Network element selection method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application discloses a network element selection method and apparatus. The method comprises: receiving a first message, the first message comprising an identifier of a user; determining media capability requirements of the user on the basis of the identifier of the user; and according to the media capability requirements of the user, selecting at least one media network element to provide a service for the user, wherein a media capability provided by the at least one media network element meets the media capability requirements of the user. In the present application, an appropriate media network element can be selected for the user according to the media capability requirements of the user, so that the problems such as detouring and multiple hops in multimedia network elements can be avoided, improving the efficiency of media network element selection and reducing the complexity of media network element selection, thereby reducing delay, saving media resource overhead, reducing signaling complexity, simplifying traffic topology, and the like.

Description

A network element selection method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 29, 2023, with application number 202311865099.7 and application name “A network element selection method and device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of mobile communications, and in particular to a network element selection method and device. Background Art

[0004] With the evolution of the network, there are media network elements with different media capabilities. Taking the media network element as the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-Access Gateway (AGW) as an example, IMS-AGW1 has media capability 1, and IMS-AGW2 has media capability 2. Due to factors such as cost investment, it is impossible to transform all media network elements to have the same media capabilities in one step. When the network element responsible for the call session control function (such as the proxy-call session control function (P-CSCF)) selects a media network element for the user, since the network element, as an access-side network element, does not have the user's service subscription information, it cannot perceive which media capability the user needs, and then randomly selects a media network element, resulting in the selected media network element often failing to meet user needs.

[0005] To address this issue, one approach is to randomly select a network element again and combine multiple media network elements to form a multi-hop media network element to provide services to users. Another approach is to perform network element reselection. However, both selection methods have the problem of high network resource and performance consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a network element selection method and apparatus for selecting a suitable media network element for a user, thereby improving the efficiency of media network element selection, reducing the complexity of media network element selection, and saving media resource overhead.

[0007] In a first aspect, a network element selection method is provided, which is applied to a first network element. Unless otherwise specified, the "network element" in this application can refer to the network element itself, or a component in the network element (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the network element functions. The method includes: receiving a first message, the first message including a user identifier; determining the user's media capability requirements based on the user identifier; and selecting at least one media network element to provide services to the user based on the user's media capability requirements, wherein the media capabilities provided by the at least one media network element meet the user's media capability requirements.

[0008] In this embodiment of the present application, the first network element can determine the user's media capability requirements based on the user's identifier and select an appropriate media network element for the user based on the user's media capability requirements. Compared with the solution of randomly selecting media network elements, this can avoid problems such as multimedia network element detours and multiple hops, improve the efficiency of media network element selection, and reduce the complexity of media network element selection. This can achieve the following effects: reducing latency, saving media resource overhead, reducing signaling complexity, and simplifying traffic topology.

[0009] In one possible design, before receiving the first message, a second message from a second network element may also be received, where the second message is used to indicate the user's media capability requirements; and the user's media capability requirements and the user's identifier are saved in correspondence.

[0010] In this way, the first network element can obtain and save the user's media capability requirement, so as to subsequently determine the user's media capability requirement, thereby improving the reliability of the solution.

[0011] In one possible design, the second message includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: media capabilities required by the user; a media capability set required by the user; an index of the media capabilities required by the user; and an index of the media capability set required by the user.

[0012] Of course, the above items are just examples and are not limited to these.

[0013] In one possible design, the second message may be carried in a Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) message, such as a SIP Information message or a SIP Notification (INFO) message, without limitation.

[0014] In one possible design, before receiving the second message from the second network element, a registration message from the user may also be received, where the registration message includes the user's identifier; and the registration message is forwarded to the second network element.

[0015] In this way, the first network element can obtain the user's media capability requirements during the user's registration process without initiating a separate process, thereby saving network resources.

[0016] In one possible design, a third message can also be received from the second network element, where the third message is used to indicate the user's changed media capability requirements; and the user's media capability requirements are updated according to the third message.

[0017] In this way, the user's media capability requirements stored in the first network element can be updated in a timely manner, further improving the reliability of the solution.

[0018] In one possible design, at least one media network element can be selected to provide services to the user based on the media capabilities of one or more pre-configured media network elements and the user's media capability requirements. The one or more media network elements include at least one media network element.

[0019] In this way, the first network element can directly obtain the media capabilities of one or more media network elements locally, thereby improving the efficiency of network element selection.

[0020] In one possible design, the media capabilities of one or more media network elements can be obtained from the network storage function network element; based on the media capabilities of the one or more media network elements and the user's media capability requirements, at least one media network element is selected to provide services to the user, and the one or more media network elements include at least one media network element.

[0021] In this way, the first network element can directly obtain the media capabilities of one or more media network elements from the network storage function network element, which can improve the accuracy of the media capabilities of the media network elements and improve the reliability of the solution.

