on downlink measurement data, and when it is determined that either the uplink or downlink is congested, the communication connection with the first network device is disconnected, and the terminal device connects to the second network device. In this embodiment, the reliability of the congestion determination result can be improved, ensuring the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0096] The network switching method provided in this application embodiment allows the terminal device to determine whether the communication link is congested by obtaining first measurement data and / or indication information sent by the first network device, and to perform network switching in a timely manner when congestion occurs, thereby ensuring the network communication performance of the terminal device, avoiding the problem of reduced communication performance caused by network congestion, and improving the user experience.

[0097] It should be noted that the network handover method involved in the embodiments of this application may include at least one of steps S201 to S204. For example, some or all of the above steps S201, S202, S203 or S204 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments. For example, the network handover method may include the following steps S203 and S204:

[0098] S203, The terminal device acquires the first measurement data;

[0099] S204. If the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested based on the first measurement data, it shall connect to the second network device.

[0100] Optionally, after the terminal device connects to the second network device, it can also perform the following: Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment determines whether the communication link with the second network device is congested and switches to another network when congestion occurs.

[0101] Figure 3 Interactive illustration of the network switching method provided in this application embodiment Figure 2 .like Figure 3 As shown, the network switching method in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0102] S301, The first network device acquires the first measurement data.

[0103] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink. The first network device measures the downlink to obtain the downlink measurement data.

[0104] The downlink measurement data includes at least one of the following: the amount of downlink packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) cached data of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0105] The downlink PDCP buffer size indicates the amount of data to be transmitted to the terminal device in the PDCP layer. The downlink PDCP first packet delay indicates the time delay between the terminal device requesting data transmission and receiving the first data packet.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the downlink measurement data also includes downlink throughput, downlink latency, downlink packet loss rate, Evolved Radio Access Bearer (E-RAB) establishment success rate, E-RAB establishment blocking rate, downlink idle slot power, downlink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), and downlink channel occupancy rate (CR) and other data used to indicate downlink congestion.

[0107] S302, The first network device sends the first measurement data and / or indication information to the terminal device.

[0108] The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device. The indication information is obtained based on the first measurement data and is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first network device determines indication information based on downlink measurement data, including the following cases:

[0110] Scenario 1: The first network device determines the indication information based on the downlink PDCP cache data volume.

[0111] Specifically, the first network device periodically counts the amount of downlink PDCP cached data on the corresponding connected terminal devices;

[0112] If the value of the downlink PDCP cache data of the terminal device divided by the total downlink PDCP cache data is greater than the first preset value, then the indication information is determined to be the first indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate downlink congestion or to indicate that the terminal device switches networks.

[0113] If the ratio of the downlink PDCP cache data volume to the total downlink PDCP cache data volume of the terminal device is less than or equal to the first preset value, then the indication information is determined to be the second indication information, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate that the downlink is not congested or to indicate that the terminal device does not need to switch networks.

[0114] In this embodiment of the application, the first preset value can be configured by the first network device, or the first preset value can be configured by the terminal device and sent to the first network device.

[0115] For example, the downlink PDCP cache data volume of a certain terminal device is 512 bytes (B), the corresponding downlink PDCP cache data volume is 1024B, and the ratio of downlink PDCP cache data volume to downlink PDCP cache data volume is 50%.

[0116] If the first preset value is 30%, the ratio of the downlink PDCP cached data volume to the total downlink PDCP cached data volume is greater than the first preset value. At this time, the downlink is congested, and the indication information is determined to be the first indication information.

[0117] If the first preset value is 50%, the ratio of the downlink PDCP cached data volume to the total downlink PDCP cached data volume is equal to the first preset value. At this time, the downlink is not congested, and the indication information is determined to be the second indication information.

[0118] If the first preset value is 70%, and the value of the downlink PDCP cached data amount divided by the total downlink PDCP cached data amount is less than the first preset value, then the downlink is not congested, and the indication information is determined to be the second indication information.

[0119] Furthermore, the first network device sends the aforementioned instruction information to the terminal device.

[0120] Scenario 2: The first network device obtains the indication information based on the downlink PDCP cache first packet delay.

[0121] Specifically, the first network device periodically calculates the downlink PDCP buffer first packet latency of the corresponding connected terminal devices;

[0122] If the downlink PDCP buffer first packet delay of the corresponding connected terminal device is greater than the second preset value, the indication information is determined to be the first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate downlink congestion or to indicate the terminal device to switch networks.

