Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method may comprise: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used for indicating the priority of a terminal device; on the basis of the first indication information, generating first information, the first information being used for configuring a back-off timer of the terminal device; and sending the first information. The method enables UEs having relatively urgent network needs to access a network as soon as possible while having users having less urgent network needs access the network at an off-peak time, so that the timely network access requirements of high-priority UEs can be met, thereby attaining a balance in network access by different types of UEs, causing the impact of AMF congestion on the user experience to be within a controllable range, and improving the users' satisfaction.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 28, 2023, with application number 202311626448.X and invention name “Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] If a large number of user equipment (UE) simultaneously attempts to access network devices and initiates non-access stratum (NAS) requests to the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, exceeding the processing capacity of the AMF, it may cause congestion in the AMF. When the AMF is congested and unable to process the requests of these UEs, the AMF will assign a back-off timer to each UE or each group of UEs. When the UE receives a rejection message containing a back-off timer, the UE will start the timer locally. Before the timer expires, the UE will not initiate a NAS request to the network again; only after the timer expires will the UE re-initiate a NAS request for registration.

[0004] The backoff timer duration is adjusted using a random algorithm, allowing UEs to wait for different intervals within the delay period. This prevents multiple UEs from attempting retransmissions at the same time. However, the randomized time period set by the backoff timer increases data retransmission latency. Furthermore, due to the uncertainty of data transmission timing within the backoff timer period, the backoff timer may result in some access points receiving more transmission opportunities while excluding others. This can lead to network unfairness and may even prevent other devices from receiving sufficient transmission opportunities.

[0005] Therefore, how to set a reasonable backoff timer is one of the technical problems that those skilled in the art urgently need to solve.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which set different priorities for UEs and assign backoff timers of different lengths to UEs of different priorities, so that UEs with different urgency of network needs can be connected to the network in batches, thereby improving the utilization of network resources and improving overall user satisfaction.

[0008] In the first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by an AMF network element, or can also be executed by a component of the AMF network element (such as a chip or circuit), without limitation.

[0009] The method may include: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate a priority of a terminal device; generating first information based on the first indication information, the first information being used to configure a backoff timer of the terminal device; and sending the first information.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, the first indication information received by the AMF carries the priority indication information of the terminal device, and the AMF configures a reasonable backoff timer for the terminal device according to the priority indication information. By guiding the UE to access the network in batches according to its own priority level, network congestion is alleviated. UEs with urgent network needs can enter the network as soon as possible, and users with generally urgent network needs can access the network in a staggered manner to meet the needs of high-priority UEs for timely network access, achieving a balance between different types of UE access to the network, and keeping the impact on user experience in the event of AMF congestion within a controllable range, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0011] It should be understood that, in an optional implementation, the first indication information is priority indication information of the UE, which is used to indicate the priority of the UE.

[0012] In another optional implementation manner, the first indication information includes priority indication information of the UE, that is, the first indication information includes a field for indicating the priority of the UE.

[0013] It should be understood that the first indication information includes UE registration request information or service request information. The first indication information refers to the priority of the UE to access the network. The first indication information can be uniformly formulated for all UE devices according to a certain rule, or can be uniformly allocated by the operator. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0014] It should be understood that in an optional implementation, the first information carries a backoff timer configured for the terminal device, and after receiving the first information, the terminal device starts and / or configures its own backoff timer according to the first information.

[0015] It should be understood that in another optional implementation, the first information carries instruction information for configuring the backoff timer duration for the terminal device. After receiving the first information, the terminal device configures its own backoff timer according to the first information.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, certain implementations of the first aspect further include receiving second information, executing a terminal device registration process based on the second information, and obtaining contract information for the terminal device. Obtaining a priority of the terminal device based on the contract information, and generating first indication information based on the priority of the terminal device. Sending third information, the third information carrying the first indication information.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, when the UE does not carry its own priority indication information when it first accesses the network, the priority indication can be allocated by the operator and stored in the unified data management (UDM) network element. The AMF obtains the UE's subscription information from the UDM network element. The AMF generates the UE's priority indication information based on the priority information in the subscription information and carries it to the UE in the registration pass information of the UE's first access to the network. The UE can carry the priority indication information provided by the AMF in subsequent registration requests or service requests. When the AMF is congested, the AMF can set a reasonable backoff timer value for the UE based on the priority indication.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, certain implementations of the first aspect further include receiving fourth information, the fourth information carrying second indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate an initial priority of the terminal device. Based on the second indication information, the priority of the terminal device is determined, and the first indication information is generated based on the priority of the terminal device. Third information is sent, the third information carrying the first indication information.

[0019] Based on the above technical solution, the UE carries initial priority information in the information it sends. The AMF can generate the UE's priority indication information based on the initial priority information carried in the UE request and send the priority indication information to the UE. The AMF side can identify the meaning of the priority indication information, effectively preventing the UE from tampering with its own priority information, protecting the security of the priority information, and maintaining a relatively fair network access environment.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes executing a registration process for the terminal device and obtaining contract information of the terminal device according to the fourth information, obtaining a priority of the terminal device according to the contract information, and obtaining the first indication information according to the priority of the terminal device.

[0021] Based on the above technical solution, the UE carries the initial priority information in the information it sends. The AMF can register with the UDM according to the UE request and obtain the UE's subscription information. The latest UE priority information obtained from the UDM overwrites the initial priority information, generates the UE's priority indication information, and sends the priority indication information to the UE. The AMF side can identify the meaning of the priority indication information, effectively preventing the UE from tampering with its own priority information, protecting the security of the priority information, and maintaining a relatively fair network access environment.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information is determined by the type of the terminal device.

[0023] Based on the above technical solution, the AMF can configure different priority indications for UEs based on their types. The UE carries its own priority indication in the network access request message. When congested, the AMF sets different backoff timers for UEs that require congestion control based on the UE's priority indication information. This allows UEs with urgent network needs to enter the network as quickly as possible, while users with generally urgent network needs can access the network at off-peak times to meet the needs of high-priority UEs for timely network access. This achieves a balance between different types of UE access to the network, keeps the impact on user experience within a controllable range when the AMF is congested, and improves user satisfaction.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, certain implementations of the first aspect further include receiving fifth information. The fifth information is used to indicate the terminal device's degree of network dependence. A priority of the terminal device is determined based on the fifth information, and the first indication information is determined based on the priority of the terminal device. Third information is sent, where the third information carries the first indication information.

[0025] Based on the above technical solution, AMF can generate UE priority indication information based on the analysis of the UE's network dependence, and can also judge the UE's priority based on the UE's network access habits, configure a more reasonable backoff timer for the UE, further improve the overall user experience, and better reflect the actual situation of the UE's priority.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes sending sixth information for subscribing to an analysis result based on the terminal device behavior information. The analysis result includes the fifth information.

[0027] Based on the above technical solution, AMF can generate UE priority indication information based on the analysis of the UE's network dependence, and can also judge the UE's priority based on the UE's network access habits, configure a more reasonable backoff timer for the UE, further improve the overall user experience, and better reflect the actual situation of the UE's priority.

[0028] It should be understood that in different implementations of the present application, the fields of the indication information of the same function generated in different ways may be the same or different, and the present application does not impose any special restrictions on this. Specifically, for example, the first indication information sent by the terminal device is used to indicate its own priority level. In different implementations, the fields of the first indication information may be the same or different, and the present application does not impose any special restrictions on this. For another example, the third information sent by the AMF carries the first indication information. In different implementations, the fields of the third information may be the same or different, and the present application does not impose any special restrictions on this. It should be understood that the same applies to other information, and the present application will not elaborate on this.

[0029] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a network data analytics function (NWDAF) network element, or can be executed by a component of the NWDAF network element (such as a chip or circuit), without limitation.

[0030] The method may include: receiving sixth information carrying information about a terminal device; obtaining behavior information of the terminal device based on the sixth information; and analyzing the degree of network dependence of the terminal device based on the behavior information; and transmitting fifth information indicating the degree of network dependence of the terminal device. The fifth information may also instruct the first network device to configure a backoff timer for the terminal device.

[0031] It should be understood that in an optional implementation, the first network device includes an AMF network element.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, AMF can generate UE priority indication information based on the analysis of the UE's network dependence, and can also judge the UE's priority based on the UE's network access habits, configure a more reasonable backoff timer for the UE, further improve the overall user experience, and better reflect the actual situation of the UE's priority.

[0033] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the fifth information is further used to instruct the first network device to generate first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the priority of the terminal device. The first network device generates first information based on the first indication information, where the first information is used to configure a backoff timer of the terminal device.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, the first indication information received by the AMF carries the priority indication information of the terminal device, and the AMF configures a reasonable backoff timer for the terminal device according to the priority indication information. By guiding the UE to access the network in batches according to its own priority level, network congestion is alleviated. UEs with urgent network needs can enter the network as soon as possible, and users with generally urgent network needs can access the network in a staggered manner to meet the needs of high-priority UEs for timely network access, achieving a balance between different types of UE access to the network, and keeping the impact on user experience in the event of AMF congestion within a controllable range, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0035] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the sixth information carries a device list or an area of ​​interest of the terminal device.

[0036] Based on the above technical solution, AMF can generate UE priority indication information based on the analysis of the UE's network dependence, and can also judge the UE's priority based on the UE's network access habits, configure a more reasonable backoff timer for the UE, further improve the overall user experience, and better reflect the actual situation of the UE's priority.

[0037] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the fifth information includes an analysis of the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network in different time periods.

[0038] Based on the above technical solution, AMF can generate UE priority indication information based on the analysis of the UE's network dependence, and can also judge the UE's priority based on the UE's network access habits, configure a more reasonable backoff timer for the UE, further improve the overall user experience, and better reflect the actual situation of the UE's priority.

[0039] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal device, or can be executed by a component of the terminal device (such as a chip or circuit), without limitation.

[0040] The method may include: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate a priority of a terminal device, the priority being used to instruct a network device to allocate a backoff timer to the terminal device, receiving the first information, and configuring the backoff timer of the terminal device according to the first information.

