Data transmission method and apparatus, and communication system

Abstract

A data transmission method and apparatus, and a communication system. The method comprises: acquiring a first DRB, wherein the first DRB is used by a terminal device to send uplink data of a first QoS flow to a first network device; acquiring a second DRB, wherein the second DRB is used by the terminal device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from a second network device; and sending the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device by means of the first DRB, and / or receiving the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device by means of the second DRB, so as to enable end-to-end transmission separation of the uplink data and the downlink data of the first QoS flow, improving transmission flexibility of the uplink data and reducing transmission delay of the uplink data.

Description

Data transmission method, device and communication system

[0001] 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 202311866704.2, and invention name “A data transmission method, device and communication system”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] In a mobile communication system, a terminal device (eg, user equipment (UE)) may establish a connection with one or more network devices (eg, base stations) for transmitting uplink data and / or downlink data.

[0004] For example, in dual connection (DC) technology, it generally refers to allowing the UE to connect to two base stations at the same time, and the UE can transmit data with the two base stations, that is, the two base stations can provide services for the UE, which can effectively improve the UE rate. For example, a long term evolution (LTE) base station and a new radio (NR) base station can provide services for one UE at the same time. In downlink data transmission, the core network sends data to the NR base station, and sends data to the UE through the air interface of the NR base station, or part of the data is sent to the UE through the air interface of the NR base station, and the other part of the data is sent to the UE through the air interface of the LTE base station. In uplink data transmission, the UE sends data to the LTE base station, sends data to the NR base station through the air interface of the LTE base station, and then sends data to the core network through the air interface of the NR base station. Since the NR base station includes a packet data convergence layer protocol (PDCP) anchor point, the end-to-end transmission of uplink and downlink data (i.e., between the UE and the core network) needs to pass through the NR base station, resulting in an increase in data transmission delay. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a data transmission method and apparatus, which can realize the separated transmission of uplink and downlink data of a first QoS flow and improve the transmission performance.

[0006] In a first aspect, a data transmission method is provided. The method can be executed by a first network device, or can also be executed by a chip or circuit of the first network device, which is not limited in this application. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by the first network device.

[0007] The method includes: sending first configuration information to the terminal device, the first configuration information is used to configure a first data radio bearer DRB, and the first DRB is used by the first network device to receive uplink data of a first quality of service QoS flow; sending second configuration information to the terminal device, the second configuration information is used to configure a second DRB, and the second DRB is used to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device.

[0008] According to the above scheme, by sending the first configuration information, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device through the first DRB, and by sending the second configuration information, the downlink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the second network device through the second DRB, thereby realizing the separated transmission of the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow, and avoiding the uplink data of the first QoS flow from being transmitted between the first network device and the second network device, thereby reducing the transmission delay of the uplink data of the first QoS flow and improving the transmission performance.

[0009] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the method further includes: receiving the second configuration information from the second network device.

[0010] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the first DRB is also used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0011] That is to say, in the first case, the first DRB can be established by the first network device before the dual connection is established. At this time, the first DRB is also used by the first network device to send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, or the terminal device can also use the first DRB to receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device. That is to say, before the dual connection is established, the first DRB is used to transmit the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow between the first network device and the terminal device, or the transmission of the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow between the terminal device and the core network element (end-to-end) is completed through the first network device.

[0012] In an optional implementation, before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method also includes: sending a first request message to the second network device, the first request message being used to request the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, the first request message including information of the first QoS flow.

[0013] In an optional implementation, before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method also includes: sending a second request message to the second network device, the second request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the second request message includes information about the first QoS flow.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, the first network device or the second network device can independently decide that the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and then the first network device transmits the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, thereby realizing the separate transmission of the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow, avoiding the uplink data of the first QoS flow from being transmitted between the first network device and the second network device, thereby reducing the transmission delay of the uplink data of the first QoS flow and improving the transmission performance.

[0015] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the second DRB is used by the first network device to receive uplink data of the first QoS flow, and is used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0016] That is, in the second case, the second DRB can be established by the first network device before the dual connection is established. In this case, the second DRB is also used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, or the terminal device can also use the second DRB to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device. That is, before the dual connection is established, the second DRB is used to transmit uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow between the first network device and the terminal device.

[0017] In an optional implementation, before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method also includes: sending a third request message to the second network device, the third request message being used to request the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, the third request message including the packet data convergence layer protocol PDCP configuration of the second DRB, and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

[0018] In an optional implementation, before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method also includes: sending a fourth request message to the second network device, the fourth request message being used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow for the terminal device, the fourth request message including the PDCP configuration of the second DRB, and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

[0019] Based on the above scheme, the first network device or the second network device can independently decide that the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and then the first network device transmits the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, thereby realizing the separate transmission of the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow, avoiding the uplink data of the first QoS flow from being transmitted between the first network device and the second network device, thereby reducing the transmission delay of the uplink data of the first QoS flow and improving the transmission performance.

[0020] In an optional implementation, receiving second configuration information from the second network device includes: receiving a response message from the second network device, the response message is used to instruct the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the response message includes the second configuration information.

[0021] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the first configuration information is also used to configure a second DRB, and the second DRB is used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0022] That is to say, in the third case, the first DRB and the second DRB may be established by the first network device before the dual connection is established. At this time, before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the second DRB is used by the first network device to send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device. The second DRB is also established by the first network device. That is to say, before establishing the dual connection, the first network device can simultaneously configure the first DRB and the second DRB through the first configuration information, and the first network device receives the uplink data of the first QoS flow from the terminal device through the first DRB, and sends the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB.

[0023] In an optional implementation, before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method also includes: sending third indication information to the second network device, the third indication information being used to instruct the second network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB.

[0024] Based on the above solution, the first network device can independently decide that the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and then the first network device transmits the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, thereby realizing the separate transmission of the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow, avoiding the uplink data of the first QoS flow from being transmitted between the first network device and the second network device, thereby reducing the transmission delay of the uplink data of the first QoS flow and improving the transmission performance.

[0025] In an optional implementation, before sending the first configuration information to the terminal device, the method also includes: obtaining capability information of the terminal device, the capability information being used to indicate that the terminal device supports establishing DRBs for the uplink data of the first QoS flow and the downlink data of the first QoS flow respectively.

[0026] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: receiving first indication information from the second network device, the first indication information instructing the first network device to establish a radio link control RLC bearer for the second DRB.

[0027] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: sending the RLC configuration of the second DRB to the terminal device, where the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

[0028] Based on the above solution, the downlink data of the first QoS flow can be transmitted in a split-flow bearer manner, that is, the second network device can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device, and the first network device sends it to the terminal device through the air interface of the first network device to improve the transmission efficiency of the downlink data.

[0029] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: sending endpoint information indicating a third tunnel to the second network device, where the third tunnel is used for the first network device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device.

[0030] It should be understood that the third tunnel is a tunnel between the first network device and the second network device, and the third tunnel is used for the first network device and the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow. For example, after receiving the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element, the second network device can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the third tunnel.

[0031] Exemplarily, the endpoint information represents the endpoint information of the third tunnel on the first network device side, and the endpoint information includes the endpoint identification of the first network device and / or the endpoint address information of the first network device. The second network device can determine the information of the third tunnel on the first network device side (for example, endpoint #1) based on the endpoint information, and then establish the third tunnel with the first network device. Subsequently, the second network device can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the endpoint #1.

[0032] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: sending second indication information to the second network device, the second indication information instructing the second network device to establish a second tunnel, and the second tunnel is used for the second network device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network network element.

[0033] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: sending endpoint information indicating the second tunnel to a core network element.

[0034] It should be understood that the second tunnel is a tunnel between the second network device and the core network element, and the second tunnel is used for the second network device to receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element. That is, for the downlink data of the first QoS flow, the second network device can receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element through the second tunnel, and send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB, thereby completing the transmission of the downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0035] Exemplarily, the second indication information includes endpoint information for indicating the second tunnel, and the endpoint information represents the endpoint information of the second tunnel on the core network network element side. The endpoint information includes the endpoint identifier of the core network network element and / or the endpoint address information of the core network network element. The second network device can determine the information of the second tunnel on the core network network element side (for example, endpoint #2) based on the endpoint information, and then establish a second tunnel with the core network network element. Subsequently, the second network device can receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the endpoint #2.

[0036] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: sending a message to the core network network element to indicate retaining the first tunnel, where the first tunnel is established by the first network device, and the first tunnel is used by the first network device to send uplink data of the first QoS flow to the core network network element.

[0037] It should be understood that retaining the first tunnel can be understood as: instructing the core network network element to retain the endpoint information of the first tunnel on the first network device side, or in other words, instructing the core network network element not to delete the first tunnel, that is, the first tunnel is still used to transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow between the core network network element and the first network device. The endpoint information includes the endpoint identifier of the first network device and / or the endpoint address information of the first network device. Based on this, the core network network element can transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow with the first network device through the first tunnel, and / or the core network network element can transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow with the second network device through the second tunnel.

[0038] In a second aspect, a data transmission method is provided. The method can be executed by a second network device, or can also be executed by a chip or circuit of the second network device, which is not limited in this application. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by the second network device.

[0039] The method includes: sending second configuration information to the first network device, the second configuration information is used to configure a second data radio bearer DRB, and the second DRB is used by the second network device to send downlink data of a first quality of service QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0040] In an optional implementation, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is carried on the first DRB, and the first DRB is configured by the first configuration information.

[0041] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the first DRB is also used to carry downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0042] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method also includes: receiving a first request message from the first network device, the first request message being used to request the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, the first request message including information of the first QoS flow.

[0043] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method also includes: receiving a second request message from the first network device, the second request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the second request message includes information of the first QoS flow.

[0044] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the second DRB is used by the first network device to receive uplink data of the first QoS flow, and is used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0045] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method also includes: receiving a third request message from the first network device, the third request message is used to request the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, the third request message includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB, and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

[0046] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method also includes: receiving a fourth request message from the first network device, the fourth request message being used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow to the terminal device, the fourth request message including the PDCP configuration of the second DRB, and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

[0047] In an optional implementation, sending the second configuration information to the first network device includes: sending a response message to the first network device, the response message is used to instruct the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the response message includes the second configuration information.

