Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method and a communication apparatus, which are used for providing implementation solutions for decentralized communication networks. The implementation solutions can manage and control, in decentralized communication networks, newly added nodes to be added to a blockchain. The method comprises: a first network element sends request information to a second network element deployed within an operator network, the request information being used for requesting execution of a first operation on a first smart contract (SC) that the first network element expects to manage; on the basis of the request information, the second network element sends instruction information to a first node in a first blockchain (BC), the instruction information being used for instructing to execute the first operation on the first SC, and the first BC being a BC where the first SC is to be deployed or has been deployed; and, in response to the instruction information, the first node in the first BC executes the first operation on the first SC.

Description

Communication method and communication device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Blockchain (BC) is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that integrates cryptography, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, distributed databases, and other technologies. It boasts characteristics such as immutability, consensus-based, and decentralization. Smart contracts (SC) leverage these BC characteristics, transforming SC-based code into a decentralized application (DAPP). This involves deploying agreed-upon rules or functions as executable code to an account address on the BC. When a call request is made to this address, it is verified and executed within the BC, subject to the constraints of a consensus mechanism. This ensures the determinism and uniqueness of the execution result.

[0003] Currently, a key evolutionary direction for future 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) networks (such as 6th Generation (6G) communication networks) is to combine BC with 3GPP networks to build decentralized 3GPP networks. However, how to achieve a decentralized 3GPP network is a pressing issue.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device for providing an implementation solution for a decentralized communication network, which can manage and control smart contracts (SCs) in a decentralized communication network.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: a first network element sends a request message to a second network element, where the request message is used to request that a first operation be performed on a first SC that the first network element expects to manage; the second network element sends an indication message to a first node in a blockchain BC based on the request message, where the indication message is used to instruct that the first operation be performed on the first SC, where the BC is a BC to be deployed or has deployed the first SC; the first node in the BC performs the first operation on the first SC in response to the indication message.

[0008] Because in the embodiment of the present application, the first network element can send a request message to the second network element to request the execution of the first operation on the first SC that the first network element expects to manage, thereby causing the second network element to manage the first BC where the first SC is deployed according to the request message, so that the node within the first BC executes the first operation on the first SC. That is, for the first network element, the first network element can manage and control the first SC through the interaction between the second network element and the first BC node without being aware of the nodes deployed within the first BC or being unable to establish a communication connection with the nodes within the first BC. Therefore, based on the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the SC can be managed and controlled in a decentralized 3GPP network to facilitate the optimization of network services.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first operation includes: deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or changing the status of the first SC within the business controller (BC). It is understood that an SC is a piece of executable code, and the first operation can be executed by nodes within the first business controller. Furthermore, deploying the first SC can mean deploying the first SC on a specific chain, i.e., deploying it on the first business controller, thereby enabling nodes within the first business controller to execute the functions corresponding to the first SC. Deregistering the first SC can mean uninstalling the first SC from the first business controller, thereby preventing nodes within the BC from initiating any operations on the first SC. Changing the status of the first SC within the first business controller can mean changing the call status of the first SC within the first business controller, such as whether nodes within the first business controller can call the first SC to execute corresponding transactions. For example, deploying the first SC can mean that the second network element can distribute the source code of the first SC to at least one node within the first business controller and instruct the at least one node to compile it; or, the second network element can send the compiled source code of the first SC (i.e., the bytecode of the first SC) to at least one node within the first business controller and instruct the at least one node to install the first SC. It should be understood that the operation of deploying the first SC may refer to the installation of the first SC by the nodes within the first BC, and is not a spontaneous and voluntary behavior of the nodes within the BC. In addition, the deployment of the first SC by at least one node within the above-mentioned first BC may refer to all nodes within the first BC, or some nodes within the first BC, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. In other words, the operation of deploying the first SC may be performed by some nodes within the first BC, for example, it may be performed by some nodes that meet the execution conditions for deploying the first SC. Of course, the node that performs the first operation on the first SC within the first BC may be determined by the second network element, and the specific implementation is described in detail in step S602 below and will not be repeated here. In other words, by performing the first operation on the first SC, unified management and control of the life cycle of the first SC within the first BC can be achieved, so as to facilitate the optimization of the operator's network services.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the operation for changing the state of the first SC within the first BC includes at least one of the following: a startup operation, which is used to place the state of the first SC within the first BC in an initialized state; or a freeze operation, which is used to place the state of the first SC within the first BC in an unavailable state; or a thaw operation, which is used to convert the state of the first SC within the first BC from an unavailable state to an available state. It can be understood that the first SC is a piece of executable code, and after the nodes within the first BC install the first SC, the parameters corresponding to the first SC are initialized and set to a callable state, so that the nodes within the first BC can call the first SC. In other words, the startup operation can mean that the node that installed the first SC within the first BC will pull up the first SC. It can also be understood that the freeze operation can mean that the first SC is in an uncallable state within the first BC. The thaw operation can be the inverse operation of the freeze operation, that is, reversing the uncallable state of the first SC to a callable state. That is to say, through the operation used to change the state of the first SC in the first BC, the calling state of the first SC in the first BC can be flexibly changed, and then whether the nodes in the first BC can call the first SC to execute the functions corresponding to the first SC can be controlled. Therefore, according to the dynamic change characteristics of the nodes in the 3GPP network, the execution state of the functions corresponding to the first SC can be flexibly changed, thereby facilitating the optimization of 3GPP network services.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the request information includes indication information of the first SC and indication information of the first operation. That is, the request information may include indication information of the first SC and indication information of the first operation, so that the second network element can determine the first SC that the first network element expects to manage and the first operation that the first network element expects to perform.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the indication information includes indication information of the first operation. It is understandable that, since one SC may be deployed in the first BC, the indication information may not include indication information of the first SC.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the indication information further includes indication information of the first SC. It is understandable that the first BC may carry multiple SCs, and the indication information of the first SC needs to be sent to indicate the first SC to the first node in the first BC.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC, and / or the function corresponding to the first SC. The identification information of the first SC may include the identifier (ID) of the first SC, and the identifier of the first SC may be an account address (also referred to as the contract address of the first SC), and the account address may be a unique identifier in the BC. Of course, the identification information of the first SC may include the name of the first SC. The function corresponding to the first SC may be a business ID, and the business ID may be used to uniquely represent the information of the business (such as function and business type). In other words, the first SC can be determined by the account address and business ID of the first SC.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the request information also includes: execution conditions corresponding to the first operation and / or identification information of the first BC. In other words, the request information may also include the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation, so that the second network element can determine the node within the first BC that needs to perform the first operation on the first SC. Furthermore, the identification information of the first BC can be used to assist the second network element in determining the first BC corresponding to the first SC.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first node within the first BC is determined based on the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation and the identification information of the first BC. It is understood that in this embodiment of the present application, the first node within the first BC can be a node within the BC determined by the first network element to perform the first operation on the first SC, for example, it can be a node within the first BC that meets the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation. Of course, when it is determined that all nodes within the first BC only need to perform the first operation on the first SC, the second network element can send instruction information to all nodes within the first BC.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: at least one of the following items of the node within the first BC required to execute the first operation: capability, operating environment, quantity, or BC node type. It can be understood that, taking the first operation as a deployment operation as an example, the execution condition can be used to enable the first SC to be deployed in the environment in which the first network element expects to be deployed, or on the type of device expected to be deployed. For example, the first network element may expect the first SC to be deployed on a BC node with a trusted execution environment and a non-terminal device type within the first BC. For another example, the first network element may expect the first SC to be deployed on a node with high storage capacity and high computing capacity within the first BC, and expect the node to serve as the execution node of the first SC, etc.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the capability specifically includes at least one of the following: computing power, storage capacity, or network connectivity; the operating environment specifically includes whether it is a trusted execution environment and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment; and the BC node type specifically includes the device type. For example, the computing power of a BC node may refer to the BC node's computing speed (e.g., CPU frequency) or computing power. The storage capacity of a BC node may refer to the BC node's memory size, local storage size, or read / write rate (or read / write bandwidth). The network connectivity capability of a BC node may refer to the type of network connection provided by the BC node, such as 3GPP access, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a wired connection. It is understood that a trusted execution environment (TEE) is a concept relative to a non-trusted execution environment (e.g., a rich execution environment (REE)). Installing the first SC under a TEE can reduce security risks during the operation of the first SC, thereby improving the security of the first SC's operation. It is also understood that the device type may include: a terminal device, a RAN device, or a CN device. It can be understood that, depending on the device type of the BC node, the first SC can be installed on the BC node of the device type that the first network element expects to operate.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the first SC is a successfully registered SC. It is understood that a successfully registered SC may be one whose registration validity has been verified by the second network element. This ensures that the SCs deployed within the network are legitimately verified, thereby improving security. Furthermore, successfully registered SCs can facilitate management by the second network element, which can determine the BC deployed by the SC and the corresponding functions of the SC based on the registration information of the successfully registered SC.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first SC is an unregistered SC, the request message also includes data of the first SC, and the first operation includes registering the first SC. In other words, the first network element can register the first SC by sending a request message to the second network element, thereby verifying the legitimacy of the first SC, thereby improving security and facilitating SC management.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the method provided in the first aspect further includes: the second network element obtains execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC, and the execution result information includes: execution success, or execution failure, or the type of execution error. It can be understood that after the second network element sends the instruction information to the first node in the first BC, it needs to obtain the execution status of the first node in the first BC on the first SC, so as to feedback the execution result of the first operation on the first SC (for example, the type of execution error) to the first network element, so as to facilitate the subsequent management and control of the first SC by the first network element.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the second network element obtains execution result information of the first operation performed by the first node in the first BC on the first SC, including: the first node in the first BC sends the execution result information to the second network element; and the second network element receives the execution result information from the first node in the first BC. In other words, the first node in the first BC can proactively send the execution result information to the second network element, and the second network element can then obtain the execution result information of the first node in the first BC.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the method provided in the first aspect further includes:

[0024] The second network element sends feedback information to the first network element, the feedback information including information about the execution result of the first operation performed by the first node in the first BC on the first SC. The first network element receives the feedback information from the second network element. In other words, the first network element can receive the feedback information from the second network element and then determine the execution result of the first operation performed on the first SC, so as to facilitate the first network element to manage and control the first SC, thereby facilitating 3GPP network optimization.

[0025] On the second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a first network element, or by a component of the first network element, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first network element, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first network element. The following is an illustration of the method being executed by the first network element. The method includes: the first network element generates a request message, and sends the request message to the second network element. The request message is used to request the execution of a first operation on the first smart contract SC that the first network element expects to manage. The first network element sends the request message to the second network element, and the second network element is deployed in the operator network. The second network element is used to manage at least one BC, and the at least one BC includes a first BC to be deployed or a first SC that has been deployed.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the method provided by the second aspect further includes: the first network element receives feedback information from the second network element, the feedback information includes execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC, and the execution result information includes: execution success, or execution failure, or the type of execution error.

