Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and a communication apparatus. In the method, a sensing function network element can configure sensing service information, so as to establish a transmission channel between the sensing function network element and an application function network element. Moreover, after the transmission channel between the sensing function network element and the application function network element is established, the transmission channel can be used for transmitting a sensing service, thereby achieving the capability of providing sensing in an operator network.

Description

A communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311735293.3, filed on December 15, 2023, with the invention entitled "A Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and communication device. Background Technology

[0003] Sensing technology is based on air interface resources such as radar and millimeter waves. It involves collecting reflected sensing signals (i.e., sensing information) and further processing this information to obtain the desired data. Therefore, sensing technology can be combined with communication technology, utilizing the functions, spectrum, and signal strength of existing communication equipment to transmit sensing signals, thereby providing sensing capabilities within operator networks. However, there is currently no discussion on how to provide sensing capabilities within operator networks (how to provide sensing capabilities through terminals or base stations), which remains an unresolved issue. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and a communication device. The method provides a sensing function network element that implements sensing functions. This sensing function network element can determine sensing service information, thereby providing sensing capabilities in the operator network.

[0005] Firstly, this application provides a communication method. For example, the device executing this communication method may be a sensing function network element, a component of the sensing function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module capable of implementing all or part of the sensing functions. Specifically, the sensing function network element receives a first request message from an application function network element. This first request message includes at least one of sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element. Based on the first request message, the sensing function network element determines sensing service information, which includes at least one of sensing service requirement information, address information of the application function network element, a list of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, identification information of the sensing service, or identification information of the sensing data transmission channel.

[0006] In this method, the sensing function network element can be configured with sensing service information, thereby establishing a transmission channel between the sensing function network element and the application function network element. Furthermore, after establishing the transmission channel between the sensing function network element and the application function network element, this transmission channel can be used to transmit sensing services, thereby enabling the provision of sensing capabilities in the operator's network based on this sensing function network element.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element receives a second request message from the application function network element, the second request message being used to request identification information of a sensing service. The sensing function network element generates identification information of the sensing service, which is used to identify the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. The sensing function network element sends a second response message to the application function network element, the second response message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0008] In this implementation, the sensing function network element can generate the identification information of the sensing service based on the second request message which is only used to request the identification information of the sensing service, thereby identifying the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. This is beneficial for each network element to identify different sensing services or the sensing sessions corresponding to the sensing services based on the identification information of the sensing service, thereby realizing the sensing function.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element generates identification information for a sensing service based on a first request message. This identification information identifies the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to it. The sensing function network element then sends a first response message to the application function network element. This first response message includes at least one of the identification information for the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0010] In this embodiment, the first request message is used to request both the sensing function and the identification information of the sensing service. Based on the first request message, the sensing function network element can generate the identification information of the sensing service, thereby identifying the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. This is beneficial for the network element to identify different sensing services or the sensing sessions corresponding to the sensing service based on the identification information of the sensing service, thereby realizing the sensing function.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element sends a third request message to the first session management function network element. This third request message requests the first session management function network element to generate sensing quality description information and configure corresponding transmission. The first session management function network element is determined based on sensing service area information and possesses sensing functionality. The sensing function network element receives a third response message from the first session management function network element. This third response message includes at least one of the following: sensing quality description information or identification information of the sensing data transmission channel.

[0012] In this embodiment, the sensing function network element can request the first session management function network element with sensing function to generate sensing quality description information and configure the corresponding transmission, thereby enabling the first session management function network element to allocate sensing data transmission channels and determine sensing quality description information to ensure transmission quality, which is beneficial to realize the sensing function while ensuring the transmission quality of sensing data.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element receives a fourth request message from the second session management function network element. This fourth request message includes identification information of the sensing service and identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element. The sensing function network element then sends a fourth response message to the second session management function network element, this fourth response message including sensing service information.

[0014] In this embodiment, when the terminal requests to transmit sensing services, the second session management function network element of the management terminal can request the sensing function network element to establish sensing resources (e.g., obtain sensing service information or address information of the sensing function network element), which is beneficial for the terminal and multiple network elements (such as the sensing function network element, the second session management function network element, etc.) to jointly realize the sensing function.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first request message may also include a list of authorized terminals.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element performs authentication processing on the terminal based on the identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element and the list information of authorized terminals.

[0017] In the above embodiments, the sensing function network element can also perform authentication processing on the terminal requesting sensing service transmission. For example, it can compare the identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element with the list information of authorized terminals, which helps to identify whether the terminal is authorized to perform the sensing function.

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a communication method. For example, the device executing this communication method may be a sensing function network element, a component of the sensing function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module capable of implementing all or part of the sensing functions. The sensing function network element acquires the terminal's identification information and performs authentication processing on the terminal based on this identification information.

[0019] In this method, the sensing function network element not only implements the sensing function, but also performs the authentication function of the terminal, determining whether the terminal is authorized to implement the sensing function, thereby enabling the sensing function to be implemented in the operator network.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element receives a fourth request message from the second session management function network element. The fourth request message includes identification information of the sensing service and identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element.

[0021] In this embodiment, when the terminal requests to transmit sensing services, the second session management function network element of the management terminal can request the sensing function network element to establish sensing resources (e.g., obtain sensing service information or address information of the sensing function network element), which is beneficial for the terminal and multiple network elements (such as the sensing function network element, the second session management function network element, etc.) to jointly realize the sensing function.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element compares the terminal's identification information with a list of authorized terminals to determine if the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data. The list of authorized terminals is either pre-configured by the sensing function network element or received by the sensing function network element from the application function network element.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the sensing function network element compares the terminal's identification information with a list of authorized terminals to determine that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data. The list of authorized terminals is either pre-configured by the sensing function network element or received by the sensing function network element from the application function network element. The sensing function network element sends a first indication to the second session management network element, indicating that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0024] In the above embodiments, the sensing function network element can determine whether the terminal's identification information belongs to the list of authorized terminals based on the list information of authorized terminals, thereby determining whether the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data. Optionally, if the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data, the sensing function network element can also send a first indication message indicating that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data to the second session management function network element of the management terminal.

[0025] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method. For example, the device executing this communication method may be an application function network element, a component of the application function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module capable of implementing all or part of the application functions. Specifically, the application function network element sends a first request message to a sensing function network element. This first request message includes at least one of sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element. The application function network element stores at least one of the sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element.

[0026] In this method, the application function network element can request the sensing function network element to establish a transmission channel between the sensing function network element and the application function network element, thereby enabling the provision of sensing capabilities in the operator network.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the application function network element sends a second request message to the sensing function network element, the second request message being used to request identification information of the sensing service. The application function network element receives a second response message from the sensing function network element, the second response message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0028] In this implementation, the application function network element sends a second request message requesting the identification information of the sensing service, thereby requesting the sensing function network element to generate the identification information of the sensing service, which is used to identify the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. This is beneficial for each network element to identify different sensing services or the sensing sessions corresponding to the sensing service based on the identification information of the sensing service, thereby realizing the sensing function.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the application function network element sends a fifth request message to the network open function network element, the fifth request message including a list of authorized terminals.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the application function network element sends a sixth request message to the policy control function network element. The sixth request message includes identification information of the sensed service or at least one item from the list of terminals sensed by the authorized execution end side.

[0031] In the above embodiments, the application function network element can send the list information of authorized terminals to the network open function network element or the policy control function network element, thereby facilitating other network elements to obtain the list information of authorized terminals from the network open function network element.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the application function network element sends a first notification message to the terminal, the first notification message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0033] In this embodiment, the application function network element can send the identification information of the sensing service and / or the address information of the sensing function network element to the terminal, which is conducive to the terminal and the sensing function network element establishing a transmission channel for transmitting sensing data.

[0034] Fourthly, this application provides a communication method. For example, the device executing this communication method may be a terminal, a component of the terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. The terminal receives a first notification message from an application function network element, the first notification message including at least one of the following: identification information of a sensing service or address information of the sensing function network element. The terminal then sends sensing data.

