Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a related apparatus, which can be applied to multicast and broadcast services under an integrated access backhaul architecture. The method comprises: a first access network device receives a first message and a second message, wherein the first message carries the address of a second access network device, the second message carries the addresses of N third access network devices, and the N third access network devices are child nodes of the second access network device; the first access network device transmits data to the second access network device on the basis of the address of the second access network device, and sends the addresses of the N third access network devices to the second access network device, so as to instruct the second access network device to forward the data to the N third access network devices. In the present application, when a first access network device needs to send the same data to a plurality of third access network devices, the first access network device only needs to send one copy of the data to a second access network device, and the second access network device subsequently forwards the data, thereby reducing the data transmission burden of the first access network device.

Description

A communication method and related device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on October 31, 2023, with application number 202311443015.0 and application name “A communication method and related devices”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related devices. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G) has become increasingly widely adopted. In 5G networks, base stations are divided into two parts: centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs). The DUs of different base stations are deployed independently, while the CUs are centrally deployed. Processing of critical real-time requirements is handled in the DUs, while less critical requirements are handled in the CUs.

[0004] In the CU-DU architecture, the ideal backhaul technology is to connect the CU and DU with optical fiber. However, in actual deployment, optical fiber connection is often not possible due to reasons such as the deployment environment or deployment cost. In this case, integrated access backhaul (IAB) technology can be used for relay backhaul. Specifically, the IAB architecture provides wireless access links and wireless backhaul links, where the wireless backhaul link is the communication link between IAB base stations, and the wireless access link is the communication link between the IAB base station and the terminal device. Data transmission can be achieved through the wireless access link and the wireless backhaul link, so there is no need for data backhaul between IAB base stations through wired transmission networks such as optical fiber.

[0005] The IAB architecture includes a donor base station and other node base stations. The IAB donor base station is connected to the core network equipment via a wired connection, and the node base station is connected to the IAB donor base station via a wireless backhaul link, thereby connecting the terminal devices served by the IAB node base station to the core network. In addition, there can be multiple hops when the IAB node base station connects to the IAB donor base station, that is, a node base station (node2 base station) first connects to another node base station (node1 base station), and then connects to the IAB donor base station through this base station. Among them, node2 base station is a child node of node1 base station.

[0006] Currently, the IAB architecture only considers unicast services. That is, in a multi-hop scenario, if the host base station wants to send data to node2, it must forward the data to its child node, node2, via node1. Specifically, if the host base station needs to transmit data to node2, it must establish a separate data tunnel with node2. However, the data transmitted from the host base station to node2 must also be forwarded via node1. This data is transmitted transparently to node1. Assuming there is also node3, which is also a child of node1, if the host base station wants to send the same data to node3, it must also establish a separate data tunnel with node3 and send a copy of the same data to node1. If Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) is considered for the host base station, the host base station must send multiple copies of the same data to node1, which then forwards the data to node2 and node3. Therefore, the host base station needs to establish data tunnels with the three node base stations (i.e., node1, node2, and node3) and repeatedly send the same data to the node1 base station, resulting in greater transmission pressure on the host base station.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present application provides a communication method and related devices that can reduce the transmission pressure of a host base station.

[0009] The first aspect of the present application provides a communication method that can be applied to a first access network device. The first access network device can be an access network device, or the first access network device is a partial component in the access network device (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or the first access network device can also be a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the access network device. The method includes: receiving a first message sent by a second access network device, the first message carries the address of the second access network device; receiving a second message sent by N third access network devices respectively, each second message carries the address of the corresponding third access network device, and the N third access network devices are subnodes of the second access network device; sending data to the second access network device based on the address of the second access network device; sending the addresses of N third access network devices to the second access network device, and the addresses of the N third access network devices are used to instruct the second access network device to forward data to the N third access network devices.

[0010] The third access network device may include one or more third access network devices, each of which sends a second message to the first access network device. Each second message carries the address of the corresponding third access network device (i.e., the third access network device that sends the second message). In other words, N third access network devices may send N second messages, each of which carries the addresses of the N third access network devices.

[0011] The third access network device is a child node of the second access network device. When the first access network device transmits data to the third access network device, it must be forwarded through the routing of the second access network device. When there are multiple third access network devices, the first access network device must send multiple copies of data to the second access network device. If the first access network device is running MBS, the multiple copies of data sent are identical.

[0012] In the first aspect of the present application, a first access network device sends the address of a third access network device to a second access network device, instructing the second access network device to forward data to the third access network device, thereby enabling the second access network device to implement a data forwarding function. In other words, the first access network device only needs to send data to the second access network device, which will then forward the data to N third access network devices. When the first access network device needs to send the same data to multiple third access network devices, for example, if the service performed by the first access network device is MBS, the first access network device only needs to send one copy of the data to the second access network device, which will then forward the data to multiple third access network devices, thereby reducing the data transmission pressure on the first access network device.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the method is applied to an integrated access backhaul (IAB) architecture.

[0014] In the IAB architecture, the first access network device is an IAB donor base station, and the second and third access network devices are IAB node base stations. This possible implementation method limits the application scenarios of the communication method and improves the feasibility of the solution.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the method is applied to a multicast broadcast service (MBS).

[0016] Under MBS services, the data sent by a first access network device to multiple third access network devices is the same data. The first access network device only needs to send one copy of the data to the second access network device, which will then forward it, thereby reducing the transmission pressure on the first access network device.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, N is equal to 1.

[0018] In this possible implementation, only one address of the third access network device is added to the second access network device at a time, which can flexibly implement the addition of sub-nodes, that is, the address of the sub-node is added when the second access network device needs to forward data, and is not added when it is not needed.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, N is greater than 1.

[0020] In this possible implementation, multiple addresses of third access network devices can be added to the second access network device at one time, which reduces the redundant process of adding each time and reduces the complexity of the solution.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the above-mentioned step of sending the addresses of N third access network devices to the second access network device includes: creating an address list, the address list including the addresses of N third access network devices; and sending the address list to the second access network device.

[0022] By creating an address list and adding the addresses of multiple third access network devices to the address list, multiple addresses can be sent to the second access network device at once. Of course, the first access network device can also use other methods to send the addresses of multiple child nodes at once, such as carrying the addresses of multiple third access network devices in the data packet header. The specific method is not limited here.