[0123] If the downlink PDCP buffer first packet delay of the corresponding connected terminal device is less than or equal to the second preset value, then the indication information is determined to be the second indication information, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate downlink congestion.

[0124] In this embodiment of the application, the second preset value is configured by the first network device, or the second preset value can also be configured by the terminal device and sent to the network device.

[0125] For example, the downlink PDCP buffer latency for a certain terminal device is 50ms;

[0126] If the second preset value is 10ms, the downlink PDCP buffer first packet delay is greater than the second preset value. At this time, the downlink is congested, and the indication information is determined to be the first indication information.

[0127] If the second preset value is 50ms, the downlink PDCP buffer first packet delay is equal to the second preset value. At this time, the downlink is not congested, and the indication information is determined to be the second indication information.

[0128] If the second preset value is 100ms, the downlink PDCP buffer first packet delay is less than the second preset value. At this time, the downlink is not congested, and the indication information is determined to be the second indication information.

[0129] Furthermore, the first network device sends the aforementioned instruction information to the terminal device.

[0130] Scenario 3: The first network device obtains indication information based on the downlink PDCP cache data volume and the downlink PDCP cache first packet delay.

[0131] Specifically, the first network device periodically counts the downlink PDCP buffer data size and the downlink PDCP buffer first packet latency of the corresponding connected terminal devices;

[0132] If either of the following conditions is met: the downlink PDCP cache data volume divided by the total downlink PDCP cache data volume is greater than a first preset value, or the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency is greater than a second preset value, then the indication information is determined to be the first indication information.

[0133] If the downlink PDCP cache data volume divided by the total downlink PDCP cache data volume is less than or equal to a first preset value, and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency is less than or equal to a second preset value, then the indication information is determined to be the second indication information.

[0134] In this embodiment of the application, the first preset value and the second preset value are configured by the first network device, or the first preset value and the second preset value can also be configured by the terminal device and sent to the network device.

[0135] The first network device sends the aforementioned instruction information to the terminal device.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first network device sends downlink measurement data to the terminal device.

[0137] In some embodiments, the first network device sends downlink measurement data and indication information to the terminal device.

[0138] In this embodiment, a first measurement data is obtained through a first network device, and the first measurement data and / or indication information are sent to the corresponding terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine the current congestion state of the communication link based on the first measurement data or indication information, and perform network switching in a timely manner when the communication link is congested, thereby ensuring the network communication performance of the terminal device, avoiding the problem of reduced communication performance due to network congestion, and improving the user experience.

[0139] S303, The terminal device acquires the first measurement data and / or the indication information sent by the first network device.

[0140] In some embodiments, the communication link includes an uplink and / or a downlink between the terminal device and the first network device, and the first measurement data includes uplink measurement data of the uplink and downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0141] On the one hand, the aforementioned downlink measurement data can be sent from the first network device to the terminal device. For details on how to acquire the downlink measurement data, please refer to the above. Figure 2 The embodiments shown are not described in detail here.

[0142] On the other hand, the aforementioned uplink measurement data can be obtained by the terminal device. Optionally, the terminal device can periodically measure the uplink congestion between the terminal device and the first network device to obtain uplink measurement data.

[0143] The uplink measurement data includes at least one of the following: the amount of uplink PDCP cache data on the terminal device and the uplink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0144] Uplink PDCP buffer data volume refers to the amount of data waiting to be sent or processed in the PDCP layer buffer in the uplink; uplink PDCP buffer first packet latency refers to the time elapsed from the PDCP layer receiving the first Service Data Unit (SDU) to the SDU being encapsulated into a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and prepared to be sent to the network device.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the uplink measurement data also includes parameters used to indicate uplink congestion, such as uplink throughput, uplink latency, uplink packet loss rate, uplink channel quality indicator (CQI), uplink hybrid automatic repeat request retransmissions (HARQR), uplink resource block utilization, uplink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, and uplink power control.

[0146] In some embodiments, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink, the terminal device receives the downlink measurement data sent by the first network device, and the downlink measurement data is obtained by the first network device measuring the downlink.

[0147] The downlink measurement data includes at least one of the following: downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0148] In some embodiments, the terminal device obtains indication information sent by the first network device.

[0149] S304. If the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested based on the first measurement data and / or indication information, it shall access the second network device.

[0150] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines uplink congestion based on uplink measurement data and accesses the second network device, including the following situations:

[0151] Scenario 1: The terminal device determines uplink congestion based on the amount of uplink PDCP cached data and connects to the second network device.

