Information forwarding method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are an information forwarding method and apparatus. In the method, a network element with a function of forwarding a non-access stratum message, such as a non-access stratum routing function network element, is defined in a network, such that the non-access stratum message can be transparently transmitted to the non-access stratum routing function network element by a radio access network device, and the non-access stratum routing function network element further forwards same, such that the forwarding of the non-access stratum message does not depend on the radio access network device or an access and mobility management function network element any more, thus decoupling from the radio access network device or the access and mobility management function network element is realized, a network architecture can be more flexible, and the method can be suitable for various service requirements under a future network architecture. In addition, since the forwarding of the non-access stratum message does not depend on the radio access network device or the access and mobility management function network element any more, a load of the radio access network device or the access and mobility management function network element can also be reduced, thereby improving the operation efficiency of the radio access network or the access and mobility management function network element.

Description

Method and device for forwarding information

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 22, 2023, with application number 202311582536.4 and application name “Method and Device for Forwarding Information”, 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 method and device for forwarding information. Background Art

[0003] In the 5G system, 3GPP defines non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, which is the signaling used for communication between user equipment and network elements of the core network.

[0004] In one implementation, NAS signaling is relayed by the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, and in another implementation, NAS signaling is directly relayed by the radio access network (RAN) equipment.

[0005] However, the above two methods may not be applicable to future network architectures.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a method and apparatus for forwarding information, which can be applicable to future network architectures for forwarding NAS signaling.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, a method for forwarding information is provided, the method comprising: a wireless access network device receiving an access network message from a terminal, the access network message including a first non-access stratum message, the first non-access stratum message being used by the terminal to request registration with a first network; the wireless access network device sending the first non-access stratum message to a first non-access stratum routing function network element, wherein the first non-access stratum routing function network element is different from an access and mobility management function network element and is configured to forward the first non-access stratum message to an access and mobility management function network element; the access and mobility management function network element is responsible for processing the terminal's registration request.

[0010] Based on the method of the first aspect, it can be seen that by defining a network element in the network whose function is to forward non-access stratum messages, such as a non-access stratum routing function network element, the non-access stratum messages can be transparently transmitted from the wireless access network equipment to the non-access stratum routing function network element, and further forwarded by the non-access stratum routing function network element. This makes the forwarding of non-access stratum messages no longer dependent on the wireless access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element, thereby achieving decoupling from them. The network architecture can be more flexible and can be adapted to various business requirements under future network architectures. In addition, since the forwarding of non-access stratum messages no longer depends on the wireless access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element, the load on the wireless access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element can also be reduced, thereby improving their operating efficiency.

[0011] In a possible design scheme, the access network message also includes first information, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first network, or an identifier of the network slice of the terminal. The method of the first aspect also includes: the wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element based on the first information. It can be understood that the identifier of the first network and / or the identifier of the network slice of the terminal can be used to indicate the corresponding network. Different network configurations have their corresponding non-access layer routing function network elements. The non-access layer routing function network element under the corresponding network can be found through the identifier of the first network and / or the identifier of the network slice of the terminal to avoid forwarding errors. For example, the non-access layer message of the terminal of network A is forwarded by the non-access layer routing function network element of network B, resulting in a forwarding error.

[0012] Optionally, the wireless access network device is configured with first association relationships between different non-access stratum routing function network elements and different networks, and the first association relationships are used to indicate that different non-access stratum routing function network elements belong to different networks. The wireless access network device determines the first non-access stratum routing function network element based on the first information, including: the wireless access network device determines the first non-access stratum routing function network element associated with the first network based on the identifier of the first network and the first association relationship. It can be understood that the wireless access network device pre-configures one or more non-access stratum routing function network elements, as well as the identifiers of the non-access stratum routing function network elements and the networks to which they belong, so that it can accurately find the non-access stratum routing function network element of the corresponding network, or there can be other implementation methods, such as dynamically determining the non-access stratum routing function network element, which is not limited to this.

[0013] Optionally, the wireless access network device is configured with a second association relationship between different non-access layer routing function network elements and different network slices, and the second association relationship is used to indicate that different non-access layer routing function network elements belong to different network slices. The wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element based on the first information, including: the wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element associated with the network slice of the terminal based on the identifier of the network slice of the terminal and the second association relationship. It can be understood that the wireless access network device pre-configures one or more non-access layer routing function network elements, as well as the identifiers of the non-access layer routing function network elements and the network slices to which they belong, so that it can accurately find the non-access layer routing function network element of the corresponding network slice, or there may be other implementation methods, such as dynamically determining the non-access layer routing function network element, which is not limited.

[0014] In a possible design scheme, the access network message also includes first information, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first network, or an identifier of the network slice of the terminal. The method of the first aspect also includes: the wireless access network device sends a first non-access layer message to the first non-access layer routing function network element based on the first information. Specifically, when the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a private network, or the first network is a private network, the wireless access network device sends the first non-access layer message to the first non-access layer routing function network element. When the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a public network, or the first network is a public network, the wireless access network device sends the first non-access layer message to the access and mobility management function network element.

[0015] It can be understood that for different network types, the existing method of forwarding non-access layer messages through access and mobility management function network elements, or the newly defined method of forwarding non-access layer messages through non-access layer routing function network elements in the embodiment of the present application can be adopted, so that it can be flexibly applied to various actual network scenarios.

[0016] In one possible design scheme, the method of the first aspect further includes: the radio access network device determines the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element based on the first information. The radio access network device sends the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element to the first non-access layer routing function network element. It can be understood that the first non-access layer routing function network element can obtain the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element through the radio access network device, that is, the first non-access layer routing function network element does not need to select the access and mobility management function network element and can directly forward the first non-access layer message to the access and mobility management function network element, which can reduce the overhead of the first non-access layer routing function network element.

[0017] In one possible design, the method of the first aspect further includes: the radio access network device receiving a second non-access stratum message from the terminal, where the second non-access stratum message is a non-access stratum message related to a service of the terminal. The radio access network device sends the second non-access stratum message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element. The second non-access stratum message includes at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message, or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

[0018] It can be understood that the non-access stratum routing function network element can not only forward non-access stratum messages used for registration, but also forward service-related non-access stratum messages.

[0019] In a second aspect, a method for forwarding information is provided, the method comprising: a first non-access stratum routing function network element receiving a first non-access stratum message from a wireless access network device, the first non-access stratum message being used by a terminal to request registration with a first network; the first non-access stratum routing function network element being different from an access and mobility management function network element; the access and mobility management function network element being responsible for processing the terminal's registration request; and the first non-access stratum routing function network element sending the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element based on a type of the first non-access stratum message.

[0020] It can be seen that the non-access stratum routing function network element can be configured to identify the type of the non-access stratum message, so that different types of non-access stratum messages can be forwarded to different service management function network elements.

[0021] Optionally, the first non-access stratum routing function network element sending the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element according to the type of the first non-access stratum message includes: the first non-access stratum routing function network element receiving an identifier of the access and mobility management function network element from the radio access network device; and the first non-access stratum routing function network element sending the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element based on the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element according to the type of the first non-access stratum message.

[0022] In one possible design, the method of the second aspect further includes: a first non-access stratum routing function network element receiving a second non-access stratum message from a wireless access network device, where the second non-access stratum message is a non-access stratum message related to a service of the terminal. The first non-access stratum routing function network element sends the second non-access stratum message to a management function network element of a service related to the second non-access stratum message. The second non-access stratum message includes at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message, or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

[0023] It can be understood that the relevant technical effects of the method of the second aspect mentioned above can also refer to the relevant introduction of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0024] According to a third aspect, a method for forwarding information is provided, the method comprising: an access and mobility management function network element receiving a first non-access stratum message from a radio access network device, wherein the first non-access stratum message is for a terminal requesting registration with a first network. In response to the terminal requesting registration, the access and mobility management function network element sends a first message to the radio access network device, the first message including an identifier of a first non-access stratum routing function network element or first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate a need to select a non-access stratum routing function network element. The non-access stratum routing function network element is a network element different from the access and mobility management function network element and is used to forward non-access stratum messages.

