Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of wireless communications. Provided are a communication method and apparatus, which can dynamically maintain a mapping relationship between a group and group members therein and simplify the process of a terminal joining the group, such that the terminal can conveniently and flexibly join the group. The method comprises: a first network element of a core network receiving a request to allow a terminal to access the core network, and when it is determined that the terminal is allowed to join a first group, saving an association relationship between an identifier of the first group and an identifier of the terminal, wherein the request to allow the terminal to access the core network comprises the identifier of the first group.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on October 28, 2023, with application number 202311422447.3 and invention name “Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to communication methods and devices. Background Art

[0003] In a communication system, terminals can join one or more groups, and the network can determine policies based on group granularity, such as diversion policies or traffic statistics policies, so that terminals in the same group can communicate using the same policy. When creating a group, the mapping relationship between the group and group members is usually pre-set in the unified data management (UDM) network element and maintained by the UDM network element. When a terminal joins a group, the application function (AF) network element is required to trigger the UDM network element via the network exposure function (NEF) network element to modify the group member contract data maintained by the UDM network element. The process is relatively complicated and is not suitable for increasingly complex communication scenarios.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus that can dynamically maintain a mapping relationship between a group and its group members, simplify the process of a terminal joining a group, and improve the efficiency of a terminal joining a group.

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

[0007] On the first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a first network element in a core network. The first network element here can refer to the first network element itself, or it can refer to a processor, module, logical node, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the first network element. Exemplarily, the first network element is an existing network element in the core network, such as a UDM network element, a unified data repository (UDR) or a policy control function (PCF) network element. Alternatively, the first network element is a newly added network element in the core network, such as a group data management function (GDMF) network element.

[0008] The method includes: receiving a first request for allowing a terminal to access a core network, and if it is determined that the terminal is allowed to join a first group, saving an association between an identifier of the first group and an identifier of the terminal, wherein the first request includes the identifier of the first group.

[0009] Based on the method provided in the first aspect above, the first network element can dynamically maintain the mapping relationship between the first group and its group members based on the request to allow the terminal to access the core network, thereby simplifying the process of the terminal joining the group and facilitating the terminal to flexibly join the first group and access the core network using the identifier of the first group.

[0010] In one possible implementation, determining whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group includes: sending an authentication request to a service node, where the authentication request is used to request verification of whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group, and the service node is used to provide services for the terminals in the first group; and receiving an authentication result from the service node, where the authentication result is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0011] Based on the foregoing possible implementation manner, the first network element may request the service node to verify the terminal to determine whether the terminal is allowed to access the first group.

[0012] In one possible implementation, before sending the authentication request to the service node, the method further includes: receiving a registration request from the service node, the registration request including address information of the service node; and sending the authentication request to the service node includes: sending the authentication request to the service node according to the address information of the service node.

[0013] Based on the above possible implementation, the first network element can register the service node information so as to subsequently address the service node according to the registered information. For example, when receiving a request to allow the terminal to access the core network, the service node can be requested to verify the terminal according to the registered information.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the registration request further includes authentication indication information, where the authentication indication information is used to instruct to authenticate the terminal requesting to join the first group.

[0015] Based on the possible implementation manner described above, the first network element may request the service node to authenticate the terminal that requests to join the first group according to the instruction of the service node.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a second request for removing the terminal from the first group, and deleting the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal, wherein the second request includes the identifier of the terminal and the identifier of the first group.

[0017] Based on the above possible implementation, the first network element may delete the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal based on the second request to remove the terminal from the first group, so as to dynamically maintain the mapping relationship between the first group and its group members.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending first indication information to a policy function network element, where the first indication information is used to indicate updating a policy for the terminal to access the core network, or to indicate that the terminal has been removed from the first group.

[0019] Based on the above possible implementation methods, the first network element can instruct the policy function network element to update the terminal access core network policy, or indicate that the terminal has been removed from the first group, so that the policy function network element can redetermine the terminal access core network policy.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the method also includes: receiving a policy update request from a service node, the policy update request being used to request an update of the policy information of the first group, the service node being used to provide services for the terminals in the first group, the policy information of the first group being used to indicate the policy for the terminals in the first group to access the core network; and sending the updated policy information of the first group to the policy function network element.

[0021] Based on the possible implementation manner described above, the first network element may update the policy information of the first group based on the request of the service node.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a third request from a policy function network element, where the third request is used to request obtaining policy information of the first group; and sending the policy information of the first group to the policy function network element.

[0023] Based on the foregoing possible implementation manner, the first network element may send the policy information of the first group to the policy function network element based on the request of the policy function network element.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a fourth request, where the fourth request is used to request association of the identifier of the terminal with the identifier of the first group.

[0025] Based on the foregoing possible implementation manner, the first network element may associate the identifier of the terminal with the identifier of the first group based on the fourth request.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending a response message to the first request, where the response message is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0027] Based on the possible implementation manner described above, the first network element may indicate to the network element (such as the third network element) that receives the response message that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0028] In a possible implementation manner, the response message to the first request includes the temporary identifier of the terminal.

[0029] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the first network element may send the temporary identifier of the terminal through the response message.

[0030] In a possible implementation, before sending the response message to the first request, the method further includes: allocating the temporary identifier to the terminal; or receiving the temporary identifier from a service node, where the service node is configured to provide services for the terminals in the first group.

[0031] Based on the above possible implementation methods, the first network element can allocate a temporary identifier for the terminal or obtain the temporary identifier of the terminal from the service node so as to associate the temporary identifier of the terminal with the identifier of the first group, so that the terminal can access the core network using the identifier of the first group.

[0032] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending an identifier of the first group allocated to the first group to a service node, where the service node is configured to provide services for the terminals in the first group.

[0033] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the first network element may allocate an identifier for the first group and send it to the service node, so that the service node may subsequently send group granularity information to the first network element based on the identifier.

[0034] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a second network element in a core network. The second network element herein can refer to the second network element itself, or to a processor, module, logical node, chip, or chip system within the second network element that implements the method. Exemplarily, the second network element is a control plane (CP) network element, such as a PCF network element or a GDMF network element. The second network element can also be referred to as a policy function network element.

[0035] The method includes: receiving a policy request, the policy request being used to request a policy for a terminal to access the core network, the policy request including an identifier of a first group; determining policy information of the first group based on the identifier of the first group, the policy information of the first group being used to indicate a policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network; and sending first policy information based on the policy information of the first group and information of the terminal, the first policy information being used to indicate a policy for the terminal to access the core network, the information of the terminal including subscription information of the terminal or access information of the terminal.

[0036] Based on the method provided in the second aspect above, the second network element can combine terminal information, such as the terminal's subscription information or access information, to determine a core network access policy for the terminal. This policy is group-granular; in other words, it is the policy adopted when the terminal accesses the core network using the identifier of the first group. Therefore, based on the method of the second aspect, the second network element can determine a group policy suitable for each terminal in the first group. It should be understood that within the first group, the group policies corresponding to different terminals can be the same or different.

[0037] In a possible implementation manner, the policy request further includes an identifier of the terminal, and the method further includes: determining the information of the terminal according to the identifier of the terminal.

[0038] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the second network element may determine the terminal information according to the terminal identifier included in the policy request, so as to determine a core network access policy for the terminal in combination with the terminal information.

[0039] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending a third request, where the third request is used to request obtaining policy information of the first group.

[0040] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the second network element may request the policy information of the first group from other network elements, such as the first network element, so as to determine a core network access policy for the terminal according to the policy information of the first group.

[0041] In a possible implementation manner, sending the third request includes: sending the third request when the policy information of the first group is not stored.

[0042] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the second network element may request the policy information of the first group from other network elements without storing the policy information of the first group, so as to avoid unnecessary signaling overhead.

[0043] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending a fourth request, where the fourth request is used to request association of the identifier of the terminal with the identifier of the first group.

[0044] Based on the above possible implementation, the second network element may further request other network elements, such as the first network element, to associate the terminal identifier with the identifier of the first group so that the terminal accesses the core network using the identifier of the first group.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the method also includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate an update of the policy for the terminal to access the core network, or being used to indicate that the terminal has been removed from the first group; and sending second policy information based on the information of the terminal, the second policy information being used to indicate the policy for the terminal to access the core network.

[0046] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the second network element may re-determine a core network access policy for the terminal after the terminal is removed from the first group.

[0047] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal. The terminal here can refer to the terminal itself or a processor, module, logical node, chip, or chip system in the terminal that implements the method.

[0048] The method includes: obtaining an identifier of a first group; sending a request for accessing the core network to a third network element in the core network, the request for accessing the core network being used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, the request for accessing the core network including the identifier of the first group; and receiving a response message from the third network element, the response message being used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0049] Based on the method provided in the third aspect above, after obtaining the identifier of the first group, the terminal may send a request to the third network element to access the core network, requesting to access the core network using the identifier of the first group.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a second request to the third network element, where the second request is used to request to move the terminal out of the first group, and the second request includes an identifier of the terminal and an identifier of the first group.

[0051] Based on the foregoing possible implementation manner, the terminal may send a second request to the third network element to request to exit the first group.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the response message includes the temporary identifier of the terminal

[0053] Based on the above possible implementation, the terminal can receive the temporary identifier assigned by the core network via a response message, and then use the temporary identifier to communicate with network elements in the core network. In this way, even if the terminal is not registered in the operator network, it can also use the identifier of the first group to access the core network.

[0054] In a possible implementation, obtaining the identifier of the first group includes: receiving first information from a service node, where the first information is used to determine the identifier of the first group, and the service node is used to provide services for terminals in the first group.

[0055] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the terminal may obtain the identifier of the first group from the service node, and then request the third network element to access the core network using the identifier of the first group.

[0056] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be performed by a third network element in a core network. The third network element here can refer to the third network element itself, or a processor, module, logical node, chip, or chip system that implements the method in the third network element. Exemplarily, the third network element is a CP network element, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element or a session management function (SMF) network element.

[0057] The method includes: when it is determined that the core network allows the terminal to join the first group, sending a policy request, the policy request is used to request the terminal to access the core network policy, the policy request includes the identifier of the first group; receiving first policy information, the first policy information is determined based on the policy information of the first group and the information of the terminal, the policy information of the first group is used to indicate the policy of the terminals in the first group to access the core network, the information of the terminal includes the subscription information of the terminal or the access information of the terminal; and executing the first policy information.

