Method, apparatus and device for determining protocol architecture

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus, and device for determining protocol architecture. The method includes: receiving (202) a target message from a second device (200), where the target message carries first information; and determining (203), based on the first information and second information, whether to establish a communication connection to the second device (200), where the first information is used to indicate architecture information of a first protocol architecture that the second device (200) currently supports and / or prefers, and the second information is used to indicate architecture information of a second protocol architecture that a first device (100) currently supports and / or prefers.

Description

Protocol architecture determination method, apparatus and equipment

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010270669.8, filed in China on April 8, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus and device for determining protocol architecture. Background Technology

[0004] Currently, there are two relay communication protocol architectures in 5G_ProSe research: Layer-2 based protocol architecture and layer-3 based protocol architecture.

[0005] In current relay communication scenarios, only one protocol architecture is considered for communication. However, with the development of communication technology, it is very likely that scenarios where the two protocol architectures mentioned above coexist will emerge in the future, namely, a scenario where Layer-2 based protocol architecture and Layer-3 based protocol architecture coexist.

[0006] Thus, in a relay communication scenario, if the protocol architectures supported by the first and second devices are incompatible, it can easily lead to communication connection failure between the first and second devices.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] This invention provides a protocol architecture determination method, apparatus, and device to solve the problem of communication connection failure between devices caused by the mismatch of protocol architectures supported by two devices in a relay communication scenario.

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0010] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a protocol architecture determination method applied to a first device. The method includes: receiving a target message from a second device, the target message carrying first information; determining whether to establish a communication connection with the second device based on the first information and second information; wherein the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of a first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device; and the second information is used to indicate the architecture information of a second protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the first device.

[0011] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a protocol architecture determination method applied to a second device. The method includes: sending a target message, the target message carrying first information; wherein the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of a first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device.

[0012] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a protocol architecture determination apparatus, comprising: a receiving module, configured to receive a target message from a second device, the target message carrying first information; and a determining module, configured to determine whether to establish a communication connection with the second device based on the first information and second information received by the receiving module; wherein the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of a first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device; and the second information is used to indicate the architecture information of a second protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the first device.

[0013] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a protocol architecture determination apparatus, comprising: a sending module, configured to send a target message, the target message carrying first information; wherein the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of a first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by a second device.

[0014] Fifthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a protocol architecture determination device, which includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the protocol architecture determination method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0015] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the protocol architecture determination method described in the first or second aspect.

[0016] In this embodiment of the invention, after the first device receives the target message from the second device, since the target message carries the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, the first device can determine whether to select the second device for communication connection based on the architecture information of the second protocol architecture that it can currently support or prefers to use and the architecture information of the first protocol architecture, thereby improving the success rate of communication connection between the first device and the second device and also improving communication energy efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a possible structural diagram of the communication system involved in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a protocol architecture determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a protocol architecture determination method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a protocol architecture determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a protocol architecture determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a protocol architecture determination device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a protocol architecture determination device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a protocol architecture determination device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] It should be noted that the " / " in this article means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. The "and / or" in this article is only a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0027] It should be noted that, in order to clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish the same or similar items with essentially the same function or effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order. For example, first information and second information are used to distinguish different information, rather than to describe a specific order of information.

[0028] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0029] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, "of", "corresponding", and "corresponding" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be pointed out that when their distinction is not emphasized, their intended meanings are consistent. In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more.

[0030] The technical solution provided by this invention can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5G communication systems, future evolution systems, or multiple communication convergence systems. It can include various application scenarios, such as machine-to-machine (M2M), direct-to-machine (D2M), macro-micro communication, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (uRLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). These scenarios include, but are not limited to, communication between terminal devices, communication between network devices, or communication between network devices and terminal devices. The embodiments of this invention can be applied to communication between network devices and terminal devices, or between terminal devices, or between network devices in 5G communication systems.

[0031] Figure 1 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes at least one first device 100 (only one is shown in Figure 1) and at least one second device 200.

