A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

This application provides a communication method and apparatus, relating to the field of communication technology, for reducing signaling overhead and improving paging efficiency in scenarios where a terminal supports access to a subnet. The method includes: receiving a first message, the first message including information about a first terminal and information about a first network, the first message being used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network; wherein a second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network, and the service ranges of the first network and the second network are different; and sending a second message to an access network device according to the first message, the second message being used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network, the second message including information about the first terminal and information about the first network, the access network device serving the first network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology and the enrichment of application scenarios, based on the existing public mobile communication network (referred to as the public network or large network), in order to meet the specific business needs of users in specific situations, such as office parks, schools, stadiums, mines, or ports, local area networks (small networks or subnets) can be deployed in these situations. This allows terminals to access the subnet and realize corresponding services. For example, by deploying an enterprise subnet in an office park, users can use terminals within the office park to access the enterprise subnet to realize services such as accessing the subnet's internal database or video conferencing.

[0003] In 5G networks, centralized access and mobility management can be adopted. After each terminal device connects to the network, regardless of how many subnets it connects to, unified access and mobility management can be performed by the public network's Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element. When a terminal device transitions from a connected state to an idle state, such as when it has not interacted with the network for an extended period but the network needs to send downlink signaling or data to it, the AMF can trigger a paging process, requesting the access network device to broadcast a call to the terminal device within a certain range.

[0004] However, in the above implementation, the AMF, as a centralized user access and mobility management function, usually performs terminal paging in a unified public tracking area. For example, it broadcasts to all access network devices within the coverage area of ​​one or more tracking areas (TAs). The paging range is large, resulting in large paging signaling overhead and low communication efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that, for scenarios where the terminal supports access to a subnet, reduces the signaling overhead of the network paging terminal equipment and improves paging efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication system. The communication system may include at least one network device, such as a first network element and a second network element. The network device included in the communication system may be a communication apparatus, a module (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the network device, or a module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The method includes: the first network element sending a first message to the second network element, the first message including information of a first terminal and information of a first network, the first message being used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network; wherein, the first network element is the management network element of the first network, the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network, and the service ranges of the first network and the second network are different. The second network element sends a second message to an access network device according to the first message, the second message being used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network, the second message including information of the first terminal and information of the first network, the access network device serving the first network. The access network device sends a third message according to the second message, the third message including information of the first terminal and information of the first network, for requesting the first terminal to access the first network.

[0008] In the above embodiments, when a subnet, such as the first network, has a need for a paging terminal, it can interact with a second network element in a larger network, such as the second network, to trigger a paging terminal or request terminal to access the subnet within the service range of the subnet. This avoids the problem of paging terminals with a large service range within the larger network, reduces the signaling overhead generated by paging, and improves the efficiency of the paging terminal. Specifically, the first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paging within the service range of the first network. That is, the first network element instructs the second network element to paging the first terminal within the service range of the first network. This limits the paging range, reduces paging signaling overhead, and improves communication efficiency.

[0009] In one implementation, the second network element sends a second message to the access network device based on the first message, including: based on the information of the first terminal, if it is determined that the first terminal is in an idle state, the second network element sends the second message to the access network device, the second message being used to instruct the first terminal to be paged within the service range of the first network; if it is determined that the first terminal is in a connected state, the second network element sends the second message to the access network device, the second message being used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0010] In the above embodiments, the second network element can determine the connection status of the first terminal based on its information, for example, its identifier. If the first terminal is in an idle state, the second network element can filter at least one access network device within the paging range of the first network, and then send a second message to the at least one access network device to instruct it to paging the first terminal within the service range of the first network. If the first terminal is in a connected state, the second network element can determine the access network device currently connected to the first terminal and send a second message to that device to request the first terminal to access the first network. In other words, the second network can determine whether to paging the terminal or requesting access to the subnet via downlink signaling based on the first terminal's current connection status, thereby reducing paging signaling overhead and improving communication efficiency by limiting the subnet paging range.

[0011] In one embodiment, the method further includes: a second network element acquiring information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; when the second message is used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: the second network element determining, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes a first access network device, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device.

[0012] In the above embodiments, the second network element obtains information about the first service range corresponding to the subnet, such as the first network. When the second network element receives a first message from the first network element, it can filter out one or more access network devices corresponding to the first service range based on the information about the first service range, such as the first access network device, thereby instructing the first access network device to broadcast a paging message to paging the first terminal, thereby reducing paging signaling overhead and improving paging efficiency. For example, the second network element may integrate an access management module, which can determine or filter out the corresponding access network devices based on the paging range, thereby limiting the paging range and reducing paging signaling overhead.

[0013] In one implementation, the second network element obtains information about the first service range, including: the second network element obtaining information about the first service range according to a first message, wherein the first message includes information about the first service range; or, the second network element receiving a paging range update request from a first terminal, and the second network element updating the information about the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, the second network element receiving information about the first service range from a first network element, wherein the first network element is used to implement mobility management of the first network.

[0014] In the above embodiments, the second network element obtains the information of the first service range in a flexible manner. For example, the first message sent by the first network element to the second network element to indicate the paging terminal may carry information of the first service range corresponding to the first network, so as to instruct the second network element to paging the terminal within the first service range. Alternatively, the second network element may obtain the current location information of the first terminal carried in the paging range update request from the first terminal to determine the information of the first service range where the first terminal is currently located. Or, the second network element may obtain the information of the first service range from the first network element or other network elements in the network, thereby determining the range of the paging terminal according to the service range of the subnet, which can reduce the overhead of paging signaling and improve paging efficiency.

[0015] In one embodiment, the method further includes: an access network device acquiring information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; when a second message is used to instruct paging of a first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: the access network device determining a first access network device based on the information about the first service range, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device; and the access network device sending a third message based on the second message, including: the access network device sending the third message to the first terminal through the first access network device.

[0016] In the above embodiments, the access network device obtains information about the first service range corresponding to a subnet, such as the first network. When the access network device receives a second message from a second network element and determines that a paging terminal is needed based on the service range of the subnet, it can filter out one or more access network devices corresponding to the first service range, such as the first access network device, based on the information of the first service range. This allows the first access network device to be instructed to broadcast a paging message to paging the first terminal, thereby reducing paging signaling overhead and improving paging efficiency. For example, the access network device may integrate an access management module. This access management module can determine or filter out the corresponding access network devices based on the paging range, thereby limiting the paging range and reducing paging signaling overhead.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method further includes: the second network element or the first network element obtaining information about the first service range corresponding to the first network. In the above embodiment, the second network element or the first network element can obtain information about the first service range from network elements or systems such as user network control function (UNCF), policy control function, unified data management, or operation and maintenance management. That is, the first network element and / or the second network element can obtain configuration information about the service range of the subnet, so that when a paging terminal is subsequently called, the range of the paging terminal can be determined based on the configuration information, thereby instructing the corresponding access network equipment to paging the terminal and reducing the overhead of paging signaling.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method further includes: a first network element sending information about a first service range corresponding to a first network to a first terminal; or, the first network element sending information about a first service range corresponding to a first network to a second network element, for instructing the second network element to configure information about a first service range corresponding to a first network to the first terminal.

[0019] In the above embodiments, the first network element or the second network element can configure the service range information of the first network for the terminal, so that the terminal can be paged within the service range subsequently; in addition, when the terminal moves out of the service range, it can instruct the network to request an update of the service range information.

[0020] In one embodiment, the method further includes: the information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when the first terminal accesses the first network. The method further includes: the first terminal sending a fourth message to the second network element or to the first network element, the fourth message including information of the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; the second network element or the first network element sending the first identifier to the first terminal.

[0021] In the above embodiments, during the process of a terminal requesting to register with a subnet such as the first network, the first network element or the second network element can assign a temporary identifier to the terminal to uniquely identify the terminal during the process of the terminal accessing the subnet. Thus, the network can identify the subnet that the terminal accesses or requests to access through the terminal's temporary identifier, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0022] In one implementation, the first service range includes at least one subset of the first tracking area, and the information of the first service range includes the identifier of the first tracking area.

[0023] In the above embodiments, the service range of a subnet can be identified using an existing Tracking Area (TA) or by defining a new Tracking Area (NA). For example, a TA can be divided into multiple service ranges, such as a first service range, and the information of the first service range can include the identifier of the TA. Therefore, by flexibly configuring the service range of the subnet and the corresponding identifier of the service range, the paging range of the subnet paging terminal can be limited, reducing paging overhead and improving paging efficiency.

[0024] In one embodiment, the method further includes: the first terminal sending a fifth message to the second network element or to the first network element, the fifth message being used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal, the fifth message including information of the first network and location information of the first terminal; the second network element or the first network element sending updated service range information to the first terminal, the updated service range information being obtained based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal.

[0025] In the above embodiments, when a terminal accesses a subnet, as the terminal moves, it may exceed the area covered by the currently configured subnet service range. In this case, the terminal can initiate a tracking area update process, also known as a paging range update process. For example, the terminal can send a fifth message to a first network element or a second network element to trigger a tracking area update for that subnet. The second network element or the first network element can determine the updated service range information corresponding to the first terminal based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal, and can configure the updated service range information to the terminal so that the terminal can be paged subsequently through the updated service range.

[0026] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device. This communication device can be a network device, such as the second network element in the communication system described in the first aspect, or a module (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the network device, or a module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The method includes: receiving a first message, the first message including information about a first terminal and information about a first network, the first message being used to instruct paging the first terminal based on the service range of the first network; wherein the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network, and the service ranges of the first network and the second network are different. Based on the first message, a second message is sent to an access network device, the second message being used to instruct paging the first terminal based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network, the second message including information about the first terminal and information about the first network, the access network device serving the first network.

