Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method and a related apparatus. The method in an embodiment of the present application comprises: initiating a network registration request after a UE is powered on, and on the basis of a first APN, establishing a first PDN link between a communication module and a network device; in response to an external dialing instruction, activating a first connection between an upper computer and the communication module; binding the first connection to the first PDN link, such that the first connection is used for bearing service data of the upper computer; in response to a built-in dialing instruction, activating at least one second connection; and binding the second connection to the first PDN link, such that the second connection is used for bearing control signaling.

Description

A communication method and related device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 15, 2023, with application number 2023115278856 and invention name “A communication method and related device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] When the current terminal device establishes a communication connection with the network device through the communication module to process business, for complex terminal functions, two PDN links need to be established between the communication module and the network device to carry external business data and built-in control data respectively.

[0004] In actual use, a user may only subscribe to one APN with a carrier to establish a PDN link to carry external service data, and then use the default APN of the communication module during the terminal device's network registration process to establish another PDN link to carry internal control data. However, in this method, the terminal device only subscribes to one APN, but actually uses two APNs to establish two PDN links. Different network devices will process the terminal device's services according to different policies, which may cause data loss or PDN link interruption.

[0005] The terminal device can also sign up for two APNs to establish two PDN links to carry external service data and internal control data respectively, but this method will lead to increased usage costs in the future.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to various embodiments of the present application, a communication method and related apparatus are provided.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, applied to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE includes a host computer and a communication module, and the method includes:

[0009] After the UE is powered on, it initiates a network registration request and establishes a first PDN link between the communication module and the network device based on the first APN;

[0010] In response to an external dialing instruction, activating a first connection between the host computer and the communication module;

[0011] Binding the first connection to the first PDN link so that the first connection is used to carry service data;

[0012] activating at least one second connection in response to the built-in dialing instruction;

[0013] The second connection is bound to the first PDN link so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, binding the first connection with the first PDN link so that the first connection is used to carry service data includes:

[0015] Establishing a first virtual protocol module in the communication module;

[0016] Acquire, through the first virtual protocol module, a first IP address of the first PDN link;

[0017] The first IP address is allocated to the first connection, so as to transmit the service data using the first IP address.

[0018] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, allocating the first IP address to the first connection to transmit the service data using the first IP address includes:

[0019] establishing a first socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address;

[0020] The business data of the host computer is transmitted to the network device through the first connection and the first socket.

[0021] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, binding the second connection with the first PDN link so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling includes:

[0022] assigning the first IP address to the second connection, and binding the second connection to the first virtual protocol module;

[0023] establishing a second socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address;

[0024] The control signaling is transmitted to and from the network device through the second connection and the second socket.

[0025] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0026] In response to a first instruction, deactivating the first connection;

[0027] The first socket on the first virtual protocol module is deleted. After the first socket is deleted, the first connection is in a deactivated state and the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released.

[0028] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0029] When the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released and the initiator of the first instruction is not the host computer, re-initiating the first PDN link establishment request according to the first APN;

[0030] When the first PDN link is successfully established, resuming transmission of the service data and the control signaling with the network device based on the first IP address, the first connection, and the second connection;

[0031] When the first PDN link is not successfully established and the number of establishment times does not reach a preset number, the first PDN link establishment request is re-initiated according to the first APN after a first time period.

[0032] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0033] In response to a second instruction, deactivating the second connection;

[0034] The second socket on the first virtual protocol module is deleted, and the second connection is in a deactivated state after the second socket is deleted.

[0035] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the second connection includes at least one of the following: a connection between the VSIM card and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module, and a connection between the application in the communication module and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module.

[0036] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a processing device, wherein the processing device includes a processing unit and an activation unit.

[0037] The processing unit is used for:

[0038] Initiate a network injection request and establish a first PDN link between the communication module and the network device based on the first APN; bind the first connection to the first PDN link so that the first connection is used to carry service data of the host computer;

[0039] Binding the second connection to the first PDN link so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling;

[0040] The activation unit is used to:

[0041] In response to an external dialing instruction, activating a first connection between the host computer and the communication module;

[0042] In response to the built-in dialing instruction, at least one second connection is activated.

