Communication method, apparatus, terminal, network-side device, medium, and product

Abstract

The application discloses a communication method, device, terminal, network side equipment, medium and product, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The communication method of the application embodiment comprises the following steps: a first network function (NF) performs at least one of the following: sending a first message to a second NF serving a terminal, wherein the first message comprises first information, and the first information is used for indicating that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF; and sending a second message to an access network equipment serving the terminal, wherein the second message comprises information of the second NF; wherein the second NF is an NF comprising a mobility management function, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF comprising the mobility management function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to a communication method, device, terminal, network-side equipment, medium, and product. Background Technology

[0002] In the Service Based Architecture (SBA) of 5G mobile communication technology, the control plane network elements of the core network include network functions (NFs) such as Access & Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Unified Data Management (UDM), and Authentication Server Function (AUSF). The Radio Access Network (RAN) communicates with the AMF through the Reference Point Interface (N2). The AMF forwards messages between the RAN and other NFs (e.g., RAN and SMF) through the N2 interface. The AMF also forwards session management-related NAS messages between the User Equipment (UE) and other NFs (e.g., UE and SMF) through the N2 interface. In related technologies, NAS messages between the UE and other NFs need to be forwarded through the AMF, resulting in a roundabout information transmission path and low transmission efficiency. Specifically, when a UE transitions from Connection Management Idle (CM_IDLE) to Connection Management Connected (CM_CONNECTED), it first sends a Service Request (SR) message or a Registration Request (MRU) message to the AMF. NAS messages between the UE and other NFs need to be forwarded through the AMF. A UE in CM_IDLE does not establish a NAS signaling connection with the AMF via the N1 interface. A UE in CM_CONNECTED establishes a NAS signaling connection with the AMF via the N1 interface. The NAS signaling connection uses the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection between the UE and the RAN, and the NGAP (Next Generation Application Protocol) UE association between the RAN and the AMF for 3GPP access.

[0003] To improve information transmission efficiency, this application considers the terminal directly sending an uplink NAS message to another NF (e.g., SMF) besides the AMF to enter the connected state. However, since the AMF does not participate in the UE's transition from idle to connected state, it assumes the UE is still in idle state and pages the UE, leading to resource waste. Furthermore, the access network node lacks AMF-related information, potentially causing communication failures in some communication processes that require AMF-related information. Therefore, it is evident that when the mobility management function does not participate in the terminal's transition from idle to connected state, there may be a problem of degraded communication performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, terminal, network-side device, medium, and product that can solve the problem of reduced communication performance that may occur when mobility management functions do not participate in the process of a terminal transitioning from an idle state to a connected state.

[0005] Firstly, a communication method is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] The first network function (NF) performs at least one of the following:

[0007] Send a first message to the second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0008] Send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF;

[0009] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0010] Secondly, a communication method is provided, the method comprising:

[0011] The second NF receives a first message sent by the first NF. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0012] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0013] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, the method comprising:

[0014] Access network devices perform at least one of the following:

[0015] Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF;

[0016] The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0017] Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0018] Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0019] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which includes:

[0020] The terminal executes at least one of the following:

[0021] Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0022] Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0023] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0024] Fifthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0025] The first execution module includes at least one of the following:

[0026] The first sending module is configured to send a first message to a second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0027] The second sending module is used to send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF;

[0028] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0029] Sixthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0030] The third receiving module is used to receive a first message sent by the first NF. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0031] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0032] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0033] The second execution module is used to perform at least one of the following:

[0034] Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF;

[0035] The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0036] Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0037] Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0038] Eighthly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0039] The third execution module is used to perform at least one of the following:

[0040] Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0041] Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0042] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0043] A ninth aspect provides a communication device configured to perform the steps of the method described in the first aspect, or implement the steps of the method described in the second aspect, or implement the steps of the method described in the third aspect, or implement the steps of the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0044] In a tenth aspect, a terminal is provided, the terminal including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the method as described in the fourth aspect.

[0045] Eleventhly, a terminal is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used for at least one of the following:

[0046] Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0047] Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0048] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0049] Twelfthly, a network-side device is provided, the network-side device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the steps of the method as described in the first aspect, or, when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the steps of the method as described in the second aspect, or, when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the steps of the method as described in the third aspect.

[0050] In a thirteenth aspect, a network-side device is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used for at least one of the following:

[0051] Send a first message to the second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0052] Send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF;

[0053] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0054] In a fourteenth aspect, a network-side device is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used for:

[0055] Receive a first message sent by a first NF, the first message including first information, the first information being used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF;

[0056] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0057] In a fifteenth aspect, a network-side device is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used for at least one of the following:

[0058] Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF;

[0059] The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0060] Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0061] Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0062] In a sixteenth aspect, a readable storage medium is provided, on which a program or instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect, or the steps of the method described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method described in the third aspect, or the steps of the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0063] In a seventeenth aspect, a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal and a network-side device, wherein the terminal is configured to perform the steps of the method described in the fourth aspect, and the network-side device is configured to perform the steps of the method described in the first, second, and / or third aspects.

[0064] Eighteenthly, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface coupled to the processor, the processor being configured to run a program or instructions to implement the steps of the method as described in the first aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the third aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the fourth aspect.

[0065] In a nineteenth aspect, a computer program / program product is provided, which is stored in a storage medium and is executed by at least one processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in the first aspect; or, the computer program / program product is executed by at least one processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in the second aspect; or, the computer program / program product is executed by at least one processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in the third aspect; or, the computer program / program product is executed by at least one processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in the fourth aspect.

[0066] In this embodiment, the first network function (NF) performs at least one of the following: sending a first message to a second NF serving the terminal, the first message including first information indicating that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF; and sending a second message to an access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information about the second NF. The second NF is an NF containing mobility management functionality, and the first NF is an NF other than the one containing mobility management functionality. This ensures that the NF containing mobility management functionality is aware that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with another NF, and / or the access network device is aware of the information of the NF serving the terminal that contains mobility management functionality. This improves the communication performance of the communication system without the mobility management function participating in the process of the terminal transitioning from an idle state to a connected state. Attached Figure Description

[0067] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of another wireless communication system to which the embodiments of this application can be applied;

[0069] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of another wireless communication system to which the embodiments of this application can be applied;

[0070] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of a network-side device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0084] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another network-side device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0085] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0086] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same class, not limited in number; for example, the first object can be one or more. Furthermore, "or" in this application indicates at least one of the connected objects. For example, the scope of protection for "A or B" covers at least three scenarios: Scenario 1: including A but not B; Scenario 2: including B but not A; Scenario 3: including both A and B. In addition, the terms "A and / or B," "at least one of A and B," and "at least one of A or B" also cover at least the above three scenarios. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0087] The term "instruction" in this application can be either a direct instruction (or explicit instruction) or an indirect instruction (or implicit instruction). A direct instruction can be understood as the sender explicitly informing the receiver of specific information, the required operation, or the requested result in the instruction sent. An indirect instruction can be understood as the receiver determining the corresponding information based on the instruction sent by the sender, or making a judgment and determining the required operation or requested result based on the judgment result.