[0058] Based on the method provided in the fourth aspect above, the third network element can, when determining that the core network allows the terminal to join the first group, request the network element that receives the policy request, such as the second network element, to determine a policy for the terminal to access the core network so that the terminal can access the core network using the policy.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a request from the terminal to access the core network, the request to access the core network being used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, the request to access the core network including an identifier of the first group; and sending a first request to a first network element of the core network according to the request to access the core network, the first request being used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, the first request including an identifier of the first group.

[0060] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the third network element may send a first request to the first network element based on the request of the terminal, so as to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network.

[0061] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving a response message to the first request from the first network element, where the response message to the first request is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0062] Based on the foregoing possible implementation manner, the third network element may receive the foregoing response message to determine that the core network allows the terminal to join the first group.

[0063] In a possible implementation manner, the response message to the first request includes the temporary identifier of the terminal.

[0064] Based on the above possible implementation methods, the third network element can receive the temporary identifier of the terminal through the response message, so that it can send the temporary identifier of the terminal to the terminal, so that the terminal can communicate with the core network based on the temporary identifier, or so that it can associate the temporary identifier of the terminal with the identifier of the first group, so as to facilitate its subsequent query of the group to which the terminal is located.

[0065] In a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a service node that can provide services to terminals in a first group. The service node here can refer to the service node itself or a processor, module, logic node, chip, or chip system in the service node that implements the method.

[0066] The method includes: receiving an authentication request from a first network element of a core network, the authentication request being used to request verification of whether a terminal is allowed to join the first group, the authentication request including an identifier of the first group and an identifier of the terminal; authenticating the terminal according to the authentication request; and sending an authentication result, the authentication result being used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0067] Based on the method provided in the fifth aspect above, the service node may authenticate the terminal based on the request of the first network element to determine whether to allow the terminal to join the first group.

[0068] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending a registration request to the first network element, where the registration request includes address information of the service node.

[0069] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the service node may register its own information in the first network element, so that the first network element can subsequently communicate with the service node based on the information.

[0070] In a possible implementation, the registration request further includes authentication indication information, where the authentication indication information is used to instruct to authenticate the terminal requesting to join the first group.

[0071] Based on the possible implementation manner described above, the service node may indicate to the first network element through a registration request that the terminal requesting to join the first group needs to be authenticated.

[0072] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a policy update request to the first network element, the policy update request being used to request an update of the policy information of the first group, the policy information of the first group being used to indicate a policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network, and the policy update request including an identifier of the first group.

[0073] Based on the possible implementation manner described above, the service node may request the first network element to update the policy information of the first group.

[0074] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving an identifier of the first group allocated by the first network element to the first group.

[0075] Based on the above possible implementation manner, the service node may obtain the identifier of the first group from the first network element, so as to subsequently transmit group granularity information to the first network element based on the identifier of the first group.

[0076] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the above method. The communication device may be the first network element in the above first aspect; or, the communication device may be the second network element in the above second aspect; or, the communication device may be the terminal in the above third aspect; or, the communication device may be the third network element in the above fourth aspect; or, the communication device may be the service node in the above fifth aspect. The communication device includes a module, unit, or means corresponding to the above method, and the module, unit, or means may be implemented by hardware, software, or by executing the corresponding software implementation by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above functions.

[0077] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in one possible implementation, the communication device may include a processing module and an interface module. The processing module may be configured to implement the processing functionality described in any of the aforementioned aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The processing module may, for example, be a processor. The interface module, also referred to as an interface unit, may be configured to implement the sending and / or receiving functionality described in any of the aforementioned aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The interface module may be comprised of an interface circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0078] In combination with the sixth aspect above, in a possible implementation, the interface 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 implementations thereof.

[0079] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; the processor being coupled to a memory and configured to read instructions from the memory and then execute the method according to any of the above aspects in accordance with the instructions. The communication device may be the first network element described in the first aspect; or the second network element described in the second aspect; or the terminal described in the third aspect; or the third network element described in the fourth aspect; or the service node described in the fifth aspect.

[0080] In conjunction with the seventh aspect, in one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory for storing program instructions and data. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor; or the memory is independent of the processor.

[0081] In conjunction with the seventh aspect above, in one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0082] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit being configured to receive a computer program or instruction and transmit the instruction to the processor; and the processor being configured to execute the computer program or instruction, so that the communication device performs the method described in any of the above aspects. The communication device may be the first network element described in the first aspect; or the second network element described in the second aspect; or the terminal described in the third aspect; or the third network element described in the fourth aspect; or the service node described in the fifth aspect.

[0083] In conjunction with the eighth aspect above, in one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0084] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a computer, the computer can execute the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0085] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0086] In an eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a first network element for executing the method described in the first aspect and a third network element for executing the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0087] In combination with the above-mentioned eleventh aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the communication system also includes at least one of the following: a second network element for executing the method described in the above-mentioned second aspect, or a service node for executing the method described in the above-mentioned fifth aspect.

[0088] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any possible implementation method in the sixth to eleventh aspects can be referred to the technical effects brought about by any aspect in the first to fifth aspects or different possible implementation methods in any aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0089] It is understandable that, provided that the solutions are not contradictory, the solutions in each aspect can be combined. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0090] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a traffic scenario provided by this application;

[0091] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the communication system architecture provided by this application;

[0092] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the fifth generation (5G) network provided by this application;

[0093] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the communication device provided by this application;

[0094] FIG5 is a flow chart of the communication method provided in this application;

[0095] FIG6 is a second flow chart of the communication method provided by this application;

[0096] FIG7 is a third flow chart of the communication method provided by this application;

[0097] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0098] In the core network, groups are typically maintained by the UDM network element. For example, when a group is created, the mapping between the group and its members must be pre-configured and maintained in the UDM network element. Secondly, when a terminal joins the group, the AF network element must trigger the UDM network element via the NEF network element to modify the group member subscription data maintained by the UDM network element. This method of maintaining groups with the UDM network element is relatively complex and unsuitable for increasingly complex communication scenarios.

[0099] For example, because the above method requires clear identification of the group and its members when creating a group, it is not suitable for scenarios where group membership is uncertain. For example, in the scenario of attending a live performance or event (hereinafter referred to as the event scenario), the group membership is uncertain because the ticket purchaser and the attendee may be different. Therefore, the UDM network element cannot maintain the group using the above method.

[0100] For another example, since the above method requires the AF network element to trigger the UDM network element via the NEF network element to modify the group member contract data when the terminal joins the group, the process is relatively complicated and will result in a long delay (usually reaching seconds), so it is not suitable for scenarios where group members change dynamically. Taking the traffic scenario shown in Figure 1 as an example, in order to improve communication security, the network can collect information such as the position, speed, and direction of traffic participants at the intersection shown in Figure 1, perform collision analysis and judgment, and push collision warning information to the above traffic participants as needed. However, at different times, the traffic participants at the intersection shown in Figure 1 are different. Therefore, if traffic participants use the above method to join the group, it will result in their untimely joining of the group, which will cause the information collected by the network to be inaccurate, or the collision warning information to be not pushed to the required traffic participants in a timely manner.

[0101] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a communication method. In this method, the first network element of the core network can receive a request to allow the terminal to access the core network, and when it is determined that the terminal is allowed to join the first group, save the association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal. In the above process, the first network element does not need to pre-set the mapping relationship between the first group and its group members, nor does it require the AF network element to trigger the UDM network element via the NEF network element to modify the group member contract data. Instead, based on the request to allow the terminal to access the core network, the association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal is saved. Therefore, the method can dynamically maintain the mapping relationship between the first group and its group members, simplify the process of the terminal joining the group, and facilitate the terminal to flexibly join the first group and access the core network using the identifier of the first group. Therefore, for event scenarios, the network does not need to pre-store the mapping relationship between the group and the group members, but dynamically maintains the group based on the request. For traffic scenarios, traffic participants can quickly and flexibly join the group to support group-granular data collection and collision warning information push in traffic scenarios.

[0102] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0103] The method provided in this application can be used in various communication systems. For example, the communication system can be a long term evolution (LTE) system, a 5G communication system, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, a third generation partnership project (3GPP) related communication system, a future evolution communication system (such as: a sixth generation (6G) communication system, etc.), or a system integrating multiple systems, etc., without limitation. Among them, 5G can also be called new radio (NR). The method provided in this application is described below by taking the communication system 20 shown in Figure 2 as an example. Figure 2 is only a schematic diagram and does not constitute a limitation on the applicable scenarios of the technical solution provided in this application.

[0104] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 20 provided in this application. In Figure 2 , communication system 20 may include network element 201 (corresponding to the first network element in the present disclosure), network element 202 (corresponding to the third network element in the present disclosure), and terminal 203 (corresponding to the terminal in the present disclosure). Optionally, communication system 20 may also include at least one of the following: network element 204 (corresponding to the second network element in the present disclosure) or service node 205 (corresponding to the service node in the present disclosure).

[0105] In the present application, the network element 201 may allow a terminal, such as the terminal 203, to initiate a process of accessing the core network. For example, the terminal 203 may obtain the identifier of the first group and send a request for accessing the core network to the network element 202. The request for accessing the core network is used to request permission for the terminal to access the core network, and the request includes the identifier of the first group. After the network element 202 receives the request for accessing the core network from the terminal, it sends a first request to the network element 201 according to the request. The first request is used to request permission for the terminal to access the core network, and the first request includes the identifier of the first group. After the network element 201 receives the first request from the network element 202, if it is determined that the terminal is allowed to join the first group, the association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal is saved. In this way, the terminal 203 can be added to the first group, and subsequently, the terminal 203 can access the core network using the identifier of the first group.

[0106] Optionally, network element 202 may send a policy request to network element 204. The policy request is used to request a policy for terminal 203 to access the core network. The policy request includes an identifier of the first group. After receiving the policy request, network element 204 may determine the policy information of the first group based on the identifier of the first group, and send first policy information to network element 202 based on the policy information of the first group and the information of terminal 203. The policy information of the first group is used to indicate the policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network. The information of terminal 203 includes the subscription information of terminal 203 or the access information of terminal 203. The first policy information is used to indicate the policy for terminal 203 to access the core network. After receiving the first policy information, network element 202 executes the first policy information. In this way, terminal 203 can access the core network using the policy indicated by the first policy information.

