Method, device and related equipment for determining communication method

Abstract

The present application discloses a method, an apparatus and related devices for determining a communication method, which belong to the technical field of communication. The method for determining a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application includes a step of a terminal acquiring first information, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first target and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first target including an application identifier or a service type, and a relay communication method being listed in the URSP, and a step of the terminal determining a first relay communication method based on the first information.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to China Patent Application No. 202110363792.9, filed in China on April 2, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and more particularly to a method, device and related equipment for determining a communication scheme. [Background technology]

[0003] In a conventional mobile communication system, current relay communication methods include Layer 2 (L2) and Layer 3 (L3) relay communication methods, and these two relay communication methods can realize the transmission of service data of a remote user equipment (Remote UE). However, in the conventional technology, in a scenario where L2 relay communication and L3 relay communication coexist, that is, when a terminal supports the above two relay communication methods, there is no relevant solution as to how the terminal determines which relay communication method to use for communication. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, device, and related equipment that can determine a specific relay communication method to be used for terminal communication when a terminal supports two relay communication methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first aspect, A step of a terminal acquiring first information, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first object including an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method being carried in the URSP; determining a first relay communication method by the terminal based on the first information; The present invention provides a method for determining a communication method, including:

[0006] In a second aspect, A first acquisition module for acquiring first information, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in a terminal, the first object including an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method being carried in the URSP; a first determination module for determining a first relay communication method based on the first information; The present invention provides a communication method determination device comprising:

[0007] In the third aspect, A first core network device transmits first information to a terminal; The first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method and a user equipment route selection policy URSP, the first object includes an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method is listed in the URSP, providing a method for determining a communication method.

[0008] In the fourth aspect: a first transmitting module for transmitting first information to a terminal; The first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship between a first target and a relay communication method and a user equipment route selection policy URSP, the first target includes an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method is listed in the URSP, providing a communication method determination device.

[0009] In the fifth aspect, The second core network device transmits second information to the first core network device; The second information is for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method, and a method for determining a communication method is provided.

[0010] In the sixth aspect: a second transmitting module for transmitting the second information to the first core network device; The second information is for assisting selection of a relay communication method, and a communication method determination device is provided.

[0011] In the seventh aspect: A step of the application server sending third information to a second core network device, the third information including relay communication method selection information. The present invention provides a method for determining a communication method, including:

[0012] In the eighth aspect: a third transmitting module for transmitting third information to a second core network device, the third information including relay communication method selection information; The present invention provides a communication method determination device comprising:

[0013] In a ninth aspect, there is provided a terminal including a processor, a memory, and a program or command stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the program or command causing steps of the method according to the first aspect to be realized when executed by the processor.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a terminal is provided that includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to acquire first information, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first target and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy URSP, a relay communication method indicated at an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first target includes an application identifier or a type of service, a relay communication method is carried in the URSP, and the processor is used to determine a first relay communication method based on the first information.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, there is provided a core network device comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or command stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the program or command causing steps of the method according to the third aspect to be realised when executed by the processor.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, a core network device is provided, the core network device including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface is used to transmit first information to a terminal, the first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method and a user equipment route selection policy URSP, the first object includes an application identifier or a type of service, and the relay communication method is carried in the URSP.

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, there is provided a core network device comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or command stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the program or command causing, when executed by the processor, the steps of the method according to the fifth aspect to be realised.

[0018] In a fourteenth aspect, a core network device is provided that includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to transmit second information to a first core network device, and the second information is for assisting in selecting a relay communication method.

[0019] In a fifteenth aspect, there is provided an application server comprising a processor, a memory, and programs or commands stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the programs or commands, when executed by the processor, realizing steps of the method according to the seventh aspect.

[0020] In a sixteenth aspect, an application server is provided, the application server including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface being used to transmit third information to a second core network device, the third information including relay communication method selection information.

[0021] In a seventeenth aspect, there is provided a readable storage medium having a program or command stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the steps of the method according to the first aspect to be performed, the steps of the method according to the third aspect to be performed, the steps of the method according to the fifth aspect to be performed, or the steps of the method according to the seventh aspect to be performed.

[0022] In an eighteenth aspect, there is provided a chip including a processor and a communications interface, the communications interface and the processor being coupled, the processor executing a program or command to implement steps of the method according to the first aspect, or to implement steps of the method according to the third aspect, or to implement steps of the method according to the fifth aspect, or to implement steps of the method according to the seventh aspect.

[0023] In a nineteenth aspect, there is provided a computer program or program product stored on a non-volatile storage medium and executed by at least one processor to perform the steps of the method according to the first aspect, or to perform the steps of the method according to the third aspect, or to perform the steps of the method according to the fifth aspect, or to perform the steps of the method according to the seventh aspect. Effect of the Invention

[0024] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal can determine a relay communication method to be used for terminal communication, i.e., a first relay communication method, according to at least one of a relay communication method corresponding to an application identifier or a type of service, a relay communication method included in the URSP, a relay communication method indicated in the application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, and if the terminal supports two relay communication methods, it can quickly determine a specific relay communication method to be used for terminal communication. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present application can be applied. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart of a method for determining a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart of another communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of another communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart of another communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart of another communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 8]FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of another communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of another communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of another communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a first core network device provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a second core network device provided in an embodiment of the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly described with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is to be understood that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0027] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are not intended to describe a particular order or sequence, but are intended to distinguish between similar objects. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner may be substituted for each other where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application may be performed in an order other than that shown or described herein, and that the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" generally belong to one category, and the number of objects is not limited, for example, the first object may be one or more. In addition, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the symbol " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0028] It should be noted that the techniques described in the embodiments of the present application are not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE) / LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, but can also be used in other wireless communication systems, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single-carrier Frequency-Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), and other systems. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application are often used interchangeably, and the techniques described can be used in other systems and wireless technologies in addition to the systems and wireless technologies mentioned above. Although the following description describes a New Radio (NR) system for illustrative purposes, and NR technical terminology is used in much of the following description, it should be understood that these technologies may be used in other systems and wireless technologies, such as 6th Generation (6G) and 7th Generation (7G) systems. th The present invention can also be applied to applications other than NR system applications, such as 6G (Generation, 6G) communication systems.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to the embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system includes a terminal 11, a first core network device 12, and a second core network device 13. Here, the terminal 11 may be called a terminal device or a user terminal (User Equipment, UE), and may be a terminal side device such as a mobile phone, a tablet personal computer, a laptop computer also called a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal digital assistant, a netbook, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a mobile Internet device (MID), a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device (VUE), a pedestrian terminal (PUE), etc., and the wearable device includes an in-smart watch, a wristband, an earphone, a pair of glasses, etc. It should be noted that the specific type of the terminal 11 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. The core network device 12 may be, but is not limited to, a Policy Control Function (PCF), and the core network device 13 may be, but is not limited to, a Unified Data Repository (UDR).