[0152] Specifically, the terminal device periodically counts the amount of uplink PDCP cached data;

[0153] If the ratio of the uplink PDCP cached data volume to the total uplink PDCP cached data volume is greater than the third preset value, then uplink congestion is determined.

[0154] If the ratio of the uplink PDCP cached data volume to the total uplink PDCP cached data volume is less than or equal to the third preset value, then the uplink is determined to be uncongested.

[0155] In one possible implementation, the third preset value can be configured by the terminal device, or the third preset value can be configured by the first network device and sent to the terminal device.

[0156] For example, the uplink PDCP cache data volume of the terminal device is 512B, the total uplink PDCP cache data volume is 1024B, and the ratio of the uplink PDCP cache data volume to the total uplink PDCP cache data volume is 50%.

[0157] If the third preset value is 30%, and the ratio of the uplink PDCP cached data to the total uplink PDCP cached data is greater than the third preset value, then uplink congestion is determined.

[0158] If the third preset value is 50%, the value of the uplink PDCP cached data divided by the total uplink PDCP cached data is equal to the third preset value, and it is determined that the uplink is not congested.

[0159] If the third preset value is 70%, the ratio of the uplink PDCP cached data volume to the total uplink PDCP cached data volume is less than the third preset value, and it is determined that the uplink is not congested.

[0160] When the terminal device determines that the uplink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device.

[0161] Scenario 2: The terminal device determines uplink congestion based on the uplink PDCP buffer first packet delay and connects to the second network device.

[0162] Specifically, the terminal device periodically calculates the latency of the first packet in the uplink PDCP cache;

[0163] If the uplink PDCP buffer first packet delay of the terminal device is greater than the fourth preset value, it is determined to be uplink congestion;

[0164] If the uplink PDCP buffer first packet delay of the terminal device is less than or equal to the fourth preset value, it is determined that the uplink is not congested.

[0165] In one possible implementation, the fourth preset value is configured by the terminal device, or the fourth preset value is configured by the first network device and sent to the terminal device.

[0166] For example, the uplink PDCP cache first packet latency for the terminal device is 50ms;

[0167] If the fourth preset value is 10ms, and the uplink PDCP buffer first packet delay is greater than the fourth preset value, then uplink congestion is determined.

[0168] If the fourth preset value is 50ms, the uplink PDCP buffer first packet latency is equal to the fourth preset value, and it is determined that the uplink is not congested.

[0169] If the fourth preset value is 100ms, and the latency of the first packet in the uplink PDCP buffer is less than the fourth preset value, then it is determined that the uplink is not congested.

[0170] When the terminal device determines that the uplink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device.

[0171] Scenario 3: The terminal device determines uplink congestion based on the uplink PDCP cache data volume and the uplink PDCP cache first packet delay, and then connects to the second network device.

[0172] Specifically, the terminal device periodically calculates the amount of uplink PDCP cached data and the latency of the first uplink PDCP cache packet;

[0173] If the ratio of the uplink PDCP cached data volume to the total uplink PDCP cached data volume is greater than the third preset value, or the uplink PDCP cache first packet delay is greater than the fourth preset value, then uplink congestion is determined.

[0174] If the ratio of the uplink PDCP cached data volume to the total uplink PDCP cached data volume is less than or equal to the third preset value, and the uplink PDCP cache first packet latency is less than or equal to the fourth preset value, then the uplink is determined to be uncongested.

[0175] When the terminal device determines that the uplink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device.

[0176] In this embodiment, the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested by using uplink measurement data, disconnects the communication connection with the first network device, and switches to the second network device. This can ensure uplink network communication performance, avoid the problem of reduced communication performance caused by network congestion, and improve user experience.

[0177] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines downlink congestion based on downlink measurement data and accesses the second network device, including the following cases:

[0178] Scenario 1: The terminal device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP buffer data volume and connects to the second network device.

[0179] The way the terminal device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP cache data volume is similar to the way the network device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP cache data volume. For details, please refer to step S302 above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0180] When the terminal device determines that the downlink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device.

[0181] Scenario 2: The terminal device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP buffer first packet delay and connects to the second network device.

[0182] The way the terminal device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP cache first packet delay is similar to the way the network device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP cache first packet delay. For details, please refer to step S302 above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0183] When the terminal device determines that the downlink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device.

