Quality of service assurance method and communication device

Abstract

Disclosed are a service quality assurance method and a communication device, the method comprising: a first network element receiving a first message, the first message comprising first information; or the first network element receives the first message and the first information; determining a first identifier and / or second information based on the first information, wherein the first identifier is associated with the second information; executing a flow processing action on the first message based on the second information; the first information comprises one or more of the following items: an AF identifier, a service type, a service object, a priority of the first message, a terminal equipment type, a first service time budget, a destination network address and a network address of the terminal equipment; the second information comprises one or more of the following items: the priority corresponding to the Internet of Things service, the resource type, the second service time budget, the size of an uplink data packet, and the uplink and / or downlink rate. According to the method and the device, the service quality of the Internet of Things can be guaranteed under the condition that network side resources are tense and limited.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for ensuring quality of service. Background Technology

[0002] In communication systems, to improve communication sustainability and performance while reducing wireless communication power consumption, Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) technology has been introduced. A-IoT, also known as Passive Internet of Things, is a network communication technology based on passive terminals. Passive terminals are typically devices that do not require built-in batteries or external power cords; these devices can obtain power through other means to ensure their normal operation.

[0003] With the commercialization of A-IoT, more and more A-IoT devices are being connected to the network, which increases the burden on network traffic processing. Given the limited and scarce network resources, it is currently impossible to effectively guarantee the service quality of A-IoT. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a service quality assurance method and communication device. Based on the method described in this application, it is beneficial to provide effective assurance of IoT service quality when network resources are scarce and limited.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a quality of service assurance method applied to a first network element. The method includes: receiving a first message, the first message including first information; or receiving the first message and the first information; determining a first identifier and / or second information based on the first information, the first identifier being associated with the second information; and then performing traffic processing actions on the first message based on the second information.

[0006] The first information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the application function (AF), the service type, the service object, the priority of the first message, the terminal device type, the first service time budget, the destination network address, and the network address of the terminal device; the second information includes one or more of the following: the priority of the IoT service, the resource type, the second service time budget, the size of the uplink data packet, and the uplink and / or downlink speed.

[0007] In this embodiment, the first network element can be a user plane network element, such as a user plane function (UPF). The terminal device can include user equipment (UE) or an IoT device. The first message can be understood as a request for an IoT service (such as an A-IoT request), and this first information can be carried in the header of the data packet; of course, the first message and the first information can also be sent separately. The IoT service can be an A-IoT service.

[0008] After receiving the first information, the first network element can determine the first identifier (such as QoS-like ID) or the second information based on the first information. The first identifier is associated with a new service quality indicator (i.e., the second information, such as QoS-like indicators) defined for the A-IoT service. For example, the priority, resource type, second service time budget, uplink data packet size, uplink and / or downlink rate size, etc. Each network node (i.e., UPF, access network equipment, UE, IoT device) on the subsequent UP transmission path can perform traffic processing actions based on the second information, which helps to ensure the service quality of A-IoT when network resources are scarce and limited.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the AF's identifier may include one or more of the following: the AF's uniform resource identifier (URL), the AF's internet protocol (IP) address, the AF's media access control (MAC) address, the AF's local area network (LAN) address, the AF's port information, or the AF's identification (ID).

[0010] In one possible implementation, the service type includes one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the service targets include a group of terminal devices or a single terminal device.

[0012] In one possible implementation, when the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the terminal device type includes type A and type B, where type A indicates a terminal device with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity, and type B indicates a terminal device with low power consumption and / or low complexity.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the priority corresponding to the IoT service includes one or more of the following: the priority of the AF, the priority of the service type, the priority of the first message, or the priority of the terminal device type.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first service time budget or the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the resource type includes either a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) or a non-guaranteed bit rate (Non-GBR) provided for the first message of the IoT service.

[0017] In one possible implementation, before receiving the first message, or receiving both the first message and the first information, the method further includes: receiving first rule information from the session management function (SMF), the first rule information including first indication information for indicating traffic processing actions.

[0018] This can be understood as follows: Before the first network element receives the first message, or before receiving the first message and the first information, the SMF will pre-configure the first rule information for the first network element. This first rule information can be considered as the packet detection rules (PDR(s)) issued by the SMF. The PDR(s) contains relevant instructions for processing data packets (i.e., the first indication information), used to indicate specific traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS enforcement rules, etc.). After receiving the first message (i.e., the data packet), the first network element identifies the packet forwarding control protocol (PFCP) session corresponding to the data packet. In the packet detection rules (i.e., PDR(s)) configured for this PFCP session, it finds the PDR that matches the data packet. If multiple PDRs match, it selects the PDR with the highest priority to inspect the data packet, then processes the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., performs traffic processing actions, and finally sends the data packet out of the user plane network element.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the method further includes sending the first identifier and / or the second information to the access network device. This allows other network nodes to perform traffic processing actions based on the first identifier and / or the second information, thereby ensuring quality of service.

[0020] Secondly, this application provides a quality of service assurance method, applied to an access network device or a terminal device; the method includes: receiving a first identifier and / or second information, the first identifier being associated with the second information, the second information including one or more of the following: priority corresponding to the Internet of Things service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packets, and uplink and / or downlink rate size; and then performing resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions based on the second information.

[0021] In the embodiments of this application, the beneficial effects of possible implementations of the second aspect can be referred to the beneficial effects of possible implementations of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the priority of an IoT service includes one or more of the following: the priority of the AF, the priority of the service type, the priority of the first message, or the priority of the terminal device type.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the resource type includes: GBR or Non-GBR provided for the first message of the IoT service.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0025] In one possible implementation, when the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0026] In one possible implementation, before receiving the first identifier and / or the second information, the method further includes: receiving a configuration file from the SMF, the configuration file including the first identifier and the second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions.

[0027] This can be understood as follows: before receiving the first identifier and / or the second information, the SMF will pre-configure the first profile to the access network device through the access and mobility management function (AMF), and will also pre-configure the second profile to the terminal device through the AMF and the access network device.

[0028] The first configuration file here can be considered the QoS configuration file issued by the SMF, including a first identifier and second indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate specific traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS enforcement rules, etc.). After receiving a data packet, the access network device can find the first configuration file through the first identifier and process the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, that is, perform traffic processing actions.

[0029] The second configuration file here can be considered as a QoS rule issued by SMF, including a first identifier and a second indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate specific traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS enforcement rules, etc.). After receiving the data packet, the terminal device can find the first configuration file through the first identifier and process the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, that is, perform traffic processing actions.

[0030] In one possible implementation, when the quality of service assurance method is applied to access network equipment, the method further includes sending the first identifier and / or the second information to the terminal equipment. Based on this approach, other network nodes can subsequently perform traffic processing actions based on the first identifier and / or the first information to ensure quality of service.

[0031] Thirdly, this application provides a quality of service assurance method applied to a first network element or access network device. The method includes: receiving third information, which includes one or more of the following: priority of the Internet of Things service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packets, and uplink and / or downlink rate; and then performing traffic processing actions based on the third information.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first network element can be a user plane network element, such as a UPF. The terminal device can include a UE and an IoT device. The first network element receives third information, which includes new service quality indicators (such as QoS-like indicators) defined for A-IoT services, such as the priority of the IoT service, resource type, second service time budget, uplink data packet size, uplink and / or downlink rate, etc. Subsequently, each network node (i.e., UPF, access network device, UE, IoT device) on the UP transmission path can directly perform traffic processing actions based on these service quality indicators, thereby helping to ensure the service quality of A-IoT under the condition of tight and limited network resources, while also reducing the overhead of signaling interaction.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the priority corresponding to the IoT service includes one or more of the following: AF priority, service type priority, first message priority, or terminal device type priority.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the resource type includes: GBR or Non-GBR provided for the first message of the IoT service.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0036] In one possible implementation, when the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the method further includes sending the third information to an access network device or a terminal device.

[0038] Specifically, when the QoS assurance method is applied to the first network element, the first network element sends the third information to the access network device. When the QoS assurance method is applied to the access network device, the access network device sends the third information to the terminal device. Based on this approach, other network nodes can subsequently perform traffic processing actions based on the third information to ensure QoS.

[0039] Fourthly, this application provides a service quality assurance method applied to a terminal device. The method includes: receiving third information, which includes one or more of the following: priority of the Internet of Things service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packets, and uplink and / or downlink rate; and then performing traffic processing actions based on the third information.

[0040] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device may include a UE or an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The beneficial effects of possible implementations of the fourth aspect are similar to those of possible implementations of the third aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the priority corresponding to the IoT service includes one or more of the following: AF priority, service type priority, first message priority, or terminal device type priority.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the resource type includes: GBR or Non-GBR provided for the first message of the IoT service.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0044] Fifthly, this application provides a quality of service assurance method applied to a second network element. The method includes: receiving a second message, the second message including fourth information; or receiving a second message and fourth information; wherein the fourth information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the AF, the service type, the terminal device type, or the priority of the second message.

[0045] In this embodiment, the second network element can be an A-IoT NF network element. The terminal device can include a UE and an IoT device. When network resources are scarce and limited, this fourth information allows each network node on the subsequent CP transmission path to find the corresponding priority information, thereby performing traffic processing actions based on these priorities and ensuring quality of service.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the identifier of the AF includes one or more of the following: the AF's URL, the AF's Internet Protocol IP address, the AF's MAC address, the AF's LAN address, the AF's port information, or the AF's identity ID.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the service type includes one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the terminal device type includes type A and type B, where type A indicates a terminal device with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity, and type B indicates a terminal device with low power consumption and / or low complexity.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the service type, or the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the terminal device type; if the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type, then the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type is sent to the first access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0050] In this implementation, when the fourth information includes the identifier and service type of the AF, or when the fourth information includes both the identifier and terminal device type of the AF, after receiving the fourth information, if the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type, the second network element sends the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type to the first AMF. Here, the first AMF can be an AMF that meets the load requirements expected by the second network element, so as to select an AMF network element with a suitable load to complete communication. Subsequently, each network node on the CP transmission path (e.g., A-IoT NF network element, first AMF, access network equipment, UE, IoT equipment) can perform traffic processing actions according to these priorities, which helps reduce network forwarding congestion.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the priority of the second message; if the AF is successfully authenticated, the priority of the second message is sent to the first AMF.

[0052] In this implementation, when the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the priority of the second message, after the second network element receives the fourth information, if the AF authentication is successful, the second network element sends the priority of the second message to the first AMF. Here, the first AMF can be an AMF that meets the load requirements expected by the second network element. This allows each network node on the CP path (e.g., A-IoT NF network element, first AMF, access network device, UE, IoT device) to perform traffic processing actions according to the priority, which helps reduce network forwarding congestion.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a first request to the Network Storage Function (NRF) to request address information of the AMF, the first request including fifth information indicating the load requirements of the AMF; and receiving address information of a first AMF from the NRF, wherein the first AMF satisfies the load requirements. This approach helps reduce network forwarding congestion in AMF network elements.

[0054] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for executing the methods of the first to fifth aspects, or any possible implementations of any of the first to fifth aspects. The communication device includes modules that execute the methods of the first to fifth aspects, or any possible implementations of any of the first to fifth aspects.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a processing circuit for executing methods from the first to fifth aspects, or any possible implementation of any of the first to fifth aspects. The processing circuit executes a program stored in a memory, and when the program is executed, the methods described in any of the first to fifth aspects or any possible implementations thereof are executed.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the memory is located outside the aforementioned communication device.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the memory is located within the aforementioned communication device.

[0058] In this embodiment, the processing circuitry and memory can also be integrated into a single device; that is, the processing circuitry and memory can be integrated together. For example, the communication device can be a chip.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver circuit for receiving information (or inputting information) or sending information (or outputting information).

