Paging method and system, paging execution and paging trigger nodes, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a paging method and system, paging execution and paging trigger nodes, and a storage medium. The paging method comprises: sending paging assistance information to a paging trigger node by means of a user equipment context release completion message, wherein the paging assistance information comprises a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB)-related information, and the paging assistance information is used for determining a paging area; receiving a paging message sent by the paging trigger node, wherein the paging message comprises the paging assistance information; determining the paging area on the basis of the paging assistance information; and sending the paging message to a user equipment in the paging area. In the present disclosure, paging messages are only sent on some candidate SSB(s) beams, thereby effectively saving on the paging signaling overheads, and reducing the network energy consumption.

Description

Paging method and system, paging execution and triggering node, and storage medium

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on the application with CN application number CN202310869905.1 and application date July 14, 2023, and claims its priority. The disclosed content of the CN application is hereby introduced as a whole into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to a paging method and system, a paging execution and triggering node, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0004] The network device can send a paging message to the terminal device in the idle state and the connected state. The purpose of the paging can be to send a paging request to the UE (User Equipment) in the RRC-Idle (Radio Resource Control Idle) state, to notify the terminal device in the RRC-Idle or RRC-Connected (Radio Resource Control Connected) state that the system information has changed, to notify the terminal device to receive ETWS (Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System) information or CMAS (Commercial Mobile Alert Service) information, etc.

[0005] The Panging process is divided into Paging triggered by 5GC (5G Core) and Paging triggered by NG-RAN.

[0006] For the 5GC-triggered Paging process, when the network needs to send downlink data to a UE in the CM (Connection Management)-IDLE state (the state of the UE in the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function)), the AMF sends a Paging message (sent from the AMF to the gNB via the NG interface) to all gNBs (5G base stations) in all TAs (Tracking Areas) registered by the UE. The gNB then sends a Paging message (sent from the gNB to the UE) over the air interface within its cell to page the UE. Upon receiving the Paging message, the UE in the RRC_IDLE state initiates an RRC connection establishment process to receive the call.

[0007] NR (New Radio) introduces the RRC Inactive (Radio Resource Control Inactive) state at the RRC layer, which has the effect of reducing latency and saving terminal energy consumption. When the terminal (UE) is in the RRC inactive state, the terminal will retain the context of the last serving cell and allow the terminal to move within the RAN-based Notification Area (RNA) without informing the network which cell it is in. The network side maintains the NG interface connection and the NAS (Non-Access-Stratum) signaling connection with the terminal, which allows the terminal to use the RRC connection recovery process to restore the SRB (Signaling Radio Bearer) and DRB (Data Radio Bearer), and then directly start sending or receiving data, thereby reducing latency.

[0008] When the network needs to send downlink data to a UE in the RRC_Inactive state, it sends a RAN Paging message to all gNBs within the RNA (the last serving gNB sends it to other gNBs within the RNA over the Xn interface). The gNB then sends a Paging message over the air interface within its cell (the gNB sends it to the UE over the air interface) to page the UE. Upon receiving the Paging message, the UE in the RRC_Inactive state initiates an RRC connection recovery procedure to receive the call.

[0009] Summary of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a paging method is provided, including:

[0011] Sending paging assistance information to the paging triggering node through a user terminal context release complete message, wherein the paging assistance information includes SSB (Synchronization signal and Physical broadcast channel block, SS and PBCH, synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block) related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area;

[0012] receiving a paging message sent by a paging triggering node, wherein the paging message includes the paging auxiliary information;

[0013] determining a paging area according to the paging assistance information;

[0014] Sending a paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging method is executed by a paging execution node, wherein the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a next generation radio access network NG-RAN or a 5G base station.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is NG-RAN, the paging triggering node is an access and mobility management function node AMF.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is a gNB-DU, the paging triggering node is a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, sending paging assistance information to the paging triggering node includes:

[0019] releasing the user terminal context upon receiving a user terminal context release command message sent by the paging triggering node;

[0020] Sending a user terminal context release completion message to the paging triggering node, wherein the user terminal context release completion message carries the paging auxiliary information.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging assistance information includes at least one of an SSB index, a timestamp, and an expected arrival probability.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the SSB index corresponds to the SSB beam for which the paging message is recommended to be sent, and the timestamp is the time that the user terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index is located for each SSB index, and the expected arrival probability is the probability that the user terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index is located within the specified timestamp.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the user terminal is a stationary terminal, the SSB index is set to the SSB index last accessed before the stationary terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state; the timestamp is set to the maximum value supported; and the expected arrival probability is set to 100%.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the user terminal is a low-speed mobile terminal, the SSB index is set to the SSB index last accessed before the low-speed mobile terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state, and the adjacent SSB index of the last access signal block; the timestamp is set to be calculated based on experience and the moving direction and speed of the low-speed mobile terminal; the expected arrival probability is set to be calculated based on experience and the moving direction and speed of the low-speed mobile terminal.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for a paging execution node with intelligent capabilities, the trajectory of the user terminal is predicted based on an artificial intelligence model, and the location and time information of the user terminal in the future, as well as the accuracy of the corresponding prediction information, are output. The SSB index, timestamp and expected arrival probability are determined based on the prediction results of the artificial intelligence model.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paging method is provided, including:

[0027] Receiving paging assistance information sent by the paging execution node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging assistance information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area;

[0028] A paging message is sent to a paging execution node, wherein the paging message includes the paging assistance information, so that the paging execution node determines a paging area according to the paging assistance information and sends the paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging method is performed by a paging trigger node, wherein the paging trigger node is a mobility management function node AMF or a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is an AMF, the paging execution node is a next generation radio access network NG-RAN.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is a gNB-CU, the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a 5G base station.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paging execution node is provided, including:

[0033] an auxiliary information sending module, configured to send paging auxiliary information to the paging trigger node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging auxiliary information includes information related to a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block (SSB), and the paging auxiliary information is used to determine a paging area;