[0027] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a second network element, or by a component of the second network element, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of a first network element. It can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second network element. The following description takes the method executed by a first network element as an example. The method includes: a second network element deployed in an operator network receives a request message from a first network element, where the request message is used to request the execution of a first operation on a first smart contract SC that the first network element expects to manage; the second network element sends an instruction message to a first node in a first blockchain BC based on the request message, where the instruction message is used to instruct the execution of the first operation on the first SC, where the first BC is a BC to be deployed or has already deployed the first SC.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the method provided in the third aspect further includes: the second network element obtains the execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC, and the execution result information includes: execution success, execution failure, or execution error type.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the second network element obtains execution result information of a node in the first BC performing a first operation on the first SC, including: the second network element receives execution result information from the first node in the first BC.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the method provided in the third aspect further includes: the second network element sends feedback information to the first network element, where the feedback information includes execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC.

[0031] In combination with the second aspect or the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the request information includes indication information of the first SC and indication information of the first operation.

[0032] In combination with the second aspect or the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the request information also includes: the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation, and / or, identification information of the first BC, where the first BC is a BC to be deployed or a BC that has deployed the first SC.

[0033] In combination with the second aspect or the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the first SC is an unregistered SC, the request information further includes data of the first SC, and the first operation includes registering the first SC.

[0034] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a first node within a first blockchain (BC), or by a component of the first node within the first BC, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first node within the first BC. It can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first node within the first BC. The following description uses the method executed by the first node within the first BC as an example. The method includes: the first node within the first BC receives instruction information from a second network element, the instruction information is used to instruct the execution of a first operation on a first smart contract (SC), the first BC is a BC to be deployed or has already deployed the first SC, and the second network element is deployed within a carrier network; the first node within the first BC performs the first operation on the first SC in response to the instruction information.

[0035] In a possible implementation, the method provided in the fourth aspect further includes:

[0036] The first node in the first BC sends execution result information to the second network element, where the execution result information includes: execution success, execution failure, or execution error type.

[0037] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the indication information includes indication information of the first operation.

[0038] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the indication information further includes indication information of the first SC.

[0039] In combination with the second to fourth aspects, in a possible implementation, the first operation includes: an operation of deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or an operation for changing the state of the first SC in the first BC.

[0040] In combination with the second to fourth aspects, in a possible implementation method, the operation for changing the state of the first SC in the first BC includes: a start operation, the start operation is used to place the state of the first SC in the first BC in an initialized state; or, a freeze operation, the freeze operation is used to place the state of the first SC in the first BC in an unavailable state; or, a thaw operation, the thaw operation is used to convert the state of the first SC in the first BC from an unavailable state to an available state.

[0041] In combination with the second to fourth aspects, in a possible implementation manner, the indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC, and / or a function corresponding to the first SC.

[0042] In combination with the second to fourth aspects, in a possible implementation manner, the first node in the first BC is determined according to the execution condition corresponding to the first operation and the identification information of the first BC.

[0043] In combination with the second to fourth aspects, in a possible implementation, the execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: at least one of the following items of the nodes within the first BC required to execute the first operation: capability, operating environment, quantity, or BC node type.

[0044] In combination with the second to fourth aspects, in one possible implementation method, the capability specifically includes at least one of the following: computing power, storage capacity, or network connection capability; the operating environment specifically includes: whether it is a trusted execution environment, and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment; the BC node type specifically includes: device type.

[0045] In combination with the second to fourth aspects, in a possible implementation, the first SC is a successfully registered SC.

[0046] Among them, the technical effects of the second to fourth aspects or any implementation method thereof can refer to the above-mentioned first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0047] In a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by the first BC node within the blockchain BC, or by a component of the first BC node, such as the processor, chip, or chip system of the first BC node. It can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the first BC node. The following is an example of the method being executed by the first BC node. The method includes: the first BC node within the BC sends a transaction request to other BC nodes within the BC except the first BC node, and the transaction request is used to request the execution of a first operation on the first SC, which is the BC to be deployed or the BC that has already deployed the first SC; the first BC node and the other BC nodes conduct a transaction consensus and obtain a transaction consensus result for the transaction request, and the transaction consensus result includes whether the transaction request is approved or failed; the first BC node and the other BC nodes update the status of the first SC based on the transaction consensus result.

[0048] In the embodiment of the present application, the first BC node can initiate a transaction request, and then determine whether to perform the first operation on the first SC through the BC's transaction consensus mechanism, and by updating the state of the first SC, determine the results of each BC node performing the first operation on the first SC. Then, the first SC can be managed and controlled in an autonomous manner between multiple nodes within the BC where the first SC is deployed. Therefore, based on the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the SC can be managed and controlled in a decentralized 3GPP network to facilitate the optimization of network services.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the first operation includes: an operation of deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or an operation of changing the state of the first SC in the BC.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the operation for changing the state of the first SC in the BC includes: a start operation, which is used to put the state of the first SC in the BC into an initialized state; or a freeze operation, which is used to put the state of the first SC in the BC into an unavailable state; or a thaw operation, which is used to convert the state of the first SC in the BC from an unavailable state to an available state.

[0051] In a possible implementation, the transaction request includes instruction information of the first operation.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the transaction request further includes indication information of the first SC, and the indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC and / or a function corresponding to the first SC.

[0053] In a possible implementation, the execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: capability information, environment information, or type information required to execute the first operation.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the capability information specifically includes at least one of the following: computing capability, storage capability, or network connection capability; the environment information specifically includes: whether it is a trusted execution environment, and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment; the type information specifically includes: device type.

[0055] In a possible implementation, the first SC is a successfully registered SC.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the method provided in the fifth aspect further includes:

[0057] The first BC node sends the updated state of the first SC to the second network element, where the second network element is deployed in the operator network.

[0058] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device may be the first network element, or a device including the first network element, or a device included in the first network element, such as a chip, in any of the above aspects or any implementations thereof; or the communication device may be the second network element, or a device including the second network element, or a device included in the second network element, such as a chip, in any of the above aspects or any implementations thereof; or the communication device may be the first node in the first blockchain BC, or a device including the first node in the first blockchain BC, or a device included in the first node in the first blockchain BC, such as a chip; or the communication device may be the first BC node in the blockchain BC, or a device including the first BC node in the blockchain BC, or a device included in the first BC node in the blockchain BC, such as a chip, in any of the above aspects or any implementations thereof.

[0059] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the above-mentioned method, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0060] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The transceiver module, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is configured to implement the transmitting and / or receiving functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may be comprised of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface. The processing module may be configured to implement the processing functions described in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0061] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and a receiving module, which are respectively used to implement the sending and receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementation methods.

[0062] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory through a logic circuit and / or communication, so that the communication device executes the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0063] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes the memory. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor, or the memory may be independent of the processor.

[0064] In a possible implementation, the memory is independent of the communication device.

[0065] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication interface, which is used to communicate with a module outside the communication device.

[0066] The first network element in any of the above aspects or any of its implementations, or a device including the above first network element, or a device included in the above first network element, such as a chip; or the communication device can be the second network element in any of the above aspects or any of its implementations, or a device including the above second network element, or a device included in the above second network element, such as a chip; or the communication device can be the first node in the first blockchain BC in any of the above aspects or any of its implementations, or a device including the first node in the first blockchain BC, or a device included in the first node in the first blockchain BC, such as a chip; or the communication device can be the first BC node in the blockchain BC in any of the above aspects or any of its implementations, or a device including the first BC node in the blockchain BC, or a device included in the first BC node in the blockchain BC, such as a chip.

[0067] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in any of the above aspects or any of its implementation methods.

[0068] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method described in any one of the above aspects or any one of its implementations.

[0069] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects or any of its implementation methods.

[0070] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0071] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0072] It can be understood that when the communication device provided in any one of the sixth to tenth aspects is a chip, the above-mentioned sending action / function can be understood as output, and the above-mentioned receiving action / function can be understood as input.

[0073] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the sixth to tenth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0074] In the eleventh aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: the method described in the second aspect or any implementation thereof, and the method described in the third aspect or any implementation thereof.

[0075] In some possible designs, the communication method also includes the method described in the fourth aspect above or any of its implementation methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture of a 3GPP network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a decentralized 3GPP network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a second network element managing a smart contract SC in a blockchain BC according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG6 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG7 is a second flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is first given. The brief introduction is as follows:

[0085] First, blockchain (BC):

[0086] As described in the background, blockchain (BC) is a distributed ledger that integrates multiple technologies, including cryptography, peer-to-peer networks, and distributed databases. BC technology generates and stores data in blocks, which are then organized into a chained data structure in chronological order. All nodes in the BC jointly participate in data verification, storage, and maintenance within the blockchain system. Newly created blocks must be confirmed by consensus among nodes within the BC and broadcast to all nodes for network-wide synchronization. Afterward, they cannot be modified or deleted. Smart contract (SC) technology leverages these characteristics of BC to deploy agreed-upon rules and business logic (or functions) as executable code (e.g., program code) to an account address on the BC. When a call request (or transaction) is initiated to this address, the call request is verified and the corresponding code is executed within the BC under the constraints of the consensus mechanism, ensuring the determinism and uniqueness of the execution result. In other words, code built on SC can be a decentralized application (DAPP).

[0087] In a blockchain network, a SC can be written, installed, and run by the user on a blockchain node (or BC node). Traditional blockchain systems can include a blockchain client on the user side and a BC node on the network side. The SC can be implemented as a program running in a virtual machine or container. The blockchain client can refer to an application running on the user's terminal device, or the user's terminal device, while the BC node can be a terminal device or a server. Generally, when a user triggers a transaction, the blockchain client sends a transaction request containing user parameters to a node within the BC, invoking the SC program (i.e., a distributed application program) on the node within the BC to complete the transaction. On the BC node side, the DAPP can automatically execute predefined functions based on external input and complete the relevant state transitions within the BC. The structure generated by executing the SC is called a transaction or a transaction structure. This structure may include information such as a read / write set of state data, contract execution results, and the signature of the contract execution environment. The node within the BC can return this structure to the blockchain client, which then sends it to the blockchain sorting node for subsequent transaction sorting, block generation, and other processes.

[0088] It should be understood that the SC published (or deployed) on the BC is actually executable code stored on the blockchain. This executable code can refer to the bytecode (or machine code) compiled from the SC's source code and executable by a virtual machine (or container, processor, etc.). In other words, deploying an SC on the BC can mean sending the SC's machine code or source code to the BC network. It can be understood that after sending the SC's source code to the BC network, the BC node can locally compile the SC's source code to obtain the SC's machine code, and then execute the SC program corresponding to the SC using the SC's machine code.

[0089] The following introduces some SC deployment solutions.