[0107] Optionally, network element 201 may send an authentication request to service node 205. The authentication request may be used to request verification of whether terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group. The authentication request includes the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal. After receiving the authentication request, service node 205 may authenticate terminal 203 based on the authentication request and send the authentication result to network element 201. The authentication result indicates whether terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group. In this way, terminal 203 can be authenticated to determine whether terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group.

[0108] Optionally, the network element 202 may also be responsible for counting and monitoring the resources of the operator network used by users to access the subnet, such as network traffic, duration, etc. A subnet is a network built within a certain area, such as a network built in a subnet location such as an enterprise, campus, or stadium.

[0109] Optionally, the service node 205 may also be responsible for billing for the members in the group.

[0110] In this application, network element 201, network element 202 or network element 204 is a core network element. At least two of the three network elements can be the same core network element or the three network elements can be different core network elements, without limitation.

[0111] Exemplarily, network element 201 is an existing network element in the core network, such as a UDM network element, a UDR, or a PCF network element. Alternatively, network element 201 is a newly added network element in the core network, such as a GDMF network element. It should be understood that GDMF network element is merely an example of the name of network element 201. In specific applications, network element 201 may also be named using other naming methods, such as group management function network element or group function network element, without limitation. Network element 202 may be a CP network element, such as an AMF network element or an SMF network element. Network element 204 may also be a CP network element, such as a PCF network element or a GDMF network element.

[0112] In the present application, the service node 205 is used to provide services for the terminals in the first group. Exemplarily, the service node 205 is a node in the subnet, a node on top of a third-party operator (OTT), or a service node of an operator. The node in the subnet can provide subnet services such as extended reality (XR) games, augmented reality (AR) navigation, or immersive meetings to subnet users (such as visitors, members, or employees of the subnet venue). The node in the subnet can be deployed by a subnet tenant, or by a subnet operator, or across subnet operators. The subnet tenant is the owner of the subnet. The subnet operator can deploy a subnet for the subnet tenant. A cross-subnet operator can deploy subnets for multiple subnet tenants. As an example, the service node 205 is an application function (AF) network element, an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) network element, or a network element with AF and AAA functions. Therefore, the service node 205 can be replaced by an AF / AAA network element.

[0113] In the present application, the terminal 203 is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The terminal can be deployed on land, including indoors, outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water (such as ships, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.). The terminal can also be called a terminal device, and the terminal device can be a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), etc., or a device for providing voice or data connectivity to users. Among them, UE includes handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, vehicle-mounted devices (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed railways, etc.), wearable devices (such as smart watches, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc.) or computing devices. Exemplarily, the UE can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a satellite terminal or a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities. A UE may also be a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless modem, a smart point of sale (POS) machine, customer-premises equipment (CPE), an intelligent robot, a robotic arm, workshop equipment, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electric meters, etc.), a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in unmanned 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, an in-vehicle terminal, a roadside unit (RSU) with terminal functions, or an aerial device (e.g., an intelligent robot, a hot air balloon, a drone, an airplane), etc. A terminal may also be other devices with terminal functions, for example, a terminal may also be a device that functions as a terminal in device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0114] As an example and not a limitation, in this application, the terminal may be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be referred to as wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. For example, a wearable device is not only a hardware device, but also a device that achieves powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include devices that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as devices that focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0115] In the present application, the terminal may be a terminal in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important component of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection. The terminal in the present application may be a terminal in machine type communication (MTC). The terminal of the present application may be an on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip or on-board unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The vehicle may implement the method of the present application through the built-in on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip or on-board unit. The terminal of the present application may be a vehicle, such as a car. Therefore, the present application may be applied to Internet of Vehicles, such as vehicle to everything (V2X), long term evolution vehicle (LTE-V), vehicle to vehicle (V2V), etc.

[0116] Optionally, the above-mentioned communication system 20 can be applicable to the 5G network currently under discussion, and can also be applicable to other networks in the future, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0117] Exemplarily, the communication system 20 is applicable to the 5G network shown in Figure 3. The 5G network includes a network slice selection function (NSSF) network element, a NEF network element, a network repository function (NRF) network element, a PCF network element, a UDM network element, a UDR network element, an AF network element, an authentication server function (AUSF) network element, an AMF network element, an SMF network element, a user plane function (UPF) network element, a radio access network (RAN) node, a terminal, and a data network (DN). Optionally, the 5G network also includes a GDMF network element.

[0118] In Figure 3, the terminal accesses the 5G network through the RAN node, and the terminal communicates with the AMF network element through the N1 interface (referred to as N1); the RAN node communicates with the AMF network element through the N2 interface (referred to as N2), and 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), and the UPF network element accesses the DN through the N6 interface (referred to as N6). In addition, the AUSF network element, AMF network element, SMF network element, GDMF network element, NSSF network element, NEF network element, NRF network element, PCF network element, UDM network element, UDR network element or AF network element shown in Figure 3 can interact with each other 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 GDMF network element to the outside world is Ngdmf; 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; the service interface provided by the UDR network element to the outside world is Nudr; and the service interface provided by the AF network element to the outside world is Naf.

[0119] It can be understood that the device or entity corresponding to the network element 201 in the communication system 20 is the UDM network element, UDR, PCF network element or GDMF network element in the 5G network shown in Figure 3. The network element or entity corresponding to the network element 202 in the communication system 20 is the AMF network element or SMF network element in the 5G network shown in Figure 3. The device or entity corresponding to the terminal 203 in the communication system 20 is the terminal in the 5G network shown in Figure 3. The device or entity corresponding to the network element 204 in the communication system 20 is the PCF network element or GDMF network element in the 5G network shown in Figure 3. The device or entity corresponding to the service node 205 in the communication system 20 is the AF in the 5G network shown in Figure 3.

[0120] It is understood that the communication system 20 shown in FIG2 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the technical solutions of the present application. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in a specific implementation, the communication system 20 may further include other network elements, and the number of network elements and terminals may be determined based on specific needs without limitation.

[0121] Optionally, each network element or device in Figure 2 of the present application (for example, network element 201, network element 202, terminal 203, network element 204 or service node 205, etc.) can also be referred to as a communication device, which can be a general device or a dedicated device. This application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0122] Optionally, the relevant functions of each network element or device in Figure 2 of the present application (such as network element 201, network element 202, terminal 203, network element 204 or service node 205, etc.) 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 within a single device. This 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).

[0123] In a specific implementation, each network element or device in FIG. 2 of the present application (e.g., network element 201, network element 202, terminal 203, network element 204, or service node 205, etc.) can adopt the structure shown in FIG. 4 or include the components shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device applicable to the present application. The communication device 40 includes at least one processor 401 and at least one communication interface 404 for implementing the method provided in the present application. The communication device 40 may also include a communication line 402 and a memory 403.

[0124] The processor 401 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.

[0125] The communication link 402 may include a path for transmitting information between the above components, such as a bus.

[0126] Communication interface 404 is used to communicate with other devices or communication networks. Communication interface 404 can be any transceiver-like device, such as an Ethernet interface, a radio access network (RAN) interface, a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface, a transceiver, a pin, a bus, an interface circuit, or a transceiver circuit.

[0127] The memory 403 can 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 compressed optical 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 to this. The memory can be independent and coupled to the processor 401 via the communication line 402. The memory 403 can also be integrated with the processor 401. The memory provided in this application can generally be non-volatile.

[0128] Among them, the memory 403 is used to store computer-executable instructions involved in executing the solution provided by this application, and is controlled by the processor 401. The processor 401 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403, thereby implementing the method provided by this application. Alternatively, optionally, in this application, the processor 401 may also perform the processing-related functions of the method provided below in this application, and the communication interface 404 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0129] Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in this application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0130] The coupling in this application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units or modules.

[0131] As an embodiment, the processor 401 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 4 .

[0132] As an embodiment, the communication device 40 may include multiple processors, such as processor 401 and processor 407 in FIG4 . 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).

[0133] As an embodiment, the communication device 40 may further include an output device 405 and / or an input device 406. The output device 405 is coupled to the processor 401 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 405 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector. The input device 406 is coupled to the processor 401 and can receive user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 406 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensor device.

[0134] It is understandable that the composition structure shown in Figure 4 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. In addition to the components shown in Figure 4, the communication device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0135] The method provided by the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Each network element or device in the following embodiments may include the components shown in FIG4 , which will not be described in detail.

[0136] It can be understood that the message names between network elements or the names of parameters in the messages in the following embodiments of the present application are only examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations, and the present application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0137] It is understood that in this application, " / " can indicate that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" can be used to describe that there are three relationships between the associated objects, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, expressions similar to "at least one of A, B and C" or "at least one of A, B or C" are usually used to indicate any of the following: A exists alone; B exists alone; C exists alone; A and B exist at the same time; A and C exist at the same time; B and C exist at the same time; A, B and C exist at the same time. The above uses A, B and C as an example to illustrate the optional items of the item. When there are more elements in the expression, the meaning of the expression can be obtained according to the above rules.

[0138] In order to facilitate the description of the technical solutions of the present application, in the present application, words such as "first" and "second" may be used to distinguish between technical features with the same or similar functions. The words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit them to be different. In the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design. The use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0139] It is understood that the "embodiment" mentioned throughout the specification means that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the various embodiments in the entire specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It is understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of each process does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the present application.

[0140] It can be understood that in this application, "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that corresponding processing will be taken under certain objective circumstances, and do not limit the time, nor do they require judgment actions when implementing them, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0141] It is understood that some optional features in this application may, in certain scenarios, be implemented independently of other features, such as the solution on which they are currently based, to solve corresponding technical problems and achieve corresponding effects. They may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios as needed. Accordingly, the devices provided in this application may also implement these features or functions accordingly, which will not be described in detail here.

[0142] It is understandable that the same step or steps or technical features with the same function in different embodiments of the present application can be referenced to each other.

[0143] The communication method provided in this application is introduced below using the communication system 20 shown in FIG2 as an example.

[0144] It is understood that in the present application, network element 201, network element 202, terminal 203, network element 204, or service node 205 may perform some or all of the steps in the present application. These steps are merely examples, and the present application may also perform other steps or variations of various steps. In addition, the steps may be performed in a different order than presented in the present application, and it is possible that not all of the steps in the present application need to be performed.

