A method, apparatus and system for providing network services

Abstract

This application provides a method, communication device, and communication system for providing network services. The method includes: receiving information from a first server application, wherein the first server application is used to provide network services to a first terminal device, and the first server application originates from a third-party system; and loading the first server application. The first node is a core network element or a radio access network device. The first node can provide network services based on the first server application to users in a mobile network environment, thereby improving the quality of service provided to users.

Description

Method, device and system for providing network services Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of wireless communication technologies, and more specifically, to a method, device, and system for providing network services. Background Art

[0002] Currently, more and more third-party systems are using cloud servers to provide services to users. Cloud server providers can provide computing, storage, and other resources for cloud servers, which in turn can use these resources to provide services to users. However, the computing and storage resources that cloud server providers can provide are limited. As third-party applications become increasingly complex and application environments become more diverse, cloud servers are unable to meet the quality requirements of user services.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method for providing network services, a communication device, and a communication system, which can improve the quality of services provided to users.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for providing network services is provided, which is applied to a first node. In addition, it can also be applied to a chip, chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a combination of hardware circuit and software module installed in the first node. The first node is used as an example for explanation below. The method includes: receiving information of a first server application, the first server application is used to provide network services for a first terminal device, and the first server application comes from a third-party system; loading the first server application; wherein the first node is a core network element or a wireless access network device.

[0006] Based on this technical solution, the first node supports the third-party system to deploy the first server application on itself. The first node is inside the mobile network. The first node loads the first server application, so that the first node can provide users with network services based on the first server application in the network environment, thereby improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: obtaining at least one of network data and network resources; and executing the first server application according to at least one of the network data and network resources.

[0008] Based on this technical solution, the first node can obtain at least one of network data and network resources to execute the first server application. For example, the first node can obtain network data to adjust the algorithm of the first server application. In another example, the first node can call on computing resources in the network to execute the first server application. The first node is located within the mobile network and can obtain network data and call on network resources without interacting with the outside of the mobile network. In other words, it can flexibly and timely obtain network data and network resources, further improving the quality of service provided to users.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, network data is obtained based on one or more of the following information: type information of the network data required by the first server application, data volume information of the network data required by the first server application, area information of the network service provided by the first server application, location information of the first node, location information of the first terminal device, and identification information of the first terminal device.

[0010] Based on this technical solution, the first node can obtain network data based on various information related to the first server application, and execute the first server application based on the network data, thereby further improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, network resources are obtained based on one or more of the following information: type information of the network resources required by the first server application, resource quantity information of the network resources required by the first server application, area information of the network service provided by the first server application, location information of the first node, location information of the first terminal device, and identification information of the first terminal device.

[0012] Based on this technical solution, the first node can obtain network resources based on various information related to the first server application, and execute the first server application based on the network resources, thereby further improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the first terminal device is a terminal device that establishes a session based on the first server application with the first node.

[0014] Based on this technical solution, the first node and the first terminal device establish a session based on the first server application. The first node can take advantage of being within the mobile network to promptly obtain network data and network resources related to the first terminal device, so as to provide network services to the first terminal device and improve the quality of services provided to users.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, receiving information of the first server application includes: receiving a first message, the first message is used to request loading the first server application, and a third message includes the information of the first server application.

[0016] Based on this technical solution, the first node can load the first server application based on the first message for requesting to load the first server application.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the first message also includes identification information of the first server application.

[0018] Based on this technical solution, the first node can also establish a mapping relationship between the first server application and its identification information, so that the first server application can be executed based on the identification information subsequently. Therefore, this technical solution can flexibly improve the network service based on the first server application for users, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method also includes: sending a second message, the second message is used to notify the first server application of the loading result, the second message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first task, identification information of the first node, or location information of the first node.

[0020] Based on this technical solution, the first node can feed back the loading result of the first server application, for example, feed back the loading result to the second node used to manage the first node, so that the second node can provide better management services.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, obtaining network data includes: sending a third message, where the third message is used to request network data; and receiving network data in response to the third message.

[0022] Based on this technical solution, the first node is located within the mobile network and can provide an interface proxy service for the first server application to obtain network data. The first server application can flexibly obtain network data from the network through the interface proxy service provided by the first node without interacting with the outside of the mobile network, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: sending a fourth message, the fourth message being used to request execution of a first task, the first task being generated based on a first server application; and receiving an execution result of the first task.

[0024] Based on this technical solution, the first node is located inside the mobile network and can request assistance from the mobile network to perform the first task, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method also includes: sending a fifth message, the fifth message is used for registration of the first node, and the fifth message includes one or more of the following: location information of the first node, identification information of the first node, and capability information of the first node to provide network services.

[0026] Based on this technical solution, the first node completes registration via the fifth message. For example, the first node can register with the second node. In other words, the second node can manage at least one node through the registration process and can also select an appropriate node for deployment for the first server application based on the information contained in the fifth message, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: sending a sixth message, where the sixth message indicates a change in the capability of the first node to provide network services.

[0028] Based on this technical solution, the first node can notify its own capacity changes through the fifth message. For example, the first node can use the fifth message to inform the second node of its own computing capacity changes. The second node can then provide management services based on the sixth message, further improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: receiving or sending a data packet associated with the first server application from the first terminal device.

[0030] Based on this technical solution, the first node can exchange data packets based on the first server application with the first terminal device. In other words, the first server application can exchange data with the user through the first node, eliminating the need for third-party systems to participate in the data packet exchange, thus ensuring user communication security and privacy.

[0031] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations, the data packet includes identification information of the first server application.

[0032] Based on this technical solution, the first node and the first terminal device can route data packets based on the identification information of the first server application, ensure the reliable transmission of data packets, and improve the reliability of network services provided to users.

[0033] On the second aspect, a method for providing network services is provided, which is applied to a second node. In addition, it can also be applied to a chip, chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a combination of hardware circuit and software module installed in the second node. The second node is used as an example for explanation below. The method includes: sending information of a first server application to a first node, the first server application is used to provide network services for a first terminal device, and the first server application comes from a third-party system; wherein the second node is used to manage the first node, the first node is a core network network element or a wireless access network device, and the first node is used to load the first server application.

[0034] Some implementations of the second aspect are implementations corresponding to some implementations of the first aspect. For the beneficial technical effects of some implementations of the second aspect, please refer to the description of the relevant implementations of the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0035] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method also includes: receiving a seventh message, the seventh message is used to request deployment of the first server application, the seventh message includes the first server application and demand information of the first server application, wherein the demand information of the first server application is used to indicate one or more of the following: type information of network data required by the first server application, data volume information of the network data required by the first server application, type information of network resources required by the first server application, resource volume information required by the first server application, or area information in which the first server application provides network services.

[0036] Based on this technical solution, the second node can obtain the demand information of the first server application through the seventh message, and provide management services for the first server application based on the demand information, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0037] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: determining the first node based on the seventh message.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, sending information of the first server application to the first node includes: sending a first message to the first node, the first message is used to request loading the first server application, and the first message includes information of the first server application.

[0039] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the first message also includes identification information of the first server application.

[0040] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method also includes: receiving a second message, the second message is used to notify the first server application of the loading result, the second message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, location information of the first node, or identification information of the first node.

[0041] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method also includes: receiving a fifth message, the fifth message is used for registration of the first node, and the fifth message includes one or more of the following: location information of the first node, identification information of the first node, and capability information of the first node to provide network services.

[0042] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: receiving a sixth message, where the sixth message indicates a change in the capability of the first node to provide network services.

[0043] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: receiving an eighth message from the first terminal device, the eighth message being used to request establishment of a session between the first terminal device and the first node; and establishing a session between the first terminal device and the first node.

[0044] Based on this technical solution, the second node can establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node, so that data transmission can be achieved between the first terminal device and the first node based on the session.

[0045] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the eighth message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, location information of the first node, or identification information of the first node.

[0046] Based on this technical solution, the second node can establish a session based on any one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the location information of the first node, or the identification information of the first node, so that the routing of data packets can be realized between the first node and the first terminal device based on the above information, thereby ensuring the reliable transmission of data packets and improving the reliability of network services provided to users.

[0047] On the third aspect, a method for providing network services is provided, which is applied to a first terminal device. In addition, it can also be applied to a chip, chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a combination of hardware circuit and software module installed in the first terminal device. The first terminal device is used as an example for explanation below. The method includes: sending an eighth message, the eighth message is used to request to establish a first session between the first terminal device and the first node; transmitting a data packet associated with a first server application with the first node through the first session; wherein the first node is a core network network element or a wireless access network device, the first server application comes from a third-party system, and the first node is used to load the first server application.

[0048] Some implementations of the third aspect are implementations corresponding to some implementations of the first and second aspects. For the beneficial technical effects of some implementations of the third aspect, please refer to the description of the relevant implementations of the first and second aspects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0049] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations, the eighth message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, identification information of the first node, or location information of the first node.