[0030] The following describes in detail the communication method determination method provided in the embodiments of the present application according to several embodiments and application scenarios thereof with reference to the drawings.

[0031] Please refer to Fig. 2, which is a flowchart of a communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method may be performed by a terminal, and includes the following steps 201 and 202, as shown in Fig. 2:

[0032] In step 201, the terminal obtains first information, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method, a User Equipment Route Selection Policy (URSP), a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first object including an application identifier or a service type, and a relay communication method being carried in the URSP.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first object may include an application identifier or a type of service, that is, the mapping relationship between the first object and the relay communication mode may include a mapping relationship between an application identifier and a relay communication mode, or a mapping relationship between a type of service and a relay communication mode. Optionally, the mapping relationship may be pre-configured or sent by the first core network device.

[0034] The relay communication method is included in the user equipment route selection policy (UE Route Selection Policy, URSP), and the URSP may be preset or may be sent to the terminal by the first core network device.

[0035] Regarding the relay communication method instructed by the application layer, specifically, the terminal can receive instruction information for instructing the relay communication method sent by the application layer, and obtain the relay communication method instructed by the application layer.

[0036] The relay communication method may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a Layer 2 (L2) relay communication method and a Layer 3 (L3) relay communication method. Alternatively, the relay communication method may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a use of only an L2 relay communication method, also called use of only an L2 (L2 only), a preferential use of an L2 relay communication method, also called preference L2 (L2 preferred), a use of only an L3 relay communication method, also called use of only an L3 (L3 only), a preferential use of an L3 relay communication method, also called preference L3 (L3 preferred), and a use of a relay communication method selected by the terminal or a use of a relay communication method set in advance, also called no preference (No preferred) or no indication (No indication).

[0037] In step 202, the terminal determines a first relay communication method based on the first information.

[0038] In one embodiment, when the first information includes only one of the mapping relationship between the first object and the relay communication method, the URSP, the relay communication method indicated by the application layer, and the relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first relay communication method may be the relay communication method corresponding to the one. The following description will be given in combination with an example.

[0039] In the first aspect, when the first information includes a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method, the relay communication method to which the first object is mapped may be set as the first relay communication method.

[0040] For example, when a UE needs to transmit data related to an application whose application identifier is ProSe application ID#1, if the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#1 is L2 only, the UE may select the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, that is, the first relay communication method is L2 only, and if the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#1 is L2 preferred, the UE may preferentially select or lean toward the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, that is, the first relay communication method is L2 preferred, and if the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#1 is L3 only, the UE may select the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, that is, the first relay communication method is L3 only, and if the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#1 is L3 preferred, the UE may preferentially select or lean toward the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, that is, the first relay communication method is L3 preferred, and If the relay communication method mapped by ID#1 is No preferred or No indication, the UE itself selects a relay communication method or the UE performs a discovery and / or connection establishment process using a pre-configured relay communication method, that is, the first relay communication method is No preferred or No indication.

[0041] In the second embodiment, when the first information includes a URSP, the relay communication method included in the URSP may be set as the first relay communication method.

[0042] For example, if the relay communication method listed in the URSP is L2 only, the UE may select the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L2 only, and if the relay communication method listed in the URSP is L2 preferred, the UE may preferentially select or lean toward the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L2 preferred, and if the relay communication method listed in the URSP is L3 only, the UE may select the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L3 only, and if the relay communication method listed in the URSP is L3 preferred, the UE may preferentially select or lean toward the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L3 preferred, and if the relay communication method listed in the URSP is No preferred or No If the indication is positive, the UE itself may select a relaying communication method or the UE may perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process using a pre-configured relaying communication method, i.e., the first relaying communication method is No preferred or No indication.

[0043] In the third aspect, when the first information includes a relay communication method instructed by an application layer, the relay communication method instructed by the application layer may be set as the first relay communication method.

[0044] For example, when the relay communication method indicated by the application layer is L2 only, the UE may select the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L2 only. When the relay communication method indicated by the application layer is L2 preferred, the UE may preferentially select or lean toward the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L2 preferred. When the relay communication method indicated by the application layer is L3 only, the UE may select the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L3 only. When the relay communication method indicated by the application layer is L3 preferred, the UE may preferentially select or lean toward the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, i.e., the first relay communication method is L3 preferred. If the indication is positive, the UE itself may select a relaying communication method or the UE may perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process using a pre-configured relaying communication method, i.e., the first relaying communication method is No preferred or No indication.

[0045] In form 4, when the first information includes an existing relay communication method in the terminal, the existing relay communication method in the terminal may be set as the first relay communication method.

[0046] For example, if the UE has currently established an L2 relay communication link, the UE selects the L2 relay communication link to transmit or forward the service, that is, if the existing relay communication method of the UE is the L2 relay communication method, the first relay communication method becomes the L2 relay communication method; if the UE has currently established an L3 relay communication link, the UE selects the L3 relay communication link to transmit or forward the service, that is, if the existing relay communication method of the UE is the L3 relay communication method, the first relay communication method becomes the L3 relay communication method.

