Method and apparatus for performance measurement function protocol procedure of dual stack address session type in mobile communication

Abstract

Various solutions for the performance measurement function protocol procedures (PMFP) for dual-stack address session types in mobile communications are described. The UE can establish a data session of the dual-stack address session type. The UE can perform a first PMFP procedure for a first address associated with the dual-stack address session type. The UE can perform a second PMFP procedure for a second address associated with the dual-stack address session type. At least one of the first and second PMFP procedures is executed immediately after the data session is established, so that the network device can discover the ports corresponding to the different IP addresses associated with the data session of the dual-stack address session type.

Description

[0001] Cross-references This application is part of a non-provisional application that claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 596,331, filed November 6, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This invention generally relates to mobile communications, and more specifically, to a performance measurement function protocol (PMFP) procedure for a dual-stack address session type of user equipment (UE) and network device in mobile communications. Background Technology

[0003] Unless otherwise stated, the methods described in this section are not considered prior art in the claims, nor are they considered prior art by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

[0004] Access Service Bootstrapping, Handover, and Offloading (ATSSS) is a feature in the 3GPP standard that enables service bootstrapping across multiple access points, including 3GPP access points (e.g., 5G cellular networks) and non-3GPP access points (e.g., WiFi networks). User equipment (UEs) with ATSSS capability can perform access performance measurement procedures on the user plane of a Multiple Access Protocol Data Unit (MA PDU) session to determine how to allocate services between 3GPP and non-3GPP access points. If the MA PDU session established by the UE is a dual-stack address session type, the UE has two Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and each IP address corresponds to a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port for the UE. In this case, to ensure the successful execution of the network-initiated procedure, an effective scheme needs to be provided to the network to identify the UDP port associated with each IP address type. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following overview is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, it is provided to introduce the concept, key points, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described in this invention. Selected implementations are further described in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following overview is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to define the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] One objective of this invention is to provide a solution or method for problems related to the Performance Measurement Function Protocol (PMFP) process for dual-stack address session types of user equipment and network devices in mobile communications.

[0007] In one aspect, a method may involve establishing a data session of a dual-stack address session type by an apparatus. The method may also involve the apparatus performing a first PMFP procedure for a first address associated with the dual-stack address session type. The method may further involve the apparatus performing a second PMFP procedure for a second address associated with the dual-stack address session type.

[0008] In one aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver that wirelessly communicates with a network node during operation. The apparatus may also include a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. During operation, the processor may perform operations including establishing a data session of a dual-stack address session type via the transceiver. The processor may also perform operations including performing a first PMFP procedure for a first address associated with the dual-stack address session type. The processor may further perform operations including performing a second PMFP procedure for a second address associated with the dual-stack address session type.

[0009] In another aspect, one method may involve a network node discovering a first port of the UE based on a first PMFP procedure performed by the UE. The method may also involve the network node discovering a second port of the UE based on a second PMFP procedure performed by the UE. The first port corresponds to a first address associated with a data session established by the UE, and the second port corresponds to a second address associated with a data session established by the UE. The data session is a dual-stack address session type.

[0010] It is worth noting that while the descriptions provided herein can be used in the context of certain radio access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as LTE, LTE Advanced, LTE Advanced Pro, 5G, NR, IoT, NB-IoT, IIoT, B5G, and 6G, the proposed concepts, schemes, and any variations / derivatives thereof can be implemented in, used in, and by other types of radio access technologies, networks, and network topologies. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings contain information for a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the invention. These drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is worth noting that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual size in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of the invention.

[0012] Figure 1This is an example scenario of a communication environment according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which various solutions and schemes of the present invention can be implemented.

[0013] Figure 2 This is an example scenario of the network initiation process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 This is an example communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 This is an example process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 This is another example process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] This invention discloses detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter. However, it should be understood that the inventive embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matter, which can be implemented in various forms. Moreover, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided to make the specification of this invention comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0018] Overview This invention relates to various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions for the PMFP process of dual-stack address session type in mobile communications, so as to enable the successful execution of network-initiated processes through data sessions of dual-stack address session type. According to the invention, multiple possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions can be described individually below, two or more of these possible solutions can be implemented in a combination or other combination manner.