[0041] Based on the above technical solution, the first indication information sent by the terminal device carries its own priority information. The AMF allocates a reasonable timer to the UE according to the UE's priority information. The UE configures its own backoff timer according to the received first information, and initiates a network access request again after the timer expires. By guiding the UE to access the network in batches according to its own priority level, network congestion is alleviated. UEs with urgent network needs can enter the network as soon as possible, and users with generally urgent network needs can access the network in staggered times to meet the needs of high-priority UEs for timely network access, achieving a balance between different types of UE access to the network, and keeping the impact on user experience within a controllable range when the AMF is congested, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0042] In conjunction with the third aspect, certain implementations of the third aspect further include sending second information, the second information being used to instruct execution of a terminal device registration process and acquisition of contract information for the terminal device. The contract information being used to instruct acquisition of a priority level of the terminal device. Third information carrying the priority information of the terminal device is received. First indication information is generated based on the third information.

[0043] Based on the above technical solution, when the UE does not carry its own priority indication information when it first accesses the network, the priority indication can be allocated by the operator and stored in the unified data management (UDM) network element. The AMF obtains the UE's subscription information from the UDM network element. The AMF generates the UE's priority indication information based on the priority information in the subscription information and carries it to the UE in the registration pass information of the UE's first access to the network. The UE can carry the priority indication information provided by the AMF in subsequent registration requests or service requests. When the AMF is congested, the AMF can set a reasonable backoff timer value for the UE based on the priority indication.

[0044] In conjunction with the third aspect, certain implementations of the third aspect further include sending fourth information carrying second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate an initial priority of the terminal device; receiving third information carrying updated priority information of the terminal device; and generating first indication information based on the third information.

[0045] Based on the above technical solution, the UE carries initial priority information in the information it sends. The AMF can generate the UE's priority indication information based on the initial priority information carried in the UE request and send the priority indication information to the UE. The AMF side can identify the meaning of the priority indication information, effectively preventing the UE from tampering with its own priority information, protecting the security of the priority information, and maintaining a relatively fair network access environment.

[0046] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the fourth information is further used to instruct execution of a registration process for the terminal device and acquisition of contract information for the terminal device. The contract information is used to instruct acquisition of updated priority information for the terminal device.

[0047] Based on the above technical solution, the UE carries the initial priority information in the information it sends. The AMF can register with the UDM according to the UE request and obtain the UE's subscription information. The latest UE priority information obtained from the UDM overwrites the initial priority information, generates the UE's priority indication information, and sends the priority indication information to the UE. The AMF side can identify the meaning of the priority indication information, effectively preventing the UE from tampering with its own priority information, protecting the security of the priority information, and maintaining a relatively fair network access environment.

[0048] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first indication information is determined by the type of the terminal device.

[0049] Based on the above technical solution, different priority indications can be configured for UEs according to their types. The UE carries its own priority indication in the network access request message. When congested, the AMF sets different backoff timers for UEs that require congestion control based on the UE's priority indication information. This allows UEs with urgent network needs to enter the network as quickly as possible, while users with generally urgent network needs can access the network at off-peak times to meet the needs of high-priority UEs for timely network access. This achieves a balance between different types of UE access to the network, keeps the impact on user experience within a controllable range when the AMF is congested, and improves user satisfaction.

[0050] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes receiving third information, where the third information carries first indication information, and the first indication information is determined based on the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network.

[0051] Based on the above technical solution, the first indication information carries the priority indication information of the terminal device, and the AMF configures a reasonable backoff timer for the terminal device according to the priority indication information. By guiding the UE to access the network in batches according to its own priority level, network congestion is alleviated. UEs with urgent network needs can enter the network as soon as possible, and users with generally urgent network needs can access the network in a staggered manner to meet the needs of high-priority UEs for timely network access, achieving a balance between different types of UE access to the network, and keeping the impact on user experience in the event of AMF congestion within a controllable range, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0052] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is configured to execute the methods provided in aspects 1 to 3 above. Specifically, the device may include units and / or modules, such as a processing unit and / or a communication unit, configured to execute the methods provided in any one of the aforementioned implementations of aspects 1 to 3 above.

[0053] In one implementation, the apparatus is a terminal device. When the apparatus is a terminal device, the communication unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; and the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0054] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a terminal device. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a terminal device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0055] In one implementation, the device is an AMF network element. When the device is an AMF network element, the communication unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; and the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0056] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in an AMF network element. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in an AMF network element, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0057] In one implementation, the device is a NWDAF network element. When the device is a NWDAF network element, the communication unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; and the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0058] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in an NWDAF network element. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in an NWDAF network element, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0059] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a memory for storing programs; and at least one processor for executing computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to execute any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first to third aspects, or a method provided by any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first to third aspects.

[0060] In one implementation, the apparatus is a terminal device.

[0061] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, a chip system, or a circuit used in a terminal device.

[0062] In one implementation, the device is an AMF network element.

[0063] In another implementation, the device is a chip, a chip system or a circuit used in an AMF network element.

[0064] In one implementation, the device is a NWDAF network element.

[0065] In another implementation, the device is a chip, a chip system, or a circuit used in a NWDAF network element.

[0066] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a processor for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0067] For the operations such as sending and acquiring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or if they do not conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be understood as processor output, reception, input and other operations, and can also be understood as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and antenna. This application does not limit this.

[0068] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a program code for execution by a device, and the program code includes a method for executing any one of the above-mentioned implementation methods of the first to third aspects.

[0069] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method provided in any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first to third aspects.

[0070] In the ninth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the method provided by any one of the above-mentioned implementation methods of the first to third aspects.

[0071] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored on the memory. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided in any one of the above-mentioned implementation methods of the first to third aspects.

[0072] In the tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the AMF network element of the first aspect and the terminal device of the third aspect.

[0073] In the eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the AMF network element of the first aspect, the NWDAF network element of the second aspect and the terminal device of the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture to which the technical solution of the present application can be applied.

[0075] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an allocation backoff timer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0076] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the application scenario of this application.

[0077] FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0078] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a UE accessing a network in a congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0079] FIG6 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0080] FIG7 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] FIG10 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] FIG11 shows a schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0085] FIG12 shows a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0087] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are explained before introducing the embodiments of the present application.

[0088] In this application, "used to indicate" or "indicate" can include direct indication and indirect indication, or "used to indicate" or "indicate" can indicate explicitly and / or implicitly. For example, when describing that a certain information is used to indicate information I, it can include that the information directly indicates I or indirectly indicates I, but it does not mean that the information necessarily carries I. For another example, implicit indication can be based on the location and / or resources used for transmission; explicit indication can be based on one or more parameters, and / or one or more indexes, and / or one or more bit patterns represented by it.

[0089] The definitions of many characteristics listed in this application are only used to explain the functions of the characteristics by way of example. For details, please refer to the prior art.

[0090] In the embodiments shown below, the first, second, third, fourth, and various numbers are only used for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, they are used to distinguish different fields, different information, etc.

[0091] "Pre-definition" can be achieved by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. Here, "storage" can mean storing in one or more memories. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, which is not limited by this application.

[0092] The “protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include a long term evolution (LTE) protocol, a new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, which are not limited in this application.

[0093] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features around systems including multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all of the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the figures. Furthermore, combinations of these aspects may also be used.

[0094] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary," "for example," "illustratively," and "as another example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an "exemplary" in this application should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0095] The terms "include", "comprising", "having" and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to", unless specifically emphasized otherwise.

[0096] "At least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c. Where a, b and c can be single or multiple, respectively.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of network element A sending a message, information or data to network element B, and network element B receiving a message, information or data from network element A are intended to illustrate to which network element the message, information or data is to be sent, but do not limit whether they are sent directly or indirectly via other network elements.

[0098] 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.

[0099] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the fifth generation (5G) or NR system, LTE system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems such as satellite communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system.

[0100] As an example, FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture.

[0101] As shown in Figure 1, the network architecture takes the 5G system (5GS) as an example. The network architecture can include three parts: user equipment (UE), data network (DN), and operator network. The operator network may include one or more of the following network elements: (radio) access network (R)AN) equipment, user plane function (UPF) network element, unified data management (UDM) network element, operations, administration and management (OAM) network element, access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, network exposure function (NEF) network element, network repository function (NRF) network element, network data analytics function (NWDAF) network element, application function (AF) network element, policy control function (PCF) network element, and unified data repository (UDR) network element. In the above-mentioned operator network, the part other than the RAN part can be called the core network part.

[0102] In this application, user equipment, (wireless) access network equipment, UPF network element, UDM network element, OAM network element, AMF network element, SMF network element, NEF network element, NRF network element, NWDAF network element, AF network element, PCF network element, and UDR network element are respectively referred to as UE, (R) AN, UPF, UDM, OAM, AMF, SMF, NEF, NRF, NWDAF, AF, PCF, and UDR.

[0103] The following briefly describes the network elements involved in FIG1 .

[0104] 1.UE

[0105] The UE in this application may also be referred to as a terminal, user, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal device, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc. For the sake of convenience of description, it is collectively referred to as a terminal below.

[0106] A terminal is a device that can access a network. Terminals and (R)ANs can communicate with each other using an air interface technology (such as NR or LTE). Terminals can also communicate with each other using an air interface technology (such as NR or LTE). A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal, augmented reality (AR) terminal, satellite communication terminal, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system terminal, WiFi communication system terminal, industrial control terminal, self-driving terminal, remote medical terminal, smart grid terminal, transportation safety terminal, smart city terminal, smart home terminal, etc.

[0107] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the UE.

[0108] 2. (R)AN

[0109] The (R)AN in this application may be a device used to communicate with a terminal, or may be a device that connects a terminal to a wireless network.

[0110] The (R)AN can be a node in a radio access network. The (R)AN can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a home base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB, or HNB), a Wi-Fi access point (AP), a mobile switching center, a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A network device can also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station, such as a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a remote radio unit (RRU), or a baseband unit (BBU). The (R)AN can also be a device that performs base station functions in D2D communication systems, V2X communication systems, M2M communication systems, and IoT communication systems. The (R)AN can also be a network device in the NTN, i.e., it can be deployed on a high-altitude platform or satellite. The (R)AN can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, or a donor node.

[0111] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology, device form and name adopted by the (R)AN. For the convenience of description, the (R)AN will be collectively referred to as the access network device below.

