Communication method and device

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a device. The communication method comprises: a terminal device sending a data unit set processing capability to a first network device; and the first network device receiving the data unit set processing capability from the terminal device. The embodiments of the present application can enable a network side to effectively process data sent by a terminal device supporting data unit set processing.

Description

Communication method and device Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0002] To support transmission optimization, core network elements can identify multiple data packets belonging to a frame or coding slice. These data packets can be referred to as belonging to a data unit set, allowing the network to consistently process multiple data packets belonging to a data unit set. To support the processing of data unit sets, core network equipment sends the parameters of the data unit set to access network equipment. These parameters apply to both uplink and downlink data. However, the processing of data unit sets for uplink data requires support from terminal devices. Not every terminal device supports the processing of data unit sets, resulting in the access network equipment being unable to effectively process data sent by terminal devices that support the processing of data unit sets.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and device that enable the network side to effectively process data sent by a terminal device that supports data unit set processing.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, including: a terminal device sends a data unit set processing capability to a first network device.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication method, including: a first network device receives a data unit set processing capability from a terminal device.

[0007] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication method, including: a first network element obtains a data unit set processing capability of a terminal device.

[0008] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication method, including: a second network element receives a data unit set processing capability of a terminal device from a first network device.

[0009] An embodiment of the present application also provides a terminal device, including: a first sending module, used to send data unit set processing capabilities to a first network device.

[0010] An embodiment of the present application further provides a first network device, comprising: a second receiving module, configured to receive a data unit set processing capability from a terminal device.

[0011] An embodiment of the present application also provides a first network element, including: a second acquisition module, used to obtain the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

[0012] An embodiment of the present application further provides a second network element, comprising: a fourth receiving module, configured to receive the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

[0013] The present application also provides a communication device including a processor, a memory, and a transceiver. The memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory and control the transceiver so that the device executes the above method.

[0014] The embodiment of the present application also provides a chip for implementing the above method.

[0015] Specifically, the chip includes: a processor, which is used to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the above method.

[0016] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which enables a device to execute the above method when the computer program is executed by the device.

[0017] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute the above method.

[0018] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the above method.

[0019] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device sends its own data unit set processing capability to the first network device, so that the network side can effectively process the data sent by the terminal device that supports data unit set processing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG2A is a first schematic diagram of a 5G network system architecture.

[0022] FIG2B is a second schematic diagram of the 5G network system architecture.

[0023] FIG3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 500 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG6 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 600 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] FIG7 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] FIG8 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] FIG9 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a first network device 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a first network device 1300 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a first network element 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a first network element 1500 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a second network element 1600 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG17 is a schematic structural diagram of a second network element 1700 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] FIG18 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1800 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] FIG19 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 1900 according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0041] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of the embodiments of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or precedence. The objects described by the terms "first" and "second" may be the same or different.

[0042] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE on unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR on unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wireless Fidelity) system. Fidelity, WiFi), fifth-generation communication (5th-Generation, 5G) system or other communication systems, etc.

[0043] Generally speaking, traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communications, but will also support, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0044] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, and a standalone (SA) networking scenario.

[0045] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to an unlicensed spectrum, wherein the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as a shared spectrum; or, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to an authorized spectrum, wherein the authorized spectrum can also be considered as an unshared spectrum.

[0046] The embodiments of the present application describe various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices, wherein the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc.

[0047] The terminal device can be a station (STAION, ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a next-generation communication system such as an NR network, or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, etc.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water surface (such as ships, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.).

[0049] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc.

[0050] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0051] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device may be a device for communicating with a mobile device. The network device may be an access point (AP) in WLAN, a base station (BTS) in GSM or CDMA, a base station (NodeB, NB) in WCDMA, an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a relay station or access point, or a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and a network device (gNB) in an NR network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network or a network device in an NTN network, etc.

[0052] As an example and not a limitation, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device may have a mobile feature, for example, the network device may be a mobile device. Alternatively, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. Optionally, the network device may also be a base station set up in a location such as land or water.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can provide services for a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources used by the cell (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources). The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here may include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0054] FIG1 exemplarily illustrates a communication system 100. The communication system includes a network device 110 and two terminal devices 120. In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices 110, and each network device 110 may include a different number of terminal devices 120 within its coverage area, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0055] In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0056] Among them, the network equipment may include access network equipment and core network equipment. That is, the wireless communication system also includes multiple core networks for communicating with the access network equipment. The access network equipment can be an evolutionary base station (evolutional node B, abbreviated as eNB or e-NodeB) macro base station, micro base station (also called "small base station"), pico base station, access point (AP), transmission point (TP) or new generation Node B (gNodeB), etc. in a long-term evolution (LTE) system, a next-generation (mobile communication system) (next radio, NR) system or an authorized auxiliary access long-term evolution (LAA-LTE) system.

[0057] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, a device having a communication function in a network / system may be referred to as a communication device. Taking the communication system shown in Figure 1 as an example, the communication device may include a network device and a terminal device having a communication function. The network device and the terminal device may be specific devices in the embodiments of the present application and will not be described in detail here. The communication device may also include other devices in the communication system, such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0058] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0059] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0060] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0061] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application are described below. The following relevant technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0062] The present invention is applicable to mobile networks, that is, cellular networks. The following description will be made using 5G networks, but the present invention is not limited to 5G networks and can also be used in future mobile networks, such as 6G networks.