[0034] a paging message receiving module, configured to receive a paging message sent by a paging triggering node, wherein the paging message includes the paging auxiliary information;

[0035] a paging area determination module, configured to determine a paging area according to the paging auxiliary information;

[0036] The paging message sending module is configured to send a paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a next generation radio access network NG-RAN or a 5G base station.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is NG-RAN, the paging triggering node is an access and mobility management function node AMF.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is a gNB-DU, the paging triggering node is a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paging triggering node is provided, including:

[0041] an auxiliary information receiving module, configured to receive paging assistance information sent by the paging execution node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging assistance information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area;

[0042] The paging message sending module is configured to send a paging message to a paging execution node, wherein the paging message includes the paging assistance information, so that the paging execution node determines a paging area according to the paging assistance information and sends the paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging triggering node is a mobility management function node AMF or a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is an AMF, the paging execution node is a next generation radio access network NG-RAN.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is a gNB-CU, the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a 5G base station.

[0046] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paging execution node is provided, including:

[0047] a memory configured to store instructions;

[0048] The processor is configured to execute the instruction, so that the paging execution node performs the operation of implementing the paging method as described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0049] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paging triggering node is provided, including:

[0050] a memory configured to store instructions;

[0051] The processor is configured to execute the instruction so that the paging triggering node performs the operation of implementing the paging method as described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0052] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paging system is provided, comprising a paging execution node according to any of the above embodiments, and a paging triggering node according to any of the above embodiments.

[0053] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the paging method as described in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0054] The present disclosure only sends Paging messages on some candidate SSB(s) beams, which effectively saves Paging signaling overhead and reduces network energy consumption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0056] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the paging method disclosed herein.

[0057] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of other embodiments of the paging method disclosed herein.

[0058] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of some further embodiments of the paging method disclosed herein.

[0059] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an NG-RAN node sending a Paging message on a specific SSB beam in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0060] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of some further embodiments of the paging method disclosed herein.

[0061] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a DU sending a Paging message on a specific SSB beam in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0062] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of a paging execution node according to the present disclosure.

[0063] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of a paging triggering node according to the present disclosure.

[0064] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of other embodiments of the paging execution node disclosed herein.

[0065] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of other embodiments of the paging trigger node disclosed herein.

[0066] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of some embodiments of the paging system disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure and its application or use. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0068] Unless specifically stated otherwise, the relative arrangement of components and steps, the numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] At the same time, it should be understood that for the convenience of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0070] Technologies, methods and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such technologies, methods and equipment should be considered part of the authorization specification.

[0071] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0072] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0073] Through research, the inventors found that: in the relevant technical solutions, since the network does not know the specific location of the terminal, when the NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network) finally sends a Paging message to the UE, it traverses and sends the Paging message in all beam directions within the cell where the beam needs to be sent. At present, FR1 in the NR protocol supports up to 8 SSB beams, and FR2 supports up to 64 SSB beams. With the evolution of wireless communication technology and the application of more and higher spectrum (such as more millimeter waves and terahertz bands), future wireless communication systems will support more SSB (synchronization signaling block) beams. When the number of SSB beams supported by the base station is large, sending Paging messages in all beam directions will undoubtedly increase the air interface signaling overhead and reduce network energy efficiency. For operators, the cost of network energy consumption is huge. How to achieve an efficient and energy-saving wireless communication system is one of the evolutionary directions that need to be considered.

[0074] Through research, the inventors also found that: in the related technical solution, since the network does not know the specific location of the terminal, when the gNB-DU finally sends a Paging message to the UE, it traverses all beams in the cell to send the Paging message. In the current NR protocol, FR1 supports up to 8 SSB beams and FR2 supports up to 64 SSB beams. With the evolution of wireless communication technology and the application of more and higher spectrum (such as more millimeter wave and terahertz bands), future wireless communication systems will support more SSB beams. When the number of SSB beams supported by the base station is large, sending Paging messages in all beam directions will undoubtedly increase the air interface signaling overhead and reduce network energy efficiency. For operators, the cost of network energy consumption is huge. How to achieve an efficient and energy-saving wireless communication system is one of the evolutionary directions that need to be considered.

[0075] In view of at least one of the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a paging method and system, a paging execution and triggering node, and a storage medium, which only sends Paging messages on some candidate SSB(s) beams, effectively saving Paging signaling overhead.

[0076] The present disclosure is described below through specific embodiments.

[0077] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the paging method disclosed herein. Preferably, this embodiment can be executed by the paging execution node disclosed herein or the paging system disclosed herein.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging execution node may be a distributed unit gNB-DU of a next generation radio access network NG-RAN or a 5G base station.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is NG-RAN, the paging triggering node is an access and mobility management function node AMF.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is a gNB-DU, the paging triggering node is a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG1 , the method includes at least one of steps 11 to 14, wherein:

[0082] Step 11: Send paging assistance information to the paging trigger node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging assistance information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in step 11, the step of sending paging assistance information to the paging trigger node may include: releasing the user terminal context upon receiving a user terminal context release command message sent by the paging trigger node; and sending a user terminal context release completion message to the paging trigger node, wherein the user terminal context release completion message carries the paging assistance information.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging assistance information may include at least one of an SSB index, a timestamp, and an expected probability of arrival.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the SSB index corresponds to the SSB beam for which the Paging message is recommended to be sent, and the timestamp is the time that the user terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponds to the SSB index for each SSB index, and the expected arrival probability is the probability that the user terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponds to the SSB index within the specified timestamp.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the user terminal is a stationary terminal, the SSB index is set to the SSB index last accessed before the stationary terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state; the timestamp is set to the maximum value supported; and the expected arrival probability is set to 100%.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the user terminal is a low-speed mobile terminal, the SSB index is set to the SSB index last accessed before the low-speed mobile terminal enters the idle state, and the adjacent SSB index of the last access signal block; the timestamp is set to be calculated based on experience and the moving direction and speed of the low-speed mobile terminal; the expected arrival probability is set to be calculated based on experience and the moving direction and speed of the low-speed mobile terminal.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for a paging execution node with intelligent capabilities, the trajectory of the user terminal is predicted based on an artificial intelligence model, and the location and time information of the user terminal in the future, as well as the accuracy of the corresponding prediction information, are output. The SSB index, timestamp and expected arrival probability are determined based on the prediction results of the artificial intelligence model.