[0060] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes a processing circuit and a transceiver circuit. The processing circuit can be a logic circuit, and the transceiver circuit can be an interface circuit. The logic circuit and the interface circuit are coupled. The interface circuit is used to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is used to execute the methods in the first to fifth aspects, or any possible implementation of the first to fifth aspects.

[0061] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip including a processing circuit and an interface circuit, the processing circuit and the interface circuit being coupled; the interface circuit is used for inputting and / or outputting information, and the processing circuit is used for executing code instructions to cause the method shown in any of the first to fifth aspects or any possible implementation thereof to be executed.

[0062] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the methods shown in any of the first to fifth aspects or any possible implementation thereof to be executed.

[0063] In one aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the methods shown in any of the first to fifth aspects or any possible implementations above to be executed.

[0064] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a communication system comprising a first network element, an access network device, and a terminal device. The first network element is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, the access network device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and the terminal device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0065] In a thirteenth aspect, this application provides a communication system comprising a first network element, an access network device, and a terminal device. The first network element is configured to perform the method described in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof, the access network device is configured to perform the method described in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and the terminal device is configured to perform the method described in the fourth aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0066] In a fourteenth aspect, this application provides a communication system including a second network element for performing the method shown in the fifth aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0067] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 2 This application provides a network architecture for a 5G communication system based on a service-oriented architecture.

[0069] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the topology of a communication system based on A-IoT provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 4A This is a schematic diagram of a CP transmission scheme based on A-IoT provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of an A-IoT-based UP transmission scheme provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a service quality assurance method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 6A This is a schematic diagram of a GTP-U packet format provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 6B This is a schematic diagram of another service quality assurance method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another service quality assurance method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another service quality assurance method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0080] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of this application, the application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0081] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used only to distinguish different objects and not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0082] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0083] In this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. "Or" indicates that there can be two relationships, such as only A exists and only B exists; when A and B are not mutually exclusive, it can also mean that there are three relationships, such as only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0084] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY via the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, traces, or interfaces.

[0085] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the communication system involved in the embodiments of this application will be described below:

[0086] The method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: wireless local area network (WLAN) communication systems, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) communication systems, long-term evolution (LTE) systems, internet of things (IoT) systems, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, fourth-generation (4G) systems, fifth-generation (5G) systems, or new radio (NR) systems, and other future communication systems, such as sixth-generation (6G) systems. Among these, IoT networks may include, but are not limited to, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. The communication methods in V2X systems can be collectively referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X), where X can represent anything. For example, V2X can include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication. The method provided in this application also supports communication systems that integrate multiple wireless technologies. For example, it can be applied to systems that integrate non-terrestrial networks (NTN) with terrestrial mobile communication networks, such as drones, satellite communication systems, and high-altitude platform station (HAPS) communication. Additionally, it can be applied to low-frequency (sub-6GHz) and high-frequency (above 6GHz) communication scenarios. It is understood that the system architecture described in this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this application and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application.

[0087] The basic architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application is described below, such as... Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1The diagram illustrates the architecture of a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. The communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, a core network (CN) 200, and a data network (DN) 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., ...). Figure 1 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as Figure 1 RAN 100, denoted as RAN 120a-120j, is collectively referred to as RAN 120. RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions. Core network 200 can also be connected to data network 300 wirelessly or via wired connection.

[0088] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0089] Specifically, the following sections will discuss... Figure 1 The terminal equipment, RAN nodes (also known as access network equipment), core network equipment, and data network involved in the communication system are described in detail.

[0090] I. Terminal equipment (also called terminal)

[0091] A terminal can be a device or module that connects to the aforementioned communication system and possesses corresponding communication functions. Terminals can also be called terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), extended reality (ER), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc.), vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. Additionally, terminals can also be passive terminals. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The terminal typically includes a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication function. The terminal may also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication function.

[0092] II. RAN Nodes

[0093] RAN node 110, also known as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative, for example... Figure 1 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0094] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1 The RAN node can be a relay node or donor node (as described in section 110b), or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node can also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0095] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0096] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0097] III. Core Network Equipment

[0098] Core network equipment refers to the equipment in the core network that provides service support for terminal devices. It is primarily responsible for registration, call setup, billing, mobility management, providing user connectivity, managing users, and carrying out service delivery, data processing, and routing. Core network equipment can correspond to different devices in different communication systems. For example, in a 4G communication system, it may correspond to one or more of the following: Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (S-GW), etc. Similarly, in a 5G communication system, it may correspond to one or more of the following: Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network elements, Session Management Function (SMF) network elements, User Plane Function (UPF) network elements, etc. In next-generation or future communication systems, it may correspond to one or more network elements, devices, or entities that provide service support for terminal devices.

[0099] IV. Data Network (DN)

[0100] A data network (DN) is a network located outside the mobile communication system that provides services to users. For example, a DN can be a packet data network (PDN), such as the Internet, Internet Protocol Multimedia Service (IMS) networks, dedicated data networks for certain applications, Ethernet, or Internet Protocol (IP) local area networks. The IP protocol can be IPv4 or IPv6. A DN can deploy various services, providing data and / or voice services to terminal devices. A DN can contain multiple application servers (AS), each providing at least one service.

[0101] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The communication system shown is not limited to the terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network equipment and data network shown in the figure, but may also include other equipment not shown in the figure. These will not be listed here.

[0102] Taking 5G communication systems as an example, such as Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This application provides a network architecture for a service-based 5G communication system, which may include a UE, an access network (RAN), and a core network (CN). The network architecture may also include a data network (DN) and / or application function (AF) network elements. The UE accesses the core network through the RAN and communicates with the DN or AF network elements through the core network.

[0103] The Application Function (AF) network element supports interaction with the 3GPP core network to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing third-party services to the network side. Specifically, it can be responsible for policy-related functions such as unified policy formulation, provision of policy control, and obtaining policy-determined subscription information from the Unified Data Repository (UDR) network element. Provision of policy control may include providing services based on data flow and application detection, gating, Quality of Service (QoS), and flow-based charging control. In future communication systems, the Application Function network element may have other names without limitation.

[0104] Core network elements can be divided into two categories: user plane network elements and control plane network elements. Among them, control plane network elements can include AMF, SMF, unified data management (UDM) network elements, network exposure function (NEF), network function repository function (NRF), and policy control function (PCF) network elements, etc.

[0105] AMF network elements can perform access and mobility-related functions such as connection management, registration process, mobility management, access authentication and authorization management, reachability management, security context management, and SMF network element selection. In addition, they are responsible for transmitting user policies between terminal devices and PCF network elements.

[0106] The SMF (Service Provider Function) network element is primarily responsible for session management in mobile networks, selection and control of the UPF (User Provider Function) network element, selection of service and session continuity (SSC) modes, roaming, and other session-related functions. Session management can include session establishment, modification, release, and updating. Session management can also include tunnel maintenance between the UPF network element and access network equipment.

[0107] UDM network elements are primarily used to manage user subscription and authentication data, as well as perform authentication and credit processing, user identification processing, access authorization, registration / mobility management, subscription management, and SMS management. In some embodiments, the UDM may also include a unified data repository (UDR) network element. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the 3GPP SBA of the 5G system may also include a UDR. The UDR is used to provide storage and retrieval for PCF policies, storage and retrieval of open structured data, and storage of user information for application function requests.

[0108] The NEF (Network Element) is primarily responsible for providing secure, open 3GPP network functions, including services and capabilities, which may be internally accessible or shared with third parties. It translates or transforms information interacting with the AF (Agency Element) and internal network function interaction information, such as the AF service identifier and internal 5G core network information, including the data network name (DNN) and network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) (single NSSAI, S-NSSAI).

[0109] NRF network elements are used for NF registration, management, and status detection, enabling automated management of all NFs. Each NF must register with the NRF upon startup to provide services; registration information includes NF type, address, and service list.

[0110] PCF network elements are control plane functions provided by operators, including user subscription data management, policy control, billing policy control, and quality of service (QoS) control. They are primarily used to provide PDU session policies to SMF. These policies can include billing-related policies, QoS-related policies, and authorization-related policies.

[0111] User plane network elements can be User Plane Function (UPF) network elements, primarily responsible for user plane-related tasks such as packet routing and transmission, mobility anchors, uplink classifiers to support routing traffic to the data network, branch points to support multi-homed protocol data unit (PDU) sessions, packet inspection, traffic usage reporting, QoS processing, lawful interception, downlink packet storage, and billing information statistics. They can also be responsible for receiving and forwarding user data; for example, they can receive user data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal device through access network equipment. User plane network elements can also receive user data from the terminal device through access network equipment and forward it to the data network. In future communication systems, user plane network elements may have other names, without limitation.

[0112] certainly, Figure 2 The communication system shown may also involve other network elements, which are not limited here. For example, the core network may also include Authentication Server Function (AUSF) network elements, network slice selection function (NSSF) elements, etc. Additionally, Figure 2 The UE, RAN, CN, and DN involved can be referred to the above. Figure 1 The description in the text will not be repeated here.

[0113] It should be noted that the aforementioned core network equipment can also be referred to as network elements or functional network elements. In a 5G communication system, each functional network element can be... Figure 2 The names of the various functional network elements shown can remain the same in communication systems evolving after 5G (such as 6G communication systems). Figure 2The names of the various functional network elements shown may also have other names. For example, in a 5G communication system, the user plane function may be UPF. In communication systems that evolve after 5G (such as 6G communication systems), the user plane function may still be UPF, or it may have other names. This application does not limit this.

[0114] It should also be noted that in a 5G communication system, the functions implemented by each network element can be as follows: Figure 2 The diagram shows independent functional network elements that can still function as shown in later communication systems (such as 6G communication systems) evolving from 5G. Figure 2 The diagram shows an independent state, but it can also be implemented by integrated functional network elements. Figure 2 The functions of multiple network elements are described. For example, in a 5G communication system, user plane related functions are implemented by the UPF, and access and mobility management related functions are implemented by the AMF. In communication systems that evolve after 5G (such as 6G communication systems), user plane related functions can still be implemented by the UPF, and access and mobility management related functions can still be implemented by the AMF. Alternatively, a single integrated network element can simultaneously implement both user plane related functions and access and mobility management related functions. This application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0115] Figure 2 Nnrf, Nnef, Npcf, Namf, Nudm, Nsmf, Naf, N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, and N9 are interface sequence numbers. The meanings of these interface sequence numbers can be found in the definitions in the relevant standard protocols, and are not limited here.

[0116] The application scenarios of this application are described below.

[0117] This application's embodiments can be applied to IoT scenarios, particularly Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) scenarios. A-IoT, also known as passive IoT, essentially harvests energy from the environment for data communication, aiming to provide a battery-free, low-power, low-complexity, and low-cost IoT solution. A-IoT technology is an extremely low-power, extremely low-complexity IoT technology defined by the 3GPP plenary meeting. It can be understood as an extension of passive radio frequency identification (RFID) in 3GPP. Although it shares some principles with RFID, such as similar inventory service processes, 3GPP introduces more value scenarios. A-IoT technology can be used to implement one or more of the following services: inventory, location, sensing, or command. Command services can include one or more of the following services: read, write, lock, disable / kill, and enable. In terms of application scope, A-IoT technology can be applied to scenarios such as logistics, warehousing, industrial manufacturing, identity recognition, or environmental monitoring; this application does not limit its application to these areas. It should be noted that A-IoT can also have other names, which are not limited here. In the embodiments of this application, the A-IoT service can be referred to as the Internet of Things service. In addition, "service" can also be replaced with "business".

[0118] The following is an example of the topology of an A-IoT-based communication system. Of course, other topologies may also be included, and are not limited here.