[0023] In this possible implementation, multiple addresses are sent to the second access network device by sending an address list, which makes the solution more quickly implemented.

[0024] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the above-mentioned step of sending the addresses of N third access network devices to the second access network device includes: redefining the addresses of the N third access network devices to obtain the first address; and sending the first address to the second access network device.

[0025] The address of the third access network device can be a downlink user plane address of the third access network device, used to receive downlink data. After obtaining the address of the third access network device, the first access network device can redefine the address of the third access network device. Specifically, the address of the third access network device can be redefined using transport layer information. In addition to redefining the address, the first access network device can also directly send the obtained address of the third access network device to the second access network device. The specific details are not limited here.

[0026] In this possible implementation, the address of the third access network device can be flexibly defined. If the address of the third access network device needs to be changed, it will not affect the configuration information of the original service.

[0027] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the second message is a second broadcast session establishment response message. The first broadcast session establishment response message and the second broadcast session establishment response message are used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

[0028] The first access network device first sends a broadcast session establishment request message to the second access network device and N third access network devices. The second access network device replies with a first broadcast session establishment response message, thereby establishing a broadcast session with the first access network device. The N third access network devices then reply with a second broadcast session establishment response message, thereby establishing a broadcast session with the first access network device. The first broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of the second access network device, and the second broadcast session establishment response message carries the addresses of the third access network devices. This allows the first access network device to obtain the addresses of the second access network device and the N third access network devices.

[0029] In this possible implementation, the specific form of the session is limited, which improves the feasibility of the solution.

[0030] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the second message is a second multicast distribution establishment request message. The first multicast distribution establishment request message and the second multicast distribution establishment request message are used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

[0031] The first access network device replies with a multicast distribution establishment response message to the first multicast distribution establishment request message, thereby establishing a multicast session with the second access network device. The first access network device replies with a multicast distribution establishment response message to the second multicast distribution establishment request message, thereby establishing multicast sessions with N third access network devices. The first multicast distribution establishment request message carries the address of the second access network device, and the second multicast distribution establishment request message carries the address of the third access network device, so that the first access network device can obtain the addresses of the second access network device and the third access network device.

[0032] In this possible implementation, the established session is a multicast session, which expands the application scenarios of the solution and improves the feasibility of the solution.

[0033] The second aspect of the present application provides a communication method that can be applied to a second access network device. The second access network device can be an access network device, or the second access network device is a partial component in the access network device (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or the second access network device can also be a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the access network device. The method includes: sending a first message to the first access network device, the first message carries the address of the second access network device, and the address of the second access network device is used to instruct the first access network device to send data; receiving data sent by the first access network device; receiving the addresses of N third access network devices sent by the first access network device, the addresses are used to instruct the second access network device to forward data to N third access network devices, and the N third access network devices are subnodes of the second access network device; forwarding data to the N third access network devices based on the addresses.

[0034] The second access network device notifies the first access network device of the address through the first message, so that the first access network device can transmit data to the second access network device.

[0035] The third access network device is a child node of the second access network device. When the first access network device transmits data to the third access network device, it must be forwarded through the routing of the second access network device. When there are multiple third access network devices, the first access network device must send multiple copies of data to the second access network device. If the first access network device is running MBS, the multiple copies of data sent are identical.

[0036] In the second aspect of the present application, the first access network device sends the addresses of N third access network devices to the second access network, instructing the second access network device to forward the data sent by the first access network device to the N third access network devices, so that the second access network device implements the data forwarding function. In other words, the first access network device only needs to send data to the second access network device, and the second access network device will subsequently forward the data to the N third access network devices. When the first access network device needs to send the same data to multiple third access network devices, for example, the service performed by the first access network device is MBS, the first access network device only needs to send a copy of the data to the second access network device, and the second access network device will subsequently forward the data to multiple third access network devices, thereby reducing the data transmission pressure on the first access network device.

[0037] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the method is applied to an IAB architecture.

[0038] In the IAB architecture, the first access network device is an IAB donor base station, and the second and third access network devices are IAB node base stations. This possible implementation method limits the application scenarios of the communication method and improves the feasibility of the solution.

[0039] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the method is applied to an MBS.

[0040] Under MBS services, the data sent by a first access network device to multiple third access network devices is the same data. The first access network device only needs to send one copy of the data to the second access network device, which will then forward it, thereby reducing the transmission pressure on the first access network device.

[0041] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, N is equal to 1.

[0042] In this possible implementation, only one address of the third access network device is added to the second access network device at a time, which can flexibly implement the addition of sub-nodes, that is, the address of the sub-node is added when the second access network device needs to forward data, and is not added when it is not needed.

[0043] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, N is greater than 1.

[0044] In this possible implementation, multiple addresses of third access network devices can be added to the second access network device at one time, which reduces the redundant process of adding each time and reduces the complexity of the solution.

[0045] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the above step of: receiving addresses of N third access network devices sent by the first access network device includes: receiving an address list, where the address list includes addresses of the N third access network devices.

[0046] The address list received by the second access network device includes the addresses of multiple third access network devices. Using the address list, the first access network device can send the addresses of multiple third access network devices to the second access network device at once. Of course, the first access network device can also use other methods to send the addresses of multiple child nodes at once, such as by including the addresses of multiple third access network devices in a data packet header. The specific method is not limited here.

[0047] In this possible implementation, multiple addresses are sent to the second access network device by sending an address list, which makes the solution more quickly implemented.

[0048] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the first broadcast session establishment response message is used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

[0049] In this possible implementation, the specific form of the first message is limited, which improves the feasibility of the solution.

[0050] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the first multicast distribution establishment request message is used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

[0051] In this possible implementation, the established session is a multicast session, which expands the application scenarios of the solution and improves the feasibility of the solution.

[0052] A third aspect of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a receiving unit and a sending unit. The receiving unit is configured to receive a first message sent by a second access network device, the first message carrying the address of the second access network device; the receiving unit is further configured to receive a second message sent by N third access network devices, each second message carrying the address of a corresponding third access network device, the N third access network devices being child nodes of the second access network device; the sending unit is configured to send data to the second access network device based on the address of the second access network device; the sending unit is further configured to send the addresses of the N third access network devices to the second access network device, the addresses of the N third access network devices being used to instruct the second access network device to forward data to the N third access network devices.