[0022] In one possible design, a first request can also be sent to the first media network element, the first request includes a fourth message, the fourth message is used to indicate at least one media capability required by the user, the first request is used to apply for at least one media capability from the first media network element, and the first media network element is one of the at least one media network element; a first response fed back by the first media network element is received, and the first response is used to indicate that the application for at least one media capability is successful.

[0023] In this way, media capabilities can be applied for from the selected media network element for the user to ensure the user's subsequent media services.

[0024] In one possible design, the first network element is a proxy-call session control function (P-CSCF) network element.

[0025] In one possible design, the second network element is an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IP multimedia subsystem, IMS) application server (AS).

[0026] In one possible design, the media network element is an IMS access gateway (AGW).

[0027] Of course, the above are merely examples of the first network element, the second network element, and the media network element, and are not limited thereto.

[0028] On the second aspect, a network element selection method is provided, which is applied to a second network element. Unless otherwise specified, the "network element" in this application can refer to the network element itself, or a component in the network element (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network element functions. The method includes: receiving a first message, the first message including a user identifier; determining the user's media capability requirements based on the user's identifier; selecting at least one media network element to provide services to the user based on the user's media capability requirements, wherein the media capabilities provided by at least one media network element meet the user's media capability requirements. The method includes: receiving a registration message from the user via the first network element, the registration message including the user's identifier; sending a second message to the first network element, the second message being used to indicate the user's media capability requirements.

[0029] In one possible design, the second message includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: media capabilities required by the user; a media capability set required by the user; an index of the media capabilities required by the user; and an index of the media capability set required by the user.

[0030] In one possible design, the second message is carried in a SIP message.

[0031] In one possible design, a third message may also be sent to the first network element, where the third message is used to indicate the user's changed media capability requirements.

[0032] In one possible design, the first network element is the P-CSCF.

[0033] In one possible design, the second network element is an IMS AS.

[0034] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a module, a unit or a technical means for executing the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect.

[0035] Exemplarily, the communication device may include:

[0036] a transceiver module, configured to receive a first message, wherein the first message includes a user identifier;

[0037] The processing module is used to determine the user's media capability requirements based on the user's identifier; select at least one media network element to provide services to the user based on the user's media capability requirements, wherein the media capabilities provided by the at least one media network element meet the user's media capability requirements.

[0038] In one possible design, the transceiver module is also used to: receive a second message from a second network element before receiving the first message, and the second message is used to indicate the user's media capability requirements; the processing module is also used to: save the user's media capability requirements and the user's identification in correspondence.

[0039] In one possible design, the second message includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: media capabilities required by the user; a media capability set required by the user; an index of the media capabilities required by the user; and an index of the media capability set required by the user.

[0040] In one possible design, the second message is carried in a SIP message.

[0041] In one possible design, the transceiver module is also used to: receive a registration message from the user before receiving the second message from the second network element, the registration message including the user's identifier; and forward the registration message to the second network element.

[0042] In one possible design, the transceiver module is further used to: receive a third message from the second network element, the third message is used to indicate the user's changed media capability requirements; the processing module is further used to: update the user's media capability requirements according to the third message.

[0043] In one possible design, when the processing module selects at least one media network element to provide services to the user based on the user's media capability requirements, it is specifically used to: select at least one media network element to provide services to the user based on the media capabilities of one or more pre-configured media network elements and the user's media capability requirements, and the one or more media network elements include at least one media network element; or obtain the media capabilities of one or more media network elements from the network storage function network element; select at least one media network element to provide services to the user based on the media capabilities of one or more media network elements and the user's media capability requirements, and the one or more media network elements include at least one media network element.

[0044] In one possible design, the transceiver module can also be used to: send a first request to a first media network element, the first request includes a fourth message, the fourth message is used to indicate at least one media capability required by the user, the first request is used to apply for at least one media capability from the first media network element, and the first media network element is one of at least one media network element; receive a first response fed back by the first media network element, the first response is used to indicate that the application for at least one media capability is successful.

[0045] In one possible design, the first network element is the P-CSCF.

[0046] In one possible design, the second network element is an IMS AS.

[0047] In one possible design, the media network element is IMS-AGW.

[0048] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a module, a unit, or a technical means for executing the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0049] Exemplarily, the communication device may include:

[0050] The transceiver module is configured to receive a registration message from a user via a first network element, the registration message including the user's identifier; and send a second message to the first network element, the second message being used to indicate the user's media capability requirements.

[0051] In one possible design, the second message includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: media capabilities required by the user; a media capability set required by the user; an index of the media capabilities required by the user; and an index of the media capability set required by the user.

[0052] In one possible design, the second message is carried in a SIP message.