[0025] Based on the method of the third aspect, it can be seen that on the basis of defining the non-access layer routing function network element, the access and mobility management function network element can trigger the non-access layer routing function network element to perform corresponding non-access layer message forwarding, so that the non-access layer message is decoupled from the wireless access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element.

[0026] Optionally, the first non-access layer message includes an identifier of the network slice of the terminal. In response to the terminal requesting registration, the access and mobility management function network element sends a first message to the wireless access network device, further comprising: when the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a private network, sending the first message to the wireless access network device; and / or, when the location corresponding to the location information of the terminal is in a private network area, sending the first message to the wireless access network device. It can be understood that for different network types, the existing method of forwarding non-access layer messages can be adopted, or the newly defined method of forwarding non-access layer messages through the non-access layer routing function network element in the embodiment of the present application can be used, so that it can be flexibly applied to various actual network scenarios.

[0027] In a possible design scheme, the first message also includes an identifier of the terminal. The method of the third aspect also includes: the access and mobility management function network element receives a second message from the first non-access layer routing function network element, the second message includes the identifier of the terminal, and the identifier of the terminal is used to indicate that the first non-access layer routing function network element is associated with the terminal, and / or the access and mobility management function network element is associated with the terminal. It can be understood that the access and mobility management function network element can associate the first non-access layer routing function network element and the access and mobility management function network element with the terminal through the identifier of the terminal. In the case of association, the access and mobility management function network element and other service management function network elements can use the forwarding method defined in the embodiment of the present application to process the non-access layer messages subsequently sent by the terminal, that is, forward the non-access layer messages subsequently sent by the terminal through the first non-access layer routing function network element.

[0028] In one possible design scheme, when the first message includes the identifier of the first non-access stratum routing function network element, the method of the third aspect further includes: the access and mobility management function network element determines the identifier of the first non-access stratum routing function network element based on the identifier of the network slice of the terminal. It can be understood that the wireless access network device can obtain the identifier of the first non-access stratum routing function network element through the access and mobility management function network element, that is, the wireless access network device does not need to select the non-access stratum routing function network element and can directly send a message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element, which can reduce the overhead of the wireless access network device.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, a method for forwarding information is provided, the method comprising: a wireless access network device receiving a first message from an access and mobility management function network element, the first message including an identifier of a first non-access stratum routing function network element or first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate that a non-access stratum routing function network element needs to be selected, and the non-access stratum routing function network element being used to forward the non-access stratum message. The access and mobility management function network element is responsible for terminal registration or access management. The wireless access network device sends a second message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element based on the identifier of the first non-access stratum routing function network element, or the wireless access network device sends a second message to the second non-access stratum routing function network element based on the first indication information, the second message including an identifier of the access and mobility management function network element and / or an identifier of the terminal, the identifier of the terminal being used to indicate that the non-access stratum routing function network element is associated with the terminal, and / or that the access and mobility management function network element is associated with the terminal.

[0030] In a possible design scheme, the method of the fourth aspect also includes: when the first message includes first indication information, the wireless access network device determines a second non-access layer routing function network element.

[0031] Optionally, when the second message includes the identifier of the terminal, the first message also includes the identifier of the terminal.

[0032] In one possible design, the method of the fourth aspect further includes: the radio access network device receiving a second non-access stratum message from the terminal, the second non-access stratum message being a non-access stratum message related to a service of the terminal. The radio access network device sending the second non-access stratum message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element. The second non-access stratum message includes at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message, or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

[0033] It can be understood that the relevant technical effects of the method of the fourth aspect mentioned above can also refer to the relevant introduction of the third aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0034] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes: a module for executing the method described in any one of aspects 1 to 4, such as a transceiver module and a processing module. For example, the transceiver module is configured to indicate the transceiver function of the communication device, and the processing module is configured to perform functions of the communication device other than the transceiver function.

[0035] Optionally, the transceiver module may include a sending module and a receiving module, wherein the sending module is used to implement the sending function of the communication device described in the fifth aspect, and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device described in the fifth aspect.

[0036] Optionally, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a storage module, wherein the storage module stores a program or instruction. When the processing module executes the program or instruction, the communication device can execute the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0037] It can be understood that the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be a terminal or a network device, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in a terminal or a network device, or a device that includes a terminal or a network device. This application does not limit this.

[0038] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fifth aspect can refer to the technical effects of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor configured to execute the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0040] In one possible design solution, the communication device described in the sixth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver may be used for the communication device described in the sixth aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0041] In one possible design, the communication device described in aspect 6 may further include a memory. The memory may be integrated with the processor or provided separately. The memory may be used to store the computer program and / or data involved in the method described in any one of aspects 1 to 4.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device described in the sixth aspect may be the terminal or network device described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in the terminal or network device, or a device that includes the terminal or network device.

[0043] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the sixth aspect can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0044] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication device performs the method described in any one of the first to seventh aspects.

[0045] In one possible design solution, the communication device described in the seventh aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver may be used for the communication device described in the seventh aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device described in the seventh aspect can be the terminal or network device described in any one of the first to seventh aspects, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in the terminal or network device, or a device that includes the terminal or network device.

[0047] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the seventh aspect can refer to the technical effects of the method described in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0048] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store a computer program, and when the processor executes the computer program, the communication device executes the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0049] In one possible design solution, the communication device described in the eighth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver may be used for the communication device described in the eighth aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0050] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device described in aspect 8 may be the terminal or network device described in any one of aspects 1 to 4, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that may be provided in the terminal or network device, or a device that includes the terminal or network device.

[0051] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the eighth aspect can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0052] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes at least one of the following: a radio access network device configured to perform the method described in the first aspect, a first non-access layer routing function network element configured to perform the method described in the second aspect, an access and mobility management function network element configured to perform the method described in the third aspect, and a radio access network device configured to perform the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0053] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0054] In the eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the 5GS architecture;

[0056] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the NAS transmission process;

[0057] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of AMF forwarding NAS in a 5G network;

[0058] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture with distributed connections between RAN and network elements;

[0059] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the distributed NAS transmission process;

[0060] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG7 is a second schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG8 is a flowchart of a method for forwarding information provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG9 is a second flow chart of a method for forwarding information provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG10 is a first structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG11 is a second structural diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] For ease of understanding, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application are first introduced below.

[0067] 1. Fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system (abbreviated as 5G system (5G system, 5GS)):

[0068] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the 5GS architecture. As shown in Figure 1, the 5GS includes an access network (AN) and a core network (CN), and may also include terminals.

[0069] The terminal may be one or more, such as a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, etc. A terminal may be a terminal with transceiver functions, or may be a chip or chip system provided in the terminal. The terminal may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit (subscriber unit), user station, mobile station (MS), mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a handheld device (handset), a laptop computer, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a smart home device (for example, a refrigerator, a television, an air conditioner, an electric meter, etc.), an intelligent robot, a robotic arm, a workshop equipment, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a roadside unit with terminal function, or a wireless terminal in a smart city. The terminal device of the present application may also be an onboard module, onboard module, onboard component, onboard chip or onboard unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal device may also be other devices with terminal functions, for example, the terminal device may also be a device that functions as a terminal in D2D communication.