[0048] In an optional implementation, before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the second DRB is used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0049] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: receiving third indication information from the first network device, where the third indication information is used to instruct the second network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB.

[0050] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: receiving downlink data of the first QoS flow from a core network element through a second tunnel; and sending downlink data of the first QoS flow to a terminal device through a second DRB.

[0051] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: establishing a second tunnel, where the second tunnel is used for the second network device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element.

[0052] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: sending first indication information to the second network device, where the first indication information instructs the first network device to establish a radio link control RLC bearer for the second DRB.

[0053] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: receiving endpoint information indicating a third tunnel from the first network device, where the third tunnel is used for the first network device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device.

[0054] In an optional implementation, before establishing the second tunnel, the method further includes:

[0055] Second instruction information is received from the first network device, where the second instruction information instructs the second network device to establish a second tunnel.

[0056] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned second aspect and its optional implementation methods can be referred to the corresponding description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0057] In a third aspect, a data transmission method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device, or by a chip or circuit of the terminal device, which is not limited in this application. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a terminal device.

[0058] The method includes: obtaining a first data radio bearer DRB, the first DRB is used by a terminal device to send uplink data of a first quality of service QoS flow to a first network device; obtaining a second DRB, the second DRB is used by a terminal device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from a second network device; sending uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the first DRB, and / or receiving downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device through the second DRB.

[0059] In an optional implementation, the first DRB comes from the first network device.

[0060] In an optional implementation, before obtaining the second DRB, the first DRB is also used by the terminal device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device.

[0061] In an optional implementation, the second DRB comes from the first network device, or the second DRB comes from the second network device.

[0062] In an optional implementation, obtaining a first DRB includes: receiving first configuration information from a first network device, where the first configuration information is used to configure the first DRB.

[0063] In an optional implementation, obtaining the second DRB includes: receiving second configuration information from the first network device, where the second configuration information is used to configure the second DRB.

[0064] In an optional implementation, the method also includes: obtaining the radio link control RLC configuration of the second DRB, the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to configure the RLC bearer of the second DRB; and receiving downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device through the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

[0065] The beneficial effects of the third aspect and its optional implementation methods can be referred to the relevant description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0066] In a fourth aspect, a data transmission method is provided. The method may be executed by a core network element, or may be executed by a chip or circuit of the core network element, which is not limited in this application. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a core network element.

[0067] The method includes: receiving endpoint information indicating a second tunnel, the second tunnel being used by a core network element to send downlink data of a first quality of service (QoS) flow to a second network device; wherein the uplink data of the first QoS flow is received by the core network element from the first network device through the first tunnel.

[0068] In an optional implementation, before receiving the endpoint information indicating the second tunnel, the downlink data of the first QoS flow is sent by the core network element to the first network device through the first tunnel.

[0069] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: receiving a message indicating to retain the first tunnel.

[0070] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect and its optional implementation methods can be referred to the relevant description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0071] In the fifth aspect, a data transmission device is provided, which can be used for the first network device of the first aspect, and may include modules or units corresponding to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect. The modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0072] In an optional implementation, the device includes: a transceiver unit, used to send first configuration information to the terminal device, the first configuration information is used to configure a first DRB, the first DRB is used for the first network device to receive uplink data of the first QoS flow, and is used for the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow; the transceiver unit is also used to send second configuration information to the terminal device, the second configuration information is used to configure a second DRB, and the second DRB is used to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device.

[0073] The transceiver unit can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned first aspect and its possible implementations. Optionally, the device also includes a processing unit, which can perform other processing in addition to receiving and sending in the aforementioned first aspect and its possible implementations.

[0074] In the sixth aspect, a data transmission device is provided, which can be used for the second network device of the second aspect, and may include modules or units corresponding to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect. The modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0075] In an optional implementation, the device includes: a transceiver unit for sending second configuration information to the first network device, the second configuration information is used to configure a second data radio bearer DRB, and the second DRB is used by the second network device to send downlink data of the first quality of service QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0076] The transceiver unit can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned second aspect and its possible implementations. Optionally, the device also includes a processing unit, which can perform other processing in addition to receiving and sending in the aforementioned second aspect and its possible implementations.

[0077] In the seventh aspect, a data transmission device is provided, which can be used in the terminal equipment of the third aspect, and may include modules or units corresponding to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the third aspect. The modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0078] In certain optional implementations, the device includes: a transceiver unit, used to obtain a first DRB, the first DRB is used for the terminal device to send uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device; the transceiver unit is also used to obtain a second DRB, the second DRB is used for the terminal device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device; the transceiver unit is also used to send uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the first DRB, and / or, receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device through the second DRB.

[0079] The transceiver unit can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned third aspect and its possible implementations. Optionally, the device also includes a processing unit, which can perform other processing in addition to receiving and sending in the aforementioned third aspect and its possible implementations.

[0080] In the eighth aspect, a data transmission device is provided, which can be used for the core network element of the fourth aspect, and can include modules or units corresponding to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the fourth aspect. The module or unit can be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0081] In certain optional implementations, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving endpoint information indicating a second tunnel, the second tunnel being used for the core network network element to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the second network device; wherein the uplink data of the first QoS flow is received by the core network network element from the first network device through the first tunnel.

[0082] The transceiver unit can perform the receiving and sending processing in the aforementioned fourth aspect and its possible implementations. Optionally, the device also includes a processing unit, which can perform other processing in addition to receiving and sending in the aforementioned fourth aspect and its possible implementations.

[0083] In the ninth aspect, a data transmission device is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is used to execute computer programs or instructions, and / or, through logic circuits, so that the data transmission device performs a method as in any aspect of the first to fourth aspects, or any possible implementation of these aspects.

[0084] In an optional implementation, at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores the computer program or instructions. Optionally, the data transmission device further includes the at least one memory. Optionally, the at least one processor and the at least one memory are integrated.

[0085] In the tenth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor and / or a communication interface, the communication interface being used to receive information and / or data to be processed, and to send the information and / or data to be processed to the processor, the processor being used to process the information and / or data to be processed, so that a data transmission device in which the chip is installed executes a method as in any aspect of the first to fourth aspects, or any possible implementation of these aspects.

[0086] In the eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects, or any possible implementation of these aspects, is implemented.

[0087] In the twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program code or instructions. When the computer program code or instructions are run on a computer, the method in any aspect from the first to the fourth aspect, or any possible implementation of these aspects, is implemented.

[0088] In the thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a data transmission device as described in any one or more of the fifth aspect, the sixth aspect, and the eighth aspect.

[0089] Optionally, the communication system may further include the data transmission device of the seventh aspect.

[0090] Among them, the technical effects of the technical solutions of the fifth to thirteenth aspects can refer to the description of the corresponding technical effects of the first to fourth aspects and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0091] Figures 1 to 3 are schematic diagrams of network architectures applicable to embodiments of the present application;

[0092] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an interactive process of a data transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0093] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a first tunnel and a second tunnel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0094] 6 to 8 are schematic diagrams of the protocol stack provided in embodiments of the present application;

[0095] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0096] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of another data transmission device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0097] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0098] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as sixth generation (6G) mobile communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0099] In the embodiments of the present application, a terminal device may also be referred to as a terminal, an access terminal, a subscriber unit, user equipment (UE), a subscriber station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. A terminal device is a device that includes wireless communication functionality (providing voice / data connectivity to a user). For example, a handheld device with wireless connection functionality or an in-vehicle device, etc. The terminal devices in the embodiments of the present application can be mobile phones, tablet computers, computers with wireless transceiver functions, trains, airplanes, mobile internet devices (MIDs), virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control (such as robots, etc.), wireless terminals in the Internet of Vehicles, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication functions, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, wearable devices, etc. The terminal devices can also be used in scenarios such as unmanned driving, telemedicine, smart grids, transportation safety, smart cities, smart cities, smart homes, etc. The terminal devices can also be terminal devices in IoT systems. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection. In the embodiments of the present application, IoT technology can achieve massive connections, deep coverage, and terminal power saving through, for example, narrowband (NB) technology. In the embodiments of the present application, the device for realizing the function of the terminal device can be a terminal device, or a device that can support the terminal device to realize the function, such as a chip system or a combination device or component that can realize the function of the terminal device, and the device can be installed in the terminal device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present application, a network device may be any device having a wireless transceiver function for communicating with a terminal device, and the network device may also be referred to as an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a network device may be a base station. The network device in an embodiment of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or RAN device, or RAN entity) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. The above-mentioned RAN may be a cellular system related to the third generation partnership project (3GPP), such as a 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). RAN may also be an open radio access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN may also be a communication system that is a fusion of two or more of the above systems. Network equipment can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), or base station equipment in future evolved communication systems, or can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle-mounted device, wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP) or transmission and reception point (TRP), etc. It can also be one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station, or it can also be a network node constituting a base station, such as a baseband unit (BBU), a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The functions of the RU can be implemented by the radio frequency equipment of the base station. For example, the radio frequency equipment of the base station may be a remote radio unit (RRU), a pico remote radio unit (pRRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or other units, modules, or devices with radio frequency processing functions.The communication interface protocol between the BBU and the radio frequency device may be a common public radio interface (CPRI) interface protocol, an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI) interface protocol, or a fronthaul interface protocol between the DU and RU in the O-RAN system, etc., without limitation. The network device may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. The network device may also refer to a communication module, a modem, or a chip for being set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The network device may also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs network device functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, a network side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs network device functions in future communication systems. The network device may support networks with the same or different access technologies. In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the network device may be a network device, or a device that can support the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system or a combination device or component that can implement the function of the network device, which may be installed in the network device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0101] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which network devices and terminal devices are located. Network devices and terminal devices can be fixed or mobile.