[0050] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: receiving a ninth message, the ninth message being used to indicate a route selection policy rule of the first server application, the ninth message including one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, identification information of the first node, or location information of the first node.

[0051] Based on this technical solution, the first terminal device can request to establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node based on the route selection policy rules to realize the routing of data packets, ensure the reliable transmission of data packets, and improve the reliability of network services provided to users.

[0052] In a fourth aspect, a method for providing network services is provided, which is applied to a communication system. The communication system includes a first node and a second node. The first node is a core network network element or a wireless access network device, and the second node is used to manage the first node. The method includes: the second node sends information of a first server application to the first node, the first server application is used to provide network services for a first terminal device, and the first server application comes from a third-party system; the first node loads the first server application.

[0053] Some implementation methods of the fourth aspect are implementation methods corresponding to some implementation methods of the first to third aspects. Regarding some implementation methods of the fourth aspect and the beneficial technical effects of some implementation methods, please refer to the description of the relevant implementation methods of the first to third aspects, which will not be repeated here.

[0054] In the fifth aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a first node. In addition, it can also be applied to a chip, chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a combination of hardware circuit and software modules installed in the first node. The first node is used as an example below for explanation. The method includes: obtaining at least one of network data and network resources; executing a first server-side application deployed on itself based on the network data and network resources; wherein the first node is a core network network element or a wireless access network device, and the first server-side application comes from a third-party system.

[0055] Based on this technical solution, the first node can obtain at least one of network data and network resources to execute the first server application. For example, the first node can obtain network data to adjust the algorithm of the first server application. For another example, the first node can call computing resources in the network to execute the first server application. The first server application is deployed on the first node, and the first node is inside the mobile network. The acquisition of network data and the call of network resources do not require interaction with the outside of the mobile network, that is, the network data or network resources can be obtained flexibly and timely, thereby improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0056] In a sixth aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a second node. In addition, it can also be applied to a chip, a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a combination of a hardware circuit and a software module installed in the second node. The second node is used as an example for explanation below. The method includes: receiving an eighth message, the eighth message is used to request to establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node, and the session is used to transmit data packets associated with the first server application; and establishing a session between the first terminal device and the first node based on the eighth message.

[0057] Based on this technical solution, the second node can establish a session based on any one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the location information of the first node, or the identification information of the first node, so that the routing of data packets can be realized between the first node and the first terminal device based on the above information, thereby ensuring the reliable transmission of data packets and improving the reliability of network services provided to users.

[0058] In combination with the sixth aspect, in some implementations, the eighth message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, location information of the first node, or identification information of the first node.

[0059] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is used to receive information from a first server application, the first server application is used to provide network services for a first terminal device, and the first server application comes from a third-party system; the processing unit is used to load the first server application; wherein the communication device is a core network network element or a wireless access network device.

[0060] The various implementation methods of the seventh aspect correspond to the various implementation methods of the first aspect. Regarding the various implementation methods of the seventh aspect and the beneficial technical effects of the various implementation methods, please refer to the description of the various implementation methods of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0061] In the eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the processing unit is used to obtain information of a first server application; the transceiver unit is used to send information of the first server application to the first node, the first server application is used to provide network services for the first terminal device, and the first server application comes from a third-party system; wherein the communication device is used to manage the first node, the first node is a core network network element or a wireless access network device, and the first node is used to load the first server application.

[0062] The various implementation methods of the eighth aspect correspond to the various implementation methods of the second aspect. For the various implementation methods of the eighth aspect and the beneficial technical effects of the various implementation methods, please refer to the description of the various implementation methods of the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0063] In the ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the transceiver unit being used to generate an eighth message; the transceiver unit being used to send the eighth message, the eighth message being used to request establishment of a first session between the communication device and the first node; the transceiver unit being further used to transmit a data packet associated with the first server application to the first node through the first session; wherein the first node is a core network element or a wireless access network device, the first server application comes from a third-party system, and the first node is used to load the first server application.

[0064] The various implementation methods of the ninth aspect correspond to the various implementation methods of the third aspect. Regarding the various implementation methods of the ninth aspect and the beneficial technical effects of the various implementation methods, please refer to the description of the various implementation methods of the third aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0065] In the tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the transceiver unit is used to obtain at least one of network data and network resources; the processing unit is used to execute a first server-side application deployed on itself based on at least one of the network data and network resources; wherein the communication device is a core network network element or a wireless access network device, and the first server-side application comes from a third-party system.

[0066] The various implementation methods of the tenth aspect correspond to the various implementation methods of the fifth aspect. For the various implementation methods of the tenth aspect and the beneficial technical effects of the various implementation methods, please refer to the description of the various implementation methods of the tenth aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0067] In the eleventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the transceiver unit is used to receive an eighth message, the eighth message is used to request to establish a session between a first terminal device and a first node, and the session is used to transmit data packets related to a first server application; the processing unit is used to establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node based on the eighth message.

[0068] The various implementation methods of the eleventh aspect correspond to the various implementation methods of the sixth aspect. Regarding the various implementation methods of the eleventh aspect and the beneficial technical effects of the various implementation methods, please refer to the description of the various implementation methods of the sixth aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0069] In a twelfth aspect, a communication device is provided, wherein the communication device has the function of implementing the method in aspects 1 to 6, or any possible implementation of aspects 1 to 6. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0070] In the thirteenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor coupled to at least one memory, and the at least one processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the at least one memory so that the communication device performs a method as in any aspect from the first to the sixth aspect, or any implementation manner of any aspect.

[0071] In the fourteenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive data and / or information and transmit the received data and / or information to the processor, and the processor processes the data and / or information, and the communication interface is also used to output the data and / or information processed by the processor, so that the method of any aspect from the first to the sixth aspect, or any implementation of any aspect, is executed.

[0072] In the fifteenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are run on a computer, the method in any one of the first to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation of any one of these aspects, is executed.

[0073] In the sixteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program code, and when the computer program code is run on a computer, the method in any aspect from the first to the sixth aspect, or any possible implementation of any aspect of these aspects, is executed.

[0074] In a seventeenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a communication device that executes the method of any one of the first to third aspects.

[0075] In aspect 18, a communication system is provided, comprising a communication device as described in any one or more of aspects 7 to 16, or a communication device in any possible implementation of any of these aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0077] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the communication architecture in which the server application provided in the embodiment of the present application is deployed in the core network element.

[0078] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication architecture in which a server application is deployed on TPF according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0079] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication architecture in which a server application is deployed on a RAN according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0080] FIG5 is another schematic structural diagram of a communication architecture in which a server application is deployed on a RAN according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a first node provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] FIG7 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 800 provided in an embodiment of the present application in which the second node is a core network element.

[0084] FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 900 in which the second node is a core network element, provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0085] FIG10 is a schematic flowchart of a method 1000 for establishing a session between a UE and a first node provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0086] FIG11 is a schematic flowchart of a method for acquiring network data provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0087] Figure 12 is a schematic flowchart of a method for obtaining computing power resources provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0088] 13 and 14 are schematic structural diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0089] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0090] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, satellite communications, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in the present application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), industrial control, intelligent transportation system (ITS), mobile broadband, multimedia and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0091] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the network architecture may include but is not limited to the following: client and server applications.

[0092] 1. Server Application

[0093] Server applications are applications running inside the mobile network that are responsible for processing and responding to requests from clients, providing users with network services such as centralized computing, information processing, and data management. For example, the mobile network may be compliant with the 3GPP (3 rd A network that complies with 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) specifications or future-defined mobile network specifications, such as a public land mobile network (PLMN).

[0094] For the sake of convenience, in the embodiment of the present application, the device on which the server application is deployed is referred to as the first node. The first node can obtain the server application file from a third-party system. The third-party system is a system outside the mobile network, such as the local server of each developer (producer) manufacturer, the cloud server, etc. For example, the first node can obtain the program file from the Internet that provides various application services (over the top, OTT) to users. The first node loads the program file so that the program file exists in itself to realize the deployment of the server application.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, the program file provided by the third-party system and deployed on the first node can be referred to as a server application, an application task network server (net server), a task, an application instance, or other possible names, which are not specifically limited in this application. For ease of description, the embodiments of the present application use the server application as an example, but any of the above names can be substituted.

[0096] One or more server applications may be deployed on the first node. The multiple server applications may be from the same or different third-party systems, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0097] 2. Client application

[0098] A client application, also known as an application (APP), is an application program that runs on user equipment (UE). Client applications are typically responsible for interacting with users, displaying data and interfaces, and communicating with server applications to provide network services.