[0119] Topology 1: See Figure 3 3-1, in Figure 3 In section 3-1, the access network device acts as a reader / writer. The access network device communicates directly and bidirectionally with the A-IoT device. The communication between the access network device and the A-IoT device includes A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0120] Topology 2: See Figure 3 3-2, in Figure 3 In topology 3-2, the intermediate node acts as a reader / writer. Access network devices communicate indirectly with A-IoT devices through the intermediate node. In topology 2, access network devices and A-IoT devices communicate bidirectionally through the intermediate node. The intermediate node can be a relay capable of implementing A-IoT, such as an IAB node, terminal device, or repeater, etc. This application does not limit the form of the intermediate node. Further details are provided below. Figure 3 Each piece of equipment involved will be described in detail.

[0121] (1) Reader

[0122] A reader, also known as a data reader, is a device with read and write capabilities. It can communicate with A-IoT devices contactlessly, such as via broadcast. In this way, the reader can read information from the A-IoT device and / or write information that needs to be stored into the A-IoT device.

[0123] Among them, the reader / writer can be Figure 1 or Figure 2 Regarding the terminal equipment or access network equipment in this application, the form of the reader / writer is not limited. For example, the device used to implement the function of the reader / writer can be a reader / writer itself; it can also be a device that supports the reader / writer in implementing this function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the reader / writer or used in conjunction with the reader / writer.

[0124] Optionally, when the terminal device acts as a reader, it may be referred to as a UE reader. When the access network device acts as a reader, it may be referred to as an A-IoT RAN node. This application does not limit the names used.

[0125] (2) A-IoT devices

[0126] Unlike communication devices in traditional cellular networks, A-IoT devices lack radio resource control (RRC) status and do not require establishing an RRC connection. Generally, A-IoT devices can communicate with readers via backscattering technology, or they can actively generate carrier waves (or have carrier recovery capabilities), eliminating the need for an external carrier source and demonstrating proactive communication capabilities. In this embodiment, A-IoT devices can be referred to as Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0127] For A-IoT devices that communicate with a reader via backscattering technology, the A-IoT device can be charged via RF signals or obtain energy through energy harvesting (light energy, heat energy, kinetic energy, etc.). In this case, the A-IoT device can be called a passive A-IoT device or a semi-passive A-IoT device. A passive A-IoT device can also be called device 1 or device A, and a semi-passive A-IoT device can also be called device 2a or device A. This application does not limit the name.

[0128] For A-IoT devices that actively generate carrier waves, the A-IoT device can be called an active A-IoT device. An active A-IoT device can also be called device 2b or device B.

[0129] The A-IoT device can be a tag, terminal, or any other form, such as a sensor, license plate, or nameplate. The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the A-IoT device. For example, the device used to implement the function of the A-IoT device can be the A-IoT device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the A-IoT device to implement this function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the A-IoT device or used in conjunction with the A-IoT device.

[0130] It should be pointed out that, Figure 3 The number of each device is merely illustrative and should not be considered a specific limitation of this application. Optionally, Figure 3 It can also include the core network ( Figure 3 (Not shown), the terminal accesses the core network through the access network, and the core network communicates with the DN or AF network elements. For details, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 This will not be elaborated upon here.

[0131] In addition to these two topologies, 3GPP is also developing data transmission schemes for A-IoT devices within the core network: one is the control plane transmission scheme (CP transmission scheme), and the other is the user plane transmission scheme (UP transmission scheme). The two transmission schemes are described in detail below.

[0132] For CP transmission schemes, such as Figure 4A As shown, in Topology 1, the AF network element can communicate with the NEF network element, the NEF network element can communicate with the A-IoT NF network element, and the A-IoT NF network element can communicate with the AMF network element. The AMF network element can then communicate with the A-IoT device (i.e., the A-IoT device) through the access network (RAN) equipment. In Topology 2, an intermediate node (UEreader) is added. The AF network element can communicate with the NEF network element, the NEF network element can communicate with the A-IoT NF network element, and the A-IoT NF network element can communicate with the AMF network element. The AMF network element can then communicate with the intermediate node (UEreader) through the access network (RAN) equipment, and then use the intermediate node (UEreader) to communicate with the A-IoT device (i.e., the A-IoT device).

[0133] For UP transmission schemes, such as Figure 4BAs shown, in Topology 1, the AF network element can communicate with the UPF network element, and the UPF network element can communicate with the A-IoT device (i.e., A-IoT device) through the access network (RAN) equipment. In Topology 2, an intermediate node (UE reader) is added. The AF network element can communicate with the UPF network element, and the UPF network element can communicate with the intermediate node (UE reader) through the access network (RAN) equipment. Then, the intermediate node (UE reader) is used to communicate with the A-IoT device (i.e., A-IoT device).

[0134] Taking the inventory service of A-IoT as an example, there can be multiple AFs. Each AF can send an inventory command to one or more A-IoT devices. At this time, the reader (such as UEreader) needs to communicate with one or more A-IoT devices.

[0135] Among them, the network elements in the core network include not only Figure 2 The network elements in the network can also include A-IoT NF network elements (hereinafter referred to as second network elements). These A-IoT NF network elements are responsible for handling the logic of A-IoT services, specifically including: executing A-IoT service requests in the network (such as inventory, commands, etc.) and processing corresponding A-IoT-specific NAS messages; supporting inventory, command, registration, and message routing for A-IoT devices; authorizing A-IoT service requests; verifying the identifiers (such as identification IDs) of A-IoT devices and performing operations to protect A-IoT devices when necessary; collecting A-IoT data and summarizing reports; collecting billing information; and so on. Of course, the naming of the A-IoT NF network element here is just an example; other naming methods can also be used, and no limitation is made here. Furthermore, the A-IoT NF network element can be seen as an upgrade based on the AMF network element. The A-IoT NF network element can be deployed together with the AMF network element or separately, and no limitation is made here.

[0136] It should be noted that the network application architecture and application scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network application architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0137] To facilitate understanding of the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, the relevant concepts involved in the embodiments of this application are introduced below:

[0138] 1. Quality of Service (QoS)

[0139] Currently, QoS refers to a network's ability to provide better service for specified network communications by utilizing various underlying technologies. It is a network security mechanism and a technology used to solve problems such as network latency and congestion. QoS guarantees are crucial for networks with limited capacity, especially for streaming multimedia applications, as these applications often require fixed transmission rates and are sensitive to latency.

[0140] QoS provides end-to-end quality of service guarantees to meet the diverse needs of various services. QoS does not increase network bandwidth; it is a tool for effectively utilizing existing network resources. It allows different types of traffic to compete for network resources unequally, prioritizing voice, video, and critical data applications within network devices. QoS technology is increasingly used and plays a more important role in today's internet. Specific traffic processing actions corresponding to QoS services can include traffic forwarding (or service forwarding), traffic policing, traffic shaping, interface rate limiting, congestion avoidance, and congestion management.

[0141] 2. QoS Flow and QoS Configuration

[0142] QoS flow is the finest granularity of QoS differentiation within a PDU session. In other words, the difference between two PDU sessions lies in their QoS flows (specifically, the different traffic flow template (TFT) parameters). In a 5G system, a QoS Flow ID (QFI) is used to identify a QoS flow. User plane data with the same QFI within a PDU session will receive the same forwarding processing (e.g., the same resource allocation, resource scheduling, and the same admission thresholds). A QFI must be unique within a PDU session; that is, a PDU session can have multiple (up to 64) QoS flows, but each QoS flow has a different QFI (value range 0-63). The QFI of two PDU sessions on a terminal device may overlap. The QFI can be dynamically configured or equal to the Quality of Service Identifier (5QI). The 5QI is a parameter used in 5G networks to identify service quality; it represents a set of values ​​for parameters such as resource type, priority, reliability, and packet loss rate, used to control QoS flow forwarding processing. In 5G networks, the specific value of 5QI determines the resource type, priority, and other characteristics of different QoS flows. Among these, the characteristics of QoS flows are:

[0143] For QoS profiles on the RAN side, these profiles can be provided to the RAN by the SMF network element through the AMF network element or pre-configured on the RAN.

[0144] Regarding the QoS rules on the UE side, these rules are provided to the UE by the SMF network element during the PDU establishment or modification process, or derived by the UE through the reflection QoS mechanism.

[0145] Packet detection rules (PDR(s)) for uplink and downlink data on the UPF side are configured by SMF.

[0146] In 5G communication systems, a PDU session requires one QoS flow associated with a default QoS rule. This default QoS flow persists throughout the entire lifecycle of the PDU, and it must be a non-guaranteed bit rate (Non-GBR) QoS flow. It should be noted that in this embodiment, QoS profile synchronization is based on a QoS file synchronization mechanism, i.e., synchronization between SMF, AIOT NF, AMF / UPF, RAN node, and UEreader. Each network node uses the same QFI identifier to identify the QoS profile corresponding to the data packet (see protocol [TS23.501] for details).

[0147] In addition, current 5QI-related 5G QoS features include Resource Type, Priority Level, Packet Delay Budget (PDB), Packet Error Rate (PER), Average Window, and Maximum Data Burst Volume (MDBV). These QoS features are all QoS metrics specific to data packets.

[0148] (1) Resource type: can be guaranteed bit rate (GBR) or non-guaranteed bit rate (Non-GBR);

[0149] (2) Priority level: This indicates the resource scheduling priority between 5G QoS streams. This parameter is used to distinguish the various QoS streams of a UE and also to distinguish the QoS streams of different terminals. The smaller the value of this parameter, the higher the priority.

[0150] (3) Packet delay budget: Defines the upper limit of the delay for data packet transmission between the UE and the anchor NPF;

[0151] (4) Packet Error Rate (PER): This refers to the percentage of data packets that have been processed by the link layer (such as the RLC layer in a 3GPP access network) at the sending end but have not been submitted to the upper layer (such as the PDCP layer in a 3GPP access network) by the corresponding receiving end. The PER parameter is used to configure appropriate link layer parameters (such as RLC and HARQ configuration in a 3GPP access network).

[0152] (5) Average window: This is defined for GBR QoS flows and is used by relevant network elements to count the guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) and maximum flow bit rate (MFBR).

[0153] (6) Maximum Data Burst Volume (MDBV): Each GBR QoS flow with a latency-critical resource type should be associated with an MDBV; MDBV represents the maximum amount of data that the RAN needs to serve during a PDB.

[0154] Specifically, the mapping from standard 5QI to 5G QoS features is shown in Table 1. Table 1 only describes some of the mapping relationships. For more mapping relationships, please refer to the protocol [TS23.501 Table 5.7.4-1].

[0155] Table 1

[0156]

[0157] Based on the above, with the commercialization of A-IoT, more and more A-IoT devices are being connected to the network, which increases the network's traffic processing burden. Under the circumstances of tight and limited network resources, it is currently impossible to effectively guarantee the service quality of A-IoT.

[0158] Therefore, in order to effectively guarantee the quality of service (QoS) of the Internet of Things (IoT) under conditions of limited and scarce network resources, embodiments of this application provide a QoS assurance method and a communication device. The QoS assurance method and communication device provided in the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below.

[0159] In the embodiments of this application, the Internet of Things service can be A-IoT service or other names, which are not limited here; the term "service" can also be replaced with "business"; the service quality can be called business quality or other names, which are not limited here. The embodiments of this application take service quality as an example.

[0160] Taking A-IoT as an example, 3GPP is currently in the early stages of defining the functions, service interaction processes, and service interaction content of A-IoT devices, and has not yet discussed specific service quality indicators and methods for A-IoT. Furthermore, current service quality indicators (such as the aforementioned packet error rate and packet latency budget) are primarily indicators for data packets. Given the large number of A-IoT devices and the relatively small amount of data transmitted by each A-IoT service (i.e., low power consumption of A-IoT devices), using current service quality indicators to guarantee the service quality of A-IoT would increase the network's signaling interaction burden excessively. Therefore, current service quality indicators are not suitable for A-IoT services.