[0053] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the apparatus is applied to an IAB architecture.

[0054] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the device is applied to an MBS.

[0055] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, N is equal to 1.

[0056] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, N is greater than 1.

[0057] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the apparatus further includes a processing unit configured to create an address list including addresses of N third access network devices; and the sending unit is specifically configured to send the address list to the second access network device.

[0058] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the processing unit is specifically used to redefine the addresses of N third access network devices to obtain the first address; and the sending unit is specifically used to send the first address to the second access network device.

[0059] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the second message is a second broadcast session establishment response message. The first broadcast session establishment response message and the second broadcast session establishment response message are used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

[0060] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the second message is a second multicast distribution establishment request message. The first multicast distribution establishment request message and the second multicast distribution establishment request message are used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

[0061] The communication device provided in the third aspect of the present application is used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0062] A fourth aspect of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit is configured to send a first message to a first access network device, the first message carrying an address of a second access network device, the address of the second access network device being used to instruct the first access network device to send data; the receiving unit is configured to receive data sent by the first access network device; the receiving unit is further configured to receive addresses of N third access network devices sent by the first access network device, the addresses being used to instruct the second access network device to forward data to the N third access network devices, the N third access network devices being child nodes of the second access network device; and the sending unit is further configured to forward data to the N third access network devices based on the addresses.

[0063] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the apparatus is applied to an IAB architecture.

[0064] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the device is applied to an MBS.

[0065] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, N is equal to 1.

[0066] In a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, N is greater than 1.

[0067] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the receiving unit is specifically configured to receive an address list, where the address list includes addresses of N third access network devices.

[0068] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the first broadcast session establishment response message is used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

[0069] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the first multicast distribution establishment request message is used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

[0070] The communication device provided in the fourth aspect of this application is used to execute the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0071] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store programs or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions so that the communication device implements the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or implements the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0072] In a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0073] A seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the processor executes the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0074] An eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product (or computer program) storing one or more computers. When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the processor executes the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0075] A ninth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the functions involved in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or for supporting a communication device to implement the functions involved in the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0076] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. Optionally, the chip system may further include an interface circuit for providing program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0077] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG7 is another schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG8 is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0085] The following describes the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0086] The terms "system" and "network", "tunnel" and "data tunnel" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise specified, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0087] To facilitate understanding, the following first introduces the relevant terms and concepts mainly involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0088] 1. The terminal devices covered by this application include devices that provide voice services to users, devices that provide data connectivity to users, and devices that provide both voice and data connectivity to users. For example, these devices may include handheld devices with wireless connectivity or processing devices connected to wireless modems. Terminal devices may also be referred to as terminals. The terminals may communicate with the core network via a radio access network (RAN), exchanging voice or data with the RAN, or exchanging both voice and data with the RAN. The terminal may include user equipment (UE), wireless terminal, mobile terminal, device-to-device (D2D) communication terminal, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) terminal, road side unit (RSU), machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) terminal, Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, or user device, etc. It may include a mobile phone (also called a "cellular" phone), a computer with a mobile terminal, a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, or computer-built-in mobile device, etc. These devices may include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other devices. They also include constrained devices, devices with low power consumption, limited storage capacity, or limited computing power. They may include information sensing devices such as barcode scanners, radio frequency identification (RFID), sensors, global positioning systems (GPS), and laser scanners.

[0089] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be referred to as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, etc., which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, etc., as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0090] The various terminals introduced above, if located on a vehicle, for example, placed in or installed in a vehicle, can be considered as vehicle-mounted terminals. For example, a vehicle-mounted terminal is also called an on-board unit (OBU).

[0091] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal can be a terminal, or it can be a circuit that can support the terminal to implement the function, such as a circuit that can be applied to a chip system, and the chip system can be installed in the terminal. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described by taking the terminal as an example in which the device for implementing the function of the terminal is a terminal.

[0092] 2. The network equipment involved in this application may include radio access network (RAN) equipment, or access network equipment, such as a base station (e.g., access point). It may refer to a device in the access network that communicates with the terminal device through the air interface, or a network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology is a road side unit (RSU). The base station can be used to convert received air frames to and from IP packets, acting as a router between the terminal and the rest of the access network, where the rest of the access network may include an IP network. The RSU can be a fixed infrastructure entity that supports V2X applications and exchanges messages with other entities that support V2X applications. The network equipment can also coordinate the attribute management of the air interface. For example, the network device may include an evolutionary Node B (NodeB or eNB or e-NodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) system or an advanced long term evolution (LTE-A), or may include an evolved packet core network (EPC), a fifth generation communication technology (5G), a next generation node B (gNB) in a new radio (NR) system (also referred to as an NR system), or a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) in a cloud radio access network (Cloud RAN) system, or, in an open radio access network (Open RAN, ORAN) system, the CU may also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU may also be referred to as an O-DU, and the RU may also be referred to as an O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. Network devices may also include core network (CN) devices, such as access and mobility management functions (AMFs). Regarding RSUs, it should be noted that they can be either network-type RSUs or terminal-type RSUs. When acting as a network-type RSU, it performs the functions of a network-type device; when acting as a terminal-type RSU, it performs the functions of a terminal device.

[0093] Among them, the network device can send configuration information to the terminal device (for example, carried in a scheduling message and / or an indication message), and the terminal device further performs network configuration according to the configuration information, so that the network configurations between the network device and the terminal device are aligned; or, through the network configuration preset in the network device and the network configuration preset in the terminal device, the network configurations between the network device and the terminal device are aligned. Specifically, "alignment" means that when there are interactive messages between the network device and the terminal device, the two have a consistent understanding of the carrier frequency for sending and receiving interactive messages, the determination of the interactive message type, the meaning of the field information carried in the interactive message, or other configurations of the interactive message.

[0094] In addition, in other possible cases, the network device may be another device that provides wireless communication functions for the terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the network device. For the convenience of description, the embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0095] The network equipment may also include core network equipment, which may include, for example, an AMF network element, a user plane function (UPF) network element, or a session management function (SMF) network element.