[0063] Figures 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams of the 5G network system architecture. In the system architecture shown in Figure 2A, the core network adopts a network element interface model; in the system architecture shown in Figure 2B, the core network adopts a network element provisioning service model. The core network elements shown in Figure 2A are connected to each other via agreed interfaces, and the core network elements shown in Figure 2B interact by invoking services provided by the network elements. The UE establishes an access layer connection with the access network (AN) via the Uu interface, exchanging access layer messages and wireless data transmission. The UE establishes a non-access stratum (NAS) connection with the AMF via the N1 interface, exchanging NAS messages. The AMF is the mobility management function in the core network, and the SMF is the session management function in the core network. In addition to managing UE mobility, the AMF is also responsible for forwarding session management-related messages between the UE and the SMF. The PCF is the policy management function in the core network, responsible for formulating policies related to UE mobility management, session management, and billing. The UPF is the user plane function in the core network, communicating with external data networks via the N6 interface and with the AN via the N3 interface. After the UE accesses the 5G network through the Uu port, a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session is established under the control of the SMF for data transmission. The method proposed in the embodiment of the present application is applicable to the network architecture shown in Figures 2A and 2B, but is not limited thereto.

[0064] In related technologies, a UE can establish a PDU session through a network element and exchange application layer data with an application server or between an application server and a peer UE, such as extended reality (XR) services, including augmented reality (AR) technology / virtual reality (VR) technology / cloud gaming, etc. To support transmission optimization of XR services, core network elements can determine that multiple data packets belong to a frame or coding slice. In a 5G network, these data packets are referred to as belonging to a data unit set (or data set). Thus, the 5G network can consistently process multiple data packets belonging to a data unit set, such as performing quality of service (QoS) processing at the data unit set level, or abandoning transmission of the remaining data packets in a data unit set if one data packet in the data unit set is lost, etc.

[0065] In order to support the processing of data unit sets, the SMF will send the QoS parameters of the data unit sets (such as the delay budget of the data unit sets or the transmission error rate of the data unit sets) to the access network equipment. The QoS parameters of these data unit sets are applicable to both uplink data and downlink data. However, the processing of data unit sets for uplink data requires the support of the UE, and not every UE supports the processing of data unit sets. Therefore, for UEs that do not support the processing of data unit sets, although the SMF provides the QoS parameters of the data unit sets to the access network equipment, the access network equipment cannot correctly control the UE to process the data unit sets, which affects data transmission and user experience.

[0066] The present application provides a communication method. FIG3 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 300 according to an embodiment of the present application. The method can be applied to the system shown in FIG1 , FIG2A , or FIG2B , but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents.

[0067] S310: The terminal device sends the data unit aggregate processing capability to the first network device.

[0068] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability may be used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0069] In some implementations, the first network device may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0070] Each of the multiple terminal devices sends its own data unit set processing capability (for example, support / not support data unit set processing) to the AMF located in the core network; subsequently, the session management function (SMF) in the core network can obtain the data unit set processing capability of the multiple terminal devices from the AMF or other core network elements (such as unified data management (UDM) or unified data storage (UDR)). Subsequently, the SMF can send data unit set processing information to the access network device only for terminals with data unit set processing capability; for example, instruct the access network device to perform data unit set processing on the QoS flow of the UE (UE with data unit set processing capability), or send the QoS parameters of the data unit set of the QoS flow of the UE to the access network device. In this way, the access network device will only obtain the data unit set processing information for terminals with data unit set processing capability, so it can perform data unit set processing or QoS control on the data of the terminal.

[0071] For example, the way in which the terminal device sends the data unit set processing capability to the first network device may include: the terminal device sends a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network device, and the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

[0072] Subsequently, the first network device may forward the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the SMF, thereby sending the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device to the SMF.

[0073] For another example, the terminal device may send the data unit aggregate processing capability to the first network device by: the terminal device sending a registration request message to the first network device, the registration request message carrying the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device. Alternatively, the terminal device may send a request message for mobility management to the first network device, the request message for mobility management carrying the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device.

[0074] Subsequently, the first network device may obtain the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the registration request message or the request message for mobility management, save the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device, or send the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device to another core network element (such as UDM or UDR), hereinafter referred to as the second network element. Afterwards, the first network device may actively provide the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device to the SMF, or the SMF may query the first network device or the second network element for the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

[0075] Through the above method, the SMF obtains the data unit set processing capabilities of multiple terminal devices. In this way, the SMF can send data unit set processing information to the access network device only for terminals with data unit set processing capabilities, such as instructing the access network device to perform data unit set processing on the UE's QoS flow, or sending the QoS parameters of the data unit set of the UE's QoS flow to the access network device. In this way, the access network will only perform data unit set processing or QoS control on the data of terminals with data unit set processing capabilities, ensuring data transmission and a good user experience.

[0076] In other implementations, the first network device may include an access network device.

[0077] Before sending the data unit set processing capability to the access network device, the terminal device may receive first configuration information, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of the data unit set. For example, the terminal device receives the first configuration information from the access network device.