[0070] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form factor of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device to implement the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or include chips and other discrete devices.

[0071] The AN is used to implement access-related functions. It provides network access for authorized users in a specific area and can determine transmission links of varying quality for user data transmission based on user level and service requirements. The AN forwards control signals and user data between terminals and the CN. The AN may include access network equipment, also known as radio access network (RAN) equipment. The CN is primarily responsible for maintaining mobile network subscription data and providing terminal functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication. CN mainly includes the following network elements: user plane function (UPF) network element, authentication service function (AUSF) network element, AMF network element, session management function (SMF) network element, network slice selection function (NSSF) network element, network exposure function (NEF) network element, network function repository function (NF repository function, NRF) network element, policy control function (PCF) network element, unified data management (UDM) network element, unified data repository (UDR), and application function network element (AF).

[0072] RAN equipment, that is, access network devices can be one or more. The access network device can be a device with wireless transceiver functions, or it can be a chip or chip system provided on the device, located in the access network (AN) of the communication system, to provide access services for the terminal. For example, the access network device can be called a radio access network device (RAN) device, which can specifically be a next-generation mobile communication system, such as a 6G access network device, such as a 6G base station, or in the next-generation mobile communication system, the access network device can also have other naming methods, which are all covered within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application, and this application does not impose any limitations on this. Alternatively, the access network device may include 5G, such as a gNB in ​​a new radio (NR) system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in 5G, or a network node constituting a gNB, a transmission and reception point (TRP or TP), or a transmission measurement function (TMF), such as a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), a radio unit (RU), an RSU with base station functions, a wired access gateway, or a 5G core network element. Alternatively, the access network device may include an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, various types of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells), relay stations, access points, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted devices, and the like. In the present application, the RAN device may also be an access network function (ANF) network element or a wireless access network function (WANF) network element.

[0073] Among them, the CU and DU can be set separately, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU) or a remote radio head (RRH). It can be understood that the network device can be a CU node, a DU node, or a device including a CU node and a DU node. In addition, the CU can be divided into a network device in the access network RAN, or the CU can be divided into a network device in the core network CN, and there is no limitation here.

[0074] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0075] The UPF network element is mainly responsible for user data processing (forwarding, receiving, billing, etc.). For example, the UPF network element can receive user data from the data network (DN) and forward the user data to the terminal through the access network equipment. The UPF network element can also receive user data from the terminal through the access network equipment and forward the user data to the DN. The DN network element refers to the operator network that provides data transmission services to users. For example, the Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Service (IMS), the Internet, etc.

[0076] The DN can be an operator's external network or a network controlled by the operator, and is used to provide business services to terminal devices.

[0077] The AUSF network element is mainly used to perform terminal security authentication.

[0078] The AMF network element is mainly used for mobility management in mobile networks, such as user location update, user network registration, and user handover.

[0079] The SMF network element is primarily used for session management in mobile networks, such as session establishment, modification, and release. Specific functions include allocating Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to users and selecting UPF network elements that provide packet forwarding capabilities.

[0080] The PCF network element mainly supports providing a unified policy framework to control network behavior, provides policy rules to the control layer network function, and is responsible for obtaining user subscription information related to policy decisions. The PCF network element can provide policies such as quality of service (QoS) policy and slice selection policy to the AMF network element and SMF network element.

[0081] The NSSF network element is mainly used to select network slices for terminals.

[0082] NEF network elements are mainly used to support the opening of capabilities and events.

[0083] UDM network elements are mainly used to store user data, such as subscription data, authentication / authorization data, etc.

[0084] The UDR network element is mainly used to store structured data, including contract data and policy data, externally exposed structured data, and application-related data.

[0085] AF mainly supports interaction with CN to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing some third-party services to the network side.

[0086] 2. NAS transmission

[0087] In the existing NAS transmission scheme, as shown in Figure 2, in the 5G system, a NAS connection is maintained between the UE and the AMF, and mobility management (MM) NAS messages are transmitted. The RAN forwards the MM NAS messages between the UE and the AMF. If the UE has other types of NAS requests, such as NAS-SM, short message service (SMS), UE Policy, and location service (LCS), the UE places the corresponding request in the MM NAS message. The RAN forwards the MM NAS message to the AMF. After receiving the MM NAS message, the AMF parses the corresponding request and sends the request to the corresponding network element. Among them, NAS-SM is information / message between the UE and the SMF for PDU session management. SMS is information / message between the UE and the short message service function (SMSF) for short message delivery. UE Policy is information / message between the UE and the PCF for UE policy delivery. LCS is information / message between the UE and the LMF for UE location management.

[0088] It should be understood that the requests corresponding to NAS-SM, SMS, UE Policy and LCS are placed in MM NAS messages and are not visible to the RAN; the RAN only forwards MM NAS messages between the UE and the AMF.

[0089] For example, if the UE initiates a positioning service, the UE places the LCS request, that is, the mobile originating location request (MO-LR Request), in the MM NAS message. The RAN forwards the MM NAS message to the AMF. After the AMF parses the MM NAS message, the AMF selects the LMF and then initiates a positioning request to the LMF. The positioning request includes the information in the MO-LR Request.

[0090] For another example, if the UE initiates a session service, the UE places the session request (PDU session establishment request) as an N1 SM Container in the MM NAS message. The RAN forwards the MM NAS message to the AMF. After the AMF parses the MM NAS message, the AMF selects the SMF and then initiates a create SM context request (create SM context request) to the SMF, including the PDU session establishment request.

[0091] In this application, NAS transmission of the terminal can be understood as control plane signaling transmission of the terminal.

[0092] As shown in the 5G network architecture in Figure 3, the AMF is located in the central core network, while other core network elements (such as SMF, PCF, LMF, IoT management element, and perception management element) are located in the campus core network or the core network of a private network. The AMF serves as a transit point for NAS signaling (NAS-SM, SMS, UE Policy, LCS, etc.). Interactions between the UE and other core network elements (such as SMF, PCF, LMF, IoT management element, and perception management element) rely on AMF forwarding. This results in signaling detours in campus or private network scenarios.

[0093] To solve this problem, another network architecture in the prior art is given below.

[0094] As shown in Figure 4, in this network architecture, a NAS connection is directly established between the UE and each service management function network element (such as SMF, LMF, PCF, etc.), and AMF does not need to participate in forwarding. This is recorded as distributed NAS, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of distributed NAS. It can be seen that in the case of distributed NAS, RAN needs to identify the type of NAS message (such as NAS-SM, SMS, UE Policy, LCS), and then forward the NAS message to the management function network element of the corresponding service.

[0095] For example, a campus UE's session services are processed only within the campus, and related data or signaling never leaves the campus. The RAN receives an access network message (AN) from the UE that includes an SM NAS message. The RAN identifies the NAS message as session-related and forwards it to the locally deployed SMF. AN messages are messages between the UE and the RAN.

[0096] For example, the location service for a campus UE is processed only within the campus, and related data or signaling does not leave the campus. When the RAN receives an AN message from the UE that includes a Location NAS message, it identifies the NAS message as related to the location service and forwards it to the locally deployed LMF.

[0097] For example, the sensing services of campus UEs are processed only within the campus, and related data or signaling do not leave the campus. When the RAN receives an AN message from the UE that includes a Sensing NAS message, it identifies the NAS message as related to the sensing service and forwards it to the locally deployed sensing management function.

[0098] It can be seen that this network architecture needs to rely on RAN to support NAS routing, such as identifying NAS message types, and requires RAN to support service-orientedness, that is, the use of service-oriented interfaces between RAN and various network elements, resulting in unclear boundaries between RAN and core network.

