Network Function Registration Method, Discovery Method, Apparatus, Device, and Medium

Abstract

This application discloses a network function registration method, discovery method, apparatus, device and medium, belonging to the field of mobile communication, which introduces S-NSSAI, DNN and data processing method in the process of network function registration and discovery, so that the S-NSSAI, DNN and data processing method can be directly provided to a consumer network element for use in the process of network function discovery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to Related Applications) This application claims priority to a Chinese application with an application number of 202110368838.6, a filing date of April 6, 2021, and an invention title of "Network Function Registration Method, Discovery Method, Apparatus, Device, and Medium", and the entire content thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the field of mobile communications, and particularly to a network function registration method, a network function discovery method, an apparatus, a device, and a medium.

Background Art

[0003] In the network architecture of a New Radio (NR) system, a service architecture is provided. The Register NF (Register Network Element) in the core network provides a specific service in the identity of the service provider, and provides the service to other Consumer NF (Consumer Network Element) for use through a predefined reference point.

[0004] In the service architecture, a registration and discovery process is provided. That is, the Register Network Element registers its own feature information with the NF Repository Function (NRF), and when the Consumer Network Element requests the NRF to include the feature information required for discovering the target network element, the NRF finds an appropriate Register Network Element based on the feature information and returns the corresponding parameters.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] This application provides a network function registration method, a network function discovery method, an apparatus, a device, and a medium. The technical solution is as follows.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present application, a method for registering network functions is provided. The method includes: A first network function sends a registration request to a second network function, and the registration request includes at least one of the single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), data network name (DNN), and data processing method of the first network function.

[0007] Typically, the first network function includes a registration NF, and the second network function includes an NRF. Alternatively, the registration NF is a functional entity belonging to an application server or a data network (DN). The second network function is a functional entity of the core network.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present application, a method for registering network functions is provided. The method includes: The second network function receives a registration request sent from the first network function, and the registration request includes at least one of the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the first network function.

[0009] Typically, the first network function includes a registration NF, and the second network function includes an NRF. Alternatively, the registration NF is a functional entity belonging to an application server or a DN. The second network function is a functional entity of the core network.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present application, a method for discovering network functions is provided. The method includes: A third network function sends a discovery request to a second network function, and the discovery request is used to request the discovery of a target network function (NF). The third network function receives the discovery response sent from the second network function, and the discovery response includes at least one piece of information among the identifier of the target NF, S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method.

[0011] Typically, the second network function includes the NRF, and the third network function includes the consumer NF. Alternatively, both the second network function and the third network function are functional entities of the core network.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present application, a network function discovery method is provided. The method includes: The second network function receives a discovery request sent from the third network function, and the discovery request is used to request the discovery of the target NF. The second network function sends a discovery response to the third network function, and the discovery response includes at least one piece of information among the identifier of the target network function (NF), S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method.

[0013] Typically, the second network function includes the NRF, and the third network function includes the consumer NF. Alternatively, both the second network function and the third network function are functional entities of the core network.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present application, a network function registration device is provided. The device includes a first transmission module. The first transmission module is used to send a registration request to the second network function, and the registration request includes at least one piece of information among S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the first network function.

[0015] Typically, the second network function includes the NRF.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present application, a network function registration device is provided, and the device includes a second receiving module. The second receiving module is used to receive a registration request sent from a first network function, and at least one piece of information of the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the first network function is included in the registration request.

[0017] Typically, the first network function includes a registration NF.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present application, a network function discovery device is provided, and the device includes a third transmitting module and a third receiving module. The third transmitting module is used to send a discovery request to a second network function, and the discovery request is used to request the discovery of a target network function (NF). The third receiving module is used to receive a discovery response sent from the second network function, and an identifier of the target network function (NF) and at least one piece of information of the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method are included in the discovery response.

[0019] Typically, the second network function includes an NRF.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present application, a network function discovery device is provided, and the device includes a fourth receiving module and a fourth transmitting module. The fourth receiving module is used to receive a discovery request sent from a third network function, and the discovery request is used to request the discovery of a target NF. The fourth transmitting module is used to send a discovery response to the third network function, and an identifier of the target network function (NF) and at least one piece of information of the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method are included in the discovery response.

[0021] Typically, the third network function includes a consumer NF.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present application, a network element device is provided. The network element device includes a processor and a memory. A computer program is stored in the memory. The computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above network function registration method or network function discovery method.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. A computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium. The computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above network function registration method or network function discovery method.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present application, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes computer instructions, and the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to cause the computer device to execute the network function registration method or network function discovery method according to the above aspect.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present application, a chip is provided. The chip is configured to execute the network function registration method or network function discovery method according to the above aspect.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] The beneficial effects of the technical solution according to the embodiments of the present application include at least the following.

[0027] By providing at least one piece of information among the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the target NF in the registration process and discovery process, the NRF can provide this information to the consumer NF in the NF discovery process, and the consumer NF can use this information to interact with the target NF subsequently, and a more feature-rich registration process and discovery process are provided. In the scenario of multiple consumer NFs, the number of signaling or payloads during the interaction between the target NF and the multiple consumer NFs can be reduced.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0028] To more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings necessary for the description of the embodiments are briefly described below. 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 creative labor.