[0099] It is understandable that the server application (network server) involved in the embodiment of the present application can exist in the first node to provide network services to users. For example, the first node can create a complete operating environment for the server application. This feature is different from existing general-purpose tasks. For example, for general-purpose tasks such as calculation, data collection or positioning, these general-purpose tasks are usually not based on services provided to users by a specific third-party system. The execution subject of the general-purpose task can provide execution results in a dynamic deployment and execution manner. The embodiment of the present application provides a solution for deploying a server application provided by a third-party system within a network, and the first node within the network provides users with services based on the server application. Compared with the services provided to users by devices within non-mobile networks (such as devices where cloud servers are deployed), the first node can flexibly use resources in the network to provide services to users, thereby improving the quality of service.

[0100] Based on the different locations of the first node in the network, embodiments of the present application can be applicable to different communication architectures. In a first possible implementation, the first node can be a core network element, such as a task process function (TPF). In a second possible implementation, the first node can be a radio access network (RAN) device.

[0101] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the two implementation methods are described below with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 .

[0102] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture in which a server application is deployed on a core network element according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the communication architecture includes:

[0103] 1. Management plane functions: These functions are responsible for communicating and interacting with third-party systems and core network elements. For example, these functions may include network AI management orchestration (NAMO).

[0104] 2. (Radio) Access Network (R)AN) equipment: This equipment provides authorized users in a specific area with access to the communications network. For ease of description, this equipment will be referred to as an AN.

[0105] AN equipment can adopt different wireless access technologies. There are currently two types of wireless access technologies: 3GPP access technology (for example, the wireless access technology used in the third generation (3rd generation, 3G), fourth generation (4G) or 5G systems) and non-3GPP (non-3GPP) access technology. 3GPP access technology refers to access technology that complies with 3GPP standard specifications. For example, the access network equipment in the 5G system is called the next generation Node Base station (gNB) or RAN equipment. Non-3GPP access technologies may include air interface technologies represented by access points (APs) in wireless fidelity (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), code division multiple access (CDMA), etc. AN equipment can allow terminal devices and the 3GPP core network to interconnect and communicate using non-3GPP technologies.

[0106] AN equipment is responsible for radio resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, etc. on the air interface side. AN equipment provides access services to terminal devices and forwards control signals and user data between terminal devices and the core network.

[0107] AN equipment may include, for example, but is not limited to: a macro base station, a micro base station (also known as a small station), a radio network controller (RNC), a node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., a home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), an AP in a WiFi system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP) or a transmission and reception point (TRP), etc. It may also be a gNB or a transmission point (TRP or TP) in a 5G (e.g., NR) system, one or a group of (including multiple antenna panels) antenna panels of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a distributed unit (DU), or a base station in a 6G system. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the AN equipment.

[0108] 3. UE: can be called terminal equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device.

[0109] The terminal device can be a device that provides voice / data to users, for example, a handheld device or vehicle-mounted device with a wireless connection function. At present, some examples of terminals are: mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks or future evolved public land mobile communication networks (PLMNs). The terminal equipment in the network (PLMN), etc., is not limited to this in the embodiments of the present application.

[0110] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0111] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device, or it can be a device that can support the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system or chip, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0112] 4. Core Network (CN): It can provide user connections, manage users, and carry services. The first node for deploying the server application can be any one or more core network elements in the core network.

[0113] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture in which a server application is deployed on a TPF according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication architecture includes but is not limited to: TPF, task control function (TCF), access and mobility management function (AMF), RAN, and UE.

[0114] TPF: Can be responsible for the deployment of server-side applications. For example, TPF can obtain server-side applications provided by a third-party system and complete the deployment by loading the server-side applications.

[0115] TCF: It can be responsible for the management of TPF. For example, TCF can provide management functions for server-side applications.

[0116] AMF: Responsible for providing access management functions.

[0117] Figures 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of a communication architecture in which a server application is deployed on a RAN, as provided in an embodiment of the present application. Unlike the communication architecture shown in Figures 2 and 3, the server application is deployed on the RAN. The server application on the RAN and the client app on the UE can interact through the communication interface between the RAN and the UE.

[0118] It can be understood that the network architecture shown above is only an exemplary illustration, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is not limited to this. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0119] It can also be understood that the AMF, TPF and TCF shown in Figures 2 to 5 can be understood as network elements used to implement different functions. For example, they can be combined into network slices as needed. These network elements can be independent devices, or they can be integrated into the same device to implement different functions. They can also be network elements in hardware devices, or they can be software functions running on dedicated hardware, or they can be virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (for example, a cloud platform). This application does not limit the specific form of the above-mentioned network elements.

[0120] It is also understood that the above naming is only defined to facilitate the distinction between different functions and should not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of adopting other naming in other networks in the future.

[0121] In an embodiment of the present application, the first node may provide an agent interface for a server application developed by a third-party system, so that the server application can interact with functional network elements in the network through the agent interface.

[0122] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a first node provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0123] The first node can deploy one or more server applications, such as server application #1, server application #2, and server application #3 shown in Figure 6. Multiple server applications can come from the same third-party system or from different third-party systems. The first node can provide corresponding proxy interface functions based on the functions provided by the data plane, connection plane, computing plane, or intelligence plane. For example, the first node can provide a connection pipeline for users based on the connection plane, providing connection functions such as QoS session assurance. For example, the first node can establish a session between a user and a server application. For another example, the first node can manage various data generated within the mobile network based on the data plane functions. For example, the first node can obtain various data required for the operation of client applications. For another example, the first node can manage and schedule various computing resources within the mobile network based on the computing plane. For example, the first node can schedule computing resources within the mobile network to support the operation of server applications. For another example, the first node can manage and schedule algorithms and models within the mobile network based on the intelligence plane. For example, the first node can invoke algorithms or models to optimize server applications. This application does not specifically limit this. Exemplarily, referring to FIG6 , the first node may provide a data agent, a connection agent, a computing agent, and an algorithm agent, so that the server-side application can interact with the data plane functional network element, the connection plane functional network element, the computing plane functional network element, and the algorithm plane functional network element.

[0124] It is understood that the proxy functions shown in Figure 6 are for illustrative purposes only. The first node may also provide other proxy interface functions based on the application scenario, and this application does not specifically limit this. Thus, third-party systems from various manufacturers deploy server applications on the first node. The first node can provide a standard proxy interface function, allowing each server application to call this proxy interface function to interact with other functional network elements, thereby enabling flexible operation of the server application within the network.

[0125] It is also understood that in some implementations, one or more server applications can be deployed on a first node. In other implementations, a server application can be distributed and deployed on multiple first nodes, which is not particularly limited in this application. For ease of description, the following example uses one or more server applications deployed on a first node as an example.

[0126] The communication architecture supporting a third-party system to deploy a server application within a network is described above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 6. The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below in conjunction with Figures 7 to 12.

[0127] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Method 700 can be applied to any of the communication architectures in Figures 1 to 6 above. Exemplarily, the first node in method 700 can be a core network element (such as a TPF) in Figure 2 or 3, or the first node can be a RAN in Figure 4 or 5. The second node in method 700 can be a core network element (such as a TCF), or the second node can be a management plane function (NAMO). For a more detailed description, please refer to the above and will not be repeated here.

[0128] The method 700 may include the following steps.

[0129] S701: A second node sends information about a first server application to a first node. Correspondingly, the first node receives the information about the first server application from the second node.

[0130] The first server application is from a third-party system. For example, the first server application is an application developed by the third-party system. For a more detailed description of the first server application, please refer to the above and will not be repeated here.

[0131] The second node may send a first message to the first node, where the first message is used to request the first node to load the first server application. The first message includes information about the first server application, and the first node may obtain the first server application based on the information about the first server application. For example, the first message may be a loading request message, which may carry the address information of the first server application (such as a program file) or the first server application, so that the first node may request to obtain the program file of the first server application based on the address information. The first node may load the first server application based on the request of the first message, so that the first server application is deployed in the network.

[0132] In some implementations, the second node sends identification information of the first server application to the first node. For example, the second node can carry the identification of the first server application (such as taskID) in the first message, or the second node can send the identification of the first server application to the first node through other information, which is not specifically limited in this application. Thus, the first node can establish a mapping relationship between the first server application and its identification. When subsequently performing operations such as updating, executing, and deleting the first server application, the first node can use the identification to indicate the first server application.

[0133] This application does not specifically limit the method for generating the identification information of the first server application. For example, the identification information of the first server application can be allocated by the second node (such as a core network element or a management plane function). Alternatively, the identification information of the first server application can also be allocated by other devices with management functions.

[0134] S702: The first node loads a first server application to provide network services for the first terminal device by executing the first server application.

[0135] The first node can obtain the program file of the first server application based on the information of the first server application in step S701. The first node can complete the loading of the first server application by establishing an execution environment for the program file of the first server application, so that the first node can execute the first server application to provide network services for the first terminal device.