[0089] Step 12: Receive a paging message sent by a paging triggering node, wherein the paging message includes the paging auxiliary information.

[0090] Step 13: Determine a paging area according to the paging assistance information.

[0091] Step 14: Send a paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0092] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure take into account large-scale Internet of Things scenarios such as smart factories and smart transportation. After the terminal enters the Idle state, it will be in a stationary or low-speed moving state. Therefore, in such scenarios, when the network needs to page the terminal, it can send paging information only on a specific SSB beam. For example, for a stationary terminal, a Paging message is sent on the beam corresponding to the SSB index last accessed before the terminal enters the Idle state; for a low-speed mobile terminal, a Paging message is sent on the beam corresponding to the SSB index last accessed before the terminal enters the Idle state and the adjacent SSB index.

[0093] In addition, with the application of artificial intelligence in wireless communication systems, terminal trajectory prediction will become more and more accurate and reliable. Therefore, the network in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure can also use AI algorithms to predict the location information of the terminal at a specific time, and determine the SSB beam to which the Paging message needs to be sent based on the location information.

[0094] The auxiliary information designed in the above embodiment of the present disclosure is based on the SSB beam information processed by the network node, which is more meaningful for reference. For example, for a stationary UE, the paging auxiliary information only includes the SSB index of the last access, and for a low-speed mobile UE, the paging auxiliary information only includes the SSB index of the last access and one or more SSB indexes adjacent to the SSB beam. In addition, the network in the above embodiment of the present disclosure can also report the arrival probability of the terminal under the corresponding SSB index beam based on experience and intelligent capabilities. It can be seen that the paging auxiliary information designed in the above embodiment of the present disclosure is processed information that can be directly referenced.

[0095] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of some other embodiments of the paging method disclosed herein. Preferably, this embodiment can be executed by the paging trigger node disclosed herein or the paging system disclosed herein.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging triggering node is a mobility management function node AMF or a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is an AMF, the paging execution node is a next generation radio access network NG-RAN.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is a gNB-CU, the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a 5G base station.

[0099] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG2 , the method includes at least one of steps 21 to 22, wherein:

[0100] Step 21: Receive paging assistance information sent by the paging execution node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging assistance information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area.

[0101] Step 22: Send a paging message to a paging execution node, wherein the paging message includes the paging assistance information, so that the paging execution node determines a paging area according to the paging assistance information and sends a paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0102] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, before step 21, the paging method may further include: step 20, sending a user terminal context release command message to the paging execution node, so that the paging execution node releases the user terminal context.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging execution node may be a distributed unit gNB-DU of a next generation radio access network NG-RAN or a 5G base station.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is NG-RAN, the paging triggering node is an access and mobility management function node AMF.

[0105] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is a gNB-DU, the paging triggering node is a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0106] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of some further embodiments of the paging method of the present disclosure. Preferably, this embodiment can be performed by the paging system of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the paging system includes an AMF and an NG-RAN. As shown in FIG3 , the paging method of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps 1 to 8, wherein:

[0107] Step 1: For the UE in Connected state, the AMF decides to release the UE context based on the service status monitoring of the current UE (for example, the current AMF has completed the data transmission for the terminal and there is no new service for the time being).

[0108] Step 2: The AMF sends a UE Context Release Command message to the NG-RAN node, instructing the NG-RAN to release the UE context; this message is used to initiate the base station's context release process for the terminal.

[0109] Step 3: NG-RAN initiates the RRC connection release process to convert the UE in RRC_CONNECTED to RRC_IDLE and release the UE context; after this step, the UE enters the Idle state.

[0110] In step 4, the NG-RAN node feeds back a UE Context Release Complete message, and carries in the message the auxiliary information for the user to paging the terminal. The auxiliary information is generated by the NG-RAN node and reported to the AMF in the UE Context Release Complete message. The AMF stores the auxiliary information and uses it the next time the terminal is paging.

[0111] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific auxiliary information includes at least one of the following information:

[0112] SSB index IE (Information Element): indicates the SSB beam to which the Paging message is recommended to be sent.

[0113] Time Stamp IE: indicates the time the UE stays in the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to each SSB index.

[0114] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: Indicates the probability that the terminal will stay within the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index within the specified timestamp.

[0115] The following describes the setting and meaning of specific cell values ​​of the Paging auxiliary information through embodiments.

[0116] For example, the setting value of the information element is: {SSB index IE=1, Time Stamp IE=100, Estimated Arrival Probability IE=90}, which specifically means: the terminal is in the direction corresponding to SSB index 1, the expected stay time is 100s, and the probability of staying in the direction corresponding to SSB index 1 during this time is 90%.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step 4 may include: the NG-RAN node generates Paging assistance information.

[0118] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the step of the NG-RAN node generating Paging assistance information may include: the NG-RAN node may generate corresponding Paging assistance information for different terminals based on the current application scenario, terminal mobility characteristics, or its own intelligent capabilities. Specifically:

[0119] First, for stationary terminals:

[0120] SSB index IE: This information element is set to the SSB index last accessed before the terminal enters the Idle state.

[0121] Time Stamp IE: This information element is set to the maximum supported value, such as 4095.

[0122] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: 100%.

[0123] Second, for low-speed mobile terminals

[0124] SSB index IE: This information element is set to the index of the last SSB accessed and the adjacent SSBs before the terminal enters the Idle state (the specific number can be appropriate and less than the maximum number of SSBs supported by the NG-RAN node).