[0099] In response to the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application propose the following technical solutions.

[0100] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0101] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless network (Wi-Fi) systems, vehicle to everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, Internet of Vehicles communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems.

[0102] In the embodiment of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the first indication information, the second indication information, or the third indication information below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be indicated. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each piece of information agreed in advance (such as specified in the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, the common parts of each piece of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by indicating the same information separately.

[0103] In addition, the specific indication method can also be various existing indication methods, such as but not limited to the above-mentioned indication methods and various combinations thereof. The specific details of the various indication methods can be referred to the prior art and will not be repeated herein. As can be seen from the above, for example, when it is necessary to indicate multiple information of the same type, there may be a situation where the indication methods for different information are different. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the selected indication method. In this way, the indication method involved in the embodiment of the present application should be understood to cover various methods that can enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0104] It should be understood that the information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be predefined, for example, predefined according to a protocol, or can be configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0105] "Pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation method. Among them, "saving" can mean saving in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be set separately or integrated in an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories can also be partially set separately and partially integrated in a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0106] The "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a protocol family in the communication field, a standard protocol with a similar protocol family frame structure, or a related protocol used in future communication systems. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0107] In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform judgment actions when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0108] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in the embodiments of the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit differences. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0109] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0110] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is first described in detail using the communication system shown in Figure 6 as an example. For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0111] As shown in FIG6 , the communication system may include: a radio access network device, a first non-access layer routing function network element, and an access and mobility management function network element.

[0112] The wireless access network device in the embodiment of the present application can be the above-mentioned RAN device, and the wireless access network device can be replaced by any other possible expression. For example, in future communications, it can be called a wireless access network function network element, an access network function network element, or any device, function or entity that can realize the access network function can be understood as the wireless access network device referred to in the embodiment of the present application.

[0113] The first non-access layer routing function network element in the embodiment of the present application may be a network element that can support NAS routing function, for example, it may be a non-access layer routing function (NAS routing function, NASRF) network element, or it may be replaced by any possible named network element / function / entity. The NASRF network element can identify NAS message types and support NAS routing (routing NAS messages to corresponding network elements); the NASRF network element can be flexibly deployed in a campus (network edge or private network) or a central core network. The first non-access layer routing function network element may be a network element that is different from the access and mobility management function network element and can support NAS routing function, for example, it may be a NASRF network element. The first non-access layer routing function network element is used to forward non-access layer messages to the access and mobility management function network element.

[0114] The access and mobility management function network element in the embodiment of the present application can be the above-mentioned AMF network element, and the access and mobility management function network element can be replaced by any other possible expression. For example, in future communications, it can be called an access management function network element, a registration management function network element, or any network element that can realize the functions of the access and mobility management function network element in the embodiment of the present application can be understood as the access and mobility management function network element referred to in the embodiment of the present application.

[0115] As shown in Figure 7, the communication system may also include some or all of the following multiple devices or network elements: terminal UE, SMF network element, UPF network element, PCF network element, SMSF network element, LMF network element. Among them, the RAN equipment has an interface with the NASRF network element, and interfaces exist between the NASRF network element, SMF network element, PCF network element, SMSF network element, and LMF network element, realizing distributed connection. The RAN does not need to be directly connected to the AMF network element, SMF network element, UPF network element, PCF network element, SMSF network element, and LMF network element. The communication system may also include an Internet of Things management network element or a perception management network element, and the NASRF network element has interfaces with the Internet of Things management network element and the perception management network element, respectively.

[0116] In this communication system, by defining a network element in the network whose function is to forward non-access stratum messages, such as a non-access stratum routing function network element, non-access stratum messages can be transparently transmitted from the radio access network equipment to the non-access stratum routing function network element, and the non-access stratum routing function network element can then forward them further. This makes the forwarding of non-access stratum messages no longer dependent on the radio access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element, thereby achieving decoupling from them. This allows for a more flexible network architecture that can adapt to various service requirements under future network architectures. Furthermore, since the forwarding of non-access stratum messages no longer depends on the radio access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element, the load on the radio access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element can be reduced, thereby improving their operational efficiency.

[0117] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form factor of the network device. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a network device; it can also be a device that supports the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0118] The following will be combined with Figures 8-10 to specifically describe the interaction process between each network element / device in the above communication system through a method embodiment. The method for forwarding information provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the above communication system and specifically applied to the various scenarios / processes mentioned in the above communication system, which are described in detail below.

[0119] Figure 8 is a flow chart of the information forwarding method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The information forwarding method is applicable to the above communication system, and mainly involves the interaction between the wireless access network device, the first non-access layer routing function network element and the access and mobility management function network element.

[0120] As shown in FIG8 , the process of the method for forwarding information is as follows:

[0121] S801: A wireless access network device receives an access network message from a terminal. The access network message may include a first non-access stratum message.

[0122] The access network message may be an access network message (AN message), and the first non-access stratum message may be a NAS message. The first non-access stratum message is used by a terminal to request registration with the network, and the first non-access stratum message may be a registration request message. For example, a RAN device receives an AN message sent by a UE, and the AN message carries a registration request message. The registration request message may be a registration request message defined in the prior art, or may be a newly defined message, without limitation. The access network message in the embodiments of the present application may also be replaced by an access stratum message, a radio resource control (RRC) message, or other expression that can implement the access network message function.

[0123] In one possible design, the access network message may further include first information, where the first information may include at least one of the following: an identifier of the first network, or an identifier of a network slice of the terminal. The method for forwarding information may further include: the radio access network device determining a first non-access stratum routing function network element based on the first information.

[0124] In an embodiment of the present application, the network slice of the terminal may be a network slice that the terminal requests to access, and the network slice may provide network services to the terminal. The identifier of the first network may be an identification number (ID) that can uniquely determine the network, for example, it may be a public land mobile network ID (PLMN ID). For example, the identifier of the first network may be a PLMN ID+NID, where PLMN ID+NID indicates that a network is determined by a PLMN ID and a network identifier (NID). The identifier of the network slice of the terminal may be a network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) identifier, which is used to identify the network slice and can be used to help select the network slice, that is, the network slice may be obtained based on a query of the NSSAI identifier. The network slice that the terminal requests to access may be recorded as Requested NSSAI.

[0125] The radio access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element based on the first information, and specifically selects it based on the identifier of the first network or the identifier of the network slice of the terminal, which may include the following two selection methods:

[0126] Optionally, the radio access network device is configured with first associations between different non-access stratum routing function network elements and different networks, where the first associations may be used to indicate that the different non-access stratum routing function network elements belong to different networks. The radio access network device determines the first non-access stratum routing function network element associated with the first network based on the identifier of the first network and the first association.

[0127] For example, there may be at least one first association relationship, and each association relationship may include an identifier of a non-access stratum routing function network element and an identifier of the network to which the non-access stratum routing function network element belongs, thereby indicating an association between the two. For example, the first association relationship includes: association relationship #1, association relationship #2, and association relationship #3. Association relationship #1 is {NASRF#1, PLMN#1}, association relationship #2 is {NASRF#1, PLMN#2}, and association relationship #3 is {NASRF#2, PLMN#3}. It can be seen that the same NASRF can be shared by different networks, or it can be exclusively used by a certain network, and the specific implementation is not limited. Of course, the implementation of the above association relationships is only some examples. For example, a network may also contain multiple NASRFs, and the RAN may select based on the priority among these multiple NASRFs, or it may select based on the current load status of each NASRF, and there is no limitation on this.