[0112] 3. UPF

[0113] The main functions of UPF are packet routing and forwarding, mobility anchor, uplink classifier to support routing service flows to data networks, branch point to support multi-homing protocol data unit (PDU) sessions, etc.

[0114] 4. DN

[0115] DN is mainly used for operator networks that provide data services to terminals, such as the Internet, third-party service networks, or IP Multimedia Service (IMS) networks.

[0116] 5. UDM

[0117] UDM is mainly responsible for the contract data management of the terminal, including the storage and management of the terminal identification, terminal access authorization, etc.

[0118] 6. OAM

[0119] OAM is mainly used to complete the analysis, prediction, planning and configuration of the network and its services, as well as daily operational activities such as testing and fault management of the network and its services.

[0120] 7. AMF

[0121] The main functions of AMF include managing user registration, reachability detection, SMF node selection, and mobile state transition management.

[0122] 8. SMF

[0123] The main functions of SMF are to control the establishment, modification and deletion of sessions, the selection of user plane nodes, etc.

[0124] 9. NEF

[0125] NEF is mainly used to open network capabilities and events to the outside world and receive relevant external information.

[0126] 10. NRF

[0127] NRF is mainly used to provide registration and discovery capabilities for network elements in 5G networks.

[0128] 11. NWDAF

[0129] The NWDAF is a network element that provides data analysis capabilities for the 5G core network (5GC) network function (NF) and Operational Admin (OAM). The 5GC NF or OAM can request network data analysis results from the NWDAF. Upon receiving the request, the NWDAF collects data from relevant network elements and trains an artificial intelligence (AI) model. The AI ​​model is then used to perform data inference and feedback the results to the corresponding 5GC NF or OAM.

[0130] NWDAF has data collection, training, analysis, and reasoning functions. It can be used to collect relevant data from network elements, third-party service servers, terminal devices, or network management systems, perform analysis and training based on the relevant data, and provide data analysis results to network elements, third-party service servers, terminal devices, or network management systems. The analysis results can assist the network in selecting service quality parameters, assist the network in executing traffic routing, or assist the network in selecting background data transmission strategies.

[0131] Based on different functions, NWDAF can be divided into NWDAF (MTLF) with machine learning training function that supports training and NWDAF (AnLF) with analytics function that supports reasoning. NWDAF (AnLF) can request AI model information from NWDAF (MTLF) for data reasoning.

[0132] 12. AF

[0133] The AF primarily supports the delivery of application-side requirements to the network, such as Quality of Service (QoS) requirements or user status event subscriptions. The AF can be deployed within the operator's network or a third-party AF.

[0134] 13. PCF

[0135] PCF is mainly responsible for policy control decisions, policy rules for providing control plane functions, and flow-based charging control functions.

[0136] 14. UDR

[0137] UDR is mainly responsible for providing storage capabilities for contract data, policy data, and capability exposure-related data.

[0138] In the architecture shown in Figure 1, N2 is the interface between the AMF and the RAN. N3 is the interface between the RAN and the UPF. N4 is the interface between the SMF and the UPF. N6 is the interface between the UPF and the DN. The service-oriented interfaces Nnef, Nnrf, Nnwdaf, Naf, Npcf, Nudr, Nudm, Namf, and Nsmf are service-oriented interfaces provided by the NEF, NRF, NWDAF, AF, PCF, UDR, UDM, AMF, and SMF, respectively, and are used to invoke corresponding service-oriented operations. N2, N3, N4, and N6 are interface serial numbers. The meanings of these interface serial numbers can be found in the definitions of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard protocols and are not limited here.

[0139] It should be noted that in the network architecture shown in Figure 1, each network element can communicate with each other through an interface. The interface between each network element can be a point-to-point interface or a service-based interface, which is not limited in this application.

[0140] It should be understood that the network architecture shown above is only an exemplary illustration, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is not limited to this. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0141] It should also be understood that the functions or network elements such as UPF, UDM, OAM, AMF, SMF, NEF, NRF, NWDAF, AF, PCF or UDR shown in Figure 1 can be understood as network elements for implementing different functions, for example, they can be combined into network slices as needed. These network elements can be independent devices, or they can be integrated into the same device to implement different functions, or they can be network elements in hardware devices, or they can be software functions running on dedicated hardware, or they can be virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (for example, a cloud platform). This application does not limit the specific form of the above network elements.

[0142] It should also be understood that the above naming is defined only to facilitate the distinction between different functions and should not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of adopting other naming in 6G networks and other future networks. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above network elements may continue to use the terminology used in 5G, or may adopt other names.

[0143] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the scenario in which the AMF sends a back-off timer to the UE is briefly introduced below in conjunction with Figure 2.

[0144] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an allocation backoff timer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0145] The current congestion control of the NAS layer is mainly achieved by assigning a backoff timer to the UE. When a large number of UEs simultaneously initiate registration request information to the AMF network element and the AMF is congested, the AMF will not be able to process the requests of these UEs. At this time, the AMF will assign a backoff timer to each UE or each group of UEs, and carry the backoff timer in the registration rejection information to the UE. When the UE receives the registration rejection information containing the backoff timer, the UE will start the timer locally. Before the timer expires, the UE will not initiate a registration request to the network again. Only after the timer expires will the UE initiate a registration request to the network again.

[0146] It should be understood that the registration request initiated by the UE to the AMF network element includes but is not limited to a NAS request, and the registration request information initiated by the UE to the AMF network element includes but is not limited to a NAS request information. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0147] It should be understood that in some emergency or special circumstances, the UE may not back off according to the time setting of the backoff timer, and may re-initiate a NAS request to the network before the timer expires. This application does not specifically limit such special circumstances. Specifically, for example, including but not limited to when the UE is performing a deregistration process, high priority access, emergency access, multimedia priority service (MPS), managed communication services (MCS), and / or message transfer (MT) service, the UE may re-initiate a NAS request to the network before the timer expires.

[0148] Generally, the main application scenarios of the medium access control (MAC) message (MM) backoff timer include:

[0149] The first type: when the UE is in the radio measurement (RM) deregistered (RM-DEREGISTERED) state, the UE initiates an initial registration request.

[0150] It should be understood that the initial registration request initiated by the UE does not carry the NAS congestion control exemption indication, and the request initiated by the UE is a non-emergency service request.

[0151] The second type: When the UE is in the RM-DEREGISTERED state and the call manager (CM) connected (CM-Connected) state, the UE initiates a service request message and an uplink NAS transport message. Request types include but are not limited to: initial request, existing PDU session, mobile access (MA) PDU request, and / or modification request.

[0152] It should be understood that the above-mentioned PDU session does not include an emergency PDU session.

[0153] The third type: when the UE is in the RM-DEREGISTERED state and the UE is in the call manager idle (CM idle, CM-IDLE) state, the UE initiates the mobility registration update.

[0154] When allocating backoff timers, the AMF needs to consider the following factors:

[0155] (1) Avoid a large number of UEs from initiating delay requests simultaneously or within a short period of time;

[0156] (2) UE communication pattern.

[0157] From the above, it can be seen that, under normal circumstances, when congestion occurs in the AMF, the AMF will send a rejection message to the UE, and carry a backoff timer in the rejection message to delay the UE's access, thereby achieving control in the AMF congestion scenario. However, when the AMF assigns a backoff timer to the UE, it only considers how to avoid a large number of UEs from initiating delay requests at the same time and the UE's communication mode. This will cause some terminal devices that are not very timely in accessing the network to access the network in time, and terminals that are more timely in accessing the network will be assigned a longer backoff timer, thereby causing a decrease in user experience. Therefore, how to assign reasonable backoff timers to different UEs is a technical problem that those skilled in the art still need to solve.

[0158] Existing standards do not specify how the AMF allocates a reasonable backoff timer to the UE. The method provided in this application is used to assist the AMF in setting a reasonable backoff timer. When congestion occurs in the AMF, appropriate backoff timers can be allocated to different UEs, allowing UEs to access the network in batches. This achieves a relative balance between the urgency of UE access to the network and network congestion, reasonably allocates network resources, and comprehensively improves the user experience.

[0159] As a non-limiting example, with technological advancements, more and more IoT devices require network access. However, these IoT devices primarily access the network to collect data, and they do not prioritize timely network access. In other words, these IoT devices have a relatively low priority for network access. Priority information can be set for different UE types to allow UEs to access the network in batches.

[0160] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the application scenario of this application.

[0161] A priority indicator is configured for each UE, and the UE carries this priority indicator information in the registration request sent to the AMF. Each UE carries this priority indicator information in each registration request and / or service request.

[0162] The AMF allocates a reasonable backoff timer backoff-timer to the UE according to the priority indication information carried in the received registration request information, and carries the timer in the registration rejection information and sends it to the UE.

[0163] It should be understood that the priority indication information configured for the UE is used to indicate the priority of the UE to access the network. When the AMF receives the registration request from the UE, it will make a judgment based on the current AMF processing capability.

[0164] In an optional implementation, when the AMF is not congested, the AMF makes a judgment based on the number of signaling messages it processes simultaneously. When the number of signaling messages it processes simultaneously is greater than or equal to the number of UE requests, the AMF ignores the priority indication information carried by the UE. When the number of signaling messages it processes simultaneously is less than the number of UE requests, the AMF prioritizes requests initiated by high-priority UEs according to the priority indication information.

[0165] In another optional implementation, when the AMF is congested, the AMF determines that it needs to send a registration reject message to the UE that received the NAS request, citing AMF congestion as the reason for the rejection, and includes a backoff timer in the reject message. The AMF assigns different backoff timers to UEs of different priorities based on the UE's priority indication information.

[0166] In another optional implementation, the AMF allocates a shorter backoff timer to high-priority UEs and a longer backoff timer to low-priority UEs, so that the UEs access the network in batches according to priority order.

[0167] In some implementations, the priority indication information may also be referred to as priority indication, priority message, priority indication message, etc.; it should be understood that the above names should refer to the same information, which is used to indicate the priority of the UE accessing the network. The above is only a difference in name and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0168] In some implementations, registration rejection information may also be referred to as rejection information, rejection message, registration rejection message, etc.; it should be understood that the above names should refer to the same information, which is used to send to the UE to reject the UE's network access request. The above is only a difference in name and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0169] The steps of allocating a backoff timer to a UE are described in detail below with reference to FIG. 4 .