[0145] It can be understood that the method provided below in this application is to illustrate the method by taking network element 201, network element 202, terminal 203, network element 204 and service node 205 as the execution subject of the interaction diagram, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction diagram. For example, the network element (such as network element 201, network element 202 or network element 204) in the method provided in the following embodiment of this application can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network element to implement the method, or a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the network element function; the terminal 203 in the method provided below in this application can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal 203 to implement the method, or a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal 203 function; the service node 203 in the method provided below in this application can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the service node 203 to implement the method, or a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the service node 203 function.

[0146] As shown in FIG5 , a communication method provided by the present application may include the following steps:

[0147] S501: The terminal 203 obtains an identifier of a first group.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the terminal 203 obtains the identifier of the first group from the service node 205 via the application layer. The service node 205 is configured to provide services to the terminals in the first group. The identifier of the first group is used to indicate the first group.

[0149] As an example, the service node 205 sends first information to the terminal 203. The first information can be used to determine the identifier of the first group. After receiving the first information, the terminal 203 can determine the identifier of the first group based on the first information. The first information includes the identifier of the first group. For example, the first information includes coding information, and the terminal 203 obtains the identifier of the first group based on the code indicated by the coding information. The code indicated by the coding information is a character code, a QR code, a barcode, etc. The characters can include symbols such as numbers and letters. Taking a traffic scenario as an example, the service node 205 can broadcast the first information. After the terminal 203 enters the coverage area of ​​the service node 205, it can receive the first information and obtain the identifier of the first group based on the first information.

[0150] In another possible implementation, the terminal 203 obtains the identification of the first group through a sensing function (such as a camera function or a recognition function). Taking a sports event as an example, the terminal 203 scans the QR code on the paper ticket or electronic ticket through the camera function to obtain the identification of the first group.

[0151] S502: The terminal 203 sends a request for accessing the core network to the network element 202. Correspondingly, the network element 202 receives the request for accessing the core network from the terminal 203.

[0152] In the present application, the request for accessing the core network may be used to request that the terminal 203 be allowed to access the core network, or to request that the terminal 203 be allowed to access the core network using the identifier of the first group.

[0153] In one possible design, the request for accessing the core network includes an identifier of the first group. Optionally, the request for accessing the core network also includes an identifier of terminal 203. For example, terminal 203 has been registered in the operator network (e.g., a subscriber identity module (SIM) card is installed in terminal 203), and the request for accessing the core network includes the identifier of terminal 203. For another example, if terminal 203 has not yet been registered in the operator network (e.g., a SIM card is not installed in terminal 203), the request for accessing the core network does not include the identifier of terminal 203.

[0154] Exemplarily, the identifier of the terminal 203 is a user permanent identifier (SUPI), a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI), a global unique temporary identity (GUTI), or a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI). It should be understood that the above identifiers are only examples of the identifiers of the terminal 203. In specific applications, the identifier of the terminal 203 may also be other identifiers, such as an identifier assigned to the terminal 203 by a future network (such as a 6G network), without limitation.

[0155] In one possible design, the request for accessing the core network is carried in a registration request message of terminal 203, a session (such as a protocol data unit (PDU) session) establishment request message, or a session (such as a PDU session) modification request message.

[0156] S503: Network element 202 sends a first request to network element 201 according to the request for accessing the core network. Correspondingly, network element 201 receives the first request from network element 202.

[0157] In the present application, the first request may be used to request that terminal 203 be allowed to access the core network, or may be used to request that terminal 203 be allowed to access the core network using the identifier of the first group. The content included in the first request is related to the content included in the request for accessing the core network. For example, the content included in the first request is the same as the content included in the request for accessing the core network. For another example, the first request is obtained by processing the request for accessing the core network, such as by repackaging, deleting information, adding information, or modifying information.

[0158] In one possible design, the first request includes an identifier of the first group. Optionally, the first request also includes an identifier of the terminal 203.

[0159] It will be appreciated that if the identifier of the terminal 203 included in the request for accessing the core network is a GUTI or SUCI, after receiving the request for accessing the core network, the network element 202 may map the GUTI or SUCI to an identifier recognizable by the core network, such as a SUPI, and send a first request, where the first request includes the identifier of the first group and the SUPI. Optionally, if the network element 202 stores the GPSI corresponding to the SUPI, the first request may also include the GPSI.

[0160] In one possible implementation, after receiving the request to access the core network, network element 202 determines network element 201 based on at least one of the identifier of the first group or the location information of terminal 203, and sends a first request to network element 201. The location information of terminal 203 is used to indicate the location of terminal 203, such as the cell where terminal 203 is located or the tracking area where terminal 203 is located, and can be obtained by network element 202 from the access network node to which terminal 203 accesses.

[0161] Exemplarily, the network element 202 sends at least one of the identifier of the first group or the location information of the terminal 203 to the NRF network element (such as the NRF network element in Figure 3). After receiving the above information, the NRF network element queries the information of the network element 201 based on the information, and sends the information of the network element 201 to the network element 202. After receiving the information of the network element 201, the network element 202 may determine the network element 201 based on the information, and send a first request to the network element 201. The information of the network element 201 may include the address information of the network element 201. Optionally, the information of the network element 201 also includes the service information of the network element 201. The address information of the network element 201 may include at least one of the following: the Internet protocol (IP) address of the network element 201, the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the network element 201, or the host name of the network element 201. The service information of the network element 201 is used to indicate the network function (NF) services (NF services) provided by the network element 201 or the NF capabilities provided by the network element 201.

[0162] S504 : When it is determined that the terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group, the network element 201 saves the association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal 203 .

[0163] In this application, "allowing terminal 203 to join the first group" can be replaced by "allowing terminal 203 to access the core network using the identifier of the first group." Allowing terminal 203 to access the core network using the identifier of the first group can be understood as allowing terminal 203 to access the first group, or terminal 203 being authorized to access the first group, or allowing terminal 203 to use the policy of the first group, or terminal 203 being authorized to use the policy of the first group, or allowing terminal 203 to access the services of the first group, or terminal 203 being authorized to access the services of the first group.

[0164] It is understood that if the first request includes the identifier of terminal 203, network element 201 may directly save the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of terminal 203 after determining that terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group. If the first request does not include the identifier of terminal 203, network element 201 may assign an identifier to terminal 203. Network element 201 may also obtain the identifier assigned by service node 205 to terminal 203 from service node 205, and then save the association between the identifier of the first group and the assigned identifier. Subsequently, network element 201 may also send the identifier assigned by network element 201 or service node 205 to terminal 203 via network element 202. The assigned identifier is a temporary identifier of terminal 203.

[0165] In one possible implementation, after receiving the first request, network element 201 directly determines to allow terminal 203 to join the first group. For example, if the first group is open to all terminals, that is, all terminals requesting to join the first group can join the first group, network element 201 directly determines to allow terminal 203 to join the first group after receiving the first request.

[0166] In another possible implementation, after receiving the first request, network element 201 may request service node 205 to authenticate terminal 203. For example, if the first group is not open to all terminals, network element 201 sends an authentication request to service node 205 to verify whether terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group. The authentication request includes the identifier of the first group and the identifier of terminal 203. After receiving the authentication request, service node 205 authenticates terminal 203. For example, service node 205 instructs terminal 203, through network element 201 or network element 202, to report its identity information (such as the account name, password, or identity certificate information of the user corresponding to terminal 203). After receiving the instruction, terminal 203 reports its own identity information through network element 201 or network element 202 so that service node 205 can verify the identity information of terminal 203. Subsequently, service node 205 sends the authentication result to network element 201. The authentication result indicates that terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group, or indicates that terminal 203 is not allowed to join the first group.

[0167] It is understood that if the authentication result indicates that terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group, network element 201 determines that terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group. If the authentication result indicates that terminal 203 is not allowed to join the first group, network element 201 determines that terminal 203 is not allowed to join the first group. In this case, network element 201 does not store the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of terminal 203, and indicates to terminal 203 through network element 202 that terminal 203 is not allowed to join the first group. The following embodiments of the present application are described using the example of network element 201 determining that terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group.

[0168] Optionally, in the above process, information transmitted between the network element 201 and the service node 205, such as the authentication request or the authentication result, or information transmitted between the service node 205, the network element 202 and the terminal 203 can be carried in an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) message.

[0169] Optionally, the identifier allocated by the service node 205 to the terminal 203 as described above may be included in the authentication result.

[0170] Optionally, network element 201 sends a response message to the first request (hereinafter referred to as the first response message) to network element 202. The first response message is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group. After receiving the first response message, network element 202 may send a response message to the request for access to the core network (hereinafter referred to as the second response message) to terminal 203. The second response message may be used to indicate that terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group. Optionally, the first response message and the second response message include an identifier assigned by network element 201 to terminal 203, or the first response message and the second response message include an identifier assigned by service node 205 to terminal 203. In other words, the identifier assigned by network element 201 or service node 205 to terminal 203 may be sent to network element 202 via the first response message. Afterwards, network element 202 may send the identifier to terminal 203 via the second response message, or associate the identifier with the identifier of the first group so that network element 202 can query the group to which terminal 203 belongs.

[0171] It should be understood that if the network element 201 determines that the terminal 203 is not allowed to join the first group, the first response message and the second response message may indicate that the terminal 203 is not allowed to join the first group.

[0172] Based on the method shown in Figure 5, terminal 203 can initiate a request to network element 201 via network element 202 to access the core network. This request includes the identifier of the first group that terminal 203 requests to join. Network element 201 can determine whether to allow terminal 203 to join the first group based on terminal 203's request. If the terminal is allowed to join the first group, it can save the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of terminal 203. In the above process, network element 201 can dynamically maintain the mapping relationship between the first group and its group members, simplifying the process for terminals to join the first group and facilitating the flexibility of terminals to join the first group and access the core network using the identifier of the first group. It will be appreciated that in an event scenario, users watching a performance or event can initiate a request to access the core network as needed and join the first group to receive messages pushed by the network at a group granularity. In a traffic scenario, users entering the intersection shown in Figure 1 can initiate a request to access the core network and join the first group to send group-granular data to the network or receive collision warning information pushed by the network at a group granularity.

[0173] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the method shown in Figure 5, before the terminal 203 initiates a request to access the core network, the service node 205 can register the information of the service node 205 in the network element 201, so that the network element 201 can access the service node 205 based on the registered information.

