Burst arrival time determining method and related apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a burst arrival time (BAT) determining method and a related apparatus. In the BAT determining method provided by the present application, an access network device acquires a locally configured dynamic value for CN PDB, and by means of the dynamic value for CN PDB and mapping processing relationships between TSCAC BATs and TSCAI BATs, corrects a TSCAI BAT sent by a SMF network element. Thus, the accuracy of end-to-end deterministic delay is ensured.

Description

Method and related device for determining burst arrival time

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 28, 2023, with application number 202311854073.2 and application name “Method for determining burst arrival time and related device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a method for determining a burst arrival time and a related device. Background Art

[0003] The fifth-generation mobile communication system (5GS) combines quality of service (QoS) technology to achieve end-to-end deterministic transmission. However, network bursts are unpredictable and unavoidable. When 5GS communicates with external time-sensitive networking (TSN), it is difficult to ensure the accuracy of end-to-end deterministic latency, which is not conducive to service orchestration. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method and related apparatus for determining burst arrival time, aiming to ensure the accuracy of deterministic delay in time-sensitive services and meet the transmission requirements of the industrial field.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for determining a burst arrival time, which is applied to an access network device, and the method includes:

[0006] Receive first information from a core network network element, where the first information includes a first burst arrival time BAT; determine a second BAT based on a dynamic core network packet delay budget CN PDB and the first BAT, where the second BAT is the BAT of time-sensitive communication auxiliary information TSCAI, and the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB.

[0007] In this application, the dynamic value for the CN PDB is referred to as a dynamic CN PDB.

[0008] Based on the mapping relationship between TSCAC BAT and TSCAI BAT, the access network equipment can correct the first BAT sent by the core network element to the second BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the deterministic delay between end-to-end.

[0009] In some implementations, the first BAT is a BAT of a time-sensitive communication assistance container TSCAC.

[0010] In some implementations, the method further includes:

[0011] Second information is received from a core network element, where the second information indicates that the core network element does not perform BAT mapping processing.

[0012] The access network device may confirm that the first BAT is TSCAC BAT or TSCAI BAT based on the second information, and thus perform subsequent correction processing on the first BAT.

[0013] In some implementations, before receiving the first information from the core network element, the method further includes:

[0014] The third information is sent to the core network element, where the third information indicates that the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB.

[0015] Through the third information, the core network element can determine whether the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB, and thus decide whether to perform mapping processing on the TSCAC BAT included in the TSCAC.

[0016] In some implementations, the first BAT is a TSCAI BAT;

[0017] The second BAT is determined according to the dynamic core network packet delay budget CN PDB and the first BAT, including:

[0018] A second BAT is determined based on the dynamic CN PDB, the first BAT, and the static CN PDB.

[0019] In this application, the static value for the CN PDB is referred to as a static CN PDB.

[0020] In some implementations, the method further includes:

[0021] Second information is received from a core network element, where the second information indicates that the core network element has performed BAT mapping processing.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application provides a method for determining a burst arrival time, which is applied to a core network element, and the method includes:

[0023] Receive third information from the access network device, where the third information indicates whether the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB; and send first information to the access network device based on the third information, where the first information indicates a first BAT.

[0024] In some implementations, the third information indicates that the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB, wherein the first BAT is TSCAC BAT.

[0025] In some implementations, the method further includes:

[0026] Second information is sent to the access network device, where the second information indicates that the core network element has not performed BAT mapping processing.

[0027] In some implementations, the second BAT is a TSCAI BAT.

[0028] In some implementations, the method further includes:

[0029] Second information is sent to the access network device, where the second information indicates that the core network element has performed BAT mapping processing.

[0030] In a third aspect, the present application provides a method for determining a burst arrival time, which is applied to an access network device, and the method includes:

[0031] Send dynamic CN PDB to core network elements.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a method for determining a burst arrival time, which is applied to a core network element, and the method includes:

[0033] Receive a dynamic CN PDB from an access network device; determine a second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT, where the first BAT is TSCAC BAT and the second BAT is TSCAI BAT; and send fourth information to the access network device, where the fourth information includes the second BAT.

[0034] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a device for determining a burst arrival time, the device comprising functional modules for implementing any of the methods for determining a burst arrival time as described in the above implementations. Optionally, each module may be implemented in software and / or hardware.