[0170] FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0171] The communication method comprises the following steps:

[0172] S409: The first network device receives first indication information sent by the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the priority of the terminal device.

[0173] In some specific implementations, the first network device includes an AMF network element.

[0174] In some optional implementations, the terminal device directly sends first indication information to the first network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the priority of the terminal device.

[0175] In other optional implementations, the terminal device carries the first indication information in the request information and sends it. After receiving the request information, the first network device obtains the first indication information carried therein and determines the priority of the terminal device through the first indication information.

[0176] S410: The first network device generates first information according to the first indication information, wherein the first information is used to configure a backoff timer of the terminal device.

[0177] It should be understood that in some specific implementations, the first indication information is used to indicate the priority of the terminal device, and the correspondence between the first indication information and the priority of the terminal device is stored in the first network device. The first network device obtains the priority of the terminal device based on the first indication information and then configures a reasonable backoff timer for the terminal device.

[0178] It should be understood that in some other specific implementations, the first indication information is used to indicate the priority of the terminal device, and the first indication information directly includes the priority of the terminal device. The first network device can determine the priority of the terminal device based on the first indication information and configure a reasonable backoff timer for the terminal device.

[0179] S411: The first network device sends first information to the terminal device.

[0180] In some optional implementations, the first network device allocates a backoff timer to the terminal device based on the priority of the terminal device. The backoff timer is carried in the first information and sent to the terminal device. The terminal device configures its own backoff timer based on the first information.

[0181] In some other optional implementations, the first network device generates first information according to the priority of the terminal device and sends the first information to the terminal device. The terminal device configures its own backoff timer according to the first information.

[0182] Optionally, in another implementation, the communication method may further include the following steps:

[0183] S405: The first network device receives second information sent by the terminal device. The second information is used to instruct the first network device to execute a registration process for the terminal device.

[0184] It should be understood that the second information includes but is not limited to registration request information, NAS request information, network access request information, etc. sent by the terminal device.

[0185] S406: The first network device obtains the contract information of the terminal device.

[0186] The first network device executes the registration process of the terminal device according to the second information, and obtains the contract information of the terminal device from the UDM network element.

[0187] S407: The first network device generates first indication information.

[0188] The first network device obtains the priority of the terminal device according to the contract information, and generates first indication information according to the priority of the terminal device.

[0189] S408: The first network device sends third information to the terminal device, where the third information carries the first indication information.

[0190] It should be understood that in some optional implementations, the first network device directly sends the first indication information to the terminal device, and the first indication information is used to indicate the priority information of the terminal.

[0191] In some other optional implementations, the first indication information is carried in the third information, and the first network device sends the third information to the terminal device.

[0192] In the above implementation, when the UE first sends a message to the AMF, it does not carry priority indication information. The UE's priority indication information is allocated by the operator and stored in the UDM network element. After the UE first joins the network, it obtains its own priority indication information. When the UE joins the network again, the request information sent to the AMF carries this priority indication information.

[0193] Optionally, in another implementation, the communication method may further include the following steps:

[0194] S401: A first network device receives fourth information sent by a terminal device. The fourth information carries second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate an initial priority of the terminal device.

[0195] It should be understood that the second indication information is used to indicate the initial priority of the terminal device, and the second indication information may directly include the initial priority information of the terminal device, or may include an indication of the initial priority of the terminal device, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0196] It should be understood that the initial priority includes the priority information built into the UE when it leaves the factory; the initial priority may also include the priority information assigned to the UE when it last accesses the network.

[0197] It should be understood that the mapping relationship between the second indication information and the initial priority of the UE is stored in the first network device.

[0198] S407: The first network device generates first indication information.

[0199] The first network device determines the priority of the terminal device according to the second indication information, and generates the first indication information according to the priority of the terminal device.

[0200] It should be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate the latest priority information of the UE, and is the priority indication information updated based on the second indication information.

[0201] It should be understood that in different optional implementations, the first network device generates the first indication information based on different information, and the fields and content included in these first indication information may be different or the same, and this application does not impose any special restrictions on this. These first indication information are all used to indicate the priority of the terminal device.

[0202] S408: The first network device sends third information to the terminal device, where the third information carries the first indication information.

[0203] It should be understood that in different optional implementations, the first network device sends the third information to the network device based on different information. The fields and content included in this third information may be different or the same, and this application does not specifically limit this. This third information is used to carry the first indication information and is sent by the first network device to the terminal device.

[0204] In the above implementation, when the UE sends a message to the AMF for the first time, it carries the initial priority indication information. The first network device determines the UE's latest priority information based on the UE's initial priority information, and carries the UE's updated priority information in the third message and sends it to the UE. When the UE re-accesses the network, the message sent to the AMF carries the latest priority indication information. This method can prevent the UE from changing its own priority information in order to gain priority access to the network, protect the security of the priority information, and ensure the rationality and fairness of the UE's network access priority.

[0205] In the above implementation, the priority information of the terminal device can also be uniformly allocated by the operator and stored in the UDM. The following steps may also be included:

[0206] S406: The first network device obtains the contract information of the terminal device.

[0207] The first network device performs a registration process for the terminal device and obtains the contract information of the terminal device according to the fourth information, obtains the priority of the terminal device according to the contract information, and obtains the first indication information according to the priority of the terminal device and / or the second indication information.

[0208] In the above implementation, even if the fourth information carries the initial priority information of the UE, in order to prevent the UE side from tampering with the priority information, the AMF can obtain the contract information of the terminal device from the UDM again and obtain the priority information of the UE assigned by the operator.

[0209] It should be understood that in different optional implementations, the first indication information is determined by the type of the terminal device. The first network device determines the priority of the UE according to the type of the UE, and generates the first indication information to indicate the priority of the UE.

[0210] Optionally, in another implementation, the communication method may further include the following steps:

[0211] S404: The first network device receives fifth information from the second network device, where the fifth information is used to indicate the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network.

[0212] In some specific implementations, the second network device includes a NWDAF network element.

[0213] S407: The first network device generates first indication information.

[0214] The first network device determines the priority of the terminal device according to the fifth information, and determines the first indication information according to the priority of the terminal device.

[0215] S408: The first network device sends third information to the terminal device, where the third information carries the first indication information.

[0216] In the above implementation, the AMF obtains the degree of UE's dependence on the network based on the fifth information sent by the NWDAF side, thereby judging the UE's urgency to join the network and thus determining the UE's priority, and generates the first indication information based on the UE's priority. The first network device sends the UE's priority indication information to the UE, and the UE carries the latest priority indication information the next time it joins the network. This method can reasonably judge the urgency of the UE's network access based on the UE's network communication behavior, which is conducive to the AMF more accurately allocating a reasonable backoff timer to the UE. It is conducive to improving the overall user satisfaction.

[0217] In the above implementation, the first network device may also subscribe to the UE's network behavior information result from the second network device. The following steps may also be included:

[0218] S402: The first network device sends sixth information to the second network device. The sixth information is used to subscribe to an analysis result based on the terminal device behavior information. The analysis result includes the fifth information.

[0219] In the above implementation, the first network device subscribes to the behavior analysis result of the UE from the second network device, and the second network device sends the behavior result of the UE subscribed by the first network device to the first network device.

[0220] It should be understood that after receiving the analysis results of the UE's network behavior, the first network device determines the UE's priority based on the results and generates first indication information. The first network device can proactively send priority information based on the behavior analysis to the UE. The first network device can also carry priority information based on the behavior analysis in a reply message to the UE when the UE next accesses the network. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0221] S403: The second network device analyzes the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network.

[0222] The second network device subscribes to the network behavior information of the UE from other network devices based on the UE information carried in the received sixth information, and analyzes the network dependence degree of the UE based on the network behavior information of the UE fed back by the other network devices.

[0223] It should be understood that other network devices include but are not limited to AMF network elements, SMF network elements, UPF network elements, UDM network elements, etc.

[0224] It should be understood that in the above optional implementations, different steps can be combined to form optional implementations, which will not be described in detail in this application. However, new optional implementations formed by combining steps should not be considered to exceed the scope of protection of this application.

[0225] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a UE accessing a network in a congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0226] The UE accesses the network by:

[0227] S501: The UE sends a request message 1 to the AMF, where the request message 1 is used to indicate the priority information of the UE.

[0228] In an optional implementation, the request information 1 is priority indication information of the UE, which is used to indicate the priority of the UE.

[0229] In another optional implementation manner, the request information 1 includes priority indication information of the UE, that is, the request information 1 includes a field for indicating the priority of the UE.

[0230] It should be understood that step S501 is a specific implementation of step S409 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0231] It should be understood that the request information 1 is a specific implementation of the first indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0232] It should be understood that the AMF network element is a specific implementation of the first network device in the embodiment described in Figure 4, and this application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0233] It should be understood that the request information 1 includes registration request information or service request information of the UE.

[0234] It should be understood that the priority indication information refers to the priority of the UE to access the network. The priority indication information can be uniformly formulated for all UE devices according to a certain rule, or can be uniformly allocated by the operator, and this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0235] In an optional implementation, priority indication information may be allocated to the UE according to the type of the UE. For example, corresponding priority indication information may be allocated according to different UE types in Table 1.

[0236] Table 1 Correspondence between different types of UE and priority indication information

[0237] It should be understood that the UE types listed in Table 1 are only illustrative examples. The UEs to which the method protected by this application is applicable include but are not limited to the UE types listed in Table 1, and this application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0238] It should be understood that the correspondence between the UE types and priority indication information listed in Table 1 is only an illustrative example and an optional specific implementation method provided by this application; in actual use or other scenarios, the priority indication information can be reallocated for different types of UE according to the actual scenario, and this application does not make any special limitations on this.

[0239] It should be understood that in addition to the type of UE, priority indication information of different UEs can also be set according to factors such as the purpose of the UE or other reference information of the UE. This application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0240] It should be understood that when congestion occurs in the AMF, the AMF can set different backoff timers for the UE based on the UE's priority indication information. The AMF can also prioritize indications initiated by high-priority UEs based on the UE's priority indication information.