[0128] The radio access network device selects a first non-access layer routing function network element belonging to the first network according to the identifier of the first network. For example, the RAN device pre-configures one or more NASRF network elements, and different NASRF network elements belong to different PLMNs. The RAN device selects the NASRF network element belonging to the PLMN corresponding to the PLMN ID based on the PLMN ID information carried in the received AN message.

[0129] Optionally, the radio access network device is configured with a second association relationship between different non-access stratum routing function network elements and different network slices, where the second association relationship may be used to indicate that different non-access stratum routing function network elements belong to different network slices. The radio access network device determines a first non-access stratum routing function network element associated with the network slice of the terminal based on an identifier of the network slice of the terminal and the second association relationship.

[0130] For example, the second association relationship may be at least one, and each association relationship may include an identifier of a non-access layer routing function network element and an identifier of the network slice to which the non-access layer routing function network element belongs, thereby indicating the association between the two. For example, the second association relationship includes: association relationship #1, association relationship #2, and association relationship #3. Association relationship #1 is {NASRF#1, NSSAI#1}, association relationship #2 is {NASRF#1, NSSAI#2}, and association relationship #3 is {NASRF#2, NSSAI#3}. Of course, the implementation of the above association relationships is only some examples. For example, a network slice may also correspond to multiple NASRFs. The RAN may select based on the priority among these multiple NASRFs, or it may select based on the current load status of each NASRF. There is no restriction on this.

[0131] The radio access network device selects the first non-access layer routing function network element belonging to the network slice of the terminal according to the identifier of the network slice of the terminal. For example, the RAN device pre-configures one or more NASRF network elements, and different NASRF network elements belong to different NSSAIs. The RAN device selects the NASRF network element belonging to the NSSAI corresponding to the NSSAI info based on the slice information (NSSAI info) carried in the received AN message.

[0132] In this way, different network configurations have their corresponding non-access layer routing function network elements. The non-access layer routing function network element under the corresponding network can be found through the identifier of the first network and / or the identifier of the network slice of the terminal. The first non-access layer routing function network element selected by the wireless access network device belongs to the first network / network slice that the terminal requests to access, which can avoid forwarding errors of non-access layer messages.

[0133] In addition, after the wireless access network device selects the first non-access layer routing function network element, the wireless access network device stores the address information or identification information of the first non-access layer routing function network element associated with the terminal for subsequent forwarding of the second non-access layer message (see S806 and S807).

[0134] S802: The radio access network device sends a first non-access stratum message to a first non-access stratum routing function network element.

[0135] In one possible design, the access network message may further include first information, where the first information may include at least one of the following: an identifier of the first network, or an identifier of the network slice of the terminal. The method for forwarding information may further include: the radio access network device sending the first non-access stratum message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element based on the first information. When the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a private network, or the first network is a private network, the radio access network device sends the first non-access stratum message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element.

[0136] It can be understood that the identifier of the first network contained in the first information is the identifier of the first network that the terminal requests to access, and the identifier of the network slice of the terminal contained in the first information is the identifier of the network slice that the terminal requests to access. Here, the identifier of the first network can be a PLMN ID or a PLMN ID+NID. The PLMN ID+NID indicates that a network is determined by the PLMN ID and the network identifier (NID). If the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a private network, or the first network is a network of a private network, it indicates that the terminal requests access to the private network. When the terminal requests access to the private network, the first non-access layer routing function network element is used to forward the first non-access layer message. Optionally, the wireless access network device is pre-configured with the identifier of the network slice of the private network, so that the wireless access network device can determine that the identifier of the network slice of the terminal in the access network message is the identifier of the network slice of the private network. Optionally, the wireless access network device is pre-configured with the identifier of the network of the private network, so that the wireless access network device can determine that the identifier of the first network in the access network message is the identifier of the network of the private network.

[0137] For example, the RAN device pre-configuration requires the use of the NSSAI info or PLMN ID (PLMN ID + NID) of the NASRF network element. Here, the NSSAI info of the NASRF network element that needs to be used is the slice information of the private network, and the PLMN ID or PLMN ID + NID of the NASRF network element that needs to be used is the network identification information of the private network. If the AN message received by the RAN device contains the slice information of the private network or the network identification information of the private network, it indicates that the terminal requests access to the private network. The RAN device selects the NASRF network element based on the slice information of the private network or the network identification information of the private network, and sends the NAS message in the AN message to the NASRF network element.

[0138] In this way, for different network types, the existing method of forwarding non-access stratum messages through the access and mobility management function network element, or the newly defined method of forwarding non-access stratum messages through the non-access stratum routing function network element in the embodiments of the present application can be adopted, making it flexible and applicable to various actual network scenarios. In addition, the non-access stratum messages of terminals accessing private networks and terminals accessing public networks can have different forwarding paths. The first non-access stratum routing function network element is only introduced for terminals accessing private networks, avoiding the introduction of additional transmission nodes and reducing overhead.

[0139] In a possible design scheme, the method for forwarding information may further include: the radio access network device determines the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element based on the first information. The radio access network device sends the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element to the first non-access layer routing function network element. Specifically, the radio access network device can select the access and mobility management function network element according to the identification information of the network slice of the terminal, for example, the network slice list corresponding to the pre-configured AMF network element, and the NSSAI info carried in the NAS message received by the RAN device corresponds to the AMF network element. The RAN device sends the identifier (AMF ID) of the AMF network element to the NASRF network element, and then the NASRF network element receives the AMF ID from the RAN device and forwards the NAS message to the AMF network element.

[0140] It can be understood that the first non-access layer routing function network element can obtain the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element through the wireless access network device, that is, the first non-access layer routing function network element does not need to select the access and mobility management function network element, and can directly forward the first non-access layer message to the access and mobility management function network element, which can reduce the overhead and design complexity of the first non-access layer routing function network element.

[0141] S803: The first non-access stratum routing function network element sends the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element according to the type of the first non-access stratum message.

[0142] The first non-access stratum routing function network element can identify the type of the non-access stratum message, so that different types of non-access stratum messages can be forwarded to different service management function network elements. The first non-access stratum routing function network element receives the first non-access stratum message, identifies the type of the first non-access stratum message, and then sends the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element. The type of the first non-access stratum message may also be information carried in a NAS message, which is not limited here.

[0143] For example, the NASRF network element receives a NAS message sent by the RAN device. If the NAS message is an MM NAS message, the NASRF network element forwards the NAS message to the AMF network element.

[0144] Optionally, S803 may further include: the first non-access stratum routing function network element receiving an identifier of an access and mobility management function network element from a radio access network device. The first non-access stratum routing function network element sends the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element based on the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element according to the type of the first non-access stratum message. It will be understood that the first non-access stratum routing function network element can obtain the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element through the radio access network device, which can reduce the overhead and design complexity of the first non-access stratum routing function network element.

[0145] In addition, the method for forwarding information may further include optional steps S804-S807, which are specifically as follows:

[0146] S804: The radio access network device sends a first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element.

[0147] Optionally, when the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a public network, or the first network is a public network, the wireless access network device sends a first non-access layer message to the access and mobility management function network element.

[0148] It can be understood that if the network slice is a network slice of a public network, or the network is a network of a public network, it represents that the terminal requests access to the public network. When the terminal requests access to the public network, the access and mobility management function network element is used to forward the first non-access layer message.

[0149] For example, if the AN message received by the RAN device contains the slice information of the public network or the network identification information of the public network, it is determined that the NASRF network element is not needed, and then the RAN device selects the AMF network element and sends the NAS message in the AN message to the AMF network element so that the AMF network element processes or forwards the NAS message.