[0029]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] Here, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail and illustrated in the drawings. In the following description with reference to the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. Hereinafter, the embodiments described in the exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments that conform to the present application. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods that conform to some forms of the present application described in the appended claims.

[0031] As understood, "some" described in the present text refers to one or more, and "a plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship of related objects and indicates that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: when A exists alone, when A and B exist simultaneously, and when B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0032] Figure 1 is an architectural schematic diagram of a communication system according to one exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the system architecture 100 may be configured to include a user equipment (UE), a radio access network (RAN), a core network (Core), and a data network (DN). The UE, RAN, and Core are the main elements constituting the architecture. They may be logically divided into two parts: a user plane and a control plane. The control plane is responsible for the management of the mobile network, and the user plane is responsible for the transmission of service data. In Figure 1, the NG2 reference point is located between the RAN control plane and the Core control plane, the NG3 reference point is located between the RAN user plane and the Core user plane, and the NG6 reference point is located between the Core user plane and the data network.

[0033] The UE is the entry point for the interaction between the mobile user and the network. It can provide basic computing capabilities and storage capabilities, display a service window for the user, and receive the input of the user's operations. The UE adopts the next-generation air interface technology to establish a signal connection and a data connection with the RAN, and transmit control signals and service data to the mobile network.

[0034] The RAN is similar to the base station in the conventional network. It is arranged at a position close to the UE, provides a network access function for the grant users within the coverage range of the cell, and can transmit user data using different quality transmission tunnels based on factors such as the user's level and service requirements. The RAN manages its own resources, uses them reasonably, provides access services to the UE according to the demand, and can transfer control signals and user data between the UE and the core network.

[0035] The Core is responsible for providing functions such as the main maintenance of the contract data of the mobile network, the management of the network elements of the mobile network, session management to the UE, mobility management, policy management, security authentication, etc. When the UE attaches, it provides network access authentication to the UE. When the UE has a service request, it allocates network resources to the UE. When the UE moves, it updates the network resources for the UE. When the UE is idle, it provides a fast recovery mechanism to the UE. When the UE detaches, it releases the network resources for the UE. When the UE has service data, it provides a data routing function to the UE, for example, transferring uplink data to the DN, or receiving downlink data from the DN to the UE and transferring it to the RAN, and thereby transmitting it to the UE.

[0036] The DN is a data network that provides services to users. Generally, the client is located in the UE and the server is located in the data network. The data network may be a private network, such as a local area network, or an external network not controlled by the operator, such as the Internet, or further a dedicated network jointly deployed by the operator, such as the setting service of the IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS).

[0037] Figure 2 shows the detailed architecture determined on top of Figure 1, including a plurality of specific network functions (NFs), also referred to as network function entities, network entities, function entities, or network elements. Exemplarily, the core network user plane includes a user plane function (UPF). The core network control plane includes an authentication server function (AUSF), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a network slice selection function (NSSF), a network exposure function (NEF), an NRF, a unified data management function (UDM), a policy control function (PCF), and an application function (AF). The functions of these function entities are as follows.

[0038] UPF: Executes the transfer of user data packets based on the routing rules of the SMF. AUSF: Executes the security authentication of the UE. AMF: Access and mobility management. SMF: Session management. NSSF: Selects a network slice for the UE. NEF: Releases network functions to a third party in the form of an API interface. NRF: Provides a storage function and a selection function for network function entity information to other network elements. UDM: User contract context management. PCF: User policy management. AF: User application management.

[0039] In the architecture shown in FIG. 2, the N1 interface is a reference point between the UE and the AMF. The N2 interface is a reference point between the RAN and the AMF and is used for transmitting NAS messages and the like. The N3 interface is a reference point between the RAN and the UPF and is used for transmitting user plane data and the like. The N4 interface is a reference point between the SMF and the UPF and is used for transmitting information such as tunnel identifier information connected to N3, data cache instruction information, and downlink data notification messages. The N6 interface is a reference point between the UPF and the DN and is used for transmitting user plane data and the like. The NG interface is an interface between the radio access network and the 5G core network.

[0040] Note that the interface names between the network elements in FIGS. 1 and 2 are only one example. In a specific implementation, the interface names may be other names, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. The names of the network elements (such as SMF, AF, UPF, etc.) included in FIGS. 1 and 2 are also only one example and do not limit the functions of the network elements themselves. In 5GS and other future networks, the above network elements may have other names, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above network elements may reuse the terms in 5G or use other names, which are explained collectively here and will not be repeated below. Also, for the sake of understanding, the names of the messages (or signaling) transmitted between the above network elements are only one example and do not limit the functions of the messages themselves at all.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a network function registration and discovery method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment explains by taking as an example that the method is executed by the above mobile communication system. The method includes the following steps 102, 104, 106, and 108.

[0042] Registration process (or registration method)

[0043] In step 102, the registration NF sends a registration request to the NRF.

[0044] Exemplarily, the registration NF is any NF other than the NRF among the NFs shown in FIG. 2, or an NF provided by an existing communication protocol in another 5G network. For example, the registration NF is an AF. The registration NF may be referred to as the first NF.

[0045] The NRF is an NF for providing services related to the NF registration process and the discovery process, and the NRF may be referred to as the second NF.

[0046] The registration request is a request for NF registration with respect to the NRF. For different NFs, the specific name of the registration request may change, but as long as the function is a request for performing NF registration, any of them may be regarded as a registration request.