[0047] In another embodiment, when the first information includes at least two of a mapping relationship between a first target and a relay communication method, a URSP, a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, if the relay communication methods corresponding to the at least two are all the same, the first relay communication method may be a relay communication method corresponding to the at least two, and if there are at least two relay communication methods among the relay communication methods corresponding to the at least two, the first relay communication method may be a relay communication method selected by the terminal from the at least two relay communication methods, or a relay communication method having the highest priority among the at least two relay communication methods, and the priority of the at least two relay communication methods may be predefined in a protocol, preset in advance, or indicated by a network side device.

[0048] In the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal can determine a relay communication method to be used for terminal communication, i.e., a first relay communication method, according to at least one of a relay communication method corresponding to an application identifier or a type of service, a relay communication method included in the URSP, a relay communication method indicated in the application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal. If the terminal supports two relay communication methods, the terminal can quickly determine a specific relay communication method to be used for terminal communication.

[0049] Optionally, the relay communication method comprises: Use only L2 relay communication method, Prioritizing the use of L2 relay communication methods, Use only L3 relay communication method, Prioritizing the use of L3 relay communication methods, using a relay communication method selected by the terminal; Use of a pre-configured relay communication method; may include at least one of the following:

[0050] In this embodiment, in the case of using only the L2 relay communication method, the terminal selects only the L2 relay communication method to perform communication. In the case of preferential use of the L2 relay communication method, the terminal preferentially selects the L2 relay communication method to perform communication, but when the L2 relay communication method is unavailable, the terminal can select the L3 relay communication method to perform communication. In the case of using only the L3 relay communication method, the terminal selects only the L3 relay communication method to perform communication. In the case of preferential use of the L3 relay communication method, the terminal preferentially selects the L3 relay communication method to perform communication, but when the L3 relay communication method is unavailable, the terminal can select the L2 relay communication method to perform communication. The use of the relay communication method selected by the terminal may mean that the selection of the relay communication method used for the terminal's communication is realized by the terminal itself. The use of the relay communication method set in advance may mean that the relay communication method used for the terminal's communication is set in advance.

[0051] Optionally, the relay communication method being included in the URSP includes the relay communication method being included in an access type preference component of the URSP, or the relay communication method being included in a non-seamless offload instruction component of the URSP.

[0052] In this embodiment, the relay communication method may be carried in an Access Type Preference component of the URSP, for example, the Access Type Preference component may carry information for indicating the relay communication method, or the relay communication method may be carried in a Non-Seamless Offload Indication component of the URSP, for example, the Non-Seamless Offload Indication component may carry information for indicating the relay communication method.

[0053] Optionally, the granularity at which the application layer indicates the relay communication method is: An application identifier; The type of service and A terminal, Links, An L2 identifier; and Contains one of the following:

[0054] In one embodiment, the application layer may instruct the relay communication method based on the granularity of each application ID, i.e., instruct the relay communication method for each application ID. As can be understood, the application layer may instruct the relay communication methods for different application IDs to be the same or different.

[0055] In another embodiment, the application layer can instruct the relay communication method based on the granularity of each service type, i.e., instruct the relay communication method for each service type. As can be understood, the application layer may instruct the relay communication method for different service types to be the same or different.

[0056] In another embodiment, the application layer can instruct the relay communication method on a per UE granularity basis, i.e., instruct the relay communication method for each UE. As can be understood, the application layer can instruct different UEs to use the same or different relay communication methods.

[0057] In another embodiment, the application layer can instruct the relay communication method based on the granularity of each link (per link), i.e., instruct the relay communication method for each link. As can be understood, the application layer can instruct the relay communication methods for different links to be the same or different.

[0058] In another embodiment, the application layer can instruct the relay communication mode based on the granularity of each pair of L2 identifiers (Per L2 identifier pair) or each L2 identifier pair (Per L2 identifier pair), that is, instruct the relay communication mode for each pair of L2 identifiers or each L2 identifier pair, respectively. As can be understood, the relay communication modes instructed by the application layer for different L2 identifier pairs may be the same or different.

[0059] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the mapping relationship and the URSP; The step of the terminal acquiring the first information includes: receiving the first information from a first core network device by the terminal; or The method includes a step of the terminal acquiring the first information that is preset.

[0060] In one embodiment, at least one of the mapping relationship and the URSP may be sent by a first core network device to the terminal, and the first core network device may be a PCF. For example, the PCF may generate at least one of the mapping relationship and the URSP based on second information and send it to the terminal, and the second information may be used to assist in selecting a relay communication mode.

[0061] In another embodiment, at least one of the above mapping relationship and the URSP can be preset, and thus the terminal can directly obtain at least one of the preset mapping relationship and the URSP.

[0062] Optionally, the first information includes the mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship is carried in a proximity service policy sent by the first core network device.

[0063] In this embodiment, if the first information includes the mapping relationship, the first core network device can send a Proximity Service Policy (ProSe Policy) to the terminal, and carry the mapping relationship in the ProSe Policy.

[0064] Optionally, the first information includes the URSP, and the URSP is carried in a user equipment policy sent by the first core network device.

[0065] In this embodiment, if the first information includes a URSP including the above relay communication method, the first core network equipment can send a user equipment policy (UE Policy) to the terminal, and carry the URSP including the above relay communication method in the UE Policy.

[0066] Please refer to Fig. 3, which is a flowchart of another communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by a first core network device, and as shown in Fig. 3, includes the following step 301:

[0067] In step 301, a first core network device sends first information to a terminal.