[0150] In this way, non-access layer routing function network elements are introduced only for terminals accessing private networks, and access and mobility management function network elements are used to forward the first non-access layer message for terminals accessing public networks, avoiding the introduction of additional transmission nodes and reducing overhead.

[0151] S805: The radio access network device receives a second non-access stratum message from the terminal.

[0152] The second non-access stratum message may be a non-access stratum message related to a service of the terminal. The second non-access stratum message may include at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message, or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

[0153] Optionally, the wireless access network device receives an access network message from the terminal, where the access network message includes a second non-access layer message.

[0154] It is understood that the non-access stratum routing function network element can not only forward non-access stratum messages used for registration, but also forward service-related non-access stratum messages. The second non-access stratum message can be a service-related NAS message sent by the terminal to the wireless access network device after the terminal successfully registers with the network. The service-related NAS message can be, for example, an MM NAS message, a session management (SM) NAS message, or an LCS NAS message.

[0155] S806: The radio access network device sends a second non-access stratum message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element.

[0156] For example, the terminal sends an MM / SM / LCS NAS message to the RAN device, and the RAN device forwards the MM / SM / LCS NAS message of the terminal to the NASRF network element according to the stored address information of the NASRF network element associated with the terminal.

[0157] It can be understood that after the terminal successfully registers with the network, the wireless access network device can forward the terminal's service-related non-access layer messages to the first non-access layer routing function network element, which is then forwarded to the corresponding service management function network element by the first non-access layer routing function network element. The wireless access network device does not need to be directly connected to the service management function network element, and does not need to rely on the wireless access network device to support non-access layer routing, and can realize the non-access layer connection between the user device and each service management function network element.

[0158] Optionally, when the terminal accesses a private network, the radio access network device sends a second non-access stratum message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element. When the terminal accesses a public network, the radio access network device sends a second non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element.

[0159] For example, if the terminal accesses a private network, the terminal sends an MM / SM / LCS NAS message. The RAN device forwards the NAS message to the NASRF network element based on the stored address information of the NASRF network element associated with the terminal. The NASRF network element then forwards the NAS message to the corresponding service management function network element based on the NAS message type (for example, MM NAS, LCS NAS, SM NAS, etc.). If the terminal accesses a public network, the RAN device does not store the address information of the NASRF network element associated with the terminal or the RAN device stores the address information of the AMF network element associated with the terminal, and forwards the NAS message to the AMF network element. The AMF network element then forwards the NAS message to the corresponding service management function network element based on the NAS message type.

[0160] S807: The first non-access stratum routing function network element sends the second non-access stratum message to the management function network element of the service related to the second non-access stratum message.

[0161] For example, the NASRF network element receives a NAS message from the RAN device. The NASRF network element selects the corresponding network element according to the type of the NAS message and forwards the NAS message to the management function network element (AMF / SMF / LMF) of the corresponding service. If the type of the NAS message is LCS NAS, the NASRF network element selects the positioning network element LMF and forwards the NAS message to the LMF network element.

[0162] For another example, in S806, the RAN selects the management function network element (AMF / SMF / LMF) for the corresponding service. The NASRF network element receives the NAS message from the RAN device and the identifier of the management function network element (AMF / SMF / LMF) for the corresponding service, and forwards the NAS message to the management function network element for the corresponding service. If the NAS message type is LCS NAS, the RAN device selects the positioning network element (LMF), and the NASRF network element forwards the NAS message to the LMF network element.

[0163] In summary, by defining network elements in the network whose function is to forward non-access stratum messages, such as non-access stratum routing function network elements, non-access stratum messages can be transparently transmitted from the radio access network equipment to the non-access stratum routing function network element, rather than being further forwarded by the non-access stratum routing function network element. This makes the forwarding of non-access stratum messages no longer dependent on the radio access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element, thereby achieving decoupling from them. This makes the network architecture more flexible and adaptable to various business needs under future network architectures. In addition, since the forwarding of non-access stratum messages no longer depends on the radio access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element, it can also reduce the load on the radio access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element, improving their operating efficiency.

[0164] Figure 9 is a second flow chart of another method for forwarding information provided by an embodiment of the present application. This method for forwarding information is applicable to the above-mentioned communication system, and mainly involves the interaction between wireless access network equipment, non-access layer routing function network elements, and access and mobility management function network elements.

[0165] As shown in FIG9 , the process of the method for forwarding information is as follows:

[0166] S901: An access and mobility management function network element receives a first non-access stratum message from a radio access network device.

[0167] The first non-access layer message is used by the terminal to request registration with the first network.

[0168] Prior to S901, the radio access network device receives an access network message from the terminal. The access network message includes a first non-access stratum message. The first non-access stratum message may be a registration request message. For example, the RAN device receives an AN message sent by the UE. The AN message carries a registration request message. The registration request message may be a registration request message defined in the prior art or a newly defined message, which is not limited thereto.

[0169] S902: In response to a registration request from a terminal, the access and mobility management function network element sends a first message to a radio access network device.

[0170] The first message may include an identifier of a first non-access stratum routing function network element or first indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate that a non-access stratum routing function network element needs to be selected. For example, it may be NASRF insertion indication information. It is understood that the first indication information may be indication information that determines to use a non-access stratum routing function network element and requires the wireless access network device to select the non-access stratum routing function network element. The identifier of the first non-access stratum routing function network element may also indicate that the first non-access stratum routing function network element needs to be used. The access and mobility management function network element determines whether to use the non-access stratum routing function network element. If the non-access stratum routing function network element is used, the non-access stratum routing function network element supports routing and forwarding of non-access stratum messages.

[0171] Optionally, the first message may be an NG Application Protocol (NGAP) message.

[0172] Optionally, the first non-access layer message may include an identifier of a network slice of the terminal. S902 may also include: sending a first message to a wireless access network device when the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a private network; and / or sending a first message to a wireless access network device when the location corresponding to the location information of the terminal is in a private network area.

[0173] The location information of the terminal may be an identifier of a cell accessed by the terminal or an identifier of a radio access network device accessed by the terminal. The identifier of the network slice of the terminal may be a network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) identifier, which is used to identify the network slice.

[0174] For example, the AMF network element pre-configuration needs to use the NSSAI info or location information of the NASRF network element. The AMF network element determines whether to use the NASRF network element to transmit the NAS message or control plane signaling of the terminal based on the NSSAI info or the location information of the terminal. Among them, the NSSAI info of the NASRF network element that needs to be used is the slice information of the private network, and the location information of the NASRF network element that needs to be used is the RAN identification information or the identification of the RAN corresponding cell. It can be understood that the NASRF network element is used only when the NSSAI info carried in the NAS message received by the AMF network element is the network slice of the private network, or the terminal accesses the RAN deployed inside the campus (private network).

[0175] It is understood that for different network types, the existing method of forwarding non-access stratum messages or the newly defined method of forwarding non-access stratum messages through a non-access stratum routing function network element in the embodiment of the present application can be adopted, so that it can be flexibly applied to various actual network scenarios. When the terminal accesses the private network, the access and mobility management function network element determines to use the non-access stratum routing function network element. In this way, the non-access stratum routing function network element is only introduced for the terminal accessing the private network, avoiding the introduction of additional transmission nodes and reducing overhead.

[0176] Optionally, the method for forwarding information may also include: when the first message includes the identifier of the first non-access layer routing function network element, the access and mobility management function network element determines the identifier of the first non-access layer routing function network element based on the identifier of the network slice of the terminal.

[0177] It is understood that the access and mobility management function network element selects the first non-access stratum routing function network element. The specific selection method can be referred to above in S802 and is not elaborated here. The wireless access network device can obtain the identifier of the first non-access stratum routing function network element through the access and mobility management function network element. That is, the wireless access network device does not need to select the non-access stratum routing function network element and can directly send a message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element, which can reduce the overhead of the wireless access network device.