[0102] In some deployments, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU and / or a DU. The network device may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). Exemplarily, the CU and DU may be divided according to the protocol layer of the wireless network, with the CU implementing some functions of the gNB and the DU implementing some functions of the gNB. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, and implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer, the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, and the physical (PHY) layer. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, RF processing, and related functions of the active antenna. Since the information of the RRC layer will eventually become the information of the PHY layer, or be converted from the information of the PHY layer, therefore, under this architecture, high-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered to be sent by the DU, or, sent by the DU+AAU. It is understandable that the network device can be a device including one or more of a CU node, a DU node, and an AAU node. In addition, the CU can be divided into a network device in the access network (radio access network, RAN), and the CU can also be divided into a network device in the core network (core network, CN), which is not limited in this application.

[0103] Furthermore, the CU can be divided into a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) for the control plane and a central unit-user plane (CU-UP) for the user plane. The CU-CP and CU-UP can also be deployed on different physical devices. The CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions, primarily including the RRC layer and the PDCP-C layer. The PDCP-C layer is primarily responsible for encryption and decryption, integrity protection, and data transmission of control plane data. The CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions, primarily including the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer and the PDCP-U layer. The SDAP layer is primarily responsible for processing core network data and mapping flows to bearers. The PDCP-U layer is primarily responsible for at least one function on the data plane, including encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, or data transmission. For example, the CU-CP and CU-UP are connected via a communication interface (e.g., an E1 interface). The CU-CP represents a network device connected to a core network device via a communication interface (e.g., an Ng interface) and connected to the DU via a communication interface (e.g., an F1-C (control plane) interface). The CU-UP is connected to the DU through a communication interface (eg, F1-U (User Plane) interface).

[0104] In different systems, CU (including CU-CP or CU-UP), or DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the O-RAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0105] It is understandable that the above protocol layer divisions of CU and DU, as well as CU-CP and CU-UP are only examples, and there may be other division methods, which are not limited to this. The network device involved in the embodiment of the present application may be a device including a CU, or a DU, or a device including a CU and a DU, or a control plane CU node (CU-CP node) and a user plane CU node (CU-UP node) and a DU node.

[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, the core network device refers to the device in the core network (CN) that provides service support for the terminal device. The core network device may include one or more core network elements. Taking the 5G core network as an example, the 5G core network includes an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element responsible for services such as mobility management and access management, a session management function (SMF) network element responsible for session management, a user plane function (UPF) network element responsible for data packet routing and forwarding and quality of service (QoS) control on the user plane, and a policy control function (PCF) network element. The above-mentioned core network elements can work independently or be combined to implement certain control functions. For example, AMF, SMF and PCF can be combined together as a core network device.

[0107] It should be understood that the above naming is defined only to facilitate the distinction between different functions and should not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of adopting other naming in 5G networks and other future networks. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above network elements may continue to use the terminology used in 5G, or may adopt other names.

[0108] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 .

[0109] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , communication system 100 includes a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. In this communication system, terminal device 120 can send uplink data / signals / information to network device 110, and network device 110 can send downlink data / signals / information to terminal device 120. Optionally, the data transmission method provided in the embodiment of the present application may also involve devices or transmission nodes not shown in Figure 1 , which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0110] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 200 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the RAN can have a separate CU and DU architecture. The CU and DU can be understood as a logical functional division of the RAN. The CU and DU can be physically separate or deployed together. Multiple DUs can share a single CU. In a shared RAN scenario, a single DU can also be connected to multiple CUs (not shown in Figure 2). The CU and DU can be connected via an interface, such as an F1 interface. In this communication system, the core network can exchange information with the gNB, for example, the core network can exchange information with the CU. In one implementation, the CU can have one or more functions of the core network. One or more CUs can be centrally located or separately located. The core network equipment in the core network and the RAN node in the RAN can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the core network logical functions and the RAN logical functions.

[0111] In a wireless network, a terminal device may communicate with multiple network devices (e.g., base stations), a process known as dual connectivity (DC), also known as multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC). These multiple base stations may be based on the same radio access technology (RAT) (e.g., all 6G base stations or all 5G base stations), or they may be based on different RATs (e.g., one sixth-generation 6G base station and one fifth-generation 5G base station).

[0112] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 300 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG3 , taking the terminal device as a UE and the network device as a base station as an example, UE 320 can communicate with base stations 311 and 312 through DC technology. Base stations 311 and 312 jointly access the core network 330, and a direct or indirect communication interface can exist between base stations 311 and 312. The core network 330 can be connected to base stations 311 and 312 via wired or wireless means. The core network 330 can be a 6G core network, a 5G core network, or an evolved 5G core network.

[0113] The network side can use the resources of multiple base stations to provide communication services for the UE, thereby providing high-speed transmission for the UE. In the DC scenario, for a certain UE, the base station that has control plane signaling interaction with the core network is called the master node (MN), and other base stations are called secondary nodes (SN). MN can also be called the main base station (or main station), and SN can also be called the secondary base station (or secondary station). Each base station has different RLC entities and MAC entities. For ease of description, the embodiment of the present application is illustrated by taking the first network device as the main base station MN and the second network device as the secondary base station SN as an example.

[0114] Optionally, the communication systems in Figures 1 to 3 may further include an application function (AF) network element, which is a control plane network function provided by the operator network and is used to provide application layer information. It should be understood that Figures 1 to 3 are merely examples provided for ease of understanding, and the communication systems shown in the figures may also include other network devices or other terminal devices, which are not shown.

[0115] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, for example, the execution subject of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application can be the first device, or it can be a functional module in the first device that can call and execute the program, or it can also be a module or unit (such as a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit) in the first device that corresponds one-to-one to the execution method, operation, step or action, or it can also be other devices that can be used in combination with the first device.

[0116] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the terms or technologies involved in the present application are first explained.

[0117] 1. Dual connection (DC);

[0118] Dual connectivity allows a UE to connect to two base stations simultaneously, meaning both base stations provide services to the UE. The UE can then transmit data to both base stations, effectively improving the UE's speed and reliability. For example, in the network architecture 300 shown in Figure 3, UE 320 can exchange information with base station 311 and secondary base station 312. In dual connectivity, the base station that carries the control plane connection is the primary base station (also known as the master station, MN), and the other base station is the secondary base station (also known as the secondary station, SN).

[0119] 2. Radio bearer;

[0120] A radio bearer (RB) is a general term for the different layer protocol entities and configurations allocated by a base station to a UE. This includes resources allocated by the PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY protocol entities. An RB is the path between the base station and the UE over the radio interface (including PHY, MAC, RLC, and PDCP). All data transmitted over the radio interface must pass through the RB. RBs include signaling radio bearers (SRBs) and data radio bearers (DRBs).

[0121] 3. Diversion load;

[0122] Offloaded bearer means that a bearer uses the air interface of both the primary base station and the secondary base station for data transmission, which can greatly improve the data transmission rate.

[0123] For example, taking the user plane data anchor point (e.g., PDCP anchor point) at the secondary base station as an example, for downlink transmission, after the downlink data is transferred from the core network to the secondary base station, the secondary base station can send the downlink data to the UE through the air interface of the secondary base station. Alternatively, the secondary base station can divide the downlink data into two parts, one part is sent to the UE through the air interface of the secondary base station, and the other part is sent to the primary base station through the inter-base station interface, and then the primary base station sends it to the UE through the air interface of the primary base station. For uplink transmission, the UE sends uplink data to the primary base station through the air interface of the primary base station. After receiving the uplink data, the primary base station needs to forward the uplink data to the secondary base station through the interface between the primary and secondary base stations. The secondary base station then sends the uplink data to the core network, thereby achieving the effect of uplink and downlink data separation.

[0124] It should be noted that the PDCP anchor point can be at the primary station or at the secondary station. The above is just an example for ease of understanding. In a dual-connection scenario, the base station where the PDCP anchor point is located is usually called the PDCP anchor station, and the other base station is called the non-PDCP anchor station. Therefore, for uplink transmission, after receiving the uplink data from the UE, the non-PDCP anchor station needs to forward the uplink data to the PDCP anchor station, and the PDCP anchor station will deliver it to the core network. In other words, both uplink and downlink data need to pass through the PDCP anchor station, resulting in the transmission of uplink data needing to experience the interface delay between stations, resulting in an increase in the transmission delay of the uplink data.

[0125] To address the above-mentioned issues, the present application provides a data transmission method and apparatus that can separate uplink and downlink data between a terminal device and a core network, thereby reducing uplink data transmission latency. It should be noted that the technical solution of the present application can be applied to the aforementioned dual-connectivity scenario, as well as to other scenarios where this technical issue exists, and the present application does not limit this. For ease of description, the present application embodiment uses a dual-connectivity scenario as an example for illustration.

[0126] The data transmission method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment provided by the present application can be applied to a communication scenario where a transmitting device and a receiving device communicate, for example, it can be applied to the communication system shown in Figures 1 to 3 above.

[0127] In an embodiment of the present application, before establishing a dual connection, the terminal device establishes a connection with the first network device for uplink and downlink data transmission. The first network device establishes DRB#1 and tunnel#1, and the DRB#1 is used to transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow and the downlink data of the first QoS flow between the terminal device and the first network device, and the tunnel#1 is used to transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow and the downlink data of the first QoS flow between the first network device and the core network element. In the technical solution of the present application, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted from the terminal device to the core network element by the first network device through the first DRB and the first tunnel, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted from the core network element to the terminal device by the second network device through the second tunnel and the second DRB transmission, so that the uplink and downlink data transmission of the first QoS flow are separated, thereby reducing the transmission delay of the uplink data and improving the transmission performance.

[0128] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a data transmission method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the method flow can be executed by a first network device, a second network device, a terminal device, and a core network element, or by modules and / or devices (e.g., chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the first network device, the second network device, the terminal device, and the core network element, and this application does not limit this. For ease of description, the following description is based on the first network device, the second network device, the terminal device, and the core network element as the execution entities. The method includes the following steps.

[0129] S401, the terminal device obtains the first DRB.

[0130] The first DRB is used by the terminal device to send uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device, or in other words, the first DRB is used by the first network device to receive uplink data of the first QoS flow from the terminal device.