[0184] Scenario 3: The terminal device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP buffer data volume and the downlink PDCP buffer first packet delay, and then connects to the second network device.

[0185] The way the terminal device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP cache data volume and the downlink PDCP cache first packet delay is similar to the way the network device determines downlink congestion based on the downlink PDCP cache first packet delay. For details, please refer to step S302 above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0186] Furthermore, when the terminal device determines that the downlink is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device.

[0187] In this embodiment, when the terminal device determines that the communication link with the first network device is congested through downlink measurement data, it promptly disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device. This can ensure downlink network communication performance, avoid the problem of reduced communication performance due to network congestion, and improve user experience.

[0188] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines downlink congestion through indication information and accesses the second network device.

[0189] Specifically, the terminal device obtains the instruction information sent by the first network device;

[0190] If the first indication information is obtained, downlink congestion is determined;

[0191] If the second indication information is obtained, it is determined that the downlink is not congested.

[0192] When the terminal device determines that the downlink is congested or obtains network switching indication information, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and connects to the second network device.

[0193] In this embodiment, the terminal device determines downlink congestion based on the indication information, disconnects the communication connection with the first network device, and switches to the second network device, thereby improving downlink network communication performance.

[0194] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested based on downlink measurement data and uplink measurement data, and then accesses the second network device.

[0195] It should be noted that the terminal device determines uplink and / or downlink congestion based on downlink and uplink measurement data, as described in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0196] If at least one of uplink congestion or downlink congestion is determined, then communication link congestion is determined.

[0197] If it is determined that the uplink and downlink are not congested, then the communication link is not congested.

[0198] When the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested, it disconnects the communication connection with the first network device and switches to the second network device.

[0199] In this embodiment, when the terminal device determines that the communication link with the first network device is congested through uplink and downlink measurement data, it can promptly disconnect the communication connection with the first network device and switch to the second network device. This ensures network communication performance, avoids the problem of reduced communication performance due to network congestion, and improves user experience.

[0200] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested based on the first measurement data and / or indication information, and then accesses the second network device.

[0201] In this embodiment, the terminal device determines that the communication link is congested by the first measurement data and / or indication information, disconnects the communication connection with the first network device, and switches to the second network device, thereby improving network communication performance.

[0202] S305. If the terminal device determines that it has no transmission service, it connects to the first network device.

[0203] In some embodiments, when it is determined that the terminal device has no uplink or downlink transmission services, the second network device can be disconnected and the first network device can be reconnected.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first network device initially accessed by the terminal device is a preferred communication device during the terminal device's communication process. For example, the first network device is the network device closest to the terminal device, or the first network device has the highest transmission rate. When the terminal device has no uplink or downlink transmission services, it reconnects to the first network device, thereby providing the terminal device with better services through the first network device.

[0205] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the network switching device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 This network switching device is applied to terminal equipment. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the network switching device 400 includes:

[0206] The acquisition module 401 is used to acquire first measurement data and / or indication information sent by the first network device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device, and the indication information is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0207] The processing module 402 is configured to access the second network device if it is determined that the communication link is congested based on the first measurement data and / or indication information.

[0208] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes an uplink between the terminal device and the first network device, and the first measurement data includes uplink measurement data of the uplink.

[0209] The acquisition module 401 is specifically used to: acquire first measurement data, including:

[0210] The uplink is measured to obtain uplink measurement data.

[0211] In one possible implementation, the uplink measurement data includes at least one of the following: the amount of uplink packet data aggregation protocol (PDCP) cached data of the terminal device and the uplink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0212] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0213] The acquisition module 401 is specifically used to: acquire first measurement data, including:

[0214] Receive downlink measurement data sent by the first network device, which is obtained by the first network device from measuring the downlink.

[0215] In one possible implementation, the downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0216] In one possible implementation, the processing module 402 is specifically used for:

[0217] If it is determined that the terminal device has no transmission service, it is connected to the first network device.

[0218] The network switching device provided in this embodiment is applied to a terminal device and can execute the method provided in the above method embodiment. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0219] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the network switching device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 This network switching device is used in network equipment. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the network device 500 includes:

[0220] The acquisition module 501 is used to acquire the first measurement data;

[0221] The processing module 502 is used to send measurement data and / or indication information to the terminal device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device. The indication information is obtained based on the first measurement data and is used to indicate communication link congestion or network switching.

[0222] In one possible implementation, the communication link includes a downlink between a first network device and a terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink.