[0019] Figure 1This is an example scenario of a communication environment in which various solutions and schemes of the present invention can be implemented. In scenario 100, the ATSSS function can be supported by UE 110 and User Plane Function (UPF) 120. The ATSSS function implements a Multiple Access Protocol Data Unit (MA PDU) connectivity service, which can exchange PDUs between UE 110 and data network 130 by simultaneously using 3GPP access network 140 and non-3GPP access network 150. The MA PDU connectivity service is implemented by establishing an MA PDU session. That is, the PDU session can have user plane resources on both 3GPP access network 140 and non-3GPP access network 150. In one embodiment, 3GPP access network 140 may include one or more base stations (e.g., gNB / eNB) to provide radio access to UE 110 through various 3GPP Radio Access Technologies (RATs), including but not limited to 6G, 5G, 4G, and 3G / 2G, while non-3GPP access network 150 may include access points (APs) to provide radio access to UE 110 through non-3GPP RATs (such as WiFi).

[0020] In one embodiment, the PMFP procedure is performed between Performance Measurement Function (PMF) 115 in UE 110 and PMF 125 in UPF 120 to measure the performance between PMF 115 and PMF 125. Different PMFP procedures are performed between UE 110 and UPF 120 by transmitting different PMFP messages. PMFP messages are transmitted via an access MA PDU session, which can be an IP-based PDU session type or an Ethernet PDU session type. IP-based PDU session types include IPv4 PDU session types, IPv6 PDU session types, or dual-stack address session types (e.g., IPv4v6 PDU session type).

[0021] When the MA PDU session established by UE 110 is of type IPv4v6 PDU session, it will obtain two different IP addresses for that MA PDU session: one IPv4 address and the other IPv6 address. To enable UPF 120 to discover the port and / or IP address information of the established MA PDU session, UE 110 can perform a specific PMFP procedure for each IP address access after the MA PDU session is established. More specifically, UE 110 can perform a specific PMFP procedure for each IP address access immediately after the MA PDU session is established. That is, when the MA PDU session is of type IPv4v6 PDU session or other dual-stack address session type, UE 110 can perform two specific PMFP procedures. The specific PMFP procedure performed by UE 110 can be an access availability or unavailability reporting procedure to notify UPF 120 of the access availability or unavailability of the MA PDU session.

[0022] In one embodiment, UE 110 may immediately execute a first PMFP procedure for an IPv4 address and a second PMFP procedure for an IPv6 address after the establishment of an MA PDU session of IPv4v6 PDU session type. The first PMFP procedure may be an access availability or unavailability reporting procedure for IPv4 addresses, and the second PMFP procedure may be an access availability or unavailability reporting procedure for IPv6 addresses. Figure 2 As shown in scenario 200, in this embodiment, after UE 110 executes the first and second PMFP procedures, UPF 120 can discover that PMF 115 corresponds to the IPv4 address's User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port 117 based on the first PMFP procedure, and discover that PMF 115 corresponds to the IPv6 address's UDP port 119 based on the second PMFP procedure.

[0023] Alternatively, UE 110 may immediately execute a first PMFP procedure for the IPv6 address and a second PMFP procedure for the IPv4 address after establishing an MA PDU session of the IPv4v6 PDU session type. In this embodiment, the first PMFP procedure may be an access availability or unavailability reporting procedure for the IPv6 address, and the second PMFP procedure may be an access availability or unavailability reporting procedure for the IPv4 address. Thus, UPF 120 can discover, based on the first PMFP procedure, that PMF 115 corresponds to UDP port 119 of the IPv6 address, and based on the second PMFP procedure, that PMF 115 corresponds to UDP port 117 of the IPv4 address.

[0024] Therefore, the UPF 120 can successfully execute network-initiated PMFP procedures. For example, to execute a network-initiated packet loss rate (PLR) measurement procedure, the UPF 120 can encode PMFP messages (such as PMFP PLR count request messages) into UDP / IPv4 packets and transmit them through an access MA PDU session of IPv4v6 PDU session type using UDP port 117 as the destination port. Similarly, the UPF 120 can encode PMFP PLR count request messages into UDP / IPv6 packets and transmit them through an access MA PDU session of IPv4v6 PDU session type using UDP port 119 as the destination port.