[0241] In another optional implementation, the priority information of the UE is uniformly allocated by the operator; when a subscriber identity module (SIM) card is allocated to the UE, the priority information of the UE is written in the SIM card.

[0242] S502: The AMF sets a back-off timer according to the priority indication information carried by the UE.

[0243] After the AMF receives the NAS request from the UE, if the request does not contain any high-priority requests, the AMF makes a judgment based on the current processing capability.

[0244] It should be understood that step S502 is a specific implementation of step S410 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0245] It should be understood that high-priority requests include, but are not limited to, emergency requests, multimedia priority service (MPS) requests, or mission critical service (MCS) requests.

[0246] It should be understood that the NAS request of the UE received by the AMF includes request information 1 sent by the UE, and request information 1 is a specific form of the NAS request of the UE.

[0247] When the AMF is not congested, the AMF makes a judgment based on its own processing capacity. When the AMF's processing capacity exceeds the current number of UE requests, the AMF ignores the priority indication information carried in Request Message 1 and processes all received UE request signaling. When the AMF's processing capacity is lower than the current number of UE requests, the AMF may prioritize processing requests sent by UEs with higher priorities based on the priority indication information carried in Request Message 1 sent by the UE.

[0248] In one possible implementation, the processing capability of the AMF includes the number of signaling messages that the AMF processes at the same time. When the processing capability of the AMF exceeds the number of requests currently received by the UE, the number of signaling messages that the AMF processes at the same time is greater than or equal to the number of requests currently received by the UE. When the processing capability of the AMF is less than the number of requests currently received by the UE, the number of signaling messages that the AMF processes at the same time is less than the number of requests currently received by the UE.

[0249] When the AMF is congested, the AMF determines that a rejection message needs to be sent to the UE for the received NAS request, and the rejection reason is AMF congestion. The rejection message also includes the back-off timer. The AMF sets different back-off timers for UEs of different priority levels based on the UE's priority indication information.

[0250] In an optional implementation, the AMF sets a relatively short back-off timer for the UE whose priority indication information is level 1, and sets a relatively long back-off timer for the UE of level 4.

[0251] S503: AMF sends a rejection message 1 to the UE.

[0252] The AMF sends a rejection message 1 to the UE, where the rejection message 1 carries a backoff timer configured according to the priority indication information of the UE.

[0253] It should be understood that step S503 is a specific implementation of step S411 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0254] It should be understood that the rejection information 1 is a specific implementation of the first information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0255] In summary, when the AMF receives a NAS request from a UE during network congestion, but does not obtain the UE's subscription information and context information, the AMF cannot set a reasonable back-off timer for the UE based on more information. In existing implementations, the AMF randomly generates back-off timers for UEs. In some cases, this may cause the AMF to set a shorter back-off timer for UEs with less urgent network needs, while setting a longer back-off timer for UEs with more urgent network needs. This results in inefficient use of network resources and a poor user experience.

[0256] Through the method described in FIG5 , the AMF can assign a reasonable backoff timer to the UE based on the default priority indication information carried in the UE request information, guiding the UE to access the network in batches according to its own priority level, thereby alleviating network congestion. This allows UEs with urgent network needs to access the network as quickly as possible, while users with generally urgent network needs can access the network in staggered periods to meet the needs of high-priority UEs for timely network access, achieving a balance between different types of UE access to the network, and keeping the impact on user experience in the event of AMF congestion within a controllable range, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0257] In the method described in Figure 5, different priority indications are configured for the UE according to the type of UE. The UE carries its own priority indication in the network access request message. When congestion occurs, the AMF sets different backoff timers for the UE that requires congestion control according to the UE's priority indication information.

[0258] FIG6 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0259] The UE accesses the network by:

[0260] S601: UE sends request information 2 to AMF.

[0261] In an optional implementation, the request information 2 includes the network access request information of the UE. When the UE accesses the network for the first time, the request information 2 does not carry its own priority indication information.

[0262] It should be understood that step S601 is a specific implementation of step S405 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0263] It should be understood that the request information 2 is a specific implementation of the second information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0264] S602: AMF obtains the contract information of the terminal device from UDM.

[0265] The AMF receives the UE's request and finds that the request message 2 does not carry priority indication information. The AMF performs the normal registration process based on Request Message 2 and obtains the UE's subscription information from the UDM. The UE's priority indication is stored in the UE's subscription information, and the AMF obtains the UE's subscription information from the UDM.

[0266] It should be understood that step S602 is a specific implementation of step S406 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0267] S603: AMF generates priority indication information.

[0268] The AMF determines the priority of the UE based on the obtained UE subscription information, and generates corresponding priority indication information according to the UE priority.

[0269] It should be understood that step S603 is a specific implementation of step S407 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0270] It should be understood that the priority indication information is a specific implementation of the first indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0271] S604: AMF sends registration approval information 2 to the terminal device.

[0272] The AMF obtains the UE's priority indication information from the UE's subscription information, and carries the priority indication information in the registration pass information 2 and sends it to the UE.

[0273] It should be understood that step S604 is a specific implementation of step S408 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0274] It should be understood that the registration pass information 2 is a specific implementation of the third information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0275] S605: The UE sends request information 3 to the AMF, where request information 3 is used to indicate the priority information of the UE.

[0276] After the UE sends uplink signaling to the network device or the UE deregisters in the CM-IDLE state, when the UE initiates a registration request to the network again, the UE carries the latest priority indication information it has received in the request information 3.

[0277] In an optional implementation, the request information 3 is priority indication information of the UE, which is used to indicate the priority of the UE.

[0278] In another optional implementation manner, the request information 3 includes priority indication information of the UE, that is, the request information 3 includes a field for indicating the priority of the UE.

[0279] It should be understood that step S605 is a specific implementation of step S409 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0280] It should be understood that the request information 3 is a specific implementation of the first indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0281] It should be understood that step S605 may be the same step as S501 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0282] It should be understood that the request information 3 in step S605 and the request information 1 in step S501 may be the same request information or different request information, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0283] S606: The AMF sets a back-off timer according to the priority indication information carried by the UE.

[0284] It should be understood that step S606 is a specific implementation of step S410 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0285] It should be understood that step S606 may be the same step as S502 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0286] It should be understood that the method for configuring the back-off timer in step S606 and the method for configuring the backoff timer in step S502 may be the same configuration method or different configuration methods, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0287] S607: AMF sends rejection information 2 to the UE.

[0288] The AMF sends a rejection message 2 to the UE, where the rejection message 2 carries a backoff timer configured according to the priority indication information of the UE.

[0289] It should be understood that step S607 is a specific implementation of step S411 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0290] It should be understood that the rejection information 2 is a specific implementation of the first information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0291] It should be understood that step S607 may be the same step as S503 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0292] It should be understood that the rejection information 2 in step S607 and the rejection information 1 in step S503 may be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0293] Through the method described in Figure 6, when the UE does not carry its own priority indication information when it first accesses the network, the priority indication can be allocated by the operator and stored in the UDM network element. The AMF obtains the UE's subscription information from the UDM network element. The AMF generates the UE's priority indication information based on the priority information in the subscription information and carries it to the UE in the registration pass information of the UE's first access to the network. The UE carries the priority indication information provided by the AMF in subsequent registration requests or service requests. When the AMF is congested, the AMF can set a reasonable backoff timer value for the UE based on the priority indication.

[0294] FIG7 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0295] The UE accesses the network by:

[0296] S701: UE sends request information 4 to AMF.

[0297] In an optional implementation, the request information 4 includes the network access request information of the UE. When the UE accesses the network for the first time, the request information 4 carries initial priority indication information.

[0298] It should be understood that step S701 is a specific implementation of step S401 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0299] It should be understood that the request information 4 is a specific implementation of the fourth information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0300] It should be understood that the initial priority indication information is a specific implementation of the second indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0301] Optionally, the AMF may obtain the UE's subscription information from the UDM according to request information 4, and may also include step S702.

[0302] S702: AMF obtains the contract information of the terminal device from the UDM.

[0303] After receiving the UE's request message 4, the AMF network element can request the UE's subscription information from the UDM network element during the registration process. If the UDM subscription information also stores the UE's priority, the UDM will send the subscription information containing the priority indication to the AMF.

[0304] It should be understood that step S702 is a specific implementation of step S406 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0305] It should be understood that step S702 may be the same step as S602 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0306] It should be understood that the contract information obtained in step S702 and the contract information obtained in step S602 can be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0307] S703: AMF generates priority indication information.

[0308] The AMF determines the current priority of the UE based on the acquired UE subscription information or the initial priority indication information received from the UE, and generates corresponding priority indication information based on the UE priority.

[0309] In an optional implementation, the AMF network element generates AMF internal priority indication information according to the obtained UE priority and the AMF built-in algorithm. The priority indication information is used to indicate the UE priority, and the mapping relationship between the priority indication information and the UE priority is stored in the AMF network element.

[0310] It should be understood that the algorithm for the AMF network element to generate the corresponding priority indication information according to the UE priority is built into the AMF network element. The algorithm can be regularly maintained and updated on the network side, and the updated algorithm is notified to all AMF network elements on the network side. The update algorithm can be completed by the NRF, UDR, or AMF network element on the network side, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0311] The regular update algorithm can prevent the UE side from parsing its own priority and congestion level based on the priority indication information, thereby preventing the UE side from tampering with its own priority and maintaining the security of the priority information.

[0312] It should be understood that step S703 is a specific implementation of step S407 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0313] It should be understood that the priority indication information is a specific implementation of the first indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0314] It should be understood that step S703 may be the same step as S603 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0315] It should be understood that the priority indication information generated in step S703 and the priority indication information generated in step S603 may be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0316] S704: AMF sends registration approval information 3 to the terminal device.

[0317] The AMF obtains the UE's priority indication information from the UE's subscription information, and carries the priority indication information in the registration pass information 3 and sends it to the UE.