[0027] In one implementation, sending a second message to an access network device based on the first message includes: based on information about the first terminal, if it is determined that the first terminal is in an idle state, sending the second message to the access network device, wherein the second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged within the service range of the first network; if it is determined that the first terminal is in a connected state, sending the second message to the access network device, wherein the second message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0028] In one embodiment, the method further includes: obtaining information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; when the second message is used to indicate paging the first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: determining, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes a first access network device, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device.

[0029] In one implementation, obtaining information about a first service range includes: obtaining information about the first service range according to a first message, wherein the first message includes information about the first service range; or, receiving a paging range update request from the first terminal, wherein the second network element updates the information about the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, receiving information about the first service range from the first network element, wherein the first network element is used to implement mobility management of the first network.

[0030] In one implementation, the method further includes: obtaining information about the first service range corresponding to the first network.

[0031] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving information about the first service range corresponding to the first network from the first network element; and sending the information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal.

[0032] In one embodiment, the method further includes: the information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when the first terminal accesses the first network; the method further includes: receiving a fourth message from the first terminal, the fourth message including information of the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; and sending the first identifier to the first terminal.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a fifth message from the first terminal, the fifth message being used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal, the fifth message including information of the first network and location information of the first terminal; and sending updated service range information to the first terminal, the updated service range information being obtained based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal.

[0034] In one implementation, the first network element is a connection management function, mobility management function, or access management function of the first network.

[0035] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device. This communication device can be a network device, such as the first network element in the communication system described in the first aspect, or a module (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the network device, or a module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The method includes: sending a first message to a second network element. The first message includes information about a first terminal and information about a first network. The first message is used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network. The first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service ranges of the first network and the second network are different.

[0036] In one implementation, the method further includes: obtaining information about the first service range corresponding to the first network.

[0037] In one embodiment, the method further includes: sending information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal; or sending information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to a second network element, for instructing the second network element to configure information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal.

[0038] In one embodiment, the method further includes: the information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when the first terminal accesses the first network; the method further includes: receiving a fourth message from the first terminal, the fourth message including information of the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; and sending the first identifier to the first terminal.

[0039] In one implementation, the first service range includes at least a subset of the first tracking area, and the information of the first service range includes the identifier of the first tracking area.

[0040] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a fifth message from a first terminal, the fifth message being used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal, the fifth message including information of the first network and location information of the first terminal; and sending updated service range information to the first terminal, the updated service range information being obtained based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal.

[0041] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device, such as a terminal, as described in any aspect as a first terminal, or a module (such as a chip, chip system or circuit) in the terminal, or a module or software that can realize all or part of the terminal functions. The method includes: obtaining service range information corresponding to a first network and a second network, wherein the service range of the first network includes a first service range, the service range of the second network includes a second service range, and the first service range and the second service range are different; obtaining service range information broadcast by an access network device; when connected to the first network, if it is determined, based on the service range corresponding to the first network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, that the user has moved outside the first service range, sending a fifth message to a first network element and / or a second network element, the fifth message being used to update the paging range of the paging communication device of the first network, the fifth message including information of the first terminal and information of the first network, wherein the first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network; when connected to the second network, if it is determined, based on the service range corresponding to the second network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, that the user has moved outside the second service range, sending a sixth message to the second network element, the sixth message being used to update the paging range of the paging communication device of the second network.

[0042] In the above embodiments, the network side can configure the service range of the main network and the service range of the subnet for the terminal respectively. Therefore, in scenarios where a paging terminal exists in the subnet, paging of the terminal based on the service range of the subnet can be triggered, reducing paging signaling overhead. Optionally, in scenarios where subnet paging fails or the main network requires paging, the network can paging the terminal based on the service range of the main network. Furthermore, if the terminal moves outside the configured subnet service range, it can request an update to the tracking area information. The second network element or the first network element can determine the updated service range information of the subnet corresponding to the first terminal based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal, and feed it back to the terminal so that the first terminal can be paged through the updated service range subsequently. Correspondingly, if the terminal moves outside the configured main network service range, it can request an update to the tracking area information of the main network. The second network element can send the updated service range information to the terminal so that the first terminal can be paged through the updated service range subsequently.

[0043] In one embodiment, the method can be applied to a first terminal. The method further includes: receiving a third message, the third message including a first identifier of the first terminal and information of a first network, or the third message including the first identifier of the first terminal, information of the first network, and information of a second network, the third message being used to request the first terminal to access the first network; and sending an access request to a first network element based on the information of the first network carried in the third message. Optionally, if the method is applied to a module (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit) on the terminal, the aforementioned first identifier can be the identifier of the terminal device where the module is located.

[0044] In the above embodiments, when the terminal receives a third message, such as a paging message or a downlink signaling requesting the terminal to access the subnet, the terminal can determine that it is paging itself based on the terminal identifier in the third message; additionally, based on the information of the first network in the third message, it can determine to initiate an access request to the first network element. In one possible embodiment, the third message can carry information about the subnet or the main network to indicate whether the current terminal is paging the subnet or the main network (or requesting terminal access). In another possible embodiment, the third message can carry information about both the subnet and the main network to indicate whether the current terminal is paging the subnet (or requesting terminal access); if the third message only carries information about the main network, it indicates that the current terminal is paging the main network (or requesting terminal access).

[0045] Fifthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication system, the communication system including a first network element and an access network device. The method includes: the first network element sending a seventh message to the access network device, the seventh message including information about a first terminal and information about a first network, the access network device serving the first network, the seventh message being used to instruct paging the first terminal based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network; wherein the first network element is a management network element of the first network. The access network device sends an eighth message according to the seventh message, the eighth message including information about the first terminal and information about the first network, for requesting the first terminal to access the first network.

[0046] In the above embodiments, when a subnet needs a paging terminal, the subnet can send a request to the access network device to trigger the process of paging terminal or requesting terminal access to the subnet, without needing to paging terminals through the larger service range of the main network, thus reducing the signaling overhead generated by paging and improving the efficiency of paging terminals. In the above embodiments, the service range of the first network is smaller than that of the second network.

[0047] In one implementation, the first network element sends a seventh message to the access network device, including: if the first network element determines that the first terminal is in an idle state based on the information of the first terminal, the first network element sends the seventh message to the access network device, the seventh message being used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network; if the first terminal is determined to be in a connected state, the first network element sends the seventh message to the access network device, the seventh message being used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0048] In the above embodiments, the first network element can, based on the connection status of the first terminal, determine whether the first terminal is in an idle state. If the first terminal is in an idle state, the first network element can filter at least one access network device within the paging range of the first network, and then send a seventh message to at least one access network device to instruct it to paging the first terminal based on the service range of the first network. If the first terminal is in a connected state, the first network element can determine the access network device currently connected to the first terminal and send a seventh message to that access network device to request the first terminal to access the first network. In other words, the first network can determine whether to paging the terminal or requesting access to the subnet via downlink signaling based on the current connection status of the first terminal, thereby reducing paging signaling overhead and improving communication efficiency by limiting the subnet paging range.

[0049] In one implementation, determining that the first terminal is in a connected state includes: a first network element requesting a second network element to obtain the connection status of the first terminal, wherein the second network element is used to implement mobility management of a second network, and the service range of the first network and the second network are different; the second network element sending information about a first access network device to the first network element to instruct the first terminal to connect to the first access network device; and the first network element sending a seventh message to the access network device, including sending the seventh message to the first access network device, wherein the seventh message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0050] In the above embodiments, the first network element can request the second network element to obtain the current connection status of the first terminal. Optionally, if the terminal is in a connected state, it can also obtain the information of the first access network device currently accessed by the terminal. Thus, the first network element can send downlink signaling to the first terminal through the first access network device, such as sending a seventh message, to request the first terminal to access the first network, thereby improving the efficiency of the terminal accessing the subnet.

[0051] In one embodiment, the method further includes: a first network element acquiring information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; the first network element determining, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes a first access network device, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device; and the first network element sending a seventh message to the access network device, including: the first network element sending the seventh message to the first access network device.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the first network element obtains information about the first service range corresponding to the subnet, such as the first network. When the first network element has a need to paging a terminal, such as sending downlink signaling or data to the terminal, it can filter out one or more access network devices corresponding to the first service range based on the information of the first service range, including the first access network device, thereby instructing the first access network device to broadcast a paging message to paging the first terminal, thereby reducing paging signaling overhead and improving paging efficiency. For example, the first network element may integrate an access management module, which can determine or filter the corresponding access network devices based on the paging range, thereby limiting the paging range and reducing paging signaling overhead.

[0053] In one implementation, the first network element obtains information about the first service range, including: the first network element receiving a paging range update request from a first terminal, and the first network element updating the information about the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, the first network element receiving information about the first service range from a second network element, wherein the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network.

[0054] In one embodiment, the method further includes: an access network device acquiring information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; when the seventh message is used to indicate paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: the access network device determining a first access network device based on the information about the first service range, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device; the access network device sending an eighth message based on the seventh message, including: sending the eighth message to the first terminal through the first access network device.

[0055] Sixthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device. This communication device can be a network device, such as the first network element in the fifth aspect mentioned above, or a module (such as a chip, chip system, or circuit) within the network device, or a module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The method includes: sending a seventh message to an access network device. The seventh message includes information about a first terminal and information about a first network. The access network device serves the first network. The seventh message is used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network; wherein the first network element is a management network element of the first network.