[0025] Exemplary Implementation Figure 3 This is an example communication system 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising at least one example communication device 310 and one example network device 320. The communication device 310 and the network device 320 are capable of performing various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes and methods described herein for the PMFP process of dual-stack address session type in mobile communications, including the above-described scenarios / schemes and processes 400 and 500 described below.

[0026] The communication device 310 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a UE (User Equipment), such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 310 may be implemented in a smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, digital camera, or computing device (such as a tablet, laptop, or mobile phone). The communication device 310 may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be an Internet of Things (IoT), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, such as a non-movable or fixed device, a home appliance, a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 310 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, the communication device 310 may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors, or one or more Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processors. The communication device 310 may include... Figure 3 The components shown include at least some, such as processor 312. Communication device 310 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the present invention (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), but for the sake of brevity, Figure 3 Such components of communication device 310 are not shown and are not described below.

[0027] Network device 320 may be a network entity supporting one or more network functions (NFs). These network functions include, but are not limited to, Access and Mobility Management (AMF), Session Management (SMF), Unified Data Management (UDM), and User Plane Functions (UPF). Alternatively, network device 320 may be a base station and / or a UPF. Network device 320 may include... Figure 3 The diagram shows at least some components, such as processor 322. Processor 322 may also include a protocol stack and a set of control function modules and circuitry. Network device 320 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the present invention (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), however, for the sake of brevity, Figure 3 These components are not shown and will not be described below.

[0028] In one aspect, each of processors 312 and 322 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more complex instruction set computer processors (CISC processors). That is, although the singular term "a processor" is used herein to refer to processors 312 and 322, each of processors 312 and 322 may include multiple processors or only one processor, according to different implementations of the invention. In another aspect, each of processors 312 and 322 may be implemented in hardware (and optionally firmware) and includes electronic components, such as, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more transformers, which are configured and arranged according to the specific purpose of the invention. In other words, in at least a partial implementation, each of processors 312 and 322 is a dedicated machine specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform specific tasks in devices (e.g., represented by communication device 310) and networks (e.g., represented by network device 320) according to embodiments of the invention.

[0029] In some implementations, the communication device 310 may further include a transceiver 316 coupled to the processor 312, which is capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, the communication device 310 may further include a memory 314 coupled to the processor 312, which can access and store data therein.

[0030] In some implementations, network device 320 may also include memory 324 coupled to processor 322, which can access and store data therein. Therefore, communication device 310 and network device 320 can communicate wirelessly via transceiver 316 and transceiver 326, respectively.

[0031] For illustrative purposes and without limitation, the capabilities of communication device 310 and network device 320 are described below, in conjunction with processes 400 and 500. In these processes, communication device 310 is implemented as a communication device or user equipment, and network device 320 is a network node (e.g., UPF) of a communication network.

[0032] Explanatory process Figure 4 This is an example process 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Process 400 may be part or all of the example implementation of the above-described scenario / scheme for a PMFP process of dual-stack address session type in mobile communication. Process 400 may represent one aspect of the functional implementation of communication device 310. Process 400 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more blocks 410, 420, and 430. Although shown as independent blocks, each block of process 400 may be split into more blocks, merged into fewer blocks, or omitted as needed for implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of process 400 may be arranged in... Figure 4 The process is executed in the order shown, but it can also be executed in a different order. Process 400 can be implemented by communication device 310 or any suitable UE (e.g., UE 110) or machine-type device. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 400 is described below in the context of communication device 310 as a UE. Process 400 may begin at block 410.

[0033] In block 410, process 400 may involve the processor 312 of communication device 310 establishing a data session of dual-stack address session type. The data session is established via transceiver 316. Process 400 can proceed from block 410 to block 420.

[0034] In block 420, process 400 may involve processor 312 executing a first PMFP procedure for a first address. The first address is associated with a dual-stack address session type. Process 400 can enter block 430 from block 420.