[0090] Second, the deployment plan of SC in the Internet:

[0091] The deployment of SCs on the internet is essentially an open, unrestricted, and user-initiated SC deployment. During SC deployment, users write their SCs according to the requirements and rules of their chosen blockchain platform. They then compile the SCs locally using a blockchain client to generate the machine code, which they then publish as a transaction to the corresponding blockchain system. During this process, the blockchain platform only performs basic rule verification on the client, checking for syntax errors and compilation errors. Once the transaction is accepted by the blockchain system's consensus mechanism, the SC deployment is considered successful.

[0092] It should be understood that for the publisher of the SC (i.e., the user's blockchain client), the entire blockchain network is transparent. In other words, the blockchain client cannot perceive the BC node.

[0093] It should also be understood that whether the BC node installs the SC deployed on the BC is also a spontaneous and voluntary behavior of the user, that is, the BC node can choose whether to install the SC.

[0094] Third, the management scheme of SC in the alliance chain:

[0095] Unlike the open, permissionless SC deployment model on the internet, the deployment model on a consortium chain requires permission from consortium members before deploying a specific SC on the blockchain network. However, the contract deployment permission requirements in a consortium chain are designed for non-consortium members. For subnodes that are already consortium members, there is no solution for deploying SCs within the network domain they manage, for example, managing the lifecycle of SCs within the network domain (from deployment to deregistration).

[0096] Fourth, communication network services:

[0097] In an embodiment of the present application, a decentralized communication network is provided, for example, a decentralized 3GPP network, which can provide decentralized 3GPP network services (also referred to as 3GPP network functions, or 3GPP network service functions). In the 3GPP network, functions may include network functions (NFs) and service functions. NFs may include functions corresponding to core networks (CNs), such as access and mobility management functions (AMFs), authentication server functions (AUSFs), session management functions (SMFs), network exposure functions (NEFs), network function repository functions (NFs), policy control functions (PCFs), unified data management (UDMs), application functions (AFs), user plane functions (UPFs), or network slice selection functions (NSSFs). The business functions may include functions corresponding to third-party services, such as Internet of Things services, satellite communication services, or cloud services, etc., which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0098] In a decentralized 3GPP network (e.g., including a carrier network), decentralized 3GPP network services can refer to deploying 3GPP network functions as distributed applications (DAPPs) (i.e., SCs) on nodes with BC capabilities within the 3GPP network. Specifically, ledger functions are deployed on BC-capable nodes within the 3GPP network (e.g., terminal devices, radio access network (RAN) equipment, core network (CN) equipment, and functional network elements). Each node within the same BC within the 3GPP network synchronizes BC data (or ledger data), which includes SC data. This BC data enables each of these nodes to deploy SCs and, under the constraints of a consensus mechanism, execute the corresponding SC functions. The corresponding SC functions can include 3GPP network functions, i.e., network services are provided by the SCs deployed on each node. As can be understood, due to the decentralized nature of BCs, driven by the consensus mechanism, malicious or erroneous behavior of a single node will not affect the final execution of the SC, thereby enhancing the robustness and attack resistance of the 3GPP network.

[0099] Furthermore, due to the decentralized nature of the BC, each node within the 3GPP network will participate in the query, transaction, backup, consensus, or operation and maintenance of BC data to varying degrees. Considering the high heterogeneity and complexity of the nodes within the 3GPP network, as well as their highly dynamic nature, in order to optimize 3GPP network services, the specific implementation of the decentralized 3GPP network requires the 3GPP network to manage and control the SC. For example, if the status of a BC node changes, a new SC may need to be deployed within the BC, or the operational status of an already deployed SC may need to be changed (such as placing the SC in an unavailable state, or converting it from an unavailable state to an available state, etc.). This allows for the management of the SC within the BC to optimize 3GPP network services.

[0100] Regarding the deployment plan of SC in the Internet, since the deployment and installation of SC are spontaneous and voluntary behaviors of BC nodes, and the overall blockchain network is transparent to the blockchain client, it is impossible to achieve unified management of SC, nor can it be optimized to deploy SC in combination with the network architecture and infrastructure unique to the 3GPP network. It is even more impossible to achieve interaction and control between functional network elements during the SC deployment process.

[0101] Regarding the SC management solution in the alliance chain, for the 3GPP network, due to the complexity of its node heterogeneity and the highly dynamic characteristics of the nodes, in the decentralized 3GPP scenario, even if the 3GPP network is already a member of a certain alliance chain, it still needs to manage the SC to achieve the optimization of the 3GPP network services.

[0102] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method that can manage and control SC in a decentralized 3GPP network.

[0103] 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.

[0104] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following explanations are made before introducing the embodiments of the present application.

[0105] 1. In the embodiment of the present application, the 3GPP network may include an operator network, wherein the 3GPP network may include one or more operator networks.

[0106] 2. In the embodiments of the present application, "network element" and "node" can be logical entities or physical entities. In other words, in the embodiments of the present application, "device" can be used interchangeably with "network element" and will be described here as a unified description and will not be repeated below.

[0107] 3. In the embodiments of the present application, for the convenience of description, when numbering or indexing is involved, the consecutive numbering can start from 1, the consecutive numbering can also start from 0, or the numbering can start from any parameter.

[0108] 4. "Pre-definition," "pre-configuration," or "protocol agreement" may be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a first device, a second network element, or a second device). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific implementation methods. "Saving" may mean storing in one or more memories.

[0109] 5. The “protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as the long term evolution (LTE) protocol, the new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems (such as 6G communication systems). The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0110] 6. In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that under certain objective circumstances, the device (such as the first device, the second network element, or the second device) will perform corresponding processing. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform a judgment action when implementing it, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0111] 7. In the embodiments of the present application, “sending information to... (the second network element)” can be understood as the destination end of the information being the second network element, and can include directly or indirectly sending information to the second network element. “Receiving information from... (the first network element)” or “receiving information from... (the first network element)” can be understood as the source end of the information being the first device, and can include directly or indirectly receiving information from the first device. The information may be processed as necessary between the source end and the destination end of the information transmission, such as format changes, etc., but the destination end can understand the valid information from the source end. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0112] 8. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the "and / or" in the embodiments of the present application indicates that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, wherein A and B can be singular or plural. Moreover, "at least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit them to be different. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions.

[0113] The embodiments of the present application can be applicable to LTE systems or NR systems (also referred to as fifth generation (5G) systems), systems with hybrid LTE and NR networking, vehicle to everything (V2X) systems, device-to-device (D2D) systems, machine to machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems (such as narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems), 6G systems and other systems evolved after 5G, as well as other next-generation communication systems. Alternatively, the communication system may also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, without limitation.

[0114] In addition, the communication architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the communication architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0115] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture of a 3GPP network provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication architecture of the 3GPP network includes: an access network (AN) and a core network (CN), and may also include: terminal equipment.

[0116] For terminal devices:

[0117] In one possible implementation, the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device for implementing wireless communication functions, such as a terminal or a chip that can be used in a terminal. The terminal may be a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a terminal unit, a terminal station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a terminal agent, or a terminal device in a 5G network or a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). The access terminal may be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in telemedicine, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc.

[0118] For AN:

[0119] In one possible implementation, the AN performs access-related functions, providing network access for authorized users in a specific area and determining transmission links of varying quality for user data transmission based on user level and service requirements. The AN forwards control data and user data between terminal devices and the CN. The AN may include radio access network equipment, also known as RAN equipment or RAN nodes.

[0120] In one possible implementation, the RAN device may be a transmission and reception point (TRP), a base station, a remote radio unit (RRU) or a baseband unit (BBU) (also referred to as a digital unit (DU)) of a split base station, a broadband network gateway (BNG), a converged switch, a non-3GPP access device, a relay station or an access point, etc. The network device may be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN device may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an on-board device, etc. For example, the RAN device in the V2X system may be a road side unit (RSU). In addition, the RAN device in the embodiment of the present application may be an eNB or eNodeB (evolutional NodeB) in LTE, a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario, a base station in a 5G communication system (such as a next generation node B (gNodeB, gNB)), or a base station in a future evolution system (such as a 6G communication system), etc., without specific limitation herein.

[0121] Furthermore, in one possible implementation, in some deployments, RAN equipment may include a centralized unit (CU), a DU, a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some gNB functions, while the DU implements some gNB functions. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, and implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) signaling layer and / or the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, RF processing, and active antenna-related functions. Because RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is converted from PHY layer information, in this architecture, high-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered to be sent by the DU, or by the DU+AAU. It is understood that a RAN device can include one or more of a CU node, a DU node, or an AAU node. Furthermore, a CU can be classified as a RAN device within the RAN, or as a RAN device within the CN, but this is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0122] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, the embodiments of the present application are described by taking CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0123] For CN:

[0124] It should be understood that the CN is primarily responsible for maintaining mobile network subscription data and providing terminal devices with functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication. The CN may include network function (NF) network elements. NF network elements in the CN may be deployed on one or more CN devices, which may be deployed on the network side or the cloud side. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0125] Furthermore, the NF network elements shown in Figure 1 may include: access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, authentication server function (AUSF) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, user plane function (UPF) network element, unified data management (UDM) network element, network exposure function (NEF) network element, network function repository function (NF repository function, NRF), network slice selection function (NSSF) network element, policy control function (PCF) network element, and application function (AF) and other control plane functions. The above network elements can interact using service-oriented interfaces. For example, the service interface provided by the AUSF network element to the outside world is Nausf; the service interface provided by the AMF network element to the outside world is Namf; the service interface provided by the SMF network element to the outside world is Nsmf; the service interface provided by the NSSF network element to the outside world is Nnssf; the service interface provided by the NEF network element to the outside world is Nnef; the service interface provided by the NRF network element to the outside world is Nnrf; the service interface provided by the PCF network element to the outside world is Npcf; the service interface provided by the UDM network element to the outside world is Nudm; and the service interface provided by the AF network element to the outside world is Naf.

[0126] Among them, the AMF network element is mainly responsible for mobility management and access management. Among them, the AMF network element can receive non-access stratum (NAS) messages (including mobility management (MM) signaling and session management (SM) signaling) from terminal devices through the N1 interface and related signaling from RAN devices (for example, base station-level N2 signaling interacting with the AMF), complete the user registration process and forwarding of SM signaling and mobility management.

[0127] The AUSF network element can be used to support authentication for 3GPP access and non-3GPP access (such as wireless local area network (WLAN) access or satellite access). Among them, the AUSF network element can be used for authentication services and to generate keys to achieve two-way authentication of terminal devices. For example, during the primary authentication and key negotiation process between the AMF network element and the terminal device, the AUSF network element can complete the authentication of the terminal device.

[0128] The SMF network element is mainly used for session management in mobile networks, such as user plane network element selection, user plane network element redirection, Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, bearer establishment, modification and release, and quality of service (QoS) control.

[0129] The UPF network element is used for packet routing and forwarding, QoS processing of user plane data, etc.

[0130] The UDM network element is used to process user identification, access authentication, service network element registration, or mobility management.

[0131] The NEF network element mainly provides services that enable the 3GPP network to securely provide network service capabilities to third-party service provider application function network elements.