[0053] In one possible design, the transceiver module can also be used to: send a third message to the first network element, where the third message is used to indicate the user's changed media capability requirements.

[0054] In one possible design, the first network element is the P-CSCF.

[0055] In one possible design, the second network element is an IMS AS.

[0056] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is electrically coupled to the processor, and the processor causes the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect to be executed through a logic circuit or execution code instructions, or causes the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect to be executed.

[0057] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program or instruction is stored in the storage medium. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect is executed, or the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect is executed.

[0058] In the seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect to be executed, or causes the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect to be executed.

[0059] In an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a first network element and a second network element, the first network element being used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, and the second network element being used to execute the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0060] The specific designs and beneficial effects of the second to eighth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the corresponding designs and beneficial effects in the first to second aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] FIG1 is a network architecture diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG2 is a flow chart of a method for selecting a media network element;

[0063] FIG3 is a flow chart of a method for selecting a media network element;

[0064] FIG4 is a flow chart of a network element selection method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG5 is a registration flow chart provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, some of the terms mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are explained and illustrated below.

[0069] 1) Media capabilities: These include the ability to provide media services (e.g., the ability to process media data), and the ability to provide the media resources required for these services (e.g., the ability to transmit media data). Examples include codec capabilities (e.g., audio transcoding, video transcoding), support for the Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP), and Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC). Media data includes, but is not limited to, one or more of audio, video, images, and fax.

[0070] 2) The multiple involved in the embodiments of the present application refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. In addition, it should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe each object in the embodiments of the present invention, these objects should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish each object from each other.

[0071] 3) The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof mentioned in the description of the embodiments of the present application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way.

[0072] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, for example: fifth-generation (5G) communication systems, sixth-generation (6G) communication systems or other future evolution systems, or various other wireless communication systems using wireless access technologies, etc., can all adopt the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0073] 1 shows a network architecture diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The network functions and entities included in the system mainly include: user equipment (UE), radio access network (RAN) network element, proxy-call session control function (P-CSCF), interrogating-call session control function (I-CSCF), serving-call session control function (S-CSCF), Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-access gateway (AGW), remote IMS, home subscriber server (HSS), IMS application server (AS), etc.

[0074] It should be noted that the names of the various network elements in this application are merely examples, and this application does not exclude the possibility that the network elements may be renamed in the future, or that the functions of the network elements may be merged. As technology evolves, any device or network element that can implement the functions of the aforementioned network elements falls within the scope of protection of this application.

[0075] For ease of description, in the following text, each network element may be represented by its corresponding English abbreviation, for example, "P-CSCF" or "P-CSCF network element" may be used to represent an application function network element.

[0076] User equipment (UE) can also be called user equipment, terminal, mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0077] A radio access network (R)AN element may also be referred to as access network equipment, wireless access network equipment, or access network. Specifically, it may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a Wi-Fi system. It may also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station, such as a centralized unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU). The CU implements the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) functions, as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) functions. The DU implements the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer functions, as well as some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each of these protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The wireless access network device may be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and device form used by the wireless access network device.

[0078] P-CSCF: The first point of contact for users accessing the IMS network during service applications. It is responsible for proxying all SIP signaling and completing call routing control; providing QoS resource reservation; supporting SIP signaling compression to improve bandwidth efficiency on the air interface; providing NAT control to support NAT penetration in enterprise networks; and maintaining a security association with the UE to protect the privacy and integrity of signaling between them.

[0079] I-CSCF: The unified entry point to the user's home network, responsible for allocating S-CSCFs and querying the S-CSCF of the called party.

[0080] S-CSCF: The service switching center of the IMS network is mainly responsible for receiving and processing UE registration requests, user management, session control, service switching, service control, SIP message processing, billing, etc., and can trigger SIP requests to the corresponding AS based on the application triggering principle.

[0081] In a specific implementation, the I-CSCF and S-CSCF can be deployed on different physical devices or integrated into the same physical device without limitation. In this document, I / S-CSCF can be used to represent any of S-CSCF, I-CSCF, I-CSCF, and S-CSCF.

[0082] IMS AS: used to provide various services.

[0083] IMS AGW: IMS access gateway, used to provide media processing capabilities.

[0084] HSS: The core database that stores user information. It stores IMS user subscription information within the home network and provides a management interface for operators and end users to customize and modify subscription data. Key information stored in the HSS includes, but is not limited to, IMS user identification, IMS user security context, IMS user routing information, and service subscription information. The HSS is similar to the Home Location Register (HLR) in the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

[0085] It is understandable that in actual applications, the above network architecture may also include other network elements, and this application does not limit this.

[0086] It should be understood that the interface names between the various network elements in Figure 1 are only examples. In specific implementations, the interface names may be other names, and this application does not specifically limit this. In addition, the names of the messages (or signaling) transmitted between the various network elements are only examples and do not constitute any limitation on the functions of the messages themselves.