[0096] In the embodiments of the present application, the apparatus for implementing the function of the network device may be the network device, or may be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing the function, such as a chip system, which may be installed in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described by taking the network device as an example.

[0097] The present invention provides a communication method that can reduce the transmission pressure of a donor base station. The present invention also provides a corresponding device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product. The following describes each of these methods.

[0098] 3. IAB Architecture

[0099] IAB (integrated access backhaul) is a transmission network that integrates access and backhaul between terminal devices, base stations, and core network equipment. IAB supports wireless relay in NG-RAN. Relay nodes are called IAB nodes (base station nodes), and the network-side backhaul termination nodes are called IAB donors (donors). IAB donors are connected to core network equipment via wired connections. Wireless backhaul links connect IAB nodes to IAB donors and between IAB nodes. Wireless access links connect IAB base stations to terminal devices.

[0100] Compared to ordinary base stations, IAB base stations have a new backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) layer. Its main function is routing, that is, after receiving data, it determines the next destination of the data. In other words, whether the data is submitted to the higher layer of the current IAB base station for processing and then sent to the terminal device served by the current IAB base station, or the data is sent to the next IAB base station for forwarding. The basis for determining the data destination is the BAP address and path identifier (PATH ID) in the data packet header, where the BAP address and PATH ID are collectively referred to as the routing ID. Specifically, taking downlink data transmission as an example, when each IAB base station is established, the IAB host base station will assign the IAB base station its own address, namely the BAP address, to the IAB base station, and at the same time specify the address of the next-hop IAB base station or IAB host base station corresponding to different Routing IDs in the backhaul routing information. Before the IAB host base station sends data, the BAP layer will add the BAP address and PATH ID to the BAP packet header. When the IAB base station receives the data, it compares it with the BAP address assigned to it. If the BAP address in the data is the same as its own BAP address, it proves that the data is sent to itself, so it is submitted to the upper layer for processing and then sent to the terminal device it serves; if the BAP address in the data packet is different from its own BAP address, it proves that the data is not sent to itself, and then it is sent to the next-hop IAB base station or IAB host base station based on the BAP address and PATH ID in the data packet.

[0101] 4. Multicast broadcast service

[0102] Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) is a service for multiple terminal devices, such as live broadcast service, public safety service, batch software update service, etc.

[0103] MBS services come from a data server. First, the data server sends the MBS data to the core network device, then the core network device sends the MBS data to the base station, and finally the base station sends the MBS data to at least one terminal device that receives the MBS service.

[0104] When sending data from the core network to the base station, MBS services are transmitted through a common transmission channel, an MBS session. Each MBS session can contain at least one MBS Quality of Service (QoS) flow. When sending data from the base station to the UE, data packets are transmitted through an MBS radio bearer. An MBS radio bearer has two transmission modes: point-to-multipoint (PTM) transmission and point-to-point (PTP) transmission.

[0105] 5. CU-DU Architecture

[0106] The CU-DU separated base station architecture is a new base station architecture introduced in 5G. In the 4G architecture, each base station is deployed independently and connected to the 4G core network respectively. In the 5G architecture, the DU part of different base stations is deployed independently, and the CU part is deployed centrally.

[0107] From a physical module perspective, a 4G base station is internally divided into several modules: the building baseband unit (BBU), the radio remote unit (RRU), and the antenna. Each base station has a BBU that is directly connected to the core network. In the 5G CU-DU separation architecture, the original RRU and antenna are combined into the active antenna unit (AAU), while the BBU is split into the DU and CU. Each base station has a DU, and multiple base stations share the same CU for centralized management.

[0108] From the perspective of the protocol stack structure, in a 5G base station, the physical bottom layer in the original 4G base station's BBU is moved to the AAU for processing, and the physical upper layer, media access control (MAC) layer, and radio link control (RLC) layer with high real-time requirements are placed in the DU for processing, while the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and radio resource control (RRC) layer with low real-time requirements are placed in the CU for processing.

[0109] In the CU-DU architecture, the interface between the CU and the DU is called the F1 interface. The CU can be further separated into the CU-CP (control plane) and the CU-UP (user plane). The interface between the CU-CP and the CU-UP is called the E1 interface. Among them, a base station generally has only one CU-CP, multiple CU-UPs, and DUs. A DU can only be connected to one CU-CP, and a CU-UP can only be connected to one CU-CP. The interface between the CU-CP and the DU is called F1-C, and the interface between the CU-UP and the DU is called F1-U. There can be multiple F1-Us between a DU and multiple CU-UPs. F1-U is usually used for data transmission and can also be called an F1-U tunnel.

[0110] Please refer to Figure 1 below, which is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0111] As shown in Figure 1, this application scenario is an application scenario under the IAB architecture, which includes core network equipment, IAB host (donor) base station, IAB node (node) base station and terminal equipment. Among them, the IAB node base station includes IAB base station 1, IAB base station 2 and IAB base station 3. The IAB base station provides a wireless access link (wireless access link) and a wireless backhaul link (wireless backhaul link). The IAB base stations are connected through the wireless backhaul link, and the IAB base station and the terminal devices it serves are connected through the wireless access link. Exemplarily, IAB base station 1 and IAB base station 2 are connected to the IAB host base station through a wireless backhaul link, and IAB base station 3 is also connected to IAB base station 2 through a wireless backhaul link. The IAB host base station, IAB base station 1 and IAB base station 3 respectively establish connections with the terminal devices within their respective service ranges (i.e., the elliptical area around each base station) through wireless access links.

[0112] The IAB host base station is connected to the core network equipment via a wired connection, and the IAB node base station accesses the core network by establishing a connection with the IAB host base station. As can be seen from Figure 1, the IAB architecture can have multiple hops, that is, the IAB node base station may not be directly connected to the IAB host base station, but may first connect to other IAB node base stations, and then establish a connection with the IAB host base station through the base station, wherein the IAB node base station is a child node of the connected IAB node base station (i.e., the node base station connected to the IAB host base station). Exemplarily, IAB base station 3 first connects to IAB base station 2, and establishes a connection with the IAB host base station through IAB base station 2, wherein IAB base station 3 is a child node of IAB base station 2.