[0131] Optionally, in one implementation, the terminal device obtains the first DRB, including: the terminal device receives the first DRB from the first network device, that is, the method includes the following step S402.

[0132] S402: The first network device sends first configuration information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first configuration information from the first network device.

[0133] The first configuration information is used to configure the first DRB. Exemplarily, the first configuration information may be RRC configuration information or other configuration information, which is not limited in this application.

[0134] Optionally, before executing step S402 , the first network device obtains the first configuration information, including: the first network device generates the first configuration information.

[0135] S403, the terminal device obtains the second DRB.

[0136] The second DRB is used by the terminal device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device, or in other words, the second DRB is used by the second network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0137] Optionally, in one implementation, the terminal device obtains the second DRB, including: the terminal device receives the second DRB from the second network device. For example, the terminal device may receive the second DRB directly from the second network device, or the terminal device receives the second DRB from the second network device through the first network device, i.e., including the following steps S404-S405.

[0138] S404: The second network device sends second configuration information to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the second configuration information from the second network device.

[0139] The second configuration information is used to configure the second DRB. Exemplarily, the second configuration information may be RRC configuration information or other configuration information, which is not limited in this application.

[0140] Optionally, before executing step S404, the second network device obtains the second configuration information, including: the second network device generates the second configuration information.

[0141] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device or the second network device may include a CU and / or a DU, or the first network device or the second network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU in an ORAN. Taking the example of the first network device and the second network device including a CU and a DU, illustratively, the second network device obtaining the second configuration information may include: the CU of the second network device generating the second configuration information and sending the second configuration information to the DU of the second network device. Exemplarily, the second network device sending the second configuration information to the first network device may include: the DU of the second network device sending the second configuration information to the DU of the first network device. Further, optionally, the DU of the first network device may send the second configuration information to the CU of the first network device.

[0142] S405: The first network device sends second configuration information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second configuration information from the first network device.

[0143] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device may include a CU and / or a DU, or the first network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU in an ORAN. Taking the example of the first network device including a CU and a DU, illustratively, the CU of the first network device may send the second configuration information to the terminal device after receiving the second configuration information from the DU of the first network device.

[0144] Below, examples are given for the bearer types of the first DRB and the second DRB before and after establishing a dual connection scenario.

[0145] In the first case, the first DRB may be established by the first network device before establishing the dual connection. In this case, the first DRB is also used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, or in other words, the terminal device can also use the first DRB to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device. That is to say, before establishing the dual connection, the first DRB is used to transmit uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow between the first network device and the terminal device, or in other words, the transmission of uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow between the terminal device and the core network element (end-to-end) is completed through the first network device.

[0146] In this case, the first DRB established by the first network device can be retained as an UL DRB on the first network device, and the second DRB is established by the second network device as a DL DRB. The following steps can be regarded as explaining the negotiation between the first network device and the second network device after the dual connection is established, in which the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device.

[0147] Exemplarily, the first configuration information includes the configuration of the first DRB, for example, the configuration of the first DRB includes a mapping relationship between the first QoS flow and the first DRB, wherein the mapping relationship between the first QoS flow and the first DRB includes the first DRB being used to carry uplink data of the first QoS flow. Exemplarily, the second configuration information includes the configuration of the second DRB, for example, the configuration of the second DRB includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB, and / or, the RLC configuration of the second DRB, wherein the PDCP configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the PDCP bearer of the second DRB, and the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

[0148] Optionally, before executing the above step S404, the second network device may negotiate with the first network device, for example, the first network device makes the decision or the second network device makes the decision autonomously, that is, the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and then the second network device establishes a second DRB.

[0149] In a first implementation method, the first network device sends a first request message to the second network device, and the first request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, or the first request message is used to request the second network device to establish a second DRB for the downlink data of the first QoS flow. Correspondingly, after receiving the first request message, the second network device determines to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and then establishes a second DRB, including: configuring the PDCP entity of the second DRB.

[0150] Exemplarily, the first request message includes information about the first QoS flow. For example, the information about the first QoS flow includes one or more of the following:

[0151] (1) QoS parameters of the first QoS flow, such as the bit rate required in the QoS parameters;

[0152] (2) a mapping relationship between the first QoS flow and the first DRB;

[0153] (3) Indication information, used to instruct the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0154] Optionally, the first request message includes an identifier of the DRB that the second network device is allowed to use, such as a second DRB ID.

[0155] Optionally, in response to the first request message received above, the second network device sends a first response message to the first network device, and the first response message includes the second configuration information. Optionally, the first response message can be used to indicate the result of the first network device establishing the second DRB, such as successful establishment or failed establishment. It should be understood that the technical solution of the present application is based on the successful establishment of the second DRB, that is, the second network device supports the transmission of downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device. Optionally, if the establishment of the second DRB fails, the first response message may carry a failure reason value, such as the second network device is overloaded.

[0156] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device or the second network device may include a CU and / or a DU, or the first network device or the second network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU in an ORAN. Taking the first network device including a CU and the second network device including a DU as an example, the CU of the first network device establishes a first DRB, and the CU of the first network device sends a first request message to the DU of the second network device. Correspondingly, the DU of the second network device establishes a second DRB, and the DU of the second network device sends a first response message to the CU of the first network device.

[0157] It should be noted that in this implementation, the first network device autonomously decides to retain the first DRB in the first network device, and the second network device creates a new second DRB, and allocates the configuration of the second DRB to the terminal device, so that the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow are carried on the first DRB and the second DRB respectively. For example, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is sent directly to the core network by the terminal device through the first network device, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is sent from the core network to the terminal device through the second network device, thereby realizing the separation of uplink and downlink data.

[0158] In a second implementation method, the first network device sends a second request message to the second network device, and the second request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow to the terminal device. Correspondingly, after receiving the second request message, the second network device can autonomously decide to establish a second DRB for the downlink data transmission of the first QoS flow, that is, autonomously decide to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and then establish a second DRB, including: configuring the PDCP entity of the second DRB.

[0159] The second request message includes information about the first QoS flow. For example, the information about the first QoS flow includes one or more of the following:

[0160] (1) QoS parameters of the first QoS flow, such as the bit rate required in the QoS parameters;

[0161] (2) a mapping relationship between the first QoS flow and the first DRB;

[0162] (3) Configuration of the first DRB, for example, PDCP configuration of the first DRB and / or RLC configuration of the first DRB;

[0163] (4) Indication information, used to instruct the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0164] Exemplarily, the second network device can determine the uplink bit rate provided by the first network device for the first QoS flow based on the configuration of the first DRB carried in the information of the first QoS flow, and then make a decision. For example, when the uplink bit rate provided by the first network device for the first QoS flow is greater than or equal to the bit rate required in the QoS parameters, the second network device decides to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, which means that the uplink data transmission of the first QoS flow needs to be undertaken by the first network device, that is, the first network device transmits the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, realizing the separated transmission of uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0165] Optionally, in response to the second request message received above, the second network device may send a second response message to the first network device, the second response message being used to indicate that the second network device supports transmitting downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the second response message includes the second configuration information. That is, based on the second response message, the first network device may determine that the second network device supports transmitting downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and optionally, may also determine that the downlink data of the first QoS flow is carried on the second DRB. Therefore, the first network device needs to transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, that is, the first network device retains the first DRB, and the uplink data of the first QoS flow is carried on the first DRB. Optionally, if the second network device does not support transmitting the first QoS flow for the terminal device, or in other words, the second network device fails to establish the second DRB, the second network device may send a failure reason value to the first network device, such as the second network device is too loaded.

[0166] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device or the second network device may include a CU and / or a DU, or the first network device or the second network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU in an ORAN. Taking the first network device including a CU and a DU, and the second network device including a DU as an example, the CU of the first network device may establish a first DRB, and the CU of the first network device sends a second request message to the DU of the first network device, and then the DU of the first network device sends a second request message to the DU of the second network device. Correspondingly, the DU of the second network device establishes a second DRB, and the DU of the second network device sends a first response message to the DU of the first network device, and then the DU of the first network device sends a first response message to the CU of the first network device.

[0167] It should be noted that in this implementation, the second network device independently decides to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow, that is, the second network device creates a second DRB and allocates the configuration of the second DRB to the terminal device. At the same time, the first network device transmits the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, so that the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow are respectively carried on the first DRB and the second DRB. For example, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is sent directly to the core network by the terminal device through the first network device, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is sent from the core network to the terminal device through the second network device, thereby realizing the separation of uplink and downlink data.

[0168] In the second case, the second DRB can be established by the first network device before the dual connection is established. In this case, the second DRB is also used by the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, or the terminal device can also use the second DRB to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device. In other words, before the dual connection is established, the second DRB is used to transmit uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow between the first network device and the terminal device.

[0169] In this case, the second DRB established by the first network device can be transferred to the second network device as a DL DRB, that is, the second network device can use the second DRB to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow. Therefore, it means that the first network device needs to re-establish a DRB as a UL DRB, that is, the first network device establishes a first DRB for transmitting the uplink data of the first QoS flow. The following steps can be regarded as an explanation of the negotiation between the first network device and the second network device after the dual connection is established, in which the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device.

[0170] Exemplarily, the first configuration information includes the configuration of the first DRB, for example, the configuration of the first DRB includes one or more of the following: the PDCP configuration of the first DRB, the RLC configuration of the first DRB, the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the first QoS flow, or the RLC configuration of the second DRB, wherein the PDCP configuration of the first DRB is used to indicate the PDCP bearer of the first DRB, the RLC configuration of the first DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the first DRB, and the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the first QoS flow includes the first DRB being used to carry uplink data of the first QoS flow. Exemplarily, the second configuration information includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB and the RLC configuration of the second DRB, wherein the PDCP configuration of the second DRB includes a PDCP re-establishment indication and / or a key indication used by PDCP, the RLC configuration of the second DRB includes an RLC re-establishment indication or RLC reconfiguration information, the PDCP configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the PDCP bearer of the second DRB, and the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

[0171] Optionally, the present application does not limit the order of obtaining the first DRB and the second DRB in the above steps S401 and S402. For example, the terminal device can obtain the first DRB and the second DRB at the same time, that is, the above steps S401 and S403 can be combined. Optionally, the above steps S402 and S404 can also be combined, that is, after the first network device generates the first configuration information and receives the second configuration information from the second network device, it can simultaneously send the first configuration information and the second configuration information to the terminal device.