[0035] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a device for determining a burst arrival time, comprising a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement any of the methods for determining a burst arrival time described in the above implementations. Optionally, the device further comprises a memory. Optionally, the device further comprises a communication interface, the processor coupled to the communication interface.

[0036] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable medium storing a program code for execution by a device, wherein the program code includes a method for executing any one of the burst arrival time determination methods mentioned in the above implementation manners.

[0037] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements any of the methods for determining a burst arrival time mentioned in the above implementation manners. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0039] FIG1 is a reference diagram of a 5G system architecture in a non-roaming situation;

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the 5G QoS model architecture;

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture for intercommunication between 5GS and TSN systems in a 3GPP network;

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the latency deterministic transmission of cache forwarding during downlink communication between 5GS and TSN networks;

[0043] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of TSC flows arriving at the TSC converter in the downstream and upstream directions;

[0044] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture for interoperability between 5GS and TSC services in a 3GPP network;

[0045] FIG7 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG8 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG9 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG10 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG11 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device for determining a burst arrival time according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for determining a burst arrival time according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a device for determining a burst arrival time provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0053] The above drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and the textual description are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of the present application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0055] Figure 1 is a reference diagram of the 5G system architecture for non-roaming scenarios. Figure 1 (A) shows the service-based representation, while Figure 1 (B) shows the reference point-based representation. As shown in Figure 1, the 5G system architecture is divided into the terminal device portion, the data network (DN), and the operator network portion.

[0056] Among them, the operator network may include network slice selection function (NSSF) network element, network exposure function (NEF) network element, network storage function network element (NRF) network element, application function (AF) network element, access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, (radio) access network (R)AN), user plane function (UPF) network element, authentication service function (Authentication Server Function) network element, policy control function (PCF) network element and unified data management (UDM) network element, etc.

[0057] Based on the non-roaming 5G system architecture shown in Figure 1, the functions of the network elements related to this application are as follows:

[0058] Terminal device: This can be user equipment (UE), handheld terminal, laptop computer, subscriber unit, cellular phone, smart phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, wireless modem, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, machine type communication (MTC) terminal, or other device capable of accessing the network. Terminal devices communicate with access network equipment using an air interface technology.

[0059] Access network equipment: Equipment that provides access to terminal devices, including radio access network (RAN) equipment and network access network (AN) equipment. RAN equipment is primarily wireless network equipment defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), while AN equipment can be non-3GPP defined access network equipment.

[0060] RAN equipment is primarily responsible for air interface-side radio resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression, and encryption. RAN equipment can include various base stations, such as macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, and access points. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functions may vary. For example, in 5G systems, they are called RAN or gNB (next generation node B, NodeB); in long-term evolution (LTE) systems, they are called evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB); and in third-generation (3G) systems, they are called NodeB.

[0061] AN equipment allows terminal devices to interconnect with the 3GPP core network using non-3GPP technologies. Examples of these non-3GPP technologies include wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and code division multiple access (CDMA) networks. For ease of description, the following uses RAN as an example of access network equipment.

[0062] AMF network element: Mainly responsible for mobility management in mobile networks, such as user location update, user network registration, user switching, etc.

[0063] SMF network element: Mainly responsible for session management in mobile networks, such as session establishment, modification, and release. Specific functions include allocating IP addresses to users and selecting UPF network elements that provide packet forwarding functions.

[0064] The UPF network element is responsible for forwarding and receiving user data from terminal devices. It receives user data from the data network and transmits it to the terminal device via the access network equipment. The UPF network element also receives user data from the terminal device via the access network equipment and forwards it to the data network. The transmission resources and scheduling functions provided by the UPF network element to the terminal device are managed and controlled by the SMF network element.

[0065] PCF network element: mainly supports providing a unified policy framework to control network behavior, provides policy rules to the control layer network functions, and is responsible for obtaining user subscription information related to policy decisions.

[0066] NEF network element: mainly used to support the opening of capabilities and events.

[0067] AF network element: mainly supports interaction with the 3GPP core network to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing some third-party services to the network side. If the AF network element and the 5G system are in different trust domains, input can be provided through the network open function (NEF) application programming interface (API); if the AF network element and the 5G system are in the same trust domain, input can be provided directly through the time sensitive communication time synchronization function (TSCTSF) network element. In the 5G system, the application function network element can be an AF network element. In future communications, such as the sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, the application function network element can still be an AF network element, or have other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0068] UDM network element: used for generating authentication credentials, user identification processing (such as storing and managing user permanent identities), access authorization control and contract data management, etc.