[0125] Time Stamp IE: Calculated by the DU based on experience and the UE's moving direction and speed.

[0126] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: Calculated by the DU based on experience and the UE's moving direction and speed.

[0127] Third, for intelligent NG-RAN nodes, the AI ​​model is used to predict the UE trajectory, outputting the terminal's location and time information for a period of time in the future, as well as the accuracy of the corresponding prediction information.

[0128] SSB index IE: The SSB index information of the terminal's future access predicted by the AI ​​model;

[0129] Time Stamp IE: the time the UE stays in the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index;

[0130] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: The probability that the terminal stays in the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index within the specified timestamp.

[0131] Step 5: AMF decides to page the UE.

[0132] Step 6: The AMF sends a Paging message to the NG-RAN node to instruct the NG-RAN to page the UE and sends the auxiliary information received in step 4 to the NG-RAN via a Paging message.

[0133] Step 7: Based on the auxiliary information in the Paging message, the NG-RAN node determines the SSB on the air interface to which the Paging message needs to be sent.

[0134] Step 8: The NG-RAN node sends a Paging message on the SSB specified in step 7.

[0135] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an NG-RAN node sending a Paging message on a specific SSB in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the NG-RAN2 node sends the Paging message via a beam with SSB index = 5.

[0136] The embodiment of Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the NG-Paging signaling process based on auxiliary information designed by the present disclosure. Based on the related technology NG-Paging signaling, the present disclosure exchanges newly added paging-related auxiliary information between the NG-RAN and AMF nodes by adding new information elements, helping the NG-RAN to determine the beam direction for finally sending the Paging message, thereby effectively saving air interface signaling overhead and reducing network energy consumption.

[0137] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, corresponding to the 3GPP TS38.413 NGAP (NG Application Protocol) standard, for steps 4 and 6 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 , the signaling format and content are designed as follows:

[0138] First, the SSB beam list of the last few services or the recommended SSB beam list is introduced to the AMF in the UE context release complete message through NGAP as paging auxiliary information.

[0139] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in step 4 of the embodiment of FIG3 , a Recommended SSBs for Paging IE (an information element indicating an SSB beam for which a Paging message is recommended to be sent) is added to the NG interface UE Context Release Complete signaling.

[0140] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a Recommended SSBs for Paging information element is added to the Information on Recommended Cells and RAN Nodes for Paging IE (an information element used to indicate information of cells and RAN nodes recommended for sending paging messages) of the NG interface UE Context Release Complete signaling.

[0141] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the newly added Recommended SSBs for Paging information element is transparent to the 5G core network.

[0142] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in step 4 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 , the newly added information element includes the following sub-information elements, wherein:

[0143] Recommended SSB List (Recommended SSB List).

[0144] SSB index IE: Optional attribute, integer value, value range (0,63). SSB index IE is the identifier of the recommended SSB beam for paging.

[0145] Time Stamp IE: Optional attribute, integer value, unit: seconds, value range: (0, 4095). This sub-information element is included in the visited SSB and indicates the time (in seconds) that the UE has stayed in the SSB. If the UE has stayed in the SSB for more than 4095 seconds, this sub-information element is set to 4095.

[0146] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: optional attribute, integer value, value range (0,100]

[0147] Second, introduce the SSB beam list in the NGAP paging message.

[0148] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in step 6 of the embodiment of FIG3 , an Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE is added in the NG interface Paging signaling. This newly added IE (Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE) contains all the information in the Recommended SSBs for Paging IE reported by the NG-RAN in step 4. This newly added IE (Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE) is used to provide assistance information for paging in the recommended SSB.

[0149] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a new Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE is added to the Assistance Data for Paging IE in the NG interface Paging signaling, wherein the Assistance Data for Paging IE is used to provide auxiliary information for paging optimization.

[0150] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in step 6 of the embodiment of FIG3 , the Paging signaling is sent by the AMF and is used to page the UE in one or more tracking areas. The direction of the Paging signaling is from the AMF to the NG-RAN.

[0151] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the newly added information element (Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE) includes the following sub-information elements, wherein:

[0152] SSB index IE: optional attribute, integer value, value range (0, 63).

[0153] Time Stamp IE: Optional attribute, integer value, unit is seconds, value range is (0, 4095).

[0154] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: Optional attribute, integer value, value range (0, 100).

[0155] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper limit of the value range of the above sub-information element can be expanded according to network evolution. For example, the SSB index IE currently only supports a maximum of 64 SSBs in FR2, but future networks may support 256,512 or even more SSBs. In these cases, the value range can be expanded accordingly.

[0156] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the newly added information element of the present disclosure is an optional attribute due to consideration of post-network compatibility design.

[0157] The NG-RAN node in the above embodiment of the present disclosure adds Paging-related auxiliary information in the UE Context Release Complete signaling. Specifically, the auxiliary information includes one or more of the following information: SSB index IE: indicates the SSB beam for which the Paging message is recommended to be sent, specifically the last SSB index accessed by the terminal before entering the Idle state, the last accessed and adjacent SSB index before the terminal enters the Idle state, or the SSB index corresponding to the beam direction of the terminal predicted based on experience / artificial intelligence technology; Time Stamp IE: indicates the time that the UE stays in the area where the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index is located for each SSB index; Estimated Arrival Probability IE: indicates the probability that the terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index is located within the specified timestamp.

[0158] The AMF in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure adds paging-related auxiliary information to the paging signaling and forwards the auxiliary information received in the UE Context Release Complete signaling to the NG-RAN node via paging signaling. The auxiliary information includes one or more of the following information: SSB index IE; Time Stamp IE; Estimated Arrival Probability IE. The NG-RAN in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure then determines the SSB index for sending the air interface paging message based on the received auxiliary information and sends the air interface paging message in the beam direction corresponding to the corresponding SSB index to page the terminal.