[0172] Optionally, before executing step S404, the second network device may negotiate with the first network device, for example, the first network device makes the decision or the second network device makes the decision autonomously, that is, the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0173] In a first implementation method, the first network device sends a third request message to the second network device, and the third request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device. Correspondingly, after receiving the third request message, the second network device determines to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and then updates the configuration of the second DRB, including: reconfiguring the PDCP entity of the second DRB.

[0174] Exemplarily, the third request message includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB, wherein the PDCP configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the PDCP bearer of the second DRB.

[0175] Optionally, the third request message includes an identifier of the DRB that the second network device is allowed to use, such as a second DRB ID.

[0176] Optionally, in response to the third request message received above, the second network device sends a third response message to the first network device, and the third response message includes the second configuration information. Optionally, the third response message can be used to indicate the reconfiguration result of the second DRB, such as whether the reconfiguration is successful or failed. It should be understood that the technical solution of the present application is based on the successful reconfiguration of the second DRB, that is, the second network device supports the transmission of downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is carried on the second DRB. Optionally, if the second network device does not support the transmission of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, or in other words, the reconfiguration of the second DRB fails, the third response message may carry a failure reason value, for example, the second network device does not support the transmission of downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0177] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device or the second network device may include a CU and / or a DU, or the first network device or the second network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU in an ORAN. Taking the first network device including a DU and the second network device including a CU and a DU as an example, the DU of the first network device establishes a first DRB, and the DU of the first network device sends a third request message to the DU of the second network device. Correspondingly, the DU of the second network device sends a third request message to the CU of the second network device. Then, the CU of the second network device may establish a second DRB, and the CU of the second network device sends a third response message to the DU of the second network device, and then the DU of the second network device sends a third response message to the DU of the first network device.

[0178] It should be noted that in this implementation, the second DRB previously established by the first network device through autonomous decision is transferred to the second network device as a DL DRB, that is, the second network device does not need to create a new second DRB, but only needs to update the configuration of the second DRB. In other words, the second DRB updated by the second network device is used to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow. Therefore, the first network device needs to create a new first DRB to transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow, that is, the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow are respectively carried on the first DRB and the second DRB. For example, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is sent directly to the core network by the terminal device through the first network device, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is sent from the core network to the terminal device through the second network device, thereby realizing the separation of uplink and downlink data.

[0179] In a second implementation, the first network device sends a fourth request message to the second network device, where the fourth request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow to the terminal device. Correspondingly, after receiving the fourth request message, the second network device can autonomously decide to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, thereby updating the configuration of the second DRB, including reconfiguring the PDCP entity of the second DRB. The specific implementation method of the second network device autonomously deciding to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device can be referred to the relevant description in the first case above and will not be repeated here.

[0180] Exemplarily, the second request message includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB, wherein the PDCP configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the PDCP bearer of the second DRB.

[0181] Optionally, in response to the fourth request message received above, the second network device may send a fourth response message to the first network device, the fourth response message being used to indicate that the second network device supports transmitting downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the fourth response message includes the second configuration information. That is, based on the fourth response message, the first network device may determine that the second network device supports transmitting downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is carried on the second DRB. Therefore, the first network device needs to transmit uplink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, that is, the first network device creates a new first DRB, and the uplink data of the first QoS flow is carried on the first DRB. Optionally, if the second network device does not support transmitting the first QoS flow for the terminal device, or in other words, the reconfiguration of the second DRB fails, the second network device may send a failure reason value to the first network device, such as the second network device is too loaded, or the second network device does not support transmitting downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device.

[0182] Optionally, the second configuration information sent by the second network device may not carry the mapping relationship between the first QoS flow and the second DRB. This is because the second DRB is used to carry the downlink data of the first QoS flow. The terminal device, as the receiving end of the downlink data, can directly receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow without knowing the mapping relationship between the first QoS flow and the second DRB.

[0183] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device or the second network device may include a CU and / or a DU, or the first network device or the second network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU in the ORAN. Taking the first network device including a CU and a DU, and the second network device including a CU and a DU as an example, the DU of the first network device establishes a first DRB, and the DU of the first network device sends a fourth request message to the CU of the first network device, and then the CU of the first network device sends a fourth request message to the CU of the second network device. Correspondingly, the CU of the second network device sends a fourth request message to the DU of the second network device, and then the DU of the second network device can establish a second DRB, and the DU of the second network device sends a fourth response message to the CU of the second network device, and then the CU of the second network device sends a fourth response message to the CU of the first network device, and finally the CU of the first network device sends the fourth response message to the DU of the first network device.

[0184] It should be noted that in this implementation, the second network device independently decides to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow, that is, the second network device updates the configuration of the second DRB. At the same time, the first network device creates a new first DRB to carry the uplink data of the first QoS flow, so that the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow are carried on the first DRB and the second DRB respectively. For example, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is sent directly to the core network by the terminal device through the first network device, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is sent from the core network to the terminal device through the second network device, thereby realizing the separation of uplink and downlink data.

[0185] In the third case, the first DRB and the second DRB may be established by the first network device before establishing the dual connection. In this case, before executing step S404, the second DRB is used by the first network device to send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device. The second DRB is also established by the first network device. That is, before establishing the dual connection, the first network device can simultaneously configure the first DRB and the second DRB through the first configuration information, and the first network device receives the uplink data of the first QoS flow from the terminal device through the first DRB, and sends the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB.

[0186] Optionally, before configuring the first information, the first network device obtains capability information of the terminal device, wherein the capability information of the terminal device is used to indicate that the terminal device supports establishing DRBs for uplink data of the first QoS flow and downlink data of the first QoS flow, respectively. Optionally, the capability information of the terminal device can be actively reported by the terminal device to the first network device, or can be obtained by the first network device sending a query message to the terminal device, and this application does not limit this.

[0187] Optionally, if the first network device includes an O-CU and an O-DU, the capability information of the terminal device may be acquired by the O-CU or the O-DU of the first network device.

[0188] In this case, the first DRB established by the first network device can be retained on the first network device as a UL DRB, and the second DRB can be transferred to the second network device as a DL DRB, that is, the second network device can use the second DRB to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow. The following steps are to illustrate, after establishing dual connectivity, the first network device instructing the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device.

[0189] Exemplarily, the first configuration information includes the configuration of the first DRB, for example, the configuration of the first DRB includes one or more of the following: the PDCP configuration of the first DRB, the RLC configuration of the first DRB, a mapping relationship between the first DRB and the first QoS flow, or the RLC configuration of the second DRB, wherein the PDCP configuration of the first DRB is used to indicate the PDCP bearer of the first DRB, the RLC configuration of the first DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the first DRB, the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the first QoS flow includes the first DRB being used to carry uplink data of the first QoS flow, and the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the second DRB. Exemplarily, the second configuration information includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB and the RLC configuration of the second DRB, wherein the PDCP configuration of the second DRB includes a PDCP re-establishment indication and / or a key indication used by PDCP, the RLC configuration of the second DRB includes an RLC re-establishment indication or RLC reconfiguration information, the PDCP configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the PDCP bearer of the second DRB, and the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

[0190] Optionally, before executing the above step S404, the second network device may instruct the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device.

[0191] In one implementation, the first network device sends a third indication message to the second network device, where the third indication message is used to instruct the second network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the third indication message and updates the configuration of the second DRB, including: reconfiguring the PDCP entity of the second DRB.

[0192] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device or the second network device may include a CU and / or a DU, or the first network device or the second network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU in an ORAN. Taking the first network device including a CU and a DU, and the second network device including a CU and a DU as an example, the DU of the first network device generates or obtains third indication information, and sends the third indication information to the CU of the first network device. The CU of the first network device sends the third indication information to the CU of the second network device. Correspondingly, the CU of the second network device sends the third indication information to the DU of the second network device. The configuration of the second DRB may be updated by the DU of the second network device. Further optionally, the DU of the second network device may also send the updated configuration of the second DRB to the first network device through the CU of the second network device, for the second network device and the terminal device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow through the second DRB.

[0193] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the downlink data of the first QoS flow can be transmitted using a split bearer (SN terminated split bearer), that is, the second network device can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device, and the first network device sends it to the terminal device through the air interface of the first network device to improve the transmission efficiency of the downlink data.

[0194] Exemplarily, the second network device sends a first indication message to the first network device, where the first indication message is used to instruct the first network device to establish an RLC bearer for the second DRB. Correspondingly, after receiving the first indication message, the first network device establishes an RLC bearer for the second DRB and sends the RLC configuration of the second DRB to the terminal device, where the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

[0195] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device includes an O-CU and the second network device includes an O-DU. After receiving the first indication information from the O-DU of the second network device, the O-CU of the first network device establishes an RLC bearer for the second DRB and sends the RLC configuration of the second DRB to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine that it can subsequently receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the O-CU of the first network device, and can also receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the O-DU of the second network device, thereby improving data transmission efficiency.

[0196] Based on this implementation method, after receiving the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network network element, the second network device can send part of it directly to the terminal device, and send another part of it to the first network device through the inter-station interface, and the first network device sends it to the terminal device through the RLC bearer of the second DRB. That is to say, the terminal device can receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device and the second network device.

[0197] Optionally, the first indication information can be sent simultaneously with the second configuration information, or can be sent at different times; or, the first indication information can be carried in one data packet and sent together with the second configuration information, or can be carried in two data packets respectively and sent, which is not limited in this application.

[0198] Below, the implementation method of establishing or updating the first tunnel between the first network device and the core network element, the second tunnel between the second network device and the core network element, and the third tunnel between the first network device and the second network device is described.

[0199] Exemplarily, the core network element may be a UPF, an AMF, or another core network element. For ease of description, in an embodiment of the present application, when the core network element is a UPF, the UPF may transmit uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device or the second network device through a tunnel. When the core network element is an AMF, the AMF may establish or update a tunnel for transmitting uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow between the UPF and the first network device or the second network device.