[0069] DN: refers to the service network that provides data transmission services to users, such as Internet Protocol Multimedia Service (IP multi-media service, IMS) and the Internet.

[0070] In Figure 1 , numbers such as Nnssf and Nnef, which are named using the format of "N+network element abbreviation," and numbers such as N1 and N2, which are named using the format of "N+number," are all interface serial numbers. The meanings of these interface serial numbers are defined in the 3GPP standard and are not limited here.

[0071] It is understood that the above-mentioned network element or function can be a network element in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Optionally, the above-mentioned network element or function can be implemented by a single device, or by multiple devices, or can be a functional module within a single device, and this is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] In 5GS, in order to ensure the end-to-end service quality of services, a 5G QoS model based on quality of service flow (QoS Flow) is proposed. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the 5G QoS model. When the UE communicates with the data network (DN) in the 5G network, it can establish one or more protocol data unit (PDU) sessions and access the DN through the PDU session. As shown in Figure 1, one or more QoS flows can be established in each PDU session. Among them, the radio bearer (RB) between the UE and the gNB corresponds to one or more QoS flows, and the interface (next generation-user plane function, NG-U) tunnel between the gNB and the UPF network element corresponds to one or more QoS flows. Each QoS flow can be identified by a QoS flow identifier (QFI), and the QFI can indicate a unique QoS flow in the PDU session.

[0073] In traditional Ethernet networks, when a large number of data packets arrive at the forwarding port in an instant, it can cause long forwarding delays or packet loss. Therefore, traditional Ethernet cannot provide high reliability and guaranteed transmission delay services, and cannot meet the needs of fields such as automotive control and the Industrial Internet. To meet the needs of reliable and time-delayed transmission, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has defined standards for time-sensitive networking (TSN). TSN can make Ethernet real-time and deterministic, ensuring the reliability of time-sensitive service data transmission and predictable end-to-end transmission delay, thereby meeting the stringent transmission requirements of the industrial field. To meet the deterministic transmission requirements of TSN services, the control plane and user plane in the 5GS core network need to be enhanced to support interoperability with industrial networks, precise clock synchronization, deterministic transmission, and scheduling.

[0074] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture for intercommunication between the 5GS and TSN systems in the 3GPP network. As shown in Figure 3, the 5G system and the TSN translator act as a logical TSN switching node, also known as a TSN bridge. The TSN translator converts and adapts the characteristics and information of the 5G network into the information required by TSN and provides it to the TSN system, or converts the information required by the TSN system into characteristics or information specific to the 5G network and provides it to the 5G system. Figure 3 only shows some of the network elements in the 5GS architecture (i.e., AMF network element, SMF network element, PCF network element, RAN, UE, AF network element, and UPF network element).

[0075] On the user plane, the network side TSC translator (NW-TT) is located inside the UPF. The device side TSC translator (DS-TT) is located inside the UE or outside the UE, where the outside can be a fixed network or a hotspot enabled by the UE.

[0076] On the control plane, 5GS uses the AF network element as the TSN converter of the control plane to exchange information with the nodes in the TSN system. The exchanged information includes: capability information of the 5GS switching node, TSN configuration information (including time scheduling information of TSN input and output ports), etc.

[0077] The AF network element provides the capability information of the 5GS switch node to the centralized network configuration (CNC) in the TSN system. The CNC determines the TSN configuration information of the 5GS switch node for TSN services based on the capability information of the 5GS switch node and the capability information of other TSN switch nodes. The AF network element provides the TSN configuration information for the 5GS switch node determined by the CNC to the 5GS switch node.

[0078] The capability information of the 5GS switching node includes the internal processing delay of the 5GS switching node, the UE-side transmission delay of the 5GS switching node, and the UPF network element transmission delay of the 5GS switching node. Among them, the internal processing delay of the 5GS switching node further includes the residence time on the UE side (i.e., the processing residence time of the TSN message in the UE and the TSN converter on the UE side), the residence time on the UPF side (i.e., the processing residence time of the TSN message in the UPF network element and the TSN converter of the UPF network element), and the transmission delay between the UE and the UPF network element, which is specifically manifested as the packet delay budget (PDB) of the TSN message between the UE and the UPF network element. PDB is the characteristic information of the QoS flow corresponding to the TSN message. PDB defines the upper limit of the time that the data packet may be delayed between the N6 termination point of the UE and the UPF network element.