[0043] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the processing unit is further configured to:

[0044] Establishing a first virtual protocol module in the communication module;

[0045] Acquire, through the first virtual protocol module, a first IP address of the first PDN link;

[0046] The first IP address is allocated to the first connection, so as to transmit the service data of the host computer using the first IP address.

[0047] In yet another possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is further configured to:

[0048] establishing a first socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address;

[0049] The business data of the host computer is transmitted to the network device through the first connection and the first socket.

[0050] In yet another possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is further configured to:

[0051] assigning the first IP address to the second connection, and binding the second connection to the first virtual protocol module;

[0052] establishing a second socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address;

[0053] The control signaling is transmitted to and from the network device through the second connection and the second socket.

[0054] In yet another possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is further configured to:

[0055] Deleting the first socket on the first virtual protocol module, whereby after deleting the first socket, the first connection is in a deactivated state and a binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released;

[0056] The activation unit is further configured to deactivate the first connection in response to a first instruction.

[0057] In yet another possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is further configured to:

[0058] When the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released and the initiator of the first instruction is not the host computer, re-initiating the first PDN link establishment request according to the first APN;

[0059] When the first PDN link is successfully established, resuming transmission of the service data and the control signaling with the network device based on the first IP address, the first connection, and the second connection;

[0060] When the first PDN link is not successfully established and the number of establishment times does not reach a preset number, the first PDN link establishment request is re-initiated according to the first APN after a first time period.

[0061] In yet another possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is further configured to:

[0062] Deleting the second socket on the first virtual protocol module, wherein the second connection is in a deactivated state after the second socket is deleted;

[0063] The activation unit is further configured to deactivate the second connection in response to a second instruction.

[0064] In another possible implementation of the second aspect, the second connection includes at least one of the following: a connection between the VSIM card and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module, and a connection between the application in the communication module and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module.

[0065] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computing device comprising a processor and a memory; the processor executes instructions stored in the memory so that the computing device implements the method described in any one of the first aspects above.

[0066] Optionally, the computing device further includes a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive and / or send data, and / or the communication interface is used to provide input and / or output for the processor.

[0067] It should be noted that the above embodiments are described using a processor (or general-purpose processor) that executes a method by calling a computer instruction. In specific implementations, the processor may also be a dedicated processor, in which case the computer instructions are pre-loaded into the processor. Alternatively, the processor may include both a dedicated processor and a general-purpose processor.

[0068] Optionally, the processor and the memory may also be integrated into one device, that is, the processor and the memory may also be integrated together.

[0069] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed by a computing device, the computing device implements the method described in any one of the first aspects above.

[0070] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which includes computer instructions. When the instructions are executed by a computing device, the computing device implements the method described in any one of the first aspects above.

[0071] Optionally, the computer program product may be a software installation package or an image file. When the aforementioned method is required, the computer program product may be obtained and executed on a computing device.

[0072] The details of one or more embodiments of the present application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] In order to better describe and illustrate the embodiments and / or examples of the present application, reference may be made to one or more drawings. The additional descriptions or examples used to describe the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention of the present application, the embodiments and / or examples described in the present application, and any of the best modes of the invention understood by the present application.

[0074] The following is a brief introduction to the drawings used in describing the embodiments.

[0075] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an external dialing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a built-in dialing method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of another built-in dialing method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a deactivation process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a processing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0083] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0084] The following is an introduction to the system architecture used in the embodiments of this application. It should be noted that the system architecture and business scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by this application. It is understood by those skilled in the art that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0085] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. In order to more clearly describe the solution of the present application, some knowledge related to data communication of the solution is first introduced below.

[0086] (1) Public data network (PDN): PDN is a communication network that provides data communication services to the public.

[0087] (2) Access point name (APN). APN is a parameter configured when a user device accesses the Internet. It determines the type of network accessed by the user device through which access method. For users, there are many types of external networks that can be accessed, such as the Internet, wireless application protocol (WAP) websites, group enterprise internal networks, and industry-specific internal networks. Different APNs have different access scopes and access methods. The network side uses APN to distinguish which network the user device will access after activation and allocates the IP address of the network segment. In other words, APN determines the type of network accessed by the user device through which access method.

[0088] (3) Packet Data Protocol (PDP), PDP is the network protocol used by the external PDN network and GPRS interface.