[0032] The first device mentioned above can be a terminal device, network device, network element device, etc., with relay communication capabilities, and the second device mentioned above can also be a terminal device, network device, network element device, etc., with relay communication capabilities. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the specific type of device. For example, the first device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, or a roadside unit; the second device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, or a roadside unit.

[0033] For example, the network devices described above can be base stations, core network equipment, transmission and reception points (TRPs), relay stations, or access points. The network devices can be base transceiver stations (BTS) in Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, NBs (NodeBs) in Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), or eNBs or eNodeBs (evolutionary NodeBs) in LTE. The network devices can also be radio controllers in Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenarios. The network devices can also be network devices in 5G communication systems or network devices in future evolved networks. However, the terminology used does not constitute a limitation of the invention.

[0034] For example, the aforementioned terminal device can be a wireless terminal device or a wired terminal device. The wireless terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or other service data connectivity to the user, a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network, or a terminal device in a future evolved PLMN network, etc. Wireless terminal equipment can communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Wireless terminal equipment can be mobile terminal equipment, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones) and computers with mobile terminal devices, for example, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices. They exchange voice and / or data with the RAN, and include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), etc. Wireless terminal equipment can also be mobile devices, User Equipment (UE), UE terminal equipment, access terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, terminal equipment unit, terminal equipment station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal equipment, subscriber unit, subscriber station, and user agent. Agents, terminal equipment, etc.

[0035] This invention provides a method for determining a protocol architecture, which may include step 101:

[0036] Step 101: The second device sends the target message.

[0037] The aforementioned target message carries the first piece of information.

[0038] The aforementioned first information is used to indicate the architecture information of the first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device.

[0039] For example, the second device may broadcast the target message or send the target message directly to the first device; this embodiment of the invention does not limit this.

[0040] Based on the above, Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a protocol architecture determination method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the protocol architecture determination method may include:

[0041] Step 201: The second device sends the target message to the first device.

[0042] Step 202: The first device receives the target message from the second device.

[0043] Step 203: The first device determines whether to establish a communication connection with the second device based on the first information and the second information.

[0044] The aforementioned second information is used to indicate the architecture information of the second protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the first device.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, during the discovery or connection establishment phase, the second device carries the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that it can currently support or prefers to use in the discovery message or connection establishment message, so that the first device can determine whether to select the second device for communication connection based on the architecture information of the second protocol architecture that it can currently support or prefers to use and the architecture information of the first protocol architecture.

[0046] It should be noted that the protocol architecture in the embodiments of the present invention can be a protocol stack.

[0047] Optionally, in this embodiment of the invention, the architecture information of the currently supported first protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: supporting communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture and supporting communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; the architecture information of the currently preferred first protocol architecture is used to indicate any one of the following: prioritizing communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture and prioritizing communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture.

[0048] For example, the architecture information of the first protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following: the second device only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication, the second device only supports Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication, the second device supports both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication, the second device prefers Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication, and the second device prefers Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication.

[0049] Optionally, in this embodiment of the invention, the architecture information of the currently supported second protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: supporting communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture and supporting communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; the architecture information of the currently preferred second protocol architecture is used to indicate any one of the following: prioritizing communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture and prioritizing communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture.

[0050] For example, the architecture information of the first protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following: the first device only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication, the first device only supports Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication, the first device supports both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication, the first device prefers Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication, and the first device prefers Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication.

[0051] For example, the above-mentioned Layer 2 relay protocol architecture can be a Layer-2 based protocol architecture, and the above-mentioned Layer 3 relay protocol architecture can be a Layer-3 based protocol architecture.

[0052] Optionally, in embodiments of the present invention, the first information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device; and / or, the second information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the first device based on the network conditions of the first device. In one example, the first information is determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device under existing configuration. In another example, the second information is determined by the first device based on the network conditions of the second device under existing configuration.

[0053] Optionally, in this embodiment of the invention, the target message includes a discovery message or a connection establishment message. The connection establishment message is used to request the establishment of a communication connection between the second device and the first device.

[0054] Optionally, in this embodiment of the invention, when the target message includes a discovery message, step 203 may include the following step 203a:

[0055] Step 203a: The first device performs protocol architecture matching based on the first information and the second information to determine whether to select the second device to continue establishing a communication connection.