[0056] In one implementation, sending a seventh message to an access network device includes: based on information from the first terminal, if it is determined that the first terminal is in an idle state, sending the seventh message to the access network device, the seventh message being used to instruct paging the first terminal based on the service range of the first network; if it is determined that the first terminal is in a connected state, sending the seventh message to the access network device, the seventh message being used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0057] In one implementation, determining that the first terminal is in a connected state includes: requesting a second network element to obtain the connection status of the first terminal, wherein the second network element is used to implement mobility management of a second network, and the service ranges of the first network and the second network are different; receiving information from a first access network device sent by the second network element, used to instruct the first terminal to connect to the first access network device; and sending a seventh message to the access network device, including: sending a seventh message to the first access network device, the seventh message being used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0058] In one embodiment, the method further includes: obtaining information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; determining, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes the first access network device, and the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device; and sending a seventh message to the access network device, including: the first network element sending the seventh message to the first access network device.

[0059] In one implementation, the first network element obtains information about the first service range by: the first network element receiving a paging range update request from the first terminal, and the first network element updating the information about the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, the first network element receiving information about the first service range from a second network element, wherein the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network.

[0060] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the above-described method. The communication device may be a communication device as described in any of the above aspects, such as a network device or terminal, or a node or device containing the above-described communication device, or a module in the network device or terminal, such as a chip, chip system, or circuit, or a logic node, logic module, or software capable of performing some or all of the functions.

[0061] The communication device includes modules, units, or means that implement the methods described above. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0062] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The processing module may be, for example, a processor. The transceiver module, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement the sending and / or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may consist of transceiver circuitry, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module includes a sending module and a receiving module, which are used to implement the sending and receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations.

[0064] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; the processor being coupled to a memory and, after reading instructions from the memory, executing the method as described in any of the preceding aspects according to the instructions. The communication device may be a communication device as described in any of the preceding aspects, such as a network device or terminal, or a node or device containing the aforementioned communication device, or a module in the aforementioned network device or terminal, such as a chip, chip system, or circuit, or a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0067] A ninth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: at least one processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit being configured to receive a computer program or instructions and transmit them to the at least one processor; the processor being configured to execute the computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the preceding aspects. The communication device may be a communication device as described in any of the preceding aspects, such as a network device or terminal, or a node or device containing the aforementioned communication device, or a module in the aforementioned network device or terminal, such as a chip, chip system, or circuit, or a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions.

[0068] In one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0069] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in any of the preceding aspects.

[0070] In an eleventh aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to perform the methods described in any of the preceding aspects.

[0071] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided that can be used to implement the method described in the first aspect above.

[0072] In one possible implementation, the communication system may include a second network element as described in the second aspect above, and a first network element as described in the third aspect above. Optionally, the communication system may include the access network device as described in the first aspect above.

[0073] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided that can be used to implement the method described in the fourth aspect above.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the communication system may include a first network element as described in the fifth aspect above, and an access network device as described in the fourth aspect above.

[0075] The technical effects of any of the possible implementations in aspects 2 through 13 can be found in the technical effects of the different possible implementations in aspect 1 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0076] Understandably, provided that the solutions do not contradict each other, the solutions in the above aspects can be combined. Attached Figure Description

[0077] Figure 1 This application provides a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system.

[0078] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0084] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0085] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0086] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0087] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0088] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0089] First, a brief introduction will be given to the implementation environment and application scenarios of the embodiments of this application.

[0090] The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to... Figure 1 The service-oriented architecture shown is as follows. Among them, Figure 1 Taking the network service architecture of the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system as an example, this paper illustrates the interaction relationship between network functions (NF) and entities, as well as the corresponding interfaces. The service-based architecture (SBA) of the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) for 5G systems includes network functions and entities such as: User Equipment (UE), at least one access network (AN) or radio access network (RAN) node, user plane function (UPF), data network (DN), access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), policy control function (PCF), application function (AF), unified data management (UDM), network exposure function (NEF), unified data repository (UDR), authentication server function (AUSF), security anchor function (SEAF), and network repository function (NRF).

[0091] In this context, UE, (R)AN node, UPF, and DN are generally referred to as user plane network functions and entities (or user plane network elements), while the others are generally referred to as control plane network functions and entities (or control plane network elements). Control plane network elements are defined by 3GPP as having processing functions within a network. They possess 3GPP-defined functional behaviors and interfaces. An NF can function as a network element running on proprietary hardware, a software instance running on proprietary hardware, or a virtual function instantiated on a suitable platform, such as being implemented in a cloud infrastructure.

[0092] The main functions of each network element are described in detail below.

[0093] The user plane network functions in the communication system include:

[0094] (R)AN Node: A (R)AN can be an AN, a RAN, or an access network device, RAN entity, or access node, etc., forming part of the communication system to help terminals access the communication network. For example, a (R)AN can be various types of base stations, such as macro base stations, micro base stations, radio controllers, relay stations, access points, or network equipment in vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, or future public land mobile networks (PLMNs), or non-terrestrial access network equipment, such as base stations deployed on satellites. The (R)AN is primarily responsible for air interface-side radio resource management, quality of service management, data compression, and encryption.

[0095] In addition, (R)AN nodes can also be access nodes in open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), cloud radio access network (CRAN), or wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, or access nodes in communication systems that integrate two or more of the above systems.

[0096] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a future communication network, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0097] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). For example, in a satellite communication scenario, the RAN node configuration could be that the DU is on satellite and the CU is on the ground; or that both the DU and CU are on satellite, etc.

[0098] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0099] UE: Also known as a terminal, terminal device, mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0100] UPF: Primarily responsible for forwarding and receiving user data. The UPF can receive downlink data from the DN and then transmit that downlink data to the UE via (R)AN. The UPF can also receive uplink data from the UE via (R)AN and then forward that uplink data to the DN.

[0101] DN: For example, DN can be a carrier service network, Internet access, or a third-party service network. DN can exchange information with UE through PDU sessions. PDU sessions can be of various types, such as Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and IPv6.

[0102] In addition, the control plane network functions in the communication system include:

[0103] AMF (Automatic Management Function): Primarily responsible for processing control plane messages and managing user mobility, including mobility state management, assigning temporary user identities, and authenticating and authorizing users. This includes tasks such as access control, mobility management, registration and deregistration, and network element selection.

[0104] SMF: Primarily used for session management, session establishment, UE IP address allocation and management, responsible for session establishment, modification and release, and quality of service (QoS) control, etc.

[0105] UDM (User Authentication and Authorization Manager): Primarily used for authentication and credit processing, it manages subscription data, user identification, access authorization, registration / mobility management, subscription management, and SMS management. For example, when a user's subscription data is modified, the UDM is responsible for notifying the relevant network elements.

[0106] PCF: Primarily used for policy management, responsible for managing policy-related data in the network, and can provide policy rules to control plane functions (such as AMF, SMF, etc.) in the network.

[0107] NEF: Primarily used to provide corresponding security guarantees to ensure the security of external applications to the communication network, providing functions such as opening up QoS customization capabilities for external applications, subscription to mobility state events, and distribution of AF requests.

[0108] NRF: Primarily used to provide internal / external addressing functions, etc.

[0109] AF: Application Function, which can be a third-party application server, is mainly used to send data routing information affected by the application to the network side, and to perform policy control by interacting with the policy framework through network open function elements.

[0110] AUSF: Primarily used for authentication processing functions, enabling two-way authentication between terminals and networks.

[0111] SEAF: Primarily responsible for providing authentication functions through the AMF in the service network and generating root keys for terminals.

[0112] in, Figure 1 The functions of other network elements included can be found in the relevant descriptions in conventional technologies, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] It should be noted that Figure 1 The network architecture shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the technical solutions of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that other network elements or devices may be included in the specific implementation, and the number of access network devices, terminals, and / or core network devices may be determined according to specific needs.

[0114] Optional, Figure 1Each network element shown can be a device, a functional module within a device, or a logical functional unit. It is understood that the aforementioned functions can be network components in hardware devices, such as communication chips in mobile phones, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0115] In addition, 5G network architecture can be deployed as a distributed architecture, such as including a large network (or central network) and distributed subnets. Distributed network functions can be deployed within the subnets through a bus, such as access management functions, mobility management functions, connectivity management functions, or PCF, which are independent of the large network.

[0116] The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to... Figure 2 The communication system shown, such as Figure 2 As shown, the terminal can simultaneously use the services of both the first and second networks, meaning it can access both networks at the same time. The service scopes of the first and second networks differ. For example, the first network can be a local area network (LAN) such as a subnet, private network, campus network, local network, or small network, while the second network can be the public mobile communication network to which the terminal belongs, such as a central network, public network, or large network. Optionally, the first network can be provided by a first network provider, and the second network can be provided by either the first or second network provider; this application does not limit this.

[0117] For example, when a terminal is within the service range of a first network, it can access the first network through the subnet's access management function; when the terminal is within the service range of a second network, it can access the second network through the public network's access management function. In conjunction with the above... Figure 1 As shown, the second network element may include the Central Access and Mobility Management Function (C-AMF), the Central User DR (C-UDR), the Central Policy Control Function (C-PCF), and the Central Network RF (C-NRF), etc. For example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the first network may include the local network's AMF (LocalAMF, L-AMF), local network's PCF (Local PCF, L-PCF), local network's UDR (Local UDM, L-UDR), local network's NRF (Local NRF, L-NRF), etc.

