Relay transmission method, switching method, apparatus and user device

Abstract

An embodiment of the present application provides a relay transmission method, including: establishing a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to a network; establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device; and connecting to the network through the first relay and the second relay at the same time when the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on a multi-path transmission control protocol connection between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity; through the multi-path transmission control protocol agent of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, multi-path capability is supported, and the capacity and connection reliability of the cellular system can be improved through multi-relay paths, which can be used for high-reliability and low-latency commercial and vertical industry applications and cloud network side home applications, solving the problem of how a remote UE establishes a multi-path connection establishment based on multi-relay with a network, enhancing the existing capacity of a 5G+ cellular system, and realizing high frequency coverage of the cellular network.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Cross-reference of related applications) This application is based on and claims priority from CN Application No. 202210401186.6, filed on April 15, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0002] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication, and in particular to a relay transmission method, a switching method, an apparatus and a user device. [Background technology]

[0003] In the field of wireless communication, spectrum resources are of paramount importance, so the current development trend of wireless communication is that the frequency used is becoming higher and higher, but there is a certain influence relationship between frequency and signal coverage, and external tests have revealed that with the increase in frequency, the signal coverage radius is greatly reduced. Due to the cost, the current high-frequency base station cannot be deployed on a large scale and has a limited coverage range.

[0004] Proximity-based Services (ProSe) relay technology allows remote User Equipment (UE) outside the coverage area to access the network through ProSe relay, and is a potential solution to the problem of high frequency coverage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a relay transmission method, a switching method, an apparatus, an electronic device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or in part will be learned by the practice of the present application.

[0007] An aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a relay transmission method, comprising: performing network registration for a relay to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to a network, the relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device based on a network address assigned to the user device by the first relay; and based on a multipath transmission control protocol connection between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the user device connects to the network via the first relay and the second relay simultaneously when performing signal transmission with the network, the multipath transmission control protocol connection being established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0008] One aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a relay transmission device including a network registration module, a first session module, a second session module, and a transmission module, the network registration module being configured to perform network registration with the relay, the first session module being configured to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to a network, the relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, the relay including a first relay and a second relay, the second session module being configured to establish a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device based on a network address assigned to the user device by the first relay, the transmission module being configured to connect to the network via the first relay and the second relay simultaneously when the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on a multipath transmission control protocol connection between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, the multipath transmission control protocol connection being established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0009] In a technical solution according to an embodiment of the present application, the transmission module establishes a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on a network address of the second relay and a new network address of the user device, where the network address of the second relay and the new network address of the user device are obtained based on the multipath transmission control protocol, establishes a multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the third protocol data unit session connection, connects the user device to the network via the first relay using the multipath transmission control protocol connection, and connects the user device to the network via the second relay using the multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection.

[0010] In a technical solution according to an embodiment of the present application, the relay transmission device further includes a security module, which is configured to establish a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, and perform non-access stratum registration for the user device based on the signaling security protocol tunnel, so as to allow the user device to access the network.

[0011] In a technical solution according to an embodiment of the present application, the security module is configured to establish a security protocol association between the user device and a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking functional entity based on a network address and a network key exchange protocol of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking functional entity; based on the security protocol association, request information of the user device and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking functional entity receive response information to the request information, the request information including a network key exchange verification request and multi-path parameters of the user device, and the response information includes a network key exchange verification request response and multi-path capability parameters of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking functional entity; based on the network key exchange verification request and the network key exchange verification request response, perform a network key exchange between the user device and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking functional entity; and after the network key exchange is completed, establish the multi-path transmission control protocol connection and the multi-path transmission control protocol sub-stream connection based on the multi-path capability parameters of the user device and the multi-path capability parameters of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking functional entity.

[0012] An aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides another relay transmission method, configured to perform relay discovery and establish a second protocol data unit session connection with a first relay, the first relay is connected to a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, and based on a network address of the user device and a network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, establish a multi-path transmission control protocol connection between the user device and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the network address of the user device is assigned by the first relay, and the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity is obtained based on the first protocol data unit session connection between the relay and a network, the relays include a first relay and a second relay, and based on the multi-path transmission control protocol connection, when the user device performs signal transmission with a network, the user device connects to the network via the first relay and the second relay at the same time, and the multi-path transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0013] One aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a user device including a relay discovery unit, a session unit, a multipath transmission control protocol unit, and a transmission unit, the relay discovery unit is configured to perform relay discovery, the session unit is configured to establish a second protocol data unit session connection with a first relay, the first relay is configured to be connected to a non-3rd generation partnership project interworking function entity, and the multipath transmission control protocol unit is configured to match the user device with the non-3rd generation partnership project interworking function entity based on a network address of the user device and a network address of the non-3rd generation partnership project interworking function entity. The method is configured to establish a multi-path transmission control protocol connection, wherein a network address of the user device is assigned by a first relay, and a network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity is obtained based on a first protocol data unit session connection between the relay and a network, the relay including a first relay and a second relay, and a transmission unit is configured to connect to the network via the first relay and the second relay simultaneously when the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on the multi-path transmission control protocol connection, and the multi-path transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0014] In a technical solution according to an embodiment of the present application, the relay discovery unit is configured to, after performing relay discovery to discover the first relay, establish a unicast communication connection between the user device and the first relay, receive a network address of the user device assigned by the first relay based on the unicast communication connection, and establish a second protocol data unit session connection between the user device and the first relay based on the network address of the user device.

[0015] In a technical solution according to an embodiment of the present application, the transmission unit is configured to receive and record, based on the multi-path transmission control protocol connection, a network address of a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking functional entity and network addresses of multiple relay paths for performing multi-path simultaneous relay transmission; obtain a new network address of a user device and a network address of a second relay based on the network addresses of the multiple relay paths; when a relay path needs to be extended, establish a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on the new network address of the user device, the network address of the second relay and the network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking functional entity; establish a multi-path transmission control protocol sub-stream connection based on the third protocol data unit session connection and the first protocol data unit session connection; connect the user device to the network via the first relay using the multi-path transmission control protocol connection, and connect the user device to the network via the second relay using the multi-path transmission control protocol sub-stream connection.

[0016] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the user device further includes a registration unit, which is configured to send registration request information to the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity when the user device accesses a network for the first time, so that the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity forwards the registration request information to a core network element to perform a non-access network registration process, receive an authentication completion message sent by the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, complete the registration, and access the network.