[0161] To ensure the quality of service (QoS) of A-IoT services even when network resources are scarce and limited, and cannot meet the resource requirements of all A-IoT services, this application defines new QoS indicators (which can be called QoS-like indicators or other names, without limitation) and related network processing schemes for A-IoT services. The QoS identifier is communicated to the RAN side (RAN reader side) or intermediate node side (UE reader side) for radio-side resource scheduling, so as to meet the needs of A-IoT services as efficiently as possible and ensure the efficiency of A-IoT storage, command, registration and other services end-to-end.

[0162] Taking QoS-like metrics as an example, QoS-like metrics can include one or more of the following: the priority of the IoT service, resource type, service time budget, or device UL packet size, and uplink and / or downlink rates. Of course, QoS-like metrics can also include other information, which is not limited here. The following is a detailed explanation of the information included in QoS-like metrics:

[0163] 1. Resource Type: This can be either a Guaranteed Code Rate (GBR) for service requests of IoT services or a Non-Guaranteed Code Rate (Non-GBR) for messages of IoT services. Here, a service request can also be referred to as a message.

[0164] 2. Priority of IoT services: For example, the priority of A-IoT services. IoT services can be services requested by different application processors (AFs) or services requested by the same AF. Four priority levels are defined below:

[0165] Case 1: Priority of AF

[0166] This can be understood as prioritizing based on the identifiers of different Action Frames (AFs). The priority of an AF includes, but is not limited to, "high," "relatively high," and "normal." An AF's identifier includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: the AF's Uniform Resource Identifier (URL), the AF's Internet Protocol (IP) address, the AF's Media Access Control (MAC) address, the AF's Local Area Network (LAN) address, the AF's port information, or the AF's identification (ID). The UPF user plane offloading identifier can be an AF identifier.

[0167] For example, for different applications, if the identifier of the application is 1 (for example, the application is a video application), the corresponding priority can be set to high; if the identifier of the application is 2 (in this case, the application is a storage application), the corresponding priority can be set to normal.

[0168] Scenario 2: Priority of different service types within the same AF

[0169] This can be understood as setting priorities based on different service types within the same User Plane (AF). Service type priorities include, but are not limited to, "High," "Higher," and "Normal." Service types include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration. Commands include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: read, write, lock, disable / kill, and enable. The UPF user plane traffic splitting identifier can be a service type.

[0170] For example, for the same AF, if the service type is read or write, the corresponding priority can be set to high; if the service type is disk storage, the corresponding priority can be set to normal.

[0171] Scenario 3: Priority of different service requests within the same AF

[0172] This can be understood as setting priorities based on different service requests within the same User Plane (AF). Service request priorities include, but are not limited to, "high," "relatively high," and "normal." The UPF user plane traffic splitting identifier can be the type of service request, such as traffic forwarding (or service forwarding) or traffic policing.

[0173] For example, for the same service request (AF), if the service request indicates a high priority, the corresponding priority can be set to high; if the service request indicates a normal priority, the corresponding priority can be set to normal. Alternatively, if the service request does not indicate a priority, the default priority can be set to normal.

[0174] Scenario 4: Priority of different terminal device types within the same AF

[0175] This can be understood as prioritizing different terminal device types (e.g., A-IoT device types) within the same User Plane (AF). The priority of terminal device types includes, but is not limited to, "high," "relatively high," and "normal." Terminal device types include Type A and Type B. Type A indicates terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity (e.g., "cargo tags"), while Type B indicates terminal devices with low power consumption and / or low complexity (e.g., "sensors"). The UPF user plane offloading identifier can be a terminal device type.

[0176] For example, for the same AF, if the terminal device type is a sensor, the corresponding priority can be set to high; if the terminal device type is a cargo tag, the corresponding priority can be set to normal.

[0177] 3. Service Time Budget: The difference between this and the existing QoS metric PDB is that PDB represents the one-way latency of a single data packet or a group of data packets transmitted through a network node. In this embodiment, the service time budget can be the duration from the start of the AF request triggering the service until the last terminal device (e.g., an A-IoT device) responds; it can also be the duration from the start of the AF request triggering the service until the last terminal device (e.g., an A-IoT device) responds and returns to the AF; or it can be the duration from the start of the AF request triggering the service until the response message is received. This can be understood as follows: a single IoT service request (A-IoT request) typically involves multiple A-IoT device responses, resulting in multiple signaling interactions on the RAN side, while the existing PDB can only represent the transmission latency of a single data packet.

[0178] 4. Uplink Data Packet Size (Device UL Packet Size): This refers to the estimated size of the data packet that the AF (Active Front-End) responds to in response to a terminal device (such as an A-IoT device). It can be used to ensure resource allocation and traffic processing actions of the base station and UPF during uplink A-IoT data transmission in the network. When the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of this uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0179] 5. Uplink and / or downlink speeds: Uplink speed refers to the data transmission rate from the terminal device to the network, while downlink speed refers to the data transmission rate from the network to the terminal device.

[0180] Based on the aforementioned new quality of service metrics (such as QoS-like metrics), this application embodiment designs methods for synchronizing QoS-like metrics of the UP transmission scheme and CP transmission scheme to user plane nodes within the network, effectively solving the quality of service guarantee problem of A-IoT when CN / RAN faces forwarding / processing resource contention. The following details the quality of service guarantee method provided by this application embodiment for different transmission schemes and in conjunction with A-IoT application scenarios:

[0181] I. Regarding the UP transmission solution

[0182] Method 1: Each network node on the UP transmission path performs traffic processing actions based on the QoS-like identifier (i.e., the first identifier).

[0183] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a service quality assurance method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the service quality assurance method includes the following steps S501 to S503. Optionally, the service quality assurance method further includes the following steps S504 to S509. Figure 5 The method shown can be implemented by the aforementioned first network element (user plane network element, such as UPF), access network equipment, or terminal equipment. Alternatively, Figure 5 The device that performs the method shown can be a chip in the first network element, a chip in the access network device, or a chip in the terminal device; however, this application does not limit the implementation of the method. Figure 5 The method is illustrated using the first network element, access network equipment, and terminal equipment as the implementing entities. The terminal equipment can include UE (User Equipment) and IoT devices (such as A-IoT devices), with the UE considered as an intermediate node.

[0184] It is understood that the embodiments of this application use a first network element, an access network device, and a terminal device as examples to illustrate the execution subjects of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the first network element in this application can also be implemented by a module (e.g., a circuit, a chip, or a chip system) in the first network element, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first network element; the method executed by the access network device in this application can also be implemented by a module (e.g., a circuit, a chip, or a chip system) in the access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device; the method executed by the terminal device in this application can also be implemented by a communication / processing module in the terminal device or a circuit or chip (e.g., a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip / SIP chip containing a modem core, or a GPU / AI processor / ASIC) in the terminal device responsible for communication / processing functions.

[0185] S501, the first network element receives a first message, which includes first information; or, the first network element receives both the first message and the first information.

[0186] The first information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the AF, the service type, the service object, the priority of the first message, the terminal device type, the first service time budget, the destination network address, and the network address of the terminal device.

[0187] S502, the first network element determines a first identifier and / or second information based on the first information, wherein the first identifier is associated with the second information.

[0188] The second information includes one or more of the following: the priority of the IoT service, the resource type, the second service time budget, the size of the uplink data packet, and the uplink and / or downlink speed.

[0189] In this embodiment, the first network element may receive a first message from the AF, which includes first information; it may also receive a first message from other devices, without limitation. Alternatively, the first network element may receive both the first message and first information from the AF, or it may receive both the first message and first information from other devices, without limitation. Here, the first message can also be understood as a service request.

[0190] It should be noted that the first information can be sent to the first network element along with the first message. Alternatively, the first information and the first message can be sent to the first network element separately. Specifically, the first message can be sent to the first network element first, followed by the first information; the first information can be sent to the first network element first, followed by the first message; or the first information and the first message can be sent to the first network element simultaneously. No limitation is imposed here.

[0191] For example, the AF can send a first message (such as an A-IoT request) for an IoT service (such as an A-IoT service) to the first network element. This first message can be considered as a structured data packet (such as an IP data packet or a MAC data packet). The structured data packet uses a protocol that 3GPP can understand, meaning the core network can recognize it. In this case, the first information can be carried in the packet header (such as a GTP-U header).

[0192] like Figure 6A As shown, in the GTP-U packet format, the A-IoT request (i.e., the first message) sent by the AF can be located in the T-PDU, and the first information can be located in the GTP-U Header (i.e., the GTP-U message header). The T-PDU and GTP-U Header are collectively referred to as G-PDU, and this format also includes PDU / IP data information. It should be noted that GTP-U is an abbreviation for GPRS Tunneling Protocol-User Plane, a user data transmission protocol used in General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) networks. GTP-U is a protocol for establishing tunnels on the user plane, enabling the transmission of IP datagrams from one GPRS support node to another, thereby realizing user data transmission in the GPRS network.

[0193] The identifier of an AF includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: the URL of the AF, the IP address of the AF, the MAC address of the AF, the LAN address of the AF, the port information of the AF, or the ID of the AF.

[0194] Service types include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration. Commands include one or more of the following: read, write, lock, disable / kill, and enable.

[0195] The service targets include groups of terminal devices or individual terminal devices.

[0196] The priority of this first message includes, but is not limited to: "high", "relatively high", "normal", etc.

[0197] Terminal device types include Type A and Type B. Type A is used to indicate terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity (such as "cargo tags"), while Type B is used to indicate terminal devices with low power consumption and / or low complexity (such as "sensors").

[0198] The first service time budget can be the duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message and returning to AF; or, the duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the first message.

[0199] The destination network address refers to the network address of the receiving end. The network address of the terminal device can be considered as the network address of IoT devices (such as A-IoT devices).

[0200] Furthermore, after receiving the data packet (i.e., the first message), the first network element only needs to parse the packet header (such as the GTP-U header) to obtain the first information, and then determine the first identifier (such as a QoS-like ID) and / or the second information based on the first information. For example, the specific rules for the first network element to detect the data packet (i.e., the rules for determining the first identifier based on the first information) are as follows:

[0201] (1) AF identification: that is, the first network element can determine the first identifier based on the AF identification.

[0202] (2) AF Identifier + Service Type: That is, the first network element can determine the first identifier based on the AF identifier and service type.

[0203] (3) AF identifier + first message priority (request priority): that is, the first network element can determine the first identifier based on the AF identifier and the first message priority (request priority).

[0204] (4) AF identifier + terminal device type: that is, the first network element can determine the first identifier based on the AF identifier and the terminal device type.

[0205] Furthermore, since the SMF pre-configures the association between the first identifier and the second information for the first network element, once the first network element determines the first identifier, it can determine the second information associated with the first identifier through this association. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first network element determines the second information based on the first information.

[0206] For example, this association can be referred to in Table 2 below. As shown in Table 2, the first identifier can be called a QoS-like ID, and the second information includes the aforementioned QoS-like metrics: the priority corresponding to the IoT service (such as the priority corresponding to the A-IoT service), resource type, service time budget (i.e., the second service time budget), uplink packet size (Device UL Packet Size), and uplink and / or downlink rate. Among these, the service time budget, uplink packet size, and uplink and / or downlink rate are optional.

[0207] The priorities corresponding to IoT services include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: AF priority, service type priority, priority of the first message, or priority of terminal device type.

[0208] The resource type can be either a guaranteed code rate (GBR) provided for the first message of an IoT service or a non-guaranteed code rate (Non-GBR) provided for the first message of an IoT service.

[0209] The service time budget (i.e., the second service time budget) can be the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and the return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0210] The size of the uplink data packet refers to the estimated size of the data packet that the AF (Active Front-End) responds to in response to a terminal device (such as an A-IoT device). It can be used to ensure resource allocation and traffic processing actions of the base station and UPF when uplink A-IoT data is transmitted in the network. When the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0211] Uplink speed refers to the data transmission rate from the terminal device to the network, while downlink speed refers to the data transmission rate from the network to the terminal device.