[0318] It should be understood that step S704 is a specific implementation of step S408 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0319] It should be understood that the registration pass information 3 is a specific implementation of the third information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0320] It should be understood that step S704 may be the same step as S604 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0321] It should be understood that the registration pass information 3 in step S704 and the registration pass information 2 in step S604 can be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0322] S705: The UE sends a request message 5 to the AMF, where the request message 5 is used to indicate the priority information of the UE.

[0323] After the UE sends uplink signaling to the network device or the UE deregisters in the CM-IDLE state, when the UE initiates a registration request to the network again, the UE carries the latest priority indication information it has received in the request information 5.

[0324] In an optional implementation, the request information 5 is priority indication information of the UE, which is used to indicate the priority of the UE.

[0325] In another optional implementation manner, the request information 5 includes priority indication information of the UE, that is, the request information 5 includes a field for indicating the priority of the UE.

[0326] It should be understood that step S705 is a specific implementation of step S409 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0327] It should be understood that the request information 5 is a specific implementation of the first indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0328] It should be understood that step S705 may be the same step as S501 and S605, or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0329] It should be understood that the request information 5 in step S705 and the request information 1 in step S501 or the request information 3 in step S605 may be the same request information or different request information, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0330] S706: The AMF sets a back-off timer according to the priority indication information carried by the UE.

[0331] It should be understood that step S706 is a specific implementation of step S410 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0332] It should be understood that step S706 may be the same step as S502 and S606, or may be a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0333] It should be understood that the method for configuring the back-off timer in step S706 and the method for configuring the back-off timer in step S502 or S606 may be the same configuration method or different configuration methods, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0334] S707: AMF sends rejection information 3 to the UE.

[0335] The AMF sends a rejection message 3 to the UE, where the rejection message 3 carries a backoff timer configured according to the priority indication information of the UE.

[0336] It should be understood that step S707 is a specific implementation of step S411 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0337] It should be understood that the rejection information 3 is a specific implementation of the first information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0338] It should be understood that step S707 may be the same step as S503 or S607, or may be a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0339] It should be understood that the rejection information 3 in step S707 and the rejection information 1 in step S503 or the rejection information 2 in step S607 may be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0340] Through the method described in Figure 7, the AMF can generate the UE's priority indication information based on the initial priority information carried in the UE request or the priority information obtained in the UDM, and send the priority indication information to the UE. The AMF side can identify the meaning represented by the priority indication information, effectively preventing the UE side from tampering with its own priority information, protecting the security of the priority information, and maintaining a relatively fair network access environment.

[0341] FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0342] The UE accesses the network by:

[0343] S801: UE sends request information 6 to AMF.

[0344] In an optional implementation, the request information 6 includes the network access request information of the UE. When the UE accesses the network for the first time, the request information 6 does not carry its own priority indication information.

[0345] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S801 is a specific implementation of step S405 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0346] It should be understood that in this implementation, the request information 6 is a specific implementation of the second information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0347] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S801 may be the same step as S601 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0348] It should be understood that in this implementation, request information 6 and request information 2 can be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0349] In another optional implementation, the request information 6 includes the network access request information of the UE. When the UE accesses the network for the first time, the request information 6 carries initial priority indication information.

[0350] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S801 is a specific implementation of step S401 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0351] It should be understood that in this implementation, the request information 6 is a specific implementation of the fourth information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0352] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S801 may be the same step as S701 or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0353] It should be understood that in this implementation, the request information 6 and the request information 4 may be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0354] S802: AMF sends registration pass information 4 to the terminal device.

[0355] In an optional implementation, after interacting with other network elements, the AMF decides to accept the UE's registration request and sends a registration pass message 4 to the UE. The registration pass message 4 does not carry the UE's priority indication information.

[0356] It should be understood that in this implementation, other network elements include UDM and other network elements, and the interaction process between AMF and other network elements can be a specific implementation method of step S406 in the embodiment described in Figure 4. This application does not make any special limitations on this and will not go into details.

[0357] It should be understood that in this implementation method, other network elements include UDM and other network elements. The interaction process between AMF and other network elements can be the same as steps S602 and S702, or it can be different interaction steps. This application does not make any special limitations on this and will not go into details.

[0358] In another optional implementation, after interacting with other network elements, the AMF decides to accept the UE's registration request and sends a registration pass message 4 to the UE, where the registration pass message 4 carries the UE's priority indication information.

[0359] It should be understood that in this implementation, other network elements include UDM and other network elements. The interaction process between AMF and other network elements and the process of generating priority indication information can be a specific implementation method of steps S406 and S407 in the embodiment described in Figure 4. This application does not make any special limitations on this and will not go into details.

[0360] It should be understood that in this implementation method, other network elements include UDM and other network elements. The interaction process between AMF and other network elements and the process of generating priority indication information can be the same as steps S602, S603, and S702, S703, or they can be different interaction steps. This application does not make any special limitations on this and will not go into details.

[0361] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S802 is a specific implementation of step S408 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0362] It should be understood that in this implementation, the registration pass information 4 is a specific implementation of the third information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0363] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S802 may be the same step as S604 and S704, or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0364] It should be understood that the registration pass information 4 in step S802 and the registration pass information 3 in step S704, or the registration pass information 2 in step S604 can be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0365] S803: The AMF network element sends subscription information 1 to the NWDAF network element.

[0366] The AMF network element sends subscription information 1 to the NWDAF network element for subscribing to the analysis of the UE's dependence on the network, and the analysis carries the target network element AMF list (AMF list) or area of ​​interest (AOI).

[0367] In an optional implementation, AMF provides the AMF list, and NWDAF provides the analysis results of all users on the AMF list. The AMF list may include this AMF network element or may not include this AMF network element.

[0368] In another optional implementation, the AMF provides the AOI, and the NWDAF needs to obtain the analysis results of all users in the AOI.

[0369] It should be understood that step S803 is a specific implementation of step S402 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0370] It should be understood that subscription information 1 is a specific implementation of the fifth information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0371] It should be understood that the NWDAF network element is a specific implementation of the second network device in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0372] In an optional implementation, the NWDAF obtains UE information from the AMF list or the AMF corresponding to the AOI, including the UE registration request type, UE behavior, and the periodic update time, unavailability period, and priority indication negotiated between the UE and the AMF.

[0373] It should be understood that of the two AMF network elements shown in Figure 8, one AMF refers to the AMF network element currently accessed by the terminal device, that is, the AMF (consumer) network element shown in the figure, and the other AMF network element refers to the AMF network element of the network device. These two AMF network elements can be the same AMF network element or different AMF network elements, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0374] In an optional implementation, the NWDAF network element may obtain the UE information from other network elements, specifically including the following:

[0375] The UE behavior information 1 obtained by the NWDAF network element from the AMF network element includes:

[0376] (1) UE identifier (ID): Depending on the network and protocol, the UE ID can take different forms, including subscription concealment indication (SUCI), globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI), and subscription permanent identifier (SUPI).

[0377] (2) Request type: The UE request type is the type or reason of the request initiated by the UE to the AMF, which depends on the UE status and network requirements. It mainly includes initial request, mobility registration update, periodic registration update, emergency registration, etc.

[0378] (3)UE location (UE location).

[0379] (4) UE access behavior trend: This includes UE access, UE registration status, and UE connection status. The UE registration management state (RM state) includes registration and deregistration status. The UE connection management state (CM state) includes connected, inactive, and handover status.

[0380] (5) The frequency at which the UE initiates mobility registration updates (frequent mobility registration update).

[0381] (6) UE periodic update time / UE unavailability period time.

[0382] (7)UE priority indication information.

[0383] The UE behavior information 2 obtained by the NWDAF network element from the SMF network element includes:

[0384] The NWDAF obtains information about the UE's PDU session from the SMF, including the address resolution protocol (ARP) and the communication type. Specific communication types include time-sensitive networking (TSN), time-sensitive communications (TSC), time synchronization, and deterministic networking.

[0385] The specific information obtained by the UE from the SMF is as follows:

[0386] (1) UE identification information: UE ID (SUPI).

[0387] (2) UE PDU session information:

[0388] Request type of UE-initiated PDU session: normal service, emergency service, and always-on PDU session.

[0389] Type of the current PDU session: The QoS flow identifier (QFI) or 5G QoS indicator (5QI) information corresponding to the session indicates the type of the current PDU session. For example, the current PDU session is a guaranteed bit rate session (such as voice) or a non-guaranteed bit rate session (such as data).

[0390] Communication type: The communication type is used for time-sensitive networking (TSN), time-sensitive communications (TSC), time synchronization, or deterministic networking.

[0391] ARP: The preemption level of the current PDU session. It determines whether it can preempt other PDU sessions or be preempted by higher-priority PDU sessions when resources are tight.

[0392] (3) Inactivity detection time: The inactivity time of the PDU session. When the inactivity time of the PDU session exceeds this timer, the network actively releases the PDU session.

[0393] The UE behavior information 3 obtained by the NWDAF network element from the UPF network element includes:

[0394] NWDAF collects traffic characteristic information on each PDU session of the UE from UPF, including communication start / stop, uplink / downlink data rate, traffic volume, etc.

[0395] The specific information obtained by the UE from the UPF is as follows:

[0396] (1) UE identification information: UE ID (SUPI).

[0397] (2) UE PDU session information:

[0398] Request type of UE-initiated PDU session: normal service, emergency service, and always-on PDU session.

[0399] PDU session start / stop time, or PDU session status.

[0400] PDU session volume: PDU uplink / downlink data volume, communication start / stop status, PDU uplink / downlink data rate, traffic volume, etc.

[0401] The UE behavior information 4 obtained by the NWDAF network element from the UDM network element includes:

[0402] The NWDAF obtains the expected UE PDU session behavior information from the UDM, including:

[0403] (1) UE identification information (UE ID).

[0404] (2) Expected PDU session inactivity time.

[0405] (3) Expected UE behavior.

[0406] S804: NWDAF analyzes the behavior information of the terminal device.

[0407] Based on the collected information, the NWDAF analyzes the degree of UE's need for the network and classifies the UE according to the degree of UE's need for the network.

[0408] In an optional implementation, the NWDAF classifies the UE according to the degree of need of the UE for the network, and the method includes the following classification:

[0409] (1) List of severely network-demand UEs: including UEs whose UE request type is emergency registration type, or request not subject to NAS congestion control, or high priority request, or UE whose PDU session request type is emergency service.