[0047] The registration request includes at least one of an NF (ID, Identity), an application ID, an event ID, and a UE ID. The NF ID is used to uniquely indicate the registration NF. When the registration NF is an AF, the NF identifier is indicated by the AF identifier. The application ID is used to indicate a certain or specific or designated application program, application, service, or operation. For example, the application ID may be used to indicate an application program corresponding to the target NF, an application program executed by the target NF, or an application program related to the target NF. The event ID is used to indicate an event corresponding to the target NF, an event to which the target NF responds, or an event related to the target NF. The UE ID is used to indicate a UE related to the target NF, or a UE supported by the target NF in terms of services. Typically, this information may be used to search for or query the registration NF.

[0048] Exemplarily, the registration request further includes at least one piece of information among the registered NF's S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method. The S-NSSAI and / or DNN are attribute information in the protocol data unit (PDU) session dimension of the registered NF. The data processing method is attribute information in the data processing dimension of the registered NF.

[0049] Exemplarily, the attribute information of the PDU session includes at least S-NSSAI and / or DNN.

[0050] Exemplarily, the registration request includes the data processing method of the registered NF. The data processing method is also referred to by similar names such as data processing method, way of processing data, method of processing data, option of processing data, etc. The data processing method may be identified by a data processing method ID.

[0051] Exemplarily, the data processing method includes, but is not limited to, any one of the following three methods.

[0052] · Data Anonymization · Data Anonymization is also referred to as exact Data Anonymization. Data Anonymization is a data conversion technology that effectively processes data so that the data cannot be associated with personal identities, targets, or organizations. Data Anonymization is one of the privacy protection means.

[0053] · Data Aggregation Data Aggregation is also referred to as Aggregation option and refers to merging data from different data sources.

[0054] · Data Normalization Data standardization is also referred to as the normalization option. Data standardization uses a certain mathematical transformation method to convert the original data according to a certain proportion and locate it within a small specific interval, for example, within the interval of 0 to 1 or -1 to 1, to eliminate the differences in characteristic attributes such as the nature, dimension, and order between different variables, and convert it into a relative numerical value without dimension, that is, a standardized numerical value. Thereby, the numerical values of each index are on the same order, contributing to the comprehensive analysis and comparison of indexes with different units or orders.

[0055] Data normalization is a type of widely applied data standardization. Data normalization converts data into the interval [0, 1], while data standardization converts data into a specified interval, not limited to the interval [0, 1].

[0056] Correspondingly, the NRF receives the registration request sent from the registered NF. The NRF stores the registered NF and various information corresponding to the registered NF, and the various information includes at least one piece of information among the AF ID, application ID, event ID, S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method.

[0057] In step 104, the NRF sends a registration response to the registered NF.

[0058] Correspondingly, the registered NF receives the registration response sent from the NRF.

[0059] In different embodiments, the specific name of the registration response may vary. However, as long as the function is a response message that responds to the registration request, it may all be recognized as a registration response.

[0060] Discovery process (or discovery method)

[0061] In step 106, the consumer NF sends a discovery request to the NRF.

[0062] Exemplarily, the consumer NF is any NF other than the NRF among the NFs shown in FIG. 2, or an NF provided by an existing communication protocol in another 5G network. For example, the consumer NF is a Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF). The consumer NF may be referred to as the third NF.

[0063] Exemplarily, the discovery request is a request for NF discovery to the NRF, or the discovery request is a request for discovering a target NF. For different NFs, the specific name of the discovery request may vary, but as long as the function is a request for performing NF discovery, any of them may be regarded as a discovery request.

[0064] Correspondingly, the NRF receives the discovery request sent from the consumer NF.

[0065] Optionally, the discovery request includes the feature information of the target NF waiting for discovery. The feature information of the target NF includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the application identifier, event identifier, UE identifier, and the requested data processing method.

[0066] In step 108, the NRF sends a discovery response to the consumer NF.

[0067] The NRF selects, as the target NF, the registered NF that corresponds to the discovery request from (at least) a plurality of registered NFs. The NRF sends a discovery response to the consumer NF, and the discovery response includes the identifier of the target NF and at least one of the information of S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the target NF.

[0068] The NRF obtains the feature information of the target NF from the discovery request, and uses, as the target NF, the registered NF among the plurality of registered NFs that matches the feature information.

[0069] As an option, the S-NSSAI and / or DNN of the target NF is the attribute information of the PDU session. That is, the attribute information of the PDU session is the attribute information of the PDU session corresponding to the target NF. Or, the target NF is the attribute information of the PDU session to be registered in the registration process.

[0070] As an option, the data processing method is the data processing method used or registered by the target NF.

[0071] Correspondingly, the consumer NF receives the discovery response sent from the NRF.

[0072] As an option, when the discovery process fails, the discovery response sent by the NRF to the consumer NF does not include the information of the target NF.

[0073] In different embodiments, the specific name of the discovery response may change. However, as long as the function is a response message that is a reply to the discovery request, any of them may be regarded as a discovery response.

[0074] Note that the execution order of the above registration process and the above discovery process is not limited. The registration process may be executed before the discovery process, the registration process and the discovery process may be executed simultaneously, or the discovery process may be executed before the registration process. For the same registration NF, the above registration process may not be limited to once. For example, the first registration is performed at the first time, and then, when the capabilities or information of the registration NF change, the second registration is performed at the second time, and the present application does not limit this.