[0159] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure design an NG Paging solution based on auxiliary information, focusing on the network-side signaling design. On the basis of the related technology NG-Paging signaling, it designs and adds Paging auxiliary information. This information is generated by the NG-RAN node, reported to the core network when the terminal enters the idle state, and then transmitted to the NG-RAN in the subsequent Paging process triggered by the core network, thereby assisting the NG-RAN node to determine the beam direction for sending the Paging message, so that the network does not need to send Paging messages in all beam directions, but only needs to send Paging messages on some candidate SSB(s). In this way, the Paging signaling overhead is effectively saved and the network energy consumption is reduced.

[0160] The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, taking into account the mobility characteristics of terminals and addressing the current technical situation where NG-RAN nodes must transmit Paging messages in all beam directions, optimize the relevant technical signaling process, enhance the relevant technical signaling, and design new auxiliary information. This allows the NG-RAN node to refine the beam direction in which the Paging message is to be sent based on this auxiliary information. Compared with related technologies, the present disclosure has the following advantages: 1) reduced air interface signaling overhead; 2) improved network energy efficiency. Furthermore, the technical solution designed in the present disclosure is highly compatible with related technical protocols and has strong practicality.

[0161] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure enhance the signaling process of the relevant technical protocols. By exchanging newly added user Paging auxiliary information between the NG-RAN node and the AMF, the network is helped to determine the beam direction for sending the Paging message. This ensures that the user can successfully receive the Paging message while effectively saving air interface signaling overhead and reducing network energy consumption.

[0162] The above embodiments of the present disclosure provide an NG Paging solution based on auxiliary information.

[0163] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of some further embodiments of the paging method disclosed herein. Preferably, this embodiment can be performed by the paging system disclosed herein. In this embodiment, the paging system includes a gNB-CU and a gNB-DU. FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the RAN-side Paging signaling process based on auxiliary information designed in the present disclosure. Based on the related art RAN-side Paging signaling, the present disclosure exchanges newly added paging-related auxiliary information between the CU and DU within the NG-RAN node by adding new information elements, helping the DU determine the beam direction for ultimately sending the air interface Paging message, thereby effectively saving air interface signaling overhead and reducing network energy consumption.

[0164] As shown in FIG5 , the paging method of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps 51 to 58, wherein:

[0165] In step 51, for a UE in the Connected state, the gNB-CU on the network side makes a decision based on monitoring the UE's service status and switches the UE from the Connected state to the Inactive state.

[0166] Step 52: The gNB-CU sends a UE Context Release Command message to the gNB-DU to notify the gNB-DU to release the terminal context.

[0167] In step 53, the gNB-DU notifies the UE to enter the Inactive state via the RRC Release message "suspend config".

[0168] In step 54, the gNB-DU sends a UE Context Release Complete message to the gNB-CU, which carries the auxiliary information for the user paging the terminal. The gNB-CU stores the auxiliary information and uses it the next time it paging the terminal. The auxiliary information includes at least one of the following:

[0169] SSB index IE: used to indicate the SSB beam for which the Paging message is recommended to be sent.

[0170] Time Stamp IE: used to indicate the time the UE stays in the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to each SSB index.

[0171] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: used to indicate the probability that the terminal stays in the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index within the specified timestamp.

[0172] The following describes the setting and meaning of specific cell values ​​of the Paging auxiliary information through embodiments.

[0173] For example, the setting value of the information element is: {SSB index IE=1, Time Stamp IE=100, Estimated Arrival Probability IE=90}, which specifically means: the terminal is in the direction corresponding to SSB index 1, the expected stay time is 100s, and the probability of staying in the direction corresponding to SSB index 1 during this time is 90%.

[0174] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step 54 may include: the DU generating Paging assistance information.

[0175] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the DU generating Paging assistance information may include: the DU node may generate corresponding Paging assistance information for different terminals based on the current application scenario, terminal mobility characteristics, or its own intelligent capabilities, wherein:

[0176] First, for stationary terminals:

[0177] SSB index IE: This information element is set to the SSB index last accessed before the terminal enters the Idle state.

[0178] Time Stamp IE: 4095, the maximum value supported by this cell.

[0179] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: 100%.

[0180] Second, for low-speed mobile terminals

[0181] SSB index IE: This information element is set to the index of the last SSB accessed and the adjacent SSBs before the terminal enters the Idle state (the specific number can be appropriate and less than the maximum number of SSBs supported by the NG-RAN node).

[0182] Time Stamp IE: Calculated by the DU based on experience and the UE's moving direction and speed.

[0183] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: Calculated by the DU based on experience and the UE's moving direction and speed.

[0184] Third, for intelligent DUs: The UE trajectory is predicted based on the AI ​​model, and the terminal's location and time information for a period of time in the future is output, along with the accuracy of the corresponding prediction information.

[0185] SSB index IE: The SSB index information of the terminal's future access predicted by the AI ​​model.

[0186] Time Stamp IE: The time the UE stays in the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index.

[0187] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: The probability that the terminal stays in the area of ​​the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index within the specified timestamp.

[0188] Step 55: The gNB-CU decides to page the UE.

[0189] In step 56, the gNB-CU sends a Paging message to the gNB-DU to instruct the gNB-DU to page the UE and sends the auxiliary information received in step 4 to the NG-RAN via a Paging message.

[0190] In step 57, the gNB-DU determines the SSB beam to which the Paging message needs to be sent on the air interface based on the auxiliary information in the Paging message.

[0191] In step 58, the gNB-DU sends a Paging message on the SSB beam specified in step 7.

[0192] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a DU sending a Paging message on a specific SSB beam in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, DU-1 sends a Paging message via the beam corresponding to SSB index=0.

[0193] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, corresponding to the 3GPP TS38.473 F1AP (Application Protocol) standard, for steps 54 and 56 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 , the signaling format and content are designed as follows:

[0194] First, in step 54 of the embodiment of Figure 5, the SSB beam list of the last few services / recommended SSB beam list is introduced to the gNB-CU in the UE context release complete message on the F1AP as paging assistance information.