[0118] Understandably, the above Figure 1or Figure 2 In a communication system, devices or network elements can communicate directly or through forwarding from other nodes or devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0119] Understandably, the above Figure 2 This is merely an illustrative diagram and does not constitute a limitation on the applicable scenarios of the technical solutions provided in this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that, in specific implementation processes, the communication system may include, for example, […]. Figure 2 The number of devices or network elements shown may be fewer, or the communication system may include other devices or other network elements, and the number of devices or network elements in the communication system may be determined according to specific needs.

[0120] It should be noted that Figure 1 or Figure 2 The communication system illustrated is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the technical solutions of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that, in specific implementations, the communication system may also include other devices or network elements, and the number of each network element can be determined according to specific needs.

[0121] Optionally, embodiments of this application Figure 1 or Figure 2 Each network element can be a functional module within a device. It can be understood that the above functions can be network components in hardware devices, such as communication chips in mobile phones, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., cloud platform).

[0122] For example, Figure 1 or Figure 2 Each network element in the network can be accessed through Figure 3 This is achieved through the communication device 300. Figure 3 The diagram shows a hardware structure of a communication device applicable to embodiments of this application. The communication device 300 includes at least one processor 301, a communication line 302, a memory 303, and at least one communication interface 304.

[0123] The processor 301 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of the program of the present application.

[0124] Communication line 302 may include a path for transmitting information between the aforementioned components, such as a bus.

[0125] Communication interface 304 uses any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet interface, RAN interface, wireless local area network (WLAN) interface, etc.

[0126] The memory 303 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor via communication line 302. The memory may also be integrated with the processor. The memory provided in this application embodiment is generally non-volatile. The memory 303 is used to store computer execution instructions involved in the scheme of this application and is controlled by the processor 301 for execution. The processor 301 is used to execute computer execution instructions stored in the memory 303, thereby implementing the method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0127] Optionally, the computer execution instructions in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as application code, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0128] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 301 may include one or more CPUs, for example... Figure 3 CPU0 and CPU1 in the CPU.

[0129] In a specific implementation, as one example, the communication device 300 may include multiple processors, such as... Figure 3 Processors 301 and 307 are described herein. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. A processor here may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0130] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 300 may further include an output device 305 and an input device 306. The output device 305 communicates with the processor 301 and can display information in various ways. For example, the output device 305 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. The input device 306 communicates with the processor 301 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, the input device 306 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchscreen device, or sensing device, etc.

[0131] The aforementioned communication device 300 can be a general-purpose device or a dedicated device. In specific implementations, the communication device 300 can be a portable computer, a network server, a handheld digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal, an embedded device, or something similar. Figure 3 Devices with similar structures. This application does not limit the type of communication device 300 to any particular embodiment.

[0132] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0133] It should be noted that the message names between network elements or the names of parameters in the messages in the following embodiments of this application are just examples. Other names may be used in the specific implementation. This application does not limit them in this respect.

[0134] It is understood that some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application are merely examples, and other steps or variations thereof may also be performed in the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the steps may be performed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessary to perform all the steps in the embodiments of this application.

[0135] This application provides a communication method, such as Figure 4 The method includes the following steps.

[0136] 401: The first network element sends a first message to the second network element. The first message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network.

[0137] Among them, the first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service scope of the first network and the second network are different.

[0138] For example, the first network can be a subnet or a small network, and the second network can be a public network, a large network, or a central network. At least one function such as mobility management, access management, or connection management, independent of the central network, can be deployed in the subnet.

[0139] For example, the first network element can be used to implement mobility management, access management, or connection management in the first network. For instance, the first network element can be a Mobility Management (MM), Connection Management (CM), or Access Management (AM) network element in the first network, such as a subnet. Optionally, the first network element can be identified as a Local-MM / CM / AM, or L-MM / CM / AM network element.

[0140] For example, the second network element can be a network element in the second network used to implement mobility management, access management, or connection management, such as an MM, CM, AM, or AMF network element in the central network. Optionally, the second network element can be identified as a central mobility management, connection management, or access management (Central-MM / CM / AM, C-MM / CM / AM) network element.

[0141] In one implementation, the information of the first terminal may include at least one type of information, such as the terminal device identifier (ID) of the first terminal, the user identity identifier, or a temporary identifier assigned to the first terminal by the network. For example, the information of the first terminal carried in the first message may include information such as a temporary identifier assigned to the first terminal by the first network, like a first identifier.

[0142] In one implementation, the information of the first network may include at least one type of information such as the name of the first network, network identifier, or IP address, used to uniquely identify the subnet, such as the first network.

[0143] In one implementation, the first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged within the service area of ​​the first network, that is, the first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged within the service area of ​​the first network, such as a subnet.

[0144] It should be noted that, in this application, the paging range refers to the range within which access network devices, such as RAN nodes, paging terminals via broadcast messages. The service range of the network may include the set of paging ranges of one or more RAN nodes connected to the network.

[0145] For example, the first network connection has multiple RAN nodes, and the first message indicates that the first terminal can be paged within the service range of the first network. That is, it can be used to indicate that the second network element can be triggered to broadcast a paging message through the multiple RAN nodes connected to the first network to page the first terminal.

[0146] In another possible implementation, the first message may also include paging range information, such as information about the first service range of the first network. The second network element can determine one or more associated RANs based on this first service range information, and thus page the first terminal or request the first terminal to access the first network through these one or more RANs. This can narrow the paging range, reduce paging signaling overhead, and improve paging efficiency.

[0147] For example, the service range of a subnet can be identified using a Tracking Area (TA) or a New Tracking Area (NA). Access network devices can obtain the service range, i.e., the paging range, corresponding to each NA or TA, such as through cell information or access network device information like base station information, to identify the service range of the subnet.

[0148] Alternatively, the service area of ​​a subnet can be identified by extending an existing Tracking Area Identity (TAI) or by defining a new Tracking Area Identity (NAI).

[0149] Optionally, the service range of a subnet can also be represented by a Tracking Area List (TAL) composed of TAIs, or by a New Tracking Area List (NAL) composed of NAIs. TAL is associated with multiple TAIs, and NAL is associated with multiple NAIs. TAL or NAL can be indicated by pre-configured TAL identifiers (such as serial numbers or index numbers), and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0150] In one implementation, the first service range may include at least one subset of the first tracking area, such as a subset of TA#1. Optionally, the information of the first service range may include an identifier of the first tracking area, such as the identifier of the first service range may include the identifier information corresponding to TA#1.

[0151] In one implementation, an NA can be associated with a service scope, and the service scope associated with an NA can be configured as follows.

[0152] Method 1: The coverage of an NA can be a subset of a TA, that is, a TA can be split into multiple NAs.

[0153] Under this design approach, NAI can also refer to the design of TAI. TAI consists of a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), and a unique tracking area code (TAC).

[0154] For example, NAI can include: <nai> ＝ <mcc> <mnc> <tac> <nac>This means that an additional field, NAC, can be added after TAC to identify the NA within the TA range. Alternatively, since NA is subnet-related, subnet information can be added to NAI to identify the subnet information corresponding to that NAI; for example, the subnet information could be labeled "Sub-Net". <nai> ＝ <mcc> <mnc> <tac> <sub-net> <nac>.

[0155] Method 2: The coverage area of ​​an NA is independent of the TA, and the two are unrelated; or it can be understood that an NA is a tracking area or paging range that is customized for subnets.

[0156] Under this design approach, NAI can adopt the design of TAI, such as... <nai> ＝ <mcc> <mnc> <nac>.

[0157] Alternatively, subnet information can be added to the NAI to identify the subnet corresponding to that NAI, such as... <nai> ＝ <mcc> <mnc> <sub-net> <nac>For example, NAC can also be defined according to the TAC format, and conflicts with existing TACs need to be avoided. For example, if the TAC is a natural number from 1 to 100, the TAC in NAI can be a natural number from 101 to 200. The specific parameter values ​​are not limited in this application.

[0158] 402: The second network element sends a second message to the access network device according to the first message. The second message is used to instruct the first terminal to page the first terminal based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network. The second message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network.

[0159] In this context, the access network equipment serves the first network. That is, the second network element can send a second message to some or all of the access network equipment serving the first network according to the instruction of the first message, so as to trigger paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network, or request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0160] In other words, in the embodiments of this application, when a paging terminal requests a subnet, it can interact with the main network to trigger a paging terminal or requesting terminal within the service range of the subnet to access the subnet. This can avoid the problem of paging terminals with a large service range based on the main network, reduce the signaling overhead generated by paging, and improve paging efficiency.

[0161] In one implementation, an access management module can be configured in the network to determine at least one access network device corresponding to a paging range based on the paging range of a subnet. That is, the access management module can be used to filter access network devices corresponding to a paging range, and then paging terminals through the filtered access network devices to narrow down the paging range. Optionally, the access management module can filter corresponding access network devices based on subnet information and / or the paging range of the subnet.

[0162] For example, the access management module can identify at least one access network device within the service range of the first network, thereby enabling a paging terminal or requesting terminal to access the first network through the at least one access network device.

[0163] For example, the access management module can be integrated into a second network element or a certain access network device.

[0164] For example, if the access management module is integrated into the second network element, it can be used to determine at least one corresponding access network device based on the paging range of the first network. For instance, if the service range of the first network includes a first service range, the second network element obtains information about the first service range. When a second message is used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the second network element determines, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes the first access network device, and the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device.

[0165] It should be understood that the access network device determined by the second network element based on the information of the first service range may include one or more access network devices, and this application does not limit this.