[0113] Currently, the IAB architecture only considers unicast services. That is, in a multi-hop scenario, if the IAB host base station wants to send data to IAB base station 3, it must send it to its child node, IAB base station 3, through IAB base station 2. Specifically, if the IAB host base station wants to transmit data to IAB base station 3, it must establish a separate data tunnel with IAB base station 3. However, the data transmitted by the IAB host base station to IAB base station 3 must also be forwarded through the routing of IAB base station 2. This data is transmitted transparently for IAB base station 2. If IAB base station 2 has another child node, IAB base station 4, and the IAB host base station also wants to transmit the same data to IAB base station 4, for example, when the IAB host base station is performing a multicast broadcast task, the IAB host base station must also establish a separate data tunnel with IAB base station 4 and send a copy of the same data to IAB base station 2, which is forwarded through the routing of IAB base station 2. Therefore, the IAB host base station needs to establish data tunnels with three IAB node base stations (ie, IAB base station 2, IAB base station 3, and IAB base station 4), and repeatedly send the same data to IAB base station 2, resulting in greater transmission pressure on the IAB host base station.

[0114] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, in which the host base station adds the address of the child node of the data forwarding node to the data forwarding node, so that the data forwarding node can forward the data sent by the host base station to the child node, thereby reducing the transmission pressure of the host base station.

[0115] It should be understood that the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as LTE systems, NR systems, or future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication technology (6G) system, without specific limitation here.

[0116] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a first access network device, such as an IAB donor base station (also called a host base station) under an IAB architecture, or a host base station under a Relay architecture.

[0117] Please refer to FIG2 , which is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method provided in the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the embodiment includes steps 201 to 205 .

[0118] It should be noted that, while FIG2 illustrates the method using the first access network device, the second access network device, and the third access network device as examples of the execution entities of the interaction diagram, this application does not limit the execution entities of the interaction diagram. For example, in FIG2 and the corresponding implementation, the execution entity may be the first access network device, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the first access network device in implementing the method, or a logic module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the first access network device.

[0119] 201. A second access network device sends a first message to a first access network device, where the first message carries an address of the second access network device.

[0120] Optionally, the first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, which is used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device, thereby establishing a data tunnel. The first broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of the second access network device.

[0121] Optionally, the first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, which is used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device to establish a data tunnel. The first multicast distribution establishment request message carries the address of the second access network device.

[0122] In addition, the first message may also be simply used to inform the first access network device of the address of the second access network device, and the form of the first message is not specifically limited here.

[0123] 202. N third access network devices respectively send a second message to the first access network device, where each second message carries an address of a corresponding third access network device.

[0124] The third access network device may include one or more third access network devices, each of which sends a second message to the first access network device. Each second message carries the address of the corresponding third access network device (i.e., the third access network device that sends the second message). In other words, N third access network devices may send N second messages, each of which carries the addresses of the N third access network devices.

[0125] The third access network device is a child node of the second access network device. When the first access network device transmits data to the third access network device, it must be forwarded through the routing of the second access network device. When there are multiple third access network devices, the first access network device must send multiple copies of data to the second access network device. If the first access network device is running MBS, the multiple copies of data sent are identical.

[0126] Optionally, the second message is a second broadcast session establishment response message, which is used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device, thereby establishing a data tunnel. Each second broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of a third access network device.

[0127] Optionally, the second message is a second multicast distribution establishment request message, which is used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device, thereby establishing a data tunnel. Each second multicast distribution establishment request message carries the address of a third access network device.

[0128] Similarly, the second message may be simply used to inform the first access network device of the address of the third access network device, and the form of the second message is not specifically limited here.

[0129] 203. The first access network device sends data to the second access network device based on the address of the second access network device.

[0130] After the first access network device obtains the address of the second access network device, the user plane (UP) of the first access network device can send data to the address.

[0131] 204. The first access network device sends addresses of N third access network devices to the second access network device.

[0132] The control plane (CP) of the first access network device sends the addresses of N third access network devices to the second access network device, and the addresses of the N third access network devices are used to instruct the second access network device to forward the data sent by the first access network device to the N third access network devices.

[0133] In a possible solution, the value of N is 1, that is, the first access network device only establishes a session with one third access network device and obtains the address of the third access network device.

[0134] In another possible solution, the value of N is greater than 1, that is, the first access network device establishes sessions with multiple third access network devices and obtains addresses of the multiple third access network devices.

[0135] When N is 1, the first access network device sends only one third access network device address to the second access network device during each session. The second access network device only needs to forward data to one third access network device. In this case, child nodes can be added flexibly. Specifically, the address of the second access network child node is added when forwarding is required by the second access network device, and not added when it is not required.

[0136] For the case where N is greater than 1, the first access network device can send the addresses of multiple third access network devices to the second access network device in each session, and the second access network device will forward the data to the multiple third access network devices after receiving them. Exemplarily, the first access network device can create an address list (list) when the session is established, and after obtaining the addresses of N third access network devices, add the addresses of N third access network devices to the address list. The first access network device then sends the address list to the second access network device, and the addresses of N third access network devices can be sent to the second access network device. Of course, the first access network device can also send the addresses of multiple third access network devices to the second access network device in one session through other methods, which are not limited here. In this case, the addresses of multiple sub-nodes can be added to the second access network device in each session, which reduces the redundant process of each addition and reduces the complexity of the solution.

[0137] The address of the third access network device sent by the first access network device is a downlink user plane address of the third access network device, which is used to receive downlink data.

[0138] Optionally, the first access network device may directly send the acquired addresses of the N third access network devices to the second access network device.

[0139] Optionally, after the first access network device obtains the addresses of N third access network devices, it can redefine the addresses of the N third access network devices. Specifically, the addresses of the N third access network devices are redefined through transport layer (TNL) information to obtain the first address. The first access network device sends the first address to the second access network device. After receiving the first address, the second access network device will establish a data tunnel with the first address and forward the data sent by the first access network device to the N third access network devices through the data tunnel. In this case, the original address information is not reused, and the address of the third access network device can be flexibly defined. If the address of the third access network device needs to be changed, it will not affect the configuration information of the original service.