[0132] The NRF network element can provide registration functions, such as supporting service discovery functions, that is, receiving NF discovery requests from NF network elements and providing the discovered NF information to the NF network element.

[0133] NSSF network element, used to select network slices for terminal devices, etc.

[0134] The PCF network element includes user contract data management functions, policy control functions, billing policy control functions, QoS control, etc. It is a unified policy framework used to guide network behavior and provide policy rule information for control plane function network elements (such as AMF network elements, etc.).

[0135] The AF network element is mainly used to provide application layer information to the 3GPP network. The AF network element may include, for example, a services capability server (SCS) or an application server (AS).

[0136] It should be understood that Figure 1 only exemplifies some examples of network elements or entities in a 5G network. The 5G network may also include some network elements or entities not shown in Figure 1, such as a network data analytics function (NWDAF). In networks evolved after 5G, other network functions may also be included, such as artificial intelligence (AI), computing, and perception-related functions. In addition, the names of the above network elements may change in networks evolved after 5G, and this application does not limit them.

[0137] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the terminal device accesses the CN through the RAN device, and the terminal device can communicate with the AMF network element through the N1 interface (referred to as N1); the RAN device communicates with the AMF network element through the N2 interface (referred to as N2); the RAN device communicates with the UPF network element through the N3 interface (referred to as N3); the SMF network element communicates with the UPF network element through the N4 interface (referred to as N4); different UPF network elements communicate through the N9 interface (referred to as N9); the UPF network element accesses the data network (DN) through the N6 interface (referred to as N6).

[0138] It should be understood that, as described above regarding AUSF network elements, terminal device access to the CN may include 3GPP access and non-3GPP access. Specifically, when a terminal device accesses the CN via 3GPP access technology, it accesses the CN via the RAN device; when a terminal device accesses the CN via non-3GPP access technology, it accesses the CN via a non-3GPP access gateway (N3G-GW).

[0139] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device that accesses the CN through the RAN device can be called a 3GPP terminal device; the terminal device that accesses the CN through the N3G-GW can be called a non-3GPP terminal device. This is explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0140] Furthermore, the terminal device in Figure 1 above can be multiple terminal devices. Among them, the multiple terminal devices can form a personal IoT network (PIN). PIN is a multi-node organization method, usually including member nodes, management nodes, and gateway nodes. Furthermore, the management node and the gateway node can be served by one member node. Member nodes can communicate with each other through non-3GPP access technology, and member nodes and CN can communicate through gateway nodes. The gateway node can have 3GPP access capabilities. For example, the member node can be the above-mentioned non-3GPP terminal device, and the gateway node can be the above-mentioned N3G-GW.

[0141] Alternatively, to improve communication efficiency between terminal devices that are close to each other, the multiple terminal devices may exchange data using short-range direct communication, such as through a proximity-based services (ProSe) mode. The ProSe mode may refer to direct data exchange between terminal devices or data exchange through the N3G-GW.

[0142] Based on the aforementioned 3GPP network communication architecture and SC deployment method, the following introduces the architecture of the decentralized 3GPP network.

[0143] In the embodiment of the present application, the decentralized 3GPP network may include a decentralized 3GPP network service (also referred to as a 3GPP network function or a 3GPP network service function). In the 3GPP network, the 3GPP function may include NF and service functions. The NF may include functions corresponding to the CN, such as AMF, AUSF, SMF, NEF, NRF, PCF, UDM, AF, UPF, or NSSF. The service function may include functions corresponding to third-party services, such as Internet of Things services, satellite communication services, or cloud services, which are not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0144] Furthermore, in a decentralized 3GPP network, decentralized 3GPP network services may refer to deploying functions in the 3GPP network in the form of DAPP (i.e., SC) on nodes with BC capabilities in the 3GPP network.

[0145] BC is a distributed ledger technology that can deploy ledger functions on nodes with BC capabilities within the 3GPP network (such as terminal devices, RAN devices, CN devices, and functional network elements). Among them, each node located in the same BC within the 3GPP network synchronizes BC data (or ledger data), which includes SC data, thereby enabling each of the above-mentioned nodes to deploy SC and, under the constraints of the consensus mechanism, execute the functions corresponding to the SC. The functions corresponding to the SC may include 3GPP network functions, that is, providing network services through the SC deployed on each node. It can be understood that due to the decentralized nature of BC, driven by the consensus mechanism, the malicious or erroneous behavior of a single node will not affect the final execution result of the SC, thereby enhancing the robustness and ability to resist attacks of the 3GPP network.

[0146] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a decentralized 3GPP network provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the architecture of the 3GPP network may include: a second network element and at least one BC managed by the second network element. The second network element has a management function, and the management function is used to manage and control the at least one BC, such as the lifecycle management of the SC, including deployment or deregistration. The at least one BC is a BC within the 3GPP network, that is, the device type of the node within each BC in the at least one BC may include: the above-mentioned terminal device, RAN device, or CN device.

[0147] It is understood that the nodes within the BC may also include independent nodes (INN). Among them, INN may refer to nodes that have BC capabilities but do not participate in wireless communication services of terminal devices and / or RAN devices, such as edge computing (EC) nodes.

[0148] Furthermore, the RAN and CN are the infrastructure in the 3GPP network (i.e., the operator's network) and can jointly provide 3GPP functions, such as the NFs, service functions, or the network access and data transmission functions provided by the RAN. In other words, in a decentralized 3GPP network, the 3GPP functions are implemented by the SC. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the NFs can be implemented by network function-smart contracts (NF-SCs), and the service functions can be implemented by service function-smart contracts. Furthermore, the NF-SCs and service function-smart contracts can be deployed in each of the at least one BC.

[0149] For example, as shown in Figure 2, at least one BC may include BC#1 to BC#n, and each BC in BC#1 to BC#n may deploy a different SC. Among them, BC#1 may deploy two NF-SCs, namely AMF-SC and AUSF-SC. BC#2 may deploy UDM-SC and NRF-SC. BC#3 may deploy SMF-SC and NEF-SC. BC#n may deploy AF-SC and business functions - smart contracts. Of course, the nodes in each BC in BC#1 to BC#n are not exactly the same. For example, a node in the 3GPP network may be a member of both BC#1 and BC#3. That is to say, in an embodiment of the present application, a node in the 3GPP network may join multiple BCs at the same time.

[0150] It should be understood that the BC deployment SC method shown in FIG2 is merely an example. For example, as the network evolves, the SCs deployed by different BCs may be at least partially identical. This embodiment of the present application does not impose any specific limitation on this.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the second network element may be a CN network element. The second network element may be a management plane network element, or the second network element may be a control plane network element. It is understood that the second network element may be a newly added network element in the CN, such as a ledger anchor function (LAF) network element.

[0152] Optionally, the second network element may be a separately deployed CN network element. Alternatively, the second network element may be deployed in a superimposed manner with the above-mentioned CN network element. For example, the management function of the second network element may be deployed in a superimposed manner with the above-mentioned AMF network element.

[0153] Optionally, the second network element may be independent of the BC. For example, the second network element may be a network element within the 3GPP network that is not affiliated with any BC. Alternatively, the second network element may be a node within a BC, and the SC deployed on the BC may correspond to the management functions of the second network element. In other words, the management functions of the second network element may be implemented by the SC, thereby providing these management functions in a decentralized manner.

[0154] It should also be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the 3GPP network may include one or more operator networks, and the second network element may manage BCs in one or more operator networks. In other words, the second network element may manage BCs across operator networks.

[0155] It is understood that the second network element can be deployed on the CN side or on the RAN side. For example, the second network element can be deployed on the O-DU, O-CU, O-RU, or O-RAN intelligent controller, etc., which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0156] It can also be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the second network element is merely an exemplary expression and can also be replaced by BC network element, BC control network element, BC management and control network element, SC network element, SC control network element, SC management and control network element, or BC management controller, etc.

[0157] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a second network element managing SCs within a BC provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, the BCs managed by the second network element are: BC#a, BC#b, and BC#c, and the existing nodes within the BC include: node #1 to node #n. Among them, node #2 is located in BC#a and BC#b, node #3 is located in BC#b and BC#c, and node #1 is located in BC#a. The second network element can request an operation on the SC based on the first network element (or the first node), and instruct the nodes within the BC to perform the operation on the SC. For example, the second network element can respond to the request information of the first network element, for example, the request information can request: deploy SC#1 in BC#a, deploy SC#2 in BC#b, and deploy SC#3 in BC#c, and then instruct the nodes within BC#a to deploy SC#1, the nodes within BC#b to deploy SC#2, and the nodes within BC#c to deploy SC#3.

[0158] It should be understood that, as described in the previous section on “blockchain”, the SC is a piece of executable code, and the management of the SC by the second network element can be achieved by executing corresponding management operations on the nodes in the BC that deploys the SC.

[0159] The first network element may be an AF network element, an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) network element, or another network element. For example, if the first network element is an AF network element, the first network element may communicate with the second network element via an NEF network element. For another example, if the first network element is an OAM network element, the first network element may communicate with the second network element via an NRF network element. For another example, the first network element may pre-configure information for interaction with the second network element, such as an identifier or address information.

[0160] In the embodiment of the present application, the first network element can obtain relevant information of the second network element (such as the address of the second network element or the identifier of the second network element) by accessing the 3GPP network; or the second network element can perceive the first network element through other network elements (such as UDM network elements) and then establish a communication connection with the first network element. In other words, information can be exchanged between the first network element and the second network element.

[0161] Furthermore, the first network element may be deployed on the CN side, the RAN side, or the terminal side (eg, a 3GPP terminal or a non-3GPP terminal), which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0162] Optionally, the first network element may be a node within a BC, and the BC may be deployed with an NF-SC or may not be deployed with an NF-SC, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0163] It can be understood that the first network element can also be called a network management plane, service, contract manager, SC management network element, chain manager, chain management network element, BC manager, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0164] It should be understood that due to the highly dynamic nature of 3GPP network nodes, at least one of the following situations may exist between the first network element and the node within the BC:

[0165] Case 1: The first network element may not be able to perceive the nodes in the BC, that is, the nodes in the BC are transparent to the first network element;

[0166] Case 2: The first network element can sense at least some of the BC nodes in some BCs and can establish communication connections with the nodes in some BCs. For example, the first network element may be deployed on a node in a certain BC. The first network element can establish communication connections with nodes in other BCs except the node in the BC through the node.

[0167] Case 3: The first network element can sense at least some of the nodes in the BC but cannot communicate with them. For example, the first network element can sense the nodes in the BC but cannot obtain the corresponding identification or address information of the nodes, and thus cannot communicate with them.

[0168] For example, for the decentralized 3GPP network shown in Figure 2, the 3GPP network has built multiple BCs. If the first network element is a terminal device, the first network element can first access the RAN and then access the 3GPP network through BC#1 deployed with AMF-SC.