[0174] Specifically, as shown in FIG6 , the method shown in FIG5 further includes the following steps:

[0175] S500 : The service node 205 sends a registration request to the network element 201 . Correspondingly, the network element 201 receives the registration request from the service node 205 .

[0176] In one possible design, the registration request includes the address information of the service node 205. Optionally, the registration request also includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first group, service area information of the first group's services, policy information of the first group, or authentication indication information. For example, the registration request includes the address information of the service node 205 and the identifier of the first group; or, the registration request includes the address information of the service node 205 and service area information of the first group's services; or, the registration request includes the address information of the service node 205 and policy information of the first group; or, the registration request includes the address information of the service node 205 and authentication indication information; or, the registration request includes the address information of the service node 205, the identifier of the first group, service area information of the first group's services, policy information of the first group, and authentication indication information.

[0177] In the present application, the address information of the service node 205 is used to indicate the address of the service node 205, such as the IP address of the service node 205. The first group service is the service that the service node 205 can provide for the first group. The service area information of the first group service is used to indicate the area in which the service node 205 can provide the first group service. For example, the service area information of the first group service includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the area, or geographical location information of the area. The authentication indication information is used to instruct the terminal requesting to join the first group to authenticate. For example, the authentication indication information is used to instruct the service node 205 to verify the identity information of the terminal requesting to join the first group. The policy information of the first group is used to indicate the policy for the terminals in the first group to access the core network, such as indicating at least one of the following policies: diversion policy, billing policy, flow control policy, service level agreement (SLA) policy, etc. Each policy is explained below.

[0178] In the present application, the diversion strategy of the first group may indicate the diversion measures to be adopted for the messages of the members of the first group (i.e., the terminals in the first group) accessing specific services, such as local diversion measures, central diversion measures, or specific data network access diversion measures. The billing strategy of the first group may indicate the billing strategy adopted by the first group service, for example, it may indicate the billing method. The billing strategy of the first group may also indicate the billing reporting server, and / or the traffic payment identifier, etc. Among them, the billing methods include: user payment strategy, OTT payment strategy, or tenant payment strategy, etc. The tenant refers to the group that provides the first group service, such as XX company or XX organization, etc. The traffic payment identifier is, for example, the identifier of the sponsor corresponding to the first group (Sponsor ID), the OTT identifier corresponding to the first group, or the unique identity identifier of the tenant, etc. The traffic control strategy may include a user service flow diversion strategy or a forwarding strategy, etc. The SLA strategy may include at least one of the following: a group-granularity user number control strategy, a traffic quota control strategy, or a quality of service (QoS) guarantee strategy.

[0179] It is understood that after receiving the registration request, network element 201 may save the information in the registration request. For example, network element 201 executes a context creation process to save the information in the registration request. Subsequently, network element 201 may execute corresponding processes based on the information in the registration request. For example, if the registration request includes authentication indication information, in S504, network element 201 may determine to request service node 205 to authenticate terminal 203. For another example, if the registration request includes address information of service node 205 and an identifier of a first group, in S504, network element 201 may determine the address information of service node 205 corresponding to the identifier of the first group included in the first request, and send an authentication request to service node 205 based on the address information. For another example, if the registration request includes policy information for the first group, network element 201 may send the policy information for the first group to network element 204 after receiving the registration request, so that network element 204 can determine the policy for terminal 203 to access the core network based on the policy information for the first group.

[0180] In a possible implementation, the registration request is forwarded to the network element 201 via one or more network elements. The following description will take the case where the registration request is forwarded to the network element 201 via the NEF network element as an example.

[0181] Exemplarily, service node 205 sends a registration request to an NEF network element. After receiving the registration request, the NEF network element determines information about a network element 201 that can provide service for the first group based on at least one of the first group identifier or the service area information of the first group service included in the registration request, and sends the registration request to the network element 201. For example, the NEF network element stores a correspondence between the first group identifier and the information of network element 201, and sends the registration request to network element 201 based on the correspondence. For another example, the NEF network element stores a correspondence between the service area of ​​the first group service and the information of network element 201, and sends the registration request to network element 201 based on the correspondence. For another example, the NEF network element stores a correspondence between the first group identifier, the service area of ​​the first group service, and the information of network element 201, and sends the registration request to network element 201 based on the correspondence. Furthermore, the NEF network element may process the information in the registration request and send the processed information to network element 201. For example, the NEF network element can map the identifier of the first group carried in the registration request to an identifier that can be recognized by the core network. For another example, the NEF network element can map the service area information of the first group service carried in the registration request to area information that can be recognized by the core network. For example, the registration request carries longitude and latitude information or province and city information. After processing by the NEF network element, what is sent to network element 201 is the cell / tracking area information corresponding to the longitude and latitude or province and city.

[0182] It is understood that if the registration request does not include the identifier of the first group, after receiving the registration request, network element 201 can allocate an identifier for the first group and send the identifier to service node 205. Exemplarily, network element 201 can pre-register a group identifier segment and select an unoccupied identifier from the group identifier segment to allocate to the first group. For example, network element 201 registers the group identifier segment in network elements other than network element 201 in the core network, such as an AF network element or an NEF network element, so that other network elements can search for network element 201 based on the group identifier segment. It is understood that after network element 201 allocates the identifier of the first group, it can save the correspondence between the identifier of the first group and the information included in the registration request.

[0183] Optionally, the network element 201 may further send or update a group identifier list registered in the network element 201 to the NRF network element, so that the network elements in the core network may query the NRF network element for the group identifier registered in the network element 201 based on the identifier of the network element 201, or query the network element 201 based on the group identifier. For example, in S503, after receiving the identifier of the first group sent by the network element 202, the NRF network element may query the group identifier list based on the identifier of the first group, determine the network element 201, and send the information of the network element 201 to the network element 202.

[0184] In this application, the group identifier registered in the network element 201 can be understood as an identifier received by the network element 201 through a registration request and stored locally, or a group identifier allocated by the network element 201 after receiving the registration request.

[0185] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the method shown in FIG5 , the network element 202 may request the network element 204 to determine a core network access policy for the terminal 203 so that the terminal 203 accesses the core network according to the policy. Specifically, as shown in FIG6 , the method shown in FIG5 further includes the following steps:

[0186] S505 : The network element 202 sends a policy request to the network element 204 . Correspondingly, the network element 204 receives the policy request from the network element 202 .

[0187] In this application, the policy request is used to request the terminal 203 to access the core network policy.

[0188] In a possible design, the policy request includes the identifier of the first group. Optionally, the policy request also includes the identifier of the terminal 203.

[0189] S506: The network element 204 determines the policy information of the first group according to the identifier of the first group.

[0190] In one possible implementation, network element 204 sends a third request to network element 201. The third request is used to request policy information for the first group, and the third request may include an identifier of the first group. For example, if the policy information for the first group is not stored, network element 204 sends the third request to network element 201. After receiving the third request, network element 201 sends the policy information for the first group to network element 204. For another example, if the policy information for the first group is stored, network element 204 obtains the policy information for the first group locally based on the identifier of the first group. It is understandable that if network element 204 receives the policy information for the first group before S506, network element 204 may obtain the policy information for the first group locally. For example, in S504, after network element 201 determines that terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group, it may send the policy information for the first group to network element 204. Alternatively, after S500, network element 201 may send the policy information for the first group to network element 204. After receiving the policy information of the first group, the network element 204 may save the policy information locally so as to obtain the policy information locally later.

[0191] Optionally, network element 204 sends a fourth request to network element 201. The fourth request is used to request that the identifier of terminal 203 be associated with the identifier of the first group. The fourth request includes the identifier of the first group. Optionally, the fourth request also includes the identifier of terminal 203. It is understood that after receiving the fourth request, network element 201 saves the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of terminal 203; or after receiving the fourth request, network element 201 queries whether the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of terminal 203 is saved. If not, network element 201 saves the association.

[0192] Optionally, the network element 201 performs an operation of determining whether the terminal 203 is allowed to join the first group in S504, but does not perform an operation of saving the association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal 203. Instead, after receiving the fourth request, it performs an operation of saving the association relationship.

[0193] It is understandable that network element 204 can implement corresponding functions by calling different services or by carrying corresponding indication information in the third and fourth requests. For example, network element 204 calls service 1 (e.g., Ngdmf_DataManagement_Get service) through the third request to request the acquisition of policy information for the first group, and calls service 2 (e.g., Ngdmf_Registration_Register service) through the fourth request to request the association of the terminal 203 identifier with the first group identifier. Alternatively, the third request includes indication information 1, indicating a request to obtain policy information for the first group, and the fourth request includes indication information 2, indicating a request to associate the terminal 203 identifier with the first group identifier. Alternatively, network element 204 implements the functions of the third and / or fourth requests through the first message. Exemplarily, the first message includes indication information 3, indicating a request to skip the request to obtain policy information for the first group. In this case, the first message is used to request the association of the terminal 203 identifier with the first group identifier, and is not used to request the acquisition of policy information for the first group. Alternatively, the first message includes indication information 4, which indicates that the request to associate the identifier of terminal 203 with the identifier of the first group is skipped. In this case, the first message is used to request the acquisition of policy information for the first group, and is not used to request the association of the identifier of terminal 203 with the identifier of the first group. Alternatively, the first message includes the identifier of the first group but does not include the identifier of terminal 203, indicating a request to obtain policy information for the first group but not a request to associate the identifier of terminal 203 with the identifier of the first group.

[0194] S507 : The network element 204 sends the first policy information to the network element 202 . Correspondingly, the network element 202 receives the first policy information from the network element 204 .

[0195] In the present application, the first policy information is determined based on the policy information of the first group and is used to indicate the policy for terminal 203 to access the core network, that is, the policy for terminal 203 to access the core network using the identifier of the first group, such as one or more of a diversion policy, a billing policy, a flow control policy, or an SLA policy. In other words, network element 204 can determine a policy for terminal 203 to access the core network using the identifier of the first group based on the policy information of the first group, and indicate the policy to network element 202.