[0088] It is worth noting that the technologies described in this application are not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE) / LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, but can also be used in other wireless communication systems, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single-carrier Frequency-Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), or other systems. The terms "system" and "network" in this application are often used interchangeably, and the described technologies can be used with the systems and radio technologies mentioned above, as well as with other systems and radio technologies. The following description describes New Radio (NR) systems for illustrative purposes, and the term NR is used in most of the following description; however, these technologies can also be applied to systems other than NR systems, such as 6th generation (6G) radio systems. th Generation 6G communication system.

[0089] Figure 1This diagram illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. The wireless communication system includes a terminal 11 and a network-side device 12. The terminal 11 can also be referred to as User Equipment (UE), and can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld computer, netbook, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), mobile internet device (MID), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) device, robot, wearable device, flight vehicle, vehicle user equipment (VUE), shipboard equipment, pedestrian user equipment (PUE), smart home devices (home appliances with wireless communication capabilities, such as refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, or furniture), game consoles, personal computers (PCs), ATMs, or self-service machines, etc. Wearable devices include: smartwatches, smart bracelets, smart earphones, smart glasses, smart jewelry (smart bracelets, smart chains, smart rings, smart necklaces, smart anklets, smart anklets, etc.), smart wristbands, smart clothing, etc. Among these, in-vehicle devices can also be referred to as in-vehicle terminals, in-vehicle controllers, in-vehicle modules, in-vehicle components, in-vehicle chips, or in-vehicle units, etc. It should be noted that the specific type of terminal 11 is not limited in this application embodiment. Network-side equipment 12 may include access network equipment or core network equipment, wherein access network equipment may also be referred to as Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment, radio access network function, or radio access network unit. Access network equipment may include base stations, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access points (APs), or Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) nodes, etc.Among them, base stations can be referred to as Node B (NB), Evolved Node B (eNB), Next Generation Node B (gNB), New Radio Node B (NR Node B), Access Point, Relay Base Station (RBS), Serving Base Station (SBS), Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Radio Base Station, Radio Transceiver, Basic Service Set (BSS), Extended Service Set (ESS), Home Node B (HNB), Home Evolved Node B, Transmit / Receive Point (TRP), Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) equipment (such as satellite or high altitude platform stations). The term "base station" can be any suitable term in the field, such as "station" or any other appropriate term in the relevant field, as long as the same technical effect is achieved. The term "base station" is not limited to any specific technical term. It should be noted that the embodiments of this application only use the base station in the NR system as an example for introduction, and do not limit the specific type of base station.

[0090] Core network equipment, also known as core network nodes, core network functions, or core network elements, includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), Edge Application Server Discovery Function (EASDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Unified Data Repository (UDR), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Centralized network configuration (CNC), Network Repository Function (NRF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Local NEF (L-NEF), and Binding Support. Functions include BSF, Application Function (AF), Location Management Function (LMF), Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC), Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF), and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) equipment (such as satellite or high altitude platform station).It should be noted that the embodiments of this application only use the core network equipment in the NR system as an example for introduction, and do not limit the specific type of core network equipment. If the name of the core network equipment mentioned in the embodiments of this application changes in subsequent protocol versions (such as 6G), it is also within the scope of protection of this application.

[0091] Optionally, the core network equipment can be implemented by one or more functional modules in a single device, or by multiple devices working together; this application does not specifically limit this. It is understood that the aforementioned functional modules can be network elements in hardware devices, software functional modules running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functional modules instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0092] For ease of understanding, the following describes some aspects of the embodiments of this application:

[0093] In related technologies, such as Figure 2 As shown, in the 5G Service Based Architecture (SBA), the core network control plane elements AMF, SMF, PCF, UDM, and AUSF communicate with each other through a Service Based Interface (SBI). The Radio Access Network (RAN) communicates with the AMF through the Reference Point Interface (N2). The N2 interface is also used to transmit Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messages between the UE and the AMF on the N1 interface. The AMF forwards messages between the RAN and the SMF, as well as session management-related NAS messages between the UE and the SMF, through the N2 interface.

[0094] In another type of SBA, such as Figure 3 As shown, the N2 interface between the RAN and AMF is service-oriented, enabling communication between the RAN and NFs such as AMF and SMF based on the SBI interface.

[0095] The above NF is a general term for all core network elements. For example, it can be a general term for 6G core network control plane elements. The above NF can be replaced by different NF types, such as AMF, SMF, PCF, etc.

[0096] In related technologies, Figure 2 and Figure 3In the illustrated framework, when a UE transitions from the idle state (CM_Idle) to the connected state (CM_CONNECTED), NAS messages between the UE and other NFs (NFs other than the AMF) need to be forwarded through the AMF. The AMF's forwarding of NAS messages between the UE and other NFs leads to path detours and low transmission efficiency. Specifically, when a UE transitions from the idle state (CM_IDLE) to the connected state (CM_CONNECTED), the UE first sends a Service Request (SR) message or a Registration Request (MRU) message to the AMF. NAS messages between the UE and other NFs then need to be forwarded through the AMF.

[0097] In this application embodiment, consideration is given to Figure 2 and Figure 3 Under the framework shown ( Figure 2 (Interface improvements are needed within the framework) The UE can communicate with any NF (Network Function) via NAS without needing to go through the AMF (Advanced Management Function), thus resolving the NAS path detour issue caused by AMF forwarding NAS messages. Specifically, Figure 2 Within this framework, reference point interfaces can be established between the RAN and other NFs in the core network, allowing the RAN to forward NAS messages between the UE and other NFs. Figure 3 Within this framework, the RAN can transmit NAS messages between the UE and the corresponding NF (such as SMF, PCF) through the SBI interface.