[0136] The first node loads the first server application. Exemplarily, the first node may create a cluster (pod) for the first server application to load the first server application. This allows the first server application to have an isolated execution environment, improving the security of the execution of the first server application. In this case, the first node may establish a mapping relationship between the identifier of the first server application and the cluster. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0137] The first node executes the first server application. Exemplarily, the first node executing the first server application may include at least one or more of the following operations: 1. running the first server application, such as being responsible for processing and responding to requests from the client and providing network services to users; 2. updating the first server application, such as updating the algorithm of the first server application.

[0138] Based on this technical solution, the first node supports the third-party system to deploy the first server application on itself. The first node is inside the mobile network. The first node loads the first server application, so that the first node can provide users with network services based on the first server application in the network environment, thereby improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0139] The above describes the manner in which the first server application is deployed to the first node. In some implementations, the first node may use resources in the network to execute the first server application. Exemplarily, the first node may use network data to execute the first server application. That is, method 700 may also include step S703 (S703a and S703b). It is understandable that the first node may determine the order of executing step S703 based on the usage scenario of the network data. For example, the first node may execute step S703 before step S702, and the first node may also execute step S703 after step S702. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0140] Optionally, in S703a, the first node obtains network data.

[0141] Optionally, S703b, the first node executes the first server application according to the network data.

[0142] Network data can be any data in the mobile network that can be used to execute the first server application. For example, the network data can be data stored in the network, and the first node can obtain the network data and execute the first server application based on the network data. In other words, the first node can fully utilize the data resources stored in the network to provide users with high-quality network services. In another example, the network data can be dynamic data subscribed by the first node. For example, the first node can subscribe to the link status of the first terminal device, and the device in the network used to manage the link status of the first terminal device can send the data subscribed by the first node to the first node. In other words, the first node can promptly perceive changes in the network and adjust the service mode based on the changes in the network to improve the user experience. It is understandable that if the first server application is not deployed within the mobile network, for example, the first server application is deployed on a cloud server, the cloud server can only obtain network data through a relatively complex interaction process with the mobile network. In an embodiment of the present application, the server application (network server) deployed within the mobile network can obtain network data from the mobile network through the interface proxy service provided by the first node, without the need to interact with the outside of the mobile network, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0143] This application does not specifically limit the method of obtaining network data. For example, the network data can be obtained based on one or more of the following information: type information of the network data required to execute the first server-side application, data volume information of the network data required to execute the first server-side application, location information of the network service provided by the execution of the first server-side application, location information of the first node, location information of the first terminal device, and identification information of the first terminal device. The above information may be provided by a third-party system, or may be generated by a device in the network (such as the first node or the second node) based on information provided by a third-party system. This application does not specifically limit this. For ease of description, the above information used to obtain network data will be referred to as the first information below.

[0144] It should be noted that the first node can obtain network data based on the first information. Alternatively, another device in the network (such as the second node) can obtain network data based on the first information and send the network data to the first node. This application does not specifically limit this. For ease of description, the following mainly uses the example of the first node obtaining network data based on the first information.

[0145] Exemplarily, the first information indicates the type of network data required by the first server application (or, alternatively, the name of the data). For example, the first information indicates that the network data required by the first server application includes historical service data of the first terminal device being served, or link status data of the first terminal device, such as communication bandwidth, latency, etc. Thus, the first node can subscribe to the network data from the corresponding network element based on the type of the network data, and execute the first server application based on the network data.

[0146] As another example, the first information indicates the amount of network data required by the first server application. For example, the first node may adjust an algorithm deployed on the first server application, such as by training the algorithm using training data. The first node may estimate the amount of data required to adjust the first server application, obtain a corresponding amount of network data, and execute the first server application based on the network data.

[0147] In another exemplary embodiment, the first information indicates an area in which the first server application provides network services. For example, the first server application serves users in a specific area, so that the first node can obtain network data such as communication data and user data in the specific area and execute the first server application based on the network data.

[0148] As another example, the first information indicates the location of the first node. For example, the first node may request data within its own region, such as the amount of computing resources available within the region, the amount of transmission resources available within the region, and other network data. Thus, the first node can adjust the first server application based on the communication environment of the region.

[0149] As another example, the first information indicates one or more of the location or identification of the first terminal device. The first terminal device may be a terminal device that has established a session with the first node based on a first server application. For example, the first server application has established a session connection with the first terminal device and provides network services to the user through interaction. The first node may obtain network data related to the first network terminal device based on the location or identification of the first terminal device, such as link status data of the first terminal device, and execute the first server application based on the network data.

[0150] The above is an illustrative example of how network data is acquired. It should be understood that the above example does not impose any particular limitations on this application, and the first node may also acquire network data for the first server application based on other information. For an introduction to the network data acquisition process, please refer to the description below; for the sake of brevity, this description is omitted here.

[0151] In some implementations, the first node may obtain network resources to execute the first server application. That is, method 700 may further include step S704 (including S704a and S704b). It is understood that the first node may determine the order of executing step S704 based on the usage scenario of the network resources. For example, the first node may execute step S704 before step S702, or the first node may execute step S704 after step S702. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0152] Optionally, in S704, the first node obtains network resources.

[0153] Network resources can be any resources that the first node in the network environment calls for the first server application. Exemplarily, the network resources may include communication resources, such as time-frequency resources for transmitting session data generated by the first server application. Another exemplary embodiment of the network resources may include computing power resources, such as computing power nodes within the network that can be used to process computing tasks. In other words, the first node can flexibly call network resources to provide high-quality services to users. It is understandable that if the first server application is not deployed within the mobile network, such as the first server application is deployed on a cloud server, the cloud server does not have the technical means to call network resources in the mobile network. In an embodiment of the present application, the server application (network server) deployed within the mobile network can call network resources through the interface proxy service provided by the first node, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0154] This application does not specifically limit the method of obtaining network resources. For example, the network resources can be determined by one or more of the following information: type information of the network resources required to execute the first server-side application, resource quantity information of the network resources required to execute the first server-side application, location information of the network service provided by the execution of the first server-side application, location information of the first node, location information of the first terminal device, and identification information of the first terminal device. The above information can be provided by a third-party system, or can be generated by a device in the network (such as the first node or the second node) based on information provided by a third-party system. This application does not specifically limit this. For the sake of ease of description, the above information used to obtain network resources is referred to as the second information below.

[0155] It should be noted that the first node can determine network resources based on the second information. Alternatively, other devices in the network (such as the second node) can determine network resources based on the second information and notify the first node of the network resources that can be accessed. This application does not specifically limit this. For ease of description, the following mainly uses the example of the first node determining network resources based on the second information.

[0156] Exemplarily, the second information indicates the type of network resources required by the first server application. For example, the second information indicates that the network resources required by the first server application include transmission resources, computing resources, and the like. Thus, the second node can request network resources from the corresponding network element based on the type of network resources and execute the first server application based on the network resources.

[0157] As another example, the second information indicates the amount of network resources required by the first server application. For example, the first node may determine the amount of computing resources required based on the running state of the first server application. For example, if the first server application is a gaming server application, when the first server application processes a complex gaming scene, computing resources may be requested through the first node to achieve computing power support.

[0158] In another exemplary embodiment, the second information indicates the area in which the first server application provides network services. For example, if the first server application serves users in a specific area, the first node can call network resources allocated to the area.

[0159] As another example, the second information indicates the location of the first node. The first node can request network resources based on its location. For example, the first node can request computing power support from a computing node that is closer to the first node. This can improve the operating efficiency of the first server application.

[0160] As another example, the second information indicates one or more of the location or identification of the first terminal device. The first terminal device may be a terminal device that has established a session with the first node based on the first server application. For example, the first node may determine the communication status of the first terminal device based on the location or identification of the first terminal device to determine whether to adjust the transmission resources allocated to the first terminal device.

[0161] The above is an illustrative description of how network resources are acquired. It should be understood that the above example does not impose any particular limitations on this application, and the first node may also acquire network resources for the first server application based on other information. For an introduction to the network resource acquisition process, please refer to the description below; for the sake of brevity, this description is omitted here.

[0162] It is also understood that the first node can execute one or more of S703 and S704. When the first node executes S703 and S704, S703b and S704b can be executed together. That is, the first node can execute the first server application based on network data and network resources. Alternatively, S703b and S704b can be executed separately. For example, the first node can respond to the client application's request based on the network data and implement algorithm optimization of the server application file based on the network resources. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0163] The above describes how the first node loads the first server application and optionally obtains network data and network resources. It is understood that the first server application described above is provided by a third-party system. That is, before step S701 (the second node sends the first server application to the first node), method 700 may further include the following step S705.

[0164] Optionally, in S705 , the second node obtains the first server application.

[0165] The manner in which the second node obtains the first server application is related to the type of the second node.

[0166] In a first possible implementation, when the second node is a management plane function (such as NAMO), the second node can obtain the first server application by interacting with the interface of the third-party system. For example, NAMO can provide an externally open interface. The third-party system can send the first server application to NAMO through the interface. Thus, NAMO can deploy the first server application provided by the third-party system on the first node. For example, NAMO generates a first message based on the first server application and sends the first message to the first node.