[0068] The first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method and a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), where the first object includes an application identifier or a type of service, and the relay communication method is listed in the URSP.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first core network device may be a PCF. The first object may include an application identifier or a type of service, that is, the mapping relationship between the first object and the relay communication method may include a mapping relationship between an application identifier and a relay communication method, or a mapping relationship between a type of service and a relay communication method. The relay communication method is listed in the URSP.

[0070] The relay communication method may include, but is not limited to, at least one of an L2 relay communication method and an L3 relay communication method, or may include, but is not limited to, at least one of an L2 relay communication method only, also called L2 only, a preference for an L2 relay communication method, also called preference L2 preferred, an L3 relay communication method only, also called L3 only, a preference for an L3 relay communication method, also called preference L3 preferred, and a relay communication method selected by the terminal or a relay communication method set in advance, also called preference No preferred or No indication.

[0071] In the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, a first core network device sends first information to a terminal, and thus, the terminal can determine a first relay communication method based on the first information to perform communication, thereby assisting the terminal to quickly determine a specific relay communication method to be used for terminal communication when the terminal supports two relay communication methods.

[0072] Optionally, the relay communication method being included in the URSP includes the relay communication method being included in an access type preference component of the URSP, or the relay communication method being included in a non-seamless offload instruction component of the URSP.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first core network device may carry the relay communication method in the access type preference component of the URSP, for example, may carry information for indicating the relay communication method in the access type preference component, or the first core network device may carry the relay communication method in the non-seamless offload indication component of the URSP, for example, may carry information for indicating the relay communication method in the non-seamless offload indication component.

[0074] Optionally, the first information includes the mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship is carried in a proximity service policy sent by the first core network device.

[0075] In this embodiment, if the first information includes the mapping relationship, the first core network device can send a ProSe policy to the terminal, and carry the mapping relationship in the ProSe policy.

[0076] Optionally, the first information includes the URSP, and the URSP is carried in a user equipment policy sent by the first core network device.

[0077] In this embodiment, if the first information includes a URSP including the above relay communication method, the first core network device can send a UE Policy to the terminal, and carry the URSP including the above relay communication method in the UE Policy.

[0078] Optionally, the method further comprises: The first core network device acquires second information, the second information being for assisting in selecting a relay communication method; generating the first information based on the second information by the first core network device; may include:

[0079] In this embodiment, the first core network device can generate the first information based on the second information, and the second information can be used to assist in selecting a relay communication method, for example, the second information may be relay communication method selection information.

[0080] Optionally, the step of the first core network device obtaining the second information includes: receiving the second information from a second core network device by the first core network device; The first core network device acquires the second information that is preconfigured; The first core network device acquires the second information set by a communication carrier; determining the second information based on a predefined policy by the first core network device; and the first core network device determining the second information based on a policy of a communications carrier.

[0081] In this embodiment, the second information may be information for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method to be transmitted by the second core network device, the second core network device may be a UDR, or the second information may be information for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method set in advance, or the second information may be information for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method set by a communication carrier, or the second information may be information for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method determined based on a policy set in advance, or the second information may be information for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method determined based on a policy of a communication carrier.

[0082] Please refer to Fig. 4, which is a flowchart of another communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by a second core network device, and as shown in Fig. 4, includes the following step 401:

[0083] In step 401, the second core network device sends second information to the first core network device.

[0084] The second information is for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method.

[0085] In this embodiment, the second core network device may be a UDR, and the first core network device may be a PCF. The second information may be information for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method set in advance, or may be information for assisting the second core network device in the selection of a relay communication method generated based on the third information, and the third information may include relay communication method selection information, for example, the third information may be selection information of an L2 relay communication method and / or an L3 relay communication method transmitted by an application server, and the second information may be information obtained by converting a protocol format of the selection information of the L2 relay communication method and / or the L3 relay communication method.

[0086] In the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the second core network device sends the second information to the first core network device, and thus the first core network device can generate the first information based on the second information and send it to the terminal, and the terminal can further determine the first relay communication method based on the first information to perform communication, thereby assisting the terminal to quickly determine a specific relay communication method to be used for terminal communication when the terminal supports two relay communication methods.

[0087] Optionally, the method further comprises: The second core network device acquires third information, the third information including relay communication method selection information; generating the second information based on the third information by the second core network device; may include:

[0088] In this embodiment, the third information may be information for selecting a relay communication method that has been set in advance, or may be information for selecting a relay communication method that has been received from an application server.

[0089] The second core network device generating the second information based on the third information may, for example, involve performing processing such as protocol format conversion on the third information to obtain the second information, or may involve directly using the third information as the second information.

[0090] Optionally, the step of the second core network device acquiring the third information includes: The second core network device includes a step of obtaining the third information from an application server.

[0091] In this embodiment, the second core network device can obtain the third information from an application server, which may include, but is not limited to, an Application Function (AF) application server or a Proximity Service (ProSe) application server, etc.

[0092] Please refer to Fig. 5, which is a flowchart of another communication method determination method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by an application server, and as shown in Fig. 5, includes the following steps 501:

[0093] In step 501, the application server sends third information to a second core network device, where the third information includes relay communication mode selection information.

[0094] In this embodiment, the application server may include, but is not limited to, an AF application server or a ProSe application server, etc. The third information may include selection information of an L2 relay communication method and / or an L3 relay communication method, and can be used for generating the second information by the second core network device.

[0095] In an embodiment of the present application, the application server sends the third information to the second core network device, and thus the second core network device can generate second information based on the third information and send the second information to the first core network device, and the first core network device can generate first information based on the second information and send it to the terminal, and the terminal can further determine a first relay communication method based on the first information to perform communication, so that when the terminal supports two relay communication methods, the terminal can be assisted to quickly determine a specific relay communication method to be used for terminal communication.

[0096] In the following, the embodiments of the present application will be described in combination with examples.

[0097] In Example 1, the first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship and a URSP.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 6, the communication method determination method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include the following steps S0, S1, S2, S3 and S4.