[0079] The 5GS as a whole acts as a TSN switching node. The CNC configures the sending time window and flow period for each TSN switching node based on the information reported by the 5GS switching node and other switching nodes to ensure end-to-end deterministic latency.

[0080] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the time-deterministic transmission of cache forwarding during downlink communication between 5GS and TSN network. As shown in Figure 4, during the process of user plane processing the message, after the message is transmitted from the TSN system to the NW-TT deployed in the UPF network element, the NW-TT sends the message to the DS-TT. The DS-TT sends the message within the preconfigured time according to the sending time window (i.e., the gated scheduling parameter) configured by the CNC. For specific messages with deterministic delay requirements, the 5GS needs to determine the corresponding PDB based on the message requirements to ensure that the transmission time of the message between the UE and the UPF network element is not greater than the PDB. In other words, the message will arrive at the DS-TT in advance so that it can catch up with the sending time window configured by the CNC.

[0081] When the 5GS in the 3GPP network is connected to the TSN system, a black box model is used. The CNC configures the time when the TSN flow arrives at and leaves the 5G core network according to the flow granularity of the TSN data flow. The uncertainty caused by air interface transmission and wired transmission between the UE and UPF network elements is eliminated by the TSC converter cache at the endpoint.

[0082] When 5GS uses the AF network element as a TSN converter to exchange information with the TSN system, it can obtain the scheduling information of the TSC flow from the CNC. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the TSC flow arriving at the TSC converter in the downstream and upstream directions. Combined with the system architecture diagram of the 5GS and TSN network intercommunication in Figure 3, it can be seen that the AF network element can determine the time when the TSC flow arrives at the 5GS entrance based on the scheduling information of the TSC flow. As shown in (A) of Figure 5, in the downstream direction, the time when the TSC flow arrives at the 5GS entrance is the time when the TSC flow arrives at the NW-TT in the UPF network element, which is called the downlink burst arrival time (DL BAT). Similarly, as shown in (B) of Figure 5, in the upstream direction, the time when the TSC flow arrives at the 5GS entrance is the time when the TSC flow arrives at the DS-TT, which is called the uplink burst arrival time (UL BAT).

[0083] As shown in the architecture diagram in Figure 3, the AF network element provides the TSC assistance container (TSCAC) to the SMF network element through the PCF network element. The TSCAC includes the following information: flow direction, flow period, and burst arrival time (BAT). It is understood that the TSCAC may also contain other information.

[0084] The flow direction is used to indicate whether the TSC flow is in the uplink or downlink direction; the flow period is used to indicate the interval between the start times of two burst TSC flows; and the BAT is used to indicate the time when the first data packet of a burst TSC flow arrives at the access port of the 5GS under a given TSC flow direction. As shown in Figure 5, in the downlink direction, the BAT is the DL BAT when the TSC flow arrives at the NW-TT, and in the uplink direction, the BAT is the UL BAT when the TSC flow arrives at the DS-TT.

[0085] According to the 5G QoS model architecture diagram shown in Figure 2, the SMF network element binds the service data flow to a QoS flow, that is, there is a corresponding relationship between the QoS flow and the service flow. When the 5GS and TSN systems are interconnected, for time-sensitive services, it can be considered that the QoS flow and the TSC flow have a one-to-one correspondence.

[0086] Therefore, 5GS can determine the PDB in the feature information based on the QoS flow corresponding to the TSC flow. It should be noted that the PDB includes the access network packet delay budget (AN PDB) and the core network packet delay budget (CN PDB). The CN PDB represents the upper limit of the possible delay time between any N6 termination point at the UPF network element (for any UPF network element that may be selected for the PDU session) and the RAN for a PDB. Accordingly, the AN PDB is determined by subtracting the value of the CN PDB from the PDB.

[0087] As shown in (A) in Figure 5, the SMF network element can determine the CN PDB based on the QoS flow corresponding to the TSC flow, and can determine the time when the TSC flow in the downlink direction arrives at the RAN entrance based on the DL BAT and CN PDB included in the TSCAC. The SMF network element can use this time as part of the TSC assistance information (TSCAI) and transparently transmit the TSCAI to the RAN through the AMF network element so that the RAN node can reserve resources in advance.

[0088] As shown in (B) in Figure 5, the SMF network element can determine the time when the TSC flow in the uplink direction arrives at the UE exit based on the residence time on the UE side and the UL BAT included in the TSCAC. The SMF network element can provide this time to the RAN through TSCAI so that the RAN node can reserve resources in advance.