[0075] As described above, in the method according to this embodiment, by providing at least one piece of information among the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the target NF in the registration process and the discovery process, the NRF can provide this information to the consumer NF in the NF discovery process, and the consumer NF can use this information to interact with the target NF, providing a more feature-rich registration process and discovery process. In the scenario of multiple consumer NFs, the number of signaling or payloads during the interaction between the target NF and the multiple consumer NFs can be reduced.

[0076] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a network function registration and discovery method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment will be described by taking the example that the method is executed by the above mobile communication system. The method includes the following steps 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114.

[0077] Registration process (or registration method)

[0078] In step 102, the registering NF sends a registration request to the NRF.

[0079] Exemplarily, the registering NF is any NF other than the NRF among the NFs shown in FIG. 2, or an NF provided by an existing communication protocol in another 5G network. For example, the registering NF is the AF. The registering NF may also be referred to as the first NF.

[0080] The NRF is an NF for providing related services in the NF registration process and the discovery process, and the NRF may also be referred to as the second NF.

[0081] The registration request is a request for performing NF registration on the NRF. For different NFs, the specific name of the registration request may change, but as long as the function is a request for performing NF registration, any of them may be regarded as a registration request.

[0082] Exemplarily, the registration request includes at least one of the information of the registered NF, S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method.

[0083] Exemplarily, the registration request includes the attribute information of the PDU session of the registered NF.

[0084] Exemplarily, the attribute information of the PDU session includes at least S-NSSAI and / or DNN.

[0085] Exemplarily, the registration request includes the data processing method of the registered NF. The data processing method is also referred to by similar names such as data processing method, method of processing data, way of processing data, options for processing data, etc. The data processing method includes, but is not limited to, any one of the following three methods. · Data anonymization · Data aggregation · Data standardization.

[0086] Exemplarily, the registration request further includes at least one of the following information of the registered NF.

[0087] · AF ID The AF ID is used to indicate the ID of the registered NF.

[0088] · Application ID The application ID is used to indicate a certain or specific or designated application program, application, service, or operation. For example, the application ID may be used to indicate an application program supported by the target NF, an application program to be executed, a corresponding application program, or a related application program.

[0089] · UE ID The UE ID is used to indicate the UE related to the registered NF.

[0090] · Event ID The event ID is used to indicate an event supported by the registered NF, an event that can be responded to, an event corresponding to the registered NF, or an event related to the registered NF.

[0091] Correspondingly, the NRF receives a registration request sent from the registered NF. The NRF stores the registered NF and various information corresponding to the registered NF, and the various information includes at least one piece of information among the AF ID, application ID, event ID, S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method.

[0092] In step 104, the NRF sends a registration response to the registered NF.

[0093] Correspondingly, the registered NF receives the registration response sent from the NRF. Exemplarily, the registration response includes information for indicating registration success.

[0094] In different embodiments, the specific name of the registration response may vary. However, as long as the function is a response message that is a reply to the registration request, any of them may be recognized as a registration response.

[0095] Discovery process (or discovery method)

[0096] In step 106, the consumer NF sends a discovery request to the NRF.

[0097] Exemplarily, the consumer NF is any NF other than the NRF among the NFs shown in FIG. 2, or an NF provided by an existing communication protocol in another 5G network. For example, the consumer NF is a Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF). The consumer NF may also be referred to as the third NF.

[0098] Exemplarily, a discovery request is a request for NF discovery to the NRF, or a discovery request is a request for discovering a target NF. For different NFs, the specific name of the discovery request may vary, but as long as the function is a request for performing NF discovery, any of them may be recognized as a discovery request.

[0099] Exemplarily, a discovery request includes feature information of a target NF waiting for discovery.

[0100] Exemplarily, a discovery request includes at least one of an application ID, an event ID, a UE ID, and a required data processing method. That is, the feature information of the target NF may be indicated by at least one of an application ID, an event ID, a UE ID, and a required data processing method.

[0101] Correspondingly, the NRF receives a discovery request sent from a consumer NF. The NRF determines a target NF based on the information included in the discovery request. For example, the NRF selects a target NF that matches the information included in the discovery request from a plurality of candidate registered NFs.

[0102] When an application ID is included in the discovery request, the NRF selects a target NF that matches the application ID from a plurality of candidate registered NFs. When an event ID is included in the discovery request, the NRF selects a target NF that matches the The event ID from a plurality of candidate registered NFs. When a UE ID is included in the discovery request, the NRF selects a target NF for providing services to the UE ID from a plurality of candidate registered NFs. When a required data processing method is included in the discovery request, the NRF selects a target NF that supports or adopts the required data processing method from a plurality of candidate registered NFs.

[0103] When a discovery request contains multiple pieces of feature information, the NRF selects, from among multiple candidate registered NFs, the registered NF that matches all the feature information as the target NF, or selects, from among multiple candidate registered NFs, the registered NF that matches at least one piece of feature information as the target NF, or preferentially selects as the target NF the registered NF with the largest possible number of matching pieces of feature information.

[0104] In step 108, the NRF sends a discovery response to the consumer NF.