[0035] In this method, the terminal can receive the identification information of the sensing service and / or the address information of the sensing function network element, which is conducive to the terminal and the sensing function network element establishing a transmission channel for transmitting sensing data, thereby realizing the sensing function in the operator network.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the terminal sends sensing data to the sensing function network element through a first session used for interaction with the application function network element.

[0037] In this implementation, the terminal can use the first session already established with the application function network element to send sensing data, without having to re-establish the session, which helps to improve processing efficiency.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the terminal sends a seventh request message to the second session management network element. This seventh request message includes at least one of the following: the terminal's identification information, the identification information of a sensing service, or the address information of a sensing function network element. The terminal receives a seventh response message, which includes at least one of the following: the identification information of a sensing service, sensing service requirement information, or the address information of a sensing function network element.

[0039] In this implementation, the terminal can request identification information of sensing services from the associated second session management network element, which is beneficial for the terminal to establish a transmission channel for transmitting sensing data with the sensing function network element, thereby realizing the sensing function in the operator network.

[0040] Fifthly, this application provides a communication method. For example, the device executing this communication method may be a second session management function network element, or a component of the second session management function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module capable of implementing all or part of the session management functions. Specifically, the second session management function network element sends a fourth request message to a sensing function network element. This fourth request message includes identification information of the sensing service and / or identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element. The second session management function network element receives a fourth response message from the sensing function network element, which includes sensing service information.

[0041] In this method, the second session management function network element can request the sensing function network element to obtain sensing service information and / or the address information of the sensing function network element, which is conducive to the terminal associated with the second session management function network element and the sensing function network element to establish a transmission channel for transmitting sensing data, thereby realizing the sensing function in the operator network.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the terminal's identification information is used by the sensing function network element to authenticate the terminal.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the second session management function network element receives a first indication information from the sensing function network element, the first indication information indicating that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0044] In the above embodiments, if the sensing function network element determines that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data when performing authentication processing on the terminal, the second session management function network element can receive the first instruction information to determine that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0045] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device. This communication device may be a sensing function network element, a component of a sensing function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a device compatible with a sensing function network element. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include functional modules, which may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit is configured to receive a first request message from an application function network element, the first request message including at least one of sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element. The processing unit is configured to determine sensing service information based on the first request message, the sensing service information including at least one of sensing service requirement information, address information of the application function network element, list information of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, identification information of the sensing service, or identification information of the sensing data transmission channel.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is configured to receive a second request message from an application function network element, the second request message being used to request identification information of a sensing service. The processing unit is configured to generate identification information of the sensing service, the identification information of which identifies the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. The communication unit is further configured to send a second response message to the application function network element, the second response message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is configured to generate identification information for a sensing service based on a first request message. This identification information identifies the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. The communication unit is configured to send a first response message to the application function network element. The first response message includes at least one of the identification information for the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is configured to send a third request message to a first session management function network element. This third request message requests the first session management function network element to generate perceived quality description information and configure corresponding transmission. The first session management function network element is determined based on perceived service area information and has sensing capabilities. The communication unit is also configured to receive a third response message from the first session management function network element. This third response message includes at least one of perceived quality description information or identification information of the perceived data transmission channel.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is configured to receive a fourth request message from a second session management function network element, the fourth request message including identification information of the sensed service and identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element. The communication unit is also configured to send a fourth response message to the second session management function network element, the fourth response message including sensed service information.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is used to receive a list of authorized terminals from the application function network element.

[0052] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is used to authenticate the terminal based on the identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element.

[0053] Seventhly, this application provides a communication device. The communication device may be a sensing function network element, a component of a sensing function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a device compatible with a sensing function network element. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a functional module, which may be hardware circuitry, software, or a combination of hardware circuitry and software implementation.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit is used to acquire the terminal's identification information. The processing unit is used to perform authentication processing on the terminal based on the terminal's identification information.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is configured to receive a fourth request message from a second session management function network element, the fourth request message including identification information of the sensed service and identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the processing unit compares the terminal's identification information with a list of authorized terminals to determine if the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data. The list of authorized terminals is either pre-configured by the sensing function network element or received by the sensing function network element from the application function network element.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the processing unit compares the terminal's identification information with a list of authorized terminals to determine that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data; the list of authorized terminals is pre-configured by the sensing function network element, or received by the sensing function network element from the application function network element. The communication unit sends a first indication message to the second session management network element, indicating that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0058] Eighthly, this application provides a communication device. The communication device may be an application function network element, a component of an application function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a device compatible with an application function network element. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a functional module, which may be hardware circuitry, software, or a combination of hardware circuitry and software implementation.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit is configured to send a first request message to a sensing function network element, the first request message including at least one of sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of an application function network element. The processing unit is configured to store at least one of the sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element.

[0060] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is configured to send a second request message to the sensing function network element, the second request message being used to request identification information of the sensing service. The communication unit is also configured to receive a second response message from the sensing function network element, the second response message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0061] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is used to send a fifth request message to the network open function element, the fifth request message including a list of authorized terminals.

[0062] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is used to send a sixth request message to the policy control function network element. The sixth request message includes identification information of the sensed service or at least one item from the list of terminals sensed by the authorized execution end side.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is used to send a first notification message to the terminal, the first notification message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0064] Ninthly, this application provides a communication device. The communication device may be a terminal, a component of a terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a device compatible with a terminal. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include functional modules, which may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit is configured to receive a first notification message from an application function network element, the first notification message including at least one of identification information of a sensing service or address information of the sensing function network element. The communication unit is also configured to transmit sensing data.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is used to send sensing data to the sensing function network element through a first session used in interaction with the application function network element.

[0067] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is configured to send a seventh request message to a second session management network element, the seventh request message including at least one of terminal identification information, sensing service identification information, or address information of a sensing function network element. The communication unit is also configured to receive a seventh response message, the seventh response message including at least one of sensing service identification information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of a sensing function network element.

[0068] Tenthly, this application provides a communication device. The communication device may be a session management function network element, a component of a session management function network element (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a device compatible with a session management function network element. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a functional module, which may be hardware circuitry, software, or a combination of hardware circuitry and software implementation.

[0069] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit is configured to send a fourth request message to a sensing function network element, the fourth request message including identification information of the sensing service and identification information of a terminal associated with a second session management function network element. The communication unit is also configured to receive a fourth response message from the sensing function network element, the fourth response message including sensing service information.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the communication unit is used to receive first indication information from the sensing function network element, the first indication information indicating that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0071] For aspects six through ten, as an example, the processing unit may be a processor, and the communication unit may be a transceiver unit, transceiver, or communication interface. It is understood that when the communication device is a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal or network device), the communication unit may be a transceiver within the communication apparatus (e.g., a transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver), implemented, for example, through an antenna, feeder, and codec within the communication apparatus. Alternatively, if the communication apparatus is a chip disposed within a device, the processing unit may be the processing circuitry, logic circuitry, etc., of the chip, and the communication unit may be the input / output interface of the chip, such as input / output circuitry, pins, etc.

[0072] Eleventhly, this application provides a communication device, comprising: a processor for executing instructions; optionally, the communication device further comprises a memory for storing the instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to implement at least one of the following: the first aspect to the fifth aspect, and the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect to the fifth aspect. Optionally, the processor and the memory are coupled.

[0073] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a communication system comprising at least one of the means or apparatuses of the sixth to tenth aspects described above, such that the at least one means or apparatus performs the methods of the first to fifth aspects and any possible implementation of the first to fifth aspects.

[0074] In a thirteenth aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods of the first to fifth aspects and any possible implementation of the first to fifth aspects.

[0075] In a fourteenth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods of the first to fifth aspects and any possible implementation of the first to fifth aspects.