[0056] For example, the first device performs protocol architecture matching on the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture based on the first information and the second information to determine whether to select the second device to continue establishing a communication connection. Further, if the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture match, the second device is selected to continue establishing a communication connection; if the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture do not match, the second device is not selected to continue establishing a communication connection.

[0057] Optionally, in this embodiment of the invention, when the target message includes a connection establishment message, step 203 may include the following step 203b:

[0058] Step 203b: The first device performs protocol architecture matching based on the first information and the second information to determine whether to accept the connection establishment message.

[0059] For example, the first device performs protocol architecture matching on the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture based on the first information and the second information to determine whether to accept the connection establishment message. Further, if the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture match, the connection establishment message is accepted; if the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture do not match, the connection establishment message is rejected.

[0060] Further optionally, in this embodiment of the invention, step 203b may include the following step 203b1:

[0061] Step 203b1: If it is determined from the first information and the second information that the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture do not match, then the first device sends a connection establishment rejection message to the second device.

[0062] The connection establishment rejection message carries third information, which is used to indicate the reason for the mismatch between the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture.

[0063] For example, after the first device performs protocol architecture matching on the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture based on the first information and the second information, if it determines that the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture do not match, the first device sends a connection establishment rejection message to the second device.

[0064] For example, a first protocol architecture and a second protocol architecture matching means that at least one of the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture is the same, and a first protocol architecture and a second protocol architecture mismatch means that the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture are different.

[0065] The following will provide a detailed description of the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention using several examples.

[0066] First possible example:

[0067] For UE-to-Network relay communication scenarios, taking the second device as a UE-to-Network relay UE and the first device as a Remote UE as an example, for the Mode A discovery mechanism, in the scenario where the UE-to-Network relay UE carries the first information in the discovery message (e.g., announcing message), as shown in Figure 3, the solution provided by this embodiment of the invention may include the following steps:

[0068] Step 1: The UE-to-Network relay UE triggers the discovery process and carries first information in the broadcast message. This first information can be the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the UE-to-Network relay UE can currently support and / or that the UE-to-Network relay UE currently prefers to use.

[0069] For example, the architecture information of the first protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0070] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 2 protocol architecture);

[0071] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 3 protocol architecture);

[0072] Supports communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures (Note: UE-to-Network relay: UE supports UE-to-Network relay communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures).

[0073] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture is preferred (this indicates that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use Layer 2 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication);

[0074] Layer 3 relay protocol architecture is preferred (meaning that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use the Layer 3 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication).

[0075] Step 2: The Remote UE performs protocol architecture matching based on the first and second information to determine whether to select the UE-to-Network relay UE to establish a UE-to-Network relay communication connection.

[0076] For example, the second information mentioned above is the architecture information of the second protocol architecture that the Remote UE can currently support and / or that the Remote UE currently prefers to use.

[0077] For example, the architecture information of the second protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0078] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (meaning that Remote UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 2 protocol architecture);

[0079] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (meaning that Remote UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 3 protocol architecture);

[0080] Supports communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures (meaning that Remote UE supports UE-to-Network relay communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures);

[0081] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture is preferred (this indicates that Remote UEs currently tend to use Layer 2 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication);

[0082] Layer 3 relay protocol architecture is preferred (meaning that Remote UE currently tends to use Layer 3 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication).

[0083] For example, the remote UE determines whether to select a UE-to-Network relay UE by matching the first and second information. Example 1: If the first information indicates "UE-to-Network relay UE only supports Layer 2 trunk protocol architecture communication," and the second information indicates "Remote UE only supports Layer 2 trunk protocol architecture communication," then the remote UE continues to refer to other information (e.g., measured signal quality) to determine whether to select the UE-to-Network relay UE as its UE-to-Network relay. Example 2: If the first information indicates "UE-to-Network relay UE only supports Layer 2 trunk protocol architecture communication," and the second information indicates "Remote UE only supports Layer 3 trunk protocol architecture communication," then the remote UE does not select this UE-to-Network relay UE as its UE-to-Network relay.