[0195] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in step 54 of FIG5 , a Recommended SSBs for Paging IE (an information element used to indicate an SSB beam for which a Paging message is recommended to be sent) is added to the F1 interface UE Context Release Complete signaling.

[0196] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a Recommended SSBs for Paging List (an information element used to indicate the SSB beam for which a Paging message is recommended to be sent) information element is added to the F1 interface UE Context Release Complete signaling, and the Recommended SSBs for Paging List information element includes an NR CGI (NR Cell Global Identifier) ​​information element and an SSBs for Paging List (an SSB list for sending a paging message) information element.

[0197] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the Recommended SSBs for Paging IE or SSBs for Paging List information element may include the following sub-information elements, where:

[0198] SSB index IE: Optional attribute, integer value, value range (0,63). SSB index IE is the identifier of the recommended SSB beam for paging.

[0199] Time Stamp IE: Optional attribute, integer value, unit: seconds, value range: (0, 4095). This sub-information element is included in the visited SSB and indicates the time (in seconds) that the UE has stayed in the SSB. If the UE has stayed in the SSB for more than 4095 seconds, this sub-information element is set to 4095.

[0200] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: optional attribute, integer value, value range (0,100]

[0201] Second, in step 56 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 , a recommended SSB beam list is introduced in the F1AP paging message.

[0202] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the Recommended SSB List IE may be included in the Paging Cell Item IE of the paging message, and if present, the gNB-DU shall send the paging message over the indicated SSB beam using the Recommended SSB List IE if supported.

[0203] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in step 56 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 , a Recommended SSBs List (recommended SSBs list) information element or an Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE (recommended SSB auxiliary data) information element is added to the F1 interface Paging signaling.

[0204] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a Recommended SSBs List IE or an Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE is added to the Paging Cell Item IEs of the Paging Cell List of the F1 interface Paging signaling.

[0205] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the newly added information element (Recommended SSBs List information element or Assistance Data for Recommended SSBs IE) includes the following information elements, where:

[0206] SSB index IE: optional attribute, integer value, value range (0,63).

[0207] Time Stamp IE: Optional attribute, integer value, unit is seconds, value range (0,4095).

[0208] Estimated Arrival Probability IE: Optional attribute, integer value, value range (0,100).

[0209] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper limit of the value range of the sub-information element of the present disclosure can be expanded according to network evolution. For example, SSB index IE currently only supports a maximum of 64 SSBs in FR2, but future networks may support 256,512 or even more SSBs. In these cases, the value range can be expanded accordingly.

[0210] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the newly added information element of the present disclosure is an optional attribute because of the consideration of post-network compatibility design.

[0211] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure enhance the signaling process of the relevant technical protocols, and exchange newly added user Paging auxiliary information between the CU and DU within the NG-RAN node, helping the DU determine the beam direction for ultimately sending the Paging message, thereby ensuring that the user can successfully receive the Paging message while effectively saving air interface signaling overhead and reducing network energy consumption.

[0212] The main creative aspects of the above embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:

[0213] 1. The DU node of the present disclosure adds Paging-related auxiliary information in the UE Context Release Complete signaling. Specifically, the auxiliary information includes one or more of the following information elements (Note 4: the setting and meaning of the specific information element value can be referred to the embodiment): SSB index IE: indicates the SSB beam to which the Paging message is recommended to be sent, specifically the last SSB index accessed by the terminal before entering the Idle state, the last accessed and adjacent SSB index before the terminal enters the Idle state, or the SSB index corresponding to the predicted beam direction of the terminal; Time Stamp IE: indicates the time that the UE stays in the area where the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index is located for each SSB index; Estimated Arrival Probability IE: indicates the probability that the terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index is located within the specified timestamp;

[0214] 2. The CU of the present disclosure adds Paging-related auxiliary information in the Paging signaling, and sends the auxiliary information received in the UE Context Release Complete signaling to the DU through Paging signaling, which specifically includes one or more of the following information: SSB index IE, Time Stamp IE, and Estimated Arrival Probability IE.

[0215] 3. The DU of the present disclosure determines the SSB index for sending the air interface Paging message based on the received auxiliary information, and sends the air interface Paging message in the beam direction corresponding to the corresponding SSB index to page the terminal.

[0216] The above embodiments of the present disclosure provide a RAN Paging solution based on auxiliary information in a CU-DU separation architecture.

[0217] The above embodiments of the present disclosure take into account large-scale IoT scenarios such as smart factories and smart transportation. After the terminal enters the Inactive state, it will be in a stationary or low-speed moving state. Therefore, in such scenarios, when the network needs to page the terminal, the above embodiments of the present disclosure can send paging information only in a specific beam direction. For example, for a stationary terminal, a Paging message is sent in the beam direction corresponding to the SSB index last accessed before the terminal enters the Inactive state; for a low-speed mobile terminal, a Paging message is sent on the SSB index last accessed before the terminal enters the Idle state and the adjacent SSB index. In addition, with the application of artificial intelligence in wireless communication systems, terminal trajectory prediction will become more and more accurate and reliable. Therefore, the above embodiments of the present disclosure can use AI algorithms to predict the location information of the terminal at a specific time, and determine the SSB to which the Paging message needs to be sent based on the location information.

[0218] The above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure designs a RAN-side Paging solution based on auxiliary information, focusing on F1 signaling design. On the basis of the related technology F1 interface Paging signaling, Paging auxiliary information is designed and added, which is transmitted to the CU when the terminal enters the Inactive state, stored by the CU and then transmitted to the DU in the next CU-triggered Paging process, thereby assisting the DU to determine the beam direction for sending the Paging message, so that the network does not need to send Paging messages in all beam directions, but only needs to send Paging messages on some candidate SSB(s). In this way, the Paging signaling overhead is effectively saved and the network energy consumption is reduced.