[0167] In some implementations, the third-party system may also send information about the first server application to NAMO through this interface, such as the type of network resources and the amount of network resources, the type and amount of network data, the area in which network services are provided, and the like, estimated by the third-party system to be required by the first server application. The first message generated by the second node may also carry the above information. For a detailed description of the above information, please refer to the above description and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0168] In a second possible implementation, when the second node is a core network element (such as a TCF), the second node can obtain the first server application from a third-party system through a management plane function (such as NAMO). For example, NAMO can provide an open interface. The third-party system sends the first server application to NAMO through the interface. NAMO generates a seventh message based on the first server application and sends the seventh message to the TCF. The seventh message is used to request deployment of the first server application, and the seventh message carries the first server application. For example, the seventh message can be a deployment request message. Upon receiving the seventh message, the TCF can generate a first message based on the seventh message and send the first message to the first node. Similar to the first implementation, in some implementations, the third-party system can send information about the first server application to NAMO, so that the seventh message generated by NAMO and the first message generated by TCF can carry information about the first server application. The description of the information about the first server application can be found above and will not be repeated here.

[0169] In some implementations, after obtaining the first server application, the second node can assign an identifier, such as a task ID, to the first server application. The second node can establish a mapping relationship between the first server application and the identifier and send the identifier information to the first node via a first message. Thus, in subsequent operations, the first and second nodes can use the identifier to indicate the first server application.

[0170] The above describes how the second node acquires the first server application. In some implementations, the second node may manage at least one node. In this case, the second node may select a first node from the at least one node for deploying the first server application.

[0171] It is understandable that a server application can be centrally deployed on one node, or can also be distributed and deployed on multiple nodes. For ease of description, the following mainly uses a server application deployed on one node as an example for introduction.

[0172] The second node can determine the first node in a variety of ways, and this application does not specifically limit this. For example, the second node can determine the first node based on the status of multiple nodes. For example, the second node can select the node with the largest storage space among multiple nodes as the first node. For another example, the second node can learn from a third-party system the area in which the first server application is expected to provide network services, and select the first node based on the area and the location information of multiple nodes. For example, the node located in the area or closest to the area among multiple nodes can be selected as the first node. Thus, the second node can select a matching first node to deploy the first server application, further improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0173] In some implementations, the second node determines the first node and can establish a mapping relationship between the first server application and the location information and / or identification information of the first node, so that when the second node receives a message containing the location information and / or identification information of the first node, it can determine the index to the first server application based on the mapping relationship.

[0174] In some implementations, the second node can manage at least one node through a registration process. For ease of description, the following example illustrates the first node registering with the second node. That is, the method can also include step S706.

[0175] Optionally, in S706, the first node sends a fifth message to the second node. Correspondingly, the second node receives the fifth message from the first node.

[0176] The fifth message is used for registration of the first node, for example, the fifth message is a registration request message. In some implementations, the fifth message may include one or more of the following information: location information of the first node, identification information of the first node, or capability information of the first node. Among them, the capability information of the first node may refer to the ability of the first node to deploy a server-side application, such as the computing power of the first node, the capability of the proxy interface, etc. It is understandable that the second node can store the location information, identification information or capability information of multiple nodes, so that the second node provides management services based on the above information, such as determining a matching first node for the first server-side application.

[0177] In some implementations, the first node may dynamically notify the second node of its own capability change. That is, the method may further include step S707.

[0178] Optionally, in S707, the first node sends a sixth message to the second node. Correspondingly, the second node receives the sixth message from the first node.

[0179] The sixth message is used to notify the first node of a change in capability. For example, the sixth message may be a status update message. In some implementations, a change in the capability of the first node may trigger the first node to send a sixth message to the second node. For example, if the computing power capability of the first node changes from having idle computing power to having no idle computing power, the sixth message may indicate that the first node has no idle computing power, so that the second node will not select the first node for deploying the first server application because of the registered information. In other implementations, the first node may periodically send the sixth message to the second node, i.e., periodically report a status update message, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0180] The above describes an implementation in which a second node manages a first node, obtains a first server application from a third-party system, and then deploys the first server application on the first node. In some implementations, after the first node completes loading the first server application, it can return the loading results to the second node. That is, after step S702, the method can also include step S708.

[0181] Optionally, in S708, the first node sends a second message to the second node. Correspondingly, the second node receives the second message from the first node.

[0182] The second message is used to notify the second node of the loading result of the first server-side application. For example, if the first node successfully loads the first server-side application, then the second message can be used to notify the second node that the first server-side application has been loaded successfully. If the first node does not successfully load the first server-side application, then the second message can be used to notify the second node that the first server-side application has failed to load. In the event of a loading failure, the second message can also be used to notify the second node of the reason for the failure to load the first server-side application, so that the second node can make adjustments based on the reason for the failure, such as changing the node used to deploy the first server-side application.

[0183] In some implementations, the second message may include identification information of the first server application. For example, the second node may have a mapping relationship between the first server application and the identification information, so that the second node can determine which server application loading result is included in the second message based on the identification information in the second message.

[0184] It should be noted that when the second node is a core network element (such as TCF), the second node can feedback any one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node to the management plane function (such as NAMO), so that NAMO can feedback the above information to the third-party system. When the second node is a management plane function (such as NAMO), the second node can feedback any one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node to the third-party system, and the second node can also feedback any one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node to the TCF, so that the TCF can obtain the context information of the deployment of the first server application to perform subsequent operations on the first server application, such as establishing a session between the first node and the first terminal device.

[0185] In some implementations, the third-party system obtains any one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node, and can update the above information to the client program file on the first terminal device side, so that the first terminal device side requests to establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node, so that the first server application on the network side (first node) and the client on the first terminal device side can directly communicate and interact. In other words, method 700 can also include the following step S709.

[0186] Optionally, in S709, the first terminal device establishes a session with the first node.

[0187] The first terminal device can obtain one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, address information of the first node or identification information of the first node, so as to request the core network element (for example, TCF) to control the establishment of a session between the first terminal device and the first node.

[0188] There are multiple ways to establish a session between a first terminal device and a first node. In a first possible implementation, the first terminal device can establish a session with the first node at the server application level. That is, the first terminal device can establish a session with the first node for carrying data of the first server application. Exemplarily, the first terminal device obtains identification information of the first server application and sends an eighth message to the TCF requesting session establishment. The eighth message carries the identification information of the first server application, so that the TCF can establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node based on the identification information of the first server application. In a second possible implementation, the first terminal device can establish a session with the first node at the node level. That is, if multiple server applications are deployed on the first node, these multiple server applications can share a single task session. Exemplarily, the first terminal device obtains the address and / or identification information of the first node and sends an eighth message to the TCF requesting session establishment. The eighth message carries the address and / or identification information of the first node, so that the TCF can establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node based on the address and / or identification information of the first node.

[0189] For more detailed information about establishing a session between the first terminal device and the first node, please refer to the description of Figure 10 below, which will not be repeated here.

[0190] The first node can send a data packet to the first terminal device through the session, and the first terminal device can send a data packet to the first node through the session. The data packet can include identification information of the first server application. For example, the data packet sent by the first terminal device can include identification information of the first server application, so that the first node can pass the data in the data packet to the first server application based on the identification information of the first server application.

[0191] It is understood that the first node and the first terminal device can communicate directly, or the first node and the first terminal device can communicate through other network devices. For example, the first node is a core network element, and the first node and the first terminal device can communicate through an access network device.

[0192] Based on this technical solution, the first node supports the third-party system to deploy the first server application on itself. The first node is inside the mobile network. The first node loads the first server application, so that the first node can provide users with network services based on the first server application in the network environment, thereby improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0193] The above describes the technical solution for the second node to deploy the first server application to the first node. Among them, the second node can be a core network element (such as TCF) or a management plane function (such as NAMO), and different types of second nodes may have different deployment processes. In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following is an illustrative description of the process when the second node is a core network element in conjunction with Figure 8, and an illustrative description of the process when the second node is a management plane function in conjunction with Figure 9. For ease of understanding, in the description below, the first message is a loading request message, the second message is a notification message, the fifth message is a registration request message, the sixth message is a status update message, the seventh message is a deployment request message, the eighth message is a task session establishment request message, and the ninth message is a URSP update message as an example for explanation.

[0194] Figure 8 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 800 provided by an embodiment of the present application in which the second node is a core network element. For ease of description, in the description of this embodiment, an example is given in which the first node is a TPF and the second node is a TCF.

[0195] The method 800 may include the following steps.

[0196] Optionally, in S801, the TPF sends a registration request message to the TCF. Correspondingly, the TCF receives the registration request message from the TPF.

[0197] The registration request message is used for TPF registration. For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S706 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0198] Optionally, in S802, the TPF sends a status update message to the TCF. Correspondingly, the TCF receives the status update message from the TPF.