[0099] In step S0, the UE performs a registration process to obtain a short-range communication authorization.

[0100] In step S1, the application server sends the third information to the UDR.

[0101] In this step, the application server may be an AF application server or a ProSe application server. The third information may include selection information of an L2 relay communication method and / or an L3 relay communication method, and is for the second information generation by the second core network device.

[0102] In step S2, after receiving the third information, the UDR stores the third information, generates second information based on the third information, and sends the second information to the PCF, where the second information is for the PCF to generate the first information.

[0103] In step S3, after receiving the second information, the PCF generates first information and sends the first information to the UE.

[0104] The first information is A mapping relationship between an application identifier or a service type and a relay communication method, which is sent to the UE as a ProSe policy; The URSP may include at least one of: a relay communication method is included in an access type preference component or a non-seamless offload indication component of the URSP, and the URSP is sent to the UE as a UE policy.

[0105] The relay communication method includes: L2 only, where only the L2 relay communication method can be used; L2 preferred, which leans towards using L2 relay communication methods; L3 only, where only the L3 relay communication method can be used; L3 preferred, which leans towards using the L3 relay communication method; and No preferred / indication, which selects the L3 relay communication method and / or the L2 relay communication method according to the implementation or pre-setting of the terminal.

[0106] In step S4, the UE determines a first relay communication method based on the first information.

[0107] In step S4, if the first information includes the mapping relationship, the UE selects a final relay communication mode, that is, the first relay communication mode, according to the communication mode to which the application identifier / service type in the mapping relationship maps.

[0108] For example, when the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#1 is L2 only, the UE selects the L2 relay communication method and executes the discovery and / or connection establishment process; when the relay first communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#2 is L3 only, the UE selects the L3 relay communication method and executes the discovery and / or connection establishment process; when the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#3 is L2 preferred, the UE inclines to select the L2 relay communication method and executes the discovery and / or connection establishment process; when the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#4 is L3 preferred, the UE inclines to select the L3 relay communication method and executes the discovery and / or connection establishment process; and when the relay communication method mapped by ProSe application ID#5 is No preferred / indication, the UE realizes the relay communication method or selects a relay communication method based on preset information and executes the discovery and / or connection establishment process.

[0109] In this step S4, if the first information includes the URSP, the UE determines a final relay communication method, i.e., the first relay communication method, based on the communication method included in the access type preference component or the non-seamless offload indication component in the URSP.

[0110] For example, if the relay communication method included in the access type preference component or the non-seamless offload instruction component in the above URSP is L2 only, the UE selects the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, and if the relay communication method included in the access type preference component or the non-seamless offload instruction component in the above URSP is L3 only, the UE selects the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process.

[0111] In example 2, the first information includes a relay communication method indicated at an application layer.

[0112] The relay communication method instructed by the application layer may be understood as a relay communication method instructed by the application layer to the terminal to use, and the granularity at which the application layer instructs the relay communication method is as follows: Based on application identifier / service type, i.e., the relay communication method is per service level; User-based, i.e., the relay communication method is per-user level, Link-based, i.e., the relay communication method is at the per-link level; The relay communication method may include at least one of: based on a layer 2 identifier; i.e., the relay communication method is a per pair layer 2 identifier.

[0113] It should be noted that the relevant content of the relay communication method of this example may refer to the relevant description of Example 1, and details will be omitted here to avoid repetition.

[0114] In this example, the UE determines the first relay communication mode based on the relay communication mode indicated by the application layer.

[0115] For example, if the relay communication method indicated by the application layer is L2 only, the UE selects the L2 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process, and if the relay communication method indicated by the application layer is L3 only, the UE selects the L3 relay communication method to perform the discovery and / or connection establishment process.

[0116] In example 3, the first information includes an existing relay communication method in the terminal.

[0117] In this example, the first information includes an existing relay communication method in the terminal, and the UE determines the first relay communication method based on the existing relay communication method in the terminal.

[0118] For example, if the current UE has already established an L2 relay communication link, the UE selects the L2 relay communication link to transmit or forward the service, and if the current UE has already established an L3 relay communication link, the UE selects the L3 relay communication link to transmit or forward the service.

[0119] It should be noted that the execution entity of the communication method determination method provided in the embodiment of the present application may be a communication method determination device, or a control module for executing the communication method determination method in the communication method determination device. In the embodiment of the present application, the communication method determination device provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described by taking the execution of the communication method determination method by the communication method determination device as an example.

[0120] Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a structural diagram of a communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 7, the communication method determination device 700 includes: A first acquisition module 701 for acquiring first information, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in a terminal, the first object including an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method being carried in the URSP; and a first determination module 702 for determining a first relay communication method based on the first information.

[0121] Optionally, the relay communication method comprises: Use only Layer 2 (L2) relay communication methods, Prioritizing the use of L2 relay communication methods, Use only Layer 3 (L3) relay communication methods, Prioritizing the use of L3 relay communication methods, using a relay communication method selected by the terminal; Use of a pre-configured relay communication method; Includes at least one of the following:

[0122] Optionally, the relay communication method being included in the URSP includes the relay communication method being included in an access type preference component of the URSP, or the relay communication method being included in a non-seamless offload instruction component of the URSP.

[0123] Optionally, the granularity at which the application layer indicates the relay communication method is: An application identifier; The type of service and A terminal, Links, An L2 identifier; and Contains one of the following:

[0124] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the mapping relationship and the URSP; The first acquisition module specifically includes: receiving the first information from a first core network device; or The first information is used to acquire the first information that is set in advance.

[0125] Optionally, the first information includes the mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship is carried in a proximity service policy sent by the first core network device.

[0126] Optionally, the first information includes the URSP, and the URSP is carried in a user equipment policy sent by the first core network device.