[0212] For example, the default resource type is Non-GBR. When the QoS-like ID is 1, the IoT service has a high priority, a service time budget of 100 seconds, an uplink packet size of 800 bits, and an uplink and / or downlink rate of 50 kbps. When the QoS-like ID is 2, the IoT service has a relatively high priority, a service time budget of 100 seconds, an uplink packet size of 500 bits, and an uplink and / or downlink rate of 100 Mbps. When the QoS-like ID is 3, the IoT service has a normal priority, a service time budget of 200 seconds, no limit on the uplink packet size, and no limit on the uplink and / or downlink rate. When the QoS-like ID is 4, the IoT service has a normal priority, no limit on the service time budget, no limit on the uplink packet size, and no limit on the uplink and / or downlink rate.

[0213] Table 2

[0214]

[0215] S503, the first network element performs traffic processing actions on the first message based on the second information.

[0216] Optionally, before receiving the first message, or before receiving the first message and the first information, the method further includes: receiving first rule information from the SMF, the first rule information including first indication information for indicating traffic processing actions.

[0217] This can be understood as follows: Before the first network element receives the first message, or before the first network element receives both the first message and the first information, the SMF will pre-configure the first rule information for the first network element. This first rule information can be considered as the packet detection rules (i.e., PDR(s)) issued by the SMF. The PDR(s) contains relevant instructions for processing data packets (i.e., the first indication information), used to indicate specific traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc.). After the first network element receives the data packet (i.e., the first message) from the AF, it identifies the packet forwarding control protocol (PFCP) session corresponding to the data packet. In the packet detection rules (i.e., PDR(s)) configured for this PFCP session, it finds the PDR that matches the data packet. If multiple PDRs match, it selects the PDR with the highest priority to inspect the data packet, then processes the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., performs traffic processing actions, and finally sends the data packet out of the user plane network element.

[0218] For example, assuming the QoS-like ID (i.e., the first identifier) ​​determined by the first network element is 1, then according to the association described in Table 2 above, when the QoS-like ID is 1, the associated second information includes: the priority of the IoT service is high, the service time budget is 100s, the size of the uplink data packet fed back by the device is 800 bits, and the uplink and / or downlink rate is 50kbps. The first network element identifies the PFCP session corresponding to the received data packet (i.e., the first message), and finds the rule matching the data packet in the first rule information configured for this PFCP session. If multiple rules match, the rule with the highest priority is selected to detect the data packet, and then the data packet is processed according to the requirements of the second information, that is, traffic processing is performed, and finally the data packet is sent out of the user plane network element, thereby achieving service quality assurance for the IoT service.

[0219] S504. The first network element sends the first identifier and / or the second information to the access network device. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first identifier and / or the second information from the first network element.

[0220] In this embodiment, after the first network element determines the first identifier and / or the second information, it can further send data packets to the access network device. These data packets can also be considered structured data packets. At this time, the first identifier and / or the second information can be carried in the packet header (such as the GTP-U header). The access network device can then obtain the first identifier and / or the second information by parsing the packet header. Specifically, the first identifier and / or the second information can be located in the QoS flow ID field in existing schemes, or it can be in the spare field of the GTP-U header of the DL PDU session information type (see protocol [TS 38.415] for details), and is not limited here.

[0221] Furthermore, since the SMF also pre-configures the association between the first identifier and the second information for the access network device, after the access network device obtains the first identifier, it can determine the second information associated with the first identifier through this association. For example, this association can be referred to Table 2 above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0222] S505. The access network device performs resource allocation and / or traffic processing actions based on the second information.

[0223] Optionally, before the access network device receives the first identifier from the first network element, the method further includes: the access network device receiving a configuration file (i.e., a first configuration file) from the SMF, the first configuration file including the first identifier and second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions.

[0224] This can be understood as follows: before the access network device receives the first identifier from the first network element, the SMF will pre-configure a first profile for the access network device through the AMF. This first profile can be considered a QoS-like profile issued by the SMF, including a first identifier and second indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate specific resource allocation actions (including resource allocation rules, etc.) and / or traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc.). After receiving the data packet, the access network device can locate the first profile through the first identifier and process the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., perform traffic processing actions.

[0225] If the UP transmission scheme adopts the architecture of topology 1, then the subsequent access network device also needs to send the data packet to the Internet of Things device (i.e., A-IoT device), that is, execute step S506; if the UP transmission scheme adopts the architecture of topology 2, then the subsequent access network device also needs to send the data packet to the UE (i.e., intermediate node), that is, execute steps S507 and S508.

[0226] For example, assuming the QoS-like ID (i.e., the first identifier) ​​obtained by the access network device is 1, then according to the correlation described in Table 2 above, when the QoS-like ID is 1, the corresponding second information includes: the priority of the IoT service is high, the service time budget is 100s, the size of the uplink data packet fed back by the device is 800 bits, and the uplink and / or downlink rate is 50kbps. The access network device can find the first configuration file through the first identifier. The second indication information in the first configuration file indicates the specific resource allocation actions (including resource allocation rules, etc.) and / or traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc.). The access network device can process the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, that is, perform resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions, thereby achieving service quality assurance for the IoT service.

[0227] S506. The access network device sends the first identifier and / or the second information to the IoT device. Accordingly, the IoT device receives the first identifier and / or the second information from the access network device.

[0228] In this embodiment of the application, it is assumed that the UP transmission scheme adopts the architecture of topology 1. After the access network device obtains the first identifier and / or the second information, it can further send data packets to the Internet of Things device, and can carry the first identifier and / or the second information in the header of the data packet.

[0229] Since SMF also pre-configures the association between the first identifier and the second information for IoT devices, after obtaining the first identifier, the IoT device can determine the second information associated with the first identifier through this association. For example, this association can be found in Table 2 above, and will not be elaborated upon here. Subsequently, the IoT device can perform traffic processing actions based on this second information.

[0230] S507. The access network device sends the first identifier and / or the second information to the UE. Accordingly, the UE receives the first identifier and / or the second information from the access network device.

[0231] In this embodiment, assuming the UP transmission scheme uses a topology 2 architecture, after the access network device obtains the first identifier and / or the second information, it can further send data packets to the UE. These data packets can also be considered structured data packets. The first identifier and / or the second information can be carried in the packet header (such as the GTP-U header). Subsequently, the UE only needs to parse the packet header to obtain the first identifier and / or the second information. Specifically, the first identifier can be located in the QoS flow ID field in existing schemes, or it can be in the spare field of the GTP-U header of the DL PDU sessioninformation type (refer to protocol [TS 38.415] for details), and is not limited here.

[0232] Furthermore, since the SMF also pre-configures the association between the first identifier and the second information to the UE, after the terminal device obtains the first identifier, it can determine the second information associated with the first identifier through this association. For example, this association can be referred to Table 2 above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0233] S508. The UE performs resource allocation and / or traffic processing actions based on the second information.

[0234] Optionally, before the UE receives the first identifier and / or second information from the access network device, the method further includes: the UE receiving a configuration file (i.e., a second configuration file) from the SMF, the second configuration file including the first identifier and second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions. It should be noted that both the second configuration file and the aforementioned first configuration file can be collectively referred to as configuration files.

[0235] This can be understood as follows: before the UE receives the first identifier and / or second information from the access network device, the SMF pre-configures a second profile for the UE through the AMF and the access network device. This second profile can be considered a QoS-like rule issued by the SMF, including the first identifier and second indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate specific resource allocation actions (including resource allocation rules, etc.) and / or traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc.). After receiving the data packet from the access network device, the UE can locate the second profile through the first identifier, process the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., perform resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions, and finally send the data packet to the IoT device.

[0236] For example, assuming the QoS-like ID (i.e., the first identifier) ​​obtained by the UE is 1, then according to the correlation described in Table 2 above, when the QoS-like ID is 1, the corresponding second information includes: the priority of the IoT service is high, the service time budget is 100s, the size of the uplink data packet fed back by the device is 800 bits, and the uplink and / or downlink rate is 50kbps. The UE can find the second configuration file through this first identifier. The second indication information in the second configuration file indicates specific resource allocation actions (including resource allocation rules, etc.) and / or traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc.). The UE can process the data packet according to the requirements of this second information, that is, perform resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions, thereby achieving service quality assurance for the IoT service.

[0237] S509, the UE sends the first identifier and / or the second information to the IoT device. Accordingly, the IoT device receives the first identifier and / or the second information from the UE.

[0238] In this embodiment, assuming the UP transmission scheme uses Topology 2, after the UE obtains the first identifier and / or the second information, it can further send data packets to the IoT device, which may carry the first identifier and / or the second information. Since the SMF also pre-configures the association between the first identifier and the second information for the IoT device, the IoT device, after obtaining the first identifier, can determine the second information associated with the first identifier through this association. For example, this association can be referred to in Table 2 above, and will not be elaborated here. Subsequently, the IoT device can perform traffic processing actions based on the second information.

[0239] The following specific examples illustrate the service quality assurance method proposed in the embodiments of this application:

[0240] like Figure 6B As shown, assuming the first network element is UPF, the UP transmission scheme adopts the architecture of topology 2. AF sends an A-IoT request (i.e., the first message) to UPF. This A-IoT request can be considered a data packet. The header of this data packet carries first information, which includes one or more of the following: the identifier of AF, service type, service object, priority of the first message, terminal device type, first service time budget, destination network address, and network address of the terminal device.

[0241] UPF can obtain this first information by parsing the packet header. UPF then... Figure 6B The rules for detecting data packets shown can determine the first identifier (i.e., QoS-like ID) based on the first information. Specifically, the rules for UPF detecting data packets can be based on the identifier of the AF; or on the identifier of the AF and the service type; or on the identifier of the AF and the request priority; or on the identifier of the AF and the device type (e.g., A-IoT device type).

[0242] For example, assuming the first information is the identifier of AF1, the UPF determines QoS-like ID = 1 based on the identifier of AF1. When QoS-like ID = 1, based on the association between the pre-issued QoS-like ID and the second information, the associated second information can be determined to include: the priority of the IoT service is high, the service time budget is 100s, the size of the uplink data packet is 800 bits, and the uplink and / or downlink rate is 50kbps. When network resources are scarce and limited, the UPF further finds a rule matching the data packet based on the first rule information (such as PDR(s)) pre-issued by the SMF. If multiple rules match, the rule with the highest priority is selected to inspect the data packet, and then the data packet is processed according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., traffic processing is performed. Finally, the data packet is sent out of the user plane network element, thereby achieving service quality assurance for the IoT service.

[0243] Furthermore, the UPF sends a third message to the access network device. This third message can be considered a data packet, and the packet header carries a first identifier (i.e., a QoS-like ID). The access network device can parse the packet header to obtain the QoS-like ID, which is then set to 1. Based on the association between the pre-issued QoS-like ID and the second information, the associated second information can be determined to include: all A-IoT services of AF1 have a high priority, a service time budget of 100 seconds, an uplink data packet size of 800 bits, and an uplink and / or downlink rate of 50 kbps. When network resources are scarce and limited, the access network device further locates the first configuration file (such as a QoS-like configuration file) pre-issued by the SMF based on the first identifier. The second indication information in this first configuration file indicates specific resource allocation actions (including resource allocation rules) and / or traffic processing actions (including forwarding rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc.). The access network device can process the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., perform resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions, thereby ensuring the quality of service for IoT services.

[0244] Furthermore, the access network device sends a fourth message to the UE. This fourth message can be considered a data packet, and the packet header carries a first identifier (i.e., a QoS-like ID). The UE can parse the packet header to obtain the QoS-like ID, at which point the QoS-like ID = 1. Based on the association between the pre-issued QoS-like ID and the second information, the associated second information can be determined to include: all A-IoT services of AF1 have a high priority, a service time budget of 100s, an uplink data packet size of 800 bits, and an uplink and / or downlink rate of 50kbps. In situations where network resources are scarce and limited, the UE can further locate the second configuration file pre-issued by the SMF through the first identifier. The third indication information in this second configuration file indicates specific resource allocation actions (including resource allocation rules, etc.) and / or traffic processing actions (including forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc.). The UE can process the data packet according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., perform resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions, thereby ensuring the quality of service for IoT services.