[0035] In block 430, process 400 may involve processor 312 performing a second PMFP process for a second address, wherein the second address is associated with a dual-stack address session type.

[0036] In some implementations, the data session can be an MA PDU session.

[0037] In some implementations, the dual-stack address session type can be the IPv4v6 PDU session type.

[0038] In some implementations, the first address can be an IPv4 address, and the second address can be an IPv6 address.

[0039] In some implementations, the first PMFP procedure includes a reporting procedure for access availability or unavailability for IPv4 addresses, and the second PMFP procedure includes a reporting procedure for access availability or unavailability for IPv6 addresses.

[0040] In some implementations, the first address can be an IPv6 address and the second address can be an IPv4 address.

[0041] In some implementations, the first PMFP procedure includes a reporting procedure for access availability or unavailability for IPv6 addresses, and the second PMFP procedure includes a reporting procedure for access availability or unavailability for IPv4 addresses.

[0042] In some implementations, at least one of the first PMFP process and the second PMFP process includes an access availability or unavailability reporting process to notify network nodes (e.g., UPF 120 or network device 320) of the access availability or unavailability of a data session.

[0043] In some implementations, at least one of the first and second PMFP processes is executed in response to the establishment of a data session. For example, both the first and second PMFP processes execute immediately after the data session is established. Alternatively, one of the first and second PMFP processes executes immediately after the data session is established, and the other executes subsequently. That is, the first and second PMFP processes execute sequentially, with one of them starting immediately upon the establishment of the data session.

[0044] Figure 5 This is another example process 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Process 500 may be part or all of the example implementation of the above-described scenario / scheme for a PMFP process of dual-stack address session type in mobile communications. Process 500 may represent one aspect of the functional implementation of network device 320 or any suitable network node (e.g., UPF 120). Process 500 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more blocks 510 and 520. Although shown as independent blocks, each block of process 500 may be split into more blocks, merged into fewer blocks, or omitted as required for implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of process 500 may be arranged in... Figure 5 The execution can be performed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 500 can start from block 510.

[0045] In block 510, process 500 may involve the processor 322 of network device 320 discovering a first port of the UE based on a first PMFP process executed by the UE (e.g., communication device 310). The first port corresponds to a first address associated with a data session of dual-stack address session type. The data session is established by the UE. Process 500 can proceed from block 510 to block 520.

[0046] In block 520, process 500 may involve processor 322 discovering a second port of the UE based on a second PMFP process executed by the UE. The second port corresponds to a second address associated with a data session of the dual-stack address session type.

[0047] In some implementations, the data session can be an MA PDU session.

[0048] In some implementations, the dual-stack address session type can be an IPv4v6 PDU session type. The first address can be an IPv4 address, and the second address can be an IPv6 address. The first PMFP procedure includes a report procedure for access availability or unavailability for the IPv4 address, and the second PMFP procedure includes a report procedure for access availability or unavailability for the IPv6 address.

[0049] In some implementations, the dual-stack address session type can be an IPv4v6 PDU session type. The first address can be an IPv6 address, and the second address can be an IPv4 address. The first PMFP procedure includes an access availability or unavailability reporting procedure for the IPv6 address, and the second PMFP procedure includes an access availability or unavailability reporting procedure for the IPv4 address.

[0050] Additional notes The subject matter described in this invention sometimes illustrates different components included within or connected to other components. However, it should be understood that these depicted architectures are merely examples, and many other architectures implementing the same functionality can actually be implemented. Conceptually, any arrangement of components implementing the same function is effectively “associated” to enable the desired functionality. Therefore, regardless of architecture or intermediate components, any two components combined in this invention to achieve a specific function can be considered “associated” with each other to enable the desired functionality. Similarly, any two such associated components can also be considered “operationally connected” or “operationally coupled” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components that can be suchly associated can also be considered “operationally coupled” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operationally coupled components include, but are not limited to, physically mating and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactable components.

[0051] Furthermore, regarding any plural and / or singular terms used substantially in this invention, those skilled in the art can convert them from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural as appropriate for the content and / or application. For clarity, various singular / plural substitutions may be explicitly stated in this invention.