[0127] The communication method determination device in the embodiment of the present application is a device, which may be a device or electronic device having an operating system, or may be a component, integrated circuit, or chip in a terminal. The device or electronic device may be a portable terminal or a non-portable terminal. For example, the portable terminal may include, but is not limited to, the types of terminals 11 listed above, and the non-portable terminal may be a server, a network attached storage (NAS), a personal computer (PC), a television (TV), an automated teller machine or a kiosk, etc., and is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0128] The channel monitoring device provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize each process implemented in the method embodiment of Fig. 2, and achieve the same technical effect. In order to avoid repetition, the description is omitted here.

[0129] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a structural diagram of another communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8, the communication method determination device 800 includes: A first transmitting module 801 for transmitting first information to a terminal; The first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method and a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), where the first object includes an application identifier or a type of service, and the relay communication method is listed in the URSP.

[0130] Optionally, the relay communication method being included in the URSP includes the relay communication method being included in an access type preference component of the URSP, or the relay communication method being included in a non-seamless offload instruction component of the URSP.

[0131] Alternatively, the first information includes the mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship is included in a proximity service policy transmitted by the communication method determining apparatus 800 .

[0132] Alternatively, the first information includes the URSP, and the URSP is included in a user equipment policy transmitted by the communication method determining apparatus 800 .

[0133] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises: A second acquisition module for acquiring second information, the second information being for assisting in selecting a relay communication mode; a first generating module for generating the first information based on the second information; It further comprises:

[0134] Optionally, the second acquisition module specifically comprises: receiving the second information from a second core network device; Obtaining the second information that is set in advance; Obtaining the second information set by a communication carrier; determining the second information based on a predefined policy; and determining the second information based on a policy of a communications carrier; It is used in one of the following ways.

[0135] The channel monitoring device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device, a device having an operating system, or an electronic device, or may be a component, an integrated circuit, or a chip in the first core network device. For example, the first core network device may include, but is not limited to, the PCF.

[0136] The communication method determining device provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize each process implemented in the method embodiment of Fig. 3, and achieve the same technical effects. In order to avoid repetition, the description will be omitted here.

[0137] Please refer to FIG. 9, which is a structural diagram of another communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 9, the communication method determination device 900 includes: A second sending module 901 for sending second information to a first core network device; The second information is for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method.

[0138] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises: A third acquiring module for acquiring third information, the third information including relay communication method selection information; a second generating module for generating the second information based on the third information; It further comprises:

[0139] Optionally, the third acquisition module specifically comprises: It is used to obtain the third information from the application server.

[0140] The channel monitoring device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device, a device having an operating system or an electronic device, or may be a component, an integrated circuit, or a chip in the second core network device. For example, the second core network device may include, but is not limited to, the above-mentioned UDR.

[0141] The communication mode determining device provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize each process implemented in the method embodiment of Fig. 4, and achieve the same technical effects. In order to avoid repetition, the description will be omitted here.

[0142] Please refer to FIG. 10, which is a structural diagram of another communication method determination device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the communication method determination device 1000 includes: The third sending module 1001 is for sending third information to a second core network device, where the third information includes relay communication method selection information.

[0143] The channel monitor in the embodiment of the present application may be a device, a device or electronic device having an operating system, or may be a component, an integrated circuit, or a chip in an application server.

[0144] The communication mode determining device provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize each process implemented in the method embodiment of Fig. 5, and achieve the same technical effects. In order to avoid repetition, the description will be omitted here.

[0145] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 11, the embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1100. The communication device 1100 includes a processor 1101, a memory 1102, and a program or command stored in the memory 1102 and executable by the processor 1101. For example, when the communication device 1100 is a terminal, the program or command is executed by the processor 1101 to realize each process of the embodiment of the above-mentioned terminal side communication method determination method, and the same technical effect can be achieved. When the communication device 1100 is a first core network device, the program or command is executed by the processor 1101 to realize each process of the embodiment of the above-mentioned first core network device side communication method determination method, and the same technical effect can be achieved. When the communication device 1100 is a second core network device, the program or command is executed by the processor 1101 to realize each process of the embodiment of the above-mentioned second core network device side communication method determination method, and the same technical effect can be achieved. When the communication device 1100 is an application server, when the program or command is executed by the processor 1101, each process of the embodiment of the method for determining the communication method on the application server side described above is realized, and the same technical effects can be achieved. In order to avoid repetition, the description is omitted here.

[0146] The embodiment of the present application further provides a terminal, which includes a processor and a communication interface, and the communication interface is used to obtain first information, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy URSP, a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first object includes an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method is carried in the URSP, and the processor is used to determine a first relay communication method based on the first information. The embodiment of the terminal corresponds to the above-mentioned method embodiment on the terminal side, and each implementation process and realization manner of the above-mentioned method embodiment can be applied to the embodiment of the terminal, and the same technical effects can be achieved. Specifically, FIG. 12 is a hardware structure schematic diagram of a terminal for realizing the embodiment of the present application.

[0147] The terminal 1200 includes at least some of the following components, but is not limited to: a radio frequency unit 1201, a network module 1202, an audio output unit 1203, an input unit 1204, a sensor 1205, a display unit 1206, a user input unit 1207, an interface unit 1208, a memory 1209, and a processor 1210.

[0148] Those skilled in the art can understand that the terminal 1200 may further include a power source (e.g., a battery) for supplying power to each component, and the power source may be logically connected to the processor 1210 through a power management system, and the power management system may further realize functions such as charge / discharge management and power consumption management. The structure of the terminal shown in FIG. 12 does not limit the terminal, and the terminal may include more or fewer components than those shown, or a combination of some components, or a different component arrangement, and the description will be omitted here.