[0169] It is understood that if the 3GPP network does not have a BC with an AMF-SC deployed, the AMF network element in the 3GPP network can be used to access the 3GPP network. Similarly, RAN equipment and core network equipment can access the 3GPP network through a BC with a corresponding NF-SC deployed, or use the corresponding network element in the 3GPP network to access the 3GPP network.

[0170] It should be understood that in the network evolved after 5G, the names of the above-mentioned first network element and second network element may change in the network evolved after 5G, and this application does not limit them.

[0171] As shown in Figure 4, a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application is applicable is provided. The communication system may include a first network element and a second network element. The first network element or the second network element may be a logical entity or a physical entity. For example, the first network element or the second network element may be a terminal device or a chip of a terminal device. For another example, the first network element or the second network element may be a RAN device or a chip of a RAN device. For another example, the first network element or the second network element may be a CN device or a chip of a CN device, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0172] In one possible implementation, a first network element generates a request message and sends the request message to a second network element, wherein the request message is used to request that a first operation be performed on a first SC that the first network element desires to manage. The second network element is deployed in an operator network and is used to manage at least one BC, including a first BC to be deployed or to have deployed a first SC.

[0173] Because in the embodiment of the present application, the first network element can send a request message to the second network element to request the execution of the first operation on the first SC that the first network element expects to manage, thereby causing the second network element to manage the first BC where the first SC is deployed according to the request message, so that the node within the first BC executes the first operation on the first SC. That is, for the first network element, the first network element can manage and control the first SC through the interaction between the second network element and the first BC node without being aware of the nodes deployed within the first BC or being unable to establish a communication connection with the nodes within the first BC. Therefore, based on the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the SC can be managed and controlled in a decentralized 3GPP network to facilitate the optimization of network services.

[0174] The specific implementation of the above solution will be described in detail in the following embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0175] In another possible implementation, a first BC node sends a transaction request to other BC nodes within the BC, requesting the execution of a first operation on a first SC. The first BC node and the other nodes reach a consensus on the transaction and obtain a consensus result for the transaction request. The first BC node and the other BC nodes update the status of the first SC based on the consensus result. The BC node is the BC where the first SC is to be deployed or has already been deployed. The consensus result includes whether the transaction request is approved or failed.

[0176] In the embodiment of the present application, the first BC node can initiate a transaction request, and then determine whether to perform the first operation on the first SC through the BC's transaction consensus mechanism, and by updating the state of the first SC, determine the results of each BC node performing the first operation on the first SC. Then, the first SC can be managed and controlled in an autonomous manner between multiple nodes within the BC where the first SC is deployed. Therefore, based on the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the SC can be managed and controlled in a decentralized 3GPP network to facilitate the optimization of network services.

[0177] It is understood that the devices or network elements included in the communication system shown in Figure 4 are merely exemplary descriptions and do not limit the embodiments of the present application. In fact, in the communication system shown in Figure 4, the number of first network elements can be one or more, and the number of second network elements can be one or more. Furthermore, the communication system shown in Figure 4 may also include other devices or network elements that have an interactive relationship with the devices or network elements shown in the figure, such as the first node in the BC. The BC deploying the first SC is not specifically limited here.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the first network element, the second network element, and the first node in the BC in the embodiment of the present application can also be referred to as a communication device, which can be a general device or a dedicated device. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the first network element, the second network element, and the related functions of the first node in the BC in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a single device, or can be implemented by multiple devices together, or can be implemented by one or more functional modules in a single device, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this. It is understandable that the above functions can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or a combination of hardware and software, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0180] For example, the relevant functions of the first network element, the second network element, or the first node in the BC in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by the communication device 500 in Figure 5. Figure 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of the communication device 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 500 includes one or more processors 501, a communication line 502, and at least one communication interface (Figure 5 is only exemplary and is described by taking the communication interface 504 and one processor 501 as an example), and may also include a memory 503.

[0181] The processor 501 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0182] The communication line 502 may include a path for connecting different components.

[0183] Communication interface 504 may be a transceiver module for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, RAN, or WLAN. For example, the transceiver module may be a device such as a transceiver or a transceiver. In one possible implementation, communication interface 504 may also be a transceiver circuit located within processor 501, used to implement signal input and output to the processor.

[0184] The memory 503 may be a device having a storage function. For example, it may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor via a communication line 502. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0185] The memory 503 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 501. The processor 501 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 503, thereby implementing the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0186] Alternatively, in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 501 may also perform functions related to the processing of the communication method provided in the following embodiments of the present application, and the communication interface 504 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0187] In a possible implementation, the memory 503 in the embodiment of the present application can also be used to store the information or parameters described in the following embodiments, such as the above-mentioned request information, the first feedback information, and the data of the first SC.

[0188] The computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0189] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 501 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 5 .

[0190] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 500 may include multiple processors, such as the processor 501 and the processor 507 in FIG5 . Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0191] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication apparatus 500 may further include an output device 505 and an input device 506. The output device 505 communicates with the processor 501 and may display information in a variety of ways.

[0192] The communication device 500 may be a general device or a dedicated device. For example, the communication device 500 may be any possible terminal device or network device mentioned above, or a device in a terminal device or a network device.

[0193] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG6 .

[0194] It should be understood that the information names between the various devices or the names of the various parameters in the information in the following embodiments of the present application are only examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0195] Taking the interaction between the first network element, the management network element, and the first node in the BC shown in FIG6 as an example, as shown in FIG6 , a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0196] Step S601: A first network element sends a request message to a second network element deployed in an operator network, wherein the request message is used to request a first operation to be performed on a first SC that the first network element desires to manage.

[0197] Step S602: The second network element sends instruction information to the first node in the first BC according to the request information, wherein the instruction information is used to instruct to perform a first operation on the first SC, and the first BC is a BC to be deployed or where the first SC has been deployed.

[0198] Step S603: The first node in the first BC performs a first operation on the first SC in response to the instruction information.

[0199] The above steps S601 to S603 are described in detail below.

[0200] For step S601:

[0201] It should be understood that in the above descriptions of Figures 2 to 4, the first network element may be an AF network element, an OAM network element, or other network elements. The second network element may be a network element that manages BC. For details, please refer to the above descriptions of Figures 2 to 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0202] It can be understood that the address information or identifier of the second network element can be configured or pre-configured. For example, when the first network element accesses the 3GPP network, the network element in the 3GPP network can configure the address information or identifier of the second network element to the first network element, and then the first network element can establish a communication connection with the second network element through the address information or identifier of the second network element, that is, the first network element can interact with the second network element and then send request information to the second network element. For another example, the first network element can obtain the address information or identifier of the second network element from other network elements (such as NEF network elements or NRF network elements), and then the first network element can interact with the second network element based on the address information or identifier.

[0203] In one possible implementation, the address information of the second network element may be an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and the identifier of the second network element may include a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and / or a uniform resource identifier (URI). It is understood that the address information of the second network element may also be other address information, and the identifier of the second network element may also be other identifiers, which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0204] It should be understood that, as described in the aforementioned Figure 3 regarding the first network element, considering situations 1 and 3, the first network element cannot communicate with the nodes within the BC, that is, the BC and the nodes within the BC are transparent relative to the first network element. The first network element can send a request message to the second network element, requesting the second network element to perform the first operation on the first SC through the interaction between the second network element and the nodes within the BC, thereby enabling the first node within the BC to perform the first operation on the first SC, thereby realizing the management and control of the first SC.

[0205] It should also be understood that for situation 2, the first network element can also enable the first node in the BC to perform the first operation on the first SC through the interaction between the second network element and the node in the BC, thereby realizing the management and control of the first SC. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0206] It is understood that the first network element may send request information based on service requirements. For example, the first network element may be an AF, which may generate a new SC based on service requirements and deploy the new SC. For another example, the first network element may be an OAM, which may change the status of a deployed SC based on service requirements, such as freezing, unfreezing, or deregistering it, thereby managing the SCs deployed in the 3GPP network and optimizing 3GPP network services.

[0207] The first operation and the first SC in step S601 are respectively introduced below.

[0208] 1. First operation

[0209] It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the first operation can be used to perform lifecycle management of the first SC, such as deployment of the SC, change of the operating status of the SC on the BC, and deregistration of the SC.

[0210] In one possible implementation, the first operation includes: deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or changing the status of the first SC within the first BC. It will be appreciated that, as described above with respect to the "blockchain," the SC is a piece of executable code, and the first operation can be executed by a node within the first BC.

[0211] Furthermore, the operation of deploying the first SC may refer to deploying the first SC on a specific chain, that is, deploying it on the first BC, so that the nodes within the first BC can execute the functions corresponding to the first SC. The operation of canceling the first SC may refer to uninstalling the first SC from the first BC, so that the nodes within the BC cannot initiate any operations on the first SC again. The operation used to change the status of the first SC within the first BC may refer to changing the call status of the first SC within the first BC, for example, whether the nodes within the first BC can call the first SC to execute the corresponding transaction.

[0212] For example, the operation of deploying the first SC may mean that the second network element may send the source code of the first SC to at least one node within the first BC and instruct the at least one node to compile it; or, the second network element may send the compiled first SC source code (i.e., the bytecode of the first SC) to at least one node within the first BC and instruct the at least one node to install the first SC.

[0213] It should be understood that the above-mentioned operation of deploying the first SC is different from the previous "deployment scheme of SC in the Internet" in that the operation of deploying the first SC may refer to the installation of the first SC by the nodes within the first BC, and is not a spontaneous and voluntary behavior of the nodes within the BC. In addition, the deployment of the first SC by at least one node within the above-mentioned first BC may refer to all nodes within the first BC, or part of the nodes within the first BC, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this. In other words, the operation of deploying the first SC may be performed by some nodes within the first BC, for example, it may be performed by some nodes that meet the execution conditions for deploying the first SC. Of course, the node within the first BC that performs the first operation on the first SC may be determined by the second network element. The specific implementation is described in detail in step S602 below and will not be repeated here.

[0214] That is, by performing the first operation on the first SC, unified management and control of the life cycle of the first SC can be achieved within the first BC, so as to optimize the operator network service.

[0215] In one possible implementation, the operation for changing the state of the first SC in the first BC includes at least one of the following:

[0216] A startup operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the first BC into an initialization state;

[0217] Alternatively, a freeze operation is performed, where the freeze operation is used to place the state of the first SC in the first BC into an unusable state;

[0218] Alternatively, the unfreeze operation is used to convert the state of the first SC in the first BC from an unavailable state to an available state.

[0219] It can be understood that the first SC is a piece of executable code. After the nodes within the first BC install the first SC, the parameters corresponding to the first SC are initialized and made callable, so that the nodes within the first BC can call the first SC. In other words, the startup operation can mean that the node within the first BC that has installed the first SC will pull up the first SC.

[0220] It can also be understood that the freeze operation may refer to the first SC being in an uncallable state within the first BC. The unfreeze operation may be the reverse operation of the freeze operation, ie, reversing the uncallable state of the first SC to a callable state.