[0098] Specifically, during the connection state transition, the UE can send an uplink NAS message to other NFs (e.g., SMF) to enter the connected state, and the AMF can be excluded from the UE's transition from idle to connected state. However, since the AMF does not participate in this process, it may lead to defects in the communication flow.

[0099] For example, the UE can send an uplink NAS message to the first NF (e.g., SMF) to enter the connected state. Since the AMF does not participate in the UE's transition from idle to connected state, the AMF is unaware that the UE has entered the connected state. When other NFs (NFs other than the first NF and the AMF), such as the Sensing Function (SF), need to send a DL NAS message to the UE, the 6G AMF may think that the UE is still in the idle state and page the UE, resulting in wasted resources.

[0100] For example, when a UE needs to switch RANs, the RAN does not have AMF information and cannot initiate an N2-based handover process, resulting in communication failure.

[0101] This application considers the problems of detours in information transmission paths and low transmission efficiency in the existing technology. The UE sends an uplink NAS message to other NFs (e.g., SMF) to enter the connected state. The AMF can be excluded from the process of the UE changing from the idle state to the connected state (which can be understood as a distributed NAS architecture). On this basis, it further considers that if the mobility management function does not participate in the process of the terminal changing from the idle state to the connected state, there may be a problem of reduced communication performance.

[0102] The communication methods, devices, terminals, network functions, equipment, media, and products provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through some embodiments and application scenarios.

[0103] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, used for a first NF, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0104] Step 401: The first network function (NF) performs at least one of the following:

[0105] Send a first message to the second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0106] Send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF;

[0107] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0108] In this embodiment, the NAS signaling connection between the terminal and the first NF can be: the NAS signaling connection uses the RRC connection between the terminal and the RAN and the terminal-specific control plane connection (control plane protocol terminal association) between the RAN and the first NF for access. It can also be described as the terminal entering or being in a connected state in the first NF, the terminal being in a connected state corresponding to the first NF, the terminal entering a connected state through the first NF from an idle state, or the terminal directly communicating with the first NF via the RAN, etc.

[0109] An NF that includes mobility management functionality refers to a network function, network device, or network node that has mobility management functionality. An NF that includes mobility management functionality includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a Mobility Management Function (MMF) after 5G AMF, 6G AMF, or AMF has been separated into Access Management (AM) and Mobility Management (MM), where the MMF may further include other functions.

[0110] In this embodiment, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functionality. Optionally, the second NF can be a 5G AMF, a 6G AMF, or an MMF. The first NF is an NF other than the one that includes mobility management functionality, such as an SMF, PCF, or SF. This embodiment does not limit the specific types of the first and second NFs, but distinguishes them only by whether they have mobility management functionality.

[0111] In this embodiment of the application, the access network device can also be described as an access network element, access network node, etc.

[0112] In related technologies, the connection management states CM_IDLE and CM_CONNECTED of a terminal specifically refer to the NAS signaling connection between the UE and the AMF. A CM_IDLE connection state indicates that the UE has not established a NAS signaling connection with the AMF over N1, while a CM_CONNECTED connection state indicates that the UE has established a NAS signaling connection with the AMF over N1. The NAS signaling connection uses the RRC connection between the UE and the access network equipment, as well as the NGAP UE association between the access network equipment and the AMF, for 3GPP access.

[0113] In this embodiment, the terminal is indicated by the first information to have a NAS signaling connection with the first NF (an NF other than the NF containing mobility management functions). This NAS signaling connection can be achieved by using an RRC connection between the terminal and the access network device, and a UE-specific control plane connection between the access network device and the first NF. Alternatively, it can be described as the terminal being in a connected state with the first NF, allowing the terminal to perform direct NAS communication with the first NF through the access network device.

[0114] In this embodiment, by sending a first message carrying first information (e.g., UE Conn Indication) to a second NF serving the terminal, the second NF can know that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF or (through the first NF) requests to enter the connection state corresponding to the first NF. This enables the NF containing mobility management functions to know that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF, thereby reducing unnecessary paging processes of the NF containing mobility management functions, saving transmission resources, and improving transmission performance.

[0115] Optionally, the first message may further include at least one of the following:

[0116] The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF;

[0117] The third identifier is the identifier of the access network device;

[0118] The fourth identifier is an identifier assigned to the terminal by the access network device;

[0119] The terminal's Mobility Management (MM) context request information.

[0120] In this embodiment of the application, when the first NF sends a first message carrying first information to the second NF, it may also carry at least one of the following:

[0121] The identifier of the first NF, for example, if the first NF is an SMF, the identifier of the first NF can be a 6G SMF ID;

[0122] The identifier of the access network device can be described, for example, as RAN ID information; the second NF can know the identity information of the access network device serving the above-mentioned terminal based on the identifier of the access network device.

[0123] The identifier assigned to the terminal by the access network device can be, for example, a unique identifier for the UE within the RAN (RAN UEIdentity, RAN UE ID), where the RAN UE ID contains RAN ID information, or in other words, RAN ID information can be extracted from the RAN UE ID; the second NF can know the identity information of the access network device serving the terminal based on the identifier assigned to the terminal by the access network device;

[0124] The MM context request information (e.g., MM Context Req) of the terminal can be understood to mean that the first NF can send the aforementioned first message during the process of requesting the terminal's MM context from the second NF. That is, during the process of requesting the terminal's MM context from the second NF, the first NF can inform the second NF of the connection status of the UE and / or the information of the access network equipment serving the UE, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0125] Optionally, the terminal may be implicitly indicated to be in a connected state or requesting to enter a connected state by carrying the identifier of the access network device and / or the identifier assigned to the terminal by the access network device in the first message. That is, the third identifier and / or the fourth identifier are used as the first information.

[0126] Optionally, the RAN ID and RAN UE ID mentioned above can be included in the same message or sent to the second NF through different messages.

[0127] In this embodiment, by sending a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the access network device becomes aware of the information of the second NF serving the terminal, thereby enabling the access network device to execute communication processes related to the second NF (which includes mobility management functions). For example, initiating an N2-based handover process improves transmission performance. The information of the second NF is used to inform the access network device of the specific identity of the NF serving the terminal that includes mobility management functions; for example, it informs the access network device which AMF serves the terminal.

[0128] Optionally, the information of the second NF includes at least one of the identifier of the second NF and the IP address information of the second NF.

[0129] In this embodiment of the application, when the second NF is an AMF, the identifier of the second NF can be a globally unique AMF Identifier (GUAMI), i.e., the GUAMI of the AMF, or it can be an AMFID. When the second NF is another NF that includes mobility management functions, such as an MMF, the identifier of the second NF can be the globally unique MMF ID of the second NF.