[0076] In a fifteenth aspect, this application provides a chip including a processor (or logic circuit). Optionally, the chip may further include a communication interface (or interface) for implementing the methods of the first to fifth aspects and any possible implementations of the first to fifth aspects. In one possible implementation, if the chip is the smallest processing unit in the entire machine, the chip may be a processor, or it may include a processor and a memory, or it may include a processor, a memory, and a transceiver for implementing the methods of the first to fifth aspects and any possible implementations of the first to fifth aspects.

[0077] In a sixteenth aspect, this application provides a chip system. The chip system includes a processor and an interface. Optionally, it may also include memory for implementing the methods of the first to fifth aspects and any possible implementations of the first to fifth aspects. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Attached Figure Description

[0078] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture based on a service-oriented architecture;

[0079] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture based on a point-to-point interface;

[0080] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0081] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating how this application enables the perception function in a carrier network through application layer interaction and the reuse of PDU session establishment / modification procedures.

[0082] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating how this application enables the perception function in a carrier network through network layer interaction and the reuse of PDU session establishment / modification procedures.

[0083] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in this application;

[0084] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0085] In the embodiments of this application, " / " can indicate that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" can be used to describe three relationships between the associated objects. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0086] In this application embodiment, terms such as "first" and "second" can be used to distinguish technical features with the same or similar functions. The terms "first" and "second" do not limit the number or execution order, nor do they imply that they are necessarily different. In this application embodiment, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. The use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete manner for ease of understanding.

[0087] In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to a terminal" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device, which may include sending directly via the air interface or sending indirectly via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receiving information from a network device" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, which may include receiving directly from the network device via the air interface or receiving indirectly from the network device via the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0088] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0089] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0090] In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (hereinafter referred to as instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed; for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0091] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0092] I. For ease of understanding, the definitions of relevant terms used in this application are provided in detail below:

[0093] 1. Network architecture:

[0094] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2. For example, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a service-oriented architecture-based network architecture, and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a point-to-point interface-based network architecture. The network architecture shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 includes three parts: the terminal equipment part, the data network (DN), and the operator network part. It should be noted that the main difference between Figure 1 and Figure 2 is that the interfaces between the network elements in Figure 2 are point-to-point interfaces, rather than service-oriented interfaces.

[0095] The following describes the equipment or functional network elements of each part.

[0096] (1) The communication system of this application may include, but is not limited to, various radio access technology (RAT) communication systems, such as 5G (or new radio (NR)) communication systems, or transitional systems between LTE and 5G communication systems. These transitional systems may also be called 4.5G communication systems, or future communication systems such as sixth-generation (6G) or even seventh-generation (7G) systems. The network architecture and service scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that with the evolution of communication network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0097] (2) A terminal, also known as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal (MT), refers to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. Examples include handheld devices with wireless connectivity and in-vehicle devices. Currently, some examples of terminals include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MID), wearable devices, drones, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, terminals in 5G networks, terminals in future-evolving networks, or terminals in future communication systems.

[0098] (3) The operator's network may include one or more of the following network elements: authentication server function (AUSF) network element, network exposure function (NEF) network element, policy control function (PCF) network element, unified data management (UDM) network element, unified data repository (UDR) network element, network repository function (NRF) network element, application function (AF) network element (also known as application server), access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, radio access network (RAN), user plane function (UPF) network element, sensing function (SF), etc. Optionally, the part of the above-mentioned operator's network other than the radio access network part can be referred to as the core network part.

[0099] RAN is used to implement wireless-related functions, including connecting terminals to RAN nodes (or devices) of the wireless network, and can also be called base stations. Examples of RAN nodes include: the next-generation Node B (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP), satellites in satellite communication systems, radio controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios, wearable devices, drones, or devices in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, or communication devices in device-to-device (D2D) communication, etc. Optionally, RAN nodes may include centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or RAN equipment comprising both CU and DU nodes. RAN equipment including CU and DU nodes separates the protocol layers of the eNB in ​​a long-term evolution (LTE) system. Some protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining partial or complete protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. In some network equipment deployments, the CU may also be divided into CU-control plane (CP) and CU-user plane (UP), etc. In another possible implementation, the network equipment may also be a radio unit (RU), etc. In yet another possible implementation, the network equipment may also be an open radio access network (ORAN) architecture, etc. This application does not limit the specific type of network equipment.For example, when the network device is an ORAN architecture, the network device shown in the embodiments of this application can be an access network device in ORAN, or a module in the access network device, etc. In the ORAN system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-DU can also be called an open centralized unit-distributed unit (O-CU-DU), CU-UP can also be called an open centralized unit-control plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open antenna unit (O-RU).

[0100] The AMF (Active Mobile Functions) is responsible for user mobility management, including mobility state management, allocating temporary user identities, authenticating and authorizing users, etc. The SMF (Service Provider Functions) is responsible for UP (Upline Component) selection, UP reselection, IP address allocation, bearer establishment, modification and release, QoS control, etc. The UDM (User Provider Diagnostics) manages subscription data and notifies relevant network elements when subscription data is modified. The UDR (User Receiver Diagnostics) stores and retrieves subscription data, policy data, and common architecture data; it provides relevant data to the UDM, PCF (User Provider Diagnostics), and NEF (Network Provider Diagnostics); the UDR must have different data access authentication mechanisms for different types of data, such as subscription data and policy data, to ensure data access security; the UDR must be able to return a failure response with an appropriate reason value for illegal service operations or data access requests. The AF (Application Provider) provides certain application layer services to the UE. When providing services to the UE, the AF has requirements for quality of service (QoS) and charging policy and needs to notify the network; the AF also needs application-related information from the core network. UPF supports all or some of the following functions: interconnecting Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions with the data network; packet routing and forwarding (e.g., supporting uplink classifier for traffic before forwarding to the data network, supporting branching points, and supporting multi-homed PDU sessions); packet inspection, etc. SF supports some or all of the following functions: session management functions for sensing data transmission (e.g., determining the QoS of sensing data transmission); managing sensing accuracy parameters (e.g., obtaining the sensing accuracy that the network side can process according to the requirements of AF); processing sensing data (e.g., converting sensing measurement data into the final target result information of sensing); allocating identification information for sensing services, etc. Optionally, the sensing function can be an independent network element or a logical function of an existing network element, such as one of the logical functions of a location management function (LMF) network element; this application does not limit this. It should be noted that the system architecture and network element described above are only an example. In fact, they can also be applied to other network architectures and systems; this application does not limit this.

[0101] 2. Integration of communication and sensing:

[0102] Sensing technology is based on air interface resources such as radar and millimeter waves. It involves collecting reflected sensing signals (i.e., sensing information) and further processing this information to obtain the desired data. Sensing technology can be combined with communication technology (i.e., integrated communication and sensing), primarily for the following reasons:

[0103] (1) The coverage of communication equipment can meet the needs of sensing business scenarios, such as highways and airport airspace;

[0104] (2) The main sensing scenarios all have communication requirements at the same time. For example, in the UAV scenario, the UAV device needs to communicate and interact with other network elements at the same time; in the V2X scenario, the V2X user needs to interact with the V2X application server to obtain content such as service parameters and business information.

[0105] All of the above makes the integration of communication and sensing possible. Furthermore, by utilizing the functions, spectrum, and signals of existing communication equipment to transmit sensing signals, this application can realize the ability to provide sensing capabilities within operator networks.

[0106] 3. Perception patterns:

[0107] In integrated communication and sensing scenarios, sensing modes can be categorized into three types: station-side sensing, edge-side sensing, and collaborative sensing. Station-side sensing refers to the base station transmitting and receiving signals independently, or base station A transmitting and base station B receiving signals. Edge-side sensing refers to the UE transmitting and receiving signals independently, or UE A transmitting and UE B receiving signals. Collaborative sensing refers to the base station transmitting and UE receiving signals, or the UE transmitting and base station receiving signals. This application primarily concerns edge-side sensing.