[0196] It is understandable that when determining the first policy information, the network element 204 may consider information about the terminal 203, such as the subscription information of the terminal 203 or the access information of the terminal 203. The subscription information of the terminal 203 may indicate subscription data at the granularity of the terminal 203, such as at least one of the subscription bandwidth of the terminal 203 or the subscription slice of the terminal 203. In this way, the network element 204 may make a decision based on the subscription data at the granularity of the terminal 203 and the subscription information at the granularity of the group, and determine the first policy information. The access information of the terminal 203 may indicate the status of the network to which the terminal 203 is connected, such as at least one of the network load, the network congestion status, or the regional policy of the network. In this way, the network element 204 may make a decision based on the status of the network to which the terminal 203 is connected and the subscription information at the granularity of the group, and determine the first policy information.

[0197] For example, taking the contract information of terminal 203 including the contract bandwidth of terminal 203, the contract bandwidth of terminal 203 is 200 megabytes (M), and the policy information of the first group indicating that the guaranteed bandwidth of group members is 300M, the first policy information may indicate that the guaranteed bandwidth of terminal 203 is 200M, or indicate that the guaranteed bandwidth of terminal 203 is less than 300M, etc.

[0198] For example, if the access information of terminal 203 indicates that the network load of the network accessed by terminal 203 is high and the policy information of the first group indicates that the guaranteed bandwidth of group members is 300M, the first policy information may indicate that the guaranteed bandwidth of terminal 203 is less than 300M.

[0199] It can be understood that the above is only an example of network element 204 determining the first policy information. In specific applications, network element 204 can also use other methods to determine the first policy information, such as determining the first policy information based on the policy information of the first group, the contract information of terminal 203 and the access information of terminal 203, or when determining the first policy information, considering information other than the contract information of terminal 203 or the access information of terminal 203, etc., without limitation.

[0200] It is understandable that the first policy information is maintained at a group granularity, and the terminal 203 does not need to sign up at a terminal granularity, thus avoiding extra overhead. In addition, in the first group, the first policy information corresponding to different terminals can be the same or different.

[0201] Optionally, the network element 204 determines the information of the terminal 203 according to the identifier of the terminal 203 included in the policy request, further determines the first policy information according to the information of the terminal 203 and the policy information of the first group, and sends the first policy information to the network element 202 .

[0202] S508: The network element 202 executes the first policy information.

[0203] In one possible implementation, network element 202 sends the corresponding policy to the network element for executing the first policy information, so that the network element that receives the policy executes the corresponding policy. For example, if the first policy information requires execution by an access network node, network element 202 sends the first policy information to the access network node; or, if the first policy information requires execution by terminal 203, network element 202 sends the first policy information to terminal 203; or, if the first policy information requires execution by a UPF network element, network element 202 sends the first policy information to the UPF network element; or, if the first policy information requires execution by both the UPF network element and the access network node, network element 202 sends the first policy information to both the UPF network element and the access network node.

[0204] Optionally, the first policy information needs to be sent to the terminal 203, and the first policy information may be included in the second response message. After the terminal 203 obtains the first policy information, it may determine that the core network allows the terminal 203 to join the first group.

[0205] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the method shown in FIG5, if the terminal 203 decides to exit the first group, the network element 202 may request the network element 201 to remove the terminal 203 from the first group. Specifically, as shown in FIG6, the method shown in FIG5 further includes the following steps:

[0206] S509 : The terminal 203 sends a second request to the network element 202 . Correspondingly, the network element 202 receives the second request from the terminal 203 .

[0207] In the present application, the second request is used to request that terminal 203 be removed from the first group or to request that terminal 203 exit the first group, and the second request includes an identifier of terminal 203 and an identifier of the first group. Optionally, the second request also includes second indication information, which is used to indicate that terminal 203 is removed from the first group or to indicate that terminal 203 requests to exit the first group.

[0208] Exemplarily, the content included in the second request may be in JSON format, such as the second request includes {ID of the removed group: ID of the first group}.

[0209] In one possible implementation, terminal 203 may determine to exit the first group based on a local decision, an application-side notification, or a network-side notification, and send a second request. For example, terminal 203 may locally determine that the service of the first group has ended, or may receive third indication information from service node 205 or network element 201, and send the second request to network element 202. The third indication information may indicate that the service of the first group has failed or ended, or may instruct terminal 203 to exit the first group.

[0210] S510: Network element 202 sends a second request to network element 201. Correspondingly, network element 201 receives the second request from network element 202.

[0211] It can be understood that after network element 202 receives the second request from terminal 203, it can directly forward the second request to network element 201; or, after network element 202 receives the second request from terminal 203, it further processes the second request, such as repackaging, adding information or deleting information, and sends the processed information to network element 201.

[0212] S511 : The network element 201 deletes the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal 203 .

[0213] S512: The network element 201 sends first indication information to the network element 204. Correspondingly, the network element 204 receives the first indication information from the network element 201.

[0214] In the present application, the first indication information is used to indicate an update of the policy for terminal 203 to access the core network, or to indicate that terminal 203 has been removed from the first group, or to indicate that terminal 203 has exited the first group. The first indication information includes the identifier of terminal 203 and the identifier of the first group. Therefore, after receiving the first indication information, network element 204 can delete the first policy information, or update the first policy information to the second policy information. For example, if terminal 203 is not registered in the operator's network or terminal 203 is disconnected from the network, network element 204 deletes the first policy information. For another example, if terminal 203 is registered in the operator's network, network element 204 can determine the second policy information based on the information of terminal 203, and send the second policy information to network element 202 so that network element 202 executes the second policy information. The second policy information is used to indicate the policy for terminal 203 to access the core network. The second policy information and the first policy information can be the same or different. Taking the information of terminal 203 including the contract information of terminal 203, the contract information of terminal 203 indicates that the contract bandwidth of terminal 203 is 200M, and the policy information of the first group indicates that the guaranteed bandwidth of group members is 300M as an example, if the first policy information indicates that the guaranteed bandwidth of terminal 203 is 300M, after terminal 203 exits the first group, network element 204 determines the second policy information based on the contract information of terminal 203, and the second policy information indicates that the guaranteed bandwidth of terminal 203 is 200M.

[0215] In one possible design, if the first indication information indicates updating the core network access policy of terminal 203, the first indication information may include a cause value indicating the reason for updating the core network access policy of terminal 203. In this example, the cause is removing terminal 203 from the first group or terminal 203 exiting the first group. Alternatively, if the first indication information indicates removing terminal 203 from the first group or terminal 203 exiting the first group, the first indication information may be used to trigger updating the core network access policy of terminal 203.

[0216] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the method shown in FIG5 , if the policy information of the first group is updated, the service node 205 may trigger the group policy update process. For example, as shown in FIG6 , the method shown in FIG5 further includes the following steps:

[0217] S513 : The service node 205 sends a policy update request to the network element 201 . Correspondingly, the network element 201 receives the policy update request from the service node 205 .

[0218] In this application, a policy update request is used to request an update of the policy information of a first group, such as deleting the policy information of the first group or updating all or part of the policy information of the first group. The policy update request includes an identifier of the first group and indicates the information in the policy information of the first group that needs to be updated.

[0219] S514: The network element 201 sends the updated policy information of the first group to the network element 204. Correspondingly, the network element 204 receives the updated policy information of the first group from the network element 201.

[0220] It is understandable that after receiving the policy update request, network element 201 searches for the policy information of the first group locally, obtains the updated policy information of the first group based on the request, and sends the updated policy information of the first group to network element 204. Network element 201 also replaces part or all of the locally stored policy information of the first group with the updated policy information of the first group.

[0221] It is understandable that after receiving the updated policy information for the first group, network element 204 can determine the policy for all or some of the terminals in the first group to access the core network based on the updated policy information for the first group, so that network element 202 can execute the policy, thereby achieving terminal-level policy updates. The process of network element 204 determining the policy for all or some of the terminals to access the core network can be referred to the process of network element 204 determining the first policy information in S507, and will not be further described.

[0222] It can be understood that the actions of the network element 201 or network element 202 or terminal 203 or network element 204 or service node 205 in the above S500-S515 can be executed by the processor 401 in the communication device 40 shown in Figure 4 calling the application code stored in the memory 403, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0223] To better understand the communication method provided by this application, the following describes the communication method provided by this application, taking network element 201 as the GDMF network element in Figure 3, network element 202 as the SMF network element in Figure 3, terminal 203 as the terminal in Figure 3, network element 204 as the PCF network element in Figure 3, and service node 205 as the AF network element in Figure 3 as an example. It is understood that the descriptions of the various features and steps in the methods shown in Figures 5 to 7 can refer to each other.

[0224] As shown in FIG7 , another communication method provided by the present application may include the following steps:

[0225] S701: The AF network element sends a registration request to the GDMF network element. Correspondingly, the GDMF network element receives the registration request from the AF network element.

[0226] It can be understood that the process of S701 is similar to the process of S500, and reference may be made to the corresponding description in S500, which will not be repeated here.

[0227] S702: The terminal obtains an identifier of the first group.

[0228] S703: The terminal sends a request to the SMF network element to access the core network. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the request from the terminal to access the core network.

[0229] S704: The SMF network element sends a first request to the GDMF network element. Correspondingly, the GDMF network element receives the first request from the SMF network element.

[0230] S705: In the case where the terminal is allowed to join the first group, the GDMF network element saves the association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal.

[0231] S706: The GDMF network element sends a response message of the first request to the SMF network element. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the response message of the first request from the GDMF network element.

[0232] It can be understood that the process of S702-S706 is similar to the process of S501-S504. Please refer to the corresponding description in S501-S504 and do not repeat them here.

[0233] S707: The SMF network element sends a policy request to the PCF network element. Correspondingly, the PCF network element receives the policy request from the SMF network element.

[0234] S708: The PCF network element determines the policy information of the first group according to the identifier of the first group.

[0235] S709: The PCF network element sends the first policy information to the SMF network element. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the first policy information from the PCF network element.

[0236] S710: The SMF network element executes the first policy information.

[0237] It can be understood that the process of S707-S710 is similar to the process of S505-S508. Please refer to the corresponding description in S505-S508 and do not repeat them here.

[0238] S711: The SMF network element sends a response message to the terminal regarding the request to access the core network. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the response message to the request to access the core network from the SMF network element.

[0239] It can be understood that the process of S711 is similar to the process of the network element 202 sending the second response message to the terminal 203 in S504. Please refer to the corresponding description in S504 and no further details will be given.