[0105] The NRF selects, from among (at least) multiple registered NFs, the registered NF corresponding to the discovery request as the target NF. The NRF sends a discovery response to the consumer NF, and the discovery response includes the identifier of the target NF and at least one piece of information among the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the target NF.

[0106] As an option, the attribute information of the PDU session is the attribute information of the PDU session corresponding to the target NF. Or it is the attribute information of the PDU session registered by the target NF during the registration process.

[0107] In different embodiments, the specific name of the discovery response may change. However, as long as it is a response message whose function is to reply to the discovery request, it may all be regarded as a discovery response.

[0108] Correspondingly, the consumer NF receives the discovery response sent from the NRF.

[0109] In step 110, the consumer NF obtains the first Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal based on the information included in the discovery response.

[0110] When multiple PDU sessions are established on a terminal, there are multiple IP addresses on the terminal. For each PDU session, the terminal has an IP address that corresponds one-to-one to that PDU session. For example, the same terminal establishes a PDU session for video playback with the first AF, a PDU session for chatting with the second AF, and a PDU session for web browsing with the third AF.

[0111] Exemplarily, the first IP address of the terminal is one or more of the IP addresses among all the IP addresses of the terminal. Alternatively, the first IP address of the terminal is the IP address corresponding to the target NF among all the IP addresses of the terminal.

[0112] There is a correspondence between the IP address of the terminal and the attribute information of the PDU session. This correspondence is stored in the consumer NF. Alternatively, this correspondence is stored in another NF, but the consumer NF can query or read this correspondence from the other NF.

[0113] Exemplarily, the consumer NF selects the IP address corresponding to the target NF from all the IP addresses of the terminal based on the S-NSSAI and / or DNN. For example, the correspondence between each IP address of the terminal and the S-NSSAI and / or DNN is stored in the consumer NF. Exemplarily, it is shown in Table 1 below.

[0114]

Table 1

[0115] Also for example, the above correspondence is stored in another NF, and the consumer NF sends a query request to the other NF. This query request includes the UE ID and the attribute information (S-NSSAI and / or DNN) of the PDU session. The other NF returns the first IP address of the terminal to the consumer NF.

[0116] In step 112, the consumer NF sends the first IP address of the terminal to the target NF.

[0117] Exemplarily, the target NF is one or more of the plurality of registered NFs. For example, the target NF is an AF.

[0118] Correspondingly, the target NF receives the first IP address of the terminal sent from the consumer NF.

[0119] As an option, the consumer NF sends the first IP address of the terminal and the required data processing method to the target NF. The first IP address and the required data processing method may be included in the same message for transmission, or may be included in different messages for transmission.

[0120] In step 114, the consumer NF receives the data sent from the target NF and the data processing method corresponding to the data, and the terminal data is the data processed by the data processing method.

[0121] The target NF may provide data to the consumer NF. The data is any possible data for interaction between different network elements in the mobile communication system, such as UE data of one or more UEs, data of an access network device, data of a core network device, data on the AF side, etc.

[0122] As an option, the data is raw data, or the data is processed data. For example, the data is the data processed by the data processing method required by the consumer NF, or the data processed by the default or set data processing method.

[0123] When the target NF provides data to the consumer NF, the data processing method corresponding to the data may be provided to the consumer NF.

[0124] Note that the execution order of the above registration process and the above discovery process is not limited. The registration process may be executed before the discovery process, the registration process and the discovery process may be executed simultaneously, or the discovery process may be executed before the registration process. For the same registered NF, the above registration process may not be limited to once. For example, the first registration is performed at the first time, and then, if the capabilities or information of the registered NF change, the second registration is performed at the second time, and the present application does not limit this.

[0125] As described above, in the method according to this embodiment, by providing at least one piece of information among the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the target NF in the registration process and the discovery process, the NRF can provide this information to the consumer NF in the NF discovery process, and the consumer NF can use this information to interact with the target NF, and a more functional registration process and discovery process are provided. In the scenario of multiple consumer NFs, the number of signaling or payloads during the interaction between the target NF and the multiple consumer NFs can be reduced.

[0126] In the method according to this embodiment, further, the consumer NF provides the first IP address of the terminal to the target NF based on the information included in the discovery response, and it is not necessary to provide all the IP addresses of the terminal to the target NF. Therefore, it can be ensured that other IP addresses of the terminal are not leaked.

[0127] In the method according to this embodiment, further, since the discovery request includes the required data processing method, when there are multiple registered NFs, the registered NF having the required data processing method is preferentially discovered as the target NF. Application ID, Event ID In terms of the discovery method of feature information such as UE ID, a new type of discovery method is further provided.

[0128] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a network function registration and discovery method according to an embodiment of the present application. This embodiment will be described by taking the registration NF as AF and the consumer NF as NWDAF as an example. The method includes the following steps 201 to 210.

[0129] Registration process (or registration method)

[0130] In step 201, AF sends a registration request to NRF.

[0131] Exemplarily, the registration request is an NF management update_NF update request (Nnrf_NFManNnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate_request) of the Nnrf interface.

[0132] Exemplarily, the registration request includes at least one piece of information of AF's S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method. The data processing method includes, but is not limited to, any one of the following three methods. · Data anonymization, · Data aggregation, · Data standardization.

[0133] Exemplarily, the registration request includes the attribute information of AF's PDU session, that is, S-NSSAI and / or DNN.