[0087] The communication system and scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0088] Referring to FIG2 , a method for selecting a media network element includes the following steps:

[0089] S201. The terminal device corresponding to the user sends an INVITE message, and the P-CSCF receives the INVITE message. The INVITE message includes the user's identifier.

[0090] The INVITE message is the first message in the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and is sent by the calling party to the called party to make the called party ring.

[0091] S202. The P-CSCF randomly selects a media network element, such as IMS-AGW1, and sends an add request (ADD request) to IMS-AGW1. IMS-AGW1 receives the ADD request.

[0092] S203. IMS-AGW1 sends an add response (ADD response) to P-CSCF. P-CSCF receives the ADD response, indicating that IMS-AGW1 is successfully selected.

[0093] S204. The P-CSCF forwards the INVITE message to other network elements and executes subsequent processes (not expanded here).

[0094] S205: The P-CSCF receives the 18X message and determines based on the 18X message that the IMS-AGW1 cannot meet the media capability requirements of the user's service.

[0095] Among them, the 18X message is a response message defined by the SIP protocol, indicating that the request message has been received and is being processed.

[0096] S206. The P-CSCF randomly selects a media network element again, such as IMS-AGW2, and sends an ADD request to IMS-AGW2. IMS-AGW2 receives the ADD request.

[0097] S207. IMS-AGW2 sends an ADD response to the P-CSCF. The P-CSCF receives the ADD response, indicating that IMS-AGW2 has been successfully selected.

[0098] It is understandable that if IMS-AGW2 and IMS-AGW1 still cannot meet the user's service requirements for media capabilities, the P-CSCF may continue to randomly select a media network element.

[0099] S208. The selected media network elements (such as IMS-AGW1 and IMS-AGW2) form a multi-hop media network element to provide services to the user. As shown in Figure 2, the media data can be first sent to IMS-AGW2, then to IMS-AGW1, and finally to the user's corresponding terminal device via the P-CSCF.

[0100] In the above solution, multiple media network elements are combined to form a multi-hop media network element, which means that media data needs to pass through multiple media network elements, consuming more network resources and performance.

[0101] FIG3 shows another method for selecting a media network element, including the following process:

[0102] S301. The terminal device corresponding to the user sends an INVITE message, and the P-CSCF receives the INVITE message. The INVITE message includes the user's identifier.

[0103] S302: The P-CSCF randomly selects a media network element, such as IMS-AGW1, and sends an add request (ADD request) to IMS-AGW1. IMS-AGW1 receives the ADD request.

[0104] S303. IMS-AGW1 sends an ADD response to the P-CSCF. The P-CSCF receives the ADD response, indicating that IMS-AGW1 has been successfully selected.

[0105] S304. The P-CSCF forwards the INVITE message to other network elements and executes the subsequent process (not expanded here).

[0106] S305: The P-CSCF receives the 18X message and determines based on the 18X message that IMS-AGW1 cannot meet the media capability requirements of the user's service.

[0107] The P-CSCF performs network element reselection:

[0108] S306. The P-CSCF sends a deletion request (SUB request) to the IMS-AGW1, and the P-CSCF receives the SUB request.

[0109] S307: IMS-AGW1 sends a SUB response. The P-CSCF receives the SUB response, indicating that the operation of selecting IMS-AGW1 has been withdrawn.

[0110] S308. The P-CSCF randomly selects a media network element again, such as IMS-AGW2, and sends an ADD request to IMS-AGW2. IMS-AGW2 receives the ADD request.

[0111] S309. IMS-AGW2 sends an ADD response to the P-CSCF. The P-CSCF receives the ADD response, indicating that IMS-AGW2 has been successfully selected.

[0112] It is understandable that if IMS-AGW2 and IMS-AGW1 still cannot meet the media capability requirements of the user's services, network element reselection may continue.

[0113] S310: The selected media network element provides services to the user. As shown in FIG3 , the media data is first sent to the IMS-AGW2 and then to the user's corresponding terminal device via the P-CSCF.

[0114] In the above solution, random selection of media network elements will lead to reselection of media network elements, which will consume more network resources and performance.

[0115] In order to solve the problem of large network resource and performance consumption caused by selecting media network elements, a technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0116] Referring to Figure 4, a network element selection method provided in an embodiment of the present application can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1. It can be understood that, unless otherwise specified, the "network element" in this application can refer to the network element itself (for example, the P-CSCF or IMS-AS or IMS-AGW shown in Figure 4), or a component in the network element (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the network element functions; the "terminal device" in this application can refer to the terminal device itself (for example, the terminal device shown in Figure 4), or a component in the terminal device (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions. The method includes S401 to S403:

[0117] S401. The terminal device sends a first message, and the first network element receives the first message.