[0245] Furthermore, the UE sends a fifth message to the IoT device, which carries the first identifier. Since the SMF also pre-configures the association between the first identifier and the second information for the IoT device, the IoT device, after obtaining the first identifier, can determine the second information associated with the first identifier through this association. For example, this association can be referred to in Table 2 above, and will not be elaborated here. Subsequently, the IoT device can perform traffic processing actions based on the second information, thereby achieving quality of service assurance for the IoT service.

[0246] Similarly, assuming the first piece of information is the identifier of AF2, the UPF can also determine the QoS-like ID based on the identifier of AF2. Subsequently, the UPF, access network devices, UEs and IoT devices can also perform traffic processing actions based on the QoS-like ID. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the above description, which will not be elaborated here.

[0247] For example, assuming the first information is the identifier and service type of AF1, where the identifier of AF1 is 1 and the service type is read, the UPF determines the QoS-like ID = 1 based on the identifier and service type of AF1. When the QoS-like ID = 1, based on the association between the pre-issued QoS-like ID and the second information, the associated information can be determined as follows: all A-IoT services of AF1 have a high priority, a service time budget of 100s, an uplink data packet size of 800 bits, and an uplink and / or downlink rate of 50kbps. When network resources are scarce and limited, the UPF further finds a rule matching the data packet based on the first rule information (such as PDR(s)) pre-issued by the SMF. If multiple rules match, the rule with the highest priority is selected to inspect the data packet, and then the data packet is processed according to the requirements of the second information, i.e., traffic processing is performed. Finally, the data packet is sent out of the user plane network element, thereby achieving service quality assurance for IoT services. Subsequently, access network devices, UEs, and IoT devices can also perform traffic processing actions based on QoS-like IDs. For specific implementation methods, please refer to the above description, which will not be elaborated here.

[0248] It can be seen that, based on Figure 5The described method involves a first network element receiving first information, which includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the AF (Automatic Attachment Function), service type, service object, priority of the first message, terminal device type, first service time budget, destination network address, and network address of the terminal device. The first network element can then determine a first identifier (i.e., a QoS-like ID) and / or second information based on this first information. Here, the first identifier is associated with new service quality indicators defined for the A-IoT service, such as the priority of the IoT service, resource type, second service time budget, uplink data packet size, uplink and / or downlink rate, etc. Subsequently, each network node (i.e., UPF, access network device, UE, IoT device) on the UP (Uplink Attachment) transmission path can perform traffic processing actions based on this second information, thereby helping to ensure the service quality of A-IoT under conditions of limited and scarce network resources.

[0249] Method 2: Each network node on the UP path performs the corresponding service quality processing operation based on QoS-like indicators (i.e., third information).

[0250] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating another service quality assurance method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown, the service quality assurance method includes the following steps S701 and S702. Optionally, the service quality assurance method further includes the following steps S703 to S707. Figure 7 The method shown can be implemented by the aforementioned first network element (user plane network element, such as UPF), access network equipment, or terminal equipment. Alternatively, Figure 7 The device that performs the method shown can be a chip in the first network element, a chip in the access network device, or a chip in the terminal device; however, this application does not limit the implementation of the method. Figure 7 The method is illustrated using the first network element, access network equipment, and terminal equipment as the implementing entities. The terminal equipment can include UE (User Equipment) and IoT devices (such as A-IoT devices), with the UE considered as an intermediate node.

[0251] It is understood that the embodiments of this application use a first network element, an access network device, a terminal device, and an IoT device as examples to illustrate the execution subjects of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the first network element in this application can also be implemented by a module (e.g., a circuit, a chip, or a chip system) in the first network element, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first network element; the method executed by the access network device in this application can also be implemented by a module (e.g., a circuit, a chip, or a chip system) in the access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device; the method executed by the terminal device in this application can also be implemented by a communication / processing module in the terminal device or a circuit or chip (e.g., a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip / SIP chip containing a modem core, or a GPU / AI processor / ASIC) in the terminal device responsible for communication / processing functions.

[0252] S701, the first network element receives third information, which includes one or more of the following: priority of the IoT service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packet, and uplink and / or downlink rate.

[0253] In this embodiment, the first network element may receive third information from the AF or from other devices, and is not limited thereto. Optionally, when the first network element receives the third information, the specific implementation may be: the first network element receives a sixth message from the IoT service, the sixth message including the first information.

[0254] Taking the AF (Automatic Front-End) as an example, the AF can send a sixth message to the first network element. This sixth message can be considered an unstructured data packet (e.g., a data packet other than IP or MAC packets). The protocol used by the unstructured data packet is one that 3GPP cannot understand, meaning the core network cannot recognize it. In this case, a GTP-U protocol tunnel needs to be established between the AF and the first network element. The data packet is then encapsulated using the GTP-U protocol, and third information is carried in the packet header (e.g., the GTP-U message header).

[0255] The third piece of information includes the new service quality metrics defined for A-IoT services mentioned above, such as the priority, resource type, service time budget, device UL packet size, and uplink and / or downlink speed of the IoT service. Of course, the third piece of information can specifically include the identifiers corresponding to these service quality metrics, such as the identifiers for the priority, resource type, service time budget, uplink packet size, and uplink and / or downlink speed of the IoT service; this is not limited to these specific identifiers.

[0256] The priority of IoT services includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: the priority of AF, the priority of service type, the priority of the first message, or the priority of terminal device type.

[0257] The resource type can be either a guaranteed code rate (GBR) provided for the first message of an IoT service or a non-guaranteed code rate (Non-GBR) provided for the first message of an IoT service.

[0258] The service time budget (i.e., the second service time budget) can be the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and the return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0259] The size of the uplink data packet refers to the estimated size of the data packet that the AF (Active Front-End) responds to in response to a terminal device (such as an A-IoT device). It can be used to ensure resource allocation and traffic processing actions of the base station and UPF when uplink A-IoT data is transmitted in the network. When the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0260] Uplink speed refers to the data transmission rate from the terminal device to the network, while downlink speed refers to the data transmission rate from the network to the terminal device.

[0261] S702, the first network element performs traffic processing actions based on this third information.

[0262] In this embodiment of the application, after the first network element receives the data packet (i.e. the sixth message), under the condition of tight and limited network resources, it only needs to parse the packet header (such as the GTP-U message header) of the data packet to obtain the third information, so that it can directly perform traffic processing actions based on the third information, such as forwarding action rules (i.e. traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc., which are not limited here.

[0263] S703, the first network element sends the third information to the access network device. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the third information from the first network element.

[0264] In this embodiment, after the first network element obtains the third information, it further sends a data packet (i.e., the seventh message) to the access network device. At this time, the third information can also be carried in the packet header (such as the GTP-U header). The access network device only needs to parse the packet header to obtain the third information.

[0265] Specifically, the third information can be located in an extended header type reserved in the GTP-U header, such as octets 12; or a new GTP-U header type can be added to carry the third information that needs to be passed to the access network device.

[0266] S704. The access network device performs traffic processing actions based on this third information.

[0267] In this embodiment of the application, after the access network device receives the data packet (i.e. the seventh message) from the first network element, under the condition of tight and limited network resources, it only needs to parse the packet header (such as the GTP-U message header) of the data packet to obtain the third information, so that it can directly perform traffic processing actions based on the third information, such as forwarding action rules (i.e. traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc., which are not limited here.

[0268] If the UP transmission scheme adopts the architecture of topology 1, then the subsequent access network device also needs to send the data packet to the IoT device (i.e., A-IoT device), that is, execute step S705; if the UP transmission scheme adopts the architecture of topology 2, then the subsequent access network device also needs to send the data packet to the UE (i.e., intermediate node), that is, execute steps S706 and S707.

[0269] S705. The access network device sends the third information to the IoT device. Accordingly, the IoT device receives the third information from the access network device.

[0270] In this embodiment, after the access network device obtains the third information, it further sends a data packet (i.e., the eighth message) to the IoT device. At this time, the third information can also be carried in the packet header (such as the GTP-U header). The IoT device only needs to parse the packet header to obtain the third information. Subsequently, the IoT device can directly perform traffic processing actions based on the third information, such as forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc., which are not limited here.

[0271] Specifically, the third information can be located in an extended header type reserved in the GTP-U header, such as octets 12; or a new GTP-U header type can be added to carry the third information that needs to be transmitted to IoT devices.

[0272] S706. The access network device sends the third information to the UE. Accordingly, the UE receives the third information from the access network device.

[0273] In this embodiment, after the access network device obtains the third information, it further sends a data packet (i.e., the ninth message) to the UE. At this time, the third information can also be carried in the packet header (such as the GTP-U header). After the UE obtains the third information, it only needs to parse the packet header (such as the GTP-U header) to obtain the third information. When network resources are scarce and limited, the UE can directly perform traffic processing actions based on the third information, such as forwarding action rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc., which are not limited here.

[0274] S707, the UE sends the third information to the IoT device. Accordingly, the IoT device receives the third information from the UE.

[0275] In this embodiment, after the UE obtains the third information, it further sends a data packet (i.e., the tenth message) to the IoT device. At this time, the third information can also be carried in the packet header (such as the GTP-U header). After obtaining the third information, the IoT device only needs to parse the packet header (such as the GTP-U header) to obtain the third information. When network resources are scarce and limited, the IoT device can directly perform traffic processing actions based on the third information, such as forwarding rules (i.e., traffic forwarding), QoS-like execution rules, etc., which are not limited here.

[0276] It can be seen that, based on Figure 7The described method involves a first network element receiving third information, which includes new service quality indicators (such as QoS-like indicators) defined for IoT services. Specifically, this information may include one or more of the following: the priority of the IoT service, resource type, second service time budget, uplink packet size, and uplink and / or downlink rate. Subsequent network nodes along the UP transmission path (i.e., UPF, access network equipment, UE, and IoT devices) can directly perform traffic processing actions based on these service quality indicators. This helps ensure the service quality of A-IoT even under conditions of limited network resources, while also reducing signaling overhead.

[0277] II. Regarding the CP transmission scheme

[0278] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating another service quality assurance method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 As shown, the service quality assurance method includes the following steps S801 to S803. Figure 8 The method shown can be implemented by the second network element (such as the A-IoT NF network element mentioned above) and the first AMF. Alternatively, Figure 8 The method shown can be executed by a chip in the second network element or a chip in the first AMF, but this application does not limit the implementation. Figure 8 The method will be explained using the second network element and the first AMF as the main implementers.

[0279] It is understood that the embodiments of this application use the second network element and the first AMF as examples to illustrate the execution subjects of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the second network element in this application can also be implemented by a module (e.g., circuit, chip, or chip system) in the second network element, or by a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second network element; similarly, the method executed by the first AMF in this application can also be implemented by a module (e.g., circuit, chip, or chip system) in the first AMF, or by a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first AMF.

[0280] S801, the second network element receives a second message, the second message including fourth information; or, receives a second message and fourth information; wherein, the fourth information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the AF, the service type, the terminal device type, or the priority of the second message.

[0281] In this embodiment of the application, the second network element may receive a second message from the AF, which includes fourth information; or it may receive a second message from other devices, without limitation. Alternatively, the second network element may receive both the second message and the fourth information from the AF, or it may receive both the second message and the fourth information from other devices, without limitation. Here, the second message can also be understood as a service request.

[0282] It should be noted that the fourth information can be sent to the second network element along with the second message. Alternatively, the fourth information and the second message can be sent to the second network element separately. Specifically, the second message can be sent to the second network element first, followed by the fourth information; the fourth information can be sent to the second network element first, followed by the second message; or the fourth information and the second message can be sent to the second network element simultaneously. No limitation is imposed here.