[0084] A second possible example:

[0085] For UE-to-Network relay communication scenarios, taking the second device as a Remote UE and the first device as a UE-to-Network relay UE as an example, for the Mode B discovery mechanism, in the scenario where the Remote UE carries the first information in the discovery message, as shown in Figure 4, the solution provided by this embodiment of the invention may include the following steps:

[0086] Step 1: The Remote UE triggers the discovery process and carries first information in a broadcast message (e.g., a Solicitation message). This first information can be the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the Remote UE can currently support and / or that the Remote UE currently prefers to use.

[0087] For example, the architecture information of the first protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0088] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (meaning that Remote UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 2 relay protocol architecture);

[0089] Only Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (meaning that Remote UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 3 protocol architecture);

[0090] Supports communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures (This indicates that Remote UE currently supports UE-to-Network relay communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures).

[0091] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture is preferred (this indicates that Remote UEs currently tend to use Layer 2 relay protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication);

[0092] Layer 3 relay protocol architecture is preferred (meaning that Remote UEs currently tend to use Layer 3 relay protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication).

[0093] Step 2: UE-to-Network relay. The UE performs protocol architecture matching based on the first and second information to determine whether to reply with a discovery message to the Remote UE.

[0094] For example, the second information mentioned above is the architecture information of the second protocol architecture that the UE-to-Network relay UE is currently able to support and / or that the UE-to-Network relay UE currently prefers to use.

[0095] For example, the architecture information of the second protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0096] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 2 protocol architecture);

[0097] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 3 protocol architecture);

[0098] Supports communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures (Note: UE-to-Network relay: UE supports UE-to-Network relay communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures).

[0099] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture is preferred (this indicates that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use Layer 2 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication);

[0100] Layer 3 relay protocol architecture is preferred (meaning that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use the Layer 3 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication).

[0101] For example, the UE-to-Network relay UE determines whether to select the Remote UE by matching the architecture information of the first protocol architecture and the architecture information of the second protocol architecture. Example 1: If the first information indicates "Remote UE only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication" and the second information indicates "UE-to-Network relay UE only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication", then the UE-to-Network relay UE continues to refer to other information (such as measured signal quality) to determine whether to send an accept message (e.g., a response message) to the Remote UE. Example 2: If the first information indicates "Remote UE only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication" and the second information indicates "UE-to-Network relay UE only supports Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication", then the UE-to-Network relay UE does not send an accept message (e.g., a response message) to the Remote UE.

[0102] A third possible example:

[0103] For the UE-to-network relay communication connection establishment phase, taking the second device as a Remote UE and the first device as a UE-to-Network relay UE as an example, in the scenario where the Remote UE carries the first information in the indirect communication request message, as shown in Figure 5, the solution provided by the embodiments of the present invention may include the following steps:

[0104] Step 0: After the discovery phase, the Remote UE discovers and selects a UE-to-Network relay UE.

[0105] Step 1: The Remote UE sends an indirect communication request message carrying first information to the UE-to-Network relay UE. The first information can be the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the Remote UE can currently support and / or that the Remote UE currently prefers to use.

[0106] For example, the architecture information of the first protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0107] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 2 protocol architecture);

[0108] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 3 protocol architecture);

[0109] Supports communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures (Note: UE-to-Network relay: UE supports UE-to-Network relay communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures).

[0110] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture is preferred (this indicates that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use Layer 2 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication);

[0111] Layer 3 relay protocol architecture is preferred (meaning that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use the Layer 3 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication).

[0112] Step 2: UE-to-Network relay. After receiving the first information, the UE performs protocol architecture matching based on the first and second information. It then determines whether to accept the Remote UE's indirect connection establishment request.

[0113] The second information mentioned above refers to the architecture information of the second protocol architecture that the UE-to-Network relay UE can currently support and / or that the UE-to-Network relay UE currently prefers to use.