[0219] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, taking into account the mobility characteristics of terminals and addressing the current technical situation in which network nodes need to transmit air interface Paging messages in all beam directions, optimize the relevant technical signaling process, enhance the relevant technical signaling, and design new auxiliary information. This allows the DU within the NG-RAN node to refine the beam direction in which the Paging message needs to be sent based on this auxiliary information. Compared with related technologies, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure have the following advantages: 1) reducing air interface signaling overhead; 2) improving network energy efficiency. In addition, the technical solutions designed in the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure are highly compatible with related technical protocols and have strong practicality.

[0220] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the paging execution node of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG7 , the paging execution node of the present disclosure may include an auxiliary information sending module 72, a paging message receiving module 73, a paging area determination module 74, and a paging message sending module 75, wherein:

[0221] The auxiliary information sending module 72 is configured to send paging auxiliary information to the paging trigger node through the user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging auxiliary information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block SSB related information, and the paging auxiliary information is used to determine the paging area.

[0222] The paging message receiving module 73 is configured to receive a paging message sent by a paging triggering node, wherein the paging message includes the paging auxiliary information.

[0223] The paging area determination module 74 is configured to determine a paging area according to the paging auxiliary information.

[0224] The paging message sending module 75 is configured to send a paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0225] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG7 , the paging execution node of the present disclosure may further include a release module 71, wherein:

[0226] The releasing module 71 is configured to release the user terminal context upon receiving a user terminal context release command message sent by the paging trigger node. Thereafter, the auxiliary information sending module is configured to send paging auxiliary information to the paging trigger node.

[0227] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a next generation radio access network NG-RAN or a 5G base station.

[0228] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is NG-RAN, the paging triggering node is an access and mobility management function node AMF.

[0229] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging execution node is a gNB-DU, the paging triggering node is a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0230] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging execution node of the present disclosure may be configured to perform the operations of the paging method described in any of the above embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., any of the embodiments in FIG. 1 , FIG. 4 , and FIG. 6 , steps 2-4 and 6-8 of the embodiment in FIG. 3 , and any of steps 52-54 and 56-58 of the embodiment in FIG. 5 ).

[0231] The present disclosure only sends Paging messages on some candidate SSB(s) beams, which effectively saves Paging signaling overhead and reduces network energy consumption.

[0232] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the paging trigger node of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the paging trigger node of the present disclosure may include an auxiliary information receiving module 82 and a paging message sending module 83, wherein:

[0233] The auxiliary information receiving module 82 is configured to receive paging auxiliary information sent by the paging execution node through the user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging auxiliary information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block SSB related information, and the paging auxiliary information is used to determine the paging area.

[0234] The paging message sending module 83 is configured to send a paging message to a paging execution node, wherein the paging message includes the paging assistance information, so that the paging execution node determines a paging area according to the paging assistance information and sends the paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

[0235] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG8 , the paging triggering node of the present disclosure may further include a release command issuing module 81, wherein:

[0236] The release command issuing module 81 is configured to send a user terminal context release command message to the paging execution node so that the paging execution node releases the user terminal context, and then instruct the auxiliary information receiving module 82 to perform the operation of receiving paging auxiliary information sent by the paging execution node.

[0237] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging triggering node is a mobility management function node AMF or a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station.

[0238] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is an AMF, the paging execution node is a next generation radio access network NG-RAN.

[0239] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the paging triggering node is a gNB-CU, the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a 5G base station.

[0240] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paging trigger node of the present disclosure may be configured to perform the operations of the paging method described in any of the above embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., steps 1-2, 4-6 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 , steps 51-52 and 54-56 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 ).

[0241] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the paging execution node of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG9 , the paging execution node includes a memory 91 and a processor 92 .

[0242] The memory 91 is used to store instructions. The processor 92 is coupled to the memory 91. The processor 92 is configured to execute the paging method described in the above embodiments (for example, any embodiment of Figures 1, 4, and 6, steps 2-4 and 6-8 of the embodiment of Figure 3, and any step 52-54 and 56-58 of the embodiment of Figure 5) based on the instructions stored in the memory.

[0243] As shown in Figure 9, the paging execution node also includes a communication interface 93 for exchanging information with other devices. At the same time, the paging execution node also includes a bus 94 through which the processor 92, the communication interface 93, and the memory 91 communicate with each other.

[0244] Memory 91 may include high-speed RAM memory or non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device. Memory 91 may also be a memory array. Memory 91 may also be divided into blocks, and the blocks may be combined into virtual volumes according to certain rules.

[0245] Furthermore, the processor 92 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or may be configured to implement one or more integrated circuits of the present disclosure.

[0246] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the paging trigger node of the present disclosure. The structure of the paging trigger node in FIG10 is identical to that of the paging execution node in FIG9 , except that the processor 92 of the paging trigger node in FIG10 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory to implement the paging method described in the above embodiments (e.g., steps 1-2 and 4-6 of the embodiment in FIG2 , and any of steps 51-52 and 54-56 of the embodiment in FIG5 ).

[0247] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of some embodiments of the paging system of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG11 , the paging system of the present disclosure may include a paging execution node 100 and a paging triggering node 200, wherein:

[0248] The paging execution node 100 is the paging execution node as described in any of the above embodiments (eg, the embodiment of FIG. 7 or FIG. 9 ).

[0249] The paging triggering node 200 is the paging triggering node described in any of the above embodiments (eg, the embodiment of FIG. 8 or FIG. 10 ).

[0250] Figure 3 also shows a schematic diagram of the structure of some other embodiments of the paging system of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, when the paging triggering node is the AMF, the paging execution node is the next generation radio access network NG-RAN.

[0251] FIG5 also illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of further embodiments of the paging system disclosed herein. As shown in FIG5 , when the paging triggering node is a gNB-CU, the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a 5G base station.

[0252] The above embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to wireless communication scenarios and large-scale Internet of Things scenarios.

[0253] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the paging method as described in any of the above embodiments (e.g., any of the embodiments in Figures 1 to 6) is implemented.