[0108] II. The communication method provided in this application:

[0109] 1. A communication method provided in this application:

[0110] For example, Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application. This method can be implemented through interaction between application function network elements and sensing function network elements, and includes the following steps:

[0111] S101, the application function network element sends a first request message to the sensing function network element; correspondingly, the sensing function network element receives the first request message.

[0112] For example, the first request message may be a sensing service establishment request message sent by the AF to the SF, which is used to request the SF to establish a sensing service. The first request message includes at least one of the following: sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element.

[0113] (1) The perceived service area information is used to indicate the target area for perception. For example, the perceived service area information may include at least one of the following: information at the tracking area (TA) granularity, or information at the cell granularity, or information at the geographic area or geographic address granularity. Optionally, if the perceived service area information is at the geographic area or geographic address granularity, this granularity information needs to be converted into area information that the core network can recognize, such as TA or cell granularity information. Optionally, the above-mentioned information at different granularities may be, for example, location ranges, such as the location range of the TA, the location range of the cell, or the location range of a specified geographic area; or it may be latitude and longitude information, such as the latitude and longitude information of the TA, the latitude and longitude information of the cell, or the latitude and longitude information of a specified geographic area.

[0114] (2) Sensing service requirement information is used to indicate the requirements of sensing services. For example, sensing service requirement information may include at least one of the following: sensing service quality information, reporting control information, sensing reporting information, or the start time of sensing services. Among them, sensing service quality information includes, for example, the type of sensing service (such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) service capable of sensing, drone detection service, etc.) or the service requirements (such as positioning accuracy information, speed measurement accuracy, sensing resolution, latency, etc.). Reporting control information includes, for example, the number of reports (such as single or periodic) or reporting conditions (such as triggered reporting or periodic reporting). The reported information specifically refers to the type of sensing data that the AF requests the core network to report. For example, the reported information could be point cloud information, which specifically refers to a set of points formed by points on the reflective surface of an object; or it could be measurement result information, which specifically could be descriptive information about the measured object, such as velocity, size, and reflective cross-sectional area; or it could be an event description, which specifically could be a description specific to a particular business operation, such as detecting unauthorized users for a given sensing target area, in the case of drone detection. The start time of the sensing operation could be a specific time value, or a time difference from the current time (e.g., starting the sensing operation some time after the current time).

[0115] (3) The address information of the application function network element is used to indicate the destination address for reporting sensing data, or the destination address for the reported sensing information. For example, after the sensing function network element and other related network elements (such as session management network elements) or devices (such as terminals) collect sensing data, they need to send the collected sensing data, or further process the collected sensing data, to the application function network element. In this case, the address of the application function network element is the destination address for reporting sensing data. The address information of the application function network element can be represented in the form of IP address and port number information, or in the form of fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or in the form of application ID (identity) information.

[0116] Optionally, the first request message may also include a list of authorized terminals, such as a UE ID list. The UE ID can be a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI), a mobile subscriber ISDN (integrated services digital network) number (MSISDN), an external group ID, or an application layer ID. Optionally, when the list of authorized terminals is an external group ID or an application layer ID, the SF can query a core network element (such as a UDM) to obtain the corresponding terminal identification information (e.g., GPSI, SUPI, or MSISDN).

[0117] Optionally, if the first request message is used both to request the establishment of a sensing service and to request the SF to allocate an identifier for the sensing service, then after S101, the following operations are also included: the sensing function network element generates identification information for the sensing service based on the first request message; the sensing function network element sends a first response message to the application function network element, the first response message including at least one of the identification information for the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

[0118] The identification information for sensing services is used to identify the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to it. For example, the identification information for sensing services includes a sensing service ID, which represents a specific (internal operator) sensing service. Optionally, the identification information for sensing services can be represented by a combination of an operator identifier (PLMN ID) and a sensing service ID. For example, both the operator identifier and the sensing service ID can be represented by one or more fields, each of which can be represented by binary, octal, decimal, or hexadecimal numbers. The address information of sensing function network elements is represented in a similar way to that of application function network elements. For example, the address information of sensing function network elements can be represented using IP address and port number information, or using FQDN, or using a sensing function ID.

[0119] Optionally, if the first request message is used to request the establishment of a sensing service, and the application function network element then requests the SF to allocate an identifier for the sensing service via a second request message, then the following operations are included before S101: the sensing function network element receives a second request message from the application function network element, the second request message being used to request identification information for the sensing service; the sensing function network element generates identification information for the sensing service, the identification information being used to identify the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service; the sensing function network element sends a second response message to the application function network element, the second response message including at least one of the identification information for the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element. Optionally, the first request message includes the identification information for the sensing service.

[0120] For example, the second request message could be a sensing identifier allocation request message sent by an application function network element to a sensing function network element, which includes the address information of the application function network element. Examples of the address information of the application function network element can be found in the corresponding description above, and will not be repeated here.

[0121] Optionally, following S101, the following steps are also included:

[0122] The sensing function network element sends a third request message to the first session management function network element. This third request message is used to request the first session management function network element to generate sensing quality description information and configure the corresponding transmission. The first session management function network element is determined based on the sensing service area information. The first session management function network element has sensing function.

[0123] The sensing function network element receives a third response message from the first session management function network element. The third response message includes at least one of sensing quality description information or sensing data transmission channel identification information.

[0124] Among them, the first session management function network element refers to the SMF with sensing function (such as sensing-SMF), which is used to generate sensing quality description information and configure the corresponding transmission.

[0125] (1) Perceived quality description information is used to indicate the QoS information corresponding to the transmission channel transmitting perceived data, also known as QoS profile. For example, perceived quality description information may include at least one of the following: service quality level (e.g., 5QI), allocation and retention priority (ARP), guaranteed bit rate (GBR), or maximum bit rate (MBR). Optionally, perceived quality description information and perceived service requirement information may be two independent information elements (IEs), or they may be a single information element. For example, perceived service requirement information can be reflected through perceived quality description information, or vice versa.

[0126] (2) The transmission corresponding to the configuration of the first session management function network element refers to the configuration information obtained by the UPF with sensing function (such as Sensing-UPF) based on the QoS information corresponding to the transmission channel transmitting sensing data. The Sensing-UPF is used to forward the sensing data transmitted uplink. For example, the transmission corresponding to the configuration of the first session management function network element specifically includes configuring packet detection rules (PDR), forwarding action rules (FAR), and QoS enforcement rules (QER).

[0127] After the first session management function network element is configured, a third response message can be sent to the sensing function network element, thereby providing the sensing function network element with at least one of the following: sensing quality description information or sensing data transmission channel identification information. The sensing data transmission channel identification information is used to indicate the address information of the next hop for transmitting sensing data. For example, after the terminal collects sensing data, it can transmit it to a UPF with sensing function (e.g., sensing-UPF) via RAN and / or AMF. The sensing-UPF then transmits the sensing data to the sensing function network element. In this case, the sensing data transmission channel identification information includes the address information of the next hop for transmitting sensing data (e.g., sensing-UPF). Optionally, the address information of the sensing UPF and the address information of the application function network element can be represented in a similar format, such as using IP address and port number information, or using FQDN. This application does not impose any limitations on this. For example, after a terminal collects sensing data, it can transmit it through the RAN to the UPF of the PDU session established by the terminal. The UPF then transmits the sensing data to a UPF with sensing capabilities (e.g., a sensing-UPF). The sensing-UPF then transmits the sensing data to the sensing function network element. In this case, the identification information of the sensing data transmission channel includes the address information of the next hop (e.g., the sensing-UPF) for transmitting the sensing data. Optionally, the address information of the sensing UPF and the address information of the application function network element can be represented in a similar way, such as using IP address and port number information, or using FQDN. This application does not limit this.

[0128] S102, the sensing function network element determines the sensing service information based on the first request message.

[0129] S103, the application function network element stores at least one of the following: sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element.