[0078] Before sending the first configuration information to the terminal device, the access network device may receive data unit set processing information from the SMF, such as indication information for instructing the access network device to perform data unit set processing on the UE's QoS flow, or QoS parameters of the data unit set of the UE's QoS flow. When sending the data unit set processing information, the SMF does not know which UEs have the data unit set processing capability (that is, support data unit processing) and which UEs do not have the data unit set processing capability (that is, do not support data unit processing); instead, the data unit set processing information is sent to one or more access network devices of multiple UEs, and each of the multiple UEs may or may not support data unit processing. Subsequently, the one or more access network devices respectively send the first configuration information to the UE, and the first configuration information includes the configuration information of the data unit set.

[0079] In some embodiments, after receiving the first configuration information, if the terminal device has the data unit set processing capability, it sends feedback information of the first configuration information to the access network device, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit set processing.

[0080] In some embodiments, after receiving the first configuration information, if the terminal device does not have the ability to process data unit aggregates, it will not provide feedback regarding the first configuration information, that is, it will not send feedback information regarding the first configuration information to the access network device. If the access network device does not receive feedback information regarding the first configuration information, the access network device can thereby determine that the terminal device does not have the ability to process data unit aggregates; in this case, the access network device can switch back to processing or QoS control of ordinary data packets, and no longer use data unit aggregate processing or QoS control.

[0081] Through this implementation, after obtaining data unit set processing information, the access network device can learn whether the UE has data unit set processing capability based on the UE's feedback, and thus can perform data unit set processing or QoS control on the terminal's data.

[0082] This application also provides a communication method. FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 400 according to an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to the systems shown in FIG1 , FIG2A , or FIG2B , but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents.

[0083] S410: The first network device receives data unit aggregate processing capability from the terminal device.

[0084] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability may be used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first network device may include an AMF.

[0086] In some implementations, the first network device receiving the data unit aggregate processing capability from the terminal device may include:

[0087] The first network device receives a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message from the terminal device, where the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries a data unit set processing capability.

[0088] Subsequently, the first network device may also send the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network element, thereby reporting the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device to the first network element.

[0089] Among them, the first network element may include SMF.

[0090] In some implementations, the first network device receiving the data unit aggregate processing capability from the terminal device may include:

[0091] The first network device receives a registration request message or a request message for mobility management from the terminal device, where the registration request message or the request message for mobility management carries the data unit aggregate processing capability.

[0092] Subsequently, the first network device may also obtain the data unit aggregate processing capability from the registration request message or the request message for mobility management; thereafter, the first network device may store the data unit aggregate processing capability, or send the data unit aggregate processing capability to the second network element, which may include a UDM or a UDR.

[0093] Subsequently, the first network device may proactively send the data unit aggregate processing capability to the first network element. Alternatively, the first network element may query the first network device or the second network element for the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device. The first network element may include an SMF.

[0094] In this way, through the above-mentioned multiple methods, the first network device can directly or indirectly provide the data unit set processing capability received from multiple terminal devices to the first network element, so that the first network obtains the data unit set processing capability of multiple terminal devices. On this basis, the first network element can only send data unit set processing information to the access network device for terminals with data unit set processing capability, such as instructing the access network device to perform data unit set processing on the QoS flow of the UE, or sending QoS parameters of the data unit set of the UE's QoS flow to the access network device. Therefore, it can be ensured that the access network device only processes data unit sets or performs QoS control on terminals with data unit set processing capability.

[0095] In other implementations, the first network device may include an access network device.

[0096] Before the access network device receives the data unit set processing capability from the terminal device, the process may further include: the access network device receives processing information of the data set unit from the first network element. The processing information of the data set unit may include at least one of the following:

[0097] Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on the QoS flow of the terminal device;

[0098] QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

[0099] Afterwards, the access network device sends first configuration information to the terminal device, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of the data unit set.

[0100] Accordingly, the access network device receiving the data unit aggregate processing capability from the terminal device may include: the access network device receiving feedback information of the first configuration information from the terminal device, the feedback information being used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing. If the access network device does not receive feedback information of the first configuration information from the terminal device, it indicates that the terminal device does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0101] In this way, after obtaining the processing information of the data unit set, the access network device can know whether the UE has the data unit set processing capability based on the UE's feedback, so it can only perform data unit set processing or QoS control on the data of terminals with data unit set processing capability.

[0102] This application also provides a communication method. FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 500 according to an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to the systems shown in FIG1 , FIG2A , or FIG2B , but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents.

[0103] S510: The first network element obtains the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

[0104] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability may be used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0105] Among them, the first network element may include SMF.

[0106] The first network element may obtain the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device in a variety of ways.

[0107] For example, in some embodiments, the first network element may receive the aggregate data unit processing capability of a terminal device from a first network device. The first network device may include an AMF. The first network device may receive the aggregate data unit processing capability of each terminal device from multiple terminal devices and send the aggregate data unit processing capability of each terminal device to the first network element.

[0108] For another example, in some embodiments, the first network element may query the first network device or the second network element for the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device. The second network element may include a UDM or a UDR. Prior to this, the first network device may receive the data unit aggregate processing capability of each terminal device from multiple terminal devices, store the data unit aggregate processing capability of the multiple terminal devices, or send the data unit aggregate processing capability of the multiple terminal devices to the second network element for storage.