[0149] It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the input unit 1204 may include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 12041 for processing image data of static images or videos captured by an image capture device (e.g., a camera) in a video capture mode or an image capture mode, and a microphone 12042. The display unit 1206 may include a display panel 12061, which may be arranged in the form of a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode, etc. The user input unit 1207 includes a touch panel 12071 and other input devices 12072. The touch panel 12071 is also called a touch screen. The touch panel 12071 may include two parts: a touch detection device and a touch controller. The other input devices 12072 may include, but are not limited to, a physical keyboard, a function button (e.g., a volume control button, a switch button, etc.), a trackball, a mouse, and a control lever, and the description thereof is omitted here.

[0150] In the embodiment of the present application, the high frequency unit 1201 receives downlink data from the network side device, processes it in the processor 1210, and transmits uplink data to the network side device. Typically, the high frequency unit 121 includes, but is not limited to, an antenna, at least one amplifier, a receiver-transmitter, a coupler, a low-noise amplifier, a duplexer, etc.

[0151] The memory 1209 can be used to store software programs or commands and various data. The memory 1209 may mainly include a program or command storage area capable of storing an operating system, an application or command required for at least one function (e.g., a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), and a data storage area. The memory 1209 may also include a high-speed random access memory, and may further include a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), a programmable read-only memory (Programmable ROM, PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasable PROM, EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (Electrically EPROM, EEPROM), or a flash memory. For example, at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device may be included.

[0152] The processor 1210 may include one or more processing units, and may optionally integrate an application processor that mainly processes an operating system, a user interface, and applications or commands, etc., and a modem processor that mainly processes wireless communication, such as a baseband processor, in the processor 1210. It is understandable that the modem processor may not be integrated into the processor 1210.

[0153] The radio frequency unit 1201 is used to obtain first information, and the first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship between a first target and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy URSP, a relay communication method indicated at an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first target includes an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method is carried in the URSP, and the processor 1210 is used to determine the first relay communication method based on the first information.

[0154] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal can determine a relay communication method to be used for terminal communication, i.e., a first relay communication method, according to at least one of a relay communication method corresponding to an application identifier or a type of service, a relay communication method included in the URSP, a relay communication method indicated in the application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, and if the terminal supports two relay communication methods, it can quickly determine a specific relay communication method to be used for terminal communication.

[0155] Optionally, the relay communication method comprises: Use only Layer 2 (L2) relay communication methods, Prioritizing the use of L2 relay communication methods, Use only Layer 3 (L3) relay communication methods, Prioritizing the use of L3 relay communication methods, using a relay communication method selected by the terminal; Use of a pre-configured relay communication method; Includes at least one of the following:

[0156] Optionally, the relay communication method being included in the URSP includes the relay communication method being included in an access type preference component of the URSP, or the relay communication method being included in a non-seamless offload instruction component of the URSP.

[0157] Optionally, the granularity at which the application layer indicates the relay communication method is: An application identifier; The type of service and A terminal, Links, An L2 identifier; and Contains one of the following:

[0158] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the mapping relationship and the URSP; The radio frequency unit 1201 is further used for receiving the first information from a first core network device; or The processor 1210 is further used for obtaining the first information that is preset.

[0159] Optionally, the first information includes the mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship is carried in a proximity service policy sent by the first core network device.

[0160] Optionally, the first information includes the URSP, and the URSP is carried in a user equipment policy sent by the first core network device.

[0161] The embodiment of the present application further provides a first core network device, which includes a processor and a communication interface, and the communication interface is used for sending first information to a terminal, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication mode and a user equipment route selection policy URSP, the first object includes an application identifier or a service type, and the relay communication mode is carried in the URSP. The embodiment of the first core network device corresponds to the method embodiment of the first core network device, and each implementation process and realization manner of the method embodiment can be applied to the embodiment of the first core network device, and the same technical effects can be achieved.

[0162] Specifically, an embodiment of the present application further provides a first core network device. As shown in Fig. 13, the first core network device 1300 includes an antenna 131, a radio frequency device 132, and a baseband device 133. The antenna 131 is connected to the radio frequency device 132. In the uplink direction, the radio frequency device 132 receives information through the antenna 131, and transmits the received information to the baseband device 133 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 133 processes the information to be transmitted and transmits it to the radio frequency device 132, and the radio frequency device 132 processes the received information before transmitting it via the antenna 131.

[0163] The above-mentioned frequency band processing device may be in a baseband device 133 , and the method performed by the first core network device in the above-mentioned embodiment can be realized in the baseband device 133 , which includes a processor 134 and a memory 135 .

[0164] The baseband device 133 may, for example, include at least one baseband board having multiple chips installed thereon, and as shown in FIG. 13, one of the chips is, for example, a processor 134 connected to a memory 135 to call a program in the memory 135 and perform the operations of the first core network device shown in the above method embodiment.

[0165] The baseband device 133 may further include a network interface 136 for exchanging information with the radio frequency device 132, the interface being, for example, a common public radio interface (abbreviated as CPRI).

[0166] Specifically, the first core network device according to the embodiment of the present application further includes a command or program stored in the memory 135 and executable by the processor 134, and the processor 134 can call the command or program in the memory 135 to execute the method executed by each module shown in Fig. 8, and achieve the same technical effect. In order to avoid repetition, the description will be omitted here.

[0167] The embodiment of the present application further provides a second core network device, which includes a processor and a communication interface, and the communication interface is used to send second information to the first core network device, and the second information is for assisting in selecting a relay communication mode. The embodiment of the second core network device corresponds to the method embodiment of the second core network device, and the implementation processes and realization manners of the method embodiment are all applicable to the embodiment of the second core network device, and can achieve the same technical effects.

[0168] Specifically, the embodiment of the present application further provides a second core network device. As shown in Fig. 14, the second core network device 1400 includes an antenna 141, a radio frequency device 142, and a baseband device 143. The antenna 141 is connected to the radio frequency device 142. In the uplink direction, the radio frequency device 142 receives information through the antenna 141, and transmits the received information to the baseband device 143 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 143 processes the information to be transmitted and transmits it to the radio frequency device 142, and the radio frequency device 142 processes the received information before transmitting it via the antenna 141.