[0134] Optionally, the registration request further includes at least one piece of information of AF's AF ID, application ID, event ID, and UE ID.

[0135] In step 202, NRF sends a registration response to AF.

[0136] Exemplarily, the registration response is an NF management update_NF update response (Nnrf_NFManNnrf_NFManagement_NFUpdate_responese) of the Nnrf interface.

[0137] Discovery process (or discovery method)

[0138] In step 203, the NWDAF sends a discovery request to the NRF.

[0139] As an option, the discovery request is an NF discovery request (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_request) of the Nnrf interface. The discovery request is a request for the discovery of the target NF.

[0140] As an option, the discovery request includes at least one of an application ID, an event ID, a UE ID, and a required data processing method.

[0141] In step 204, the NRF sends a discovery response to the NWDAF.

[0142] As an option, the discovery response is an NF discovery response (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_response) of the Nnrf interface.

[0143] As an option, the discovery response includes the (target) AF ID of the target NF, and at least one piece of information of the target NF among S-NSSAI, DNN, and a data processing method.

[0144] Exemplarily, the NWDAF sends a discovery request to the NRF to find and communicate with a suitable AF (for example, find one AF to collect UE data). The discovery request includes characteristic information of the target AF (for example, at least one of an application identifier, an event identifier, a UE identifier, and a required data processing method). Based on this, the NRF matches a suitable target AF and includes the information of the target AF in the discovery response and returns it to the NWDAF. The discovery response includes at least one of the S-NSSAI, DNN, and a data processing method of the target AF.

[0145] Exemplarily, AF is used to provide the UE with Internet services such as video browsing, web browsing, online games, instant communication, etc. The UE accesses the Internet services provided by the AF through a PDU session. Each PDU session has unique attribute information (such as S-NSSAI and / or DNN). The UE has one IP address in each PDU session. NWDAF is a data detection and analysis network element that automatically detects and analyzes the mobile network based on network data to improve the resource utilization efficiency of the mobile network. For example, NWDAF analyzes the UE data when one or more UEs use an Internet service and guides the subsequent resource allocation of the mobile network. In the analysis process, NWDAF first needs to obtain the UE data of one or more UEs from the AF side and use it as the data to be analyzed.

[0146] Interaction process between NWDAF and the target NF

[0147] In step 205, NWDAF sends a first message to the UDM.

[0148] The first message is Nudm interface's event exposure subscribe (Nudm_EventExposure_Subscribe). Exemplarily, the first message includes at least one of a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), SNSSAI, and DNN. SUPI is a type of UE ID.

[0149] In step 206, the UDM sends a second message to NWDAF.

[0150] The second message is Nudm interface's event exposure notify (Nudm_EventExposure_Notify). Exemplarily, the second message includes the SMF ID.

[0151] In step 207, the NWDAF sends a third message to the SMF.

[0152] The third message is the Nsmf interface's Event Exposure Subscribe (Nsmf_EventExposure_Subscribe).

[0153] Exemplarily, the third message includes the UE ID.

[0154] In step 208, the SMF sends a fourth message to the NWDAF.

[0155] The fourth message is the Nsmf interface's Event Exposure Notify (Nsmf_EventExposure_ _Notify). Exemplarily, the fourth message includes the (first) IP address of the UE.

[0156] The (first) IP address of the UE is one or more of all the IP addresses of the UE. Alternatively, the (first) IP address of the UE is the IP address corresponding to the target AF among all the IP addresses of the UE.

[0157] In step 209, the NWDAF sends a fifth message to the target AF.

[0158] The fifth message is the Naf interface's Event Exposure Subscribe (Naf_EventExposure_Subscribe). Exemplarily, the fifth message includes the (first) IP address of the UE, and alternatively further includes the SUPI, which is a type of UE ID.

[0159] After going through the processes of step 205 to step 209 above, after NWDAF obtains the UE ID, S-NSSAI, and DNN, NWDAF determines the SMF that provides services to the UE based on the UE ID. NWDAF sends a query request to the SMF, and the query request includes S-NSSAI and / or DNN. The SMF uniquely determines the target PDU session based on S-NSSAI and / or DNN, and the target PDU session is the PDU session between the UE and the target AF. Further, the SMF feeds back the IP address of the UE in the target PDU session to NWDAF. In this way, NWDAF obtains the first IP address of the UE.

[0160] NWDAF sends the uniquely determined first IP address of the UE to the target AF, thereby instructing the target AF which corresponding UE it is using the first IP address. In this way, it is avoided to send all the IP addresses of the UE to the target AF, reducing the security risk.

[0161] As an option, there may be multiple UEs above. For example, NWDAF needs to analyze multiple UEs in the same area or multiple UEs in the same network slice.

[0162] As an option, the fifth message further includes the required data processing method. The required data processing method is used to instruct NWDAF about the requirement of the data processing method when requesting data processing by the target AF.

[0163] In step 210, the target AF sends a sixth message to NWDAF.

[0164] The 6th message is the Naf interface event exposure notification (Naf_EventExposure_Notify). Exemplarily, the 6th message contains data, for example, the data is the UE data of one or more UEs. The UE data may be data such as the power consumption data of the UE, the usage record of the application program, the usage duration of the application program, the usage experience or evaluation of the application program, and the movement trajectory.