[0017] An aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a relay switching method, comprising: performing network registration for a relay to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to a network, the relay being configured to be connected to a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device based on a network address assigned to a user device by the first relay; establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, so that the user device connects to the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity via the first relay to access a network; multiplexing the signaling security protocol tunnel to establish a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay, so that the user device switches to connect to the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity via the second relay to access the network.

[0018] In a technical solution according to an embodiment of the present application, multiplexing the signaling security protocol tunnel to establish a third protocol data unit session connection from a user device to a second relay includes: establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity; performing non-access stratum registration for the user device based on the signaling security protocol tunnel to allow the user device to access a network; when initiating relay switching, multiplexing the signaling security protocol tunnel and reconfiguring a network address of the user device using an Internet Key Update Mobility and Multihoming Protocol; and establishing a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on the reconfigured network address of the user device.

[0019] One aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device including one or more processors and a memory device storing the one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, causes the electronic device to perform the above-mentioned relay transmission method or the above-mentioned relay switching method.

[0020] One aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform the relay transmission method described above or the relay switching method described above.

[0021] One aspect of an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a processor, implements steps in the relay transmission method described above, or implements steps for implementing the relay switching method described above.

[0022] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification, show embodiments conforming to the present application, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without paying creative labor. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example system architecture in accordance with some example embodiments of the present application. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart of a relay transmission method in some exemplary embodiments of the present application; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a topology diagram illustrating a relay transmission method in some exemplary embodiments of the present application. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of an implementation of simultaneous multi-path transmission in a relay transmission method in some exemplary embodiments of the present application. [Diagram 5] 4 is a sequence diagram of an implementation of simultaneous multi-path transmission in a relay transmission method in some exemplary embodiments of the present application; [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart of another relay transmission method in some exemplary embodiments of the present application. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart of a relay switching method in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present application; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a relay transmission device in some exemplary embodiments of the present application. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of a user device in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present application. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a user device in some exemplary embodiments of the present application. [Figure 11]FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of another user device in some exemplary embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, detailed description will be given of exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numerals in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise stated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. On the contrary, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0025] The block diagrams shown in the drawings are merely functional entities which do not necessarily correspond to physically separate entities, i.e. these functional entities may be implemented in software form, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, in different networks and / or processor and / or microcontroller devices.

[0026] The flowcharts depicted in the drawings are exemplary illustrations only and do not necessarily include all content and operations / steps or need to be performed in the order described, for example, some operations / steps may be separated, while other operations / steps may be merged or partially merged, so that the order of actual execution may vary according to actual circumstances.

[0027] As used herein, "plurality" means two or more. "And / or" describes an association relationship between related objects and indicates that a triple relationship exists. For example, A and / or B indicates that A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0028] In the 5G network, it is necessary to use simultaneous relay transmission to improve the existing capacity of the 5G cellular system. However, the ProSe relay technology in the related technology does not support simultaneous multi-relay transmission, which can improve the system capacity, so the high frequency coverage of the cellular network cannot be directly realized using the ProSe relay technology.

[0029] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a relay transmission method, a switching method, an apparatus, an electronic device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product, which at least to some extent realize the establishment of MPTCP (MultiPAth TrAnsmission Control Protocol) multi-relay connection between N3IWF (Non-3 GPP InterWorking Function Entity) control and remote UE, which can improve the capacity and connection reliability of cellular system, and can be applied to commercial and vertical industry applications with high reliability and low latency.

[0030] First, the 5G core network is supported via non-3GPP access networks (e.g., WLAN access), which can be connected to the 5G core network via the N3IWF. The N3IWF connects the 5G core network control plane (CP) and user plane (UP) functions via the N2 and N3 interfaces, respectively. If the selected N3IWF and 3GPP access are in the same Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), UEs connected simultaneously to the same 5G core network of the PLMN via 3GPP access and non-3GPP access are served by the same Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0031] MPTCP can enable a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection to maximize channel resource usage by using multiple paths, and MPTCP plays a particularly prominent role in wireless network environments. In addition to the gain in data transmission rate due to the channel inverse multiplexing mechanism, links can be added or dropped without interrupting the end-to-end TCP connection when a user enters or leaves the coverage range. MPTCP includes PC5 (direct connection communication interface, communication interface between terminals) and Uu (cellular network communication interface, communication interface between terminals and base stations). To solve the short-range communication between two terminals, 3GPP proposed ProSe technology. ProSe is based on 3GPP LTE and defines a new logical interface PC5, and short-range communication is possible between two ProSe UEs via the PC5 interface. ProSe includes ProSe Direct Discovery process and ProSe Direct Communication process, and the air interface sources used in these two processes can be pre-configured.

[0032] In a 5G network, a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) connection service is a service for exchanging PDU packets between a user device (User Equipment, UE) and a DN (Data Network), and the PDU connection service is realized by a UE or an application server initiating the establishment of a PDU session. A PDU session is a process of communication between a user equipment (UE) and a data network (DN), and after the PDU session is established, a data transmission channel between the UE and the DN is established.

[0033] IPSec (Internet Protocol Security, network security protocol) can realize a VPN by using the corresponding tunnel technology. IPSec has two modes: tunnel mode and transmission mode. Tunnel mode is suitable for protecting communication between different networks (when the communication must pass through an intermediate untrusted network). Tunnel mode is mainly used to interoperate with gateways or terminal systems that do not support L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol) / IPSec or PPTP (Point-to-Point Protocol) connections. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application relate to technologies such as computer technology and wireless communication technology, and are specifically described in the following embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example system architecture in some example embodiments of the present application.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the system architecture may include a UE, a relay transmission device 101, and a network, where the relay transmission device 101 may be a communication line connecting between the UE and the 5G network, and the transmission medium may include an overhead light line, a cable, an optical cable, and an electric wave, and may be at least one of a processing computer, a computing cluster, a neural network computer, etc. Related engineers can use the relay transmission device 101 to realize multi-ProSe relay simultaneous transmission, improve the existing capacity of the 5G+ cellular system, and realize the high frequency coverage of the cellular network.