[0200] Optionally, in one implementation, since the downlink data of the first QoS flow can be transmitted using a split bearer, the first network device can, after establishing the RLC bearer of the second DRB, send endpoint information indicating a third tunnel to the second network device. The third tunnel is a tunnel between the first network device and the second network device, and the third tunnel is used by the first network device and the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow. For example, after receiving the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element, the second network device can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the third tunnel.

[0201] Among them, the endpoint information used to indicate the third tunnel represents the endpoint information #1 of the third tunnel on the first network device side, and the endpoint information #1 includes the endpoint identification of the first network device and / or the endpoint address information of the first network device. The second network device can determine the information of the third tunnel on the first network device side (for example, endpoint #1) based on the endpoint information #1, and then establish the third tunnel with the first network device. Subsequently, the second network device can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the endpoint #1.

[0202] Optionally, the third tunnel may be a new tunnel created by the second network device, or may be an existing tunnel between the first network device and the second network device, which is not limited in this application.

[0203] Based on the above solution, the second network device supports transmitting downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device. Below, the implementation method of establishing the second tunnel between the second network device and the core network element is described.

[0204] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device sends a second indication message to the second network device, where the second indication message is used to instruct the second network device to establish a second tunnel. The second tunnel is a tunnel between the second network device and the core network element. The second tunnel is used for the second network device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element. Correspondingly, after receiving the second indication message, the second network device establishes the second tunnel. That is, for the downlink data of the first QoS flow, the second network device can receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element through the second tunnel, and send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB, thereby completing the transmission of the downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0205] Optionally, if the second network device includes a CU or a DU, the second tunnel may be established by the CU or the DU of the second network device.

[0206] Optionally, the second indication information includes endpoint information #2 for indicating the second tunnel, wherein the endpoint information #2 for indicating the second tunnel represents endpoint information #2 of the second tunnel on the core network network element side, and endpoint information #2 includes the endpoint identifier of the core network network element and / or the endpoint address information of the core network network element. Correspondingly, the second network device can determine the information of the second tunnel on the core network network element side (for example, endpoint #2) based on endpoint information #2, and then establish a second tunnel with the core network network element. Subsequently, the second network device can receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the endpoint #2.

[0207] Optionally, in one implementation, the endpoint information #2 used to indicate the second tunnel may be the endpoint information on the core network element side of the first tunnel established between the first network device and the core network element before establishing the dual connection. The endpoint information #2 may be obtained by the first network device from the core network element (e.g., AMF), and this application does not limit this.

[0208] Optionally, the second indication information may be sent simultaneously with the above-mentioned first request message, or the second request message, or the third request message, or the fourth request message, or may not be sent simultaneously; or, the second indication information may be carried in one data packet and sent together with the above-mentioned first request message, or the second request message, or the third request message, or the fourth request message, or may be carried in two data packets respectively and sent; or, the second indication information may be carried in the above-mentioned first request message, or the second request message, or the third request message, or the fourth request message, and this application does not limit this.

[0209] Optionally, in one implementation, after establishing the second tunnel, the second network device may send endpoint information #3 indicating the second tunnel to the first network device, wherein the endpoint information #3 indicating the second tunnel represents the endpoint information #3 of the second tunnel on the second network device side, and the endpoint information #3 includes the endpoint identifier of the second network device and / or the address information of the second network device. Correspondingly, the first network device may subsequently send the endpoint information #3 to the core network network element, so that the core network network element establishes or updates the second tunnel. According to the endpoint information #3, the information of the second tunnel on the second network device side (for example, endpoint #3) can be determined, and then the core network network element can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the endpoint #3. For details, please refer to the following step S406.

[0210] S406 , the first network device sends endpoint information #3 indicating the second tunnel to the core network element. Correspondingly, the core network element receives endpoint information #3 indicating the second tunnel from the first network device.

[0211] Optionally, if the first network device includes an O-CU and an O-DU, and the second network device includes a CU, after the O-CU of the first network device determines the endpoint information #3, the O-DU of the first network device can send the endpoint information #3, and then the O-DU of the first network device can send the endpoint information #3 to the CU of the second network device, and finally the CU of the second network device can send the endpoint information #3 to the core network network element, so that the CU of the second network device and the core network network element can subsequently transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow according to the endpoint information #3.

[0212] It should be understood that after receiving the endpoint information #3 indicating the second tunnel, the core network element establishes or updates the second tunnel.

[0213] Optionally, the endpoint information #3 can be sent simultaneously with the above-mentioned first response message, or the second response message, or the third response message, or the fourth response message, or can be sent at different times; or, the endpoint information #3 can be carried in one data packet and sent together with the above-mentioned first response message, or the second response message, or the third response message, or the fourth response message, or can be carried in two data packets respectively and sent; or, the endpoint information #3 can be carried in the above-mentioned first response message, or the second response message, or the third response message, or the fourth response message, and this application does not limit this.

[0214] Optionally, the second tunnel can be a new tunnel established between the core network element and the second network device, or can be an existing tunnel between the core network element and the second network device, which is not limited in this application. Based on this, the core network element can determine the information of the second tunnel on the second network device side (for example, endpoint #3), and then the core network element can send the downlink data of the first QoS flow to endpoint #3.

[0215] It should be understood that before establishing dual connectivity, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device and the core network element through the first tunnel. In other words, the first tunnel is established by the first network device before establishing dual connectivity, and the first tunnel is used by the first network device to send the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the core network element. In other words, the core network element can send the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the first tunnel.

[0216] Optionally, in one implementation, the first network device may send a message to the core network element instructing it to retain the first tunnel. It should be understood that retaining the first tunnel can be understood as instructing the core network element to retain endpoint information #4 of the first tunnel on the first network device side, or in other words, instructing the core network element not to delete the first tunnel, i.e., the first tunnel is still used to transmit uplink data of the first QoS flow between the core network element and the first network device. This endpoint information #4 includes endpoint identifier and / or endpoint address information.

[0217] Optionally, the message for indicating the retention of the first tunnel may be sent simultaneously with the endpoint information #3 in the above step S406, or may be sent at different times; or, the message for indicating the retention of the first tunnel may be carried in one data packet and sent together with the endpoint information #3 in the above step S406, or may be carried in two separate data packets and sent, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0218] Based on this, the core network element can transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow with the first network device through the first tunnel, and / or the core network element can transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow with the second network device through the second tunnel.

[0219] Optionally, in one implementation, the endpoint information of the first tunnel on the core network element side may be the same as or different from the endpoint information of the second tunnel on the core network element side, and this application does not limit this.

[0220] For example, if the endpoint information of the first tunnel on the core network element side is the same as the information of the second tunnel on the core network element side, such as the above-mentioned endpoint #2, it means that the endpoint #2 on the core network element side is associated with the first tunnel and the second tunnel. As shown in (a) of Figure 5, the first network device subsequently sends the uplink data of the first QoS flow to endpoint #2, and the second network device also receives the downlink data of the first QoS flow from endpoint #2.

[0221] For another example, if the endpoint information of the first tunnel on the core network element side is different from the endpoint information of the second tunnel on the core network element side, the core network element can send endpoint information #5 to the first network device. This endpoint information #5 indicates endpoint information #5 on the core network element side. Endpoint #5 indicated by endpoint information #5 and endpoint #2 on the core network element side are two different endpoints, serving as the endpoints of the first tunnel and the second tunnel on the core network element side, respectively. In other words, the first tunnel and the second tunnel are two independent tunnels. The core network element can receive uplink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device from endpoint #5, and / or the core network element can send downlink data of the first QoS flow from endpoint #2 to the second network device, as shown in Figure 5(b).

[0222] Based on the above-mentioned first DRB, second DRB, first tunnel and second tunnel, the uplink data of the first QoS flow and / or the downlink data of the first QoS flow can be transmitted between the terminal device and the core network element. In one implementation, the transmission process of the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow includes the following steps S407-S410. Among them, S407 and S408 are the transmission methods of the uplink data of the first QoS flow, and S409 and S410 are the transmission methods of the downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0223] S407, the terminal device sends the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the first DRB. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the uplink data from the first QoS flow through the first DRB.

[0224] S408 , the first network device sends the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the core network element through the first tunnel. Correspondingly, the core network element receives the uplink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device through the first tunnel.

[0225] S409 , the core network element sends the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the second network device through the second tunnel. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the core network element through the second tunnel.

[0226] S410, the second network device sends the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device through the second DRB.

[0227] Optionally, in one implementation, when the downlink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by adopting the offload bearer method, the second network device can send a part of the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB, and send another part of the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the third tunnel, and the first network device sends it to the terminal device through the RLC bearer of the second DRB to improve the transmission rate of the downlink data of the first QoS flow.

[0228] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, if the first network device or the second network device includes a CU and a DU, then for the implementation method provided above, the action of sending and receiving messages or data (for example, first configuration information, second configuration information, first request message or second request message, etc.) can be performed by the DU, and the action of executing or processing the content of the message or data can be performed by the CU; or, the action of sending and receiving messages or data can be performed by the CU, and the action of executing or processing the content of the message or data can be performed by the DU, and this application does not limit this.

[0229] It should be noted that, for the solution shown in FIG4 , by executing steps S401, S403, S407 to S410, the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow on the terminal device side can be transmitted separately, thereby improving the end-to-end transmission performance between the terminal device and the core network element. Among them, one or more of steps S402, S404, S405, or S406 are optional steps and are only provided as an optional example for ease of understanding. They may be executed in whole, in part, or not at all, and this application does not limit this.

[0230] Based on the above solution, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted from the terminal device to the core network network element by the first network device through the first DRB and the first tunnel, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted from the core network network element to the terminal device by the second network device through the second DRB and the second tunnel. Optionally, the downlink data of the first QoS flow can also be transmitted by the second network device to the first network device, and then transmitted by the first network device to the terminal device, thereby realizing the separate transmission of the uplink and downlink data of the first QoS flow. At the same time, the uplink data of the first QoS flow does not need to be forwarded through the second network device, and can be transmitted by the first network device to the core network element, which can reduce the transmission delay of the uplink data of the first QoS flow and improve the transmission performance.