[0130] It is understood that, in the embodiments of this application, sending one or both of the first and second messages can be used to address the potential communication performance degradation problem when the mobility management function does not participate in the process of the terminal transitioning from idle to connected state.

[0131] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0132] The first NF receives a third message sent by the access network device, wherein the third message includes a first NAS message, the first NAS message comes from the terminal, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0133] The NAS messages in this application embodiment can also be described as NAS information or NAS signaling.

[0134] In this embodiment of the application, the terminal sends an uplink NAS message (first NAS message) to the first NF. The first NF may send the first message and / or the second message upon receiving the first NAS message.

[0135] Optionally, the third message is used for at least one of the following:

[0136] Request activation of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session;

[0137] Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF;

[0138] The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

[0139] In this embodiment, the terminal sends the aforementioned first NAS message based on the purpose of requesting activation of a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session, activating the service corresponding to the first NF, and / or requesting to enter a connected state. Wherein, if the first NF is an SF, activating the service corresponding to the first NF indicates activation of a sensing service.

[0140] Specifically, the terminal sends the aforementioned first NAS message to the first NF through the access network device.

[0141] Optionally, the access network device receives an eighth message sent by the terminal, the eighth message including a second identifier and a first NAS message, the second identifier being the identifier of a first NF, and the first NAS message including a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0142] In this embodiment, the terminal informs the access network device that the target NF of the first NAS message is the first NF by sending a second identifier to the access network device. That is, upon receiving the eighth message, the access network device forwards the first NAS message from the terminal to the first NF (via the third message). For example, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, the RRC message in step 1 is the eighth message mentioned above, which carries the 6G SMF ID (second identifier / identifier of the first NF) and the NAS message (first NAS message). The 6G RAN (access network equipment) determines the target SMF (i.e., the SMF corresponding to the 6G SMF ID) based on the 6G SMF ID, and then uses the third message ( Figure 5 The Nsmf_NASTransport Req in the middle sends the above NAS message to the target SMF. Optionally, the function of the eighth message above corresponds to the function of the third message.

[0143] Optionally, the eighth message is used for at least one of the following:

[0144] Request activation of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session;

[0145] Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF;

[0146] The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

[0147] In one optional implementation, the terminal may provide the information of the second NF to the access network device in the eighth message, without the first NF providing the second NF information to the access network device via the second message. When the eighth message carries the information of the second NF, the first NF may not need to send the second NF to the access network device. It is understood that even when the eighth message carries the information of the second NF, the first NF can still send a second message to the access network device carrying the second NF information to improve communication reliability. It is also understood that even if the first NF does not need to provide the second NF information to the access network device, it can still send a second message to the access network device; that is, in one optional implementation, the second message may not carry the second NF information.

[0148] For ease of distinction, in this embodiment of the application, if the eighth message includes information of the second NF, the eighth message is described as the fifth message.

[0149] Optionally, the access network device receives a fifth message sent by the terminal. The fifth message includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0150] For example, the fifth message is Figure 6 In step 1, the second NF message in the RRC message is the GUAMI in that RRC message. The difference between the fifth and eighth messages is that the fifth message carries the information of the second NF. Other explanations of the fifth message can be found in the explanation of the eighth message, and will not be repeated here.

[0151] Optionally, the access network device sends a third message to the first NF according to the fifth message or the eighth message. The third message includes the first NAS message. The eighth message is a message from the terminal. The eighth message includes a second identifier and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF. The first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0152] Optionally, the function of the fifth message mentioned above corresponds to the function of the third message.

[0153] Optionally, the fifth message is used for at least one of the following:

[0154] Request activation of PDU session;

[0155] Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF;

[0156] The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

[0157] Optionally, in this embodiment of the application, the process is performed when the terminal sends an uplink NAS message to the first NF (e.g., SMF) to enter the connected state. The first NF determines the identifier of the terminal requesting to enter the connected state based on the aforementioned first identifier.

[0158] Optionally, the first identifier can be a globally unique temporary UE identifier (NF-GUTI) assigned by the first NF (6G NF), or another form of identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF. For example, if the first NF is an SMF, the first identifier can be a globally unique temporary UE identifier (SMF-GUTI) assigned by the 6G SMF, or another form of identifier assigned to the UE by another SMF. It is understood that if the first NF is another NF, such as an SF, the first identifier can be an identifier assigned to the terminal by the SF, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0159] In related technologies, the 5G GUTI is limited to a globally unique temporary UE identity (5G-GUTI) assigned by the 5G AMF. This application extends the types of GUTI.

[0160] Optionally, taking the PDU session activation process as an example, the aforementioned third message may be a PDU session activation request, or it can be understood that the aforementioned first NAS message includes a PDU session activation request, and the aforementioned PDU session activation request may include PDU session identifiers.

[0161] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0162] The first NF determines the information of the second NF based on the first identifier.

[0163] In this embodiment, the first NF can specifically determine the second NF serving the aforementioned terminal based on the first identifier carried in the third message. The first NF can determine the aforementioned terminal based on the first identifier, and then determine the second NF serving the aforementioned terminal in locally stored data. Optionally, the first NF can locally store the correspondence between the terminal and the second NF (the NF containing mobility management functions). For example, the first NF can locally store the correspondence between SMF-GUTI and AMF GUAMI. When the first identifier is SMF-GUTI, the first NF can correspondingly determine the GUAMI of the AMF serving the aforementioned terminal (i.e., the identifier information of the second NF). When the first NF determines the information of the second NF serving the terminal, it can send a first message to the corresponding second NF and / or send a second message to the access network device based on the determined second NF information, thereby enabling the access network device to learn the information of the aforementioned second NF.

[0164] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0165] The first NF receives a fourth message from the second NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

[0166] When the first NF sends the terminal's MM context request information to the second NF, for example, when the first message includes the terminal's mobility management MM context request information, the second NF can send the terminal's mobility management MM context back to the first NF, for example, in the form of an MM container.

[0167] Optionally, the second message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session, and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

[0168] In this embodiment, the first network function (NF) can indicate the information of the second NF to the access network device in response to a PDU session activation request and / or a service activation request corresponding to the first NF, thereby saving signaling overhead. For example, if the first NF is an SMF, the second message can be used to activate the PDU session request; if the first NF is an SF, the second message can be used to activate the service request corresponding to the SF, or it may be used to activate the services corresponding to both the SMF and the SF simultaneously.