[0089] (4) Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP): The DHCP protocol allows the server to dynamically assign IP addresses and configuration information to clients.

[0090] (5) Internet Protocol (IP) address, also translated as Internet Protocol address, is the IP address assigned to the communication module after the network device receives the dial-up request sent by the communication module. The IP address is used to point to the communication link between the communication module and the network device.

[0091] (6) Built-in dial-up means that after dialing, the communication module itself can access the network and transmit data services with network devices.

[0092] (7) External dialing means that after dialing, the user device can operate the host computer to access the network with the help of the communication module and transmit data services with the network device, and at this time the communication module itself does not directly transmit data services with the network device. Generally speaking, the communication module needs to dial during actual use, and dialing is divided into built-in dialing and external dialing. After the built-in dialing is completed, the communication module can transmit data services with the network device through the PDN link. After the external dialing is completed, the host computer connected to the communication module can transmit data services with the network device through the PDN link. The dialing process is mainly that after the communication module obtains the IP address corresponding to the PDN link established between the network device and the graphic module, it configures the IP address of the virtual protocol module according to the received activation instruction of the built-in dialing or external dialing to realize the communication connection with the network device.

[0093] (8) Socket: A socket is an abstraction of an endpoint for bidirectional communication between application processes on different hosts in a network. A socket is connected to the application process above and the network protocol stack below. It is the interface through which applications communicate via network protocols and the interface through which applications interact with the network protocol stack.

[0094] When the current terminal device establishes a communication connection with the network device through the communication module to process services, for complex terminal functions, it is necessary to establish two PDN links between the communication module and the network device to carry external service data and built-in control data respectively. In actual use, there may be a case where the user only signs up for one APN at the operator to establish a PDN link to carry external service data, and uses the default APN of the communication module during the terminal device network registration process to establish another PDN link to carry built-in control data. However, in this method, the terminal device only signs up for one APN, but actually uses two APNs to establish two PDN links. Different network devices will process the terminal device's services according to different strategies, which may result in data loss or PDN link interruption. Alternatively, the user can also sign up for two APNs to establish two PDN links to carry external service data and built-in control data respectively, but this method will lead to an increase in the cost of use in the later stage.

[0095] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method and related devices that can carry external business data and built-in control data through the same PDN link, reducing the possibility of data loss or PDN link interruption due to different PDN links. Compared with the implementation method of signing multiple APNs, it can effectively reduce the usage cost.

[0096] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a user equipment UE10 and a network device 103. Among them, the UE10 includes a host computer 101 and a communication module 102. Furthermore, the communication module 102 further includes a virtual protocol module 1021.

[0097] User equipment (UE) 10 is a user terminal in mobile communications. Exemplarily, UE may include a mobile phone, a smart terminal, a multimedia device, or a streaming media device.

[0098] The host computer 101 may be a computer or a single chip microcomputer that directly sends operation instructions, and generally provides an operation interactive interface for the user. For example, the host computer 101 may be a computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, a panel, a touch screen, etc., and may also be a part of the UE.

[0099] The communication module 102 is a device or apparatus for establishing a communication connection with a network device. The communication module 102 can be divided into two types: a cellular communication module and a non-cellular communication module according to different communication technologies. Cellular communication includes but is not limited to: second generation wireless telephone technology (2G), third generation wireless telephone technology (3G), fourth generation mobile communication technology (4G), fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Non-cellular communication includes but is not limited to: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee technology (ZigBee), long range radio (LoRa), etc.

[0100] The network device 103 may be a device for performing network communication with the user equipment UE 10. For example, the network device 103 may be an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or the network device may be a relay station, an access point, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a network device in a future 5G network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network.

[0101] The virtual protocol module 1021 is used for the communication module 102 to transmit data services with the network device 103 and / or the virtual protocol module 1021 is used for the host computer 101 to transmit data services with the network device 103.

[0102] In an embodiment of the present application, the user equipment UE10 establishes a first PDN link between the communication module 102 and the network device 103 according to the first APN. The user equipment UE10 responds to the external dialing instruction, activates the first connection between the host computer 101 and the communication module 102, and transmits the service data of the host computer 101 between the network device 103 through the first connection and the first PDN link. The user equipment UE10 responds to the built-in dialing instruction, activates the second connection, and transmits control signaling between the network device 103 through the second connection and the first PDN link.