[0089] TSCAI includes the following information: flow direction, flow period, and burst arrival time (BAT). It is understood that TSCAI may also include other information. It should be noted that TSCAC includes the burst arrival time (BAT), and TSCAI also includes the burst arrival time (BAT). The burst arrival time in TSCAC is the TSCAC BAT, and the burst arrival time in TSCAI is the TSCAI BAT.

[0090] The flow direction is used to indicate whether the TSC flow is in the uplink or downlink direction; the flow period is used to indicate the interval between the start times of two burst TSC flows; as shown in Figure 5, in the downlink direction, TSCAI BAT is used to indicate the time when the first data packet of a burst TSC flow arrives at the RAN node ingress; in the uplink direction, TSCAI BAT is used to indicate the time when the first data packet of a burst TSC flow arrives at the UE egress.

[0091] The process of the SMF network element determining the TSCAI BAT based on the BAT included in the TSCAC can be understood as the SMF network element mapping the BAT in the TSCAC to obtain the TSCAI BAT.

[0092] It is understandable that when the SMF network element determines the TSCAI BAT in the downlink direction based on the DL BAT and CN PDB included in the TSCAC, the TSCAI BAT satisfies the following mapping processing method: TSCAI BAT = TSCAC DL BAT + DL CN PDB. Among them, TSCAC DL BAT is the burst arrival time BAT included in the TSCAC in the downlink direction, and DL CN PDB is the CN PDB in the downlink direction.

[0093] The SMF network element may also correct the TSCAC BAT contained in the TSCAC based on the time offset measurement value most recently received from the UPF network element, and set the TSCAI BAT in the downlink direction to the sum of the correction value and the CN PDB.

[0094] When the SMF network element determines the TSCAI BAT in the uplink direction based on the residence time on the UE side and the UL BAT included in the TSCAC, the TSCAI BAT satisfies the following mapping processing method: TSCAI BAT = TSCAC UL BAT + UE-DS-TT residence time. Among them, TSCAC UL BAT is the burst arrival time BAT included in the TSCAC in the uplink direction, and the UE-DS-TT residence time is the residence time on the UE side.

[0095] The SMF network element may also correct the TSCAC BAT contained in the TSCAC based on the most recent time offset measurement value received from the UPF network element, and set the TSCAI BAT in the uplink direction to the sum of the correction value and the UE-DS-TT residence time.

[0096] It should be noted that when the SMF network element maps the TSCAC BAT, regardless of whether the SMF network element corrects the TSCAC BAT based on the time offset measurement value, it is necessary to use the CN PDB to correct the TSCAC BAT to determine the TSCAI BAT. Therefore, the "mapping processing" involved in the embodiments of the present application is used to indicate the use of the CN PDB to correct the TSCAC BAT.

[0097] Figure 3 above is a schematic diagram of the system architecture for the intercommunication between 5GS and TSN systems in a 3GPP network. It is understandable that when a 3GPP network is intercommunication with an external time-sensitive network, it is not limited to being a TSN network, and non-TSN TSC services can also be intercommunication with the 3GPP network. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture for the intercommunication between 5GS and TSC services in a 3GPP network. As shown in Figure 6, when 5GS is intercommunication with non-TSN TSC services, it is no longer necessary to use the 5GS as a whole as a logical switching node. The functions of the TSCTSF network element and the AF network element are similar to those of the AF network element as the control plane TSN converter in Figure 3. The AF network element or the TSCTSF network element sends the TSCAC to the SMF network element. The processing of the TSCAC by the SMF network element is consistent with that shown in Figure 5 and will not be repeated here.

[0098] It should be noted that CN PDB can be a static value (static value for the CN PDB) or a dynamic value (dynamic value for the CN PDB). In this application, the dynamic value of CN PDB is described as dynamic CN PDB, and the static value of CN PDB is described as static CN PDB. For dynamic CN PDB, 5GS can configure the dynamic CN PDB in RAN based on various inputs, such as different IP addresses or tunnel endpoint identifiers (TEIDs) of the UPF network element that terminates the N3 tunnel, and different combinations of UPF network elements to RAN based on PDU session anchor (PSA) (any potential relay UPF (intermediate UPF, I-UPF) network elements need to be considered). 5GS can also configure the dynamic CN PDB in the SMF network element based on different combinations of PSA UPF network elements to RAN, and also need to consider any potential I-UPF network elements.