[0283] The identifier of an AF includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: the URL of the AF, the IP address of the AF, the MAC address of the AF, the LAN address of the AF, the port information of the AF, or the ID of the AF.

[0284] Service types include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration. Commands include one or more of the following: read, write, lock, disable / kill, and enable.

[0285] The priority of this second message includes, but is not limited to: "high", "relatively high", "normal", etc.

[0286] Terminal device types include Type A and Type B. Type A is used to indicate terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity (such as "cargo tags"), while Type B is used to indicate terminal devices with low power consumption and / or low complexity (such as "sensors").

[0287] For example, the AF can send a second message to the NEF, which carries fourth information. After successful authentication, the NEF will forward the second message to the second network element.

[0288] If the fourth information includes the identifier and service type of the AF, or if the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the terminal device type, then step S802 can be performed; if the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the priority of the second message, then step S803 can be performed.

[0289] S802. If the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type, then send the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type to the first AMF.

[0290] In this application embodiment, the fourth information includes the identifier and service type of the AF, or the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the terminal device type.

[0291] After NEF authentication, the second message is forwarded to the second network element (such as the A-IoT NF network element mentioned above). Upon receiving the second message, the second network element further requests the UDM / PCF to query whether the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type. If so, the second network element will send the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type to the first AMF, so that each network node (e.g., the second network element, the first AMF, the access network device, the UE (intermediate node), and the IoT device) on the subsequent CP transmission path can perform traffic processing actions according to the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type.

[0292] S803. If the authentication of the AF is successful, the second network element sends the priority of the service request to the first AMF.

[0293] In this embodiment of the application, the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the priority of the service request.

[0294] After NEF authentication, the second message is forwarded to the second network element (such as the A-IoT NF network element mentioned above). Upon receiving the second message, the second network element authenticates the AF (specifically, it verifies whether the AF has the ability to indicate the priority of the second message). If the second network element successfully authenticates the AF, it sends the priority of the second message to the first AMF so that each network node on the subsequent CP transmission path (e.g., the second network element, the first AMF, access network equipment, UE (intermediate node), and IoT device) can perform traffic processing actions according to the priority of the second message.

[0295] In one possible implementation, the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority corresponding to the service type or the priority corresponding to the IoT device type. Alternatively, if the AF is successfully authenticated, the second network element needs to request the address information of the AMF from the NRF. The method also includes the following steps s11 and s12.

[0296] s11. The second network element sends a first request to the NRF, which requests the address information of the AMF. The first request includes fifth information, which indicates the load requirements of the AMF. Accordingly, the NRF receives the first request from the second network element.

[0297] s12. The NRF sends the address information of the first AMF to the second network element, and the first AMF satisfies the load requirement. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the address information of the first AMF from the NRF.

[0298] This can be understood as follows: the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority corresponding to the service type or the priority corresponding to the IoT device type. Alternatively, if the AF authentication is successful, the second network element will request the address information of the AMF from the NRF, while also carrying the fifth piece of information to indicate the load requirement for the AMF (such as NF load indication). At this time, the NRF will find the first AMF that meets the load requirement and feed back the address information of the first AMF to the second network element, thereby facilitating the selection of a network element with a suitable load to complete the communication. For example, assuming that the load requirement of the AMF is the lowest load, then the NRF will find the AMF with the lowest load (i.e., the first AMF) and feed back the address information of the first AMF to the second network element.

[0299] Subsequently, each network node (such as the second network element, the first AMF, the access network device, the UE (intermediate node), and the IoT device) on the CP transmission path can perform traffic processing actions according to the priority of the service type, the priority of the terminal device type, or the priority of the service request.

[0300] It can be seen that, based on Figure 8 The described method involves a first network element receiving fourth information, which includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the AF, the service type, the IoT device type, or the priority of the service request. If the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type, the second network element sends the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type to the first AMF; or, if the AF is successfully authenticated, the second network element sends the priority of the second message to the first AMF. Here, the first AMF can be an AMF that meets the load requirements expected by the second network element, so as to select an AMF network element with a suitable load to complete communication. Each network node on the CP transmission path (e.g., the second network element, the first AMF, the access network device, the UE (intermediate node), and the IoT device) can perform traffic processing actions according to these priorities, reducing network forwarding congestion and ensuring service quality.

[0301] The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0302] This application divides the device into functional modules according to the above method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The following will combine... Figure 9 to Figure 11 The apparatus of the embodiments of this application is described in detail.

[0303] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the communication device includes a processing module 901 and a transceiver module 902. The transceiver module 902 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 901 is used to implement corresponding processing functions. The transceiver module 902 can also be referred to as an interface, communication interface, or communication module, etc.

[0304] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the first network element in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be the first network element itself or a chip or functional module configurable within the first network element. The transceiver module 902 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first network element in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 901 is used to perform processing-related operations of the first network element in the above method embodiments.

[0305] For example, the transceiver module 902 can be used to: receive a first message, the first message including first information; or, receive the first message and the first information.

[0306] Processing module 901 can be used to: determine a first identifier and / or second information based on the first information, wherein the first identifier is associated with the second information;

[0307] The processing module 901 can also be used to: perform traffic processing actions on the first message based on the second information;

[0308] The first information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the AF, the service type, the service object, the priority of the first message, the terminal device type, the first service time budget, the destination network address, and the network address of the terminal device; the second information includes one or more of the following: the priority corresponding to the IoT service, the resource type, the second service time budget, the size of the uplink data packet, and the uplink and / or downlink rate.

[0309] As an example, an AF's identifier may include one or more of the following: the AF's URL, the AF's IP address, the AF's MAC address, the AF's LAN address, the AF's port information, or the AF's ID.

[0310] As another example, service types include one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration.

[0311] As another example, the service targets include groups of terminal devices or a single terminal device.

[0312] As another example, when the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0313] As another example, terminal device types include Type A and Type B, where Type A indicates terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity, and Type B indicates terminal devices with low power consumption and / or low complexity.

[0314] As another example, the priorities corresponding to IoT services include one or more of the following: AF priority, service type priority, the priority of the first message, or terminal device type priority.

[0315] As another example, the first service time budget or the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0316] As another example, resource types include: GBR or Non-GBR provided for the first message of IoT services.

[0317] As another example, before receiving the first message, or before receiving the first message and the first information, the transceiver module 902 can also be used to: receive first rule information from the SMF, the first rule information including first indication information used to indicate traffic processing actions.

[0318] As another example, transceiver module 902 can also be used to send the first identifier and / or the second information to the access network device.

[0319] Reuse Figure 9In other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the access network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be the access network device or terminal device itself, or a chip or functional module configurable within the access network device or terminal device. The transceiver module 902 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the access network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 901 is used to perform processing-related operations of the access network device or terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0320] For example, the transceiver module 902 can be used to: receive a first identifier and / or second information, wherein the first identifier is associated with the second information, and the second information includes one or more of the following: priority corresponding to the Internet of Things service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packet, and uplink and / or downlink rate size;

[0321] The processing module 901 can be used to: perform resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions based on the second information.

[0322] As an example, the priorities corresponding to IoT services include one or more of the following: AF priority, service type priority, first message priority, or terminal device type priority.

[0323] As another example, resource types include: GBR or Non-GBR provided for the first message of IoT services.

[0324] As another example, the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0325] As another example, when the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0326] As another example, before receiving the first identifier and / or the second information, the transceiver module 902 can also be used to: receive a configuration file from the SMF, which includes the first identifier and the second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions.

[0327] As another example, when the communication device is an access network device, the transceiver module 902 can also be used to send the first identifier and / or the second information to the terminal device.

[0328] Reuse Figure 9 In other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the first network element or access network device in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be the first network element or access network device itself, or a chip or functional module configurable within the first network element or access network device. The transceiver module 902 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first network element or access network device in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 901 is used to perform processing-related operations of the first network element or access network device in the above method embodiments.

[0329] For example, the transceiver module 902 can be used to: receive third information, which includes one or more of the following: priority of the Internet of Things service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packet, and uplink and / or downlink rate size;

[0330] The processing module 901 can be used to perform traffic processing actions based on the third information.

[0331] As an example, the priority corresponding to this IoT service includes one or more of the following: AF priority, service type priority, first message priority, or terminal device type priority.

[0332] As another example, this resource type includes: GBR or Non-GBR provided for the first message of IoT services.

[0333] As another example, the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0334] As another example, when the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

[0335] As another example, the transceiver module 902 can also be used to send the third information to an access network device or a terminal device. Specifically, when the communication device is a first network element, the transceiver module 902 sends the third information to the access network device. When the communication device is an access network device, the transceiver module 902 sends the third information to the terminal device.

[0336] Reuse Figure 9In some other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be the terminal device itself or a chip or functional module configurable in the terminal device. The transceiver module 902 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 901 is used to perform processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0337] For example, the transceiver module 902 can be used to: receive third information, which includes one or more of the following: the priority of the Internet of Things service, the resource type, the second service time budget, the size of the uplink data packet, and the uplink and / or downlink rate size;

[0338] The processing module 901 can be used to perform traffic processing actions based on the third information.

[0339] As an example, the priority corresponding to this IoT service includes one or more of the following: AF priority, service type priority, first message priority, or terminal device type priority.

[0340] As another example, this resource type includes: GBR or Non-GBR provided for the first message of IoT services.

[0341] As another example, the second service time budget includes: the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the last first message and return to AF; or, the duration from the receipt of the first message to the receipt of the response message to the first message.

[0342] Reuse Figure 9 In other embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the second network element in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be the second network element itself or a chip or functional module configurable within the second network element. The transceiver module 902 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second network element in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 901 is used to perform processing-related operations of the second network element in the above method embodiments.

[0343] For example, the transceiver module 902 can be used to: receive a second message, the second message including fourth information; or, receive a second message and fourth information; wherein the fourth information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the AF, the service type, the terminal device type, or the priority of the second message.

[0344] As an example, the identifier of an AF may include one or more of the following: the AF's URL, the AF's Internet Protocol (IP) address, the AF's MAC address, the AF's LAN address, the AF's port information, or the AF's identity ID.

[0345] As another example, the service type includes one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration.

[0346] As another example, the terminal device type includes type A and type B, where type A is used to indicate terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity, and type B is used to indicate terminal devices with low power consumption and / or low complexity.

[0347] As another example, the fourth information includes the identifier and service type of the AF, or the fourth information includes the identifier and terminal device type of the AF; if the application subscription information corresponding to the AF includes the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type, then the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type is sent to the first AMF.

[0348] As another example, the fourth information includes the identifier of the AF and the priority of the second message; if the AF is successfully authenticated, the priority of the second message is sent to the first AMF.

[0349] As another example, the transceiver module 902 can also be used to: send a first request to the NRF to request address information of the AMF, the first request including fifth information to indicate the load requirements of the AMF; and receive address information of a first AMF from the NRF, the first AMF satisfying the load requirements.

[0350] For example, the transceiver module 902 may also include a radio frequency module, an antenna module, etc. For example, the transceiver module 902 may also include a pin module, etc.

[0351] Optionally, in the above embodiments, the communication device may further include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 901 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module to enable the device to implement the aforementioned method embodiments. Exemplarily, the storage module may also store the first information, second information, first identifier, first rule information, configuration file, etc., as shown above.

[0352] For details regarding the terms or steps in each of the above embodiments, such as IoT services, service quality, resource type, service time budget, uplink data packets, and terminal device type, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments. They will not be detailed here.

[0353] The specific descriptions of the transceiver module and processing module shown in the above embodiments are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver module and processing module, please refer to the above method embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0354] The apparatus of the embodiments of this application has been described above. The possible product forms of the described apparatus are described below. Any device possessing the above-described features... Figure 9 Any form of product that incorporates the functionality of the described device falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. The following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product form of the device in the embodiments of this application to this specific example.