[0114] For example, the architecture information of the second protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0115] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 2 protocol architecture);

[0116] Only Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication is supported (Note: UE-to-Network relay UE currently only supports UE-to-Network relay communication via Layer 3 protocol architecture);

[0117] Supports communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures (Note: UE-to-Network relay: UE supports UE-to-Network relay communication using both Layer 2 and Layer 3 relay protocol architectures).

[0118] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture is preferred (this indicates that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use Layer 2 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication);

[0119] Layer 3 relay protocol architecture is preferred (meaning that UE-to-Network relay UEs currently tend to use the Layer 3 protocol architecture for UE-to-Network relay communication).

[0120] For example, the UE-to-Network relay UE determines whether to accept the Remote UE's indirect communication request by matching the first and second information. Example 1: If the first information indicates "Remote UE only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication" and the second information indicates "UE-to-Network relay UE only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication", then the UE-to-Network relay UE accepts the Remote UE's indirect communication request. Example 2: If the first information indicates "Remote UE only supports Layer 2 relay protocol architecture communication" and the second information indicates "UE-to-Network relay UE only supports Layer 3 relay protocol architecture communication", then the UE-to-Network relay UE rejects the Remote UE's indirect connection request.

[0121] Step 3: If the UE-to-Network relay UE accepts the indirect connection request from the Remote UE, then send an indirect communication acceptance message (e.g., a connection establishment acceptance message) to the Remote UE.

[0122] This invention provides a protocol architecture determination method. After receiving a target message from a second device, the first device can determine whether to select the second device for communication connection based on the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, since the target message carries the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the first device can currently support or prefers to use, and the architecture information of the first protocol architecture. This improves the success rate of communication connection between the first device and the second device, and also improves communication energy efficiency.

[0123] Figure 6 is a possible structural schematic diagram of a protocol architecture determination device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the protocol architecture determination device 400 includes: a receiving module 401 and a determining module 402, wherein: the receiving module 401 is used to receive a target message from a second device, the target message carrying first information; the determining module 402 is used to determine whether to establish a communication connection with the second device based on the first information and the second information received by the receiving module 401; wherein the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of a first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device; the second information is used to indicate the architecture information of a second protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the first device.

[0124] Optionally, the target message mentioned above includes a discovery message; the determining module 402 is specifically used to: perform protocol architecture matching based on the first information and the second information, and determine whether to select the second device to continue establishing a communication connection.

[0125] Optionally, the target message includes a connection establishment message; the connection establishment message is used to request the establishment of a communication connection between the second device and the first device; the determining module 402 is specifically used to: perform protocol architecture matching based on the first information and the second information received by the receiving module 401, and determine whether to accept the connection establishment message.

[0126] Optionally, the architecture information of the currently supported first protocol architecture described above is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0127] Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture.

[0128] Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture;

[0129] The architectural information of the first protocol architecture currently preferred above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0130] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

[0131] The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

[0132] Optionally, the architecture information of the currently supported second protocol architecture described above is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0133] Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture.

[0134] Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture;

[0135] The architectural information of the currently preferred second protocol architecture described above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0136] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

[0137] The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

[0138] Optionally, the first information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device; and / or, the second information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the first device.

[0139] Optionally, the determining module 402 is specifically used to: if it is determined that the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture do not match based on the first information and the second information, then send a connection establishment rejection message to the second device; wherein the connection establishment rejection message carries third information, which is used to indicate the reason for the mismatch between the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture.

[0140] Optionally, the first device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, and a roadside unit; the second device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, and a roadside unit.

[0141] This invention provides a protocol architecture determination device. After receiving a target message from a second device, the device determines whether to select the second device for communication connection based on the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, since the target message carries architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, and the architecture information of the first protocol architecture. This improves the success rate of communication connection between the first device and the second device, and also improves communication energy efficiency.

[0142] The protocol architecture determination device provided in this embodiment of the invention can implement any one of the processes shown in Figures 2 to 5 in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0143] It should be noted that the protocol architecture determination device shown in Figure 6 can be a first device, or a functional module and / or functional entity in the first device. The specific device can be determined according to actual usage requirements, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit it.