[0169] Optionally, if the first NF receives a third message requesting the activation of a PDU session and / or a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF, the first NF may respond with a second message requesting the activation of a PDU session and / or a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

[0170] In one optional implementation, the terminal may provide the information of the second NF to the access network device in the sixth message, without the first NF providing this information via the second message. That is, even if the sixth message carries the information of the second NF, the first NF may not need to send the second NF to the access network device. It is understood that even with the second NF information in the sixth message, the first NF can still send a second message to the access network device carrying the second NF information, thereby improving communication reliability. It is also understood that even if the first NF does not need to provide the second NF information to the access network device, it can still send a second message to the access network device; that is, in one optional implementation, the second message may not carry the second NF information.

[0171] Optionally, upon receiving the seventh message, the aforementioned terminal may send a sixth message to the access network device; the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF.

[0172] In this embodiment of the application, the terminal may send the information of the second NF to the access network device after receiving a NAS message from the first NF.

[0173] Optionally, the seventh message corresponds to the second message, and the seventh message is used to respond to the PDU session activation request and / or the service request corresponding to the first NF.

[0174] In this embodiment of the application, when the access device receives the second message sent by the first NF, it sends a seventh message to the terminal. The function of the seventh message corresponds to the function of the second message.

[0175] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the RRC message in step 1 and the information of the second NF (GUAMI) in step 8 do not need to be carried. In step 10, the information of the second NF (GUAMI) is provided to the access network device through the RRC message (sixth message).

[0176] In this embodiment, the first network function (NF) performs at least one of the following: sending a first message to a second NF serving the terminal, the first message including first information indicating that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF; and sending a second message to an access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information about the second NF. The second NF is an NF containing mobility management functionality, and the first NF is an NF other than the one containing mobility management functionality. This ensures that the NF containing mobility management functionality is aware that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with another NF, and / or the access network device is aware of the information of the NF serving the terminal that contains mobility management functionality. This improves the communication performance of the communication system without the mobility management function participating in the process of the terminal transitioning from an idle state to a connected state.

[0177] See Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, used for a second NF, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0178] Step 801: The second NF receives a first message sent by the first NF. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0179] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0180] Optionally, the first message may further include at least one of the following:

[0181] The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF;

[0182] The third identifier is the identifier of the access network device;

[0183] The fourth identifier is an identifier assigned to the terminal by the access network device;

[0184] The terminal's Mobility Management (MM) context request information.

[0185] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0186] The second NF sends a fourth message to the first NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

[0187] It should be noted that this embodiment is used as a reference for... Figure 4The implementation of the second NF corresponding to the illustrated embodiment can be found in the following examples. Figure 4 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments all achieve the same or similar beneficial effects. To avoid repetition, these descriptions will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0188] See Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, used for access network devices, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0189] Step 901: The access network device performs at least one of the following:

[0190] Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF;

[0191] The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0192] Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0193] Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0194] In this embodiment, the access network device has multiple optional methods or combinations of methods to obtain the information of the second NF. One method is that the first NF provides the second NF information to the access network device; two methods are that the terminal provides the second NF to the access network device. The terminal provides the second NF to the access network device during the process of the terminal sending an uplink NAS message (first NAS message) to the first NF, and / or when the terminal receives a downlink NAS message (second NAS message) from the second NF.

[0195] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0196] The access network device sends a third message to the first NF according to the fifth message or the eighth message. The third message includes the first NAS message. The eighth message is a message from the terminal. The eighth message includes a second identifier and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF. The first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0197] Optionally, the third message is used for at least one of the following:

[0198] Request activation of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session;

[0199] Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF;

[0200] The terminal requests to enter the connection state;

[0201] And / or, the fifth message is used for at least one of the following:

[0202] Request activation of PDU session;

[0203] Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF;

[0204] The terminal requests to enter the connection state;

[0205] And / or, the eighth message is used for at least one of the following:

[0206] Request activation of PDU session;

[0207] Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF;

[0208] The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

[0209] Optionally, the second message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session, and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

[0210] Optionally, the seventh message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

[0211] Optionally, the information of the second NF includes at least one of the identifier of the second NF and the IP address information of the second NF.

[0212] It should be noted that this embodiment is used as a reference for... Figure 4 The implementation methods of the access network devices shown in the embodiments can be found in the following examples. Figure 4 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments all achieve the same or similar beneficial effects. To avoid repetition, these descriptions will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0213] See Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, used for a terminal, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0214] The terminal executes at least one of the following:

[0215] Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0216] Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0217] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0218] Optionally, the seventh message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

[0219] Optionally, the fifth message is used for at least one of the following:

[0220] Request activation of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session;

[0221] Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF;

[0222] The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

[0223] Optionally, the information of the second NF includes at least one of the second identifier and the IP address information of the second NF.

[0224] It should be noted that this embodiment is used as a reference for... Figure 4 The terminal implementation methods shown in the embodiments can be found in the following examples. Figure 4 The relevant descriptions in the illustrated embodiments all achieve the same or similar beneficial effects. To avoid repetition, these descriptions will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0225] For ease of understanding, several examples are provided below as optional implementation methods of this application. Optionally, embodiments of this application relate to a communication connection management method, including the process of a UE entering a connected state through a first NF in an idle state, where the first NF notifies the UE of its serving RAN information to the AMF, and the first NF or the UE notifies the RAN of the globally unique identifier (GUAMI) of the UE's serving AMF. Embodiments also include storing the UE's Connection Management (CM) state and the NF information of its connections in the AMF, and storing the UE's CM state and the NF information of its connections in the UE.

[0226] Example 1: NF Notification Methods

[0227] Taking the PDU session activation process as an example, when the UE requests to enter the connected state or when the UE enters the connected state, the SMF notifies the AMF of the UE's serving RAN information and notifies the RAN of the UE's serving AMF's GUAMI. This embodiment uses the SMF as an example for illustration, but it is understood that it is also applicable to other NFs, such as the Policy Control Function (PCF) and the Sense Function (SF). Based on the above process, the resource waste caused by the AMF paging the UE without knowing the RAN information and the communication failure caused by the RAN's inability to initiate N2-based handover can be solved. The corresponding signaling process can be found in the appendix. Figure 5 The process shown has the following specific steps:

[0228] Step 1: The UE carries the 6G SMF ID and a NAS message requesting activation of the PDU session in the RRC message sent to the RAN. The NAS message contains the locally stored SMF-GUTI.