[0118] The first message includes a user identifier. It is understood that the user refers to the user corresponding to the terminal device, such as the terminal device holder, generally the owner of the terminal device. The terminal device may pre-store information of one (or more) users, such as the user identifier (or identity identifier).

[0119] The user identifier includes, for example, but is not limited to, a subscriber identification module (SIM) card identification number (such as an integrated circuit card identity (ICCID)), a telephone number, an ID number, etc. In some embodiments, the user identifier may also be a terminal device identifier, such as a media access control (MAC) address or an internet protocol (IP) address of the terminal device.

[0120] In a possible design, the first message may be a message for accessing a media service (or media business). Taking the media service as an Internet phone as an example, the first message may be an INVITE message.

[0121] In one possible design, the first network element may be a network element responsible for session control, such as a P-CSCF.

[0122] Optionally, the terminal device may send the first message to the P-CSCF via at least one device or entity. For example, the terminal device may first send the first message to the access network device, which then forwards the first message to the P-CSCF. This is merely an example, and the actual path for the terminal device to send the first message to the first network element is not limited to this.

[0123] S402: The first network element determines the user's media capability requirement according to the user's identifier.

[0124] In one possible design, the first network element stores the user's identifier and the user's media capability requirements; after receiving the first message, the first network element queries the media capability requirements corresponding to the user's identifier locally based on the user's identifier carried in the first message.

[0125] It can be understood that in order to ensure that the first network element can obtain the media capability requirements corresponding to the user's identifier locally, the first network element needs to obtain the media capability requirements corresponding to the user in advance and save the user's identifier and the media capability requirements corresponding to the user accordingly.

[0126] In a specific implementation, the first network element may obtain the media capability requirements corresponding to the user from the second network element. For example, the first network element receives a second message from the second network element, where the second message is used to indicate the media capability requirements of the user. It is understood that the second network element is a network element that provides media services (or media business). For example, the second network element may be an IMS-AS.

[0127] In the embodiments of the present application, the user's media capability requirements may be one or multiple media capability requirements, without limitation. For example, for voice services, the user's media capability requirements may include at least audio codec capability requirements and video codec capability requirements; for video call services, the user's media capability requirements may include at least audio codec capability requirements and video codec capability requirements, and so on.

[0128] There are many ways to implement the second message indicating the user's media capability requirements. For example, the second message may include at least one of the following:

[0129] (1) Media capabilities required by users.

[0130] That is, the second message carries each media capability required by the user.

[0131] In this implementation manner, the first network element can directly obtain each media capability required by the user from the second message, which can reduce the processing complexity of the first network element.

[0132] (2) The set of media capabilities required by users.

[0133] The media capability set may represent at least one media capability. The first network element obtains the media capability set required by the user, and determines each media capability required by the user according to the media capability set required by the user.

[0134] In this implementation, the second message carries the media capability set required by the user, which can reduce the amount of information in the second message compared to the second message carrying each media capability required by the user.

[0135] (3) Index of media capabilities required by users.

[0136] For example, 001 indicates audio transcoding, 002 indicates video transcoding, 003 indicates MSRP capability, 004 indicates WebRTC capability, etc. It is understood that the indexes here are only examples and are not limited thereto.

[0137] After obtaining the index of the media capability required by the user, the first network element determines each media capability required by the user according to the index of the media capability required by the user.

[0138] Compared with carrying the media capabilities required by the user in the second message, the index of the media capabilities required by the user is carried in the second message, which can reduce the amount of information in the second message and save transmission resources.

[0139] (4) Index of the media capability set required by the user.

[0140] For example, 001 represents audio transcoding and video transcoding, 002 represents video transcoding and MSRP capability, 003 represents audio transcoding, video transcoding and MSRP capability, etc. It can be understood that the index here is only an example and is not limited thereto.

[0141] The first network element obtains the index of the media capability set required by the user, and determines the media capability set required by the user (or each media capability required by the user) according to the index of the media capability set required by the user.

[0142] Compared with carrying the media capability or media capability set required by the user in the second message, the index of the media capability set required by the user in the second message can reduce the amount of information in the second message and save transmission resources.

[0143] Optionally, the second message may be a SIP message, or the second message may be carried in a SIP message. For example, the second message may be (or carried in) a SIP information message or a SIP notification message, etc., without limitation.

[0144] The SIP message may send the user's media capability requirement to the first network element in one of the following ways:

[0145] Method 1: Add a custom header field to carry media capabilities, media capability sets, or indexes of media capabilities or indexes of media capability sets.

[0146] An example of a new header field name is P-MediaCapability-Info, indicating that this header field is media capability information.