[0103] In this way, the user equipment UE can carry external service data, built-in control data and VSIM operation data through the same PDN link, reducing the possibility of data loss or PDN link interruption due to different PDN links. Compared with the implementation method of signing multiple APNs, it can effectively reduce usage costs.

[0104] The following is an introduction to the method embodiments of the present application.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the method can be applied to a user equipment UE, for example, the method can be applied to the user equipment UE10 shown in Figure 1.

[0106] The communication method shown in FIG2 may include multiple steps in steps S201-S205. It should be understood that for the convenience of description, this application describes the steps S201-S205 in this order, and is not intended to limit the execution to the above order. The embodiment of this application does not limit the order of execution, execution time, number of executions, etc. of the above one or more steps. Steps S201-S205 are as follows:

[0107] Step S201: After being powered on, the UE initiates a network registration request and establishes a first PDN link between the communication module and the network device based on the first APN.

[0108] A UE is a user terminal in mobile communications. For example, a UE may include a mobile phone, a smart terminal, a multimedia device, or a streaming media device. As one possible implementation, the UE includes a communication module that can establish a communication connection with a network device. The network device may be a device used to conduct network communications with the UE. For related descriptions, see above.

[0109] As a possible implementation, after powering on, the UE initiates a network registration request and establishes a first PDN link between the communication module and the network device based on the first APN to achieve a communication connection between the communication module and the network device. The first APN may be the default APN of the communication module.

[0110] Exemplarily, the first APN is a default APN, and all user devices contain the default APN when they leave the factory. If the default APN cannot be injected into the network. Optionally, the user can also manually set a default APN, for example, define a default APN from one or more APNs for injection into the network. Optionally, in some schemes, the UE uses one of the APNs in order from high to low priority to establish a PDN link until the establishment is successful. Exemplarily, the priority can be related to one or more of the following information: the configuration order of the APNs, the network status corresponding to the APN when it was last used, or the priority defined by the user, etc.

[0111] For example, the first APN may be an APN named "CMNET" and an APN type of the default type. The APN name "CMNET" indicates that the accessed network is the China Mobile network, and the default type is the APN type used for ordinary data communication, that is, after the UE is turned on, it establishes the first PDN link between the communication module and the China Mobile network according to the first APN, so that the UE can access the China Mobile network. Optionally, the APN type also includes two types: multimedia message service (MMS) and WAP. The MMS type is used for sending and receiving multimedia messages, and the WAP type is used for accessing WAP websites.

[0112] Step S202: The UE activates the first connection between the host computer and the communication module in response to the external dialing instruction.

[0113] Specifically, when the UE wants to dial up to access the Internet, the UE may activate a corresponding communication connection according to a received dial-up instruction to carry data.

[0114] For scenarios where both the built-in dialer and the external dialer are used simultaneously or alternately, to ensure a quick response to the dial-up service, the UE uses one command identifier (CID) to request an IP address from the network device when performing the first dial-up. The UE uses another CID to request an IP address from the network device when performing the second dial-up. Thus, in this application, CID1, CID2, and CID3 are used to represent different communication connections.

[0115] In a possible implementation, the UE further includes a host computer. When the UE needs to use the host computer to transmit service data, the host computer sends an external dialing instruction to the communication module. The communication module responds to the external dialing instruction and activates the first connection (CID1 path) between the host computer and the communication module.

[0116] Optionally, the host computer may use AT commands (Attention) to send external dialing commands, and the communication module may receive the external dialing AT commands sent by the host computer through the AT command interface, thereby activating the first connection for communication in response to the external dialing commands.

[0117] Step S203: The UE binds the first connection to the first PDN link, so that the first connection is used to carry service data of the upper computer.

[0118] Specifically, the communication module activates the PDP protocol of the first connection (CID1) through an external dialing instruction and binds the first connection (CID1) to the first PDN link. The first connection is used to carry service data of the host computer.