[0229] Step 2: RAN determines the SMF based on the SMF ID.

[0230] Step 3: The RAN assigns a RAN UE ID to the UE and sends a NAS message requesting PDU session activation to the SMF determined in Step 2 via a third message (Nsmf_NASTransport Req). The third message carries the RAN UE ID.

[0231] Step 4: The SMF obtains the 6G GUAMI of the UE's service AMF stored locally based on the SMF-GUTI.

[0232] Step 5: The SMF sends a request message (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer Req) to the AMF, containing the UE's serving RAN information (which can be the RAN ID or the RAN UE ID; the AMF can extract the RAN ID information from the RAN UE ID). Optionally, it may also contain one or more of the following information: Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), UE Connectivity Indication, 6G SMF ID, and UE MM context information request information.

[0233] Step 6: The AMF sends a response message (Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer Rsp) to the SMF, including the UE's MM context information, such as security context, radiocapability, and mobility restriction list, which the SMF uses to subsequently send the MM context information to the RAN. The AMF updates and saves the UE's CM state as CM_Connected. This response message may also include SUPI, RAN UE ID, and other information.

[0234] Step 7: SMF interacts with UPF to update PDU session information (N4 session Update). The UPF and its interaction process in this step are not shown in the figure. This process can be referred to in the description of relevant technologies.

[0235] Step 8: The SMF sends the UE's serving AMF's GUAMI to the RAN, and also sends the DL NAS message and the MM Context from the MM container to the RAN. This DL NAS message includes a PDU session activation response and an SMF-GUTI. The aforementioned GUAMI, DL NAS message, and MM container can be carried in a second message (Nsmf_NASTransport Rsp), which is used to respond to the PDU session activation request. Optionally, the second message also carries the RAN UE ID.

[0236] Step 9: The RAN forwards the above-mentioned DL NAS message from the SMF to the UE via an RRC message. Optionally, the above-mentioned RRC message carries the RAN UE ID, and the UE updates its local CM status to CM_Connected.

[0237] Example 2: UE Notification Method 1

[0238] In this example, the UE notifies the RAN of the UE serving AMF's GUAMI, for example, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the terminal carries the UE's serving AMF's GUAMI in the first message sent to the RAN in step 1. Similar to Example 1, the SMF also notifies the AMF of the UE's serving RAN information. The specific steps are as follows:

[0239] Step 1: The UE carries the 6G SMF ID and a NAS message requesting activation of the PDU session in the RRC message sent to the RAN. The RRC message contains the GUAMI of the UE's serving AMF (the registered AMF), and the NAS message contains the locally stored SMF-GUTI.

[0240] Steps 2 through 7: Same as Example 1.

[0241] Step 8: The difference from Step 8 in Example 1 is that it does not include the UE's serving AMF GUAMI.

[0242] Step 9: Same as Example 1.

[0243] Example 3: UE Notification Method 2

[0244] In this example, the UE notifies the RAN of the UE's serving AMF's GUAMI. Upon receiving a DL NAS message from the SMF, the UE notifies the RAN of the UE's serving AMF's GUAMI. Similar to Examples 1 and 2, the SMF also notifies the AMF of the UE's serving RAN information. Figure 7 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:

[0245] Steps 1 through 7: Same as Example 1.

[0246] Steps 8-9: Same as steps 8 and 9 in Example 2.

[0247] Step 10: The UE sends an RRC message (sixth message) to the RAN, carrying the UE's serving AMF's GUAMI and (optionally) a UL NAS message to the AMF. Optionally, the sixth message includes the RAN UE ID.

[0248] Step 11 (optional): The RAN sends the RAN UE ID to the AMF and / or the UL NAS message to the AMF.

[0249] In the embodiments of this application, the above process is triggered by the terminal sending an RRC message. The above example can be understood as a terminal-triggered (UE-triggered) process. It is understood that the terminal can execute step 1 in the above example based on the triggering of other devices. The embodiments of this application solve the problems of resource waste caused by unnecessary paging and communication failure caused by the RAN's inability to initiate N2-based handover, reduce the load of AMF, reduce NAS signaling detour latency, and maintain the UE's communication connection.

[0250] The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be executed by a communication device. In this application embodiment, the communication device executes the method. Figure 4-10 The method shown is used as an example to illustrate the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0251] This application provides a communication device. As an example, the communication device may be a communication equipment or a component within a communication equipment, such as a chip. The communication equipment may be a terminal, a network-side device, or a server, etc. Exemplarily, the terminal may include, but is not limited to, the type of terminal 11 listed above, and the network-side device may include, but is not limited to, the type of network-side device 12 listed above. This application does not impose specific limitations.

[0252] The communication device includes a receiving module, a transmitting module, and a processing module. These modules can be implemented in software or hardware. When implemented in hardware, the processing module can be implemented by a processor. For example, the processor can include general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, etc., such as central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, graphics processing units (GPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), network processors (NPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, gate circuits, transistors, discrete hardware components, etc. The receiving and transmitting modules can be implemented by a communication interface, which can include one or more of the following: transceivers, pins, circuits, buses, radio frequency units, etc.

[0253] See Figure 11 When the communication device is a network-side device or a component within a network-side device, the communication device 1100 includes: a first execution module 1101, comprising at least one of the following:

[0254] The first sending module is configured to send a first message to a second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0255] The second sending module is used to send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF;

[0256] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the communication device includes other NFs besides the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0257] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0258] A first receiving module is configured to receive a third message sent by the access network device, wherein the third message includes a first NAS message, the first NAS message originating from a terminal, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the communication device.

[0259] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0260] The determining module is used to determine the information of the second NF based on the first identifier.

[0261] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0262] The second receiving module is used to receive a fourth message from the second NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

[0263] The apparatus provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figures 4 to 7 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0264] See Figure 12 When the communication device is a network-side device or a component within a network-side device, the communication device 1200 includes:

[0265] The third receiving module 1201 is used to receive a first message sent by the first NF. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0266] The communication device includes an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, wherein the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0267] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0268] The third sending module is used to send a fourth message to the first NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

[0269] The apparatus provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figures 5 to 8 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0270] See Figure 13When the communication device is a network-side device or a component within a network-side device, the communication device 1300 includes: a second execution module 1301, configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0271] Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF;

[0272] The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0273] Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0274] Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0275] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0276] The fourth sending module is configured to send a third message to the first NF according to the fifth message or the eighth message. The third message includes the first NAS message. The eighth message is a message from the terminal. The eighth message includes a second identifier and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF. The first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0277] The apparatus provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figures 5 to 7 as well as Figure 9 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0278] For details, see Figure 14 When the communication device is a terminal or a component within a terminal, the communication device 1400 includes:

[0279] The third execution module 1401 is configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0280] Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the communication device by the first NF.