[0221] That is to say, through the operation used to change the state of the first SC in the first BC, the calling state of the first SC in the first BC can be flexibly changed, and then whether the nodes in the first BC can call the first SC to execute the functions corresponding to the first SC can be controlled. Therefore, according to the dynamic change characteristics of the nodes in the 3GPP network, the execution state of the functions corresponding to the first SC can be flexibly changed, thereby facilitating the optimization of 3GPP network services.

[0222] It is understood that the first operation may also include performing the above operation at a specified time or time period. For example, after the first SC is successfully deployed, the first network element anticipates that the first SC may need to be frozen at a first moment based on business needs. For example, if the first SC conflicts with the execution of other SCs, or the first SC is in an unavailable state at that moment, the first network element may request, through a request message, that a freeze operation be performed on the first SC at the first moment.

[0223] It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the operations corresponding to the management and control of the SC life cycle, in addition to the above-mentioned deployment operations, startup operations, freeze operations, thaw operations, and deregistration operations, can also include registration operations and update operations. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the first SC below and will not be repeated here.

[0224] 2. First SC

[0225] It should be understood that the first SC is the SC that the first network element expects to manage. The first network element can determine the first SC or generate the first SC based on business needs. The first SC can be divided into deployed and undeployed according to whether it is deployed. Among them, if the first SC has been deployed, the first operation can be, for example, an operation to cancel the first SC or a freezing operation. Alternatively, the first operation includes a freezing operation and an operation to cancel the first SC. If the first SC is in a frozen state, the first operation can be a thawing operation.

[0226] It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the first SC can be one or more SCs. The request information can be used to request the execution of the first operation on each of the multiple first SCs; or, the first operations executed by each of the multiple first SCs can be the same or different. That is, the first network element can request the execution of the same first operation on multiple first SCs, or can request different first SCs to execute different first operations. For example, the multiple first SCs include a first SC#1 and a first SC#2, the first SC#1 executes the first operation#1, the first SC#2 executes the first operation#2, the first operation#1 can be a freeze operation, and the first operation#2 can be a deployment operation.

[0227] In one possible implementation, the first SC is a successfully registered SC. It is understood that a successfully registered SC may be one whose registration validity has been verified by the second network element. This ensures that the SCs deployed within the network are legitimately verified, thereby improving security. Furthermore, successfully registered SCs can facilitate management by the second network element, which can determine the BC deployed by the SC and the corresponding functions of the SC based on the registration information of the successfully registered SC.

[0228] It should be understood that the first network element may register the first SC without going through the SC management process corresponding to the request information. For example, the first network element may do so through the SC registration process. The registration process may include: the first network element sends a request to the second network element to request registration of the SC, the request including the source code of the SC; the second network element verifies the legitimacy of the SC source code and sends registration feedback information to the first network element to inform the first network element whether the SC registration is successful. Of course, the first network element may also send an SC registration request to other network elements, such as a registration network element, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0229] In one possible implementation, the first SC is an unregistered SC, the request message also includes data of the first SC, and the first operation includes registering the first SC. In other words, the first network element can register the first SC by sending a request message to the second network element, thereby verifying the legitimacy of the first SC, thereby improving security and facilitating SC management.

[0230] Alternatively, the update operation may include deregistering the SC before the update, then deploying the updated SC. Alternatively, the update operation may include deregistering the SC before the update, then deploying the updated SC, and then activating the updated SC. It will be appreciated that since the SCs in a BC are immutable, updating is equivalent to freezing and deregistering the original SC and then reinstalling a new one.

[0231] The request information is described below.

[0232] In one possible implementation, the request information includes indication information of the first SC and indication information of the first operation. It is understood that the indication information of the first SC is used by network elements other than the first network element to determine the first SC, and the indication information of the first operation can be used by network elements other than the first network element to determine the first operation.

[0233] That is, the request information may include indication information indicating the first SC and indication information of the first operation, so that the second network element may determine the first SC that the first network element desires to manage and the first operation that it desires to perform.

[0234] For the instructions of the first SC above:

[0235] In one possible implementation, the indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC, and / or the function corresponding to the first SC. The identification information of the first SC may include the identifier (ID) of the first SC, and the identifier of the first SC may be an account address (also referred to as the contract address of the first SC), which may be a unique identifier in the BC. Of course, the identification information of the first SC may include the name of the first SC. The function corresponding to the first SC may be a business ID, which may be used to uniquely represent business information (such as function and business type).

[0236] That is, the first SC can be identified by the account address and business ID of the first SC.

[0237] It is understood that the first SC may correspond to one or more functions, for example, the first SC may correspond to NF#1, or the first SC may correspond to functions including NF#1 and NF#2. When the first SC corresponds to multiple functions, the first SC may also be identified by multiple service IDs.

[0238] Instructions for the first operation above:

[0239] In one possible implementation, the indication information of the first operation may refer to an identifier of the first operation. For example, the network may predefine an identifier for an operation of management and / or control of the SC, and the identifier may uniquely represent the content of the operation. For example, the deployment operation corresponds to ID#1, the startup operation corresponds to ID#2, the freeze operation corresponds to ID#3, the thawing operation corresponds to ID#4, the deregistration operation corresponds to ID#5, the registration operation corresponds to ID#6, and the update operation corresponds to operation#7. It should be understood that the above are merely examples, and the ID may also be in other forms, such as using symbols A, B, or C, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0240] It can be understood that in an embodiment of the present application, the first operation may include at least one of the above-mentioned multiple operations, for example, the first operation includes a deployment operation and a startup operation, and the indication information of the first operation may be: an identifier of the deployment operation, and an identifier of the startup operation.

[0241] In one possible implementation, the request information also includes: execution conditions corresponding to the first operation and / or identification information of the first BC. In other words, the request information may also include the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation, so that the second network element can determine the node within the first BC that needs to perform the first operation on the first SC. Furthermore, the identification information of the first BC can be used to assist the second network element in determining the first BC corresponding to the first SC.

[0242] For example, for the deployment of the first SC, the first network element may expect the first SC to be deployed in a BC node with a trusted execution environment, and the request information may include the execution condition corresponding to the first operation.

[0243] It is understood that if the first operation requires execution by all nodes within the first BC, the request information may not include the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation. Alternatively, if the execution conditions of the first operation are preset, the request information may not include the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation. Alternatively, if the execution conditions of the first operation are obtained by the second network element from the registration network element, or the second network element obtains them during the registration process of the first SC, the request information may also not include the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation.

[0244] In a possible implementation, the execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: at least one of the following items of the nodes in the first BC required to execute the first operation: capability, operating environment, quantity, or BC node type.

[0245] It is understood that, taking the first operation as a deployment operation as an example, execution conditions can be set so that the first SC is deployed in the environment in which the first network element expects to be deployed, or on the type of device in which it expects to be deployed. For example, the first network element may expect the first SC to be deployed on a BC node within the first BC that has a trusted execution environment and is not a terminal device. For another example, the first network element may expect the first SC to be deployed on a node within the first BC that has high storage capacity and high computing power, and expect the node to serve as the execution node of the first SC.

[0246] In one possible implementation, the capability specifically includes at least one of the following: computing power, storage capacity, or network connection capacity; the operating environment specifically includes: whether it is a trusted execution environment, and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment; the BC node type specifically includes: device type.

[0247] The following details the above capabilities, operating environment, and BC node types.

[0248] In one possible implementation, the capability information of a BC node specifically includes at least one of the following: the computing capability of the BC node, the storage capability of the BC node, or the network connectivity capability of the BC node. The computing capability of the BC node may refer to the computing speed (e.g., CPU frequency) or computing power of the BC node. The storage capability of the BC node may refer to the memory size, local storage size, or read / write rate (or read / write bandwidth) of the BC node. The network connectivity capability of the BC node may refer to the type of network connection provided by the BC node, such as 3GPP access, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a wired connection.

[0249] It can be understood that the trusted execution environment (TEE) is a concept relative to the non-trusted execution environment (such as the rich execution environment (REE)). Installing the first SC under the TEE can reduce security risks during the operation of the first SC, thereby improving the security of the operation of the first SC.

[0250] It is also understood that the device type may include: terminal device, RAN device, or CN device, etc. It is also understood that, depending on the device type of the BC node, the first SC can be installed on a BC node of the device type that the first network element expects to operate. For example, the first SC may function as an AMF, and the first network element expects to deploy the first SC on a device with low mobility, such as a CN device or RAN device. In this way, through the execution condition corresponding to the first operation, the second network element can deploy the first SC on a node within the first BC that the first network element expects to deploy.

[0251] Table 1 is used as an example below to illustrate the corresponding execution conditions when the first operation is a deployment operation.

[0252] Table 1

[0253] As shown in Table 1, the business ID can be used to indicate the function corresponding to the first SC, such as AMF or AUSF. The ID of the BC can be used to indicate the first BC. The ID of the SC can be used to indicate the first SC. The conditions for installing the node may include the quantity, whether the installation environment is a trusted environment, the device type of the node where the first SC is installed, the network connection type, etc. The execution node conditions are similar to the installation node conditions. The execution node may not require an installation environment. For the verification node, the verification node may not be required to have special capabilities, operating environment, etc. The contract input parameter list and the contract output parameter list are used to indicate the input parameters and output parameters required for the execution of the first SC. Among them, the function of the first SC shown in Table 1 is the positioning function.

[0254] It should be understood that the public land mobile network (PLMN) in Table 1 can be used to represent an operator network.

[0255] Identification information for the first BC:

[0256] In a possible implementation, the identification information of the first BC may be configured by the second network element, or configured by other network elements (such as a registration network element), which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0257] It can be understood that the identification information of the first BC may be the ID of the first BC, and the ID of the first BC may be used to uniquely identify the first BC.

[0258] It should be understood that the identification information of the first BC can be used by the second network element to determine the first BC. Yes, the second network element can determine the node address information or identification within the first BC through the first BC, and then the second network element can establish a communication connection with the node within the first BC through the address information or identification of the node within the first BC, to issue the indication information in step S602.

[0259] It can be understood that the second network element can determine the first BC through the information of the first SC, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0260] For step S602:

[0261] In one possible implementation, the first node within the first BC is determined based on the execution condition corresponding to the first operation and the identification information of the first BC. It should be understood that the second network element obtains information about the BC, such as the BC ID, address information and identification information of the nodes within the BC, and then the second network element sends instruction information to the first node within the first BC based on the request information, so as to execute the first operation on the first SC to the first BC node within the first BC.

[0262] In one possible implementation, the first node within the first BC is determined based on the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation and the identification information of the first BC. It is understood that in this embodiment of the present application, the first node within the first BC can be a node within the BC determined by the first network element to perform the first operation on the first SC, for example, it can be a node within the first BC that meets the execution conditions corresponding to the first operation. Of course, when it is determined that all nodes within the first BC only need to perform the first operation on the first SC, the second network element can send instruction information to all nodes within the first BC.