[0223] The acquisition module 501 is specifically used to: acquire first measurement data, including:

[0224] The downlink is measured to obtain downlink measurement data.

[0225] In one possible implementation, the downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

[0226] The network switching device provided in this embodiment is applied to network devices and can execute the methods provided in the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0227] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in this application. Figure 6 As shown, the terminal device 600 provided in this embodiment includes: a transceiver 601, a memory 602, and a processor 603.

[0228] Transceiver 601 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transmitter may also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, transmitting port, or transmitting interface, and the receiver may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, receiving port, or receiving interface, etc. Exemplarily, transceiver 601, memory 602, and processor 603 are interconnected via bus 604.

[0229] In the above embodiments, it should be understood that the processor can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in this invention can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0230] The memory may include random access memory (RAM) and may also include non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk storage device.

[0231] The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, the buses shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to a single bus or a single type of bus.

[0232] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in this application. Figure 7 As shown, the network device 700 provided in this embodiment includes: a transceiver 701, a memory 702, and a processor 703.

[0233] Transceiver 701 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transmitter may also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, transmitting port, or transmitting interface, and the receiver may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, receiving port, or receiving interface, etc. Exemplarily, transceiver 701, memory 702, and processor 703 are interconnected via bus 704.

[0234] In the above embodiments, it should be understood that the processor can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in this invention can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0235] The memory may include random access memory (RAM) and may also include non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk storage device.

[0236] The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, the buses shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to a single bus or a single type of bus.

[0237] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described method.

[0238] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the above-described method.

[0239] The aforementioned readable storage medium can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. The readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0240] An exemplary readable storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the readable storage medium. Of course, the readable storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the readable storage medium can reside in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, the processor and the readable storage medium can exist as discrete components in the device.

[0241] The division of units is merely a logical functional division; in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0242] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0243] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0244] If a function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0245] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments; and the aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0246] Finally, it should be noted that other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This invention is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein, and is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A network switching method, applied to a terminal device, wherein the terminal device is communicatively connected to a first network device, characterized in that, The methods include: Acquire first measurement data and / or indication information sent by the first network device, wherein the first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device, and the indication information is used to indicate that the communication link is congested or to switch networks; If the communication link is determined to be congested based on the first measurement data and / or the indication information, then the second network device is accessed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication link includes an uplink between the terminal device and the first network device, and the first measurement data includes uplink measurement data of the uplink. The acquisition of the first measurement data includes: The uplink is measured to obtain the uplink measurement data.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The uplink measurement data includes at least one of the following: the uplink packet data aggregation protocol (PDCP) cache data volume of the terminal device and the uplink PDCP cache first packet latency.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication link includes a downlink between the first network device and the terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink; The acquisition of the first measurement data includes: The system receives downlink measurement data sent by the first network device, wherein the downlink measurement data is obtained by the first network device measuring the downlink.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Also includes: If it is determined that the terminal device has no transmission service, it connects to the first network device.

7. A network switching method, applied to a network device, the method comprising: Obtain the first measurement data; Send the first measurement data and / or indication information to the terminal device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device. The indication information is obtained based on the first measurement data and is used to indicate that the communication link is congested or to switch networks.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The communication link includes a downlink between the first network device and the terminal device, and the first measurement data includes downlink measurement data of the downlink; The acquisition of the first measurement data includes: The downlink is measured to obtain the downlink measurement data.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The downlink measurement data includes at least one of the downlink PDCP cache data volume of the first network device and the downlink PDCP cache first packet latency.

10. A network switching device, applied to a terminal device, the terminal device being communicatively connected to a first network device, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire first measurement data and / or indication information sent by the first network device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device, and the indication information is used to indicate that the communication link is congested or the network is switched. The processing module is configured to access a second network device when it is determined that the communication link is congested based on the first measurement data and / or the indication information.

11. A network switching device, applied to network equipment, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire the first measurement data; The processing module is configured to send the first measurement data and / or indication information to the terminal device. The first measurement data is used to indicate the congestion status of the communication link between the terminal device and the first network device. The indication information is obtained based on the first measurement data and is used to indicate that the communication link is congested or to switch networks.

12. A terminal device, characterized in that, include: Transceiver, processor, memory; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the processor to perform the network switching method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

13. A network device, characterized in that, include: Transceiver, processor, memory; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the processor to perform the network switching method as described in any one of claims 7-9.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 7-9.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, or implements the method as claimed in any one of claims 7-9.

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