[0199] The status update message is used to notify the TPF of the capability change. For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S707 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0200] Optionally, in S803, NAMO obtains a first server application.

[0201] NAMO can provide an open interface, and NAMO can obtain the first server application through interaction with the interface of the third-party system. In some implementations, NAMO can also obtain information related to the first server application from the third-party system. For a more detailed description of this information and this step, please refer to the description of step S705 in method 700, and will not be repeated here.

[0202] Optionally, in S804, NAMO sends a deployment request message to TCF. Correspondingly, TCF receives the deployment request message from NAMO.

[0203] The deployment request message is used to request deployment of a first server application, and the deployment request message carries the first server application.

[0204] In some implementations, the TCF may allocate an identifier for the first server application.

[0205] In some implementations, the TCF manages multiple TPFs, and a TPF for deploying the first server application can be selected from the multiple TPFs.

[0206] For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S705 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0207] S805: The TCF sends the first server application to the TPF. Correspondingly, the TPF receives the first server application from the TCF.

[0208] In some implementations, the TCF may send a loading request message to the TPF. The loading request message is used to request the TPF to load the first server application, and the loading request message includes the first server application.

[0209] In some implementations, the loading request message also includes identification information of the first server application.

[0210] For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S701 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0211] S806, TPF loads the first server application.

[0212] The TPF loads the first server application. If the TPF successfully completes the loading of the first server application, it can be considered that the deployment of the first server application in the network is completed.

[0213] For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S702 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0214] Optionally, in S807, the TPF sends a notification message to the TCF. Correspondingly, the TCF receives the notification message from the TPF.

[0215] The notification message is used to notify the TCF of the loading result of the first server application. For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S708 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0216] Optionally, in S808, the TCF sends a feedback message to the NAMO. Correspondingly, the NAMO receives the feedback message from the TCF.

[0217] The feedback message is used to notify NAMO of the loading result of the first server application. The feedback message may include one or more of the following information: identification information of the first server application, address information of the TPF, or identification information of the TPF.

[0218] Optionally, in S809, NAMO feeds back the loading result to the third-party system. Correspondingly, the third-party system obtains the feedback result from NAMO.

[0219] NAMO can provide feedback to the third-party system regarding the loading result of the first server application. In some implementations, NAMO can also provide feedback to the third-party system regarding one or more of the following information: identification information of the first server application, address information of the TPF, or identification information of the TPF. The third-party system can then update the above information to the client program file on the UE side, enabling direct communication and interaction between the first server application of the TPF and the client on the UE side.

[0220] Based on this technical solution, the first node supports the third-party system to deploy the first server application on itself. The first node is inside the mobile network. The first node loads the first server application, so that the first node can provide users with network services based on the first server application in the network environment, thereby improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0221] Figure 9 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 900 provided in an embodiment of the present application, in which the second node is a core network element. For ease of description, in the description of this embodiment, an example is given in which the first node is a TPF and the second node is a NAMO.

[0222] The method 900 may include the following steps.

[0223] Optionally, in S901, the TPF sends a registration request message to the NAMO. Correspondingly, the NAMO receives the registration request message from the TPF.

[0224] The registration request message is used for TPF registration. For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S706 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0225] Optionally, in S902, the TPF sends a status update message to the NAMO. Correspondingly, the NAMO receives the status update message from the TPF.

[0226] The status update message is used to notify the TPF of the capability change. For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S707 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0227] Optionally, in S903, NAMO obtains a first server application.

[0228] NAMO can provide an open interface, and NAMO can obtain the first server application through interaction with the interface of the third-party system. In some implementations, NAMO can also obtain information related to the first server application from the third-party system. For a more detailed description of this information and this step, please refer to the description of step S705 in method 700, and will not be repeated here.

[0229] Optionally, in S904, NAMO sends the first server application to TPF. Correspondingly, TPF receives the first server application from NAMO.

[0230] In some implementations, NAMO may send a loading request message to TPF. The loading request message is used to request TPF to load the first server application, and the loading request message includes the first server application.

[0231] In some implementations, NAMO may assign an identifier to the first server application.

[0232] In some implementations, NAMO manages multiple TPFs, and a TPF for deploying the first server application may be selected from the multiple TPFs.

[0233] In some implementations, the loading request message also includes identification information of the first server application.

[0234] For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S701 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0235] S905, TPF loads the first server application.

[0236] The TPF loads the first server application. If the TPF successfully completes the loading of the first server application, it can be considered that the deployment of the first server application in the network is completed.

[0237] For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S702 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0238] Optionally, in S906, the TPF sends a notification message to the NAMO. Correspondingly, the NAMO receives the notification message from the TPF.

[0239] The notification message is used to notify the TCF of the loading result of the first server application. For a more detailed description of this step, please refer to the description of step S708 in method 700, which will not be repeated here.

[0240] Optionally, in S907, NAMO sends an indication message to TCF. Correspondingly, TCF receives the indication message from NAMO.

[0241] The indication message is used to indicate the loading result of the first server application to the TCF. The indication message may include one or more of the following information: identification information of the first server application, address information of the TPF, or identification information of the TPF. The TCF can then perform subsequent management operations based on the indication message.

[0242] Optionally, at S908, NAMO feeds back the loading result to the third-party system. Accordingly, the third-party system obtains the loading result from NAMO.

[0243] NAMO can provide feedback to the third-party system regarding the loading result of the first server application. In some implementations, NAMO can also provide feedback to the third-party system regarding one or more of the following information: identification information of the first server application, address information of the TPF, or identification information of the TPF. The third-party system can then update the above information to the client program file on the UE side, enabling direct communication and interaction between the first server application of the TPF and the client program file on the UE side.

[0244] Based on this technical solution, the first node supports the third-party system to deploy the first server application on itself. The first node is inside the mobile network. The first node loads the first server application, so that the first node can provide users with network services based on the first server application in the network environment, thereby improving the quality of services provided to users.

[0245] The above exemplifies the deployment process of the first server-side application in which the second node is TCF and the second node is NAMO. In the above two deployment processes, the third-party system can obtain the loading result of the first server-side application, and update the loaded relevant information, such as the identification information of the first server-side application, the location information of the first node or the identification information of the first node to the client program file on the first terminal device side. The first terminal device can request to establish a session between the first terminal device and the first node, so that the first server-side application of TPF and the client on the first terminal device side can directly communicate and interact. In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the process of establishing a session between TPF and UE is exemplified below in conjunction with Figure 10.

[0246] FIG10 is a schematic flowchart of a method 1000 for establishing a session between a UE and a first node provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0247] S1001, the UE obtains one or more of the following: identification information of a first server application, address information of a first node, or identification information of the first node.

[0248] In some implementations, the first terminal device receives a ninth message, which indicates a route selection policy rule of the first server application, and the ninth message includes one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, or the identification information of the first node. Exemplarily, the ninth message is a user routing selection policy (UE route selection policy, URSP) update message. For example, a third-party system obtains one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node from the management plane function. The third-party system can send the above information to the policy control function (PCF), and the PCF can generate a URSP rule based on the above information, and send the ninth message to the first terminal device based on the URSP rule. The URSP rule can carry an application description (app desc) corresponding to the first server application. Thus, the UE can obtain a policy for communicating with the first server application based on the application description.

[0249] It is understood that the PCF can obtain the deployment status of the first server application from a third-party system. For example, the third-party system may provide the PCF with any one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the identification information of the first node, or the address information of the first node. This application does not specifically limit the manner in which the PCF generates URSP rules. The relevant format can be referenced in the standard protocol and is not detailed here.

[0250] It should be noted that the URSP rule generated by the PCF based on the first server application may not include the data network name (DNN) field. In an embodiment of the present application, the first server application is deployed within the mobile network, and the data between the first node and the UE based on the first server application is transmitted within the mobile network, so the URSP rule does not need to include the DNN field.

[0251] Optionally, the URSP update message includes identification information of the first server application. The UE obtains the identification information of the first server application and can establish a session between the UE and the first server application based on the identification information of the first server application. In other words, the UE can establish a session with the first node at the server application granularity.

[0252] Optionally, the URSP update message includes identification information and / or address information of the first node. Upon obtaining the address information and / or identification information of the first node, the UE may establish a session with the first node based on the address information and / or identification information of the first node. Optionally, if multiple server applications are deployed on the first node, the multiple server applications may share the session to communicate with the UE.

[0253] In other implementations, the third-party system may update one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, or the identification information of the first node to the corresponding client application on the UE side, and the UE may obtain the above information by updating the client application. This application is not particularly limited to this.

[0254] S1002: The first terminal device sends an eighth message to a core network element (hereinafter, TCF is used as an example for explanation). Correspondingly, the TCF receives the eighth message from the first terminal device.