[0263] In a possible implementation, the indication information includes indication information of the first operation. It is understandable that, since one SC may be deployed in the first BC, the indication information may not include indication information of the first SC.

[0264] In a possible implementation, the indication information further includes indication information of the first SC. It is understandable that the first BC may carry multiple SCs, and the indication information of the first SC needs to be sent to indicate the first SC to the first node in the first BC.

[0265] The following describes how the second network element sends indication information to the first node in the first BC.

[0266] It should be understood that if the basic NF-SC of the 3GPP network has not been deployed, the second network element can use traditional 3GPP network functions to interact with the first node in the first BC. If the basic NF-SC of the 3GPP network has been deployed, the second network element can call the NF-SC to interact with the first node in the first BC.

[0267] For example, when the device type of the above-mentioned first node is a terminal device, the second network element can obtain the AMF (possibly multiple) corresponding to the user permanent identifier (SUPI) of the terminal device through UDM-SC, and send the indication information to the first node through AMF.

[0268] For another example, when the type of the above-mentioned first node is an access network device, the second network element can query the AMF (which may be multiple) corresponding to the first node through OAM, and send the indication information to the first node through AMF.

[0269] For another example, when the type of the first node is a certain NF, the second network element can query the address information or identification information corresponding to the first node through NRF-SC and send the indication information to the first node. The address information corresponding to the first node can be an IP address, and the identification information can be an FQDN or URI.

[0270] For another example, when the type of the first node is an INN, the second network element may send the indication information to the first node according to the IP address of the INN.

[0271] For step S603:

[0272] It can be understood that the first node in the first BC can respond to the instruction information and perform the first operation on the first SC, for example, by sending a transaction, and then the first node in the first BC can obtain the status data of the first SC, that is, the execution result information.

[0273] In a possible implementation, the method flow shown in FIG6 further includes:

[0274] S604. The second network element obtains execution result information of the first operation performed by the first node in the first BC on the first SC. The execution result information includes: execution success, execution failure, or the type of execution error. It is understandable that after the second network element sends the instruction information to the first node in the first BC, it needs to obtain the execution status of the first node in the first BC on the first SC, so as to feedback the execution result of the first operation performed on the first SC (for example, the type of execution error) to the first network element, so as to facilitate the subsequent management and control of the first SC by the first network element.

[0275] Furthermore, in a possible implementation, the second network element obtains execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC, including:

[0276] S604-1: The first node in the first BC sends execution result information to the second network element. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the execution result information from the first node in the first BC.

[0277] That is, the first node in the first BC can actively send execution result information to the second network element, and then the second network element can obtain the execution result information of the first node in the first BC.

[0278] It can be understood that each node in the first BC that needs to perform the first operation on the first SC can send execution result information to the second network element, so that the second network element can obtain the execution result information of each node in the first BC that performs the first operation on the first SC.

[0279] It should be understood that before step S604-1, the second network element may send a request to a node in the first BC to request the node of the first BC to feed back execution result information of the first SC.

[0280] In a possible implementation, the method shown in FIG6 further includes:

[0281] S605: The second network element sends feedback information to the first network element. Accordingly, the first network element receives the feedback information from the second network element. The feedback information includes information about the execution result of the first operation performed by the first node within the first BC on the first SC. The feedback information may also include information about the execution results of multiple nodes within the first BC, where the multiple nodes are the nodes that performed the first operation on the first SC.

[0282] That is, the first network element can receive feedback information from the second network element, and then determine the execution result of the first operation on the first SC, so that the first network element can manage and control the first SC, thereby facilitating time 3GPP network optimization.

[0283] Because in the embodiment of the present application, the first network element can send a request message to the second network element to request the execution of the first operation on the first SC that the first network element expects to manage, thereby causing the second network element to manage the first BC where the first SC is deployed according to the request message, so that the node within the first BC executes the first operation on the first SC. That is, for the first network element, the first network element can manage and control the first SC through the interaction between the second network element and the first BC node without being aware of the nodes deployed within the first BC or being unable to establish a communication connection with the nodes within the first BC. Therefore, based on the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the SC can be managed and controlled in a decentralized 3GPP network to facilitate the optimization of network services.

[0284] Among them, the action of the first network element in the above steps S601 to S605 can be performed by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 calling the application code stored in the memory 503 to instruct the communication device 500 to execute, the action of the second network element in the above steps S601 to S605 can be performed by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 calling the application code stored in the memory 503 to instruct the communication device 500 to execute, and the action of the first node within the first BC in the above steps S601 to S605 can be performed by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 calling the application code stored in the memory 503 to instruct the communication device 500 to execute, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0285] Another communication method provided by the present application is introduced below. The difference between this communication method and the method shown in FIG6 is that the nodes within the BC can manage the first SC in an autonomous manner, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0286] Taking the first BC node in the BC shown in FIG7 as an example, interacting with other BC nodes in the BC except the first BC node, as shown in FIG7, another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0287] S701. The first BC node in the blockchain BC sends a transaction request to other BC nodes in the BC except the first BC node. The transaction request is used to request to perform a first operation on the first SC. The BC is the BC to be deployed or has deployed the first SC.

[0288] S702: The first BC node and other BC nodes conduct transaction consensus to obtain a transaction consensus result of the transaction request. The transaction consensus result includes whether the transaction request is approved or failed.

[0289] S703. The first BC node and other BC nodes update the status of the first SC based on the transaction consensus result.

[0290] Steps S701 to S703 are described below respectively.

[0291] For step S701:

[0292] It is understood that the first BC node may be the first network element in FIG6 , and the first network element may be a node within the BC. Furthermore, for the first network element, the first network element may use the method flow shown in FIG6 to manage and control the first SC. Alternatively, the first network element may use the method flow shown in FIG7 to manage and control the first SC, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0293] It should be understood that the first BC node can broadcast the transaction request in step S701 to other BC nodes, such as node A, node B, ..., node N. Specifically, the transaction request can be a transaction request within the BC. For details, please refer to the relevant description of transaction requests in the previous "Blockchain" and will not be repeated here.

[0294] Furthermore, the first BC node may also send a transaction request to one of the other BC nodes and instruct the BC node to broadcast the transaction request, or the first BC node may also use other methods to send the transaction request so that all nodes in the BC receive the transaction request. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0295] It can be understood that the transaction request, the first SC, and the first operation in step S701 can be specifically referred to in step S601.

[0296] For example, the first operation includes: an operation of deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or an operation of changing the state of the first SC in the BC.

[0297] For example, the operation for changing the state of the first SC in the BC includes:

[0298] A start operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the BC into an initialization state;

[0299] Alternatively, a freeze operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the BC into an unusable state;

[0300] Alternatively, the unfreeze operation is used to convert the state of the first SC in the BC from an unavailable state to an available state.

[0301] For example, the transaction request includes instruction information of the first operation.

[0302] For example, the transaction request also includes indication information of the first SC, and the indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC and / or the function corresponding to the first SC.

[0303] For example, the execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: capability information, environment information, or type information required to execute the first operation.

[0304] In one possible implementation, the capability information specifically includes at least one of the following: computing capability, storage capability, or network connection capability;

[0305] The environment information specifically includes: whether it is a trusted execution environment, and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment;

[0306] The type information specifically includes: device type.

[0307] For example, the first SC is a successfully registered SC.

[0308] It can be understood that if the first SC is an unregistered SC, the transaction request may further include data of the first SC, and the first operation may include registering the first SC.

[0309] It can also be understood that the first operation may also include an update operation, a registration operation, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0310] For step S702:

[0311] It should be understood that, as described above in the context of "blockchain," transaction consensus can refer to a vote on a transaction request by all nodes within a blockchain or by members responsible for verifying transactions (e.g., validating nodes). During the voting process, other blockchain nodes can add signatures to the voting structure and send it to the first blockchain node. Furthermore, the voting blockchain nodes can be other blockchain nodes; the first blockchain node does not need to vote.

[0312] It can be understood that when the number of votes is sufficient, the transaction consensus can be completed, and then the first BC node can obtain the transaction consensus result of the transaction request and upload it to the chain.

[0313] For step S703:

[0314] It is understood that after each node within the BC completes the transaction consensus and uploads it to the chain, it can determine whether to execute the first operation on the first SC based on the transaction consensus result. If the transaction consensus result is that the transaction request is approved, each node within the BC completes the transaction request and updates the status of the first SC. Furthermore, the execution result of the first operation on the first SC can be announced within the BC network. In this way, each node within the BC can complete the management of the first SC in a self-consistent manner, eliminating the need for a second network element to implement management and control of the first SC, thereby saving network resources.

[0315] In a possible implementation, the method shown in FIG7 further includes:

[0316] S704. The first BC node sends the updated state of the first SC to the second network element, where the second network element is deployed in the operator network.

[0317] It is understood that the second network element may be the second network element in FIG6 , which is used to manage the BC. In this way, the second network element can obtain the status change of the first SC in the BC, and then the second network element can timely obtain the status of the SC in the BC to facilitate the management of the second network element. Alternatively, the second network element may be a registration network element in the operator network, which is used to store relevant information of the SC in the BC for other network elements, such as the second network element, to obtain relevant information of the SC in the BC, thereby facilitating the management of the second network element.

[0318] It can also be understood that other BC nodes in the BC except the first BC node can also send the updated status of the first SC to the second network element, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0319] In the embodiment of the present application, the first BC node can initiate a transaction request, and then determine whether to perform the first operation on the first SC through the BC's transaction consensus mechanism, and by updating the state of the first SC, determine the results of each BC node performing the first operation on the first SC. Then, the first SC can be managed and controlled in an autonomous manner between multiple nodes within the BC where the first SC is deployed. Therefore, based on the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the SC can be managed and controlled in a decentralized 3GPP network to facilitate the optimization of network services.

[0320] Among them, the action of the first network element in the above steps S701 to S704 can be performed by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 calling the application code stored in the memory 503 to instruct the communication device 500 to execute, the action of the second network element in the above steps S701 to S704 can be performed by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 calling the application code stored in the memory 503 to instruct the communication device 500 to execute, and the action of the first node within the first BC in the above steps S701 to S704 can be performed by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 calling the application code stored in the memory 503 to instruct the communication device 500 to execute, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0321] It can be understood that in each of the above embodiments, the methods and / or steps implemented by the first network element can also be implemented by components that can be used for the first network element (such as a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, logic module, or software); the methods and / or steps implemented by the second network element can also be implemented by components that can be used for the second network element (such as a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, logic module, or software); the methods and / or steps implemented by the first node within the first BC can also be implemented by components that can be used for the first node within the first BC (such as a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, logic module, or software); the methods and / or steps implemented by the first BC node can also be implemented by components that can be used for the first node within the first BC (such as a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, logic module, or software).