[0281] Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0282] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0283] The apparatus provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figures 5 to 7 as well as Figure 10 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0284] like Figure 15 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a communication device 1500, including a processor 1501 and a memory 1502. The memory 1502 stores a program or instructions that can run on the processor 1501. For example, when the communication device 1500 is a terminal, the program or instructions executed by the processor 1501 implement the above-mentioned... Figure 10 The various steps of the method embodiment can achieve the same technical effect. When the communication device 1500 is a network-side device, the program or instruction executed by the processor 1501 implements the above. Figure 4 , Figure 8 or Figure 9 The steps in the method embodiments are the same and can achieve the same technical effect, so they will not be repeated here to avoid repetition.

[0285] This application embodiment also provides a terminal, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement, for example... Figure 16 The steps in the method embodiment shown are illustrated. This terminal embodiment corresponds to the above-described terminal-side method embodiment. All implementation processes and methods of the above-described method embodiments can be applied to this terminal embodiment and achieve the same technical effect. The terminal can be... Figure 14 The communication device shown. Specifically, Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a terminal to implement an embodiment of this application.

[0286] The terminal 1600 includes, but is not limited to, at least some of the following components: radio frequency unit 1601, network module 1602, audio output unit 1603, input unit 1604, sensor 1605, display unit 1606, user input unit 1607, interface unit 1608, memory 1609, and processor 1610.

[0287] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terminal 1600 may also include a power supply (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components. The power supply may be logically connected to the processor 1610 through a power management system, thereby enabling functions such as managing charging, discharging, and power consumption through the power management system. Figure 16 The terminal structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the terminal. The terminal may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements, which will not be elaborated here.

[0288] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the input unit 1604 may include a graphics processor 16041 and a microphone 16042. The graphics processor 16041 processes image data of still images or videos obtained by an image capture device (such as a camera) in video capture mode or image capture mode. The display unit 1606 may include a display panel 16061, which may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, or the like. The user input unit 1607 includes at least one of a touch panel 16071 and other input devices 16072. The touch panel 16071 is also called a touch screen. The touch panel 16071 may include a touch detection device and a touch controller. Other input devices 16072 may include, but are not limited to, physical keyboards, function keys (such as volume control buttons, power buttons, etc.), trackballs, mice, and joysticks, which will not be described in detail here.

[0289] In this embodiment, after receiving downlink data from the network-side device, the radio frequency unit 1601 can transmit it to the processor 1610 for processing; in addition, the radio frequency unit 1601 can send uplink data to the network-side device. Typically, the radio frequency unit 1601 includes, but is not limited to, antennas, amplifiers, transceivers, couplers, low-noise amplifiers, duplexers, etc.

[0290] The memory 1609 can be used to store software programs or instructions, as well as various data. The memory 1609 may primarily include a first storage area for storing programs or instructions and a second storage area for storing data. The first storage area may store the operating system, application programs or instructions required for at least one function (such as sound playback, image playback, etc.). Furthermore, the memory 1609 may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DRRAM). The memory 1609 in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0291] Processor 1610 may include one or more processing units; optionally, processor 1610 integrates an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly handles operations involving the operating system, user interface, and applications, and the modem processor mainly handles wireless communication signals, such as a baseband processor. It is understood that the aforementioned modem processor may also not be integrated into processor 1610.

[0292] The radio frequency unit 1601 is used for at least one of the following:

[0293] Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0294] Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0295] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0296] It is understood that the implementation process of each implementation method mentioned in this embodiment can be referred to Figure 10 The relevant descriptions of the method embodiments shown herein, which achieve the same or corresponding technical effects, will not be repeated here to avoid duplication.

[0297] This application embodiment also provides a network-side device, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement, for example... Figure 9 The steps of the method embodiment shown are illustrated. This network-side device embodiment corresponds to the above-described network-side device method embodiment. All implementation processes and methods of the above-described method embodiments can be applied to this network-side device embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect.

[0298] Specifically, embodiments of this application also provide a network-side device, which can be... Figure 13 The communication device shown. (For example) Figure 17 As shown, the network-side device 1700 includes: an antenna 171, a radio frequency (RF) device 172, a baseband device 173, a processor 174, and a memory 175. The antenna 171 is connected to the RF device 172. In the uplink direction, the RF device 172 receives information through the antenna 171 and transmits the received information to the baseband device 173 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 173 processes the information to be transmitted and sends it to the RF device 172. The RF device 172 processes the received information and transmits it through the antenna 171.

[0299] The method executed by the network-side device in the above embodiments can be implemented in the baseband device 173, which includes a baseband processor.

[0300] Baseband device 173 may include, for example, at least one baseband board on which multiple chips are disposed, such as Figure 17 As shown, one of the chips is, for example, a baseband processor, which is connected to the memory 175 via a bus interface to call the program or instructions in the memory 175 to execute the network-side device operations shown in the above method embodiments.

[0301] The network-side device may also include a network interface 176, such as a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).

[0302] The radio frequency device 172 is used for at least one of the following:

[0303] Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF;

[0304] The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

[0305] Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF;

[0306] Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0307] Furthermore, the network-side device 1700 in this application embodiment also includes: a program or instructions stored in memory 175 and executable on processor 174, wherein processor 174 calls the program or instructions in memory 175 to execute. Figure 13 The methods executed by each module shown achieve the same technical effect, and to avoid repetition, they will not be described in detail here.

[0308] Specifically, embodiments of this application also provide a network-side device. For example... Figure 18 As shown, the network-side device 1800 includes: a processor 1801, a network interface 1802, and a memory 1803. This network-side device can be... Figure 11 or Figure 12 The communication device shown. The network interface 1802 is, for example, a common public radio interface (CPRI).

[0309] Network interface 1802 is used for at least one of the following:

[0310] Send a first message to the second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF.