[0130] The sensing service information includes at least one of the following: sensing service requirement information, address information of application function network elements, list information of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, identification information of sensing services, or identification information of sensing data transmission channels. Optionally, the sensing service information can also be referred to as sensing context information, used to describe the sensing service and its related configuration. The descriptions of the sensing service requirement information, address information of application function network elements, list information of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, or identification information of sensing data transmission channels can be found in the corresponding descriptions in S101, and will not be repeated here.

[0131] Optionally, after determining the sensing service information, the sensing function network element can store the sensing service information.

[0132] For example, storing at least one of the following in the application function network element: sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or application function network element address information, can mean that the application function network element stores at least one of the following in a specific memory, or it can mean that the application function network element obtains at least one of the following: service area information, sensing service requirement information, or application function network element address information, and can use the above information in subsequent processes. This application does not limit this.

[0133] It is understandable that sensing function network elements, application function network elements, and other related network elements (such as sensing-SMF, sensing-UPF, etc.) can realize sensing functions in the operator's network through the interaction and information generation of the above steps. The detailed process of realizing sensing functions in combination with other related network elements or terminals will be described in detail below.

[0134] 2. Example 1: Implement the awareness function in the operator network through application layer interaction and the reuse of PDU session establishment / modification process.

[0135] For example, Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating how this application provides a method for implementing awareness functionality in an operator network through application-layer interaction and a PDU reuse session establishment / modification process. This method can be implemented through interaction between a terminal, access network equipment, access and mobility management function network elements, user plane function network elements, session management function network elements, awareness function network elements, and application function network elements. The method includes the following steps:

[0136] S201, the application function network element sends a first request message to the sensing function network element; correspondingly, the sensing function network element receives the first request message.

[0137] The specific implementation of S201 can be referred to the corresponding description in S101. For example, the first request message is used to request SF to establish sensing services. The first request message includes at least one of the following: sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of application function network elements. It will not be elaborated here.

[0138] Optionally, if the first request message is used to request the establishment of a sensing service, and the application function network element then requests the SF to allocate an identifier for the sensing service via a second request message, the following steps are included before S201:

[0139] (1) The application function network element sends a second request message to the sensing function network element;

[0140] (2) The sensing function network element generates the identification information of the sensing service;

[0141] (3) The sensing function network element sends a second response message to the application function network element.

[0142] For example, the second request message includes the address information of the application function network element, the identification information of the sensing service, and the second response message. These can be described with reference to the examples in the previous embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0143] Optionally, the above steps do not require NEF to participate in the process. When there is no NEF network element, the NEF function does not need to be implemented, and the AF directly sends the second request message to the SF. In this case, the AF can be located in the trust domain. Alternatively, when there is a NEF network element, the AF sends the second request message to the SF through the NEF.

[0144] S202, the sensing function network element sends a third request message to the first session management function network element; correspondingly, the first session management function network element receives the third request message.

[0145] For example, the SF selects the corresponding first session management function network element (such as Sensing-SMF) based on the sensing service area information. Specifically, for example, the SF can send the sensing service area information to the NRF (Network Repository Function) network element. The NRF selects the first session management function network element that can support the sensing service area corresponding to the sensing service area information based on the network element profile (NF Profile) information stored in the Sensing-SMF. Then, it sends a third request message to the first session management function network element to request the first session management function network element to generate sensing quality description information and configure the corresponding transmission.

[0146] Optionally, the sensing function network element and the first session management function network element can be independent network elements, or they can be two functional modules of a single network element. For example, when the sensing function network element and the first session management function network element are independent network elements, they interact according to, for example, the description in S202. As another example, when the sensing function network element and the first session management function network element are two functional modules of a single network element, the interaction between them is internal logic (e.g., S202 is internal logic), and the external interface can be uniformly replaced by the sensing function network element. In this implementation, step S202 can be optional.

[0147] S203, the first session management function network element generates perceived quality description information and configures the corresponding transmission.

[0148] For example, after receiving the third request message, the first session management function network element generates sensing quality description information (such as 5QI, ARP, GBR, MBR, etc.). Optionally, the first session management function network element allocates the address of the next hop for uplink transmission of sensing data, such as the address of Sensing-UPF. Optionally, the first session management function network element obtains configuration information (such as PDR, FAR, QER, etc.) for configuring Sensing-UPF based on the sensing quality description information.

[0149] Optionally, when configuring the corresponding transmission, the first session management function network element further includes the following process: The first session management function network element sends an N4x establishment / N4x modification request message to the first user plane function network element (such as sensing-UPF). This request message includes configuration information for configuring Sensing-UPF. Based on this request message, the first user plane function network element configures the corresponding rules (such as configuring PDR, FAR, QER, etc.). The first user plane function network element sends an N4x establishment / N4x modification response message to the first session management function network element, indicating that the Sensing-UPF configuration is complete.

[0150] Optionally, the sensing function network element, the first session management function network element, and the first user plane function network element can be independent network elements or three functional modules of a single network element. For example, when the sensing function network element, the first session management function network element, and the first user plane function network element are independent network elements, the first session management function network element and the first user plane function network element interact according to, for example, the description in S203. Alternatively, when the sensing function network element, the first session management function network element, and the first user plane function network element are three functional modules of a single network element, the interaction between the first session management function network element and the first user plane function network element is internal logic (e.g., S203 is internal logic), and the external interface can be uniformly replaced by the sensing function network element. In this implementation, step S203 can be replaced by: the sensing function network element generating sensing quality description information and configuring the corresponding transmission, followed by the sensing function network element generating quality description information.

[0151] S204, the first session management function network element sends a third response message to the sensing function network element; correspondingly, the sensing function network element receives the third response message.

[0152] The third response message includes at least one of the following: perception quality description information or perception data transmission channel identification information. For specific implementation details, please refer to the corresponding description above.

[0153] Step S204 is an optional step. For example, when the first session management function network element and the perception function network element are two functional modules of the same network element, their interaction is internal logic (e.g., S204 is internal logic).

[0154] S205, the sensing function network element determines the sensing service information based on the first request message.

[0155] For example, the sensing function network element stores sensing service information, which includes at least one of the following: sensing service requirement information, address information of the application function network element, list information of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, identification information of sensing service, or identification information of sensing data transmission channel. For specific implementation details, please refer to the corresponding description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0156] Optionally, the execution order of S205 and S202 is not limited.

[0157] S206, the application function network element sends a first notification message to the terminal; correspondingly, the terminal receives the first notification message.

[0158] The first notification message includes at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element. Specific implementation details can be found in the description of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element, and will not be repeated here. Optionally, the first notification message also includes the address information of the first user plane function network element (such as sensing-UPF) or the address information of the sensing function network element. The specific implementation of the address information of sensing-UPF and / or the address information of the sensing function network element can refer to the implementation method of the address information of the sensing function network element, for example, using a combination of IP address and port number, or using FQDN information; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0159] Optionally, the application function network element sends a first notification message to the terminal. Specifically, the application function network element may send the first notification message to the terminal through the access and mobility management function network element and the access network equipment. For example, the following sending methods are available:

[0160] Method 1: The application function network element sends a second notification message directly or through the NEF network element to the gateway mobile location center (GMLC) network element. The second notification message contains first information. The first information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the sensing service, or address information of the sensing function network element. Optionally, the first information may also include at least one of the following: address information of the first user plane function network element (such as sensing-UPF), or address information of the sensing function network element, or identification information of the UE (such as GPSI or SUPI). Subsequently, the GMLC network element sends a third notification message to the AMF network element, the third notification message containing the first information; for example, the third notification message may be a Location Information Request (Namf_Sensing_ProvideSensingInfo Request) message. The AMF network element sends a fourth notification message to the SF network element, the fourth notification message containing the first information; for example, the fourth notification message may be a Determine Sensing Request (Nsf_Sensing_DetermineSensing Request) message. The SF network element sends a fifth notification message to the AMF network element, which contains the first information; for example, the fifth notification message may be an N1N2 message transfer request message. The AMF network element sends a sixth notification message to the UE through the base station, which contains the first information; for example, the sixth notification message may be a downlink non-access stratum transport message.