[0165] Exemplarily, the target AF may provide data to the NWDAF, and the data may be the data processed by the target AF. For example, the target AF collects the UE data of multiple UEs, processes the collected UE data, and sends the processed UE data to the NWDAF. Exemplarily, in the process of the target AF providing data to the NWDAF, one or more data are processed using the data processing method included in the 5th message. Or, in the process of the target AF providing data to the NWDAF, one or more data are processed using the default or set data processing method.

[0166] As an option, when the UE data is the processed data, the 6th message further includes the data processing method to be used for the UE data.

[0167] After receiving the UE data of one or more UEs, the NWDAF analyzes and processes these UE data.

[0168] As described above, in the method according to this embodiment, by providing at least one piece of information among the S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method of the target NF in the registration process and the discovery process, the NRF can provide this information to the consumer NF in the NF discovery process, and the consumer NF can use this information to interact with the target NF subsequently, and a more rich registration process and discovery process are provided. In the scenario of multiple consumer NFs, the number of signaling or payloads during the interaction between the target NF and the multiple consumer NFs can be reduced.

[0169] In the method according to this embodiment, it further solves the problem that the consumer NF needs to disclose all the IP addresses of one UE to a third party. Thereby, the consumer NF only needs to send the first IP address of the UE (related to the target NF) to the target NF, and does not need to send all the IP addresses of one UE to the AF. The method according to this embodiment further makes full use of relevant processes and mechanisms, and there are relatively few changes to related technologies.

[0170] Based on those skilled in the art's understanding, the above method can be divided in various ways and combined into new embodiments. For example, it can be divided according to the registration process and the discovery process to form new embodiments, or divided according to each execution entity (i.e., network function) to form new embodiments, which will not be repeatedly described in this application.

[0171] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a network function registration device according to an embodiment of the present application. The device may be realized as all or part of the registered network function, applied to the registered network function, or applied to the first network function. The device includes a first transmission module 501. The first transmission module 501 is used to send a registration request to the second network function, and the registration request includes at least one piece of information of the first network function, such as S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method.

[0172] In one possible design, the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data normalization.

[0173] In one possible design, the registration request further includes at least one piece of information of the first network function, such as NF identifier, application identifier, event identifier, and terminal identifier.

[0174] In one possible design, the apparatus further comprises a first receiving module 502 used to receive a registration response sent from the second network function.

[0175] In one possible design, the first network function and the second network function are functional entities on the core network side.

[0176] In one possible design, the second network function is the NRF.

[0177] FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a network function registration apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus may be implemented as all or part of the NRF, or may be applied to the NRF. The apparatus comprises a second receiving module 601, The second receiving module 601 is used to receive a registration request sent from the first network function, and the registration request includes at least one piece of information of the first network function, such as S-NSSAI, DNN, and data processing method.

[0178] In one possible design, the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data standardization.

[0179] In one possible design, the registration request further includes at least one piece of information of the first network function, such as NF identifier, application identifier, event identifier, and terminal identifier.

[0180] In one possible design, the apparatus The first network function further comprises a second transmitting module 602 used to transmit a registration response to

[0181] In one possible design, the first network function and the second network function are functional entities on the core network side.

[0182] In one possible design, the second network function is the NRF.

[0183] FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of a network function discovery device according to an embodiment of the present application. The device may be implemented as all or part of a consumer network function, or may be applied to a consumer network function. The device includes a third transmission module 701 and a third reception module 702.

[0184] The third transmission module is used to send a discovery request to the second network function. The discovery request is used to request the discovery of a target network function (NF), or the discovery request is a request for the discovery of a target NF. The third reception module is used to receive a discovery response sent from the second network function. The discovery response includes at least one piece of information among an identifier of a target network function (NF), an S-NSSAI, a DNN, and a data processing method.

[0185] In one possible design, the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data normalization.

[0186] In one possible design, the discovery request includes at least one piece of information among an application identifier, an event identifier, a UE identifier, and a required data processing method.

[0187] In one possible design, the target NF is determined by the second network function based on the information included in the discovery request.

[0188] In one possible design, the device further includes a third processing module 703. The third processing module 703 is further used to obtain the first Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal based on the information included in the discovery response, and the third transmission module 701 is further used to transmit the first IP address of the terminal to the target NF. As an option, the third processing module 703 is used to determine the first IP address of the terminal based on the S-NSSAI and / or the DNN included in the discovery response by the third network function.

[0189] In one possible design, the first IP address of the terminal is one or more IP addresses among all the IP addresses of the terminal. In one possible design, the first IP address of the terminal is the IP address corresponding to the target NF among all the IP addresses of the terminal.

[0190] In one possible design, the third transmission module 701 is further used to transmit the required data processing method to the target NF.

[0191] In one possible design, the third reception module 702 is further used to receive the data transmitted from the target NF and the data processing method corresponding to the data, and the data is the data processed by the data processing method.

[0192] In one possible design, the third network function and the second network function are functional entities on the core network side.

[0193] In one possible design, the second network function is the NRF.

[0194] FIG. 9 shows a block diagram of a network function discovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus may be implemented as all or part of the NRF, or applied to the NRF. The apparatus includes a fourth reception module 801 and a fourth transmission module 802.