[0255] The eighth message is used to request the establishment of a session between the first terminal device and the first node. For example, the eighth message may be a task session establishment request message. The eighth message may carry one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node. Exemplarily, when the client application on the UE side generates data to be sent to the first server application, it may match the URSP rule based on the first server application based on the application description (app des) of the client application. The UE may obtain one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node from the URSP rule, and generate the eighth message.

[0256] It should be noted that, in the deployment process of the first server application introduced above, the second node used to deploy the first server application on the first node can be a core network element or a management plane function. When the second node is a core network element TCF, step S710 can be described as the first terminal device sending the eighth message to the second node. When the second node is a management plane function NAMO, after completing the deployment of the first server application, NAMO can indicate one or more of the identification information of the first server application, the address information of the first node, and the identification information of the first node to TCF, and TCF performs subsequent operations on the first server application. Therefore, in this case, in step S1002, the first terminal device sends the eighth message to TCF.

[0257] In a first possible implementation, the eighth message may carry identification information of the first server application. Thus, the TCF may query the first node where the first server application is located through a query context based on the identification information of the first server application, and establish a session between the first node and the first terminal device. This session may be granular with the server application, that is, the first node may establish a mapping relationship between the identification of the first server application and the session, thereby enabling subsequent communication with the first terminal device based on the identification of the first server application.

[0258] In a second possible implementation, the eighth message may carry at least one of the identification information and address information of the first node. Thus, the TCF may establish a session between the first node and the UE based on the at least one of the identification information and address information. At least one server application on the first node may share the session.

[0259] S1003: A session is established between the first terminal device and the first node.

[0260] The TCF can control the establishment of a session based on the first server application between the first terminal device and the first node. It should be noted that the first terminal device needs to connect to the first node through the access network device, so the establishment of the session between the first terminal device and the first node also needs to be implemented through the access network device. Exemplarily, the TCF can determine the corresponding first node based on the eighth message and establish a tunnel corresponding to the session between the access network device and the first node. For example, the TCF establishes a node-granular session by sending a first session establishment message to the first node. The first session establishment message may include the UDP port, TE ID, and IP address information on the access device side. The TCF then sends a second session establishment message to the access network device. The second session establishment message may include the UDP port, TE ID, and IP address information on the first node side, as well as the identification information of the first terminal device, thereby establishing a tunnel between the first node and the access network device. The access network device can send a bearer establishment configuration message to the first terminal device. The bearer establishment configuration message includes bearer identification information, thereby establishing a bearer between the access network device and the first terminal device, thereby completing the session establishment between the first terminal device and the first node. For another example, if TCF establishes a session at the server application granularity, the above-mentioned first session establishment message, second session establishment message and bearer establishment configuration message can also carry the identification information of the first server application, so that the first node can establish a mapping relationship between the server application and the session, and the first terminal device can establish a mapping relationship between the application and the session.

[0261] The first terminal device and the first node can transmit data packets through the established session. For example, if the session is based on the granularity of the task session, the first terminal device can send a data packet to the first node through the session, and the first node can pass the data to the first server application based on the mapping relationship between the session and the first server application, thereby completing the data transfer. If at least one server application on the first node shares the session, the first terminal device can carry the identifier of the first server application in the data packet, and the first node can pass the data to the first server application based on the identifier of the first server application, thereby completing the data transfer.

[0262] The above is an exemplary description of the process of establishing a session between the first terminal device and the first node. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following is an exemplary description of the process of TPF obtaining network data and network resources, respectively, in conjunction with Figures 11 and 12. The network data is the data required by the first server application.

[0263] It is understood that the process by which the TPF obtains network data is related to the type of network data. For example, the TPF may request the data control function (DCF) to obtain network data. For another example, the TPF may also request the network data analytics function (NWDAF) to obtain network data. This application does not specifically limit this. For ease of description, Figure 11 illustrates an example of the TPF requesting the DCF to obtain network data.

[0264] FIG11 is a schematic flowchart of a method for acquiring network data provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0265] S1101: The TPF sends a data request message to the DCF. Correspondingly, the DCF receives the data request message from the TPF.

[0266] The data request message is used to request the network data required by the first server application. For example, the first server application can send a data subscription message to the TPF through an internal interface to inform the TPF of the network data required by the first server application. The TPF can provide a proxy interface for requesting network data, that is, the TPF can generate a data request message that can be sent to the DCF based on the data subscription message, thereby obtaining network data from the DCF. For a more detailed description of the network data, please refer to the description of step S703 in Figure 7 above. For the sake of simplicity, it is not repeated here.

[0267] For example, a task session based on a first server application is established between the UE and the TPF. The first server application can request to subscribe to the link state data of the UE, and the TPF can request the link state data from the DCF. Thus, the TPF can obtain the link state data, and the first server application can call the link state data.

[0268] In some implementations, the TPF may periodically send data request messages to the DCF. For example, the TPF may determine the period for sending data request messages based on the needs of the first server application, such as requesting network data once every 6 hours.

[0269] S1102: DCF sends a data collection message to a data agent (DA). Correspondingly, the DA receives the data collection message from DCF.

[0270] The DCF may generate a data collection message based on the data request message, requesting to obtain network data from the DA.

[0271] S1103: The DA sends a data feedback message to the TPF. Correspondingly, the TPF receives the data feedback message from the DA.

[0272] The DA may return the network data required by the first server application to the TPF based on the data collection message. The TPF may return the network data to the first server application through an internal interface.

[0273] Based on this technical solution, the server application of the third-party system can be deployed in the TPF within the mobile network. The TPF can provide the first server application with a proxy interface for requesting network data, so that the first server application can flexibly call network data to improve the quality of network services provided to users.

[0274] It is understood that the process by which the TPF obtains network resources is related to the type of network resources. In some implementations, the TPF may send a fourth message to another device within the mobile network. The fourth message is used to request execution of a first task, where the first task is generated based on a first server application, and the execution result of the first task is received from the other device. In other words, the TPF may generate the first task based on the first server application and invoke network resources to assist in executing the first task. The first task is related to the network resources to be invoked by the TPF. For example, when the TPF invokes computing resources, the first task may be a computing task. When the TPF invokes intelligent resources (such as algorithms or models), the first task may be a training task. This application does not specifically limit this. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following description uses the first task as an example of a computing task. The TPF may request computing resources from a compute control function (CCF). This application does not specifically limit this. For ease of description, Figure 12 illustrates an example of the TPF requesting computing resources from the CCF.

[0275] Figure 12 is a schematic flowchart of a method for obtaining computing power resources provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0276] S1201: The TPF sends a calculation request message to the CCF. Correspondingly, the CCF receives the calculation request message from the TPF.

[0277] The calculation request message is used to request the CCF to perform a calculation task. The calculation task is generated based on the first server application.

[0278] For example, the first server application can send a computing power request to the TPF via an internal interface to inform the TPF of the computing power resources required by the first server application. For example, the first server application can send a computing task to the TPF. Or, for another example, the first server application can send a computing power request to the TPF, and the TPF generates a computing task based on the computing power request.

[0279] The TPF can provide a proxy interface for requesting computing resources. That is, the TPF can generate a computing request message based on the computing task that can be sent to the CCF, allowing the CCF to execute the computing task. For a more detailed description of computing resources, please refer to the description of step S704 in Figure 7 above. For the sake of brevity, this will not be repeated here.

[0280] S1202: The CCF sends a computing task to a compute process function (CPF). Correspondingly, the CPF receives the computing task from the CCF.

[0281] The CPF can execute computing tasks and generate computing results required by the first server application.

[0282] S1203: The CPF sends the calculation result to the TPF. Correspondingly, the TPF receives the calculation result from the CPF.

[0283] The TPF obtains the calculation result from the CPF and may return the calculation result to the first server application through an internal interface.

[0284] Based on this technical solution, the server application of the third-party system is deployed in the TPF within the mobile network. The TPF can provide the first server application with a proxy interface for requesting network resources, so that the first server application can flexibly call network resources. For example, when processing complex computing scenarios, the first server application can request the network's computing power resources for computing power support, thereby improving the quality of network services provided to users.

[0285] The above describes in detail the method for providing network services of the present application. The following describes the communication device provided by the present application.

[0286] In order to realize the various functions of the communication devices (such as the first node, the second node, the first terminal device, etc.) in the embodiments of the present application, each communication device can realize the corresponding function through hardware structure, software module, or hardware structure plus software module.

[0287] FIG13 shows a communication device 2000 provided in this application.

[0288] As shown in Figure 13, a communication device 2000 includes a processing module 2001 and a communication module 2002. The communication device 2000 can be a communication device, or a device applied to a communication device and capable of implementing the corresponding functions of the communication device, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit. Exemplarily, the communication device can include a first node (such as a TPF or RAN), a second node (such as a TCF or NAMO), a first terminal device, etc.