[0166] In another example, if the access management module is integrated into the access network device, the access network device can determine at least one access network device corresponding to the paging range of the first network. For instance, if the service range of the first network includes a first service range, the access network device can obtain information about the first service range.

[0167] For example, when the second message is used to indicate paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: the access network device determining the first access network device based on the information of the first service range, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device. The access network device sending a third message based on the second message includes: the access network device sending the third message to the first terminal through the first access network device.

[0168] For example, in this implementation, the access network device can determine at least one access network device to perform paging based on the service range of the subnet, such as information about a first service range, for performing step 403 below. Optionally, the access network device can determine itself as one of the access network devices to perform paging, or determine at least one other access network device; this application does not limit this.

[0169] 403: The access network device sends a third message based on the second message. The third message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network, and is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0170] The third message can be used to request the first terminal to access the first network. For example, the third message can be a broadcast, multicast, or unicast message.

[0171] For example, the third message could be a broadcast paging message, carrying information about the first terminal and the first network, used to page the first terminal so that the first terminal receiving the paging message can trigger a request to access the first network. Alternatively, the third message could be a unicast request message, carrying information about the first terminal and the first network, used to request the first terminal to access the first network. In specific implementations, this unicast request message could also be downlink signaling.

[0172] In one implementation, the second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged within the service range of the first network, or the second message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network, depending on the current connection state of the first terminal. For example, the second network element can determine the connection state based on information from the first terminal. If it determines that the first terminal is in an idle state, the second network element sends a second message to the access network device, the second message indicating that the first terminal should be paged within the service range of the first network. If it determines that the first terminal is in a connected state, the second network element sends a second message to the access network device, the second message requesting the first terminal to access the first network.

[0173] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, after the terminal accesses the network, the first network element and / or the second network element can record the connection status of the first terminal. For example, the C-MM records the information of the subnet to which the terminal is connected, and the L-MM can record the terminal's information and the current connection status between the terminal and the first network. The aforementioned information of the first terminal may include the connection status of the first terminal, so that the second network element can determine the second message to be sent to the access network device based on the connection status of the first terminal in the information of the first terminal.

[0174] Additionally, if the second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged within the service range of the first network, the access network device may send a third message based on the second message. This may include the access network device broadcasting the paging message. Optionally, the access network device may instruct other access network devices within the service range of the first network to broadcast the paging message to page the first terminal. If the second message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network, the access network device may send a third message based on the second message. This may include the access network device sending a third message (unicast) to the first terminal to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0175] In one implementation, the second network element may obtain information about the first service range corresponding to the first network in the following ways:

[0176] Method 1: The second network element obtains information about the first service area based on the first message. The first message may include information about the first service area.

[0177] Method 2: The second network element receives a tracking area update request from the first terminal, and the second network element updates the information of the first service area according to the tracking area update request.

[0178] Method 3: The second network element obtains information about the first service range from the first network element, user network control function (UNCF), PCF, UDM, or operation administration and maintenance (OAM) network elements or systems.

[0179] In one implementation, the first network element can obtain information about the first service area corresponding to the first network. The method of obtaining this information can refer to the methods described above for the second network element to obtain information about the first service area, such as method two or method three. For example, the first network element can receive a tracking area update request from the first terminal, and then update the information about the first service area according to the tracking area update request. Alternatively, the first network element can obtain the information about the first service area from a second network element, UNCF, PCF, UDM, or OAM, or other network elements or systems.

[0180] In one embodiment, the method may further include: a first network element sending information about a first service range corresponding to a first network to a first terminal; or, the first network element sending information about a first service range corresponding to a first network to a second network element, for instructing the second network element to configure information about a first service range corresponding to a first network to the first terminal.

[0181] For example, the first network element can configure the terminal's current TAL or NAL information to the terminal. For instance, the first network element can directly send this configuration information to the terminal via the RAN through downlink signaling.

[0182] Alternatively, the first network element can send the TAL or NAL corresponding to the subnet to the second network element, which then sends this configuration information to the terminal. In this case, the second network element can record the TAL or NAL information corresponding to the subnet in the terminal's context for subsequent paging of the terminal.

[0183] In the above embodiments, when a paging terminal requests a service area from the subnet, it can interact with the main network to trigger the paging terminal or requesting terminal to access the subnet based on the service area of ​​the subnet. This can avoid the problem of paging terminals with a large service area based on the main network, reduce the signaling overhead generated by paging, and improve the efficiency of paging terminals.

[0184] The communication method provided in this application is described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0185] like Figure 5 As shown, the communication method may include the following steps.

[0186] 501: Terminal accesses the first network.

[0187] 502: The first network element obtains information about the service area corresponding to the first network, such as TAI or NAI information.

[0188] Step 502 can be obtained by the terminal after it accesses the first network, or it can be obtained from the control plane or management plane after the subnet, such as the first network, is created.

[0189] Optionally, the first network element can obtain the TAI or NAI information corresponding to the terminal's current location from the subnet control function (a network function in the control plane) or the management plane (the operator's operation and maintenance management system). This acquisition action can be configured by the control plane function or management plane function to the subnet's mobility management function, such as the first network element, after the subnet is generated (or created).

[0190] Alternatively, after the terminal connects to the first network, the first network element can send a request to the control plane or management plane functions to obtain TAI or NAI information. For example, the request message sent by the first network element can carry the terminal's identifier and the terminal's current location information (such as cell identifier, TAI, geographic coordinates, etc.).

[0191] Optionally, the first network element can indirectly obtain the TAI or NAI information of the first network from the network functions of the central network (such as C-MM, AM, or CM). If the central network configures TAL for the MM of the subnet, the C-MM of the central network can record information about the subnet currently connected to the terminal, as well as information about the TAL composed of TAI or the identifier of the TAL, in the context of the terminal.

[0192] 503: The first network element sends the first message to the second network element.

[0193] For example, when the terminal is not connected to the subnet, and the subnet needs to establish a connection with the terminal to transmit downlink signaling or downlink data packets, the first network element of the subnet can trigger the paging terminal process, that is, send the first message to the second network element.

[0194] For example, the subnet MM can send a first message to the central network MM to establish a connection with the terminal. This first message may be, for example, a paging request message or a connection restoration request message, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0195] The first message may carry the terminal's identifier and subnet information; optionally, it may also carry the TAI or NAI information corresponding to the subnet.

[0196] 504: The second network element determines whether to initiate paging based on the terminal's current connection status with the network (such as the connection status with the central network).

[0197] Specifically, if the terminal is currently connected to the central network, the second network element, such as the C-MM, can send downlink signaling to the terminal, instructing the terminal to establish a connection with the subnet. If the terminal is currently idle from the central network, the second network element, such as the C-MM, can initiate a paging procedure, i.e., execute step 505.

[0198] 505: The second network element sends a paging request message to the access network equipment.

[0199] The paging request message may carry the terminal's identifier, subnet information, and TAI or NAI information.

[0200] 506: Access network equipment broadcasts a paging message.

[0201] The paging message includes the first identifier of the first terminal and information about the first network, or the paging message includes the first identifier of the first terminal, information about the first network, and information about the second network. It is understood that the paging message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network. If, in step 504 above, the terminal is connected to the central network, then steps 505-506 above can be replaced with the following steps: In scenarios where the second network element, such as C-MM, can send downlink signaling to the terminal through the access network device, it can carry information about the subnet or the main network in the downlink signaling to indicate whether the current request is for the terminal to access the subnet or the main network; or, it can carry information about both the subnet and the main network in the downlink signaling to indicate whether the current request is for the terminal to access the subnet, and if the downlink signaling only carries information about the main network, it indicates that the current request is for the terminal to access the main network.

[0202] 507: The terminal sends a service request message to establish a connection with the first network.

[0203] If a terminal receives a paging message or downlink signaling broadcast from an access network device, and determines that it needs to access the first network based on the information carried in the received paging message or downlink signaling, it sends an access request, such as a service request message, to the first network element to request access to the first network and establish a connection with the first network. In specific implementations, the terminal may determine the need to access the first network based on the information about the first network carried in the paging message; or the terminal may determine the need to access the first network based on the information about the first network carried in the downlink signaling.

[0204] Alternatively, the terminal may determine access to the second network if the network information carried in the paging message only includes information from the second network.

[0205] The above-described implementation method of a terminal determining whether to access the first or second network based on paging messages or downlink signaling is merely an example. In actual implementation, different rules can be set according to specific circumstances, and this invention does not impose any limitations. For example, the terminal can send a service request message to a second network element such as a C-MM, and the C-MM establishes a connection with the terminal and records the terminal's state as connected. Alternatively, the terminal can send a service request message to a first network element such as an L-MM, and the L-MM establishes a connection with the terminal and records the terminal's state as connected.

[0206] Furthermore, in specific implementations, the temporary identifier assigned by the network to the first terminal can be a subnet temporary identifier used to identify the terminal within the subnet. For example, during the process of the terminal's first request to access the subnet, such as when the terminal requests to register with the subnet, the access management function of the subnet or the main network can assign this temporary identifier, such as a first identifier, to the first terminal. For example, the subnet temporary identifier can be a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI).

[0207] In one embodiment, the information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when it accesses the first network. The method further includes: the first terminal sending a fourth message to a second network element or to a first network element, the fourth message including information about the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; the second network element or the first network element assigning a temporary identifier to the first terminal as the first identifier; and the second network element or the first network element sending the first identifier to the first terminal.