[0355] In one possible implementation, Figure 9 In the communication device shown, the processing module 901 can be one or more processing circuits, and the transceiver module 902 can be a transceiver circuit, or the transceiver module 902 can also be a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module can be a transmitting circuit, and the receiving module can be a receiving circuit, which are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver circuit. In the embodiments of this application, the processing circuit and the transceiver circuit can be coupled, etc., and the connection method of the processing circuit and the transceiver circuit is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In the process of performing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be the process of the processing circuit outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processing circuit outputs the above information to the transceiver circuit so that the transceiver circuit can transmit (or output). After the above information is output by the processing circuit, it may need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver circuit. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be the process of the processing circuit receiving the input above information. When the processing circuit receives the input information, the transceiver circuit receives the above information and inputs it into the processing circuit. Furthermore, after the transceiver circuit receives the aforementioned information, the information may need to undergo further processing before being input into the processing circuit.

[0356] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 10 As shown, the communication device 1000 includes one or more processing circuits 1020 and transceiver circuits 1010.

[0357] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the steps, methods, or functions performed by the first network element described above, such as the processing circuit 1020 being used to perform such... Figure 9 The transceiver circuit 1010 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 901 shown. Figure 9 The transceiver module 902 shown describes the functions or steps implemented by it. For detailed descriptions of the processing circuit 1020 and the transceiver circuit 1010, please refer to [link / reference needed].Figure 9 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0358] In other embodiments of this application, the apparatus is used to perform the steps, methods, or functions performed by the access network device described above. For example, the processing circuit 1020 may be used to perform, for example... Figure 9 The transceiver circuit 1010 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 901 shown. Figure 9 The transceiver module 902 shown describes the functions or steps implemented by it. For detailed descriptions of the processing circuit 1020 and the transceiver circuit 1010, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 9 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0359] In other embodiments of this application, the apparatus is used to perform the steps, methods, or functions performed by the terminal device described above. For example, the processing circuit 1020 may be used to perform, for example... Figure 9 The transceiver circuit 1010 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 901 shown. Figure 9 The transceiver module 902 shown describes the functions or steps implemented by it. For detailed descriptions of the processing circuit 1020 and the transceiver circuit 1010, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 9 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0360] In other embodiments of this application, the apparatus is used to perform the steps, methods, or functions performed by the second network element described above. For example, the processing circuit 1020 can be used to perform, for example... Figure 9 The transceiver circuit 1010 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 901 shown. Figure 9 The transceiver module 902 shown describes the functions or steps implemented by it. For detailed descriptions of the processing circuit 1020 and the transceiver circuit 1010, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 9 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0361] For example, the processing circuitry may be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry of one or more processors. The transceiver circuitry may be a transceiver, or input / output circuitry, or interface circuitry, etc.

[0362] For example, in Figure 10 In various implementations of the illustrated apparatus, the transceiver circuitry may include a receiver for performing a receiving function (or operation) and a transmitter for performing a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver circuitry is also used for communicating with other devices / appliances via a transmission medium.

[0363] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include one or more memories 1030 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memories 1030 are coupled to the processing circuitry 1020. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processing circuitry 1020 may operate in conjunction with the memories 1030. The processing circuitry 1020 may execute the program instructions stored in the memories 1030. Optionally, at least one of the aforementioned memories may be included in the processing circuitry.

[0364] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the transceiver circuit 1010, the processing circuit 1020, and the memory 1030. This application embodiment... Figure 10 The memory 1030, processing circuit 1020, and transceiver circuit 1010 are connected via a bus 1040. Figure 10 The connections between other components are shown in bold and are for illustrative purposes only, not as limiting information. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 10 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0365] In the embodiments of this application, the processing circuit may be a general-purpose processing circuit, a digital signal processing circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc., and can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processing circuit may be a microprocessor circuit or any conventional processing circuit, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processing circuit, or being executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processing circuit, etc.

[0366] In this application embodiment, the memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory such as hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. Memory is any storage medium capable of carrying or storing program code having instruction or data structure forms, and capable of being read and / or written by a computer (such as the device shown in this application), but is not limited to this. The memory in this application embodiment may also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store program instructions and / or data.

[0367] For example, the processing circuit 1020 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 1030 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver circuit 1010 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0368] When the device is powered on, the processing circuit 1020 can read the software program in the memory 1030, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processing circuit 1020 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processing circuit 1020. The processing circuit 1020 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0369] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and antenna can be set up independently of the processing circuit that performs baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuit and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the device.

[0370] The apparatus shown in the embodiments of this application may also have a higher... Figure 10This application does not limit the use of other components or other related elements. The methods performed by the processing circuit and transceiver circuit shown above are merely examples; the specific steps performed by the processing circuit and transceiver circuit can be found in the methods described above.

[0371] In another possible implementation Figure 9 In the illustrated device, the processing module 901 can be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver module 902 can be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver module 902 can also be a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module can be an output interface, and the receiving module can be an input interface. The transmitting module and the receiving module are integrated into one module, such as an input / output interface.

[0372] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 The communication device shown includes logic circuit 1101 and interface circuit 1102. That is, the processing module 901 can be implemented using logic circuit 1101, and the transceiver module 902 can be implemented using interface circuit 1102. The logic circuit 1101 can be a chip, processing circuit, integrated circuit, or system-on-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface circuit 1102 can be a communication interface, input / output interface, pins, etc. For example, Figure 11 The above-mentioned communication device is used as an example of a chip, which includes a logic circuit 1101 and an interface circuit 1102.

[0373] In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the logic circuit 1101 can be used to perform... Figure 9 The interface circuit 1102 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 901 shown. Figure 9 The transceiver module 902 shown illustrates the functions or steps implemented by this module. For detailed explanations of the logic circuit 1101 and the interface circuit 1102, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 9 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here.

[0374] The apparatus shown in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or software, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0375] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first network element, an access network device, and a terminal device. The first network element, the access network device, and the terminal device can be used to execute the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments. The terminal device may include a UE and an Internet of Things (IoT) device (such as an A-IoT device), and the UE can be considered as an intermediate node.

[0376] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a second network element that can be used to execute the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0377] In addition, this application also provides a computer program for implementing the operations and / or processes performed by various devices in the method provided in this application.

[0378] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the operations and / or processes performed by the various devices in the methods provided in this application.

[0379] This application also provides a computer program product comprising computer code or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the operations and / or processes performed by various entities in the method provided in this application to be executed.

[0380] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, devices, or modules, or they may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms of connection.

[0381] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. 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 can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0382] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0383] If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module 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 application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable 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 described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned readable 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.

[0384] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A service quality assurance method, characterized in that, Applied to the first network element, the method includes: Receive a first message, which includes first information; or receive both a first message and first information. A first identifier and / or second information are determined based on the first information, wherein the first identifier is associated with the second information; Based on the second information, perform traffic processing actions on the first message; The first information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the application function, the service type, the service object, the priority of the first message, the terminal device type, the first service time budget, the destination network address, and the network address of the terminal device. The second information includes one or more of the following: the priority of the IoT service, the resource type, the second service time budget, the size of the uplink data packet, and the uplink and / or downlink rate.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identifier of the application function includes one or more of the following: the Uniform Resource Identifier URL of the application function, the Internet Protocol IP address of the application function, the Media Access Control MAC address of the application function, the Local Area Network (LAN) address of the application function, the port information of the application function, or the identity identifier ID of the application function. The service types include one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The service targets include groups of terminal devices or a single terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The terminal device types include Type A and Type B, where Type A indicates terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity, and Type B indicates terminal devices with low power consumption and / or low complexity.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The priority of the IoT service includes one or more of the following: application function priority, service type priority, the priority of the first message, or terminal device type priority.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first service time budget or the second service time budget includes: The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message; or, The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message and returning to the application function; or, The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the first message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The resource types include: Guaranteed Code Rate (GBR) or Non-Guaranteed Code Rate (Non-GBR) provided for the first message of the Internet of Things (IoT) service.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Before receiving the first message, or before receiving the first message and the first information, the method further includes: Receive first rule information from the session management function, the first rule information including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate traffic processing actions.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the first identifier and / or the second information to the access network device.

11. A service quality assurance method, characterized in that, Applied to access network equipment or terminal equipment; the method includes: Receive a first identifier and / or second information, wherein the first identifier is associated with the second information, and the second information includes one or more of the following: priority of the IoT service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packet, and uplink and / or downlink rate size; Based on the second information, perform resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The priorities corresponding to the IoT services include one or more of the following: application function priority, service type priority, first message priority, or terminal device type priority.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The resource types include: Guaranteed Code Rate (GBR) or Non-Guaranteed Code Rate (Non-GBR) provided for the first message of the Internet of Things (IoT) service.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The second service time budget includes: The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message; or, The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message and returning to the application function; or, The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the first message.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11-14, characterized in that, When the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11-15, characterized in that, Before receiving the first identifier and / or the second information, the method further includes: Receive a configuration file from the session management function, the configuration file including the first identifier and the second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate resource allocation actions and / or traffic processing actions.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11-16, characterized in that, When the quality of service assurance method is applied to access network equipment, the method further includes: Send the first identifier and / or the second information to the terminal device.

18. A service quality assurance method, characterized in that, Applied to a first network element or access network device, the method includes: Receive third information, which includes one or more of the following: priority of the IoT service, resource type, second service time budget, size of uplink data packet, and uplink and / or downlink rate size; The traffic processing action is performed based on the third information.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The priorities corresponding to the IoT services include one or more of the following: application function priority, service type priority, first message priority, or terminal device type priority.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The second service time budget includes: The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message; or, The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the last first message and returning to the application function; or, The duration from receiving the first message to receiving the response message to the first message.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18-20, characterized in that, When the service target is a group of terminal devices, the size of the uplink data packet is the sum of the sizes of the uplink data packets of all terminal devices in the group, or the size of the uplink data packet of a single terminal device in the group.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18-21, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third information is sent to the access network device or terminal device.

23. A service quality assurance method, characterized in that, Applied to a second network element, the method includes: Receive a second message, the second message including the fourth information; or, receive a second message and the fourth information. The fourth information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the application function, the service type, the terminal device type, or the priority of the second message.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The identifier of the application function includes one or more of the following: the Uniform Resource Identifier URL of the application function, the Internet Protocol IP address of the application function, the Media Access Control MAC address of the application function, the Local Area Network (LAN) address of the application function, the port information of the application function, or the identity identifier ID of the application function. The service types include one or more of the following: inventory, command, or registration.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that, The terminal device types include Type A and Type B, where Type A indicates terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and / or extremely low complexity, and Type B indicates terminal devices with low power consumption and / or low complexity.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23-25, characterized in that, The fourth information includes the identifier of the application function and the service type, or the fourth information includes the identifier of the application function and the terminal device type; If the application subscription information corresponding to the application function includes the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type, then the priority of the service type or the priority of the terminal device type is sent to the first access and mobility management function.

27. The method according to any one of claims 23-26, characterized in that, The fourth piece of information includes the identifier of the application function and the priority of the second message; If the application function is successfully authenticated, the priority of sending the second message to the first access and mobility management function is given.

28. The method according to any one of claims 23-27, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first request to the network storage function, the first request being used to request address information of the access and mobility management function, the first request including fifth information, the fifth information being used to indicate the load requirements of the access and mobility management function; Receive address information from the first access and mobility management function of the network storage function, wherein the first access and mobility management function meets the load requirements.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 11-17, or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 18-22, or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 23-28.

30. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first network element, an access network device, and a terminal device, wherein the first network element is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, and the access network device and the terminal device are used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-17; or... The communication system includes a first network element and an access network device, wherein the first network element and the access network device are used to perform the method according to any one of claims 18-22; or... The communication system includes a second network element, which is used to perform the method of any one of claims 23-28.

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