[0322] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the present application. Accordingly, the present application also provides a communication device, which is used to implement the various methods in the above method embodiments. The communication device can be the first network element in the above method embodiment, or a device including the first network element, or a component that can be used for the first network element, such as a chip or a chip system. Alternatively, the communication device can be the second network element in the above method embodiment, or a device including the second network element, or a component that can be used to calculate the second network element, such as a chip or a chip system. Alternatively, the communication device can be a node within the BC in the above method embodiment, or a device including a node within the BC, or a component that can be used to calculate the node within the BC, such as a chip or a chip system.

[0323] It is understandable that, in order to realize the above functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be easily appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0324] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the communication device according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0325] Taking the communication device as the first network element, or the second network element, or the node within the BC (for example, the first node within the first BC, or the first BC node within the BC) in the above-mentioned method embodiment as an example, Figure 8 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the communication device 800 includes: a processing module 801 and a transceiver module 802. Among them, the processing module 801 is used to perform the processing function of the first network element, or the second network element, or the node within the BC (for example, the first node within the first BC, or the first BC node within the BC) in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The transceiver module 802 is used to perform the transceiver function of the first network element, or the second network element, or the node within the BC (for example, the first node within the first BC, or the first BC node within the BC) in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0326] Among them, all relevant contents of each step involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module and will not be repeated here.

[0327] Since the communication device 800 provided in this embodiment can execute the above-mentioned measurement method, the technical effects that can be obtained can refer to the above-mentioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0328] In one possible design solution, in the embodiment of the present application, the transceiver module 802 may include a receiving module and a sending module (not shown in FIG8 ).

[0329] In one possible design, the communication device 800 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG8 ) storing a program or instruction. When the processing module 801 executes the program or instruction, the communication device 800 may perform the functions of the first network element, the second network element, or the node within the BC (e.g., the first node within the first BC, or the first BC node within the BC) in any of the methods shown in FIG6 to FIG7 .

[0330] It should be understood that the processing module 801 involved in the communication device 800 can be implemented by a processor or a processor-related circuit component, which can be a processor or a processing unit; the transceiver module 802 can be implemented by a transceiver or a transceiver-related circuit component, which can be a transceiver or a transceiver unit.

[0331] In one possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which implements the functions of the above-mentioned method embodiment when the computer program or instructions are executed by a computer.

[0332] In a possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which implements the functions of the above method embodiment when executed by a computer.

[0333] In a possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the first device described in the above method embodiment and the second device described in the above method embodiment.

[0334] In a possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication method, which includes the method described in any of the above method embodiments or any of its implementations.

[0335] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions 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 instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more media integrated therein. 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)).

[0336] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0337] 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.

[0338] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0339] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0340] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0341] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0342] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art may understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0343] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The first network element sends a request message to a second network element deployed in the operator network, where the request message is used to request to perform a first operation on a first smart contract SC that the first network element expects to manage; The second network element sends instruction information to the first node in the first blockchain BC according to the request information, where the instruction information is used to instruct to perform the first operation on the first SC, where the first BC is a BC to be deployed or where the first SC has been deployed; The first node in the first BC performs the first operation on the first SC in response to the indication information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first operation includes: an operation of deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or an operation of changing the state of the first SC in the first BC.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The operation for changing the state of the first SC in the first BC includes at least one of the following: A startup operation, wherein the startup operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the first BC into an initialization state; or, a freezing operation, wherein the freezing operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the first BC into an unusable state; Alternatively, a thawing operation is performed, wherein the thawing operation is used to convert the state of the first SC in the first BC from an unavailable state to an available state.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The request information includes indication information of the first SC and indication information of the first operation.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The indication information includes indication information of the first operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The indication information also includes indication information of the first SC.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC, and / or a function corresponding to the first SC.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The request information also includes: execution conditions corresponding to the first operation, and / or identification information of the first BC.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The first node in the first BC is determined according to the execution condition corresponding to the first operation and the identification information of the first BC.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: at least one of the following items of the nodes in the first BC required to execute the first operation: capability, operating environment, quantity, or BC node type.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The capability specifically includes at least one of the following: computing capability, storage capability, or network connection capability; The operating environment specifically includes: whether it is a trusted execution environment, and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment; The BC node type specifically includes: device type.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The first SC is a successfully registered SC.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The first SC is an unregistered SC, the request information also includes data of the first SC, and the first operation includes registering the first SC.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network element obtains execution result information of the first operation performed by the first node in the first BC on the first SC, and the execution result information includes: execution success, execution failure, or execution error type.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The second network element obtains execution result information of the first operation performed by the first node in the first BC on the first SC, including: The first node in the first BC sends the execution result information to the second network element; The second network element receives execution result information from the first node in the first BC.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network element sends feedback information to the first network element, where the feedback information includes execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC; The first network element receives feedback information from the second network element.

17. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The first network element generates request information, where the request information is used to request execution of a first operation on a first smart contract SC that the first network element expects to manage; The first network element sends the request information to a second network element, where the second network element is deployed in an operator network, and the second network element is used to manage at least one BC, where the at least one BC includes a first BC to be deployed or where the first SC has been deployed.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element receives feedback information from the second network element, and the feedback information includes execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC, and the execution result information includes: execution success, execution failure, or execution error type.

19. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The second network element receives request information from the first network element, where the request information is used to request to perform a first operation on a first smart contract SC that the first network element expects to manage, and the second network element is deployed in an operator network; The second network element sends indication information to the first node in the first blockchain BC based on the request information, where the indication information is used to instruct execution of the first operation on the first SC, where the first BC is the BC to be deployed or has deployed the first SC.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network element obtains execution result information of the first operation performed by the first node in the first BC on the first SC, and the execution result information includes: execution success, execution failure, or execution error type.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The second network element obtains execution result information of the first operation performed by the node in the first BC on the first SC, including: The second network element receives execution result information from the first node in the first BC.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network element sends feedback information to the first network element, where the feedback information includes execution result information of the first node in the first BC performing the first operation on the first SC.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 22, characterized in that The request information includes indication information of the first SC and indication information of the first operation.

24. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 23, characterized in that The request information also includes: execution conditions corresponding to the first operation, and / or identification information of a first BC, where the first BC is a BC to be deployed or has deployed the first SC.

25. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 24, characterized in that The first SC is an unregistered SC, the request information also includes data of the first SC, and the first operation includes registering the first SC.

26. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: A first node in a first blockchain BC receives instruction information from a second network element, where the instruction information is used to instruct execution of a first operation on a first smart contract SC, where the first BC is a BC to be deployed or where the first SC has been deployed, and the second network element is deployed in an operator network; The first node in the first BC performs the first operation on the first SC in response to the indication information.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first node in the first BC sends the execution result information to the second network element, where the execution result information includes: execution success, execution failure, or execution error type.

28. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 27, characterized in that The indication information includes indication information of the first operation.

29. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 28, characterized in that The indication information also includes indication information of the first SC.

30. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 29, characterized in that The first operation includes: an operation of deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or an operation of changing the state of the first SC in the first BC.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that The operation for changing the state of the first SC in the first BC includes: A startup operation, wherein the startup operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the first BC into an initialization state; or, a freezing operation, wherein the freezing operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the first BC into an unusable state; Alternatively, a thawing operation is performed, wherein the thawing operation is used to convert the state of the first SC in the first BC from an unavailable state to an available state.

32. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 31, characterized in that The indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC, and / or a function corresponding to the first SC.

33. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 32, characterized in that The first node in the first BC is determined according to the execution condition corresponding to the first operation and the identification information of the first BC.

34. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 33, characterized in that The execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: at least one of the following items of the nodes in the first BC required to execute the first operation: capability, operating environment, quantity, or BC node type.

35. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that The capability specifically includes at least one of the following: computing capability, storage capability, or network connection capability; The operating environment specifically includes: whether it is a trusted execution environment, and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment; The BC node type specifically includes: device type.

36. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 35, characterized in that The first SC is a successfully registered SC.

37. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: A first BC node in a blockchain BC sends a transaction request to other BC nodes in the BC except the first BC node, wherein the transaction request is used to request to perform a first operation on a first SC, and the BC is a BC to be deployed or has deployed the first SC; The first BC node performs transaction consensus with the other BC nodes to obtain a transaction consensus result of the transaction request, where the transaction consensus result includes that the transaction request is passed or that the transaction request fails; The first BC node and the other BC nodes update the state of the first SC according to the result of the transaction consensus.

38. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that The first operation includes: an operation of deploying or deregistering the first SC, and / or an operation of changing the state of the first SC in the BC.

39. The method according to claim 38, characterized in that The operation for changing the state of the first SC in the BC includes: A startup operation, the startup operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the BC into an initialization state; or, a freezing operation, wherein the freezing operation is used to put the state of the first SC in the BC into an unavailable state; Alternatively, a thawing operation is performed, wherein the thawing operation is used to convert the state of the first SC in the BC from an unavailable state to an available state.

40. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that The transaction request includes instruction information of the first operation.

41. The method according to claim 40, characterized in that The transaction request also includes indication information of the first SC, and the indication information of the first SC includes: identification information of the first SC, and / or a function corresponding to the first SC.

42. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that The execution condition corresponding to the first operation includes: capability information, environment information, or type information required to execute the first operation.

43. The method according to claim 42, characterized in that The capability information specifically includes at least one of the following: computing capability, storage capability, or network connection capability; The environment information specifically includes: whether it is a trusted execution environment, and / or the security level of the trusted execution environment; The type information specifically includes: device type.

44. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 43, characterized in that The first SC is a successfully registered SC.

45. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 44, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first BC node sends the updated state of the first SC to a second network element, where the second network element is deployed in an operator network.

46. ​​A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes: a module or unit for executing the method of any one of claims 17, 18, 23-25, 30-36, or a module or unit for executing the method of any one of claims 19-25, 28-36, or a module or unit for executing the method of any one of claims 26-36, or a module or unit for executing the method of any one of claims 37-45.

47. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes a processor, which is used to enable the communication device to execute the method described in any one of claims 17, 18, 23-25, 30-36 through logic circuits and / or execution instructions, or to enable the communication device to execute the method described in any one of claims 19-25, 28-36, or to execute the method described in any one of claims 26-36, or to execute the method described in any one of claims 37-45.

48. The communication device according to claim 47, characterized in that The communication device further comprises a memory, wherein the memory is used to store the instruction.

49. The communication device according to claim 47 or 48, characterized in that: The communication device further includes a memory, and the memory is used to store the instruction.

50. The device according to claim 46 or 47, characterized in that The communication device further comprises a communication interface, which is used for inputting and / or outputting signaling and / or data.

51. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium comprises instructions, which, when executed by a processor, enable the method according to any one of claims 17, 18, 23-25, 30-36, or the method according to any one of claims 19-25, 28-36, or the method according to any one of claims 37-45 to be implemented.

52. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of any one of claims 17, 18, 23-25, 30-36, or enables the computer to execute the method of any one of claims 19-25, 28-36, or enables the computer to execute the method of any one of claims 37-45.

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