[0208] In addition, in the embodiments of this application, the network can configure the service range of a subnet for the terminal, which is used to paging the terminal based on the service range of the subnet. In combination with the existing implementation of configuring a tracking area (TA) for the terminal in the existing communication network, the network configures the service range of a subnet (such as a first network) and a large network (such as a second network) for the terminal, respectively as the paging range of the subnet or the large network paging terminal.

[0209] For example, taking the first terminal as an example, the first terminal obtains information about the service range corresponding to the first network and the second network. The service range of the first network includes the first service range, and the service range of the second network includes the second service range. The first service range and the second service range are different. For example, the first network is a subnet, and the first service range is smaller than the second service range.

[0210] Understandably, after a terminal connects to the network, its movement may cause it to exceed its configured service range. In this case, the terminal can initiate a tracking area update procedure to update the paging range of the network. For example, a terminal may be configured with an area associated with a subnet's TAI or NAI to indicate the subnet's first service range. If the terminal moves outside the first service range, it needs to initiate a tracking area update procedure, also known as a paging range update procedure. For instance, the terminal can send a request message to a subnet or central network element such as MM / AM / CM, carrying subnet information, to trigger a tracking area update procedure (paging range update procedure) for that subnet.

[0211] Subsequently, the C-MM / AM / CM of the central network can obtain updated TAI or NAI information through the L-MM or the subnet's management and control functions and feed it back to the terminal. Alternatively, the L-MM / AM / CM of the subnet can obtain updated TAI or NAI information based on local configuration or from the subnet's management and control functions.

[0212] Optionally, if the terminal moves to a location outside the service range of the subnet, the C-MM or L-MM may send a service termination message to the terminal, informing the terminal that the subnet's service cannot be used at that location, or indicating that the location is outside the service range of the subnet.

[0213] In one embodiment, when the first terminal is connected to the first network, the method further includes: the first terminal obtaining service range information broadcast by the access network device; when it is determined, based on the service range corresponding to the first network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, that is, when the first terminal moves outside the first service range, i.e., the current location of the first terminal is outside the paging range of the configured first network, the first terminal sends a fifth message to a second network element or to a first network element. The fifth message is used to update the paging range of the first network corresponding to the first terminal, and includes information about the first network and the location information of the first terminal. The second network element or the first network element can determine the updated service range information of the subnet corresponding to the first terminal, such as updated TAI or NAI information, based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal. The first network element or the second network element can send the updated TAI or NAI information to the terminal so that the first terminal can be paged through the updated service range subsequently.

[0214] In another embodiment, when the first terminal is connected to the second network, the method further includes: the first terminal obtaining service range information broadcast by the access network device; when it is determined, based on the service range corresponding to the second network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, that is, when the first terminal moves outside the second service range, that is, the current location of the first terminal is outside the paging range of the configured second network, the first terminal sends a sixth message to the second network element, the sixth message being used to update the paging range of the paging communication device of the second network.

[0215] The process of configuring and updating the tracking area of ​​the subnet provided in this application is described in conjunction with the above embodiments.

[0216] like Figure 6 As shown, the interaction process between the terminal and the L-MM of the subnet and the C-MM of the central network is used as an example to introduce the communication method, which may include the following steps.

[0217] Optional, including 600: Establish the first network.

[0218] The establishment of a subnet, such as the first network, can be based on pre-negotiation and deployment between the network side and the subnet tenant or user. For example, the subnet can be implemented through network slicing or a non-public network (NPN). Alternatively, the establishment of a subnet can be dynamically generated subsequently triggered by a request signaling from the terminal; this application does not limit this.

[0219] Optionally, 601: The access network device obtains information about the service range corresponding to the first network.

[0220] For example, UNCF, OAM, PCF, or other network functions or management plane functions can configure tracking area information, such as TAI or NAI information, corresponding to a subnet, such as the first network, to the access network device.

[0221] 602: The terminal requests to register with the first network from the C-MM, carrying the terminal identifier and the identifier of the first network.

[0222] 603: Establish a connection between the terminal and the first network between the C-MM and L-MM.

[0223] Optionally, 604a is included: L-MM obtains information about the TAI or NAI corresponding to the current location of the terminal from UNCF or OAM.

[0224] Optional, including 604b: L-MM obtains the TAI or NAI information of the subnet from C-MM.

[0225] 605: After a terminal connects to a subnet, the C-MM and L-MM record the terminal's connection status respectively. For example, the C-MM records information about the subnet to which the terminal is connected, and the L-MM records information about the terminal and the current connection status of the terminal.

[0226] 606: L-MM sends the terminal's current TAI or NAI information to the terminal.

[0227] For example, L-MM can directly send the configuration information to the terminal through the RAN node via downlink signaling.

[0228] Alternatively, the L-MM can send the TAI or NAI information corresponding to the subnet to the C-MM, which then sends this configuration information to the terminal. In this case, the C-MM can record the TAI or NAI information corresponding to the subnet in the terminal's context for subsequent paging of the terminal.

[0229] Optional, including 607: The terminal sends an update request message to the C-MM or L-MM.

[0230] For example, when a terminal is moving, if it determines that it exceeds the service range corresponding to its TAI or NAI based on the service range information broadcast by the access network device and the subnet service range information previously configured locally on the terminal, the terminal needs to initiate a subnet tracking area update process. This update request message is used to update the paging range of the subnet corresponding to the terminal and can carry subnet information as well as the terminal's current location information.

[0231] This update request message corresponds to the fifth message mentioned above. Optionally, this update request message can be an existing registration update request message, such as carrying subnet information through extended fields in the registration update request message to request an update to the subnet's tracking area information. Alternatively, this update request message can also be a newly defined request message, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0232] Optionally, this includes 608: C-MM or L-MM sending updated service coverage information to the terminal.

[0233] C-MM or L-MM can determine the paging range information of the updated subnet, i.e. the updated TAI or NAI information, based on the information of the first network and the current location information of the terminal, and send the updated TAI or NAI information to the terminal.

[0234] In addition, this application also provides an implementation method in which a subnet can send a request to an access network device to trigger a process for a paging terminal or a requesting terminal to access the subnet.

[0235] like Figure 7 As shown, the communication method may include the following steps.

[0236] 701: The first network element sends a seventh message to the access network device. The seventh message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The seventh message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0237] The access network device serves the first network, the first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service scope of the first network and the second network are different.

[0238] Optionally, the seventh message may also include information about part or all of the service range of the first network, such as TAI or NAI information, to indicate that the first terminal should be paged within that service range.

[0239] 702: The access network device sends an eighth message according to the seventh message. The eighth message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network, and is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0240] The eighth message can be used to request the first terminal to access the first network. For example, the eighth message can be a broadcast, multicast, or unicast message.

[0241] For example, the eighth message could be a broadcast paging message, carrying information about the first terminal and the first network, used to page the first terminal so that the first terminal receiving the paging message can trigger a request to access the first network. Alternatively, the eighth message could be a unicast request message, carrying information about the first terminal and the first network, used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0242] In one implementation, the first network element sends a seventh message to the access network device, including: if the first network element determines that the first terminal is in an idle state based on the information of the first terminal, the first network element sends a seventh message to the access network device, the seventh message being used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network. If the first network element determines that the first terminal is in a connected state, the first network element sends a seventh message to the access network device, the seventh message being used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0243] Optionally, in the above embodiments, the first network element determines the connection status of the first terminal by requesting the connection status of the first terminal from the second network element. For example, the first network element can request the connection status of the first terminal from the second network element, where the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service scopes of the first network and the second network are different; for example, the first network is a subnet, and the second network is a main network or a central network. The second network element sends information about the first access network device to the first network element to instruct the first terminal to connect to the first access network device. That is, the first terminal is currently in a connected state and connected to the first access network device.

[0244] Therefore, the first network element sends a seventh message to the access network device. Specifically, this may include the first network element sending a seventh message to the first access network device, which is used to request the first terminal to access the first network. In other words, if the first network element determines that the access network device currently accessed by the first terminal is the first access network device, then the subnet does not need to page the terminal. The first network element can establish a connection with the first access network device and send downlink signaling to the first terminal through the first access network device to request the first terminal to access the first network element, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0245] In one implementation, an access management module can be configured in the network to determine at least one access network device corresponding to a paging range based on the paging range of a subnet. That is, the access management module can be used to filter access network devices corresponding to a paging range, and then paging terminals through the filtered access network devices to narrow down the paging range. Optionally, the access management module can filter corresponding access network devices based on subnet information and / or the paging range of the subnet.

[0246] For example, the access management module can identify at least one access network device within the service range of the first network, thereby enabling a paging terminal or requesting terminal to access the first network through the at least one access network device.

[0247] For example, the access management module can be integrated into the first network element or a certain access network device.

[0248] In one embodiment, the method further includes: the service range of the first network includes a first service range; a first network element obtains information about the first service range. The first network element can determine, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes a first access network device, and the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device; the first network element sends a seventh message to the first access network device.

[0249] In one embodiment, the method further includes: an access network device acquiring information about a first service range. When a seventh message is used to indicate paging of a first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the access network device can determine a first access network device based on the information about the first service range, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device. The access network device can then send an eighth message to the first terminal through the first access network device.

[0250] In one implementation, the first network element obtains information about the first service range, as described in the preceding embodiments, and will not be repeated here. For example, the first network element may receive a paging range update request from a first terminal, and update the information about the first service range of the first network according to the paging range update request. Alternatively, the first network element may obtain the information about the first service range from a second network element, UNCF, PCF, or OAM, etc. The second network element is used to implement mobility management for the second network.