[0161] Method 2: The application function network element sends a seventh notification message directly to the SF network element or via the NEF network element to the SF network element. The seventh notification message may contain the first information. Optionally thereafter, the SF network element determines the AMF network element that provides access services to the UE based on the UE's identification information (e.g., GPSI or SUPI) in the first information (e.g., the SF obtains the AMF network element's identification information by querying the UDM). Optionally, the SF network element sends an eighth notification message to the AMF, which contains the first information. The AMF network element sends a ninth notification message to the UE via the base station, which contains the first information; for example, the ninth notification message may be a DL NAS TRANSPORT message.

[0162] Optionally, after receiving the first notification message from the application function network element, the terminal can directly send sensing data to the sensing function network element through the UE's PDU session, or send sensing data to the sensing function network element through control plane messages (such as uplink non-access stratum (NAS) messages). However, both methods require the terminal to reuse the PDU session establishment / modification procedure to send a request to the network for authentication and resource establishment. The steps of the terminal's reuse of the PDU session establishment / modification procedure are described below.

[0163] S207, the terminal sends a seventh request message to the second session management function network element; correspondingly, the second session management function network element receives the seventh request message.

[0164] The second session management function network element is used to manage the PDU session of the terminal corresponding to the terminal's identification information. Distinguished from the sensing-SMF, the second session management function network element can be called the UE-SMF. For example, the seventh request message can be an uplink NAS transport message (such as a UL NAS transport message), which contains N1 interface session management (N1SM) messages (such as PDU session modification requests or PDU session establishment requests). The seventh request message includes at least one of the following: terminal identification information, sensing service identification information, or address information of the sensing function network element. Terminal identification information can be, for example, a globally unique temporary UE identity (GUTI), GPSI, a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), or an application layer ID; sensing service identification information can be, for example, a sensing ID; and the sensing function network element address information can be, for example, a combination of IP address and port number or a sensing ID.

[0165] Optionally, after receiving the seventh request message, the second session management function network element can look up the sensing function network element corresponding to the sensing service's identification information based on the service's identification information. For example, the UE-SMF sends the sensing service's identification information to the UDM or NRF network element. The UDM or NRF network element determines the corresponding sensing function network element based on the service's identification information and sends the sensing function network element's information to the UE-SMF. This information may include, for example, the sensing function network element's address information (which can be represented by an IP address or FQDN) or a list of sensing function network elements (such as an SF ID candidate list). For another example, if the uplink NAS transmission message sent by the UE contains the sensing function network element's address information, the UE-SMF can directly determine the corresponding sensing function network element.

[0166] S208, the second session management function network element sends a fourth request message to the sensing function network element; correspondingly, the sensing function network element receives the fourth request message.

[0167] For example, the fourth request message can be a sensing service request message, used to request the acquisition of sensing service information. The fourth request message includes the identification information of the sensing service and / or the identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element. The terminal associated with the second session management function network element refers to a terminal whose PDU session can be managed by the second session management function network element. Optionally, the terminal identification information can be, for example, GUTI, SUPI, SUCI, GPSI, application layer ID, etc. Optionally, the terminal identification information associated with the second session management function network element can be obtained through interaction between the second session management function network element and other network elements in the network (such as UDM network elements).

[0168] For example, if the second session management function network element has recorded the sensing service information corresponding to the identification information of the available sensing service, for example, if the sensing function network element has sent sensing service information to the second session management function network element for the same sensing service identification information, then the second session management function network element may, in step S208, not send the fourth request message to the sensing function network element, but only determine that the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data, or determine that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data, and not execute steps S209a, S209b and step S210, but directly jump to step S211.

[0169] For example, the fourth request message may include at least one of the following: terminal identification information, sensing service identification information, etc.

[0170] Optionally, the second session management function network element can further determine whether the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data or not. Specifically, when the terminal requests to establish a PDU session, for example, when the second session management function network element receives a PDU session creation context request (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request), or when the second session management function network element receives the S207 message, the second session management function network element obtains the identification information of the sensing service authorized to collect sensing data from the UDM. It is worth noting that the identification information of the sensing service can be a list of identification information of sensing services. The second session management function network element determines whether the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data based on the identification information of the sensing service authorized to collect sensing data. For example, the second session management function network element compares the identification information of the sensing service from the terminal with the list of identification information of the sensing service authorized to collect sensing data from the UDM, and checks whether the list includes the identification information of the sensing service from the terminal; if it includes it, it means that the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data; if it does not include it, it means that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data. Optionally, the UDM can obtain the list of identification information for sensing services authorized to collect sensing data by a terminal through the following methods: the UDM obtains the list of authorized terminals from the AF side or through pre-configuration. For example, the AF can carry the list of authorized terminal identifiers through the eighth request message. Specifically, the AF can provide the UDM with the correspondence between the identification information of sensing services and the list of authorized UEs through the NEF via the parameter provisioning procedure. The second session management function network element obtains the list of identification information for sensing services authorized to collect sensing data by a terminal from the UDM. Optionally, the UDM can internally convert the list of authorized terminal identifiers corresponding to the identification information of sensing services into a list of identification information for sensing services authorized to collect sensing data by a specific terminal.

[0171] S209a, the sensing function network element compares the terminal's identification information with the list of authorized terminals to determine that the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data.

[0172] S209b, the sensing function network element compares the terminal's identification information with the list of authorized terminals to determine that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0173] Optionally, the fourth request message may also request the sensing function network element to perform authentication processing on the UE. For example, the authentication processing of the terminal by the sensing function network element specifically includes the following steps:

[0174] (1) The SF obtains the terminal's identification information from the UE-SMF;

[0175] (2) The SF obtains the list of authorized terminals from the AF or through pre-configuration. For example, the AF can carry the list of authorized UEs in the first request message. Alternatively, the AF can provide the list of authorized terminals to the SF through other steps; for example, the AF can provide the UDM with the correspondence between the identification information of the sensing service and the list of authorized terminal identifications through the NEF via the parameter provisioning procedure, and then the SF obtains the list of authorized terminal identifications corresponding to the identification information of the sensing service from the UDM.

[0176] (3) The SF compares the UE identifier with the list of authorized terminals to determine whether the UE corresponding to the UE identifier is authorized to collect sensing data. For example, if the UE-SMF provides the UE's GUTI, the SF can query the corresponding GPSI from the UDM and determine whether the terminal has passed authentication based on the GPSI information in the list of authorized terminals. If authentication is successful, the SF will continue the subsequent process; otherwise, the SF can send a failure message to the UE-SMF, including a reason value (e.g., the terminal's GPSI does not belong to the list of authorized terminals). For example, after S209b, the sensing function network element sends a first indication message to the second session management network element, which indicates that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0177] It is understandable that S209a and S209b are two possible outcomes for the sensing function network element to determine whether the terminal has passed authentication, but in the actual implementation, only one of the steps is executed.

[0178] Optionally, if the first request message includes a list of authorized terminals, the authentication process for the UE by the sensing function network element may not be performed.

[0179] It should be noted that steps S209a or S209b are optional. For example, if in S208 the second session management network element needs to determine whether the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data, then steps S209a or S209b do not need to be executed.

[0180] S210, the sensing function network element sends a fourth response message to the second session management function network element; correspondingly, the second session management function network element receives the fourth response message.

[0181] The fourth response message includes sensing service information. For example, sensing service information includes at least one of the following: sensing service requirement information, address information of application function network elements, list information of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, identification information of sensing services, or identification information of sensing data transmission channels. For specific implementation details, please refer to the corresponding description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0182] S211, the second session management function network element determines at least one of the following based on the perceived service information: perceived quality description information or perceived data transmission channel identification information.