[0109] Through the above-mentioned multiple methods, the first network element can obtain the data unit aggregate processing capabilities of multiple terminal devices. Under this premise, the first network element can send data unit aggregate processing information to the access network device only for terminals with data unit aggregate processing capabilities, such as instructing the access network device to perform data unit aggregate processing on the QoS flow of the UE, or sending QoS parameters of the data unit aggregate of the QoS flow of the UE to the access network device. Therefore, it can be ensured that the access network device only performs data unit aggregate processing or QoS control on terminals with data unit aggregate processing capabilities.

[0110] In some implementations, the first network element may receive the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device from the access network device.

[0111] For example, before receiving the data unit aggregation processing capability of the terminal device, the first network element may send processing information of the data aggregation unit to the access network device of the terminal device. The processing information of the data aggregation unit may include at least one of the following:

[0112] Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on the QoS flow of the terminal device;

[0113] QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

[0114] Afterwards, the first network element receives feedback information of the first configuration information from the access network device, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing; wherein the first configuration information includes configuration information of the data unit aggregate. If the first network element does not receive feedback information of the first configuration information from the access network device, it indicates that the corresponding terminal device does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0115] Based on the above embodiments, the present application further proposes a communication method. FIG6 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The method can be applied to the systems shown in FIG1 , FIG2A , or FIG2B , but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents.

[0116] S610: The second network element receives the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

[0117] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0118] The second network element may include a UDM or a UDR. The first network device may include an AMF. The first network device may receive the data unit aggregate processing capability of each terminal device from multiple terminal devices, and send the data unit aggregate processing capability of each terminal device to the second network element for storage by the second network element.

[0119] After receiving the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device, the second network element may provide the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device to the first network element. The first network element may include an SMF.

[0120] Through the above-mentioned method, the first network element can obtain the data unit aggregate processing capabilities of multiple terminal devices. Under this premise, the first network element can send data unit aggregate processing information to the access network device only for terminals with data unit aggregate processing capabilities, such as instructing the access network device to perform data unit aggregate processing on the QoS flow of the UE, or sending QoS parameters of the data unit aggregate of the QoS flow of the UE to the access network device. Therefore, it can be ensured that the access network device only performs data unit aggregate processing or QoS control on terminals with data unit aggregate processing capabilities.

[0121] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to specific embodiments.

[0122] Example 1:

[0123] In this embodiment, the first network device is an AMF and the first network element is an SMF. It should be noted that the first network device, the first network element, etc. can also be other network elements or devices, and this embodiment will not list them one by one. The embodiment of the present application can be applied to 5G mobile communication networks and can also be applied to other mobile networks, such as 6G networks.

[0124] FIG7 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application, comprising the following steps:

[0125] S701: The terminal device sends its data unit aggregate processing capability (e.g., support / non-support of data unit aggregate processing) to the AMF in the core network. Specifically, this may include at least one of the following methods:

[0126] (1) The terminal device sends its own data unit set processing capability to the AMF in a PDU session establishment request message or a PDU session modification request message.

[0127] (2) The terminal device sends its data unit set processing capability to the AMF in a registration request message or a request message for mobility management.

[0128] S702: The SMF obtains the terminal's data unit set processing capability from the AMF. This may include at least one of the following methods:

[0129] (1) The AMF forwards the PDU session establishment request message or PDU session modification request message carrying the terminal data unit set processing capability to the SMF.

[0130] (2) The AMF obtains the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device from the registration request message or the request message for mobility management. The AMF then stores the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal in the UE context. Subsequently, the AMF proactively provides the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal to the SMF; alternatively, the SMF queries the AMF for the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal.

[0131] S703: The SMF obtains the data unit set processing capability of the terminal through step S702. Therefore, for the terminal with the data unit set processing capability, the SMF sends the data unit set processing information to the access network device, such as instructing the access network device to process the data unit set of the UE's QoS flow, or sending the QoS parameters of the data unit set of the UE's QoS flow to the access network device, such as the data unit set delay budget (PSDB, PDU Set Delay Budget), data unit set error rate (PSER, PDU Set Error Rate) and other parameters.

[0132] Through this embodiment, the access network device will obtain data unit set processing information only for a terminal with data unit set processing capability, and thus can perform data unit set processing or QoS control on the data of the terminal.

[0133] Example 2:

[0134] In this embodiment, the first network device is an AMF, the first network element is an SMF, and the second network element is a UDM or UDR. It should be noted that the first network device, the first network element, and the second network element can also be other network elements or devices, and this embodiment will not list them one by one. The embodiment of the present application can be applied to 5G mobile communication networks and can also be applied to other mobile networks, such as 6G networks.

[0135] FIG8 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application, comprising the following steps:

[0136] S801: The terminal device sends its data unit aggregate processing capability (e.g., support / non-support of data unit aggregate processing) to the AMF in the core network. Specifically, the terminal device sends its data unit aggregate processing capability to the AMF in a registration request message or a request message for mobility management.

[0137] S802: The AMF obtains the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device from the registration request message or the request message for mobility management; and sends the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device to the UDM or UDR, which is stored by the UDM or UDR.

[0138] S803: SMF queries the UDM or UDR for the terminal's data unit aggregate processing capability.