[0099] When the SMF network element determines the TSCAI BAT in the downlink direction based on the DL BAT and CN PDB included in the TSCAC, the CN PDB is a dynamic CN PDB, that is, the mapping process of the TSCAI BAT satisfies: TSCAI BAT = TSCAC DL BAT + dynamic DL CN PDB

[0100] However, when the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the RAN, the SMF network element cannot obtain the dynamic CN PDB. At this time, the SMF network element can determine the static CN PDB based on the 5G QoS identifier (5QI) of the QoS flow corresponding to the TSC flow (the static CN PDB is only related to the 5QI, and the static CN PDB can be obtained given the 5QI). At this time, when the SMF network element determines the TSCAI BAT in the downlink direction based on the DL BAT and the static CN PDB included in the TSCAC, the mapping processing method satisfied by the TSCAI BAT is: TSCAI BAT = TSCAC DL BAT + static DL CN PDB

[0101] When the SMF network element determines the TSCAI BAT in the downlink direction based on the static CN PDB, the RAN reserves resources based on the TSCAI BAT. Since the value of the dynamic CN PDB is smaller than the value of the static CN PDB, the TSC flow arrives earlier than the RAN expects. This means that the end-to-end deterministic delay calculation is incorrect. When the 3GPP network and the TSN network or TSC service are interoperable, accurate service orchestration cannot be performed.

[0102] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a method for determining the burst arrival time and related devices, aiming to ensure the accuracy of the deterministic delay of time-sensitive services and meet the transmission requirements of the industrial field.

[0103] The technical concept of this application is: when the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the RAN, the RAN receives the TSCAI from the SMF network element, and corrects the TSCAI BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB to ensure that the upper limit of the possible delay time between any N6 termination point at the UPF network element and the RAN is the dynamic CN PDB, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the deterministic delay between end-to-end.

[0104] FIG7 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG7 , the method for determining a burst arrival time may include S701 to S702.

[0105] S701: A core network element sends first information to an access network device, where the first information includes a first burst arrival time BAT. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first information from the core network element.

[0106] As an example, the first information sent by the core network element to the access network device is TSCAI, and the first information includes the first BAT, that is, the TSCAI includes the first BAT. If the core network element does not perform mapping processing on the BAT, the first BAT included in the TSCAI can be formally called TSCAI BAT, but its essence is still TSCAC BAT (it can be understood that the value of the first BAT is equal to the value of the TSCAC BAT or is only corrected by the time offset measurement value reported by the UPF network element); if the core network element performs mapping processing on the BAT, the first BAT included in the TSCAI is TSCAI BAT.

[0107] In some implementations, before step S701, as shown in step S700, the access network device may also send third information to the core network element. The third information indicates whether the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB. Accordingly, the core network element receives the third information from the access network device. Based on the third information, the core network element determines whether the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB and determines whether to perform mapping processing on the BAT.

[0108] S702: The access network device determines a second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT, where the second BAT is the TSCAI BAT. The access network device supports the dynamic CN PDB.

[0109] It is understandable that the access network device supports the dynamic CN PDB, which means that the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the access network device, and the access network device can directly obtain the dynamic CN PDB.

[0110] If the first BAT included in the first information received from the core network element in step S701 is the unmapped TSCAC BAT, then according to the mapping relationship between the TSCAC BAT and the TSCAI BAT, the access network device can determine the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT. The second BAT satisfies the following mapping formula: Second BAT = First BAT + Dynamic CN PDB

[0111] According to the mapping relationship between TSCAC BAT and TSCAI BAT, the CN PDB used when mapping the first BAT to the second BAT is a dynamic CN PDB. Therefore, the second BAT, as TSCAI BAT, is the time when the TSC flow arrives at the ingress port of the access network device, which can ensure the accuracy of the deterministic delay between end-to-end.

[0112] If the first BAT included in the first information is the TSCAI BAT after core network element mapping, then according to the mapping relationship between the TSCAI BAT and the TSCAI BAT, the access network device can determine the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB, the first BAT, and the static CN PDB. The second BAT satisfies the following mapping formula: Second BAT = First BAT - Static CN PDB + Dynamic CN PDB

[0113] The mapping relationship between TSCAC BAT and TSCAI BAT indicates that if a core network element maps TSCAC BAT to obtain the first BAT, the dynamic CN PDB is configured in the access network device and the core network element cannot access it. Therefore, the core network element can only use the static CN PDB to correct the TSCAC BAT. Therefore, in this equation, the difference between the first BAT and the static CN PDB is actually the TSCAC BAT. The access network device can determine the accurate TSCAI BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the TSCAC BAT.