[0147] Method 2: Add parameters to the existing header field to carry media capabilities or media capability sets or indexes of media capabilities or indexes of media capability sets.

[0148] An example name for the newly added header field parameter is: Media-Capability-infos, indicating that this parameter is media capability information.

[0149] Method 3: Carrying custom information in the SIP message body, including media capabilities or media capability sets or indexes of media capabilities or indexes of media capability sets.

[0150] Example of the name of the new message body information: <media-capability-infos>, indicating that the message body carries media capability information.

[0151] Of course, the above three are just examples and are not limited to them.

[0152] In a possible implementation, the first network element may obtain the media capability requirement corresponding to the user during the process of the user registering with the second network element.

[0153] Taking the first network element being a P-CSCF and the second network element being an IMS-AS as an example, as shown in FIG5 , the registration process may include the following steps:

[0154] S501: A terminal device sends a registration message to a P-CSCF (i.e., a first network element). The P-CSCF receives the registration message, which includes a user identifier.

[0155] Optionally, the terminal device may send a registration message to the P-CSCF via at least one device or entity (such as an access network device).

[0156] S502. The P-CSCF forwards the registration message to the IMS-AS (i.e., the second network element), and the IMS-AS receives the registration message.

[0157] Optionally, the P-CSCF may send a registration message to the IMS-AS via at least one device or entity. As shown in FIG5 , the P-CSCF may send a registration message to the IMS-AS via the S-CSCF.

[0158] S503: The IMS-AS sends a second message to the P-CSCF. The P-CSCF receives the second message, where the second message is used to indicate the media capability requirement of the user.

[0159] Optionally, the IMS AS maps the user's required media capabilities based on the user's service subscription information and then sends a second message to the P-CSCF, indicating the user's media capability requirements. The user's service subscription information may be stored locally in the IMS AS or in another network element (such as the HSS), without limitation.

[0160] Optionally, the IMS-AS may send the second message to the P-CSCF via at least one device or entity. As shown in FIG5 , the IMS-AS may send the second message to the P-CSCF via the I-PCSCF or the S-CSCF.

[0161] S504: The P-CSCF stores the user's identifier and the user's media capability requirement in correspondence.

[0162] S505 : The P-CSCF may send a 200 OK message to the IMS-AS to indicate that it has acknowledged receipt of the user's media capability request.

[0163] Optionally, the P-CSCF may send a 200 OK message to the IMS-AS via at least one device or entity. As shown in FIG5 , the P-CSCF may send a 200 OK message to the IMS-AS via the S-CSCF.

[0164] In the above design, the first network element pre-stores the user's media capability requirements, so that the first network element can quickly obtain the user's media capability requirements locally after receiving the first information.

[0165] In one possible implementation, when a user's media capability requirements change, the second network element may also send a change notification to the first network element. For example, when the second network element determines, based on the user's service subscription information, that a user's media capability requirements have changed, it sends a third message to the first network element, indicating the user's changed media capability requirements. After receiving the third message from the second network element, the first network element updates the locally stored user media capability requirements based on the third message. This ensures the accuracy of the user's media capability requirements stored by the first network element.

[0166] In one possible design, after receiving the first message, the first network element may obtain the user's media capability requirements from other network elements. For example, the user's media capability requirements may be obtained from the second network element. For specific implementation methods, refer to the method flow shown in FIG5 .

[0167] With the above design, the first network element obtains the user's media capability requirements from other network elements after receiving the first information, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the obtained user's media capability requirements.

[0168] S403: The first network element selects at least one media network element to provide services to the user according to the user's media capability requirement.

[0169] The media network element may be any network element capable of providing media capabilities, including but not limited to IMS-AGW.

[0170] In a specific implementation, the first network element can determine at least one media network element from the one or more media network elements to provide services to the user based on the media capabilities of the one or more media network elements and the user's media capability requirements, and the media capabilities provided by the determined at least one media network element can meet the user's media capability requirements.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the first network element may preconfigure the media capabilities of one or more media network elements. In another possible implementation, the first network element may obtain the media capabilities of one or more media network elements from other network elements (such as an NRF). The embodiment of the present application does not limit the manner in which the first network element obtains the media capabilities of the media network elements.

[0172] Furthermore, after selecting at least one media network element that meets the user's media capability requirements, the first network element applies to each selected media network element for the media capabilities required by the user, so that the media network element can provide the user with the corresponding media capabilities.

[0173] Exemplarily, a first network element sends a first request to a first media network element. The first request includes a fourth message, the fourth message is used to indicate at least one media capability required by the user, the first request is used to apply for at least one media capability from the first media network element, and the first media network element is one of the at least one media network element. After receiving the first request, if the first media network element confirms that it can provide the at least one media capability applied for by the first network element, it feeds back a first response to the first network element. The first network element receives the first response fed back by the first media network element, and the first response is used to indicate that the application for at least one media capability is successful. Of course, if the first media network element cannot provide the media capability applied for by the first network element, it may not return any response, or may feed back a response indicating that the media capability application failed, without limitation.