[0119] In one possible implementation, the UE establishes a first virtual protocol module in the communication module, obtains the first IP address of the first PDN link through the first virtual protocol module, and assigns the first IP address to the first connection to use the first IP address to transmit the service data of the host computer. Thus, based on the first connection and the first IP address, the UE transmits the service data of the host computer to the network device, thereby realizing the communication connection between the host computer and the network device. Optionally, the UE establishing the first virtual protocol module in the communication module may also be the UE establishing a connection relationship between the first virtual protocol module and the host computer in the communication module. Specifically, the UE binds the first connection (CID1 path) between the host computer and the communication module as the first connection (CID1 path) between the host computer and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module. Furthermore, the UE obtains the first IP address of the first PDN link through the first virtual protocol module and configures the first IP address on the first virtual protocol module. Furthermore, the host computer can obtain the first IP address assigned by the first PDN link through the first virtual protocol module and the DHCP protocol, and then the host computer can transmit the service data of the host computer between the network device and the first connection and the first PDN link. Optionally, the first virtual protocol module can be an external network card, and the UE starts the DHCP protocol through the external network card, so that the host computer obtains the first IP address assigned by the first PDN link through the external network card and the DHCP protocol. In this way, by establishing the connection between the first connection and the first PDN link through the first virtual protocol module, the service data of the host computer can be transmitted between the communication module and the network device, and then the UE can carry external service data through the first PDN link.

[0120] Furthermore, the UE can establish a first socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address, and the application in the UE and the network protocol stack can exchange data through the first socket. Thus, the host computer can transmit service data of the host computer between the network device and the first socket through the first connection.

[0121] For example, please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of an external dial-up provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, a first PDN link is established between the communication module and the network device. The host computer obtains some service data, such as video data or image data, and needs to transmit this service data to the network device. The host computer can send an external dial-up instruction to the communication module, so that the communication module activates the first connection (CID1 path) between the communication module and the host computer, that is, activates the PDP protocol of the first connection (CID1 path) and binds the first connection (CID1 path) to the first PDN link. The UE establishes a first virtual protocol module in the communication module, obtains the first IP address of the first PDN link through the first virtual protocol module, and establishes a first socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address. The host computer then transmits the service data of these host computers to the communication module through the first connection, and the communication module transmits the service data of these host computers, such as video data or image data, between the network device through the first socket and the first PDN link. In this way, the host computer can access the network with the help of the communication module and transmit business data with the network device through the first PDN link.

[0122] Step S204: The UE activates at least one second connection in response to the built-in dialing instruction.

[0123] In one possible implementation, when the UE needs to use the communication module to transmit control signaling, the communication module receives the built-in dialing instruction sent by the host computer or the built-in dialing instruction sent by the VSIM card, and activates the second connection (CID1) in response to the built-in dialing instruction. The second connection is used to carry control signaling, and the second connection can be a connection between the application in the communication module and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module. Optionally, if the UE also includes a VSIM card, the second connection can also be a connection between the VSIM card and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module. Among them, virtual SIM card technology (virtual-SIM, VSIM card) refers to a way of achieving network connection by relying on the communication module's own hardware and software without a physical SIM card.

[0124] In one possible implementation, the host computer can use AT commands (Attention) to send built-in dialing commands, and the communication module can receive the built-in dialing AT commands sent by the host computer through the AT command interface, so that the communication module responds to the built-in dialing commands and activates the second connection for communication.

[0125] Step S205: The UE binds the second connection to the first PDN link, so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling.

[0126] Specifically, the communication module activates the PDP protocol of the second connection (CID2) through the built-in dialing instruction, that is, binds the second connection (CID2) to the first PDN link.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the UE assigns the first IP address to the second connection to transmit control signaling using the first IP address. Thus, the UE establishes a second socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address, enabling data exchange between the application and the network protocol stack through the second socket. Thus, the UE can transmit control signaling between the network device and the second socket via the second connection. Optionally, if the UE also includes a VSIM card, the UE can transmit VSIM card-related operation data between the network device and the second socket via the second connection.

[0128] For example, please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of a built-in dial-up provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, a first PDN link is established between the communication module and the network device. The application in the communication module obtains some control signaling, such as the user's online status or the application startup status, and needs to transmit the control signaling to the network device. The host computer can send a built-in dial-up instruction to the communication module, so that the communication module activates the second connection (CID2 path), that is, activates the PDP protocol of the second connection (CID2 path), and binds the second connection (CID2 path) to the first PDN link. Based on the first IP address, the UE establishes a second socket on the first virtual protocol module. The communication module transmits control signaling, such as the user's online status or the application startup status, between the network device and the second connection, the second socket and the first PDN link. In this way, the connection between the second connection and the first PDN link is established through the first virtual protocol module, and the control signaling can be transmitted between the communication module and the network device, and then the UE can transmit the control signaling through the first PDN link.