[0114] It can be understood that the method for determining BAT provided in this embodiment can be applied to the system architecture shown in Figure 3 or Figure 6. For example, the access network device can be a RAN node in the 5GS of the 3GPP network, and the core network network element can be an SMF network element in the 5GS. It should be noted that in future communications, the access network device can still be called a RAN node, and the session management network element in the core network can still be called an SMF network element, or it can have other names, which are not limited by this application. AN or RAN appearing anywhere in this application can be replaced by access network equipment, and SMF network elements appearing anywhere can be replaced by session management network elements.

[0115] In this embodiment, based on the mapping relationship between TSCAC BAT and TSCAI BAT, the access network device can correct the first BAT sent by the core network element to the second BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the deterministic delay between end-to-end.

[0116] It is understandable that the access network device corrects the first BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB to obtain the accurate TSCAI BAT. Therefore, if the core network element can obtain the dynamic CN PDB, it can directly map the TSCAC BAT to determine the accurate TSCAI BAT.

[0117] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a burst arrival time according to another embodiment of the present application. Similarly, the method for determining BAT provided in this embodiment can be applied to the system architectures shown in Figures 3 or 6 , where the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the access network device. As shown in Figure 8 , the method for determining BAT may include steps S801 to S803.

[0118] S801: The access network device sends a dynamic CN PDB to a core network element. Correspondingly, the core network element receives the dynamic CN PDB from the access network device.

[0119] Because the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the access network device, the access network device can obtain the locally configured dynamic CN PDB. According to the mapping relationship between TSCAC BAT and TSCAI BAT, the accurate TSCAI BAT can only be determined by mapping the TSCAC BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB. Therefore, the access network device sends the dynamic CN PDB to the core network element.

[0120] S802: The core network element determines a second BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT, where the first BAT is TSCAC BAT and the second BAT is TSCAI BAT.

[0121] The value of the first BAT is equal to the value of the TSCAC BAT, or the value of the first BAT is equal to the corrected value of the TSCAC BAT after correction by the time offset measurement value. Based on the mapping processing relationship between the TSCAC BAT and the TSCAI BAT, the core network element can determine the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT. The second BAT is the accurate TSCAI BAT. The second BAT satisfies the following mapping processing formula: Second BAT = First BAT + Dynamic CN PDB

[0122] S803: The core network element sends fourth information to the access network device, where the fourth information includes the second BAT.

[0123] In this step, the fourth information is equivalent to TSCAI, TSCAI includes TSCAI BAT, and the core network element sends the second BAT to the access network device through the fourth information.

[0124] In this embodiment, the access network device reports the dynamic CN PDB to the core network element. Upon obtaining the dynamic CN PDB, the core network element can directly use the dynamic CN PDB to map the TSCAC BAT, determine the accurate TSCAI BAT, and send it to the access network device. It should be noted that the process by which the access network device or core network element determines the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT is actually performed during the establishment or modification of a PDU session. The BAT determination method proposed in this application is described below in conjunction with the process of establishing or modifying a PDU session in a specific system architecture.

[0125] Figure 9 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method for determining BAT proposed in this embodiment can be applied to the system architecture shown in Figure 3 or Figure 6, for example, with a RAN node as the access network device, an SMF network element as the core network element, and a dynamic CN PDB configured on the RAN node. As shown in Figure 9, it specifically includes the following steps:

[0126] S900: The UE triggers a PDU session establishment or modification process.

[0127] In this step, the UE triggers PDU session establishment or PDU session modification. The process of establishing a PDU session or modifying a PDU session involves the UE, RAN, AMF network element, SMF network element and PCF network element.

[0128] S901: The AF / TSCTSF network element sends a TSCAC to the SMF network element. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the TSCAC from the AF / TSCTSF network element.

[0129] Among them, when the 5GS and TSN systems are interoperable, the AF network element obtains the scheduling time of the TSC flow from the CNC of the TSN system, thereby determining the time when the TSC flow arrives at the 5GS entrance, that is, the time when the TSC flow reaches the NW-TT in the UPF network element in the downstream direction. After the AF network element determines the TSCAC, it can provide the TSCAC to the SMF network element through the PCF network element. As an example, the AF network element can send policy and charging control (PCC) rules to the SMF network element through the PCF network element, where the PCC rules carry TSCAC.