[0240] Optionally, if the terminal decides to exit the first group, the terminal may request the GDMF network element to remove the terminal from the first group via the SMF network element. For example, the method shown in FIG7 may further include the following optional steps:

[0241] S712: The terminal sends a second request to the SMF network element. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the second request from the terminal.

[0242] S713: The SMF network element sends a second request to the GDMF network element. Correspondingly, the GDMF network element receives the second request from the SMF network element.

[0243] S714: The GDMF network element deletes the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal.

[0244] S715: The GDMF network element sends first indication information to the PCF network element. Correspondingly, the PCF network element receives the first indication information from the GDMF network element.

[0245] It can be understood that the process of S712-S715 is similar to the process of S509-S512. Please refer to the corresponding description in S509-S512 and no further details will be given.

[0246] Optionally, if the policy information of the first group is updated, the AF network element may trigger the group policy update process. For example, the method shown in FIG7 may further include the following optional steps:

[0247] S716: The AF network element sends a policy update request to the GDMF network element. Correspondingly, the GDMF network element receives the policy update request from the AF network element.

[0248] S717: The GDMF network element sends the updated policy information of the first group to the PCF network element. Correspondingly, the PCF network element receives the updated policy information of the first group from the GDMF network element.

[0249] It can be understood that the process of S716-S717 is similar to the process of S513-S514. Please refer to the corresponding description in S513-S514 and do not repeat it here.

[0250] It can be understood that the actions of the AF network element, GDMF network element, SMF network element, terminal or PCF network element in the above S701-S717 can be executed by the processor 401 in the communication device 40 shown in Figure 4 calling the application code stored in the memory 403, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0251] The various embodiments mentioned above in this application can be combined without limitation if there is no contradiction between the solutions.

[0252] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the present application from the perspective of interaction between various network elements. Accordingly, the present application also provides a communication device, which can be a network element (such as network element 201, network element 202 or network element 204) in the above method embodiment, or a device including the above network element, or a component that can be used for a network element; or, the communication device can be the terminal 203 in the above method embodiment, or a device including the above terminal 203, or a component that can be used for the terminal 203; or, the communication device can be the service node 205 in the above method embodiment, or a device including the above service node 205, or a component that can be used for the service node 205. It can be understood that in order to implement the above functions, the above network element, terminal 203 or service node 205, etc., include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm operations of the various examples 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 implemented in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians may 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.

[0253] The present application can divide the network element 201, network element 202, terminal 203, network element 204, or service node 205 into functional modules based on the above-mentioned method examples. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into a processing module. The above-mentioned integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. It is understood that the division of modules in this application is illustrative and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used.

[0254] For example, FIG8 illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 80, where the functional modules are integrated. Communication device 80 includes an interface module 801 and a processing module 802. Interface module 801, also known as an interface unit, performs transceiver operations and may be, for example, an interface circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface. Processing module 802, also known as a processing unit, performs operations other than transceiver operations and may be, for example, a processing circuit or a processor.

[0255] In some embodiments, the communication device 80 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 8 ) for storing program instructions and data.

[0256] Exemplarily, the communication device 80 is used to implement the functions of the network element 201. The communication device 80 is, for example, the network element 201 in the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6, or the GDMF network element in the embodiment shown in FIG7.

[0257] The interface module 801 is configured to receive a first request, wherein the first request is used to request permission for the terminal to access the core network, and the first request includes an identifier of the first group. For example, the interface module 801 may be configured to execute S503.

[0258] The processing module 802 is configured to save the association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal when it is determined that the terminal is allowed to join the first group. For example, the processing module 802 may be configured to execute S504.

[0259] In one possible implementation, the processing module 802 is specifically used to send an authentication request to the service node through the interface module 801, where the authentication request is used to request verification of whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group, and the service node is used to provide services for the terminals in the first group; the processing module 802 is specifically used to receive an authentication result from the service node through the interface module 801, where the authentication result is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0260] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to receive a registration request from a service node, where the registration request includes address information of the service node. The interface module 801 is specifically configured to send an authentication request to the service node according to the address information of the service node.

[0261] In a possible implementation, the registration request further includes authentication indication information, where the authentication indication information is used to instruct to authenticate the terminal requesting to join the first group.

[0262] In one possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further used to receive a second request, which is used to request to move the terminal out of the first group, and the second request includes the terminal identifier and the first group identifier; the processing module 802 is further used to delete the association between the first group identifier and the terminal identifier.

[0263] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to send first indication information to the policy function network element, where the first indication information is used to indicate updating of a policy for the terminal to access the core network, or to indicate that the terminal has been removed from the first group.

[0264] In one possible implementation, the interface module 801 is also used to receive a policy update request from a service node, the policy update request is used to request an update of the policy information of the first group, the service node is used to provide services for the terminals in the first group, and the policy information of the first group is used to indicate the policy for the terminals in the first group to access the core network; the interface module 801 is also used to send the updated policy information of the first group to the policy function network element.

[0265] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to receive a third request from the policy function network element, where the third request is used to request obtaining policy information of the first group; the interface module 801 is further configured to send the policy information of the first group to the policy function network element.

[0266] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to receive a fourth request, where the fourth request is used to request association of the terminal identifier with the identifier of the first group.

[0267] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to send a response message to the first request, where the response message is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0268] In a possible implementation, the response message to the first request includes a temporary identifier of the terminal.

[0269] In a possible implementation, the processing module 802 is further configured to allocate a temporary identifier to the terminal; or the interface module 801 is further configured to receive a temporary identifier from a service node, where the service node is configured to provide services for the terminals in the first group.

[0270] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to send the first group identifier allocated to the first group to a service node, and the service node is configured to provide services for the terminals in the first group.

[0271] When used to implement the functions of network element 201 or GDMF network element, for other functions that can be implemented by the communication device 80, please refer to the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the embodiment shown in Figure 6 or the relevant introduction of the embodiment shown in Figure 7, and no further details will be given.

[0272] Alternatively, illustratively, the communication device 80 is used to implement the functions of the network element 204. The communication device 80 is, for example, the network element 204 described in the embodiment shown in FIG6, or the PCF network element described in the embodiment shown in FIG7.

[0273] The interface module 801 is configured to receive a policy request. The policy request is used to request a policy for the terminal to access the core network, and the policy request includes an identifier of the first group. For example, the interface module 801 may be configured to execute S505.

[0274] The processing module 802 is configured to determine the policy information of the first group according to the identifier of the first group. The policy information of the first group is used to indicate the policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network. For example, the processing module 802 can be configured to execute S506.

[0275] Interface module 801 is further configured to send first policy information based on the policy information of the first group and the terminal information. The first policy information indicates a policy for the terminal to access the core network, and the terminal information includes the terminal's subscription information or the terminal's access information. For example, interface module 801 may also be configured to execute S507.

[0276] In a possible implementation, the policy request further includes an identifier of the terminal, and the processing module 802 is further configured to determine the terminal information according to the identifier of the terminal.

[0277] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to send a third request, where the third request is used to request to obtain policy information of the first group.

[0278] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is specifically configured to send the third request when the policy information of the first group is not stored.

[0279] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to send a fourth request, where the fourth request is used to request association of the terminal identifier with the identifier of the first group.

[0280] In one possible implementation, the interface module 801 is also used to receive first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate an update of the terminal access policy for the core network, or to indicate that the terminal has been removed from the first group; the interface module 801 is also used to send second policy information based on the terminal information, where the second policy information is used to indicate the terminal access policy for the core network.

[0281] When used to implement the functions of the network element 204 or the PCF network element, for other functions that the communication device 80 can implement, please refer to the relevant introduction of the embodiment shown in Figure 6 or the embodiment shown in Figure 7, and no further details will be given.

[0282] Alternatively, illustratively, the communication device 80 is used to implement the functions of a terminal. The communication device 80 is, for example, the terminal described in the embodiment shown in FIG5 , the embodiment shown in FIG6 , or the embodiment shown in FIG7 .

[0283] The processing module 802 is configured to obtain an identifier of the first group. For example, the processing module 802 may be configured to execute S501.

[0284] The interface module 801 is configured to send a request for accessing the core network to a third network element in the core network. The request for accessing the core network is used to request permission for the terminal to access the core network, and the request for accessing the core network includes an identifier of the first group. For example, the interface module 801 may be configured to execute S502.

[0285] The interface module 801 is further configured to receive a response message from a third network element, wherein the response message is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0286] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to send a second request to the third network element, where the second request is used to request to remove the terminal from the first group, and the second request includes an identifier of the terminal and an identifier of the first group.

[0287] In a possible implementation, the response message includes a temporary identifier of the terminal.

[0288] In a possible implementation, the processing module 802 is specifically configured to receive first information from a service node through the interface module 801 , where the first information is used to determine an identifier of the first group, and the service node is configured to provide services for terminals in the first group.

[0289] When used to implement the functions of the terminal, for other functions that the communication device 80 can implement, reference can be made to the relevant introductions of the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the embodiment shown in Figure 6 or the embodiment shown in Figure 7, and no further details will be given.

[0290] Alternatively, illustratively, the communication device 80 is used to implement the functions of the network element 202. The communication device 80 is, for example, the network element 202 described in the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6, or the SMF network element described in the embodiment shown in FIG7.

[0291] The interface module 801 is configured to send a policy request when it is determined that the core network allows the terminal to join the first group. The policy request is used to request a policy for the terminal to access the core network, and the policy request includes an identifier of the first group. For example, the interface module 801 may be configured to execute S505.

[0292] Interface module 801 is further configured to receive first policy information. The first policy information is determined based on the policy information of the first group and terminal information. The policy information of the first group indicates a core network access policy for terminals in the first group. The terminal information includes terminal subscription information or terminal access information. For example, interface module 801 may also be configured to execute S507.

[0293] The processing module 802 is configured to execute the first policy information. For example, the processing module 802 may be configured to execute S508.

[0294] In one possible implementation, the interface module 801 is also used to receive a request from the terminal for accessing the core network, the request for accessing the core network is used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, and the request for accessing the core network includes an identifier of the first group; the interface module 801 is also used to send a first request to the first network element of the core network based on the request for accessing the core network, the first request is used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, and the first request includes an identifier of the first group.

[0295] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to receive a response message to the first request from the first network element, where the response message to the first request is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0296] In a possible implementation, the response message to the first request includes a temporary identifier of the terminal.