[0195] The fourth receiving module 801 is used to receive a discovery request sent from a third network function, the discovery request is used to request the discovery of a target NF, or the discovery request is a request for the discovery of a target NF, The fourth transmitting module 802 is used to transmit a discovery response to the third network function, and the discovery response includes at least one piece of information of an identifier of a target network function (NF), and an S-NSSAI, a DNN, and a data processing method of the target NF.

[0196] In one possible design, the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data normalization.

[0197] In one possible design, the discovery request includes at least one piece of information of an application identifier, an event identifier, a UE identifier, and a required data processing method.

[0198] In one possible design, the apparatus further includes a fourth processing module 803 used to determine the target NF based on the information included in the discovery request.

[0199] In one possible design, the third network function and the second network function are functional entities on the core network side.

[0200] In one possible design, the second network function is an NRF.

[0201] FIG. 10 shows a structural schematic diagram of a network element device according to an embodiment of the present application. For example, the network element device may be used to execute the above network function registration method and / or network function discovery method. Specifically, the network element device 1000 may include a processor 1001, a receiver 1002, a transmitter 1003, a memory 1004, and a bus 1005.

[0202] Processor 1001 includes one or more processing cores, and by executing software programs and modules, processor 1001 performs various functions and information processing.

[0203] Receiver 1002 and transmitter 1003 may be implemented as a single transceiver 1006, and the transceiver 1006 may be a single communication chip.

[0204] Memory 1004 is connected to processor 1001 via bus 1005.

[0205] Memory 1004 may be used for storing computer programs, and processor 1001 executes the computer programs to implement the steps performed by the network element device, access network entity, network element of the core network or core network entity in the embodiments of the above method.

[0206] Transmitter 1003 is used to execute the steps related to transmission in the embodiments of the above methods. Receiver 1002 is used to execute the steps related to reception in the embodiments of the above methods. Processor 1001 is used to execute the steps other than the transmission and reception steps in the above embodiments.

[0207] Also, the memory 1304 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof. The volatile or non-volatile storage device includes, but is not limited to, RAM (Random-Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory or other solid-state storage technologies, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Video Disc) or other optical storage, tape cartridge, tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage device.

[0208] In an exemplary embodiment, a network element device is further provided. The network element device includes a processor and a memory, a computer program is stored in the memory, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above network function registration method and / or network function discovery method.

[0209] In an exemplary embodiment, a terminal is further provided. The terminal includes a processor and a memory, a computer program is stored in the memory, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above network function registration method and / or network function discovery method.

[0210] The present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set or an instruction set is stored. The at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set or the instruction set is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the network function registration method and / or the network function discovery method according to the embodiments of the above method.

[0211] Optionally, the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes computer instructions, and the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to cause the computer device to execute the network function registration method and / or the network function discovery method according to the above manner.

[0212] The numbers of the embodiments of the above present application are only for description purposes and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0213] As can be understood by those skilled in the art, all or part of the steps of the above embodiments may be implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The above program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the storage medium may be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0214] The above are only optional embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A network function registration method, the method comprising: A first network function sends a registration request to a second network function, the registration request including single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and information on a data processing method applied to the first network function, the first network function being an application function (AF), and the second network function being a network repository function (NRF); The first network function receives a first Internet Protocol (IP) address of a terminal sent from a third network function, the first IP address of the terminal being obtained by the third network function. A network function registration method characterized by including this.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data standardization.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first IP address of the terminal is an IP address corresponding to the first network function among all the IP addresses of the terminal.

4. A network function registration method, the method comprising: A second network function receives a registration request sent from a first network function, the registration request including single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and information on a data processing method applied to the first network function, the first network function being an application function (AF), and the second network function being a network repository function (NRF); The second network function receives a discovery request sent from a third network function, the discovery request being used to request discovery of an AF; The second network function sends a discovery response to the third network function, the discovery response including an identifier of the first network function, single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and information on a data processing method applied to the AF. A network function registration method characterized by including this.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data standardization.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the discovery response is used for the third network function to obtain the first Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal.

7. A network function registration device, comprising a first transmission module of a first network function and a first reception module of the first network function, The first transmission module of the first network function is used to send a registration request to a second network function. The registration request includes single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and information on a data processing method applied to the first network function. The first network function is an application function (AF), and the second network function is a network repository function (NRF). The first reception module of the first network function is further used to receive the first Internet Protocol (IP) address of the terminal sent from a third network function, and the first IP address of the terminal is obtained by the third network function. A network function registration device characterized by this.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data standardization.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the first IP address of the terminal is the IP address corresponding to the first network function among all the IP addresses of the terminal.

10. A network function registration device, comprising a second reception module of a second network function and a second transmission module of the second network function, The second reception module of the second network function is used to receive a registration request sent from a first network function. The registration request includes single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and information on a data processing method applied to the first network function. The first network function is an application function (AF), and the second network function is a network repository function (NRF). The second receiving module of the second network function is further used to receive a discovery request sent from a third network function, and the discovery request is used to request discovery of an AF. The second transmission module of the second network function is used to transmit a discovery response to the third network function, and the discovery response includes an identifier of the first network function, single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), a data network name (DNN), and information on a data processing method applied to the AF. A network function registration device. **Claim 11** The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the data processing method includes at least one of data anonymization, data aggregation, and data normalization. **Claim 12** The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the discovery response is used for the third network function to obtain a first Internet Protocol (IP) address of a terminal.

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