[0129] For another example, please refer to Figure 5, which is another built-in dial-up schematic diagram provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, there is a VSIM card in the communication module in the UE, and a first PDN link is established between the communication module and the network device. Some related operations of the VSIM card require the transmission of relevant operation data of the VSIM card to the network device. The VSIM card can directly send a built-in dial-up instruction to the communication module. Thereby, the communication module activates the second connection (CID3 path), that is, activates the PDP protocol of the second connection (CID3 path), and binds the second connection (CID3 path) to the first PDN link. Based on the first IP address, the UE establishes a second socket on the first virtual protocol module, and the VSIM card transmits the relevant operation data of the VSIM card to the network device through the second connection, the second socket and the first PDN link.

[0130] In this way, the VSIM card can transmit the relevant operation data of the VSIM card between the communication module and the network device through the first PDN link, and then the UE can carry the relevant operation data of the VSIM card through the first PDN link.

[0131] In a possible implementation, please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of a deactivation process provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, the UE responds to the first instruction, deactivates the first connection (CID1 path), and deletes the first socket on the first virtual protocol module. After the first socket is deleted, the first connection is in a deactivated state and the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released. At this time, if the initiator of the first instruction is not the host computer, the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link may be released due to network disconnection or other reasons, and the UE needs to re-initiate a PDN link establishment request with the network device. The UE can re-initiate the first PDN link establishment request based on the first APN. The PDN link established using the same first APN can be considered to be the same PDN link, that is, the re-established first PDN link may be the same PDN link as the original first PDN link.

[0132] Furthermore, as shown in FIG5 , if the first PDN link is successfully established, the UE resumes transmitting the service data and control signaling of the host computer with the network device based on the first IP address, the first connection, and the second connection. For example, for ease of description, the re-established first PDN link is referred to as the second PDN link. The UE obtains the first IP address of the second PDN link through the first virtual protocol module, establishes a third socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address, activates the first connection between the host computer and the communication module, and transmits the service data of the host computer to the network device through the first connection and the third socket. Similarly, the UE can resume transmitting control signaling with the network device. In this way, when the first PDN link is disconnected due to network outage or other reasons, the UE establishes a second PDN link, and the host computer can access the network with the help of the communication module, and transmit service data with the network device through the second PDN link to ensure the stability of service data transmission.

[0133] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG5 , if the first PDN link is not successfully established and the number of establishment times does not reach a preset number, the UE re-initiates the first PDN link establishment request according to the first APN after the first time period.

[0134] Exemplarily, for ease of description, the re-established first PDN link is referred to as the second PDN link. When the establishment of the second PDN link with the network device according to the first APN fails and the number of establishment times does not reach K times, the second PDN link is established with the network device according to the first APN again after the first time period, where K is an integer and K≥1. Optionally, K can be 2, and the first time period can be 3s. As another example, the UE can establish the second PDN link with the network device according to the first APN. When the establishment of the second PDN link fails, the UE delays for 3s and re-establishes the second PDN link with the network device according to the first APN, and re-establishes it for a maximum of 2 times. If the establishment of the second PDN link with the network device according to the first APN fails for 2 times, the UE stops establishing the second PDN link and waits for the network to be repaired or generates a prompt message to prompt the user, such as a pop-up prompt box with the content "The network is faulty, please repair the network."

[0135] In a possible implementation, the UE deactivates the second connection (CID2) in response to the second instruction, and deletes the second socket on the first virtual protocol module. After the second socket is deleted, the second connection is in a deactivated state.

[0136] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the UE includes a host computer and a communication module. After the UE is turned on, it initiates a network registration request and establishes a first PDN link between the communication module and the network device based on the first APN. In response to an external dialing instruction, the UE activates a first connection between the host computer and the communication module, binds the first connection to the first PDN link, and uses the first connection to carry the service data of the host computer. In response to a built-in dialing instruction, at least one second connection is activated, and the second connection is bound to the first PDN link, so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling. In this way, the UE can carry external service data, built-in control data, and VSIM operation data through the same PDN link, reducing the possibility of data loss or PDN link interruption due to different PDN links. Compared with the implementation method of signing multiple APNs, it can effectively reduce the cost of use.