[0140] 205. The second access network device forwards the data sent by the first access network device to the N third access network devices based on the addresses of the N third access network devices.

[0141] In this embodiment, the first access network device transmits the address of the third access network device to the second access network device, instructing the second access network device to forward data to the third access network device, thereby enabling the second access network device to implement data forwarding. In other words, the first access network device only needs to send data to the second access network device, which will then forward the data to N third access network devices. If the first access network device needs to send the same data to multiple third access network devices, for example, if the first access network device is performing MBS, the first access network device only needs to send one copy of the data to the second access network device, which will then forward the data to multiple third access network devices, thereby reducing the data transmission pressure on the first access network device.

[0142] To make the solution more intuitive and clear, the following describes the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, using the example of a first access network device serving as an IAB donor base station, and a second and third access network devices serving as IAB node base stations. The communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application can be applied to Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) scenarios, specifically, both broadcast and multicast scenarios. Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present application, there can be one or more third access network devices, each of which will be described separately below.

[0143] The following first describes the broadcast scenario using Figures 3 and 4. Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, there is only one third access network device (i.e., the value of N is 1), and this embodiment includes steps 301 to 312.

[0144] 301. The 5G Core Network (5GC) sends a broadcast session establishment request to the IAB donor base station (i.e., the first access network device). Specifically, in a 5G network, the IAB base station is divided into two parts: the CU and the DU. The CU can be further divided into the CU-CP (control plane) and the CU-UP (user plane). The 5GC sends the broadcast session establishment request to the CU-CP in the IAB donor base station.

[0145] 302. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a broadcast session establishment request message to the DU of IAB node 1 (ie, the second access network device). Optionally, the broadcast session establishment request message carries the address of the IAB donor CU.

[0146] 303. The IAB node1DU replies to the IAB donor CU-CP with a first broadcast session establishment response message. The first broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of the IAB node1DU, that is, the downlink data address of the IAB node1.

[0147] 304. After receiving the first broadcast session establishment response message, the IAB donor CU-CP sends a context modification request to the IAB donor CU-UP. The context modification request carries the address of the IAB node1DU, so that the IAB donor CU-UP can send data to the IAB node1DU.

[0148] 305. The IAB donor CU-UP sends a context modification response to the IAB donor CU-CP.

[0149] 306. The IAB donor CU-UP sends the data to the IAB node1DU.

[0150] 307. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a broadcast session establishment request message to the DU of IAB node 2 (ie, the third access network device). Optionally, the broadcast session establishment request message carries the address of the IAB donor CU.

[0151] 308. The IAB node2DU replies to the IAB donor CU-CP with a second broadcast session establishment response message. The second broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of the IAB node2DU, that is, the downlink data address of the IAB node2.

[0152] It is understandable that step 307 and step 308 may occur before step 302 to step 306 or after step 302 to step 306, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0153] 309. The IAB donor CU-CP sends the address of the IAB node2DU to the IAB node1DU, instructing the IAB node1DU to forward the data to the IAB node2DU.

[0154] Optionally, the IAB donor CU-CP may directly send the acquired address of IAB node2DU to IAB node1DU. Alternatively, the IAB donor CU-CP may redefine an address (ie, a first address) for IAB node2 through transport layer information and send the redefined address to IAB node1DU.

[0155] 310. IAB node1DU sends a confirmation message to IAB donor CU-CP.

[0156] 311. IAB node1DU forwards the data sent by the IAB donor CU-UP to IAB node2DU based on the address of IAB node2DU.

[0157] It is understandable that step 311 may occur before step 310 or after step 310, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0158] 312. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a broadcast session establishment completion response to the 5GC.

[0159] In this embodiment, through the control plane broadcast session establishment process, the donor base station (i.e., the IAB donor base station) adds the address of its child node (i.e., IAB node2) to the data forwarding node (i.e., IAB node1), establishing a data tunnel between the data forwarding node and its child node. This allows the data forwarding node to proactively forward data to the child node, thus enabling MBS data transmission. The donor base station only needs to send one copy of data to IAB node1, reducing the transmission pressure on the donor base station. Furthermore, only the address of one of the data forwarding node's child nodes is added to the data forwarding node during each session establishment, allowing for flexible node addition.

[0160] 4 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication method provided by the present application. In the embodiment shown in FIG4 , there are multiple third access network devices (ie, the value of N is greater than 1), and this embodiment includes steps 401 to 414.

[0161] 401. 5GC sends a broadcast session establishment request to the IAB donor CU-CP.

[0162] 402. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a broadcast session establishment request message to the IAB node1DU.

[0163] 403. The IAB node1DU replies to the IAB donor CU-CP with a first broadcast session establishment response message, where the first broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of the IAB node1DU.

[0164] 404. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a context modification request to the IAB donor CU-UP. The context modification request carries the address of the IAB node1DU.

[0165] 405. The IAB donor CU-UP sends a context modification response to the IAB donor CU-CP.

[0166] 406. The IAB donor CU-UP sends the data to the IAB node1DU.

[0167] 407. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a broadcast session establishment request message to the IAB node2DU.

[0168] 408. The IAB node2DU replies to the IAB donor CU-CP with a second broadcast session establishment response message, where the second broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of the IAB node2DU.

[0169] Steps 401 to 408 in this embodiment are similar to steps 301 to 308 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , and are not described in detail here.

[0170] 409. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a broadcast session establishment request message to the IAB node 3 DU. Optionally, the broadcast session establishment request message carries the address of the IAB donor CU. It is understood that both IAB node 2 and IAB node 3 are third access network devices.

[0171] 410. IAB node3DU replies to the IAB donor CU-CP with a second broadcast session establishment response message. The second broadcast session establishment response message carries the address of IAB node3DU, that is, the downlink data address of IAB node3.

[0172] 411. The IAB donor CU-CP creates an address list that includes the addresses of IAB node2DU and IAB node3DU. The IAB donor CU-CP sends the address list to IAB node1DU, indicating that IAB node1DU can send data to IAB node2DU and IAB node3DU.