[0410] (2) Highly network-demand UEs: This list includes UEs and PDU sessions whose request type is non-urgent or high priority. For example, the PDU session established by the UE includes a voice or video session (determined by the obtained QFI / 5QI of the PDU session) or the data volume of the PDU session is greater than a certain threshold, and the PDU session has been transmitting data during the event segment.

[0411] (3) List of UEs with medium network demand (media network-demand UEs): includes UEs and PDU sessions whose request type is non-urgent or high priority. For example, the PDU sessions associated with the UE do not include voice or video sessions (determined by the obtained QFI / 5QI of the PDU session), the data volume of the PDU session is within a certain threshold range, and the data transmission is continuous or irregular.

[0412] (4) List of UEs with low network demand (lower network-demand UEs): This list includes UEs and PDU sessions whose request type is non-urgent or high priority. For example, the data volume of all UE PDU sessions is less than a certain data volume threshold, and data transmission has a periodic pattern, or all UE PDU sessions are in the deactive state.

[0413] (5) List of hardly network-demand UEs: includes UEs that are in RM-deregistered or CM-Idle state during the time period, or the time period is within the UE's unavailability period time.

[0414] It should be understood that step S804 is a specific implementation of step S403 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0415] S805: NWDAF sends behavior information 1 to the AMF network element.

[0416] NWDAF sends the analysis results to AMF, and the specific behavior information 1 is used to indicate the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network.

[0417] In an optional implementation, the correspondence between the UE's dependence on the network and the priority is stored in the AMF network element. The specific correspondence is shown in Table 2.

[0418] Table 2 Mapping relationship between UE network behavior and UE priority

[0419] It should be understood that step S805 is a specific implementation of step S404 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0420] It should be understood that the behavior information 1 is a specific implementation of the fifth information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0421] S806: AMF generates priority indication information.

[0422] The AMF generates UE priority indication information based on the collected UE priority and / or UE's need analysis information for the network.

[0423] It should be understood that step S806 is a specific implementation of step S407 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0424] It should be understood that the priority indication information is a specific implementation of the first indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0425] It should be understood that step S806 may be the same step as S603 and S703, or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0426] It should be understood that the priority indication information generated in step S806 and the priority indication information generated in step S603 and / or step S703 may be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0427] Optionally, when the UE is in a connected state, the AMF may send the latest priority indication information to the UE, specifically including steps S807 and S808.

[0428] S807: The AMF network element sends configuration information 1 to the UE.

[0429] When the UE is in the connected state, the AMF sends configuration information 1 to the UE, which carries the UE's updated priority indication information.

[0430] In an optional implementation, the configuration information 1 includes a configuration update command.

[0431] In an optional implementation, when the AMF network element already has UE priority information and it is different from the previously stored UE priority information, the configuration information 1 carries the updated UE priority indication information generated by the AMF based on the analysis of the NWDAF.

[0432] In another optional implementation, there is no UE priority information in the AMF network element, and the configuration information 1 carries the UE priority indication information directly generated by the AMF based on the analysis of the NWDAF.

[0433] It should be understood that the congestion control information maintained by the AMF will generate priority indication information for each or each group of UEs based on different time, different network status, etc. The priority indication information sent by the AMF to the UE is randomly generated each time it is updated, and the mapping relationship between the priority indication information and the UE priority is maintained by the AMF.

[0434] S808: The UE sends a confirmation message to the AMF.

[0435] After the UE receives the updated priority indication information sent by the AMF, it will send a confirmation message to the AMF network element to indicate that it has received the updated priority indication information.

[0436] S809: The UE sends request information 7 to the AMF, where request information 7 is used to indicate the priority information of the UE.

[0437] It should be understood that between step S808 and step S809, a step of UE initiating registration may also be included, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0438] When the UE needs to re-initiate a registration request to the AMF after deregistration or the UE needs to transmit uplink signaling to initiate a registration request (service request) to the AMF, the UE carries the latest priority information (priority indication) received in the request message 7.

[0439] In an optional implementation, the request information 7 is priority indication information of the UE, which is used to indicate the priority of the UE.

[0440] In another optional implementation, the request information 7 includes priority indication information of the UE, that is, the request information 5 includes a field for indicating the priority of the UE.

[0441] It should be understood that step S809 is a specific implementation of step S409 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0442] It should be understood that the request information 7 is a specific implementation of the first indication information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0443] It should be understood that step S809 may be the same step as S501, S605, and S705, or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0444] It should be understood that request information 7 in step S809 and request information 1 in step S501, request information 3 in step S605, or request information 5 in step S705 can be the same request information or different request information, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0445] S810: AMF sets the back-off timer according to the priority indication information carried by the UE.

[0446] When AMF receives a NAS request from a UE, if AMF congestion occurs, AMF can determine which UEs are allowed to access the network and the value of the back-off timer carried in the message rejecting UE access based on the UE priority indication information for the same request type received from a large number of UEs.

[0447] It should be understood that step S810 is a specific implementation of step S410 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0448] It should be understood that step S810 may be the same step as S502, S606, and S706, or a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0449] It should be understood that the method for configuring the back-off timer in step S810 and the method for configuring the back-off timer in steps S502, S606, or S706 may be the same configuration method or different configuration methods, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0450] S811: AMF sends rejection information 4 to the UE.

[0451] The AMF sends a rejection message 4 to the UE, where the rejection message 4 carries a backoff timer configured according to the priority indication information of the UE.

[0452] It should be understood that step S811 is a specific implementation of step S411 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0453] It should be understood that the rejection information 4 is a specific implementation of the first information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0454] It should be understood that step S811 may be the same step as S503, S607, or S707, or may be a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0455] It should be understood that the rejection information 4 in step S811 and the rejection information 1 in step S503, the rejection information 2 in S607, or the rejection information 3 in S707 can be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not make any special limitation on this.

[0456] Through the method described in Figure 8, AMF can generate UE priority indication information based on the analysis of UE's network dependence obtained by NWDAF, and can also judge the UE's priority based on the UE's network access habits, configure a more reasonable backoff timer for the UE, further improve the overall user experience, and better reflect the actual situation of the UE's priority.

[0457] FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of UE accessing a network in another congestion scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0458] In the implementation described in FIG9 , based on the implementation described in FIG8 , steps S901 - S906 are performed in the same manner as steps S801 - S806 in the implementation described in FIG8 , and are not described in detail in this application.

[0459] According to the above method, after generating the priority indication information for the UE, the NWDAF network element no longer actively sends the priority indication information to the UE. Instead, when the UE sends a registration request to the AMF next time, the priority indication information carried in the registration request information is analyzed to determine whether the UE's priority information has changed, and the updated priority information is carried in the next message sent to the UE. Specifically, the following steps are also included:

[0460] S907: The UE sends a request message 8 to the AMF network element.

[0461] In an optional implementation, the request information 8 includes the network access request information of the UE. When the UE accesses the network for the first time, the request information 8 does not carry its own priority indication information.

[0462] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S907 is a specific implementation of step S405 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0463] It should be understood that in this implementation, the request information 8 is a specific implementation of the second information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0464] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S907 may be the same step as S601 or S801, or may be a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0465] It should be understood that in this implementation, request information 8 and request information 2 and request information 6 may be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0466] In another optional implementation, the request information 8 includes the network access request information of the UE. When the UE accesses the network for the first time, the request information 8 carries initial priority indication information.

[0467] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S907 is a specific implementation of step S401 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0468] It should be understood that in this implementation, the request information 8 is a specific implementation of the fourth information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0469] It should be understood that in this implementation, step S907 may be the same step as S701 or S801, or may be a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0470] It should be understood that in this implementation, the request information 8 and the request information 4 or the request information 6 may be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0471] In an optional implementation, if the network of the AMF network element is in a non-congested state at this time, the AMF network element sends a confirmation message to the UE, specifically including step S908.

[0472] S908: AMF sends confirmation information 2 to the UE.

[0473] In step S906, the AMF network element generates the latest priority indication information of the UE based on the subscription information of the NWDAF. At this time, the AMF network element is in a non-congested state. The AMF network element determines whether the request information 8 carries priority information based on the received request information 8, or determines whether the initial priority indication information of the UE carried in the request information 8 has changed. The AMF network element carries the updated UE priority indication information in the confirmation information 2 sent to the UE.

[0474] In another optional implementation method, if the network of the AMF network element is in a congested state at this time, the AMF network element will set a backoff timer for the UE and carry the backoff timer in the rejection information, specifically including step S909 and step S910.

[0475] S909: AMF sets the back-off timer according to the UE's priority indication information.

[0476] When AMF receives a NAS request from a UE, if AMF congestion occurs, AMF can determine which UEs are allowed to access the network and the value of the back-off timer carried in the message rejecting UE access based on the UE priority indication information for the same request type received from a large number of UEs.

[0477] It should be understood that step S909 is a specific implementation of step S410 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0478] It should be understood that step S909 may be the same step as S502, S606, S706, or S810, or may be a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0479] It should be understood that the method for configuring the back-off timer in step S909 and the method for configuring the back-off timer in steps S502, S606, S706, or S810 can be the same configuration method or different configuration methods, and this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0480] S910: AMF sends a rejection message 5 to the UE.

[0481] The AMF sends a rejection message 5 to the UE, where the rejection message 5 carries a backoff timer configured according to the priority indication information of the UE.

[0482] It should be understood that step S910 is a specific implementation of step S411 in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0483] It should be understood that the rejection information 5 is a specific implementation of the first information in the embodiment described in FIG. 4 , and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0484] It should be understood that step S910 may be the same step as S503, S607, S707, or S811, or may be a different step, and this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0485] It should be understood that the rejection information 5 in step S910 and the rejection information 1 in step S503, the rejection information 2 in S607, the rejection information 3 in S707, or the rejection information 4 in S811 can be the same information field or different information fields, and this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0486] Through the method described in Figure 9, the AMF network element no longer needs to actively notify the UE of the change in priority after being analyzed by the NWDAF. Instead, after receiving the UE's request information next time, it carries the UE's indication information in the reception confirmation information. It can update the UE's priority information without increasing the signaling overhead, which is beneficial to the existing signaling to realize the notification of the update of the UE priority indication information.