[0037] For example, the relay transmission device 101 controls the establishment of an MPTCP connection between a remote UE and the N3IWF, controls the access of the remote UE through an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), controls the flow of billing and other operations for multi-relay paths through an SMF (Session Management Function), and improves the capacity and connection reliability of the cellular system through simultaneous multi-ProSe relay transmission, and can be used for high-reliability, low-latency business and vertical industry applications, and cloud-side home applications.

[0038] The relay transmission method in the embodiment of the present application is generally performed by the relay transmission device 101.

[0039] The implementation details of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below.

[0040] Fig. 2 is a flowchart of a relay transmission method in some exemplary embodiments of the present application, which can be performed by a relay transmission device, which can be the relay transmission device 101 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the relay transmission method includes at least steps S210 to S230, and will be described in detail as follows.

[0041] At S210, perform network registration for the relay and establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to the network, where the relay is configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, and the relay includes a first relay and a second relay.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a topology diagram of a relay transmission method shown in some exemplary embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3, the remote UE and the U2N relay are connected to each other via a PC5 interface, the U2N relay and the NG-RAN (5G radio access network) are connected to each other via a Uu port, the NG-RAN and the UPF (User Plane Function) are connected to each other via an N3 interface, the UPF and the N3IWF are connected to each other via an N6 port, and the N3IWF and the AMF are connected to each other via an N2 port. In some embodiments of the present application, the Layer 3 U2N (UE-to-Network relAy) relay performs a registration process to establish a PDU session connection to the network. The remote UE is enabled with the MPTCP (Multipath TCP) function, and the MPTCP protocol enables steering, switching, and splitting of TCP traffic on multiple relay paths. The IPs assigned by the U2N relay on each path can be recorded for use in multipath transmission. The N3IWF allows sending MPTCP proxy information (IP address, port number, type of MPTCP proxy) to the remote UE.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present application, the PDU connection service is a service of exchanging PDU packets between a user device UE and a data network DN, and the PDU connection service is realized by initiating the establishment of a PDU session by a UE or an application server AF (Application Function). A PDU session is a process of communication between a user terminal UE and a data network DN, and when a PDU session is established, a data transmission channel between the UE and the DN is established. In this embodiment, a remote UE connected to a U2N relay that supports N3IWF can select an N3IWF and determine an N3IWF IP address. In practical applications, there may be scenes that do not support multipath N3IWF (e.g., MPTCP agent function is not added). In this case, an MPTCP field can be added when configuring a Fully QuAlified Domain Name (FQDN), and an N3IWF that supports multipath can be selected based on the FQDN.

[0044] At S220, a second protocol data unit session connection is established between the first relay and the user device based on the network address assigned to the user device by the first relay.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the remote UE performs discovery of a U2N relay, establishes a unicast mode communication connection, and establishes and relays a PDU session with the relay based on an IP address assigned by the first relay.

[0046] In S230, based on a multi-path transmission control protocol connection between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project interworking function entity, the user device connects to the network via a first relay and a second relay simultaneously when performing signal transmission with the network, and the multi-path transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, when an MPTCP connection is established, the N3IWF stores an MPTCP session entry including the MA-PDU session IP address and its TCP port of the remote UE, the link-specific (referring to storing the address and port of each path for the multipath IP address and TCP port of a specific path) multipath IP address and its TCP port, and when receiving an upstream or downstream MPTCP service, the N3IWF can use the stored MPTCP session entry for subsequent IP conversion. The session information in the session entry in this embodiment can include related information such as number, IMSI, IMEI, PDU session ID, session type (IPv4, IPv6, IPv4v6, Ethenet, Unstructured), upstream and downstream speeds, charging ID, roaming state information, UE IP information, PCF information, QoS information, tunnel information, destination address, SMF identifier, slice information, default DRB information, data network name, AMF information, user location information, session management information, UPF ID, online charging identifier, offline charging identifier, etc. In this embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that when performing multi-path relay transmission, the method is not limited to adopting two relay paths, and the second relay can include multiple, thus realizing simultaneous relay multi-path transmission.

[0048] In some embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application, based on a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to the network and a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device, a multi-path transmission control protocol connection between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project interworking function entity is used to support multi-path capability, and the capacity and connection reliability of the cellular system can be improved through multi-relay paths, which can be used in high-reliability and low-latency commercial and vertical industry applications, and home applications on the cloud network side, and how the remote UE solves the problem of multi-path connection establishment based on multi-relay with the network, enhances the existing capacity of the 5G+ cellular system, and realizes high frequency coverage of the cellular network.

[0049] 4 is a flowchart showing a method for achieving simultaneous multi-path transmission in a relay transmission method. As shown in FIG. 4, the method includes steps S410 to S430, and the details are as follows.

[0050] In S410, a third protocol data unit session connection is established from the user device to the second relay based on a network address of the second relay and a new network address of the user device, where the network address of the second relay and the new network address of the user device are obtained based on the multipath transmission control protocol.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present application, a relay path between the remote UE-first relay-network can be established by the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection, and when the remote UE needs to extend a new relay path, it can perform discovery of a new U2N relay through the remote UE, establish a new unicast mode communication connection, and establish and relay a PDU session with the second relay based on a new IP address assigned by the second relay. Similarly, a remote UE connected to a U2N relay supporting N3IWF selects an N3IWF and determines an N3IWF IP address. At this time, the remote UE obtains a new IP and establishes a PDU session with the new U2N relay, and establishes a new relay path between the remote UE-second relay-network, until it secures a connection to the same N3IWF based on the N3IWF IP or FQDN.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, a user device (i.e., a remote UE) can use a modified Internet Key Exchange (IKE) process to indicate its MPTCP capability, establish a signaling IPsec tunnel and MPTCP connection with the N3IWF, perform Non-Access Stratum (NAS) registration, and transfer parameters indicating multipath capability to the AMF and SMF via the N3IWF. IPsec in this embodiment is a protocol packet that protects the network transport protocol cluster of the IP protocol by encrypting and authenticating the IP protocol packets.

[0053] At S420, a multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the third protocol data unit session connection.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present application, when the remote UE needs to extend a new relay path, it ensures to connect to the same N3IWF based on the N3IWF IP or FQDN, and at this time, the remote UE obtains a new IP and establishes a PDU session with a new U2N relay. The remote UE can use a modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability, and based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the third protocol data unit session connection, the remote UE establishes a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP sub-stream with the N3IWF.