[0174] In some embodiments, the process of the first network element applying for media capabilities from the media network element may also be included in the step of the first network element selecting the media network element.

[0175] In this embodiment of the present application, the first network element can determine the user's media capability requirements based on the user's identifier and select an appropriate media network element for the user based on the user's media capability requirements. Compared with the solution of randomly selecting media network elements, this can avoid problems such as multimedia network element detours and multiple hops, improve the efficiency of media network element selection, and reduce the complexity of media network element selection. This can achieve the following effects: reducing latency, saving media resource overhead, reducing signaling complexity, and simplifying traffic topology.

[0176] It can be understood that the various implementation methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented separately or in combination with each other without limitation.

[0177] The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the device provided by the embodiment of the present application is described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0178] Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 500, which includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the method steps in the above method embodiment. The functions, units, or means can be implemented through software, or through hardware, or the corresponding software can be implemented through hardware.

[0179] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 6 , an apparatus 600 may include a processing module 601 and a transceiver module 602 .

[0180] Optionally, the transceiver module 602 may include a sending module and / or a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiment. The receiving module is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiment.

[0181] It should be noted that the communication device 600 may include a sending module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, the communication device 600 may include a receiving module but not a sending module. The specific implementation depends on whether the above solution executed by the communication device 600 includes a sending action and a receiving action.

[0182] The processing module 601 is used for data processing, and the transceiver module 602 can implement corresponding communication functions.

[0183] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include a storage module, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 601 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the communication device 600 implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0184] Exemplarily, the communication device 600 may be a first network element or a component configurable in the first network element. The processing module 601 is configured to perform processing-related operations on the first network element side in the above method embodiment. The transceiver module 602 is configured to perform reception-related operations on the first network element side in the above method embodiment.

[0185] For example: the transceiver module 602 is used to receive a first message, which includes a user identifier; the processing module 601 is used to determine the user's media capability requirements based on the user identifier; and select at least one media network element to provide services to the user based on the user's media capability requirements, wherein the media capabilities provided by the at least one media network element meet the user's media capability requirements.

[0186] Exemplarily, the communication device 600 may be a second network element or a component configurable in the second network element. The processing module 601 is configured to perform processing-related operations on the second network element side in the above method embodiment. The transceiver module 602 is configured to perform reception-related operations on the second network element side in the above method embodiment.

[0187] For example, the transceiver module 602 is configured to receive a registration message from a user via a first network element, the registration message including the user's identifier; and send a second message to the first network element, the second message being used to indicate the user's media capability requirement.

[0188] It should be understood that all relevant contents of each step involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module and will not be repeated here.

[0189] The processing module 601 in the above embodiment can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuits. The transceiver module 602 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuits. The transceiver module 602 can also be called a communication module or a communication interface.

[0190] Another structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown below. As shown in FIG7 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 700, comprising:

[0191] At least one processor 701; and a communication interface 703 communicatively connected to the at least one processor 701; the at least one processor 701 executes instructions stored in the memory 702, so that the device performs the method steps in the above method embodiment through the communication interface 703.

[0192] Optionally, the memory 702 is located outside the device 700 .

[0193] Optionally, the apparatus 700 includes the memory 702, which is connected to the at least one processor 701 and stores instructions executable by the at least one processor 701. FIG7 uses dashed lines to indicate that the memory 702 is optional for the apparatus 700.

[0194] The processor 701 and the memory 702 may be coupled via an interface circuit or may be integrated together, which is not limited here.

[0195] The specific connection medium between the processor 701, memory 702, and communication interface 703 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 7, the processor 701, memory 702, and communication interface 703 are connected via a bus 704. The bus is represented by a bold line in Figure 7. The connection between other components is only for illustrative purposes and is not intended to be limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 7 only uses a single bold line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0196] The specific connection medium between the processor 701, memory 702, and communication interface 703 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 7, the processor 701, memory 702, and communication interface 703 are connected via a bus 704. The bus is represented by a bold line in Figure 7. The connection between other components is only for illustrative purposes and is not intended to be limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 7 only uses a single bold line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0197] When the communication device 700 is a first network element, the first network element may include a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein the memory may store computer program codes, and the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver.

[0198] The processor is mainly used to process the communication protocol and communication data; control the first network element, execute the software program and process the data of the software program, etc.

[0199] Memory is mainly used to store software programs and data.

[0200] The transmitter is used to send signals to other network elements or devices, and the receiver is used to receive signals from other network elements or devices.