[0139] In this way, the SMF obtains the data unit set processing capability of multiple terminal devices through the above process. Therefore, it can send data unit set processing information to the access network device only for terminals with data unit set processing capability, such as instructing the access network device to process the data unit set of the UE's QoS flow, or sending the QoS parameters of the data unit set of the UE's QoS flow to the access network device, such as the data unit set delay budget (PSDB, PDU Set Delay Budget), data unit set error rate (PSER, PDU Set Error Rate) and other parameters.

[0140] Through this embodiment, the access network device will obtain data unit set processing information only for a terminal with data unit set processing capability, and thus can perform data unit set processing or QoS control on the data of the terminal.

[0141] Example 3:

[0142] In this embodiment, the first network device is an access network device and the first network element is an SMF. It should be noted that the first network device, the first network element, etc. can also be other network elements or devices, and this embodiment will not list them one by one. The embodiment of the present application can be applied to 5G mobile communication networks and can also be applied to other mobile networks, such as 6G networks.

[0143] FIG9 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application, comprising the following steps:

[0144] S901: The SMF sends data unit set processing information to the access network device, for example, instructing the access network device to process the data unit set for the UE's QoS flow, or QoS parameters of the data unit set containing the UE's QoS flow. When the SMF sends the data unit set processing information to the access network device, it does not know which UEs have the data unit set processing capability and which UEs do not have the data unit set processing capability.

[0145] S902: If the access network device determines, based on the information received from the SMF, that a data unit set is to be processed for the UE, then control information for performing the corresponding data unit set is configured to the UE. For example, a first network device (such as the access network device) sends first configuration information to the terminal, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of the data unit set.

[0146] S903: If the terminal has the capability to process data unit aggregates, it sends feedback to the access network device indicating successful configuration. For example, feedback information about the first configuration information is sent to the access network device. This feedback information indicates that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing. In this embodiment, sending feedback information indicates that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing; rather than including information indicating that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing in the feedback information. In some embodiments, the feedback information sent by the terminal device may also include first indication information, indicating whether the terminal device agrees or disagrees with the access network device's control of data unit aggregates. Disagreeing with the access network device's control of data unit aggregates does not mean that the terminal device does not have the capability to process data unit aggregates. In other words, if the terminal device has the capability to process data unit aggregates, it may agree or disagree with the access network device's control of data unit aggregates. Whether to agree or disagree can be determined based on the terminal device's own conditions. In addition, if the terminal device disagrees with the access network device's control of data unit aggregates, the feedback information may also include information such as the reason for the access network device's failure to control the terminal device and the terminal device's requirements.

[0147] If the terminal device does not have the data unit set processing capability, it will not understand the data unit set control information in step S902 and therefore will not send feedback. In this embodiment, not sending feedback information means that the terminal device does not support data unit set processing.

[0148] Subsequently, if the access network device receives feedback information, it can continue processing or performing QoS control on the data unit set; if no feedback information is received, it can switch back to processing or performing QoS control on ordinary data packets and no longer use processing or QoS control on the data unit set. Processing or QoS control on ordinary data packets can refer to processing or performing QoS control on each data packet individually; processing or QoS control on a data unit set can refer to performing unified processing or QoS control on multiple data packets belonging to a data unit set.

[0149] S904: Based on the feedback from the terminal device, the access network device may also provide feedback to the SMF regarding the execution of data unit aggregate processing or normal data packet processing. For example, the access network device may send feedback information regarding the first configuration information to the SMF, indicating that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing. In this manner, the SMF receives information about the terminal device's data unit aggregate processing capability from the access network device. This step is optional.

[0150] Through this embodiment, after obtaining the processing information of the data unit set, the access network device obtains whether the UE has the data unit set processing capability based on the UE feedback, and thus can perform data unit set processing or QoS control on the terminal data.

[0151] The present application also provides a terminal device. FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application, including:

[0152] The first sending module 1010 is configured to send the data unit aggregate processing capability to the first network device.

[0153] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0154] In some implementations, the first sending module 1010 is configured to send a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network device, where the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

[0155] In some implementations, the first sending module 1010 is configured to send a registration request message to the first network device, where the registration request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

[0156] In some implementations, the first sending module 1010 is configured to send a request message for mobility management to the first network device, where the request message for mobility management carries the data unit aggregate processing capability.

[0157] In some embodiments, the first network device includes a mobility management function (AMF).

[0158] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 1100 includes one or more features of the above-mentioned terminal device 1000 embodiment. In a possible implementation, in the embodiment of the present application, before the first sending module 1010, it further includes:

[0159] The first receiving module 1120 is configured to receive first configuration information, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of a data unit set.

[0160] In some implementations, the first receiving module 1120 is configured to receive first configuration information from an access network device.

[0161] In some implementations, the first sending module 1010 is configured to send feedback information of the first configuration information to the first network device, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing.

[0162] In some implementations, the first network device includes an access network device.

[0163] It should be understood that the above and other operations and / or functions of the modules in the terminal device according to the embodiment of the present application are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the terminal device in method 300 of Figure 3. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0164] The present embodiment further provides a first network device. FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of the first network device 1200 according to the embodiment of the present application, including:

[0165] The second receiving module 1210 is configured to receive data unit set processing capability from a terminal device.

[0166] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0167] In some implementations, the second receiving module 1210 is configured to receive a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message from a terminal device, where the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries a data unit set processing capability.