[0055] At S430, a multipath transmission control protocol connection is utilized to connect a user device to the network via a first relay, and a multipath transmission control protocol substream connection is utilized to connect the user device to the network via a second relay.

[0056] Figure 5 shows a sequence for realizing multi-path simultaneous transmission in a relay transmission method. In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 5, first, the Layer-3 U2N relay performs a registration flow and establishes a PDU session connection with the network, i.e., a first protocol data unit session connection, then the remote UE performs discovery of the U2N relay, establishes a unicast mode communication connection, and establishes and relays a PDU session between the relay based on an IP address assigned by the relay, and the remote UE connected to the U2N relay that supports N3IWF selects an N3IWF and determines an N3IWF IP address. In practical applications, there may be N3IWF scenarios that do not support multipath, so an MPTCP field can be added when constructing an FQDN, and an N3IWF that supports multipath can be selected based on the FQDN; the remote UE uses the modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability, establishes a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP connection with the N3IWF, performs NAS registration, and transfers parameters indicating multipath capability to the AMF and SMF through the N3IWF; finally, when the remote UE needs to extend a new relay path, it repeats the above pre-established relay path until it ensures that it is connected to the same N3IWF based on the N3IWF IP or FQDN; at this time, the remote UE obtains a new IP and establishes a new U2N relay and PDU session. The remote UE can establish a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP substream with the N3IWF by using the modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, after establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device, a signaling security protocol tunnel can be established between the user device and a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, and a non-access stratum registration is performed for the user device based on the signaling security protocol tunnel to allow the user device to access the network.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present application, the non-access stratum, as a functional layer between the core network and the user device, can support signaling and data transmission between the core network and the user device, the functions of the non-access stratum include mobility management, paging control, session management and identity management, the top-level function of the control plane between the UE and the AMF includes general processes supporting UE mobility, such as authentication, authentication, general UE configuration update, security control mode process, supporting session management process, establishing and maintaining data connection between the UE and the data network through the above process, and supporting NAS transmission process to provide transmission of payload such as UE parameter update information. In this embodiment, a non-access stratum registration is performed for the user device based on a signaling security protocol tunnel to allow the user device to access the network.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present application, after establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, establishing a security protocol association between the user device and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity and a network key exchange protocol, and receiving request information of the user device and response information of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity to the request information based on the security protocol association. receiving a network key exchange verification request from the user device and a multi-path parameter of the non-3G Partnership Project interworking functional entity, the request information including a network key exchange verification request and a multi-path parameter of the user device, and the response information including a network key exchange verification request response and a multi-path capability parameter of the non-3G Partnership Project interworking functional entity; performing a network key exchange between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project interworking functional entity based on the network key exchange verification request and the network key exchange verification request response; and establishing a multi-path transmission control protocol connection and a multi-path transmission control protocol sub-stream connection based on the multi-path capability parameter of the user device and the multi-path capability parameter of the non-3G Partnership Project interworking functional entity after the network key exchange is completed.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of another relay transmission method in some exemplary embodiments of the present application, which is performed by a user device, i.e., a remote UE, and includes at least steps S610 to S630 as follows:

[0061] At S610, performing relay discovery and establishing a second protocol data unit session connection with a first relay, the first relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, after performing relay discovery to discover a first relay, a remote UE establishes a unicast communication connection between the user device and the first relay, receives a network address of the user device assigned by the first relay based on the unicast communication connection, and establishes a second protocol data unit session connection between the user device and the first relay based on the network address of the user device.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present application, the remote UE enables an MPTCP function to record the IPs assigned by the U2N relays on each path for multipath transmission. The remote UE performs discovery of the U2N relays, establishes a unicast mode communication connection, and establishes and relays a PDU session with the first relay based on the IP address assigned by the first relay.

[0064] At S620, based on a network address of the user device and a network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, a multipath transmission control protocol connection is established between the user device and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the network address of the user device is assigned by a first relay, and the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity is obtained based on a first protocol data unit session connection between the relay and the network, where the relay includes a first relay and a second relay.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, a multipath transmission control protocol connection between a user device and an N3IWF is established, and MPTCP proxy information, i.e., the IP address, port number, and type of the MPTCP proxy, is received from the N3IWF to a remote UE.