[0201] When the communication device 700 is a chip in the first network element, the chip may include a processor, a memory, and a transceiver. The transceiver may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processor may be a processing module, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit integrated on the chip. In the above method embodiment, the sending operation of the first network element may be understood as an output of the chip, and the receiving operation of the first network element in the above method embodiment may be understood as an input of the chip.

[0202] When the communication device 700 is a second network element, the second network element may include a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein the memory may store computer program codes, and the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver.

[0203] The processor is mainly used to process the communication protocol and communication data; control the second network element, execute the software program and process the data of the software program, etc.

[0204] Memory is mainly used to store software programs and data.

[0205] The transmitter is used to send signals to other network elements or devices, and the receiver is used to receive signals from other network elements or devices.

[0206] When communication device 700 is a chip in the second network element, the chip may include a processor, a memory, and a transceiver. The transceiver may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processor may be a processing module, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit integrated on the chip. In the above method embodiments, the sending operation of the second network element may be understood as an output of the chip, and the receiving operation of the second network element in the above method embodiments may be understood as an input of the chip.

[0207] It should be understood that the processors mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or software. When implemented by hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc. When implemented by software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that is implemented by reading software code stored in a memory.

[0208] Exemplarily, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0209] It should be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus random access memory (DR RAM).

[0210] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0211] It should be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0212] Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, including a program or instructions. When the program or instructions are run on a computer, the method in the above method embodiment is executed.

[0213] Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, including instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method in the above method embodiment to be executed.

[0214] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0215] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0216] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0217] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

Claims

1. A network element selection method, characterized in that, Applied to a first network element, the method includes: Receiving a first message, where the first message includes the identifier of a user; Determining the media capability requirements of the user according to the identifier of the user; Selecting at least one media network element to provide services for the user according to the media capability requirements of the user, where the media capabilities provided by the at least one media network element meet the media capability requirements of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Before receiving the first message, it further includes: Receiving a second message from a second network element, where the second message is used to indicate the media capability requirements of the user; Correspondingly saving the media capability requirements of the user and the identifier of the user.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The second message includes at least one of the following: The media capabilities required by the user; The set of media capabilities required by the user; The index of the media capabilities required by the user; The index of the set of media capabilities required by the user.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The second message is carried in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Before receiving the second message from the second network element, it further includes: Receiving a registration message from the user, where the registration message includes the identifier of the user; Forwarding the registration message to the second network element.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a third message from the second network element, where the third message is used to indicate the changed media capability requirements of the user; Updating the media capability requirements of the user according to the third message.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The step of selecting at least one media network element to provide services for the user according to the media capability requirements of the user includes: Selecting the at least one media network element to provide services for the user according to the media capabilities of one or more pre-configured media network elements and the media capability requirements of the user, where the one or more media network elements include the at least one media network element; or, Obtaining the media capabilities of one or more media network elements from a Network Storage Function (NSF) network element; selecting the at least one media network element to provide services for the user according to the media capabilities of the one or more media network elements and the media capability requirements of the user, where the one or more media network elements include the at least one media network element.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a first request to a first media network element, where the first request contains a fourth message, and the fourth message is used to indicate at least one media capability required by the user, and the first request is used to apply to the first media network element for the at least one media capability, and the first media network element is one of the at least one media network element; Receiving a first response feedback from the first media network element, where the first response is used to indicate that the application for the at least one media capability is successful.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The first network element is a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) network element.

10. The method according to any one of claims 2-6, characterized in that, The second network element is an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Application Server (AS).

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The media network element is an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem - Access Gateway (IMS-AGW).

12. A network element selection method, characterized in that, Applied to a second network element, the method includes: Receiving, via a first network element, a registration message from a user, where the registration message includes the identifier of the user; Sending a second message to the first network element, where the second message is used to indicate the media capability requirements of the user.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second message includes at least one of the following: the media capabilities required by the user; the set of media capabilities required by the user; the index of the media capabilities required by the user; the index of the set of media capabilities required by the user.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The second message is carried in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 14, characterized in that, It further includes: sending a third message to the first network element, where the third message is used to indicate the changed media capability requirements of the user.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12-15, characterized in that, The first network element is a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) network element.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12-16, characterized in that, The second network element is an Internet Protocol - Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Application Server (AS).

18. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 - 11, or includes a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 12 - 17.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit is electrically coupled to the processor, and the processor enables the execution of the method according to any one of claims 1 - 11 through logic circuits or by executing code instructions, or enables the execution of the method according to any one of claims 12 - 17.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or instruction is stored in the storage medium, and when the computer program or instruction is run, it enables the execution of the method according to any one of claims 1 - 11, or enables the execution of the method according to any one of claims 12 - 17.

21. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes: a first network element for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 - 11; a second network element for executing the method according to any one of claims 12 - 17.

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