[0311] Send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF;

[0312] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0313] Alternatively, network interface 1802 is used for:

[0314] Receive a first message sent by a first NF, the first message including first information, the first information being used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF;

[0315] Wherein, the second NF is an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

[0316] Furthermore, the network-side device 1800 in this embodiment of the application also includes: a program or instructions stored in a memory 1803 and executable on a processor 1801, wherein the processor 1801 calls the program or instructions in the memory 1803 to execute. Figure 11 or Figure 12 The methods executed by each module shown achieve the same technical effect, and to avoid repetition, they will not be described in detail here.

[0317] This application embodiment also provides a readable storage medium storing a program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the above-described functionality. Figure 4 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 or Figure 10 The various processes in the method embodiments can achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0318] The processor mentioned above is either the processor in the terminal described in the above embodiments or the processor in the network-side device. The readable storage medium includes computer-readable storage media, such as computer read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk. In some examples, the readable storage medium may be a non-transient readable storage medium.

[0319] This application embodiment also provides a chip, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface being coupled to the processor, the processor being used to run programs or instructions to implement the above. Figure 4 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 or Figure 10 The various processes in the embodiments can achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0320] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0321] This application also provides a computer program / program product, which is stored in a storage medium and executed by at least one processor to implement the above. Figure 4 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 or Figure 10 The various processes in the method embodiments can achieve the same technical effect, and will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0322] This application also provides a communication system, including: a terminal and a network-side device, wherein the terminal can be used to perform the above-described actions. Figure 10 The steps of the method shown can be performed by the network-side device as described above. Figure 4 , Figure 8 and / or Figure 9 The steps of the method shown.

[0323] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0324] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of computer software products plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, they can also be implemented by hardware. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.), and the computer software product includes several instructions to cause the terminal or network-side device to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0325] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other implementations under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these implementations are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The first network function (NF) performs at least one of the following: Send a first message to the second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF. Send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF; Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first NF receives a third message sent by the access network device, wherein the third message includes a first NAS message, the first NAS message comes from the terminal, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first NF determines the information of the second NF based on the first identifier.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, in, The first message also includes at least one of the following: The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF; The third identifier is the identifier of the access network device; The fourth identifier is an identifier assigned to the terminal by the access network device; The terminal's Mobility Management (MM) context request information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, in, The method further includes: The first NF receives a fourth message from the second NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

6. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The third message is used for at least one of the following: Request activation of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session; Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF; The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session, and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The information of the second NF includes at least one of the identifier of the second NF and the IP address information of the second NF.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The second NF receives a first message sent by the first NF. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF. Wherein, the second NF is an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, in, The first message also includes at least one of the following: The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF; The third identifier is the identifier of the access network device; The fourth identifier is an identifier assigned to the terminal by the access network device; The terminal's Mobility Management (MM) context request information.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, in, The method further includes: The second NF sends a fourth message to the first NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Access network devices perform at least one of the following: Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF; The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF. Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF; Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The access network device sends a third message to the first NF according to the fifth message or the eighth message. The third message includes the first NAS message. The eighth message is a message from the terminal. The eighth message includes a second identifier and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF. The first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, in, The third message is used for at least one of the following: Request activation of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session; Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF; The terminal requests to enter the connection state; And / or, the fifth message is used for at least one of the following: Request activation of PDU session; Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF; The terminal requests to enter the connection state; And / or, the eighth message is used for at least one of the following: Request activation of PDU session; Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF; The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, The second message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session, and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12-15, characterized in that, The seventh message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12-16, characterized in that, The information of the second NF includes at least one of the identifier of the second NF and the IP address information of the second NF.

18. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The terminal executes at least one of the following: Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF. Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF; Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The seventh message is used to respond to a request to activate a PDU session and / or to respond to a request to activate the service corresponding to the first NF.

20. The method according to any one of claims 18-19, characterized in that, The fifth message is used for at least one of the following: Request activation of Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session; Request activation of the service corresponding to the first NF; The terminal requests to enter the connection state.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18-20, characterized in that, The information of the second NF includes at least one of the second identifier and the IP address information of the second NF.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The first execution module includes at least one of the following: The first sending module is used to send a first message to the second NF serving the terminal. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the communication device. The second sending module is used to send a second message to the access network device serving the terminal, the second message including information of the second NF; Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the communication device includes other NFs besides the NF that includes mobility management functions.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that, The device further includes: A first receiving module is configured to receive a third message sent by the access network device, wherein the third message includes a first NAS message, the first NAS message originating from a terminal, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the communication device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, characterized in that, The device further includes: The determining module is used to determine the information of the second NF based on the first identifier.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that, The device further includes: The second receiving module is used to receive a fourth message from the second NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The third receiving module is used to receive a first message sent by the first NF. The first message includes first information, which is used to indicate that the terminal has a NAS signaling connection with the first NF. The communication device includes an NF that serves the terminal and includes mobility management functions, wherein the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, characterized in that, The device further includes: The third sending module is used to send a fourth message to the first NF, the fourth message including the mobility management (MM) context of the terminal.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The second execution module is used to perform at least one of the following: Receive a second message sent by the first NF, the second message including information about the second NF; The receiving terminal sends a fifth message, which includes information about a second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF. Send a seventh message to the terminal and receive a sixth message sent by the terminal, wherein the sixth message includes information of the second NF and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF; Wherein, the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions, and the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that, The device further includes: The fourth sending module is configured to send a third message to the first NF according to the fifth message or the eighth message. The third message includes the first NAS message. The eighth message is a message from the terminal. The eighth message includes a second identifier and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF. The first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the terminal by the first NF.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The third execution module is used to perform at least one of the following: Send a fifth message to the access network device. The fifth message includes information about the second NF, a second identifier, and a first NAS message. The second identifier is the identifier of the first NF, and the first NAS message includes a first identifier assigned to the communication device by the first NF. Receive a seventh message sent by an access network device, and send a sixth message to the access network device, wherein the sixth message includes information of a second NF, and the seventh message includes a second NAS message from the first NF; Wherein, the second NF is an NF that includes mobility management functions, and the first NF is an NF other than the NF that includes mobility management functions.

31. A terminal, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions that can run on the processor, the program or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 18 to 21.

32. A network-side device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, wherein the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; or, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 9 to 11; or, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 12 to 17.

33. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The readable storage medium stores a program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-8, or implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 9-11; or, when executed by a processor, the program or instructions implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 12-17, or implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 18-21.

34. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product is stored in a storage medium and is executed by at least one processor to implement the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 9 to 11, or the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 12 to 17, or the steps of the communication method as described in any one of claims 18 to 21.

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