[0066] In S630, based on the multi-path transmission control protocol connection, the user device connects to the network via the first relay and the second relay simultaneously when performing signal transmission with the network, and the multi-path transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, based on the multipath transmission control protocol connection, receive and record a network address of a non-3G Partnership Project interworking function entity and network addresses of multiple relay paths for performing multipath simultaneous relay transmission, obtain a new network address of a user device and a network address of a second relay based on the network addresses of the multiple relay paths, and if it is necessary to extend the relay path, establish a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on the new network address of the user device, the network address of the second relay and the network address of the non-3G Partnership Project interworking function entity, establish a multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection based on the third protocol data unit session connection and the first protocol data unit session connection, connect the user device to the network via the first relay using the multipath transmission control protocol connection, and connect the user device to the network via the second relay using the multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, the remote UE uses a modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability, establishes a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP connection with the N3IWF, performs NAS registration, and transfers parameters indicating multipath capability to the AMF and SMF via the N3IWF. When the remote UE needs to extend a new relay path, it ensures that it is connected to the same N3IWF as the original relay path, and at this time, the remote UE obtains a new IP and establishes a PDU session with a new U2N relay. The remote UE uses a modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability, and establishes a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP substream with the N3IWF.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the process of modifying IKE is as follows: first, the remote UE selects an N3IWF from a 5G PLMN based on the N3IWF IP or FQDN, initiates an IKE initial exchange, and establishes an IPsec security association (SA), i.e., a security protocol association, with the selected N3IWF. When IPSec works, the devices on both sides must first agree on a security association (SA), which is a security strategy agreement between the two parties. The SA may include an encryption algorithm, an identification algorithm, a shared session key, and a key expiration date. Since the SA is unidirectional, two SAs must be established to perform bidirectional communication. The IPSec receiving device can correspondingly decrypt and receive data encrypted using IPSec based on the receiving SA database, thereby achieving privacy and integrity of the transmitted data. IKE is a network key exchange protocol and a core component of IPSec technology. Through IKE, both parties can authenticate, exchange common keys, generate secret key resources, and perform key management. IKE is performed in two stages to determine the SAs of IKE and IPSec. In the first phase, IKE verifies each other and determines the session key, in this phase, DH (Diffie-Hellman) exchange, cookie and ID exchange are used to create ISAKMP (Network Security Associated Key Management Protocol) SA, once ISAKMP SA is determined, all IKE communication between initiator and responder is protected by encryption and integrity check, this phase aims to establish a secure communication channel between them to protect the negotiation in phase 2. In phase 2, ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload) or AH (Authentication Header) are used to protect the IP data stream to negotiate and determine IPSec SA.In this embodiment, the remote UE initiates the IKE_AUTH exchange by sending an IKE_AUTH request message, where it adds the UE's MP_CAPABLE parameter or MP_JOIN parameter to the IKE_AUTH request message to indicate that the sender has MPTCP capability and wants to establish an MPTCP connection on this connection, or wants to establish a new substream on an existing MPTCP connection. The N3IWF responds with an IKE_AUTH response message, where it adds the N3IWF's MP_CAPABLE parameter or MP_JOIN parameter to the IKE_AUTH response message to indicate that the N3IWF has MPTCP proxy functionality. The remote UE verifies the N3IWF information and sends the remote UE, N3IWF's MP_CAPABLE / MP_JOIN parameters, and ACK confirmation information to the N3IWF.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present application, the MPTCP structure mainly includes kind, Length, and subtype, where the kind field indicates that this header option is an MPTCP header option, the Length field indicates the length of the header option, the subtype option indicates the subtype of the MPTCP option, and the remaining bytes are the specific data of this subclass option. The subtype of the MPTCP option varies depending on the value of subtype, where the subtype includes MP_CAPABLE and MP_JOIN.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present application, when a user device first accesses a network, it sends registration request information to a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, and the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity forwards the registration request information to a core network element to perform a non-access network registration process, receives an authentication completion message from the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, and the registration is completed and the user device accesses the network.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, when a remote UE accesses the network for the first time, it needs to send a registration request. Here, an MP_INDICATOR parameter is added to the registration request to indicate the multipath capability of the UE to the network. When the UE first accesses, the N3IWF forwards the registration request to the AMF and executes the registration process. The UE completes identity authentication, and the N3IWF sends authentication completion information to the UE. The N3IWF forwards the registration request including the MP_INDICATOR parameter to the SMF, which is subsequently used by the remote UE for flows such as charging and flow control using the multi-relay function.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present application, a signaling IPsec tunnel and MPTCP connection or sub-stream are established between the remote UE and the N3IWF, and each MPTCP sub-stream corresponds to one signaling IPsec tunnel. The MPTCP proxy function of the N3IWF stores an MPTCP session entry including all addresses of the remote UE (IPs assigned by the U2N relay on each sub-stream). When the UE first accesses, the AMF sends a NAS registration accept message to the N3IWF, which the N3IWF forwards to the UE via the established signaling IPsec tunnel and simultaneously sends its own MPTCP agent information.

[0074] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a relay switching method in some embodiments of the present application.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 7, the relay switching method includes the following steps.

[0076] At S710, a network registration is performed for the relay to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to the network, the relay is configured to be connected to a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, and the relay includes a first relay and a second relay.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 5, the process of performing network registration to a relay and establishing a session connection from the relay to a network is the same as the above-mentioned embodiments, and is not described here.

[0078] At S720, a second protocol data unit session connection is established between the first relay and the user device based on the network address allocated by the first relay for the user device.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 5, the process of establishing a connection between the first relay and the remote UE is the same as the above-mentioned embodiments, and the description is omitted here.

[0080] At S730, a signaling security protocol tunnel is established between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on the network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, so that the user device is connected to the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity via the first relay and accesses the network.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 5, the process of establishing a connection between a remote UE and an N3IWF is the same as the above-mentioned embodiments, and the description is omitted here.

[0082] At S740, the signaling security protocol tunnel is multiplexed to establish a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to a second relay, and the user device is switched to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity via the second relay to access the network.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, the remote UE establishes an IPsec tunnel using IKE to establish one session path of remote UE-relay-network, and when starting path switching, establishes a new path through the second relay by reusing the established tunnel to perform relay data transmission. Then, relay switching is completed by releasing the old PC5 connection (i.e., the path from the remote UE to the first relay before switching) through the remote UE. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of the relay transmission method described above in that this embodiment can establish an IPsec tunnel using only IKE without using MPTCP function. By multiplexing the established tunnel, the outer layer IP address of the remote UE facing the same N3IWF as before is reconfigured.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, multiplexing a signaling security protocol tunnel to establish a third protocol data unit session connection from a user device to a second relay includes: establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity; performing a non-access stratum registration for the user device based on the signaling security protocol tunnel to allow the user device to access a network; when initiating a relay switch, multiplexing the signaling security protocol tunnel and reconfiguring a network address of the user device utilizing an Internet Key Update Mobility and Multihoming Protocol; and establishing a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on the reconfigured network address of the user device.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present application, the outer layer IP address of the UE facing the same N3IWF as before can be reconfigured using the MOBIKE (IKEv2 Mobility and Multihoming Protocol) mechanism. The N3IWF can reuse the mechanism specified for the local mobile anchor in the untrusted non-3GPP access network using MOBIKE specified in section 6.2.9 of TS23.501. Then, relay data transmission is performed via a new relay path based on the newly established second relay, and finally the remote side releases the old PC5 connection to complete the relay switching. Those skilled in the art will understand that the relay switching method in this embodiment and the relay transmission method in the above embodiment are based on the overall idea of ​​using the same N3IWF as an anchor to realize the multipath forwarding of the relay path and relay path switching, and in practical applications, the relay switching method in this embodiment can be used independently or in combination with the relay transmission method in the above embodiment, but this is not limited here and will not be described here.