[0137] The above describes in detail the method of the embodiment of the present application. The following provides an apparatus of the embodiment of the present application.

[0138] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a processing device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The processing device 70 may include a processing unit 701 and an activation unit 702. The processing device 70 is used to implement the aforementioned communication method, such as the communication method in the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

[0139] It should be noted that the division of the above-mentioned multiple units is merely a logical division based on function and does not limit the specific structure of the processing device 70. In a specific implementation, some functional modules may be subdivided into more small functional modules, and some functional modules may be combined into one functional module.

[0140] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is configured to:

[0141] Initiate a network registration request, and establish a first PDN link between the communication module and the network device based on the first APN;

[0142] Binding the first connection to the first PDN link so that the first connection is used to carry service data of the host computer;

[0143] Binding the second connection to the first PDN link so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling;

[0144] The activation unit 702 is used to:

[0145] In response to the external dialing instruction, activating the first connection between the host computer and the communication module;

[0146] In response to the built-in dialing instruction, at least one second connection is activated.

[0147] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is further configured to:

[0148] Establishing a first virtual protocol module in the communication module;

[0149] Obtaining, through the first virtual protocol module, a first IP address of the first PDN link;

[0150] The first IP address is allocated to the first connection, so as to transmit the service data of the host computer by using the first IP address.

[0151] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is further configured to:

[0152] establishing a first socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address;

[0153] The business data of the host computer is transmitted to the network device through the first connection and the first socket.

[0154] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is further configured to:

[0155] assigning the first IP address to the second connection and binding the second connection to the first virtual protocol module;

[0156] establishing a second socket on the first virtual protocol module based on the first IP address;

[0157] Control signaling is transmitted to and from the network device via the second connection and the second socket.

[0158] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is further configured to:

[0159] Deleting a first socket on the first virtual protocol module, whereby after deleting the first socket, the first connection is in a deactivated state and a binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released;

[0160] The activation unit 702 is further configured to deactivate the first connection in response to the first instruction.

[0161] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is further configured to:

[0162] When the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released and the initiator of the first instruction is not the host computer, re-initiating the first PDN link establishment request according to the first APN;

[0163] When the first PDN link is successfully established, the transmission of service data and control signaling between the network device and the first connection is resumed based on the first IP address, the first connection, and the second connection;

[0164] When the first PDN link is not successfully established and the number of establishment times does not reach the preset number, the first PDN link establishment request is re-initiated according to the first APN after a first time period.

[0165] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 is further configured to:

[0166] Deleting the second socket on the first virtual protocol module, wherein the second connection is in a deactivated state after the second socket is deleted;

[0167] The activating unit 702 is further configured to deactivate the second connection in response to the second instruction.

[0168] In a possible implementation, the second connection includes at least one of the following: a connection between the VSIM card and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module, and a connection between the application in the communication module and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module.

[0169] It should be noted that the above units (processing unit 701 and activation unit 702) are used to execute the relevant steps of the above method. For example, processing unit 701 is used to execute the relevant contents of step S201, step S203 and step S205, and activation unit 702 is used to execute the relevant contents of step S202 and step S204.

[0170] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Computing device 80 is a device with processing capabilities. The device here can be a physical device, such as a server (such as a rack server), a host, etc., or a virtual device, such as a virtual machine, a container, etc.

[0171] As shown in Figure 8 , a computing device 80 includes a processor 801, a memory 802, one or more programs, and may include a communication interface 803. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the number of processors and memories in the computing device 80.

[0172] The processor 801 is a module for performing calculations and may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the above program.

[0173] The memory 802 is used to provide storage space, which can optionally store application data, user data, operating systems, and computer programs. The memory 802 may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, optical disk storage (including compact discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0174] The memory 802 may exist independently and be connected to the processor 801 via a bus. The memory 802 may also be integrated with the processor 801.

[0175] The communication interface 803 is used to provide information input or output for the at least one processor. And / or, the communication interface 803 can be used to receive data sent externally and / or send data to the outside. The communication interface 803 can be a wired link interface such as an Ethernet cable, or a wireless link (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, general wireless transmission and other wireless communication technologies, etc.) interface. Optionally, the communication interface 803 can also include a transmitter (such as a radio frequency transmitter, antenna, etc.) coupled to the interface, or a receiver, etc.