[0168] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first network device 1300 according to an embodiment of the present application. The first network device 1300 includes one or more features of the first network device 1200 embodiment described above. In one possible implementation, in the embodiment of the present application, it further includes:

[0169] The second sending module 1320 is configured to send a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network element.

[0170] In some implementations, the second receiving module 1210 is configured to receive a registration request message or a request message for mobility management from a terminal device, where the registration request message or the request message for mobility management carries the data unit set processing capability.

[0171] In some embodiments, further comprising:

[0172] The first acquisition module 1330 is configured to obtain the data unit set processing capability from a registration request message or a request message for mobility management.

[0173] In some implementations, the system further includes a storage module 1340 for storing the data unit set processing capability.

[0174] In some implementations, the third sending module 1350 is further included, configured to send the data unit aggregate processing capability to the first network element.

[0175] In some implementations, the fourth sending module 1360 is further included, configured to send the data unit aggregate processing capability to the second network element.

[0176] In some implementations, the second network element includes a UDM or a UDR.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first network device includes a mobility management function (AMF).

[0178] In some embodiments, before the second receiving module 1210, the method further includes:

[0179] The fifth sending module 1370 is used to send first configuration information to the terminal device, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of the data unit set.

[0180] In some embodiments, the second receiving module 1210 is configured to receive feedback information of the first configuration information from the terminal device, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing.

[0181] In some implementations, before the fifth sending module 1370, the method further includes:

[0182] The third receiving module 1380 is configured to receive processing information of the data aggregation unit from the first network element.

[0183] In some embodiments, the processing information of the data collection unit includes at least one of the following:

[0184] Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on the QoS flow of the terminal device;

[0185] QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

[0186] In some embodiments, the first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

[0187] In some implementations, the first network device includes an access network device.

[0188] It should be understood that the above and other operations and / or functions of the modules in the first network device according to the embodiment of the present application are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the first network device in the method 400 of Figure 4, and for the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0189] The embodiment of the present application further provides a first network element. FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of the first network element 1400 according to the embodiment of the present application, including:

[0190] The second acquisition module 1410 is configured to acquire the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

[0191] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0192] In some implementations, the second acquisition module 1410 is configured to receive the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

[0193] In some implementations, the second acquisition module 1410 is configured to query the first network device or the second network element for the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device.

[0194] In some implementations, the second acquisition module 1410 is configured to receive the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device from the access network device.

[0195] In some implementations, the second acquisition module 1410 is configured to receive feedback information of the first configuration information from the access network device, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing; wherein,

[0196] The first configuration information includes configuration information of a data unit set.

[0197] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first network element 1500 according to an embodiment of the present application. The first network element 1500 includes one or more features of the above-mentioned first network element 1400 embodiment. In one possible implementation, in the embodiment of the present application, it further includes:

[0198] The sixth sending module 1520 is configured to send processing information of the data aggregation unit to the access network device.

[0199] In some embodiments, the processing information of the data collection unit includes at least one of the following:

[0200] Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on the QoS flow of the terminal device;

[0201] QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

[0202] In some embodiments, the first network device includes an AMF.

[0203] In some implementations, the second network element includes a UDM or a UDR.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

[0205] It should be understood that the above and other operations and / or functions of the module in the first network element according to the embodiment of the present application are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the first network element in method 500 of Figure 5. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0206] The embodiment of the present application further provides a second network element. FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of the second network element 1600 according to the embodiment of the present application, including:

[0207] The fourth receiving module 1610 is configured to receive the data unit aggregate processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

[0208] In some embodiments, the data unit aggregate processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit aggregate processing or does not support data unit aggregate processing.

[0209] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second network element 1700 according to an embodiment of the present application. The second network element 1700 includes one or more features of the above-mentioned second network element 1600 embodiment. In one possible implementation, in the embodiment of the present application, it further includes:

[0210] A providing module 1720 is provided for providing the first network element with the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

[0211] In some implementations, the second network element includes a UDM or a UDR.

[0212] In some implementations, the first network device includes a mobility management function (AMF) or an access network device.

[0213] In some embodiments, the first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

[0214] It should be understood that the above and other operations and / or functions of the module in the second network element according to the embodiment of the present application are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the second network element in method 600 of Figure 6. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0215] It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (submodules, units, or components, etc.) in the communication device of the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by different modules (submodules, units, or components, etc.) or by the same module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.). For example, the first receiving module and the second receiving module can be different modules or the same module, and both can implement their corresponding functions in the embodiment of the present application. In addition, the sending module and the receiving module in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by the transceiver of the device, and some or all of the other modules can be implemented by the processor of the device.

[0216] Figure 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1800 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1800 shown in Figure 18 includes a processor 1810, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0217] In some implementations, as shown in FIG18 , the communication device 1800 may further include a memory 1820. The processor 1810 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1820 to implement the communication device in the embodiment of the present application.

[0218] The memory 1820 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1810 , or may be integrated into the processor 1810 .

[0219] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 18 , the communication device 1800 may further include a transceiver 1830 , and the processor 1810 may control the transceiver 1830 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, the transceiver 1830 may send information or data to other devices, or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0220] The transceiver 1830 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1830 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0221] In some embodiments, the communication device 1800 may be the communication device of an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1800 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the communication device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0222] Figure 19 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 1900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip 1900 shown in Figure 19 includes a processor 1910, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0223] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG19 , the chip 1900 may further include a memory 1920 , wherein the processor 1910 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1920 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0224] The memory 1920 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1910 , or may be integrated into the processor 1910 .