[0231] The following describes the protocol stacks in three cases in the above method 400 with reference to FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 .

[0232] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a protocol stack provided by an embodiment of the present application. For the first case, as shown in FIG6(a), before establishing a dual connection, data is transmitted between the terminal device and the core network element through the first network device. For example, the first network device establishes DRB#1 and tunnel#1. For uplink transmission, the terminal device sends uplink data to the first network device through DRB#1, and the first network device then sends uplink data to the core network element through tunnel#1. For downlink transmission, the core network element sends downlink data to the first network device through tunnel#1, and the first network device then sends downlink data to the terminal device through DRB#1. That is, the first network device transmits uplink and downlink data between the terminal device and the core network element through DRB#1 and tunnel#1.

[0233] As shown in (b) of Figure 6, after the dual connection is established, the DRB#1 and tunnel#1 previously established by the first network device are used for the transmission of the uplink data of the first QoS flow, and the second network device creates a new DRB#2 and tunnel#2 for the transmission of the downlink data of the first QoS flow. As can be seen from the figure, the second network device side includes the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer and PHY layer of DRB#2, and the second network device sends the DRB#2 configuration to the terminal device for the terminal device to create a new DRB#2. The terminal device side includes the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer and PHY layer of DRB#2. For example, for uplink transmission, the terminal device sends uplink data to the first network device through DRB#1, and the first network device then sends uplink data to the core network element through tunnel#1; for downlink transmission, the core network element sends downlink data to the second network device through tunnel#2, and the second network device then sends downlink data to the terminal device through DRB#2. That is, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device through DRB#1 and tunnel#1, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device through DRB#2 and tunnel#2.

[0234] Optionally, the downlink data of the first QoS flow can also be transmitted using a split bearer. For example, the first network device creates a new RLC bearer for DRB#2 and sends the RLC configuration of DRB#2 to the terminal device. That is, after the second network device receives the downlink data from the core network element, the second network device can directly send part of the downlink data to the terminal device and send another part of the downlink data to the first network device via the inter-station interface. The first network device then sends the data to the terminal device via the RLC bearer of DRB#2.

[0235] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a protocol stack provided by an embodiment of the present application. For the second case, as shown in FIG7(a), before establishing dual connectivity, data is transmitted between the terminal device and the core network element through the first network device. For example, the first network device establishes DRB#2 and tunnel#1. For uplink transmission, the terminal device sends uplink data to the first network device through DRB#2, and the first network device then sends uplink data to the core network element through tunnel#1. For downlink transmission, the core network element sends downlink data to the first network device through tunnel#1, and the first network device then sends downlink data to the terminal device through DRB#2. That is, the first network device transmits uplink and downlink data between the terminal device and the core network element through DRB#2 and tunnel#1.

[0236] As shown in (b) of Figure 7, after the dual connection is established, the DRB#2 previously established by the first network device is used to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the second network device, and the first network device creates a new DRB#2 to transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow. As can be seen from the figure, the first network device side includes the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer and PHY layer of DRB#1, and the first network device sends the DRB#1 configuration to the terminal device for the terminal device to establish DRB#1. The terminal device side includes the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer and PHY layer of DRB#1. For example, for uplink transmission, the terminal device sends uplink data to the first network device through DRB#1, and the first network device then sends uplink data to the core network element through tunnel#1; for downlink transmission, the core network element sends downlink data to the second network device through tunnel#2, and the second network device then sends downlink data to the terminal device through DRB#2. That is, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device through DRB#1 and tunnel#1, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device through DRB#2 and tunnel#2.

[0237] Optionally, the downlink data of the first QoS flow can also be transmitted using a split bearer. For example, the first network device creates a new RLC bearer for DRB#2 and sends the RLC configuration of DRB#2 to the terminal device. That is, after the second network device receives the downlink data from the core network element, the second network device can directly send part of the downlink data to the terminal device and send another part of the downlink data to the first network device via the inter-station interface. The first network device then sends the data to the terminal device via the RLC bearer of DRB#2.

[0238] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a protocol stack provided by an embodiment of the present application. For the third case, as shown in (a) of Figure 8, before establishing a dual connection, data is transmitted between the terminal device and the core network element through the first network device. For example, the first network device establishes DRB#1, DRB#2 and tunnel#1. For uplink transmission, the terminal device sends uplink data to the first network device through DRB#1, and the first network device then sends uplink data to the core network element through tunnel#1; for downlink transmission, the core network element sends downlink data to the first network device through tunnel#1, and the first network device then sends downlink data to the terminal device through DRB#2, that is, the first network device transmits uplink and downlink data between the terminal device and the core network element through DRB#1, DRB#2 and tunnel#1.

[0239] As shown in (b) of Figure 8, after the dual connection is established, the DRB#1 and tunnel#1 previously established by the first network device are used by the first network device to transmit the uplink data of the first QoS flow, and DRB#2 is used by the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow. In addition, the second network device newly establishes tunnel#2 for uplink and downlink data transmission between the core network element and the second network device. For example, for uplink transmission, the terminal device sends uplink data to the first network device through DRB#1, and the first network device then sends uplink data to the core network element through tunnel#1; for downlink transmission, the core network element sends downlink data to the second network device through tunnel#2, and the second network device then sends downlink data to the terminal device through DRB#2. That is, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device through DRB#1 and tunnel#1, and the downlink data of the first QoS flow is transmitted by the first network device through DRB#2 and tunnel#2.

[0240] Optionally, the downlink data of the first QoS flow can also be transmitted using a split bearer. For example, the first network device creates a new RLC bearer for DRB#2 and sends the RLC configuration of DRB#2 to the terminal device. That is, after the second network device receives the downlink data from the core network element, the second network device can directly send part of the downlink data to the terminal device and send another part of the downlink data to the first network device via the inter-station interface. The first network device then sends the data to the terminal device via the RLC bearer of DRB#2.

[0241] The above describes the data transmission method embodiment of the present application in conjunction with Figures 1 to 8 . The following describes the data transmission device embodiment of the present application in detail in conjunction with Figures 9 and 10 . It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for portions not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiment.

[0242] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG9 , the data transmission device 1000 includes a communication module 1002 and, optionally, a processing module 1001 . The data transmission device 1000 may be a first network device (e.g., an MN), or a data transmission device applied to the first network device or used in combination with the first network device and capable of implementing the method executed by the first network device, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit; or the data transmission device 1000 may be a second network device (e.g., an SN), or a data transmission device applied to the second network device or used in combination with the second network device and capable of implementing the method executed by the second network device, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit; or the data transmission device 1000 may be a terminal device (e.g., a UE), or a data transmission device applied to the terminal device or used in combination with the terminal device and capable of implementing the method executed by the terminal device, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit; or the data transmission device 1000 may be a core network element (e.g., an AMF / UPF), or a data transmission device applied to the core network element or used in combination with the core network element and capable of implementing the method executed by the core network element, such as a chip, a chip system, or a circuit;

[0243] The communication module may also be referred to as a transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver, or transceiver device. The processing module may also be referred to as a processor, processing board, processing unit, or processing device. Optionally, the communication module is used to perform the sending and receiving operations of the first network device, the second network device, the terminal device, or the core network element in the above method. The device in the communication module that implements the receiving function may be considered a receiving unit, and the device in the communication module that implements the sending function may be considered a sending unit. That is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a sending unit.

[0244] When the data transmission device 1000 is applied to the first network device, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing function of the first network device in the above embodiments, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the transceiver function of the first network device in the above embodiments.

[0245] When the data transmission device 1000 is applied to the second network device, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing function of the second network device in the above embodiments, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the transceiver function of the second network device in the above embodiments.

[0246] When the data transmission device 1000 is applied to a terminal device, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing functions of the terminal device in the above embodiments, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the transceiver functions of the terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0247] When the data transmission device 1000 is applied to a core network element, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing functions of the core network element in the above embodiments, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the sending and receiving functions of the core network element in the above embodiments.

[0248] In addition, it should be noted that the aforementioned communication module and / or processing module can be implemented by a virtual module, for example, the processing module can be implemented by a software functional unit or a virtual device, and the communication module can be implemented by a software function or a virtual device. Alternatively, the processing module or the communication module can also be implemented by a physical device, for example, if the device is implemented using a chip / circuit (such as an integrated circuit or a logic circuit, etc.). The communication module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface that performs input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operations); the processing module is an integrated processor or microprocessor or circuit (such as an integrated circuit or a logic circuit, etc.).

[0249] The division of modules in this application is illustrative and represents only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the examples of this application may be integrated into a single processor, exist physically as separate modules, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in either hardware or software functional modules.

[0250] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another data transmission device 2000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, data transmission device 2000 can optionally be a chip or a chip system. Optionally, in the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0251] The data transmission device 2000 can be used to implement the functions of any network element (such as the first network device, the second network device, the terminal device or the core network element) in the communication system described in the above example. The data transmission device 2000 may include a communication interface 2030, and the data transmission device 2000 can exchange information with other devices through the communication interface 2030. Exemplarily, the communication interface 2030 can be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin or other types of communication interfaces. When the data transmission device 2000 is a chip-type device or circuit, the communication interface 2030 in the device 2000 can also be an input-output circuit, which can input information (or receive information) and output information (or send information). The processor 2010 is an integrated processor, microprocessor, integrated circuit or logic circuit, etc. The processor can determine the output information based on the input information.

[0252] The data transmission device 2000 may further include at least one processor 2010. Optionally, the processor 2010 is coupled to a memory, which may be located within the device, integrated with the processor, or external to the device. For example, the data transmission device 2000 may further include at least one memory 2020. The memory 2020 stores the necessary computer programs, computer programs, instructions, and / or data for implementing any of the above examples. The processor 2010 may execute the computer programs stored in the memory 2020 to perform the method in any of the above examples.

[0253] Coupling in this application refers to an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 2010 may operate in conjunction with the memory 2020 and the communication interface 2030. The specific connection medium between the processor 2010, memory 2020, and communication interface 2030 is not limited in this application.