[0251] The communication method provided in this application is described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0252] like Figure 8 As shown, the interaction process between the terminal and the L-MM of the subnet and the C-MM of the central network is used as an example to introduce the communication method, which may include the following steps.

[0253] 801: Terminal accesses the first network.

[0254] 802: L-MM obtains information about the service area corresponding to the first network, such as TAI or NAI information.

[0255] Optional, including 803: L-MM queries C-MM for the connection status of the terminal.

[0256] For example, before L-MM initiates an independent paging of a terminal, it can first query C-MM whether the terminal is currently connected, including whether the terminal is connected to the central network or other sub-networks.

[0257] The query request may include the identifier of the terminal.

[0258] Optional, including 804: C-MM sends the terminal's connection status to L-MM.

[0259] For example, if the terminal is currently in a connected state, the C-MM can send the access network information currently providing services to the terminal, such as the information of the first RAN node, to the L-MM.

[0260] Optional, including 805: L-MM establishes a connection with the first RAN node.

[0261] 806: L-MM sends a request message to the access network equipment.

[0262] For example, the L-MM sends a request message to the access network device. This request message may correspond to the aforementioned seventh message, carrying the terminal's identifier and subnet information; optionally, it may also carry information about the TAI or NAI associated with the subnet.

[0263] Optionally, the terminal identifier here can be a temporary identifier corresponding to the subnet, such as GUTI, or the GUTI of the local network (GUTI-local network, GUTI-L).

[0264] It should be understood that access network devices are unaware of the network information connected to by the terminal. That is, if the terminal is connected to multiple subnets, the access network device cannot know how many subnets the terminal is connected to through the current access network device. For example, by using different temporary identifiers to indicate the different subnets accessed by the terminal, the access network device can identify the different subnets accessed by the terminal based on different GUTI-Ls, thereby improving network privacy.

[0265] Optionally, if steps 803-805 are executed, i.e., the terminal is currently establishing a connection with the first RAN node and the L-MM is establishing a connection with the first RAN node, then in step 806, the L-MM sends a request message to the access network device, including: the L-MM sends a request message to the first RAN node to instruct the terminal to access a subnet such as the first network.

[0266] Optionally, if steps 803-805 are not performed, the L-MM can filter out the information of at least one access network device based on the service range information associated with the subnet, such as TAI or NAI information, and send a paging request message to the at least one access network device, carrying the identifier of the carrying terminal and the subnet information, to request the access network device to page the terminal so that the terminal can access the subnet.

[0267] 807: Access network equipment sends a paging message.

[0268] The access network device pages the terminal within the service area indicated by the TAI or NAI based on the request message. This corresponds to the eighth message mentioned above.

[0269] Optionally, if steps 803-805 are executed, i.e. the terminal is currently establishing a connection with the first RAN node and the L-MM is establishing a connection with the first RAN node, then in step 807, the request message sent by the L-MM to the access network device is used to instruct the terminal to access a subnet such as the first network.

[0270] Optionally, if the access network device cannot page the terminal within the service range indicated by the TAI or NAI corresponding to the subnet, the access network device can revert to the existing implementation method, that is, the access network device pages the terminal based on the service range of the central network (i.e., the TA corresponding to the central network).

[0271] 808: After receiving the paging message, the terminal sends a service request message to the L-MM.

[0272] Optionally, 809: After the L-MM re-establishes a connection with the terminal, it sends the terminal connection status and information about the access network device to which the terminal is connected to the C-MM.

[0273] Optionally, option 810 is provided: if the access network device cannot page the terminal within the TAI or NAI range corresponding to the subnet, the access network device sends a paging failure message to the L-MM.

[0274] Optionally, 811: The L-MM sends a paging request to the C-MM, requesting the C-MM to page the terminal within the TA range of the central network.

[0275] Optional features include 812: C-MM initiating paging terminal.

[0276] If the terminal receives a paging message, it sends a service request message to the C-MM. Otherwise, the C-MM sends feedback to the L-MM that the terminal cannot be paged.

[0277] In the above embodiments, the management network element of the subnet, such as the first network element, can directly trigger the paging terminal's request, such as sending a request to one or more access network devices, to trigger the process of paging terminals or requesting terminals accessing the subnet based on the paging range of the subnet, thereby reducing paging signaling overhead and improving paging efficiency.

[0278] The various embodiments mentioned above in this application can be combined without contradiction, and no limitation is imposed.

[0279] The above mainly describes the solution provided in this application from the perspective of interaction between various network nodes. Accordingly, this application also provides a communication device, which can be one of the communication devices or nodes in the above method embodiments, or a component such as a chip that can be used in the above communication devices or nodes.

[0280] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the unit and algorithm operations of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art 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.

[0281] It should be understood that the above description is merely an example illustrating the interactions between various network element nodes. In reality, the processing performed by the aforementioned communication devices or nodes is not limited to being performed by a single network element.

[0282] This application can divide the communication device into functional modules based on the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It is understood that the module division in this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation.

[0283] For example, when dividing the functional modules using an integrated approach. Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a communication device 900 is shown. The communication device 900 includes a receiving module 901 and a transmitting module 902.

[0284] In some embodiments, the communication device 900 may further include a storage module. Figure 9 (Not shown in the image) is used to store program instructions and data.

[0285] For example, the communication device 900 can be used to implement the above. Figures 4-6 The function of the communication device in any of the embodiments shown. For example, communication device 900 is, for instance, Figures 4-6 The second network element described in each of the various implementation methods.

[0286] The receiving module 901 can be used to receive a first message, which includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network. The second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service ranges of the first network and the second network are different.

[0287] The sending module 902 can be used to send a second message to the access network device according to the first message. The second message is used to instruct the first terminal to page the first terminal based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network. The second message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The access network device serves the first network.

[0288] In one embodiment, the sending module 902 can be configured to, based on the information of the first terminal, send the second message to the access network device if it is determined that the first terminal is in an idle state, wherein the second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network; and if it is determined that the first terminal is in a connected state, send the second message to the access network device, wherein the second message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0289] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 further includes a processing module 903, which can be used to acquire information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range. When the second message is used to instruct paging of the first terminal based on the service range of the first network, the processing module 903 can be used to determine, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes a first access network device, and the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device.

[0290] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to obtain information about the first service range according to the first message, wherein the first message includes information about the first service range; or, receive a paging range update request from the first terminal, wherein the second network element updates the information about the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, receive information about the first service range from the first network element, wherein the first network element is used to implement mobility management of the first network.

[0291] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to obtain information about the first service range corresponding to the first network.

[0292] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to receive information about the first service range corresponding to the first network from the first network element; the sending module 902 can be used to send information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal.

[0293] In one embodiment, the information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when it accesses the first network. The receiving module 901 can be used to receive a fourth message from the first terminal, the fourth message including information about the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; the processing module 903 can be used to assign a temporary identifier as the first identifier to the first terminal, and the sending module 902 can be used to send the first identifier to the first terminal.

[0294] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to receive a fifth message from the first terminal, the fifth message being used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal, the fifth message including information of the first network and location information of the first terminal; the sending module 902 can be used to send updated service range information to the first terminal, the updated service range information being obtained based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal.

[0295] In one implementation, the first network element is a connection management function, mobility management function, or access management function of the first network.

[0296] Additionally, the communication device 900 can be, for example, Figures 4-6 The first network element described in each of the various implementation methods.

[0297] The sending module 902 can be used to send a first message to the second network element. The first message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network. The first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service ranges of the first network and the second network are different.

[0298] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to obtain information about the first service range corresponding to the first network.

[0299] In one embodiment, the sending module 902 can be used to send information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal; or, send information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the second network element, so as to instruct the second network element to configure information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal.

[0300] In one embodiment, the information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when the first terminal accesses the first network. The receiving module 901 can be used to receive a fourth message from the first terminal, the fourth message including information about the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; the sending module 902 can be used to send the first identifier to the first terminal.

[0301] In one implementation, the first service range includes at least a subset of the first tracking area, and the information of the first service range includes the identifier of the first tracking area.

[0302] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to receive a fifth message from the first terminal. The fifth message is used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal, and the fifth message includes information about the first network and the location information of the first terminal. The sending module 902 sends the updated service range information to the first terminal. The updated service range information is obtained based on the information about the first network and the location information of the first terminal. Additionally, the communication device 900 can be, for example, a... Figures 6-8 The first network element described in each of the various implementation methods.

[0303] The sending module 902 can be used to send a seventh message to the access network device. The seventh message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The access network device serves the first network. The seventh message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network. The first network element is the management network element of the first network.

[0304] In one embodiment, the sending module 902 can be configured to, based on the information of the first terminal, send the seventh message to the access network device if it is determined that the first terminal is in an idle state, wherein the seventh message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network; and if it is determined that the first terminal is in a connected state, send the seventh message to the access network device, wherein the seventh message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0305] In one implementation, the sending module 902 can be used to request the connection status of the first terminal from the second network element, wherein the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network, and the service ranges of the first network and the second network are different. The receiving module 901 can be used to receive information from the first access network device sent by the second network element, which is used to indicate that the first terminal connects to the first access network device. The sending module 902 can be used to send a seventh message to the first access network device, which is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

[0306] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to obtain information about a first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; and determine, based on the information about the first service range, that the access network device includes the first access network device, and the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device. The sending module 902 can be used to send a seventh message to the first access network device.

[0307] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to receive a paging range update request from the first terminal, and the first network element updates the information of the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, the first network element receives the information of the first service range from the second network element, wherein the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network.