[0225] In some embodiments, the chip 1900 may further include an input interface 1930. The processor 1910 may control the input interface 1930 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may obtain information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0226] In some embodiments, the chip 1900 may further include an output interface 1940. The processor 1910 may control the output interface 1940 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0227] In some embodiments, the chip can be applied to the communication equipment in the embodiments of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network equipment in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0228] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can also be called a system-level chip, a system chip, a chip system or a system-on-chip chip, etc.

[0229] The processor mentioned above may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor mentioned above may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0230] The memory mentioned above may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. The non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM).

[0231] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memories are exemplary but not restrictive. For example, the memories in the embodiments of the present application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM RAM (DR RAM), etc. In other words, the memories in the embodiments of the present application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0232] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network or other programmable devices. The computer instruction can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instruction can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0233] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0234] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0235] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising: The terminal device sends the data unit set processing capability to the first network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The terminal device sends the data unit set processing capability to the first network device, including: The terminal device sends a protocol data unit PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network device, and the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The terminal device sends the data unit set processing capability to the first network device, including: The terminal device sends a registration request message to the first network device, and the registration request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The terminal device sends the data unit set processing capability to the first network device, including: The terminal device sends a request message for mobility management to the first network device, and the request message for mobility management carries the data unit set processing capability.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first network device includes a mobility management function AMF.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, before the terminal device sends the data unit set processing capability to the first network device, further comprising: The terminal device receives first configuration information, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of a data unit set.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The terminal device receives first configuration information, including: The terminal device receives first configuration information from the access network device.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: The terminal device sends the data unit set processing capability to the first network device, including: The terminal device sends feedback information of the first configuration information to the first network device, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit set processing.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein: The first network device includes an access network device.

11. A communication method, comprising: The first network device receives a data unit aggregate processing capability from the terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The first network device receives the data unit set processing capability from the terminal device, including: The first network device receives a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message from the terminal device, and the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising, the first network device sending the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network element.

15. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The first network device receives the data unit set processing capability from the terminal device, including: The first network device receives a registration request message or a request message for mobility management from the terminal device, wherein the registration request message or the request message for mobility management carries the data unit set processing capability.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising, The first network device obtains the data unit aggregate processing capability from the registration request message or the request message for mobility management.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, the first network device storing the data unit aggregate processing capability.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, further comprising: the first network device sending the data unit aggregate processing capability to the first network element.

19. The method according to claim 16 or 17, further comprising: the first network device sending the data unit aggregate processing capability to the second network element.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein: The second network element includes a unified data management UDM or a unified data storage UDR.

21. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 20, wherein: The first network device includes a mobility management function AMF.

22. The method according to claim 11 or 12, before the first network device receives the data unit set processing capability from the terminal device, further comprising: The first network device sends first configuration information to the terminal device, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of a data unit set.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: The first network device receives the data unit set processing capability from the terminal device, including: The first network device receives feedback information of the first configuration information from the terminal device, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit set processing.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, before the first network device sends the first configuration information to the terminal device, further comprising: The first network device receives processing information of the data aggregation unit from the first network element.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein: The processing information of the data collection unit includes at least one of the following: Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on a quality of service QoS flow of a terminal device; QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

26. The method according to claim 14, 18, 24 or 25, wherein the first network element comprises a session management function (SMF).

27. The method according to any one of claims 11, 12, 23-26, wherein: The first network device includes an access network device.

28. A communication method, comprising: The first network element obtains the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

30. The method according to claim 28 or 29, wherein: The first network element obtains the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device, including: The first network element receives the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

31. The method according to claim 28 or 29, wherein: The first network element obtains the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device, including: The first network element queries the first network device or the second network element for the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

32. The method according to claim 28 or 29, wherein: The first network element obtains the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device, including: The first network element receives the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the access network device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein: The first network element receives the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the access network device, including: The first network element receives feedback information of the first configuration information from the access network device, and the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit set processing; wherein, The first configuration information includes configuration information of a data unit set.

34. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 33, further comprising: The first network element sends processing information of the data aggregation unit to the access network device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein: The processing information of the data collection unit includes at least one of the following: Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on the QoS flow of the terminal device; QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

36. The method according to claim 30 or 31, wherein: The first network device includes AMF.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein: The second network element includes UDM or UDR.

38. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 37, wherein: The first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

39. A communication method, comprising: The second network element receives the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

41. The method according to claim 39 or 40 further includes the second network element providing the first network element with data unit aggregation processing capability of the terminal device.

42. The method according to any one of claims 39 to 41, wherein: The second network element includes UDM or UDR.

43. The method according to any one of claims 39 to 42, wherein: The first network device includes a mobility management function AMF or an access network device.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein: The first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

45. A terminal device, comprising: The first sending module is used to send the data unit set processing capability to the first network device.