[0183] For example, the second session management function network element determines information such as the QoS description information (e.g., QoS Profile) of the flow used to transmit sensed data, and the destination address of the next hop for uplink transmission of sensed data (e.g., the address information of the first user plane function network element for sensed data processing or data transmission). The destination address of the next hop of the second user plane function network element can be the tunnel ID information (TEID, IP address, etc.) of a certain transmission channel.

[0184] For example, if the second session management function network element already has available sensing quality description information corresponding to the identification information of the sensing service, or the identification information of the sensing data transmission channel (for example, the second session management function has already generated sensing quality description information or the identification information of the sensing data transmission channel for the sensing service information corresponding to the identification information of the same sensing service), then the second session management function can directly use the sensing quality description information corresponding to the identification information of the sensing service, or the identification information of the sensing data transmission channel.

[0185] S212, the second session management function network element sends an N4 configuration message to the second user plane function network element; correspondingly, the second user plane function network element receives the N4 configuration message.

[0186] For example, the N4 configuration message may include the destination address of the next hop.

[0187] S213, the second user plane function network element sends a configuration completion message to the second session management function network element; correspondingly, the second session management function network element receives the configuration completion message.

[0188] In this context, the second user plane function element, distinct from the sensing-UPF, can be referred to as the UE-UPF. This N4 configuration message can be implemented through the N4 session modification request. The N4 configuration message may include at least one of the following: the destination address of the next hop of the second user plane function element, or the configuration information of the UE-UPF (such as PDR, FAR, QER, etc.). The destination address of the next hop of the second user plane function element can be the tunnel ID information (TEID, IP address, etc.) of a certain transmission channel.

[0189] S214, the second session management function network element sends at least one of the following to the terminal: sensing service information, sensing quality description information, or sensing service identification information.

[0190] Specifically, the second session management function network element can send one or more of the following to the terminal through the access and mobility management function network element and the access network equipment: perceived service information, perceived quality description information, and perceived service identification information.

[0191] Optionally, the following steps may also be included:

[0192] S215, the second session management function network element sends at least one of the following to the access network device: sensing service information, sensing quality description information, or sensing service identification information.

[0193] Optionally, the perceived quality description information sent by the second session management function network element to the access network device can use the same form as the perceived quality description information sent by the second session management function network element to the terminal, or it can use a different form (for example, the perceived quality description information sent by the second session management function network element to the terminal is QoS rule, and the perceived quality description information sent by the second session management function network element to the access network device is QoS Profile).

[0194] For example, the second session function network element sends information intended for the access network device (e.g., at least one of perceived service information, perceived quality description information, or perceived service identification information) and information intended for the terminal (e.g., at least one of perceived service information, perceived quality description information, or perceived service identification information) to the AMF network element via the Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message. The AMF encapsulates the information intended for the access network device and the information intended for the terminal in N2 and N1 messages respectively, and sends them to the access network device via the DL NAS Transport message. The access network device provides the N1 information to the terminal via an RRC message.

[0195] Subsequently, for example, the terminal sends the sensing data in two ways:

[0196] S216a, the terminal sends sensing data through the terminal's PDU session.

[0197] For example, the UE encapsulates the sensing data within a specified IP packet. Exemplarily, the destination address of this IP packet can be the address information of a sensing function network element, the address information of a Sensing-UPF, or the address information of a second user plane function network element. The packet is then ultimately sent to the sensing function network element via the user plane, thereby enabling direct transmission of sensing data to the sensing function network element. Optionally, the terminal's PDU session can be a PDU session already established and used by the terminal with the AF, or a PDU session newly established by the terminal with the AF; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0198] S216b, the terminal sends sensing data via NAS messages.

[0199] Example 1 presents a process for establishing a sensing service based on terminal awareness. Specifically, this process relies on terminal awareness and utilizes application-layer interaction and PDU session reuse to establish / modify the service. This process enables the network system to implement sensing service requirements from application sensors (AFs) in a terminal-based awareness manner.

[0200] 3. Example 2: Implement the awareness function in the operator network through network layer interaction and reuse of PDU session establishment / modification process.

[0201] For example, Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating how this application implements the sensing function in an operator network through network layer interaction and a reused PDU session establishment / modification process. This method can be implemented through interaction between terminals, access network equipment, access and mobility management function network elements, user plane function network elements, session management function network elements, sensing function network elements, application function network elements, and policy control function network elements. The method includes the following steps:

[0202] S301, the application function network element sends a first request message to the sensing function network element; correspondingly, the sensing function network element receives the first request message.

[0203] S302, the sensing function network element sends a third request message to the first session management function network element; correspondingly, the first session management function network element receives the third request message.

[0204] S303, the first session management function network element generates perceived quality description information and configures the corresponding transmission.

[0205] S304, the first session management function network element sends a third response message to the sensing function network element; correspondingly, the sensing function network element receives the third response message.

[0206] S305, the sensing function network element determines the sensing service information based on the first request message.

[0207] The specific implementation methods of S301-S305 can be referred to the corresponding descriptions in S201-S205, and will not be repeated here.

[0208] S306, the application function network element sends a sixth request message to the policy control function network element; correspondingly, the policy control function network element receives the sixth request message.

[0209] The sixth request message includes at least one item from the list of terminals authorized to perform sensing, either the identification information of the sensing service or the sensing service ID. For example, the identification information of the sensing service may include a sensing service ID, representing a specific (internal operator) sensing service. Optionally, the identification information of the sensing service may be represented by a combination of the operator's identifier and the sensing service ID. For example, both the operator's identifier and the sensing service ID may be represented by one or more fields, each of which may be represented by binary, octal, decimal, or hexadecimal numbers. The terminal's identification information (UE ID) may be a GPSI, an MSISDN, an external group identifier (e.g., an external group ID), or the IP address information corresponding to the UE's PDU session.

[0210] S307, the policy control function network element sends a policy update message to the second session management function network element; correspondingly, the second session management function network element receives the policy update message.

[0211] The policy update message is used to indicate the update of policies related to the PDU session. For example, the policy update message includes at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the identification information of the terminal.

[0212] S308, the second session management function network element sends the identification information of the sensing service to the terminal; correspondingly, the terminal receives the identification information of the sensing service.

[0213] For example, the second session management function network element sends the identification information of the sensing service to the terminal corresponding to the terminal's identification information based on the policy update message.

[0214] S309, the terminal sends a seventh request message to the second session management network element; correspondingly, the second session management function network element receives the seventh request message.

[0215] S310, the second session management function network element sends a fourth request message to the sensing function network element; correspondingly, the sensing function network element receives the fourth request message.

[0216] S311a, the sensing function network element compares the terminal's identification information with the list of authorized terminals to determine that the terminal is authorized to collect sensing data.

[0217] S311b, the sensing function network element compares the terminal's identification information with the list of authorized terminals to determine that the terminal is not authorized to collect sensing data.

[0218] S312, the sensing function network element sends a fourth response message to the second session management function network element; correspondingly, the second session management function network element receives the fourth response message.

[0219] S313, the second session management function network element determines at least one of the following based on the perceived service information: perceived quality description information or perceived data transmission channel identification information.

[0220] S314, the second session management function network element sends an N4 configuration message to the second user plane function network element; correspondingly, the second user plane function network element receives the N4 configuration message.

[0221] S315, the second user plane function network element sends a configuration completion message to the second session management function network element; correspondingly, the second session management function network element receives the configuration completion message.

[0222] S316, the second session management function network element sends at least one of the following to the terminal: sensing service information, sensing quality description information, or sensing service identification information.

[0223] Optionally, the following steps may also be included:

[0224] S317, the second session management function network element sends at least one of the following to the access network device: sensing service information, sensing quality description information, or sensing service identification information.

[0225] Subsequently, for example, the terminal sends the sensing data in two ways:

[0226] S318a, the terminal sends sensing data through the terminal's PDU session.

[0227] S318b, the terminal sends sensing data via NAS messages.