[0178] Optionally, when the second message includes the identifier of the terminal, the first message may also include the identifier of the terminal. The identifier of the terminal may be a temporary identifier assigned to the terminal by the access and mobility management function network element, for example, it may be an AMF UE NGAP ID or a UE temp ID. AMF UE NGAP ID uniquely identifies a UE on the NG interface within an AMF range, and UE temp ID is a temporary identifier that uniquely identifies the terminal within an AMF range. The identifier of the terminal is used to indicate that the first non-access layer routing function network element is associated with the terminal, and / or the access and mobility management function network element is associated with the terminal.

[0179] It can be understood that the access and mobility management function network element can associate the first non-access layer routing function network element and the access and mobility management function network element with the terminal through the terminal identifier. In the case of association, the access and mobility management function network element and other business management function network elements can use the forwarding method defined in the embodiment of the present application to process the non-access layer messages subsequently sent by the terminal, that is, forward them through the first non-access layer routing function network element.

[0180] S903: The radio access network device sends a second message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element based on the identifier of the first non-access stratum routing function network element.

[0181] Alternatively, the radio access network device sends a second message to the second non-access layer routing function network element based on the first indication information.

[0182] The second message may include an identifier of the access and mobility management function network element and / or an identifier of the terminal. The first non-access layer routing function network element is a network element selected by the access and mobility management function network element, and the second non-access layer routing function network element is a network element selected by the wireless access network device. The first non-access layer routing function network element and the second non-access layer routing function network element may be the same network element or different network elements, which is not limited here. The specific method of selecting the non-access layer routing function network element can refer to the above S802 and is not elaborated here.

[0183] Optionally, the method for forwarding information may further include: when the first message includes first indication information, the radio access network device determines a second non-access layer routing function network element.

[0184] It can be understood that if the wireless access network device receives the identifier of the first non-access layer routing function network element, the second message is sent directly to the first non-access layer routing function network element. If the wireless access network device receives the first indication information, the wireless access network device selects the non-access layer routing function and sends the second message to the selected second non-access layer routing function network element.

[0185] For example, if the RAN device receives a NASRFID from an AMF network element, the RAN device sends a second message to the NASRF network element, including the AMF ID, AMF UE NGAP ID, or UE temp ID. If the RAN device receives a NASRF insertion indication from the AMF network element, the RAN device first selects a NASRF network element and then sends the second message to the selected NASRF network element.

[0186] Optionally, the wireless access network device stores the address information or identification information of the non-access layer routing function network element (the first non-access layer routing function network element or the second non-access layer routing function network element) associated with the terminal for subsequent forwarding of the second non-access layer message (see S905 and S906). For example, if the wireless access network device sends the second message to the first non-access layer routing function network element, the wireless access network device stores the address information or identification information of the first non-access layer routing function network element associated with the terminal; for another example, if the wireless access network device sends the second message to the second non-access layer routing function network element, the wireless access network device stores the address information or identification information of the second non-access layer routing function network element associated with the terminal.

[0187] In this way, the wireless access network equipment selects the non-access layer routing function network element by itself, which can reduce the overhead and design complexity of the access and mobility management function network elements.

[0188] S904: The access and mobility management function network element receives a third message from the first non-access stratum routing function network element or the second non-access stratum routing function network element.

[0189] If the radio access network device sends the second message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element, the access and mobility management function network element receives the third message from the first non-access stratum routing function network element. If the radio access network device sends the second message to the second non-access stratum routing function network element, the access and mobility management function network element receives the third message from the second non-access stratum routing function network element. The third message may include an identifier of the terminal, and the identifier of the terminal is used to indicate that the first non-access stratum routing function network element or the second non-access stratum routing function network element is associated with the terminal, and / or that the access and mobility management function network element is associated with the terminal.

[0190] The access and mobility management function network element can associate the non-access layer routing function network element and the access and mobility management function network element with the terminal through the terminal identifier. In the case of association, when subsequently processing the non-access layer message sent by the terminal, the access and mobility management function network element and other service management function network elements can know that the non-access layer message is associated with the terminal, so that the forwarding method defined in the embodiment of the present application can be used to process the non-access layer message, that is, the non-access layer message is forwarded through the non-access layer routing function network element.

[0191] For example, the NASRF network element sends a third message to the AMF network element based on the AMF ID in the second message, including the AMF UE NGAP ID / UE temp ID. The AMF network element learns the UE associated with the third message based on the AMF UE NGAP ID / UE temp ID. When the subsequent AMF network element receives a NAS message sent by the UE, it forwards the NAS message through the NASNF network element associated with the UE.

[0192] S905: The radio access network device receives a second non-access stratum message from the terminal.

[0193] The second non-access stratum message may be a non-access stratum message related to a service of the terminal.

[0194] S906: The radio access network device sends a second non-access stratum message to the first non-access stratum routing function network element or the second non-access stratum routing function network element.

[0195] Here, in the case where the wireless access network device sends the second message to the first non-access layer routing function network element in S903, the wireless access network device sends the second non-access layer message to the first non-access layer routing function network element, or in the case where the wireless access network device sends the second message to the second non-access layer routing function network element in S903, the wireless access network device sends the second non-access layer message to the second non-access layer routing function network element.

[0196] The second non-access stratum message may include at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message, or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

[0197] S907: The first non-access stratum routing function network element or the second non-access stratum routing function network element sends the second non-access stratum message to the management function network element of the service related to the second non-access stratum message.

[0198] The specific implementation principles of S905-S907 are similar to those of the above-mentioned S805-S807, which can be understood by reference and will not be repeated here.

[0199] In summary, based on the definition of the non-access layer routing function network element, the access and mobility management function network element can trigger the non-access layer routing function network element to forward the corresponding non-access layer messages, so that the non-access layer messages are decoupled from the wireless access network equipment or the access and mobility management function network element. The network architecture can be more flexible and can be applied to various business needs under the future network architecture.

[0200] The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 8 and 9. The communication device for executing the method for forwarding information provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 10 and 11.

[0201] Figure 10 is a structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10 , the communication device 1000 includes a transceiver module 1001 and a processing module 1002. For ease of illustration, Figure 10 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0202] The transceiver module 1001 is used to perform the transceiver function of the method shown in FIG. 8 , and the processing module 1002 is used to perform other functions of the method shown in FIG. 8 except the transceiver function.

[0203] Optionally, the transceiver module 1001 may include a sending module (not shown in FIG10 ) and a receiving module (not shown in FIG10 ). The sending module is used to implement the sending function of the communication device 1000 , and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device 1000 .

[0204] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG10 ) storing a program or instruction. When the processing module 1002 executes the program or instruction, the communication device 1000 may perform the functions of the terminal or network device in the method shown in FIG8 in the above method.

[0205] It can be understood that the communication device 1000 can be a terminal or a network device, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in a terminal or a network device, or a device that includes a terminal or a network device. This application does not limit this.

[0206] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device 1000 can refer to the technical effects of the method for forwarding information shown in Figures 8 and 9, and will not be repeated here.

[0207] Figure 11 is a second structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the communication device may be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be provided in a terminal. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1100 may include a processor 1101. Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a memory 1102 and / or a transceiver 1103. The processor 1101 is coupled to the memory 1102 and / or the transceiver 1103, such as by connecting via a communication bus, by connecting via an interface within the chip, or by connecting via other communication lines. Optionally, the memory 1102 may be integrated with the processor 1101.