[0086] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a relay transmission device according to the present embodiment.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 8, the relay transmission device 800 includes a network registration module 810, a first session module 820, a second session module 830, and a transmission module 840. The network registration module 810 is configured to perform network registration for the relay; The first session module 820 is configured to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from a relay to a network, the relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; The second session module 830 is configured to establish a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device based on a network address assigned to the user device by the first relay; The transmission module 840 is configured to connect to the network via a first relay and a second relay simultaneously when the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on a multi-path transmission control protocol connection between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity, the multi-path transmission control protocol connection being established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present application, the Layer-3 U2N relay performs a registration process via the network registration module 810 and establishes a PDU session connection with the network via the first session module 820. The remote UE can perform discovery of the U2N relay, establish a unicast mode communication connection, and establish a PDU session with the relay based on an IP address assigned by the relay via the second session module 830. The relay transmission is performed via the transmission module 840. When the remote UE needs to extend a new relay path, it ensures that it is connected to the same N3IWF based on the N3IWF IP or FQDN, obtains a new IP, and establishes a PDU session with the new U2N relay. The remote UE can establish a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP substream with the N3IWF by indicating its MPTCP capability using a modified IKE process.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present application, first, the Layer-3 U2N relay performs a registration process and establishes a PDU session connection, i.e., a first protocol data unit session connection, with the network; then, the remote UE performs discovery of the U2N relay, establishes a unicast mode communication connection, and establishes and relays a PDU session between the relay based on an IP address assigned by the relay; and the remote UE connected to the U2N relay that supports N3IWF selects an N3IWF and determines an N3IWF IP address. Considering the scenario where there is an N3IWF that does not support multipath, add an MPTCP field when constructing the FQDN, and select an N3IWF that supports multipath based on the FQDN. The remote UE uses the modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability, establishes a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP connection with the N3IWF, performs NAS registration, and transmits parameters indicating multipath capability to the AMF and SMF through the N3IWF. Finally, if the remote UE needs to extend a new relay path, it performs steps 2 and 3 until it ensures that it connects to the same N3IWF based on the N3IWIP or FQDN. At this time, the remote UE obtains a new IP and establishes a new U2N relay and PDU session. The process of indicating its MPTCP capability using the modified IKE process and establishing a signaling IPsec tunnel and an MPTCP substream with the N3IWF is shown in Figure 5.

[0090] FIG. 9 illustrates a configuration diagram of a user device in an embodiment of the present application.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 9, the user device 900 includes: a relay discovery unit 910, a session unit 920, a multipath transmission control protocol unit 930, and a transmission unit 940; The relay discovery unit 910 is configured to perform relay discovery; The session unit 920 is configured to establish a second protocol data unit session connection with a first relay, the first relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity; The multipath transmission control protocol unit 930 is configured to establish a multipath transmission control protocol connection between the user device and the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on the network address of the user device and the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, where the network address of the user device is assigned by a first relay, and the network address of the non-3rd Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity is obtained based on a first protocol data unit session connection between the relay and the network, where the relay includes a first relay and a second relay; The transmission unit 940 simultaneously connects to the network via the first relay and the second relay when the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on a multi-path transmission control protocol connection, the multi-path transmission control protocol connection being established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, the user device receives and records a network address of a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity and network addresses of multiple relay paths for performing multi-path simultaneous relay transmission based on the multi-path transmission control protocol connection, obtains a new network address of the user device and a network address of a second relay based on the network addresses of the multiple relay paths, and when it is necessary to extend the relay path, establishes a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on the new network address of the user device, the network address of the second relay and the network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, establishes a multi-path transmission control protocol sub-stream connection based on the third protocol data unit session connection and the first protocol data unit session connection, connects the user device to the network via the first relay using the multi-path transmission control protocol connection, and connects the user device to the network via the second relay using the multi-path transmission control protocol sub-stream connection.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present application, the remote UE (i.e., user device) uses a modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability, establishes a signaling IPsec tunnel and MPTCP connection with the N3IWF, performs NAS registration, and transfers parameters indicating multipath capability to the AMF and SMF via the N3IWF. When the remote UE needs to extend a new relay path, it ensures that it is connected to the same N3IWF as the original relay path, and at this time, the remote UE obtains a new IP and establishes a PDU session with a new U2N relay. It uses a modified IKE process to indicate its MPTCP capability, and establishes a signaling IPsec tunnel and MPTCP substream with the N3IWF.

[0094] In some embodiments of the present application, the process of the user device modifying IKE includes: first, the remote UE selects an N3IWF from a 5G PLMN based on the N3IWF IP or FQDN; the remote UE initiates an IKE initial exchange and establishes an IPsec security association (SA), i.e., a security protocol association, with the selected N3IWF; and the remote UE sends an IKE_AUTH request message to initiate an IKE_AUTH exchange, where the UE's MP_CAPABLE or MP_JOIN parameter is added to the IKE_AUTH request message to indicate that the sender has MPTCP capability and wishes to establish an MPTCP connection on this connection, or wishes to establish a new substream on an existing MPTCP connection. The N3IWF responds with an IKE_AUTH response message, where the N3IWF's MP_CAPABLE or MP_JOIN parameter is added to the IKE_AUTH response message to indicate that this N3IWF has MPTCP proxy functionality. The remote UE verifies the information of the N3IWF and sends the remote UE, the MP_CAPABLE / MP_JOIN parameters of the N3IWF, and an ACK confirmation message to the NI3WF.

[0095] It should be noted that the relay transmission device and user device provided by the above-mentioned embodiment belong to the same concept as the relay transmission method provided by the above-mentioned embodiment, and the specific manner in which each module and unit performs the operation is described in detail in the method embodiment, and will not be described here. In practical applications, the relay transmission device and user device provided by the above-mentioned embodiment can allocate the above functions by different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above, and is not limited thereto.

[0096] FIG. 10 illustrates a hardware block diagram of a user device suitable for use in implementing embodiments of the present application.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present application, a device includes one or more processors and one or more machine-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform the method described in FIG. 2. In practical applications, the device may be a terminal device or a server, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific apparatus. As shown in FIG. 10, the terminal device may include an input device 1000, a first processor 1001, an output device 1002, a first memory 1003, and at least one communication bus 1004. The communication bus 1004 is used to realize the communication connection between the elements. The first memory 1003 may include a high-speed RAM memory, and may also include a non-volatile storage NVM, such as at least one disk memory, which can store various programs to complete various processing functions and implement the method steps of this embodiment.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present application, the first processor 1001 may be implemented, for example, as a central processor (abbreviated as CPU, Central Processing Unit), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital signal processor (DSPD), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or other electronic components, and the first processor 1001 is coupled to the input device 1000 and the output device 1002 via a wired or wireless connection.