[0297] When used to implement the functions of the network element 202, regarding other functions that the communication device 80 can implement, please refer to the relevant introduction of the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the embodiment shown in Figure 6 or the embodiment shown in Figure 7, and no further details will be given.

[0298] Alternatively, illustratively, the communication device 80 is used to implement the function of the service node 505. The communication device 80 is, for example, the service node 205 described in the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6 , or the AF network element described in the embodiment shown in FIG7 .

[0299] The interface module 801 is configured to receive an authentication request from a first network element of a core network, wherein the authentication request is used to request verification of whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group, and the authentication request includes an identifier of the first group and an identifier of the terminal.

[0300] The processing module 802 is configured to authenticate the terminal according to the authentication request.

[0301] The interface module 801 is further configured to send an authentication result, wherein the authentication result is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

[0302] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to send a registration request to the first network element, where the registration request includes address information of the service node.

[0303] In a possible implementation, the registration request further includes authentication indication information, where the authentication indication information is used to instruct to authenticate the terminal requesting to join the first group.

[0304] In one possible implementation, the interface module 801 is also used to send a policy update request to the first network element. The policy update request is used to request an update of the policy information of the first group. The policy information of the first group is used to indicate the policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network. The policy update request includes an identifier of the first group.

[0305] In a possible implementation, the interface module 801 is further configured to receive an identifier of the first group allocated by the first network element to the first group.

[0306] When used to implement the function of the service node 205, regarding other functions that the communication device 80 can implement, reference can be made to the relevant introductions of the embodiment shown in FIG5 , the embodiment shown in FIG6 , or the embodiment shown in FIG7 , and no further details will be given.

[0307] In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art may conceive that the communication device 80 may be in the form shown in Figure 4. For example, the processor 401 in Figure 4 may call computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403 to enable the communication device 80 to execute the method described in the above embodiment.

[0308] Exemplarily, the functions / implementation processes of the interface module 801 and the processing module 802 in FIG8 can be implemented by the processor 401 in FIG4 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 802 in FIG8 can be implemented by the processor 401 in FIG4 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403, and the functions / implementation processes of the interface module 801 in FIG8 can be implemented by the communication interface 404 in FIG4.

[0309] It is understandable that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of the two. When any of the above modules or units is implemented by software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in a memory, and a processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can be built into an SoC (system on chip) or an ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. In addition to the core used to execute software instructions to perform calculations or processing within the processor, it can further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), PLDs (programmable logic devices), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0310] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0311] Optionally, the present application also provides a chip system, comprising: at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor executes a computer program or instruction in the memory, the method in any of the above method embodiments is executed. In one possible implementation, the chip system also includes a memory. Optionally, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0312] Optionally, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by a computer program to instruct the relevant hardware. The program can be stored in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the communication device of any of the above-mentioned embodiments, such as a hard disk or memory of the communication device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the above-mentioned communication device, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (smart media card, SMC), a secure digital (secure digital, SD) card, a flash card (flash card), etc. equipped on the above-mentioned communication device. Furthermore, the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also include both the internal storage unit of the above-mentioned communication device and an external storage device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium is used to store the above-mentioned computer program and other programs and data required by the above-mentioned communication device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0313] Optionally, the present application also provides a computer program product. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments may be completed by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program may be stored in the above computer program product, and when executed, the program may include the processes in the above method embodiments.

[0314] Optionally, the present application also provides a computer instruction. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by computer instructions to instruct related hardware (such as a computer, a processor, network element 201, network element 202, terminal 203, network element 204, or service node 205). The program can be stored in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium or in the above-mentioned computer program product.

[0315] Optionally, the present application further provides a communication system, including: the network element 201, the network element 202 and the terminal 203 in the above embodiment. Optionally, the communication system further includes at least one of the network element 204 or the service node 205.

[0316] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0317] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed 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 modules or 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 device, 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.

[0318] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed in multiple places. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0319] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0320] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited to this. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first network element of a core network, the method comprising: receiving a first request, where the first request is used to request that a terminal be allowed to access the core network, and the first request includes an identifier of a first group; In the case where it is determined that the terminal is allowed to join the first group, an association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal is saved.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining to allow the terminal to join the first group includes: Sending an authentication request to a service node, the authentication request being used to request verification of whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group, the service node being used to provide services for the terminals in the first group; An authentication result is received from the service node, where the authentication result is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Before sending the authentication request to the service node, the method further includes: receiving a registration request from the service node, wherein the registration request includes address information of the service node; The sending of the authentication request to the service node comprises: The authentication request is sent to the service node according to the address information of the service node.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The registration request further includes authentication indication information, where the authentication indication information is used to instruct to authenticate the terminal requesting to join the first group.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a second request, where the second request is used to request to move the terminal out of the first group, and the second request includes an identifier of the terminal and an identifier of the first group; The association between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal is deleted.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending first indication information to a policy function network element, where the first indication information is used to indicate updating a policy for the terminal to access the core network, or to indicate that the terminal has been removed from the first group.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a policy update request from a service node, the policy update request being used to request an update of policy information of the first group, the service node being used to provide services for terminals in the first group, the policy information of the first group being used to indicate a policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network; Sending updated policy information of the first group to the policy function network element.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a third request from a policy function network element, wherein the third request is used to request obtaining policy information of the first group; Sending the policy information of the first group to the policy function network element.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: A fourth request is received, where the fourth request is used to request association of the identifier of the terminal with the identifier of the first group.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: A response message of the first request is sent, where the response message is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The response message of the first request includes the temporary identifier of the terminal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that Before sending the response message to the first request, the method further includes: allocating the temporary identity to the terminal; or, The temporary identifier is received from a service node, where the service node is used to provide services for terminals in the first group.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: An identifier of the first group allocated to the first group is sent to a service node, where the service node is used to provide a service for terminals in the first group.

14. A communication method, characterized in that: The method applied to a second network element of a core network includes: receiving a policy request, the policy request being used to request a policy for a terminal to access the core network, the policy request including an identifier of a first group; determining, according to the identifier of the first group, policy information of the first group, where the policy information of the first group is used to indicate a policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network; First policy information is sent according to the policy information of the first group and the information of the terminal, where the first policy information is used to indicate a policy for the terminal to access the core network, and the information of the terminal includes subscription information of the terminal or access information of the terminal.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The policy request also includes an identifier of the terminal, and the method further includes: The information of the terminal is determined according to the identifier of the terminal.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: A third request is sent, where the third request is used to request to obtain policy information of the first group.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The sending of the third request comprises: If the policy information of the first group is not stored, the third request is sent.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A fourth request is sent, where the fourth request is used to request to associate the identifier of the terminal with the identifier of the first group.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate updating a policy for the terminal to access the core network, or to indicate that the terminal has been removed from the first group; Second policy information is sent according to the information of the terminal, where the second policy information is used to indicate a policy for the terminal to access the core network.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a terminal or a chip in the terminal, and the method includes: Obtaining an identifier of a first group; Sending a request for accessing the core network to a third network element in the core network, where the request for accessing the core network is used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, and the request for accessing the core network includes an identifier of the first group; A response message is received from the third network element, where the response message is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The method further comprises: A second request is sent to the third network element, where the second request is used to request to move the terminal out of the first group, and the second request includes an identifier of the terminal and an identifier of the first group.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The response message includes the temporary identifier of the terminal.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that The obtaining the identifier of the first group includes: First information is received from a service node, where the first information is used to determine an identifier of the first group, and the service node is used to provide services for terminals in the first group.

24. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a third network element of a core network, the method comprising: If it is determined that the core network allows the terminal to join the first group, sending a policy request, where the policy request is used to request a policy for the terminal to access the core network, and the policy request includes an identifier of the first group; receiving first policy information, where the first policy information is determined according to policy information of the first group and information of the terminal, where the policy information of the first group is used to indicate a policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network, and the information of the terminal includes subscription information of the terminal or access information of the terminal; The first policy information is executed.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a request for accessing a core network from a terminal, the request for accessing the core network being used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, the request for accessing the core network including an identifier of the first group; A first request is sent to a first network element of the core network according to the request for accessing the core network, where the first request is used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, and the first request includes an identifier of the first group.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that The method further comprises: A response message to the first request is received from the first network element, where the response message to the first request is used to indicate that the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The response message of the first request includes the temporary identifier of the terminal.

28. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a service node, the service node being used to provide services for terminals in a first group, and the method includes: receiving an authentication request from a first network element of a core network, the authentication request being used to request verification of whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group, the authentication request including an identifier of the first group and an identifier of the terminal; authenticating the terminal according to the authentication request; An authentication result is sent to the first network element, where the authentication result is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to join the first group.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that The method further comprises: A registration request is sent to the first network element, where the registration request includes address information of the service node.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that The registration request further includes authentication indication information, where the authentication indication information is used to instruct to authenticate the terminal requesting to join the first group.

31. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 30, characterized in that The method further comprises: A policy update request is sent to the first network element, where the policy update request is used to request an update of policy information of the first group, where the policy information of the first group is used to indicate a policy for terminals in the first group to access the core network, and the policy update request includes an identifier of the first group.

32. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 31, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive an identifier of the first group allocated by the first network element to the first group.

33. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising a unit or module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 23, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 27, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 32.

34. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, the processor being coupled to a memory, the memory being used to store programs or instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 23, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 27, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 32.

35. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instruction stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program or instructions are executed, the computer performs the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 23, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 27, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 32.

36. A computer program product, comprising computer program code, characterized in that: When the computer program code runs on a computer, the computer implements the method of any one of claims 1 to 13, or implements the method of any one of claims 14 to 19, or implements the method of any one of claims 20 to 23, or implements the method of any one of claims 24 to 27, or implements the method of any one of claims 28 to 32.

37. A communication system, characterized in that: include: An apparatus for performing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, and an apparatus for performing the method as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 27.

38. The communication system according to claim 37, characterized in that The communication system further includes at least one of the following: an apparatus for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19, or an apparatus for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 32.

39. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: A third network element in the core network receives a request from a terminal to access the core network, where the request to access the core network is used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, and the request to access the core network includes an identifier of the first group; The third network element sends a first request to a first network element in the core network, where the first request is used to request that the terminal be allowed to access the core network, and the first request includes an identifier of the first group; The first network element receives the first request, and if it is determined that the terminal is allowed to join the first group, saves the association relationship between the identifier of the first group and the identifier of the terminal.

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