[0208] The following is a detailed introduction to the various components of the communication device 1100 with reference to FIG11 :

[0209] The processor 1101 is the control center of the communication device 1100 and can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1101 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0210] Optionally, the processor 1101 may execute various functions of the communication device 1100 , such as the method for forwarding information shown in FIG. 8 , by running or executing a software program stored in the memory 1102 and calling data stored in the memory 1102 .

[0211] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 1101 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG11 .

[0212] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 1100 may also include multiple processors, such as the processor 1101 and the processor 1104 shown in FIG11 . Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0213] Among them, the memory 1102 is used to store the software program for executing the solution of this application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 1101. The specific implementation method can refer to the above method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0214] Alternatively, the memory 1102 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 1102 may be integrated with the processor 1101 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 via an interface circuit (not shown in FIG. 11 ) of the communication device 1100, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0215] Transceiver 1103 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1100 is a terminal, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a network device or another terminal device. For another example, if communication device 1100 is a network device, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a terminal or another network device.

[0216] Optionally, the transceiver 1103 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in FIG11 ), wherein the receiver is used to implement a receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement a transmitting function.

[0217] Optionally, the transceiver 1103 may be integrated with the processor 1101 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through an interface circuit (not shown in FIG. 11 ) of the communication device 1100 . This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0218] It is understandable that the structure of the communication device 1100 shown in FIG11 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device, and an actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0219] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device 1100 can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0220] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0221] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0222] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware or any other combination. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that contains one or more available media sets. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (for example, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0223] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein simply describes a relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B together, or B alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, the character " / " as used herein generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects, but it may also indicate an "and / or" relationship. For specific understanding, please refer to the context.

[0224] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "plurality" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural.

[0225] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0226] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0227] 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.

[0228] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0229] 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.

[0230] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0231] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding information, characterized in that: include: The wireless access network device receives an access network message from the terminal, where the access network message includes a first non-access layer message, where the first non-access layer message is used by the terminal to request registration with the first network; The wireless access network device sends the first non-access layer message to a first non-access layer routing function network element, wherein the first non-access layer routing function network element is different from the access and mobility management function network element and is used to forward the first non-access layer message to the access and mobility management function network element; the access and mobility management function network element is responsible for processing the registration request of the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The access network message further includes first information, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first network, or an identifier of a network slice of the terminal; the method further includes: The wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element according to the first information.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The wireless access network device is configured with first association relationships between different non-access layer routing function network elements and different networks, wherein the first association relationship is used to indicate that different non-access layer routing function network elements belong to different networks; The wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element according to the first information, including: The wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element associated with the first network according to the identifier of the first network and the first association relationship.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wireless access network device is configured with a second association relationship between different non-access layer routing function network elements and different network slices, wherein the second association relationship is used to indicate that different non-access layer routing function network elements belong to different network slices; The wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element according to the first information, including: The wireless access network device determines the first non-access layer routing function network element associated with the network slice of the terminal based on the identifier of the network slice of the terminal and the second association relationship.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The access network message further includes first information, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first network, or an identifier of a network slice of the terminal; the method further includes: The wireless access network device sends the first non-access layer message to a first non-access layer routing function network element according to the first information.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The wireless access network device sends the first non-access layer message to the first non-access layer routing function network element according to the first information, further comprising: When the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a private network, or the first network is a private network, the wireless access network device sends the first non-access layer message to the first non-access layer routing function network element.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a public network, or the first network is a public network, the wireless access network device sends the first non-access layer message to the access and mobility management function network element.

8. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The wireless access network device determines the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element according to the first information; The radio access network device sends the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element to the first non-access layer routing function network element.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The wireless access network device receives a second non-access layer message from the terminal, where the second non-access layer message is a non-access layer message related to a service of the terminal; The wireless access network device sends the second non-access layer message to the first non-access layer routing function network element; The second non-access stratum message includes at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

10. A method for forwarding information, characterized in that: include: The first non-access layer routing function network element receives a first non-access layer message from a wireless access network device, where the first non-access layer message is used by the terminal to request registration with the first network; The first non-access layer routing function network element is different from the access and mobility management function network element; the access and mobility management function network element is responsible for processing the registration request of the terminal; The first non-access stratum routing function network element sends the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element according to the type of the first non-access stratum message.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The first non-access layer routing function network element sends the first non-access layer message to the access and mobility management function network element according to the type of the first non-access layer message, including: The first non-access layer routing function network element receives an identifier from the access and mobility management function network element of the radio access network device; The first non-access stratum routing function network element sends the first non-access stratum message to the access and mobility management function network element according to the type of the first non-access stratum message and based on the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first non-access layer routing function network element receives a second non-access layer message from the wireless access network device, where the second non-access layer message is a non-access layer message related to the service of the terminal; The first non-access layer routing function network element sends the second non-access layer message to a management function network element of a service related to the second non-access layer message; The second non-access stratum message includes at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

13. A method for forwarding information, characterized in that: include: The access and mobility management function network element receives a first non-access layer message from a wireless access network device, wherein the first non-access layer message is used by the terminal to request registration with the first network; In response to the terminal requesting registration, the access and mobility management function network element sends a first message to the wireless access network device, wherein the first message includes an identifier of a first non-access layer routing function network element or first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that a non-access layer routing function network element needs to be selected; the non-access layer routing function network element is a network element different from the access and mobility management function network element and is used to forward non-access layer messages.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first non-access layer message includes an identifier of the network slice of the terminal; in response to the terminal requesting registration, the access and mobility management function network element sends a first message to the radio access network device, further comprising: When the network slice of the terminal is a network slice of a private network, sending the first message to the wireless access network device; and / or, When the location corresponding to the location information of the terminal is in a private network area, the first message is sent to the wireless access network device.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first message also includes an identifier of the terminal; and the method further includes: The access and mobility management function network element receives a second message from the first non-access layer routing function network element, where the second message includes an identifier of a terminal, and the identifier of the terminal is used to indicate that the first non-access layer routing function network element is associated with the terminal, and / or that the access and mobility management function network element is associated with the terminal.

16. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that In the case where the first message includes an identifier of a first non-access layer routing function network element, the method further includes: The access and mobility management function network element determines the identifier of the first non-access layer routing function network element based on the identifier of the network slice of the terminal.

17. A method for forwarding information, characterized in that: include: The wireless access network device receives a first message from the access and mobility management function network element, the first message includes an identifier or first indication information of a first non-access layer routing function network element, the first indication information is used to indicate that a non-access layer routing function network element needs to be selected, and the non-access layer routing function network element is used to forward the non-access layer message; the access and mobility management function network element is responsible for registration or access management of the terminal; The wireless access network device sends a second message to the first non-access layer routing function network element based on the identifier of the first non-access layer routing function network element, or the wireless access network device sends the second message to the second non-access layer routing function network element based on the first indication information, the second message includes the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element and / or the identifier of the terminal, the identifier of the terminal is used to indicate that the non-access layer routing function network element is associated with the terminal, and / or the access and mobility management function network element is associated with the terminal.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: In case that the first message includes first indication information, the radio access network device determines the second non-access layer routing function network element.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that In the case where the second message includes the identifier of the terminal, the first message also includes the identifier of the terminal.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: The wireless access network device receives a second non-access layer message from the terminal, wherein the second non-access layer message is related to the terminal Non-access layer messages related to the service; The radio access network device sends the second non-access layer message to the first non-access layer routing function network element or the second non-access layer routing function network element; The second non-access stratum message includes at least one of the following: a mobility management non-access stratum message, a session management non-access stratum message or a positioning service non-access stratum message.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises: a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 is executed.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium comprises a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

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