[0052] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, generally, the terms used in this invention, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally meant as “open-ended” terms. For example, the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “at least having,” the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” and so on. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a specific number of claims is intentionally listed, this intention will be explicitly listed in the claims, and the absence of such a listing will not indicate this intention. For example, to aid understanding, the appended claims may include the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more.” However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as implying that the introduction of the indefinite article “a” or “an” limits any particular claim that includes such an introductory claim to only one embodiment of such a listing, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an,” for example, “a and / or one” should be interpreted as meaning “at least one” or “one or more,” the same applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce claims. Furthermore, even when a specific number of the introduced claims are explicitly listed, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a listing should be interpreted as meaning at least the number listed. For example, in the absence of other modifiers, the basic listing of "two listings" means at least two listings or two or more listings. Additionally, when using conventions such as "at least one of A, B, and C," it generally means, in the sense that those skilled in the art will understand, that a system having at least one of A, B, and C will include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, having B alone, having C alone, having A and B together, having A and C together, having B and C together, and / or having A, B, and C together. When using conventions such as "at least one of A, B, or C," it generally means, in the sense that those skilled in the art will understand, that a system having at least one of A, B, or C will include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, having B alone, having C alone, having A and B together, having A and C together, having B and C together, and / or having A, B, and C together. Those skilled in the art will also understand that any transitional words and / or phrases in the specification, claims, or drawings that actually indicate two or more options should be understood to include the possibility of including one, any, or both of these items. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibility of including "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0053] As can be seen from the foregoing, it is understood that various embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed in this invention are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The device's processor establishes a data session of dual-stack address session type; The processor performs the first performance measurement function protocol (PMFP) procedure for the first address associated with the dual-stack address session type; The processor performs a second PMFP procedure for the second address associated with the dual-stack address session type.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, This data session includes a Multiple Access Protocol Data Unit (MAPDU) session.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, This dual-stack address session type includes the IPv4v6 PDU session type.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first address includes an IPv4 address, and the second address includes an IPv6 address.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv4 address, and the second PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv6 address.

6. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first address includes an IPv6 address, and the second address includes an IPv4 address.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The first PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv6 address, and the second PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv4 address.

8. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the first PMFP process and the second PMFP process includes an access availability or unavailability reporting process to notify network nodes of the access availability or unavailability of the data session.

9. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the first PMFP process and the second PMFP process is executed in response to the establishment of the data session.

10. An apparatus comprising: A transceiver that enables wireless communication during operation; The processor is communicatively coupled to the transceiver, such that during operation, the processor performs operations including: This transceiver establishes a dual-stack address session type data session. Perform the first PMFP procedure for the first address associated with this dual-stack address session type; Perform a second PMFP procedure for the second address associated with the dual-stack address session type.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, This dual-stack address session type includes the IPv4v6 PDU session type.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The first address includes an IPv4 address, and the second address includes an IPv6 address.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The first PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv4 address, and the second PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv6 address.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The first address includes an IPv6 address, and the second address includes an IPv4 address.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The first PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv6 address, and the second PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv4 address.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, At least one of the first PMFP process and the second PMFP process includes an access availability or unavailability reporting process to notify network nodes of the access availability or unavailability of the data session.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, At least one of the first PMFP process and the second PMFP process is executed in response to the establishment of the data session.

18. A method comprising: The network node's processor discovers the UE's first port based on a first PMFP procedure executed by the user equipment (UE), wherein the first port corresponds to a first address associated with a data session of the dual-stack address session type; The processor discovers the second port of the UE based on the second PMFP process executed by the UE, wherein the second port corresponds to the second address associated with the data session of the dual-stack address session type.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that: This dual-stack address session type includes the IPv4v6 PDU session type; The first address includes an IPv4 address, and the second address includes an IPv6 address; The first PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv4 address, and the second PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv6 address.

20. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that: This dual-stack address session type includes the IPv4v6 PDU session type; The first address includes an IPv6 address, and the second address includes an IPv4 address; The first PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv6 address, and the second PMFP process includes a process for reporting access availability or unavailability for the IPv4 address.

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