[0099] In some embodiments of the present application, the input device 1000 may include a plurality of input devices, which may include at least one of a user-oriented user interface, a device-oriented device interface, and a software programmable interface. Optionally, the device-oriented device interface may be a wired interface for data transmission between devices, or may be a hardware insertion interface (e.g., a USB interface, a serial port, etc.) for data transmission between devices. Optionally, the user-oriented user interface may be, for example, a user-oriented control button, a voice input device for receiving voice input, and a touch-sensing device (e.g., a touch screen, a touch panel, etc. with a touch-sensing function) for a user to receive a user's touch input. Optionally, the above-mentioned software programmable interface may be an entrance for a user to edit or modify a program, such as, for example, an input pin interface or an input interface of a chip, and the output device 1002 may include an output device such as a display, an audio, etc. The processor of this terminal device includes a function for executing the above-mentioned user transition processing module, and the specific functions and technical effects may be referred to the above-mentioned embodiments, and will not be described here.

[0100] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of another user device.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 11 is a specific embodiment of FIG. 10 in operation. As shown in FIG. 11, the terminal device of this embodiment may include a second processor 1101 and a second memory 1102. The second processor 1101 executes computer program codes stored in the second memory 1102 to realize the method of FIG. 2 in the above embodiment. The second memory 1102 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the terminal device. Examples of these data include instructions for any application or method, such as messages, signaling, etc., for operating on the terminal device. The second memory 1102 may include a random access memory (Random Access Memory, abbreviated as RAM), and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk memory. Optionally, the second processor 1101 is provided in the processing component 1100. The terminal device may also include a communication component 1103, a power component 1104, a multimedia component 1105, an audio component 1106, an input / output interface 1107, and / or a sensor component 1108. The components specifically included in the terminal device are set according to actual needs, and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The processing component 1100 typically controls the overall operation of the terminal device. The processing component 1100 may include one or more second processors 1101 for executing instructions for completing all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned data processing method. In addition, the processing component 1100 may include one or more modules for facilitating interaction between the processing component 1100 and other components. For example, the processing component 1100 may include a multimedia module for facilitating interaction between the multimedia component 1105 and the processing component 1100. The power component 1104 supplies power to various components of the terminal device.The power component 1104 may include a power management system, one or more power sources, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the terminal device. The multimedia component 1105 includes a display that provides an output interface between the terminal device and a user. In some embodiments, the display may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). When the display includes a touch panel, the display is implemented as a touch screen and may receive input signals from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors for sensing touches, slides, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may detect the boundaries of the touch or slide motion as well as the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide motion. The audio component 1106 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 1106 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive an external audio signal when the terminal device is in an operation mode, such as a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal may be further stored in the second memory 1102 or may be transmitted via the communication component 1103. In some embodiments, the audio component 1106 further includes a speaker for outputting audio signals. The input / output interface 1107 provides an interface between the processing component 1100 and peripheral interface modules, which may be click wheels, buttons, and the like. These buttons include, but are not limited to, volume buttons, start buttons, and lock buttons. The sensor component 1108 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of status assessments to the terminal device. For example, the sensor component 1108 can detect the on / off state of the terminal device, the relative position of the components, and the presence or absence of contact between the user and the terminal device. The sensor component 1108 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of a nearby object in the absence of physical contact, including detecting the distance between the user and the terminal device.In some embodiments, the sensor component 1108 may include a camera, etc. The communication component 1103 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the terminal device and other devices. The communication component 1103, the audio component 1106, the input / output interface 1107, and the sensor component 1108 in the embodiment of FIG. 11 may all be embodiments of the input device in the embodiment of FIG. 10.

[0102] Another aspect of this embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, realizes the relay transmission method described above. The computer-readable storage medium may be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiment, or may exist independently of the electronic device.

[0103] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in the embodiments of the present application may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination of the two. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more conductors, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (ErAsABle ProgrAmmABle ReAd Only Memory, EPROM), a flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CompAct Disc ReAd-Only Memory, CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present application, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagating in baseband or as part of a carrier wave carrying a computer-readable computer program. Such a propagating data signal may take various forms, including, but not limited to, an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, or any suitable combination of the above. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or transmit a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer program contained in a computer-readable medium may be transmitted in any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0104] Flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings illustrating possible architectures, functions, and operations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present application. Here, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, program segment, or part of code that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a certain logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions shown in the blocks may occur in a different order than the order shown in the drawings. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed essentially in parallel, or may be executed in reverse order depending on the related functions. Each block in the block diagram or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the block diagram or flowchart may be realized in a dedicated hardware-based system that executes a certain function or operation, or may be realized in a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0105] It should be noted that, although the above detailed description refers to several modules or units of an apparatus for performing operations, such division is not mandatory. In fact, according to an embodiment of the present application, features and functions of two or more of the above-mentioned modules or units may be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, features and functions of one of the above-mentioned modules or units may be further divided and embodied in multiple modules or units.

[0106] The units described in the embodiments of the present application may be realized by software or hardware, and the described units may be installed in a processor, but the names of these units do not constitute limitations on the units themselves in some cases.

[0107] It should be noted that, although the above detailed description refers to several modules or units of an apparatus for performing operations, such division is not mandatory. In fact, according to an embodiment of the present application, features and functions of two or more of the above-mentioned modules or units may be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, features and functions of one of the above-mentioned modules or units may be further divided and embodied in multiple modules or units.

[0108] From the above description of the embodiments, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the exemplary embodiments described in the present application can be realized by software, and can be realized by combining necessary hardware with software. Therefore, the technical aspects of the embodiments of the present application can be embodied in the form of a software product that can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB disk, a mobile hard disk, etc.) that includes some instructions for performing the methods of the embodiments of the present application.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will easily conceive other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the embodiments disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any modifications, uses, or adaptations of the present application, including common sense or customary technical means known in the art that are not disclosed herein, in accordance with the general principles of the present application.

[0110] The above contents of the present application are merely preferred exemplary embodiments of the present application, and are not used to limit the embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can easily make appropriate modifications or changes based on the main concept and spirit of the present application, so it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present application should be in accordance with the scope of protection claimed in the claims.