[0289] Among them, the communication module can also be called a transceiver module, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a transceiver device, etc. The processing module can also be called a processor, a processing board, a processing unit, or a processing device, etc. Optionally, the communication module is used to perform the sending operation and the receiving operation of the terminal device or the network device in any method embodiment. The device used to implement the receiving function in the communication module can be regarded as a receiving unit, and the device used to implement the sending function in the communication module can be regarded as a sending unit, that is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The processing module is used to perform operations / processing related to the internal implementation of the terminal device or the network device in any method embodiment. It should be understood that the corresponding specific operations of each module can be found in the description of the method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0290] Furthermore, it should be noted that the aforementioned communication module and / or processing module may be implemented as a virtual module. For example, the processing module may be implemented as a software functional unit or a virtual device, and the communication module may be implemented as a software function or a virtual device. Alternatively, the processing module or the communication module may be implemented as a physical device. For example, if the device is implemented as a chip / hardware circuit, the communication module may be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface that performs input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operations); the processing module may be an integrated circuit or a logic circuit, etc.

[0291] The division of modules in this application is illustrative and represents only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the examples of this application may be integrated into a single module, physically exist separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware, software functional modules, or a combination of hardware and software functional modules, without limitation.

[0292] FIG14 is a communication device 2100 provided by the present application. Referring to FIG14 , the present application also provides a communication device 2100.

[0293] Optionally, the communication device 2100 may be a chip or a chip system. Optionally, in the present application, a chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0294] The communication device 2100 can be used to implement the functions of any network element (for example, the first node, the second node, the first terminal device, etc.) in the communication system described in the above examples. The communication device 2100 may include at least one processor 2110. Optionally, the processor 2110 (or processing device) is coupled to a memory, and the memory may be located within the communication device, or the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be located outside the communication device. For example, the communication device 2100 may also include at least one memory 2120. The memory 2120 stores the necessary computer programs, instructions and / or data for implementing any of the above embodiments; the processor 2110 may execute the computer programs, instructions and / or data stored in the memory 2120 to complete the corresponding functions of any network element in any of the above embodiments.

[0295] The communication device 2100 may also include a communication interface 2130, through which the communication device 2100 can exchange information with other devices. Exemplarily, the communication interface 2130 may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface. When the communication device 2100 is a chip-type device or circuit, the communication interface 2130 in the device 2100 may also be an input / output circuit that can input information (or receive information) and / or output information (or send information). The processor may be an integrated circuit or a logic circuit, etc., and the processor may determine output information based on the input information.

[0296] Coupling in this application refers to an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 2110 may operate in conjunction with the memory 2120 and the communication interface 2130. The specific connection medium between the processor 2110, memory 2120, and communication interface 2130 is not limited in this application.

[0297] Optionally, the processor 2110, the memory 2120, and the communication interface 2130 are interconnected via a bus 2140. For ease of illustration, FIG14 shows only one line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0298] In this application, a processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in this application may be directly executed by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0299] In this application, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or a volatile memory, such as a random-access memory (RAM). The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in this application may also be a circuit or any other device that can implement a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0300] In addition, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory, and the at least one processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the at least one memory so that the communication device has the functions of the corresponding network element (for example, a first node, a second node, a first terminal device, etc.) in any of the above embodiments.

[0301] The present application also provides a chip, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive information and / or data to be processed and send the information and / or data to be processed to the processor, and the processor is used to process the information and / or data to be processed, so that the communication device installed with the chip has the functions of the corresponding network element (for example, the first node, the second node, the first terminal device, etc.) in any of the above embodiments.

[0302] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the functions of the corresponding network elements (for example, the first node, the second node, the first terminal device, etc.) in any of the above embodiments are implemented.

[0303] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, the functions of the corresponding network elements (for example, the first node, the second node, the first terminal device, etc.) in any of the above embodiments are implemented.

[0304] The present application also provides a wireless communication system, including one or more network elements in any of the above embodiments. Exemplarily, the communication system includes, for example, a first node, a second node, a first terminal device, etc.

[0305] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0306] The memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. As an example and not a limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). When the processor is a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) may be integrated into the processor.

[0307] The technical solutions provided in this application can be implemented in whole or in part through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, they can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in this application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a terminal device, an access network device, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium.

[0308] In this application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples can reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples can reference each other.

[0309] In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner to facilitate understanding.

[0310] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the present application is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist, for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural.

[0311] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0312] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0313] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0314] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0315] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0316] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0317] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0318] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for providing network services, characterized in that: Applied to a first node, where the first node is a core network element or a wireless access network device, the method includes: Receiving information of a first server application, where the first server application is used to provide network services for a first terminal device, and the first server application comes from a third-party system; Load the first server application.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Acquire at least one of network data and network resources; The first server application is executed according to at least one of the network data and the network resource.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The network data is obtained based on one or more of the following information: type information of network data required by the first server application, data volume information of network data required by the first server application, area information of network services provided by the first server application, location information of the first node, location information of the first terminal device, and identification information of the first terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The network resources are obtained based on one or more of the following information: type information of the network resources required by the first server application, resource quantity information of the network resources required by the first server application, area information of the network service provided by the first server application, location information of the first node, location information of the first terminal device, and identification information of the first terminal device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first terminal device is a terminal device that establishes a session based on the first server application with the first node.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The receiving information of the first server application includes: A first message is received, where the first message is used to request loading of the first server application, and the first message includes information about the first server application.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The first message also includes identification information of the first server application.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending a second message, where the second message is used to notify the first server application of a loading result, and the second message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first task, identification information of the first node, or location information of the first node.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that The obtaining of network data comprises: sending a third message, where the third message is used to request the network data; The network data is received in response to the third message.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending a fourth message, where the fourth message is used to request execution of a first task, where the first task is generated based on the first server application; Receive the execution result of the first task.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: A fifth message is sent, where the fifth message is used for registration of the first node, and the fifth message includes one or more of the following: location information of the first node, identification information of the first node, and capability information of the first node in providing network services.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: A sixth message is sent, where the sixth message indicates a change in a capability of the first node to provide network services.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive or send a data packet associated with the first server application from the first terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The data packet includes identification information of the first server application.

15. A method for providing network services, characterized in that: Applied to a second node, the second node is used to manage a first node, the first node is a core network element or a wireless access network device, the method comprising: Sending information of a first server application to the first node, where the first server application is used to provide network services for the first terminal device, and the first server application comes from a third-party system; The first node is used to load the first server application.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a seventh message, the seventh message being used to request deployment of the first server application, the seventh message including the first server application and demand information of the first server application, Among them, the demand information of the first server application is used to indicate one or more of the following: type information of network data required by the first server application, data volume information of the network data required by the first server application, type information of network resources required by the first server application, resource volume information required by the first server application, or area information where the first server application provides network services.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first node is determined based on the seventh message.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that The sending the information of the first server application to the first node includes: A first message is sent to the first node, where the first message is used to request loading of the first server application, and the first message includes information about the first server application.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The first message also includes identification information of the first server application.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that The method further comprises: A second message is received, where the second message is used to notify the first server application of a loading result, and the second message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, identification information of the first node, or location information of the first node.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that The method further comprises: A fifth message is received, where the fifth message is used for registration of the first node, and the fifth message includes one or more of the following: location information of the first node, identification information of the first node, and capability information of the first node in providing network services.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: A sixth message is received, where the sixth message indicates a change in capability of the first node to provide network services.

23. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 22, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving an eighth message from a first terminal device, wherein the eighth message is used to request establishment of a session between the first terminal device and the first node; A session is established between the first terminal device and the first node.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein: The eighth message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, location information of the first node, or identification information of the first node.

25. A method for providing network services, characterized in that: Applied to a first terminal device, the method includes: Sending an eighth message, where the eighth message is used to request to establish a first session between the first terminal device and the first node; Transmitting a data packet associated with the first server application with the first node through the first session; The first node is a core network element or a wireless access network device, the first server application comes from a third-party system, and the first node is used to load the first server application.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: The eighth message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, identification information of the first node, or location information of the first node.

27. The method according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that The method further comprises: A ninth message is received, where the ninth message indicates a route selection policy rule of the first server application, and the ninth message includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first server application, identification information of the first node, or location information of the first node.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module or a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or a module or a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 15 to 24, or a module or a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 25 to 27.

29. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, the processor being coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory so that the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 15 to 24, or the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 25 to 27.

30. A chip, characterized in that: It includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive information and / or data to be processed and send the information and / or data to be processed to the processor, and the processor is used to process the information and / or data to be processed, so that the communication device installed with the chip executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, or executes the method as described in any one of claims 15 to 24, or executes the method as described in any one of claims 25 to 27.

31. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed on a computer, implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, or implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 24, or implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 27.

32. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program code, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 to be implemented, or enables the method according to any one of claims 15 to 24 to be implemented, or enables the method according to any one of claims 25 to 27 to be implemented.

33. A wireless communication system, characterized in that: A communication device comprising a method for executing any one of claims 1 to 14, and a communication device for executing any one of claims 15 to 24.

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