[0144] Figure 7 is a possible structural diagram of a protocol architecture determination device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the protocol architecture determination device 500 includes: a sending module 501, wherein: the sending module 501 is used to send a target message, the target message carrying first information; wherein, the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of a first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by a second device.

[0145] Optionally, the target message is a discovery message or a connection establishment message; the connection establishment message is used to request the establishment of a communication connection between the second device and the first device.

[0146] Optionally, the architecture information of the currently supported first protocol architecture described above is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0147] Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture.

[0148] Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture;

[0149] The architectural information of the first protocol architecture currently preferred above is used to indicate any of the following:

[0150] Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

[0151] The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

[0152] Optionally, the aforementioned first information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device.

[0153] This invention provides a protocol architecture determination device. After the device sends a target message to a first device, since the target message carries the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, the first device can determine whether to select the second device for communication connection based on the architecture information of the second protocol architecture that it can currently support or prefers to use and the architecture information of the first protocol architecture. This improves the success rate of communication connection between the first device and the second device and also improves communication energy efficiency.

[0154] It should be noted that the protocol architecture determination device shown in Figure 7 can be a second device, or a functional module and / or functional entity in the second device. The specific device can be determined according to actual usage requirements, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit it.

[0155] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a protocol architecture determination device for implementing an embodiment of the present invention. The protocol architecture determination device 800 includes: a processor 801, a transceiver 802, a memory 803, a user interface 804, and a bus interface.

[0156] When the protocol architecture determines that the device is the first device, the transceiver 802 is used to receive a target message from the second device, the target message carrying first information; the processor 801 is used to determine whether to establish a communication connection with the second device based on the first information and the second information received by the transceiver 802; wherein the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of the first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device; the second information is used to indicate the architecture information of the second protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the first device.

[0157] The first device provided in this embodiment of the invention, after receiving a target message from a second device, can determine whether to select the second device for communication connection based on the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, since the target message carries architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, and the architecture information of the first protocol architecture. This improves the success rate of communication connection between the first device and the second device, and also improves communication energy efficiency.

[0158] or,

[0159] When the protocol architecture determines that the device is the second device, the transceiver 802 is used to send a target message, which carries first information; wherein, the first information is used to indicate the architecture information of the first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device.

[0160] The second device provided in this embodiment of the invention sends a target message to the first device. Since the target message carries the architecture information of the first protocol architecture that the second device can currently support or prefers to use, the first device can determine whether to select the second device for communication connection based on the architecture information of the second protocol architecture that it can currently support or prefers to use and the architecture information of the first protocol architecture. This improves the success rate of communication connection between the first device and the second device and also improves communication energy efficiency.

[0161] In this embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG8, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 801 and memory represented by memory 803 together. The bus architecture may also link various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be further described herein. The bus interface provides an interface. Transceiver 802 may be multiple elements, including transmitters and receivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. For different user devices, user interface 804 may also be an interface capable of connecting external or internal devices, including but not limited to keypads, displays, speakers, microphones, joysticks, etc. Processor 801 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and memory 803 may store data used by processor 801 during operation.

[0162] In addition, the protocol architecture determines that device 800 also includes some functional modules not shown, which will not be described in detail here.

[0163] Optionally, embodiments of the present invention also provide a protocol architecture determination device, which is a first device including a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the protocol architecture determination method shown in the above embodiments and achieves the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0164] This invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a processor, this computer program implements multiple processes of the protocol architecture determination method described in the above embodiments and achieves the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, these processes will not be described again here. The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium includes read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks, etc.