[0487] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the above 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.

[0488] It should also be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their internal logical relationships.

[0489] It should also be understood that in some of the above embodiments, devices in existing network architectures are mainly used as examples for illustrative purposes, and it should be understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of the devices. For example, devices that can achieve the same functions in the future are applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0490] It can be understood that in the above-mentioned various method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by devices (such as terminal devices, network devices) can also be implemented by components that can be used in the devices (such as chips or circuits).

[0491] It can also be understood that some optional features in the various embodiments of the present application may not depend on other features in certain scenarios, and may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios, without limitation.

[0492] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is described in detail above with reference to Figures 4 to 9 . The communication method is primarily described from the perspective of interaction between terminal devices and network devices. It is understood that, in order to implement the aforementioned functions, the terminal devices and network devices include hardware structures and / or software modules that perform the respective functions.

[0493] 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.

[0494] The communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 10 to 12. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, reference can be made to the method embodiment above. For the sake of brevity, some contents are not repeated here.

[0495] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device and the network device can be divided into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above-mentioned integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0496] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 10 includes a transceiver module 11 and a processing module 12 .

[0497] Optionally, the device 10 may further include a storage module 13, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 12 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device implements the actions of the devices in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0498] In one possible design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiment, or a component (such as a chip) of the terminal device.

[0499] Accordingly, the apparatus 10 can implement the steps or processes executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment. Specifically, the transceiver module 11 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0500] In one possible implementation, transceiver module 11 is configured to send first indication information indicating a priority of a terminal device and receive first information for configuring a backoff timer of the terminal device. Processing module 12 is configured to set its own backoff timer based on the first information and, after the backoff timer expires, re-initiate a network access request to the network device.

[0501] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 4 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S401 , S405 , S408 , S409 , and S411 .

[0502] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 5 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S501 and S503 .

[0503] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 6 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S601 , S604 , S605 , and S607 .

[0504] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 7 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S701 , S704 , S705 , and S707 .

[0505] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 8 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S801 , S802 , S807 , S808 , S809 , and S811 .

[0506] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 9 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S901 , S902 , S907 , S908 , and S910 .

[0507] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0508] In another possible design, the device 10 may correspond to the first network device in the above method embodiment, namely the AMF network element, or a component of the AMF network element (such as a chip).

[0509] Accordingly, the apparatus 10 may implement the steps or processes executed by the first network device in the above method embodiment.

[0510] In one possible implementation, processing module 12 is configured to obtain subscription information of a terminal device, generate priority indication information, and generate first information carrying a comparison timer. Transceiver module 11 is configured to receive the priority indication information and transmit first information carrying a backoff timer configured for the terminal device.

[0511] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 4, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S401, S402, S404, S405, S408, S409, and S411; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S406, S407, and S410.

[0512] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG5 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S501 and S503 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S502 .

[0513] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 6, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S601, S604, S605, and S607; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S602, S603, and S606.

[0514] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 7, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S701, S704, S705, and S707; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S702, S703, and S706.

[0515] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 8, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S801, S802, S803, S805, S807, S808, S809, and S811; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S806 and S810.

[0516] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 9, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S901, S902, S903, S905, S907, S908, and S910; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S906 and S909.

[0517] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0518] In another possible design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the second network device in the above method embodiment, namely, the NWDAF network element, or a component (such as a chip) of the NWDAF network element.

[0519] Accordingly, the apparatus 10 may implement the steps or processes executed by the second network device in the above method embodiment.

[0520] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is configured to receive the sixth information and also to send the fifth information; the processing module 12 is configured to analyze the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network based on the behavior information of the terminal device.

[0521] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG4 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S402 and S404 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S403 .

[0522] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG8 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S803 and S805 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S804 .

[0523] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 9, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S903 and S905; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S904.

[0524] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0525] In another possible design, the device 10 may correspond to the UDM network element in the above method embodiment, or a component (such as a chip) of the UDM network element.

[0526] Accordingly, the device 10 can implement the steps or processes executed by the UDM network element in the above method embodiment.

[0527] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is used for request information of the AMF network element; the processing module 12 retrieves the contract information of the corresponding terminal device according to the request information.

[0528] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 4 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S406 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S406 .

[0529] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG6 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S602 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S602 .

[0530] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 7 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S702 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S702 .

[0531] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0532] It should also be understood that the device 10 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 10 may be specifically a core network device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the core network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments; or, the device 10 may be specifically a terminal device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments; or, the device 10 may be specifically an access network device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the access network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments; to avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0533] The apparatus 10 of each of the above-described solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the device in the above-described method. This function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the transmitting unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing module, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0534] In addition, the transceiver module 11 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing module may be a processing circuit.

[0535] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 20 includes a processor 21, which is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in a memory 22, or read data / signaling stored in the memory 22, to perform the methods performed by the terminal device, access network device, or core network device in the above method embodiments.

[0536] The processor 21 may be one or more processors.

[0537] As shown in FIG11 , the device 20 may further include a memory 22 for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 22 may be integrated with the processor 21 or may be separately provided. The memory 22 may be one or more memories.

[0538] As shown in Figure 11, the device 20 may further include a transceiver 23, which is used to receive and / or send signals. For example, the processor 21 is used to control the transceiver 23 to receive and / or send signals.

[0539] The processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), 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.

[0540] The memory may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. 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). For example, RAM may be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0541] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0542] 12 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip system 30 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 31 and an input / output interface 32.

[0543] The logic circuit 31 may be a processing circuit in the chip system 30. The logic circuit 31 may be coupled to a storage unit and call instructions in the storage unit so that the chip system 30 can implement the methods and functions of the various embodiments of the present application. The input / output interface 32 may be an input / output circuit in the chip system 30, outputting information processed by the chip system 30 or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 30 for processing.

[0544] As a solution, the chip system 30 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device or network device in the above various method embodiments.

[0545] For example, the logic circuit 31 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiment; the input / output interface 32 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiment.

[0546] The present application also provides a communication device, including a processor, which is coupled to a memory, the memory being used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, and the processor being used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, or to read the data stored in the memory, so as to execute the methods executed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0547] Optionally, there are one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0548] Optionally, the communication device includes a memory. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor or separately provided.

[0549] The present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon. When the computer instructions are executed, the methods executed by the terminal device or the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments are implemented.

[0550] The present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by a terminal device or a network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0551] The present application provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device and network device in the above embodiments.

[0552] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one of the terminal device and network device in the above embodiments.

[0553] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0554] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0555] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable hard disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a core network device, an access network device, an access and mobility management function network element, a terminal, a session management function, or a multicast user plane function network element. Of course, the processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a core network device, an access network device, an access and mobility management function network element, a terminal, a session management function, or a multicast user plane function network element.

[0556] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive.

[0557] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0558] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

[0559] Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of the application. The terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. It should be understood that the above are for illustration, and the examples above are only for helping those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments of the present application, rather than limiting the application embodiments to the specific numerical values ​​or specific scenarios illustrated. Those skilled in the art can obviously carry out various equivalent modifications or changes based on the examples given above, and such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0560] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Receiving first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a priority of a terminal device; Generate first information according to the first indication information, where the first information is used to configure a backoff timer of the terminal device; Send the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: receiving second information, executing a registration process of the terminal device according to the second information and obtaining contract information of the terminal device; Acquire the priority of the terminal device according to the contract information, and generate the first indication information according to the priority of the terminal device; Send third information, where the third information carries the first indication information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: receiving fourth information, where the fourth information carries second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate an initial priority of the terminal device; Determine the priority of the terminal device according to the second indication information, and generate the first indication information according to the priority of the terminal device; Send third information, where the third information carries the first indication information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Also includes: According to the fourth information, executing the registration process of the terminal device and obtaining the contract information of the terminal device; The priority of the terminal device is obtained according to the contract information, and the first indication information is obtained according to the priority of the terminal device and / or the second indication information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first indication information is determined by the type of the terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also includes: receiving fifth information, where the fifth information is used to indicate the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network; The priority of the terminal device is determined according to the fifth information, the first indication information is determined according to the priority of the terminal device, and the third information is sent, where the third information carries the first indication information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Also includes: Sending sixth information, where the sixth information is used to subscribe to an analysis result based on the terminal device behavior information; The analysis result includes the fifth information.

8. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving sixth information, where the sixth information carries information of the terminal device; acquiring behavior information of the terminal device according to the sixth information, and analyzing the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network according to the behavior information; Sending fifth information, where the fifth information is used to indicate the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network; The fifth information is also used to instruct the first network device to configure a backoff timer for the terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The fifth information is further used to instruct the first network device to generate first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the priority of the terminal device; The first network device generates first information according to the first indication information, and the first information is used to configure the backoff timer of the terminal device.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The sixth information carries a device list or an area of ​​interest of the terminal device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that The fifth information includes an analysis of the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network in different time periods.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the priority of the terminal device; The priority is used to instruct the network device to allocate a back-off timer to the terminal device; Receive first information, and configure a backoff timer of the terminal device according to the first information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that Also includes: Sending second information, where the second information is used to instruct execution of a registration process for the terminal device and to obtain contract information for the terminal device; The contract information is used to indicate the priority of obtaining the terminal device; receiving third information, where the third information carries priority information of the terminal device; The first indication information is generated according to the third information.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that Also includes: Sending fourth information, where the fourth information carries second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate an initial priority of the terminal device; receiving third information, where the third information carries updated priority information of the terminal device; The first indication information is generated according to the third information.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The fourth information is further used to instruct execution of a registration process of the terminal device and to obtain contract information of the terminal device; The contract information is used to indicate the acquisition of updated priority information of the terminal device.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that The first indication information is determined by the type of the terminal device.

17. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that Also includes: Receive third information, where the third information carries the first indication information, and the first indication information is determined according to the degree of dependence of the terminal device on the network.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory, so that the apparatus performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The apparatus also includes the memory.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

21. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 17.

22. A communication system, characterized in that: include: A first network device and a terminal device; The first network device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7; The terminal device is used to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 17.

23. The communication system according to claim 22, characterized in that Also included is a second network device; The second network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

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