46. ​​The terminal device according to claim 45, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

47. The terminal device according to claim 45 or 46, wherein: The first sending module is used to send a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network device, and the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

48. The terminal device according to claim 45 or 46, wherein: The first sending module is used to send a registration request message to the first network device, and the registration request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

49. The terminal device according to claim 45 or 46, wherein: The first sending module is used to send a request message for mobility management to the first network device, and the request message for mobility management carries the data unit set processing capability.

50. The terminal device according to any one of claims 45 to 49, wherein: The first network device includes a mobility management function AMF.

51. The terminal device according to claim 45 or 46, before the first sending module, further comprising: The first receiving module is used to receive first configuration information, where the first configuration information includes configuration information of a data unit set.

52. The terminal device according to claim 51, wherein: The first receiving module is used to receive first configuration information from an access network device.

53. The terminal device according to claim 51 or 52, wherein: The first sending module is used to send feedback information of the first configuration information to the first network device, and the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit set processing.

54. The terminal device according to any one of claims 51 to 53, wherein: The first network device includes an access network device.

55. A first network device, comprising: The second receiving module is used to receive the data unit set processing capability from the terminal device.

56. The first network device according to claim 55, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

57. The first network device according to claim 55 or 56, wherein: The second receiving module is used to receive a PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message from a terminal device, and the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message carries the data unit set processing capability.

58. The first network device according to claim 57 further includes a second sending module, used to send the PDU session establishment request message / PDU session modification request message to the first network element.

59. The first network device according to claim 55 or 56, wherein: The second receiving module is used to receive a registration request message or a request message for mobility management from a terminal device, and the registration request message or the request message for mobility management carries the data unit set processing capability.

60. The first network device according to claim 59, further comprising, The first acquisition module is used to obtain the data unit set processing capability from the registration request message or the request message for mobility management.

61. The first network device according to claim 60 further includes a storage module for storing the data unit set processing capability.

62. The first network device according to claim 60 or 61 further includes a third sending module, which is used to send the data unit set processing capability to the first network element.

63. The first network device according to claim 60 or 61 further includes a fourth sending module, which is used to send the data unit set processing capability to the second network element.

64. The first network device according to claim 63, wherein: The second network element includes UDM or UDR.

65. The first network device according to any one of claims 55 to 64, wherein: The first network device includes a mobility management function AMF.

66. The first network device according to claim 55 or 56, before the second receiving module, further comprising: A fifth sending module is used to send first configuration information to the terminal device, wherein the first configuration information includes a data unit set Configuration information.

67. The first network device according to claim 66, wherein: The second receiving module is used to receive feedback information of the first configuration information from the terminal device, and the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit set processing.

68. The first network device according to claim 66 or 67, before the fifth sending module, further comprising: The third receiving module is used to receive processing information of the data aggregation unit from the first network element.

69. The first network device according to claim 68, wherein: The processing information of the data collection unit includes at least one of the following: Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on the QoS flow of the terminal device; QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

70. The first network device according to claim 58, 62, 68 or 69, wherein the first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

71. The first network device according to any one of claims 55, 56, 67-70, wherein: The first network device includes an access network device.

72. A first network element, comprising: The second acquisition module is used to acquire the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

73. The first network element according to claim 72, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

74. The first network element according to claim 72 or 73, wherein: The second acquisition module is used to receive the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

75. The first network element according to claim 72 or 73, wherein: The second acquisition module is used to query the first network device or the second network element about the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

76. The first network element according to claim 72 or 73, wherein: The second acquisition module is used to receive the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the access network device.

77. The first network element according to claim 76, wherein: The second acquisition module is used to receive feedback information of the first configuration information from the access network device, and the feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports data unit set processing; wherein, The first configuration information includes configuration information of a data unit set.

78. The first network element according to any one of claims 72-77, further comprising: The sixth sending module is used to send the processing information of the data aggregation unit to the access network device.

79. The first network element according to claim 78, wherein: The processing information of the data collection unit includes at least one of the following: Instruction information for instructing to perform data unit aggregation processing on the QoS flow of the terminal device; QoS parameters for a collection of data units of a terminal device.

80. The first network element according to claim 74 or 75, wherein: The first network device includes AMF.

81. The first network element according to claim 75, wherein: The second network element includes UDM or UDR.

82. The first network element according to any one of claims 72 to 81, wherein: The first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

83. A second network element, comprising: The fourth receiving module is used to receive the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device from the first network device.

84. The second network element according to claim 83, wherein: The data unit set processing capability is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports data unit set processing or does not support data unit set processing.

85. The second network element according to claim 83 or 84 further includes a providing module for providing the first network element with the data unit set processing capability of the terminal device.

86. The second network element according to any one of claims 83 to 85, wherein: The second network element includes UDM or UDR.

87. The second network element according to any one of claims 83 to 86, wherein: The first network device includes a mobility management function AMF or an access network device.

88. The second network element according to claim 85, wherein: The first network element comprises a session management function SMF.

89. A communication device comprising: A processor, a memory and a transceiver, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory and control the transceiver to execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, 11 to 27, 28 to 38 or 39 to 44.

90. A chip, comprising: A processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, 11 to 27, 28 to 38 or 39 to 44.

91. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, wherein the computer program causes a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 10, 11 to 27, 28 to 38 or 39 to 44.

92. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 10, 11 to 27, 28 to 38 or 39 to 44.

93. A computer program causing a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 10, 11 to 27, 28 to 38 or 39 to 44.

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