[0308] Additionally, the communication device 900 can be, for example, Figures 4-8 The terminals described in the various embodiments.

[0309] The receiving module 901 can be used to obtain service range information corresponding to the first network and the second network. The service range of the first network includes a first service range, and the service range of the second network includes a second service range. The first service range and the second service range are different. The receiving module 901 is also used to obtain service range information broadcast by the access network device. When connected to the first network, if it is determined that the user has moved outside the first service range based on the service range corresponding to the first network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, the sending module 902 can be used to send a fifth message to the first network element and / or the second network element. The fifth message is used to update the paging range of the paging communication device of the first network. The fifth message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. When connected to the second network, if it is determined that the user has moved outside the second service range based on the service range corresponding to the second network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, the sending module 902 can be used to send a sixth message to the second network element. The sixth message is used to update the paging range of the paging communication device of the second network.

[0310] In one embodiment, the receiving module 901 can be used to receive a third message, which includes a first identifier of the first terminal and information of the first network, or the third message includes a first identifier of the first terminal, information of the first network, and information of a second network. The third message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network. The sending module 902 can be used to send an access request to the first network element based on the information of the first network carried in the third message.

[0311] In summary, when the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions performed by the terminal, network device, or access node in the above embodiments, other functions that the communication device 900 can implement can be referred to the relevant descriptions of any of the embodiments shown above, and will not be elaborated further.

[0312] In a simplified embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication device 900 can employ... Figure 3 The form shown. For example, Figure 3 The processor 301 can call computer execution instructions stored in the memory 303 to cause the communication device 300 to execute the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0313] For example, Figure 9 The function / implementation process of the processing module 903 can be achieved through... Figure 3 It is implemented by processor 301 in the system.

[0314] For example, Figure 9 The functions / implementation process of the receiving module 901 and / or transmitting module 902 can be obtained through Figure 3 It is implemented using the communication interface 304.

[0315] It is understood that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of both. When any of the above modules or units are implemented by software, the software exists as computer program instructions and is stored in memory. The processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can be built into a SoC (System-on-a-Chip) or ASIC, or it can be a separate semiconductor chip. In addition to the core that executes software instructions for computation or processing, the processor may further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0316] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, microprocessor, digital signal processing (DSP) chip, microcontroller unit (MCU), artificial intelligence processor, ASIC, SoC, FPGA, PLD, application-specific digital circuit, hardware accelerator, or non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or perform the above method flow independently of software.

[0317] In one possible implementation, this application also provides a chip system, including: at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor executes a computer program or instructions in the memory, the method in any of the above method embodiments is executed. In one possible implementation, the chip system further includes a memory. Optionally, the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0318] Optionally, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program can include the processes described in the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the communication device in any of the foregoing embodiments, such as the hard disk or memory of the communication device. The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the communication device, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the communication device. Further, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium can include both internal storage units and external storage devices of the communication device. The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium is used to store the aforementioned computer program and other programs and data required by the communication device. The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0319] In one possible implementation, this application also provides a computer program product. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be executed by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the above computer program product, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments.

[0320] In one possible implementation, this application also provides computer instructions. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be executed by computer instructions instructing related hardware (such as a computer, processor, network device, or terminal device). The program can be stored in the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium or the aforementioned computer program product.

[0321] In one possible implementation, this application also provides a communication system, which may include network devices such as the first network element and the second network element in the above embodiments; optionally, it may also include access network devices in the above embodiments.

[0322] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0323] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0324] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0325] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0326] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.< / nac> < / sub-net> < / mnc> < / mcc> < / nai> < / nac> < / mnc> < / mcc> < / nai> < / nac> < / sub-net> < / tac> < / mnc> < / mcc> < / nai> < / nac> < / tac> < / mnc> < / mcc> < / nai>

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The first network element sends a first message to the second network element. The first message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network. The first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service ranges of the first network and the second network are different. The second network element sends a second message to the access network device according to the first message. The second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network. The second message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The access network device serves the first network. The access network device sends a third message based on the second message. The third message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network, and is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second network element sends a second message to the access network device based on the first message, including: Based on the information from the first terminal, if it is determined that the first terminal is in an idle state, the second network element sends the second message to the access network device. The second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network. If it is determined that the first terminal is in a connected state, the second network element sends the second message to the access network device. The second message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second network element obtains information about the first service range, where the service range of the first network includes the first service range; When the second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: The second network element determines, based on the information of the first service range, that the access network device includes the first access network device, and the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second network element obtains information about the first service area, including: The second network element obtains information about the first service area based on the first message, wherein the first message includes information about the first service area; or... The second network element receives a paging range update request from the first terminal, and updates the information of the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, The second network element receives information about the first service range from the first network element, wherein the first network element is used to implement mobility management of the first network.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The access network device obtains information about the first service range, and the service range of the first network includes the first service range. When the second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: The access network device determines the first access network device based on the information of the first service range, wherein the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device. The access network device sending a third message according to the second message includes: the access network device sending the third message to the first terminal through the first access network device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second network element or the first network element obtains information about the first service range corresponding to the first network.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first network element sends information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal; or... The first network element sends information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the second network element, which is used to instruct the second network element to configure the information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when the first terminal accesses the first network; The method further includes: The first terminal sends a fourth message to the second network element or to the first network element, the fourth message including information about the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; The second network element or the first network element sends the first identifier to the first terminal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first terminal sends a fifth message to the second network element or to the first network element. The fifth message is used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal. The fifth message includes information about the first network and the location information of the first terminal. The second network element or the first network element sends updated service range information to the first terminal. The updated service range information is obtained based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The system receives a first message, which includes information about a first terminal and information about a first network. The first message is used to instruct the system to page the first terminal based on the service range of the first network. The second network element is used to implement mobility management of a second network, and the service ranges of the first network and the second network are different. The access network device sends a second message to the first network device according to the first message. The second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network or to request the first terminal to access the first network. The second message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The access network device serves the first network.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, A second message is sent to the access network device according to the first message, including: Based on the information from the first terminal, if it is determined that the first terminal is in an idle state, the second message is sent to the access network device. The second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network. If it is determined that the first terminal is in a connected state, the second message is sent to the access network device. The second message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain information about the first service range, wherein the service range of the first network includes the first service range; When the second message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network, the method further includes: Based on the information of the first service range, it is determined that the access network device includes a first access network device, and the first service range includes the paging range of the first access network device.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The process of obtaining information about the first service area includes: Information about the first service area is obtained based on the first message, wherein the first message includes information about the first service area; or... The second network element receives a paging range update request from the first terminal and updates the information of the first service range according to the paging range update request; or, The system receives information about the first service range from the first network element, wherein the first network element is used to implement mobility management of the first network.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain information about the first service range corresponding to the first network.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10-14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive information about the first service range corresponding to the first network from the first network element; Send information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-15, characterized in that, The information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when the first terminal accesses the first network; The method further includes: Receive a fourth message from the first terminal, the fourth message including information about the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; Send the first identifier to the first terminal.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10-16, characterized in that, The method further includes: A fifth message is received from the first terminal, the fifth message being used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal, the fifth message including information about the first network and the location information of the first terminal; The updated service range information is sent to the first terminal. The updated service range information is determined based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal.

18. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: A first message is sent to a second network element. The first message includes information about the first terminal and information about the first network. The first message is used to instruct the first terminal to be paged based on the service range of the first network. The first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement mobility management of the second network. The service ranges of the first network and the second network are different.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain information about the first service range corresponding to the first network.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the second network element, instructing the second network element to configure the information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal; or... Send information about the first service range corresponding to the first network to the first terminal.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18-20, characterized in that, The information of the first terminal includes a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is used to identify the first terminal when the first terminal accesses the first network; The method further includes: Receive a fourth message from the first terminal, the fourth message including information about the first network, the fourth message being used to request registration with the first network; Send the first identifier to the first terminal.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18-20, characterized in that, The method further includes: A fifth message is received from the first terminal, the fifth message being used to update the paging range corresponding to the first terminal, the fifth message including information about the first network and the location information of the first terminal; The updated service range information is sent to the first terminal. The updated service range information is determined based on the information of the first network and the location information of the first terminal.

23. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain information about the service ranges of the first network and the second network, wherein the service range of the first network includes a first service range and the service range of the second network includes a second service range, and the first service range is different from the second service range. Obtain service range information broadcast by access network devices; When connected to the first network, if it is determined that the device has moved outside the first service range based on the service range corresponding to the first network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, a fifth message is sent to the first network element and / or the second network element. The fifth message is used to update the paging range of the first network for paging the communication device. The first network element is the management network element of the first network, and the second network element is used to implement the mobility management of the second network. When connected to the second network, if it is determined that the device has moved outside the second service range based on the service range corresponding to the second network and the service range information broadcast by the access network device, a sixth message is sent to the second network element. The sixth message is used to update the paging range of the second network for paging the communication device.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, Applied to a first terminal, the method further includes: A third message is received, wherein the third message includes the first identifier of the first terminal and the information of the first network, or the third message includes the first identifier of the first terminal, the information of the first network and the information of the second network, and the third message is used to request the first terminal to access the first network. Based on the information of the first network carried in the third message, an access request is sent to the first network element.

25. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first network element, a second network element, and an access network device, wherein the first network element, the second network element, and the access network device are used to implement the corresponding steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, Used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 24.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 24 through logic circuits or executing code instructions.

28. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 24.

29. A computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed by the communication device, the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 24 is implemented.

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