[0254] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0255] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, apparatus, or computer program products. Therefore, the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable non-transient storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0256] The present disclosure is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram and the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0257] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0258] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0259] The relay user terminal, first identification information determination module, first sending module, second identification information determination module, second sending module, remote user terminal, first identification information receiving module, first data determination module, first data retransmission module, source base station, second identification information receiving module and second data determination module described above can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component or any appropriate combination thereof for performing the functions described in this application.

[0260] The present disclosure has been described in detail so far. To avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein.

[0261] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps to implement the above embodiments may be accomplished by hardware, or may be accomplished by instructing the relevant hardware through a program, and the program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and the above-mentioned storage medium may be a read-only memory, a disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0262] The description of the present disclosure is provided for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments are selected and described in order to better illustrate the principles and practical applications of the present disclosure and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present disclosure and design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for specific applications.

Claims

1. A paging method, applied to a paging execution node, comprising: Sending paging assistance information to the paging trigger node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging assistance information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block SSB related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area; Receiving a paging message sent by a paging triggering node, wherein the paging message includes the paging auxiliary information; Determine a paging area according to the paging assistance information; Sending a paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

2. The paging method according to claim 1, wherein: The paging method is executed by a paging execution node, wherein the paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a next generation radio access network NG-RAN or a 5G base station; In the case where the paging execution node is NG-RAN, the paging triggering node is an access and mobility management function node AMF; When the paging execution node is gNB-DU, the paging triggering node is the centralized unit gNB-CU of the 5G base station.

3. The paging method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The sending of paging assistance information to the paging triggering node includes: Upon receiving a user terminal context release command message sent by the paging trigger node, releasing the user terminal context; A user terminal context release completion message is sent to the paging triggering node, wherein the user terminal context release completion message carries the paging auxiliary information.

4. The paging method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The paging assistance information includes at least one of an SSB index, a timestamp, and an expected arrival probability.

5. The paging method according to claim 4, wherein: The SSB index corresponds to the SSB beam for which the paging message is recommended to be sent. The timestamp is the time that the user terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponds to the SSB index for each SSB index. The estimated arrival probability is the probability that the user terminal stays in the area where the beam direction corresponds to the SSB index within the specified timestamp.

6. The paging method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: In the case where the user terminal is a stationary terminal, The SSB index is set to the SSB index last accessed by the stationary terminal before entering the idle state or the inactive state; The timestamp is set to the maximum value supported; The estimated arrival probability is set to 100%.

7. The paging method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: When the user terminal is a low-speed mobile terminal, The SSB index is set to the SSB index last accessed by the low-speed mobile terminal before entering the idle state or the inactive state, and the adjacent SSB index of the last accessed signal block; The timestamp is set to be calculated based on experience and the moving direction and speed of the low-speed mobile terminal; The estimated arrival probability is set to be calculated based on experience and the moving direction and speed of the low-speed mobile terminal.

8. The paging method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein: For a paging execution node with intelligent capabilities, the paging method further includes: The user terminal trajectory is predicted based on the artificial intelligence model, and the location and time information of the user terminal in the future, as well as the accuracy of the corresponding prediction information, are output. The SSB index, timestamp and estimated arrival probability are determined based on the prediction results of the artificial intelligence model.

9. A paging method, applied to a paging triggering node, comprising: Receiving paging assistance information sent by the paging execution node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging assistance information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block SSB related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area; A paging message is sent to a paging execution node, wherein the paging message includes the paging assistance information, so that the paging execution node determines a paging area according to the paging assistance information and sends the paging message to user terminals in the paging area.

10. The paging method according to claim 9, wherein: The paging method is performed by a paging trigger node, wherein the paging trigger node is a mobility management function node AMF or a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station; In the case where the paging triggering node is AMF, the paging execution node is the next generation radio access network NG-RAN; When the paging trigger node is gNB-CU, the paging execution node is the distributed unit gNB-DU of the 5G base station.

11. A paging execution node, comprising: An auxiliary information sending module is configured to send paging auxiliary information to the paging trigger node through a user terminal context release completion message, wherein the paging auxiliary information includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block SSB related information, and the paging auxiliary information is used to determine the paging area; A paging message receiving module, configured to receive a paging message sent by a paging triggering node, wherein the paging message includes the paging auxiliary information; A paging area determination module, configured to determine a paging area according to the paging auxiliary information; The paging message sending module is configured to send a paging message to user terminals within the paging area.

12. The paging execution node according to claim 11, wherein: The paging execution node is a distributed unit gNB-DU of a next generation radio access network NG-RAN or a 5G base station, wherein: In the case where the paging execution node is NG-RAN, the paging triggering node is an access and mobility management function node AMF; When the paging execution node is gNB-DU, the paging triggering node is the centralized unit gNB-CU of the 5G base station.

13. A paging execution node, comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; The processor is configured to execute the instruction so that the paging execution node performs the operation of implementing the paging method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

14. A paging trigger node, comprising: The auxiliary information receiving module is configured to receive a message from the paging execution node that the user terminal context is released. The paging assistance information sent includes synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) related information, and the paging assistance information is used to determine the paging area; The paging message sending module is configured to send a paging message to a paging execution node, wherein the paging message includes the paging auxiliary information, so that the paging execution node determines a paging area according to the paging auxiliary information and sends a paging message to user terminals in the paging area.

15. The paging trigger node according to claim 14, wherein: The paging triggering node is a mobility management function node AMF or a centralized unit gNB-CU of a 5G base station, wherein: In the case where the paging triggering node is AMF, the paging execution node is the next generation radio access network NG-RAN; When the paging trigger node is gNB-CU, the paging execution node is the distributed unit gNB-DU of the 5G base station.

16. A paging trigger node, comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; The processor is configured to execute the instruction so that the paging triggering node performs the operation of implementing the paging method as claimed in claim 9 or 10.

17. A paging system, comprising the paging execution node according to any one of claims 11 to 13, and the paging triggering node according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the paging method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is implemented.

19. A computer program comprising: Instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the paging method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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