[0254] Optionally, as shown in FIG10 , the processor 2010, the memory 2020, and the communication interface 2030 are interconnected via a bus 2040. Optionally, the bus may include an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and other types of buses. Furthermore, for ease of illustration, FIG10 shows one bus 2040, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0255] It should be understood that the processors mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be the following devices or the circuit portions of the following devices used for processing functions: a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0256] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. 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). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0257] 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.

[0258] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to comprise, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0259] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored for implementing the methods executed by the first network device, the second network device, the terminal device or the core network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0260] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first network device, the second network device, the terminal device or the core network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0261] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes one or more of the first network device, the second network device, or the core network element in each of the above embodiments. Optionally, the communication system also includes a terminal device.

[0262] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above and will not be described again here.

[0263] To facilitate understanding of the above embodiments provided in this application, the following points are explained:

[0264] 1) In this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0265] 2) In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c. Where a, b and c can be single or multiple, respectively.

[0266] 3) Throughout this application, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical references (e.g., #1, #2, etc.) are used to distinguish between different messages for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they are used to distinguish between different messages, rather than to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that such references are interchangeable, where appropriate, to allow for the description of scenarios beyond the embodiments of this application.

[0267] 4) In this application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. They do not limit the time, nor do they require the device to perform judgment actions when implementing them, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0268] 5) In this application, "used to indicate" can include being used for direct indication and being used for indirect indication. When describing that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, and it does not mean that the indication information must carry A.

[0269] The indication methods involved in the embodiments of this application should be understood to encompass various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain information about the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately. The transmission period and / or timing of these sub-information can be the same or different. This application does not limit the transmission method, for example.

[0270] In the embodiments of the present application, the "indication information" may be an explicit indication, i.e., a direct indication via signaling, or may be obtained based on parameters indicated by the signaling, in combination with other rules, other parameters, or by deduction. It may also be an implicit indication, i.e., based on a rule or relationship, or based on other parameters, or by deduction. This application does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0271] 6) In this application, "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as 5G protocol, NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, which is not limited in this application. "Predefined" may include pre-definition. For example, protocol definition. "Preconfiguration" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device, and this application does not limit its implementation method.

[0272] 7) In this application, "communication" may also be described as "data transmission", "information transmission", "data processing", etc. "Transmission" includes "sending" and "receiving".

[0273] In the present application, configuration may refer to signaling configuration, and may also be described as configuration signaling. For example, the signaling configuration may be configured by a second device (e.g., a network device) sending signaling, and these signalings may be radio resource control (RRC) messages, downlink control information (DCI), or system information blocks (SIB). For another example, the signaling configuration may be a pre-configured signaling sent to a first device (e.g., a terminal device), or configured to the first device (e.g., a terminal device) in a pre-configured manner, where the pre-configuration is to define or configure the values ​​of the corresponding parameters in advance in a protocol manner, and may be stored in the first device (e.g., a terminal device) when communicating with the first device (e.g., a terminal device), and this application does not limit this.

[0274] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0275] In this application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples can reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples can reference each other.

[0276] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0277] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be described again here.

[0278] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0279] Units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0280] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0281] If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0282] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A data transmission method, characterized in that, Including: Sending first configuration information to a terminal device, where the first configuration information is used to configure a first data radio bearer (DRB), and the first DRB is used for a first network device to receive uplink data of a first quality of service (QoS) flow; Sending second configuration information to the terminal device, where the second configuration information is used to configure a second DRB, and the second DRB is used for receiving downlink data of the first QoS flow from a second network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the method further includes: Receiving second configuration information from the second network device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the first DRB is further used for the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein Before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method further includes: Sending a first request message to the second network device, where the first request message is used to request the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the first request message includes information about the first QoS flow.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method further includes: Sending a second request message to the second network device, where the second request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the second request message includes information about the first QoS flow.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the second DRB is used for the first network device to receive uplink data of the first QoS flow and for the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method further includes: Sending a third request message to the second network device, where the third request message is used to request the second network device to transmit downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the third request message includes the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) configuration of the second DRB and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method further includes: Sending a fourth request message to the second network device, where the fourth request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the fourth request message includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that, The receiving the second configuration information from the second network device includes: Receiving a response message from the second network device, where the response message is used to indicate that the second network device transmits downlink data of the first QoS flow for the terminal device, and the response message includes the second configuration information.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before sending the second configuration information to the terminal device, the first configuration information is further used to configure the second DRB, and the second DRB is used for the first network device to send downlink data of the first QoS flow.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Before receiving the second configuration information from the second network device, the method further includes: Sending third indication information to the second network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate that the second network device sends downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, Before sending the first configuration information to the terminal device, the method further includes: Obtaining capability information of the terminal device, where the capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports establishing DRBs for uplink data and downlink data of the first QoS flow respectively.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving first indication information from the second network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first network device establishes a radio link control (RLC) bearer for the second DRB.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending RLC configuration of the second DRB to the terminal device, where the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to indicate the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending endpoint information for indicating a third tunnel to the second network device, where the third tunnel is used for the first network device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending second indication information to the second network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second network device establishes a second tunnel, and the second tunnel is used for the second network device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from a core network element.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending endpoint information for indicating the second tunnel to the core network element.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a message for indicating retaining a first tunnel to the core network element, where the first tunnel is established by the first network device and is used for the first network device to send uplink data of the first QoS flow to the core network element.

19. A data transmission method, characterized in that, Includes: Obtaining a first data radio bearer (DRB), where the first DRB is used for the terminal device to send uplink data of a first quality of service (QoS) flow to the first network device; Obtaining a second DRB, where the second DRB is used for the terminal device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device; Sending the uplink data of the first QoS flow to the first network device through the first DRB, and / or receiving the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device through the second DRB.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The obtaining of the first DRB includes: Obtaining the first DRB from the first network device.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, Before obtaining the second DRB, the first DRB is further used for the terminal device to receive downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein The obtaining of the first DRB includes: Receiving first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to configure the first DRB.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein The obtaining of the second DRB includes: Receiving second configuration information for configuring the second DRB.

24. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 23, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtaining the radio link control (RLC) configuration of the second DRB, where the RLC configuration of the second DRB is used to configure the RLC bearer of the second DRB; Receiving the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the first network device through the RLC bearer of the second DRB.

25. A data transmission method, characterized in that It includes: Sending second configuration information to the first network device, where the second configuration information is used to configure a second data radio bearer (DRB), and the second DRB is used for the second network device to send the downlink data of the first quality of service (QoS) flow to the terminal device.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein The uplink data of the first QoS flow is carried on a first DRB, and the first DRB is configured by first configuration information.

27. The method according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, Before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the first DRB is also used to carry the downlink data of the first QoS flow.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein Before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method further includes: Receiving a first request message from the first network device, where the first request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the first request message includes the information of the first QoS flow.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein Before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method further includes: Receiving a second request message from the first network device, where the second request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the second request message includes the information of the first QoS flow.

30. The method according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, Before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the second DRB is used for the first network device to receive the uplink data of the first QoS flow and for the first network device to send the downlink data of the first QoS flow.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein Before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method further includes: Receiving a third request message from the first network device, where the third request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the third request message includes the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) configuration of the second DRB and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein Before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the method further includes: Receiving a fourth request message from the first network device, where the fourth request message is used to request the second network device to transmit the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the fourth request message includes the PDCP configuration of the second DRB and the mapping relationship between the second DRB and the first QoS flow.

33. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 32, characterized in that, The sending of the second configuration information to the first network device includes: Sending a response message to the first network device, where the response message is used to indicate that the second network device transmits the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device, and the response message includes the second configuration information.

34. The method according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, Before sending the second configuration information to the first network device, the second DRB is used by the first network device to send the downlink data of the first QoS flow.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein The method further includes: Receiving third indication information from the first network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate that the second network device sends the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB.

36. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 35, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving the downlink data of the first QoS flow from a core network element through a second tunnel; Sending the downlink data of the first QoS flow to the terminal device through the second DRB.

37. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 36, characterized in that, The method further includes: Establishing a second tunnel, where the second tunnel is used for the second network device to receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow from a core network element.

38. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 37, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending first indication information to the second network device, where the first indication information indicates that the first network device establishes a radio link control (RLC) bearer for the second DRB.

39. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 38, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving endpoint information from the first network device for indicating a third tunnel, where the third tunnel is used for the first network device to receive the downlink data of the first QoS flow from the second network device.

40. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that, Before establishing the second tunnel, the method further includes: Receiving second indication information from the first network device, where the second indication information indicates that the second network device establishes the second tunnel.

41. A data transmission method, characterized in that, Includes: Receiving endpoint information for indicating a second tunnel, where the second tunnel is used for a core network element to send the downlink data of a first quality of service (QoS) flow to a second network device; Wherein, the uplink data of the first QoS flow is received by the core network element from the first network device through a first tunnel.

42. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that, Before receiving the endpoint information for indicating the second tunnel, the downlink data of the first QoS flow is sent by the core network element to the first network device through the first tunnel.

43. The method according to claim 41 or 42, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a message for indicating to retain the first tunnel.

44. A data transmission device, characterized in that, Includes: A module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, or a module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 19 to 24, or a module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 25 to 40, or a module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 41 to 43.

45. A data transmission device, characterized in that, Includes at least one processor, where the at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory, and the at least one processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the at least one memory, so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 43.

46. A chip, characterized in that, Includes a communication interface, where the communication interface is configured to receive data and / or information, and transmit the received data and / or information to a processor, and the processor processes the data and / or information to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 43.

47. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, For storing computer program code or instructions, where the computer program code or instructions are used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 43.

48. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer program code or instructions, which, when run by the data transmission device, cause the data transmission device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 43.

49. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first network device, wherein the first network device is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

50. The communication system according to claim 49, wherein The communication system further includes at least one of a terminal device, a second network device, or a core network element, wherein the terminal device is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 19 to 24, the second network device is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 25 to 40, and the core network element is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 41 to 43.

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