[0228] The specific implementation methods of S309-S318b can be found in the corresponding descriptions in S207-S216b, and will not be repeated here.

[0229] Example 2 presents a process for establishing a sensing service based on terminal awareness. Specifically, this process relies on terminal awareness and utilizes network layer interaction and PDU session reuse for establishment / modification. This process enables the network system to implement sensing service requirements from the AF (Awareness Provider) in a terminal-based awareness manner.

[0230] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the base station and terminal include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0231] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of sensing function network elements, application function network elements, terminals, or session management function network elements in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0232] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 600 includes a processing unit 610 and a transceiver unit 620. The communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the sensing function network element, application function network element, terminal, or session management function network element in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5. Optionally, the transceiver unit 620 can also be called a communication unit. Optionally, the transceiver unit includes a sending unit and a receiving unit, whereby the sending unit is used to send signals and the receiving unit is used to receive signals.

[0233] For example, when the communication device 600 is used to implement the function of the sensing function network element in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5: the transceiver unit 620 is used to receive a first request message from the application function network element, the first request message including at least one of sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element. The processing unit 610 is used to determine sensing service information based on the first request message, the sensing service information including at least one of sensing service requirement information, address information of the application function network element, list information of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, identification information of sensing service, or identification information of sensing data transmission channel.

[0234] For example, when the communication device 600 is used to implement the function of the application function network element in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5: the transceiver unit 620 is used to send a first request message to the sensing function network element, the first request message including at least one of sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element. The processing unit 610 is used to store at least one of the sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element.

[0235] For example, when the communication device 600 is used to implement the terminal functions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5: the transceiver unit 620 is used to receive a first notification message from an application function network element, the first notification message including at least one of the identification information of a sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element. The transceiver unit 620 is also used to send sensing data.

[0236] For example, when the communication device 600 is used to implement the function of the session management function network element in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5: the transceiver unit 620 is used to send a fourth request message to the sensing function network element, the fourth request message including the identification information of the sensing service and the identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element. The transceiver unit 620 is also used to receive a fourth response message from the sensing function network element, the fourth response message including sensing service information.

[0237] For a more detailed description of the above-mentioned processing unit 610 and transceiver unit 620, please refer to the invention description and the relevant description in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0238] As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 700 includes a processor 710 and an interface circuit 720. The processor 710 and the interface circuit 720 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 720 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 700 may also include a memory 730 for storing instructions executed by the processor 710, or storing input data required by the processor 710 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 710 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 720 can also be understood as part of the processor 710, in which case the communication device 700 includes the processor 710.

[0239] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the methods shown in Figures 3 to 5, the processor 710 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 610, and the interface circuit 720 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 620. Optionally, when the communication device 700 is used to implement the methods shown in Figures 3 to 5, the implementation methods of the processor 710 and the interface circuit 720 are described in the inventive summary and the corresponding descriptions in the method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a sensing function network element, the chip implements the functions of the sensing function network element in the above method embodiments. The chip receives information from other network elements, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the sensing function network element, and then sent to the chip by these modules. The chip sends information to other network elements, which can be understood as the information being first sent to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the sensing function network element, and then sent to the other network elements by these modules.

[0241] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to an application function network element, the chip implements the functions of the application function network element in the above method embodiments. The chip receiving information from other network elements can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) within the application function network element, and then sent to the chip by these modules. The chip sending information to other network elements can be understood as the information being sent down to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) within the application function network element, and then sent to the other network elements by these modules.

[0242] When the aforementioned communication device is a terminal chip, the chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The chip receives information from other network elements, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal, and then sent to the chip by these modules. The chip sends information to other network elements, which can be understood as the information being sent down to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal, and then sent to the other network elements by these modules.

[0243] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip of a session management function network element, the chip implements the functions of the session management function network element in the above method embodiments. The chip receives information from other network elements, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) within the session management function network element, and then sent to the chip by these modules. The chip sends information to other network elements, which can be understood as the information being sent down to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) within the session management function network element, and then sent to the other network elements by these modules.

[0244] In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be sensing network elements, application network elements, terminals, or session management network elements, or modules within these elements. The sending and receiving of information can be between sensing network elements, application network elements, terminals, or session management network elements, such as between a terminal and an application network element; it can also be between two terminals; or it can be between different modules within a single device, such as between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal.

[0245] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0246] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist 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, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0247] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially 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 this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can 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 can 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 can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0248] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0249] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The sensing function network element receives a first request message from the application function network element. The first request message includes at least one of the following: sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element. Based on the first request message, the sensing function network element determines sensing service information, which includes at least one of the following: sensing service requirement information, address information of the application function network element, list information of authorized terminals, sensing quality description information, identification information of sensing service, or identification information of sensing data transmission channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the sensing function network element receives the first request message from the application function network element, the method further includes: The sensing function network element receives a second request message from the application function network element, the second request message being used to request the identification information of the sensing service; The sensing function network element generates the identification information of the sensing service, and the identification information of the sensing service is used to identify the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. The sensing function network element sends a second response message to the application function network element. The second response message includes at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the sensing function network element receives the first request message from the application function network element, the method further includes: The sensing function network element generates identification information of the sensing service based on the first request message. The identification information of the sensing service is used to identify the sensing service or the sensing session corresponding to the sensing service. The sensing function network element sends a first response message to the application function network element. The first response message includes at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The sensing function network element sends a third request message to the first session management function network element. The third request message is used to request the first session management function network element to generate sensing quality description information and configure the corresponding transmission. The first session management function network element is determined based on the sensing service area information. The first session management function network element has sensing function. The sensing function network element receives a third response message from the first session management function network element. The third response message includes at least one of the sensing quality description information or the identification information of the sensing data transmission channel.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The sensing function network element receives a fourth request message from the second session management function network element. The fourth request message includes identification information of the sensing service and identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element. The sensing function network element sends a fourth response message to the second session management function network element, the fourth response message including the sensing service information.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first request message also includes a list of authorized terminals.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The sensing function network element performs authentication processing on the terminal based on the identification information of the terminal associated with the second session management function network element and the list information of the authorized terminals.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The application function network element sends a first request message to the sensing function network element. The first request message includes at least one of the following: sensing service area information, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the application function network element. The application function network element stores at least one of the following: the sensing service area information, the sensing service requirement information, or the address information of the application function network element.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Before the application function network element sends the first request message to the sensing function network element, the method further includes: The application function network element sends a second request message to the sensing function network element, the second request message being used to request the identification information of the sensing service; The application function network element receives a second response message from the sensing function network element, the second response message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The application function network element sends a fifth request message to the network open function network element, the fifth request message including a list of authorized terminals.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The application function network element sends a first notification message to the terminal. The first notification message includes at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element.

12. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The application function network element sends a sixth request message to the policy control function network element. The sixth request message includes identification information of the sensed service or at least one item from the list of terminals sensed by the authorized execution end side.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The terminal receives a first notification message from an application function network element, the first notification message including at least one of the identification information of the sensing service or the address information of the sensing function network element; The terminal sends sensing data.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The terminal sends sensing data, including: The terminal sends sensing data to the sensing function network element through a first session used to interact with the application function network element.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal sends a seventh request message to the second session management network element. The seventh request message includes at least one of the following: the terminal's identification information, the identification information of the sensing service, or the address information of the sensing function network element. The terminal receives a seventh response message, which includes at least one of the following: identification information of the sensing service, sensing service requirement information, or address information of the sensing function network element.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a communication unit and a processing unit, the communication unit and the processing unit being used to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, 8 to 12, or 13 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices, the processor being used through logic circuits or executing code instructions to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, 8 to 12, or 13 to 15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, 8 to 12, or 13-15.

19. A chip system, characterized in that, The chip system includes a processor and an interface, the processor being configured to execute a computer program that enables the chip system to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, 8 to 12, or 13-15.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, 8 to 12, or 13-15.

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