[0165] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0166] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, air conditioner, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0167] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for determining a protocol architecture, the method comprising: The first device receives a target message from the second device, the target message carrying first information; The first device determines whether to establish a communication connection with the second device based on the first information and the second information. The first information is used to indicate the architecture information of the first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device; The second information is used to indicate the architecture information of the second protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the first device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The target message includes a discovery message; The first device determines whether to establish a communication connection with the second device based on the first information and the second information, including: The first device performs protocol architecture matching based on the first information and the second information to determine whether to select the second device to continue establishing a communication connection.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The target message includes a connection establishment message; the connection establishment message is used to request the establishment of a communication connection between the second device and the first device. The first device performs protocol architecture matching based on the first and second information to determine whether to establish a communication connection with the second device, including: The first device performs protocol architecture matching based on the first information and the second information to determine whether to accept the connection establishment message.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The architecture information of the currently supported first protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture. Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; The architecture information of the currently preferred first protocol architecture is used to indicate any of the following: Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication. The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The architecture information of the currently supported second protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture. Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; The architecture information of the currently preferred second protocol architecture is used to indicate any of the following: Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication. The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device; and / or, The second information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the first device.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first device performs protocol architecture matching based on the first information and the second information to determine whether to accept the connection establishment message, including: If it is determined from the first information and the second information that the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture do not match, then the first device sends a connection establishment rejection message to the second device. The connection establishment rejection message carries third information, which is used to indicate the reason for the mismatch between the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The first device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, and a roadside unit; the second device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, and a roadside unit.

9. A method for determining a protocol architecture, the method comprising: The second device sends a target message, the target message carrying first information; The first information is used to indicate the architecture information of the first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The target message is either a discovery message or a connection establishment message; the connection establishment message is used to request the establishment of a communication connection between the second device and the first device.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The architecture information of the currently supported first protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture. Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; The architecture information of the currently preferred first protocol architecture is used to indicate any of the following: Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication. The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, The first information is either pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device.

13. A protocol architecture determination apparatus, comprising: A receiving module is configured to receive a target message from a second device, wherein the target message carries first information; The determining module is used to determine whether to establish a communication connection between the first device and the second device based on the first information and the second information received by the receiving module. The first information is used to indicate the architecture information of the first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device; The second information is used to indicate the architecture information of the second protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the first device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The target message includes a discovery message; the determining module is specifically used for: Based on the first and second information, a protocol architecture match is performed to determine whether to select the second device to continue establishing a communication connection.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The target message includes a connection establishment message; the connection establishment message is used to request the establishment of a communication connection between the second device and the first device. The determining module is specifically used for: Based on the first and second information received by the receiving module, a protocol architecture match is performed to determine whether to accept the connection establishment message.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The architecture information of the currently supported first protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture. Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; The architecture information of the currently preferred first protocol architecture is used to indicate any of the following: Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication. The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The architecture information of the currently supported second protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture. Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; The architecture information of the currently preferred second protocol architecture is used to indicate any of the following: Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication. The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The first information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device; and / or, The second information is pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the first device.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, The determining module is specifically used for: If it is determined from the first information and the second information that the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture do not match, a connection establishment rejection message is sent to the second device. The connection establishment rejection message carries third information, which is used to indicate the reason for the mismatch between the first protocol architecture and the second protocol architecture.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein, The first device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, and a roadside unit; the second device includes any one of the following: a relay UE, a remote UE, and a roadside unit.

21. A protocol architecture determination apparatus, comprising: The sending module is used to send a target message, wherein the target message carries first information; The first information is used to indicate the architecture information of the first protocol architecture currently supported and / or preferred to be used by the second device.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, The target message is either a discovery message or a connection establishment message; the connection establishment message is used to request the establishment of a communication connection between the second device and the first device.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, The architecture information of the currently supported first protocol architecture is used to indicate at least one of the following: Supports communication using a Layer 2 relay protocol architecture. Supports communication using a Layer 3 relay protocol architecture; The architecture information of the currently preferred first protocol architecture is used to indicate any of the following: Layer 2 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication. The Layer 3 relay protocol architecture prioritizes communication.

24. The apparatus according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein, The first information is either pre-configured, network-configured, or determined by the second device based on the network conditions of the second device.

25. A protocol architecture determination apparatus, the apparatus comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the computer program being executed by the processor to implement the steps of the protocol architecture determination method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 or any one of claims 9 to 12.

26. A protocol architecture determination apparatus configured to perform a protocol architecture determination method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 or any one of claims 9 to 12.

27. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, the computer program, when executed by a processor, implementing the steps of the protocol architecture determination method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 or any one of claims 9 to 12.