[0173] Optionally, the IAB donor CU-CP may directly send the acquired addresses of IAB node2DU and IAB node3DU to IAB node1DU. Alternatively, the IAB donor CU-CP may redefine the addresses (i.e., first addresses) of IAB node2 and IAB node3 through transport layer information and send the redefined addresses to IAB node1DU.

[0174] 412. IAB node1DU sends a confirmation message to IAB donor CU-CP.

[0175] 413. IAB node1DU forwards the data sent by the IAB donor CU-UP to IAB node2DU and IAB node3DU based on the address list.

[0176] It is understandable that step 311 may occur before step 310 or after step 310, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0177] 414. The IAB donor CU-CP sends a broadcast session establishment completion response to the 5GC.

[0178] In this embodiment, an address list is created each time a session is established, so that multiple child nodes can be added to the data forwarding node at one time, reducing redundant processes of adding multiple times.

[0179] The following describes the multicast scenario with reference to Figure 5. Similar to the broadcast scenario, the multicast scenario can be categorized as adding a single address at a time (i.e., involving only one third-party access network device) or adding multiple addresses at a time (i.e., involving multiple third-party access network devices). The only difference lies in the session establishment process. Therefore, the multicast scenario is described only for adding a single address at a time. Adding multiple addresses at a time can be understood by referring to the broadcast scenario.

[0180] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment includes steps 501 to 512.

[0181] 501. The 5GC sends a resource modification request to the IAB donor CU-CP.

[0182] 502. IAB node1DU sends a first multicast distribution setup request message to the IAB donor CU-CP. The request message carries the downlink user plane address of IAB node1DU. The first multicast distribution setup request message is used to request the IAB donor to establish a multicast session, thereby establishing a data tunnel.

[0183] 503. After receiving the first multicast distribution establishment request message, the IAB donor CU-CP sends a modification request message to the IAB donor CU-UP. The modification request message carries the address of the IAB node1DU, and is used to inform the IAB donor CU-UP of the downlink data address of the IAB node1DU.

[0184] 504. The IAB donor CU-UP sends a modification response message to the IAB donor CU-CP. The modification response message carries the uplink user plane address of the IAB donor CU-UP for uplink data transmission.

[0185] 505. The IAB donor CU-CP responds with a multicast distribution setup response message to the IAB node1DU, notifying the IAB node1 that the data tunnel establishment is complete. The multicast distribution setup response message carries the uplink user plane address of the IAB donor CU-UP, which is used by the IAB node1DU for uplink data transmission.

[0186] 506. The IAB donor CU-UP sends data to the IAB node1DU.

[0187] 507. IAB node2DU sends a second multicast distribution establishment request message to the IAB donor CU-CP. The request message carries the downlink user plane address of IAB node2DU. The second multicast distribution establishment request message is used to request the IAB donor to establish a multicast session, thereby establishing a data tunnel.

[0188] 508. The IAB donor CU-CP replies to the IAB node2DU with a multicast distribution establishment response message, to inform the IAB node2 that the data tunnel establishment is complete.

[0189] 509. After obtaining the address of IAB node2DU, the IAB donor CU-CP sends the address of IAB node2DU to IAB node1DU, indicating that IAB node1DU can send data to IAB node2DU.

[0190] Similar to the broadcast scenario, the IAB donor CU-CP can directly send the obtained IAB node2DU address to the IAB node1DU, or redefine an address. The details are not repeated here.

[0191] 510. IAB node1DU sends a confirmation message to IAB donor CU-CP.

[0192] 511. IAB node1DU forwards the data sent by the IAB donor CU-UP to IAB node2DU based on the address of IAB node2DU.

[0193] 512. The IAB donor CU-CP responds with a resource modification request to the 5GC.

[0194] In this embodiment, the address information of the child nodes of the data forwarding node is sent to the data forwarding node through the multicast session establishment process of the control plane, which expands the application scenario of the solution.

[0195] The above describes the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of the method. The following describes the relevant devices in the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of specific device implementation.

[0196] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 600 includes a receiving unit 601 and a sending unit 602. The communication device 600 can implement the functions of any access network device (e.g., the first access network device or the second access network device) in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0197] In a possible implementation, when the communication device 600 is used to execute the method executed by the first access network device in the aforementioned embodiment, the receiving unit 601 and the sending unit 602 included in the communication device 600 are used to implement the following process.

[0198] The receiving unit 601 is configured to receive a first message sent by a second access network device, where the first message carries an address of the second access network device.

[0199] The receiving unit 601 is further configured to receive a second message respectively sent by N third access network devices, each second message carrying the address of the corresponding third access network device, and the N third access network devices are subnodes of the second access network device.

[0200] The sending unit 602 is configured to send data to the second access network device based on the address of the second access network device.

[0201] The sending unit 602 is further configured to send addresses of N third access network devices to the second access network device, where the addresses of the N third access network devices are used to instruct the second access network device to forward data to the N third access network devices.

[0202] Optionally, the device is applied to an IAB architecture.

[0203] Optionally, the device is applied to MBS.

[0204] Optionally, N is equal to 1.

[0205] Optionally, N is greater than 1.

[0206] Optionally, the communication apparatus 600 further includes a processing unit 603, configured to create an address list, where the address list includes addresses of N third access network devices; and the sending unit 602 is specifically configured to send the address list to the second access network device.

[0207] Optionally, the processing unit 603 is specifically configured to redefine addresses of N third access network devices to obtain a first address; and the sending unit 602 is specifically configured to send the first address to the second access network device.

[0208] Optionally, the first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the second message is a second broadcast session establishment response message. The first broadcast session establishment response message and the second broadcast session establishment response message are used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

[0209] Optionally, the first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the second message is a second multicast distribution establishment request message. The first multicast distribution establishment request message and the second multicast distribution establishment request message are used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

[0210] Please refer to Figure 7 below, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 includes a sending unit 701 and a receiving unit 702. The communication device 700 can implement the functions of any access network device (e.g., the first access network device or the second access network device) in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0211] In a possible implementation, when the communication device 700 is used to execute the method executed by the second access network device in the aforementioned embodiment, the sending unit 701 and the receiving unit 702 included in the communication device 700 are used to implement the following process.

[0212] The sending unit 701 is used to send a first message to a first access network device, where the first message carries an address of a second access network device, and the address of the second access network device is used to instruct the first access network device to send data.