[0176] In an embodiment of the present application, the one or more programs are stored in the memory 802 in the form of program code and are configured to be executed by the processor 801. The program includes instructions for implementing the steps in the aforementioned communication method. For example, the communication method shown in Figure 2. That is, the memory 802 stores executable instructions, and the processor 801 executes the executable instructions to implement the aforementioned communication method, such as the communication method in the embodiment of Figure 2. In other words, the memory 802 stores instructions for executing the communication method.

[0177] Alternatively, the memory 802 stores executable instructions, and the processor 801 executes the executable instructions to respectively implement the functions of one or more units (or devices) in the aforementioned processing unit and activation unit, thereby realizing the communication method.

[0178] The present application also provides a computer program product including instructions. The computer program product may be software or a program product including instructions that can be run on a computing device or stored in any available medium. The computer program instructions are used to implement the aforementioned communication method, such as the communication method in the embodiment of FIG. 2 .

[0179] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions for implementing the aforementioned communication method, such as the communication method in the embodiment of FIG. 2 .

[0180] The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium capable of being stored by a computing device, or a data storage device such as a data center containing one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive).

[0181] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0182] The “at least one” mentioned in the embodiments of the present application refers to one or more, and “plurality” refers to two or more. “At least one of the following items” or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, (a and b), (a and c), (b and c), or (a and b and c), where a, b, c can be single or multiple. “And / or” describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0183] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to define the order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first connection and the second connection are only for ease of description and do not indicate a difference in the deployment order, importance, etc. of the first and second connections.

[0184] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps to implement the above embodiments may be accomplished by hardware, or may be accomplished by a program to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the above-mentioned storage medium may be a read-only memory, a disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0185] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a user equipment UE, the UE includes a host computer and a communication module, and the method includes: The UE initiates a network registration request after being powered on, and establishes a first PDN link between the communication module and the network device based on the first APN; In response to an external dialing instruction, activating a first connection between the host computer and the communication module; Binding the first connection to the first PDN link so that the first connection is used to carry service data of the host computer; activating at least one second connection in response to the built-in dialing instruction; The second connection is bound to the first PDN link so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The binding the first connection to the first PDN link so that the first connection is used to carry service data of the host computer includes: Establishing a first virtual protocol module in the communication module; Acquire, through the first virtual protocol module, a first IP address of the first PDN link; The first IP address is allocated to the first connection, so as to transmit the service data of the host computer by using the first IP address.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The allocating the first IP address to the first connection so as to transmit the service data of the host computer by using the first IP address includes: Based on the first IP address, establishing a first socket on the first virtual protocol module; The business data of the host computer is transmitted to and from the network device through the first connection and the first socket.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The binding the second connection to the first PDN link so that the second connection is used to carry control signaling includes: assigning the first IP address to the second connection, and binding the second connection to the first virtual protocol module; Based on the first IP address, establishing a second socket on the first virtual protocol module; The control signaling is transmitted to and from the network device via the second connection and the second socket.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: In response to a first instruction, deactivating the first connection; The first socket on the first virtual protocol module is deleted. After the first socket is deleted, the first connection is in a deactivated state and the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the binding between the first connection and the first PDN link is released and the initiator of the first instruction is not the host computer, re-initiating a first PDN link establishment request according to the first APN; When the first PDN link is successfully established, the service data and the control signaling of the host computer are restored to be transmitted between the network device based on the first IP address, the first connection, and the second connection; When the first PDN link is not successfully established and the number of establishments does not reach the preset number, the first PDN link is established again after the first time period according to the The first APN re-initiates a first PDN link establishment request.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to a second instruction, deactivating the second connection; The second socket on the first virtual protocol module is deleted, and the second connection is in a deactivated state after the second socket is deleted.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The second connection includes at least one of the following: a connection between a VSIM card and a first virtual protocol module in the communication module, and a connection between an application in the communication module and the first virtual protocol module in the communication module.

9. A computing device, characterized in that The computing device comprises a processor and a memory, wherein a program is stored in the memory, and the processor executes the program so that the computing device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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