[0169] The above-mentioned frequency band processing device may be in a baseband device 143 , and the method performed by the second core network device in the above-mentioned embodiment can be realized in the baseband device 143 , which includes a processor 144 and a memory 145 .

[0170] The baseband device 143 may, for example, include at least one baseband board having multiple chips installed thereon, and as shown in FIG. 14, one of the chips is, for example, a processor 144 connected to a memory 145 to call a program in the memory 145 and perform the operations of the second core network device shown in the above method embodiment.

[0171] The baseband device 143 may further include a network interface 146 for exchanging information with the radio frequency device 142, the interface being, for example, a common public radio interface (abbreviated as CPRI).

[0172] Specifically, the second core network device according to the embodiment of the present application further includes a command or program stored in the memory 145 and executable by the processor 144, and the processor 144 can call the command or program in the memory 145 to execute the method executed by each module shown in Fig. 9, and achieve the same technical effect. In order to avoid repetition, the description will be omitted here.

[0173] An embodiment of the present application further provides an application server, which includes a processor and a communication interface, and the communication interface is used to send third information to a second core network device, and the third information includes relay communication mode selection information. The embodiment of the application server corresponds to the embodiment of the method of the application server, and each implementation process and realization manner of the embodiment of the method can be applied to the embodiment of the application server, and the same technical effects can be achieved.

[0174] The embodiment of the present application further provides a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium stores a program or command, and when the program or command is executed by a processor, each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the terminal side is realized, each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the first core network device side is realized, each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the second core network device side is realized, or each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the application server side is realized, and similar technical effects can be achieved. In order to avoid repetition, the description will be omitted here.

[0175] The processor is a processor in the terminal described in the above embodiment, or a processor in the network side device described in the above embodiment. The readable storage medium includes a computer readable storage medium such as a computer read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0176] The embodiment of the present application further provides a chip. The chip includes a processor and a communication interface, and the communication interface and the processor are coupled together, and the processor executes a program or command to realize each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the terminal side, to realize each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the first core network device side, to realize each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the second core network device side, or to realize each process of the embodiment of the method for determining a communication method on the application server side, and can achieve similar technical effects. In order to avoid repetition, the description will be omitted here.

[0177] It should be understood that the chips referred to in the embodiments of this application may be referred to as system level chips, system chips, chip systems, system on chips, or the like.

[0178] It should be noted that in this specification, the terms "comprise", "consist of" or any other variations are intended to include a non-exclusive inclusion, whereby a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a set of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not expressly stated or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element limited by the phrase "comprises a" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element. It should also be noted that the scope of the method and apparatus in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order depending on such functions, for example, the described method may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described with reference to any example may be combined in other examples.

[0179] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be realized in the form of a combination of software and a necessary common hardware platform, and of course, they can be realized by hardware, but in many cases the former is a more preferred embodiment. Based on this view, the technical solution of the present application can be substantially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a computer software product, which is stored in a storage medium (e.g., ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes a number of commands that cause a terminal (which may be a mobile phone, a computer, a server, an air conditioner, or a network side device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0180] Although the examples of the present application have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, which are merely illustrative and not limiting. Based on the suggestions of the present application, many forms that a person skilled in the art can make without departing from the spirit of the present application and the scope of protection of the claims are all within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A step of the terminal acquiring first information from a first core network device, the first information including at least one of a mapping relationship between a first object and a relay communication method, a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), a relay communication method indicated by an application layer, and a relay communication method existing in the terminal, the first object including an application identifier or a type of service, and a relay communication method being carried in the URSP; determining a first relay communication method by the terminal based on the first information; A method for determining a communication method, comprising:

2. The relay communication method includes: Use of only Layer 2 (L2) relay communication methods; Prioritizing the use of the L2 relay communication method; Use of only Layer 3 (L3) relay communication methods; Prioritizing the use of the L3 relay communication method; using a relay communication method selected by the terminal; Use of a pre-configured relay communication method; The method of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relay communication method is included in the URSP, the relay communication method being included in an access type preference component of the URSP, or the relay communication method being included in a non-seamless offload indication component of the URSP.

4. The granularity at which the application layer specifies the relay communication method is: An application identifier; The type of service and A terminal, Links, An L2 identifier; and The method of claim 1 , comprising one of:

5. The first information includes the mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship is included in a proximity service policy transmitted by the first core network device; Or, The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information includes the URSP, the URSP being carried in a user equipment policy transmitted by the first core network device.

6. A first core network device transmits first information to a terminal; A method for determining a communication method, in which the first information includes at least one of a mapping relationship between a first target and a relay communication method and a user equipment route selection policy (URSP), the first target includes an application identifier or a type of service, and the relay communication method is included in the URSP.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the relay communication method is included in the URSP, the relay communication method being included in an access type preference component of the URSP, or the relay communication method being included in a non-seamless offload indication component of the URSP.

8. The first information includes the mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship is included in a proximity service policy transmitted by the first core network device; Or, The method of claim 6 , wherein the first information includes the URSP, the URSP being carried in a user equipment policy transmitted by the first core network device.

9. The first core network device acquires second information, the second information being for assisting in the selection of a relay communication method; generating the first information based on the second information by the first core network device; Further comprising: The step of the first core network device acquiring the second information includes: receiving the second information from a second core network device by the first core network device; The first core network device acquires the second information that is preconfigured; The first core network device acquires the second information set by a communication carrier; determining the second information based on a predefined policy by the first core network device; The first core network device determines the second information based on a policy of a communication carrier; The method of claim 6, comprising one of:

10. A terminal comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or command stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the steps of the communication method determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 being realized when the program or command is executed by the processor.

11. A core network device comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or command stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the program or command realizing steps of the communication method determination method described in any one of claims 6 to 9 when the program or command is executed by the processor.

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