[0213] The receiving unit 702 is configured to receive data sent by the first access network device.

[0214] The receiving unit 702 is also used to receive the addresses of N third access network devices sent by the first access network device, which are used to instruct the second access network device to forward data to the N third access network devices, and the N third access network devices are subnodes of the second access network device.

[0215] The sending unit 701 is further configured to forward data to N third access network devices based on the address.

[0216] Optionally, the device is applied to an IAB architecture.

[0217] Optionally, the device is applied to MBS.

[0218] Optionally, N is equal to 1.

[0219] Optionally, N is greater than 1.

[0220] Optionally, the receiving unit 702 is specifically configured to receive an address list, where the address list includes addresses of N third access network devices.

[0221] Optionally, the first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the first broadcast session establishment response message is used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

[0222] Optionally, the first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the first multicast distribution establishment request message is used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

[0223] Please refer to FIG. 8 , which is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a communication device 800 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 800 may include but is not limited to at least one processor 801 and a communication port 802 .

[0224] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 803 and a bus 804. In an embodiment of the present application, the at least one processor 801 is used to control and process the actions of the communication device 800.

[0225] Furthermore, the processor 801 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor (GPPC), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device (PLD), a transistor logic device (TLD), a hardware component, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and the like. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for ease and brevity of description, the specific operating processes of the systems, devices, and units described above may refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be further described herein.

[0226] It should be noted that the communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the access network device (for example, the first access network device or the second access network device) in the aforementioned method embodiment, and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the access network device. The specific implementation methods of the communication device shown in Figure 8 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here one by one.

[0227] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in the possible implementation method of the access network device (e.g., the first access network device or the second access network device) in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0228] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) storing one or more computers. When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method of the possible implementation method of the above-mentioned access network device (for example, the first access network device or the second access network device).

[0229] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the functions involved in the possible implementation methods of the above-mentioned communication device. Optionally, the chip system also includes an interface circuit, which provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory, which is used to store the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. The chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device can specifically be the first access network device or the second access network device in the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0230] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0231] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0232] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0233] 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.

[0234] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first access network device, the method includes: receiving a first message sent by a second access network device, where the first message carries an address of the second access network device; Receiving a second message respectively sent by N third access network devices, wherein each second message carries an address of a corresponding third access network device, and the N third access network devices are subnodes of the second access network device; Sending data to the second access network device based on the address of the second access network device; The addresses of the N third access network devices are sent to the second access network device, where the addresses of the N third access network devices are used to instruct the second access network device to forward the data to the N third access network devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method is applied to an integrated access backhaul IAB architecture.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method is applied to multicast broadcast service MBS.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: N is equal to 1.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: N is greater than 1.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The sending the addresses of the N third access network devices to the second access network device includes: Creating an address list, wherein the address list includes addresses of the N third access network devices; Send the address list to the second access network device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The sending the addresses of the N third access network devices to the second access network device includes: Redefine the addresses of the N third access network devices to obtain a first address; Send the first address to the second access network device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the second message is a second broadcast session establishment response message. The first broadcast session establishment response message and the second broadcast session establishment response message are used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the second message is a second multicast distribution establishment request message. The first multicast distribution establishment request message and the second multicast distribution establishment request message are used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

10. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second access network device, the method comprises: Sending a first message to a first access network device, where the first message carries an address of the second access network device, and the address of the second access network device is used to instruct the first access network device to send data; Receiving data sent by the first access network device; receiving addresses of N third access network devices sent by the first access network device, where the addresses are used to instruct the second access network device to forward the data to the N third access network devices, where the N third access network devices are child nodes of the second access network device; The data is forwarded to the N third access network devices based on the address.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method is applied to the IAB framework.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The method is applied to MBS.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: N is equal to 1.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: N is greater than 1.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The receiving addresses of N third access network devices sent by the first access network device includes: An address list is received, where the address list includes addresses of the N third access network devices.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that The first message is a first broadcast session establishment response message, and the first broadcast session establishment response message is used to establish a broadcast session with the first access network device.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that The first message is a first multicast distribution establishment request message, and the first multicast distribution establishment request message is used to establish a multicast session with the first access network device.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A receiving unit, configured to receive a first message sent by a second access network device, where the first message carries an address of the second access network device; The receiving unit is further configured to receive a second message respectively sent by N third access network devices, wherein each second message carries an address of a corresponding third access network device, and the N third access network devices are subnodes of the second access network device; A sending unit, configured to send data to the second access network device based on the address of the second access network device; The sending unit is further used to send the addresses of the N third access network devices to the second access network device, and the addresses of the N third access network devices are used to instruct the second access network device to forward the data to the N third access network devices.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The device is applied to an integrated access backhaul IAB architecture.

20. The device according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that The device is applied to multicast broadcast service MBS.

21. The device according to claims 18 to 20, characterized in that The apparatus further comprises a processing unit, configured to create an address list, wherein the address list comprises addresses of the N third access network devices; The sending unit is specifically configured to send the address list to the second access network device.

22. The device according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that The processing unit is specifically configured to redefine the addresses of the N third access network devices to obtain a first address; The sending unit is specifically configured to send the first address to the second access network device.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a sending unit, configured to send a first message to a first access network device, wherein the first message carries an address of the second access network device, and the address of the second access network device is used to instruct the first access network device to send data; A receiving unit, configured to receive data sent by the first access network device; a receiving unit, configured to receive addresses of N third access network devices sent by the first access network device, wherein the addresses are used to instruct the second access network device to forward the data to the N third access network devices, and the N third access network devices are child nodes of the second access network device; A sending unit is used to forward the data to the N third access network devices based on the address.

24. The device according to claim 23, characterized in that The device is applied to the IAB framework.

25. The device according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that The device is applied to MBS.

26. The device according to any one of claims 23 to 25, characterized in that The receiving unit is specifically used for: An address list is received, where the address list includes addresses of the N third access network devices.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory; The memory is used to store programs or instructions; The at least one processor is configured to execute the program or instruction so that the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or so that the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 10 to 17.

28. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17 is implemented.

29. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

30. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes a processor and a communication interface; The communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run a computer program or instruction to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17.

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