Claims

1. performing network registration with a relay to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to a network, the relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device based on a network address assigned to the user device by the first relay; and based on a multipath transmission control protocol connection between a user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the user device accesses the network by simultaneously connecting the first relay and the second relay to the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity when performing signal transmission with the network, and the multipath transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection. A relay transmission method comprising:

2. Based on a multipath transmission control protocol connection between a user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity, when the user device performs signal transmission with the network, connecting to the network via a first relay and a second relay at the same time, Establish a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on a network address of the second relay and a new network address of the user device, the network address of the second relay and the new network address of the user device being obtained based on the multipath transmission control protocol; establishing a multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the third protocol data unit session connection; and connecting a user device to the network via a first relay using the multipath transmission control protocol connection and connecting a user device to the network via a second relay using a multipath transmission control protocol substream connection.

2. The relay transmission method according to claim 1 .

3. After establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device, the method further comprises: establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity; and performing a non-access stratum registration for the user device based on the signaling security protocol tunnel to allow the user device to access a network.

3. The relay transmission method according to claim 2.

4. After establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the method further includes: establishing a security protocol association between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address and a network key exchange protocol of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity; receiving request information of the user device and response information to the request information from a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on the security protocol association, the request information including a network key exchange verification request and a multi-path parameter of the user device, and the response information including a network key exchange verification request response and a multi-path capability parameter of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity; performing a network key exchange between the user device and a non-3GPP Interworking Function entity based on the network key exchange verification request and the network key exchange verification request response; and after the network key exchange is completed, establishing the multipath transmission control protocol connection and the multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection based on a multipath capability parameter of a user device and a multipath capability parameter of a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity.

4. The relay transmission method according to claim 3.

5. performing relay discovery and establishing a second protocol data unit session connection with a first relay, the first relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity; Establish a multipath transmission control protocol connection between a user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the user device and a network address of a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the network address of the user device being assigned by a first relay, and the network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity being obtained based on a first protocol data unit session connection between the relay and a network, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; Based on the multipath transmission control protocol connection, the user device simultaneously connects to the network via a first relay and a second relay when performing signal transmission with the network, and the multipath transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection. A relay transmission method comprising:

6. Performing relay discovery and establishing a second protocol data unit session connection with the first relay includes: performing relay discovery to discover the first relay, and then establishing a unicast communication connection between the user device and the first relay; receiving, by the user device based on the unicast communication connection, a network address of the user device assigned by the first relay; and establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the user device and a first relay based on a network address of the user device.

6. The relay transmission method according to claim 5,

7. When the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on the multipath transmission control protocol connection, simultaneously connecting to the network via a first relay and a second relay, receiving and recording a network address of a non-3GPP interworking function entity and a network address of a plurality of relay paths for performing multi-path simultaneous relay transmission according to the multi-path transmission control protocol connection; obtaining a new network address and a second relay network address of the user device based on the network addresses of the plurality of relay paths; if the relay path needs to be extended, establishing a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on a new network address of the user device, a network address of the second relay, and a network address of a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity; establishing a multipath transmission control protocol sub-stream connection based on the third protocol data unit session connection and the first protocol data unit session connection; and connecting a user device to the network via a first relay using the multipath transmission control protocol connection and connecting a user device to the network via a second relay using a multipath transmission control protocol substream connection.

6. The relay transmission method according to claim 5,

8. When the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on the multipath transmission control protocol connection, before connecting to the network via a first relay and a second relay at the same time, further When the user device accesses a network for the first time, sending registration request information to the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity forwards the registration request information to a core network element to perform a non-access network registration process; receiving an authentication completion message sent by the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity to complete registration and access a network.

6. The relay transmission method according to claim 5,

9. performing network registration with a relay to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to a network, the relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; establishing a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device based on a network address assigned to the user device by the first relay; Establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity, so that the user device connects to the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity via a first relay and accesses a network; multiplexing the signaling security protocol tunnel to establish a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to a second relay, and switching the user device to connect to the non-Third Generation Partnership Project Interworking Function entity via the second relay to access the network. A relay switching method comprising:

10. Multiplexing the signaling security protocol tunnel to establish a third protocol data unit session connection from a user device to a second relay includes: establishing a signaling security protocol tunnel between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the non-3G Partnership Project Interworking function entity; performing a non-access stratum registration for the user device based on the signaling security protocol tunnel to allow the user device to access a network; When initiating a relay switchover, multiplexing the signaling security protocol tunnel and reconfiguring the network address of the user device using an Internet key update mobility and multihoming protocol; and establishing a third protocol data unit session connection from the user device to the second relay based on the reconfigured network address of the user device. The relay switching method according to claim 9 .

11. A relay transmission device including a network registration module, a first session module, a second session module, and a transmission module, The network registration module is configured to perform network registration for a relay; The first session module is configured to establish a first protocol data unit session connection from the relay to a network, the relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; the second session module is configured to establish a second protocol data unit session connection between the first relay and the user device based on a network address assigned to the user device by the first relay; The transmission module simultaneously connects to the network through a first relay and a second relay when the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on a multipath transmission control protocol connection between the user device and a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function Entity, and the multipath transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection. A relay transmission device comprising:

12. A user device including a relay discovery unit, a session unit, a multipath transmission control protocol unit, and a transmission unit, The relay discovery unit is configured to perform relay discovery; The session unit is configured to establish a second protocol data unit session connection with a first relay, the first relay being configured to be connected to a non-3G Partnership Project Interworking Function entity; The multipath transmission control protocol unit is configured to establish a multipath transmission control protocol connection between the user device and a non-Third Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity based on a network address of the user device and a network address of a non-Third Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity, the network address of the user device being assigned by a first relay, and the network address of the non-Third Generation Partnership Project Interworking function entity being obtained based on a first protocol data unit session connection between the relay and a network, the relay including a first relay and a second relay; The transmission unit is configured to connect to the network via a first relay and a second relay simultaneously when the user device performs signal transmission with the network based on the multipath transmission control protocol connection, and the multipath transmission control protocol connection is established based on the first protocol data unit session connection and the second protocol data unit session connection. A user device comprising:

13. An electronic device including a memory and a processor, The processor is coupled to the memory and configured to perform the relay transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the relay switching method according to any one of claims 9 to 10 based on instructions stored in the memory.

1. An electronic device comprising:

14. A computer program comprising: a processor; a relay transmission method according to claim 1; a relay switching method according to claim 2; A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

15. A computer program comprising instructions, When the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions cause the processor to execute a relay transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or a relay switching method according to any one of claims 9 to 10. A computer program comprising:

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