[0130] When 5GS interoperates with non-TSN TSC services, the AF network element can provide traffic pattern parameters to the NEF network element, such as the TSC flow direction, flow period, burst arrival time, lifetime, and time domain of the reference ingress port. The NEF network element can forward the received traffic pattern parameters to the TSCTSF network element. The TSCTSF network element can determine the TSCAC based on these traffic pattern parameters and provide the TSCAC to the SMF network element through the PCF network element. Similarly, the TSCTSF network element can send PCC rules to the SMF network element through the PCF network element and provide the TSCAC to the SMF network element by carrying the TSCAC in the PCC rules.

[0131] It can be understood that no matter how TSCAC is sent to the SMF network element, TSCAC includes TSCAC BAT.

[0132] After receiving the PCC rules from the PCF, the SMF network element can establish a QoS flow based on the PCC rules and send the corresponding feature information of the QoS flow to the RAN and UPF network elements. The model architecture of the 5G QoS flow can be referred to in Figure 2 and will not be repeated here.

[0133] S902, the SMF network element maps TSCAC to TSCAI.

[0134] In this step, the SMF network element maps the TSCAC, which actually maps the TSCAC BAT contained in the TSCAC to the TSCAI BAT. Since the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the RAN node, the CN PDB used by the SMF network element when mapping the TSCAC BAT is the static CN PDB.

[0135] As an example, the SMF network element can determine a standardized static CN PDB based on the 5QI in the corresponding QoS flow. For example, according to the 5G QoS model in Section 5.7.4 of TS23.501, when 5QI==83, the PDB is 10 milliseconds (ms) and the static CN PDB is 1ms. When 5QI==80, the PDB is 10ms and the static CN PDB is 2ms.

[0136] In some implementations, the SMF network element may not perform mapping processing on the TSCAC BAT. It is understood that the SMF network element must confirm that the RAN node supports dynamic CN PDB before abandoning the TSCAC BAT mapping processing. The RAN node's support for dynamic CN PDB means that the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the RAN node.

[0137] As a possible implementation method, the protocol can specify that when 5GS interoperates with TSN systems or non-TSN TSC services, the RAN nodes in the system architecture support dynamic CN PDB. In this case, the SMF network element assumes that the RAN node supports dynamic CN PDB and abandons the mapping process of TSCAC BAT when receiving TSCAC.

[0138] As another possible implementation, as shown in step S900-1 in Figure 10 , the RAN node can send third information to the SMF network element. This third information is equivalent to capability information. This third information can indicate to the SMF network element that the RAN node supports dynamic CN PDBs. For example, the third information can directly indicate that the RAN node supports dynamic CN PDBs. Alternatively, the third information can indicate a Boolean value. When the Boolean value is 0, it indicates that the RAN node does not support dynamic CN PDBs, and when the Boolean value is 1, it indicates that the RAN node does support dynamic CN PDBs. Accordingly, based on the third information, the SMF network element can confirm that the RAN node supports dynamic CN PDBs and thus forgo mapping the TSCAC BAT.

[0139] It can be understood that when mapping TSCAC BAT in this step, the SMF network element can correct TSCAC BAT based on the time offset measurement value most recently received from the UPF network element. Considering that the correction value of TSCAC BAT has not been corrected by CN PDB, "TSCAC BAT" in the embodiment of the present application can be used to indicate TSCAC BAT or the correction value of TSCAC BAT after correction by the time offset measurement value.

[0140] S903: The SMF network element sends first information to the RAN, where the first information includes a first BAT. Correspondingly, the RAN receives the first information from the SMF network element.

[0141] In this step, the first information is equivalent to the TSCAI sent by the SMF network element to the RAN. Therefore, if the SMF network element maps the TSCAC BAT to the TSCAI BAT in step S802, the first BAT included in the first information is the TSCAI BAT obtained by the SMF network element mapping the TSCAC BAT using the static CN PDB.

[0142] If the SMF network element abandons mapping the TSCAC BAT in step S902, the first BAT contained in the first information can be called TSCAI BAT, but in fact it is the TSCAC BAT in the TSCAC received by the SMF network element.

[0143] In some implementations, as shown in step S903-1 in Figure 10, the SMF network element may further send second information to the RAN, where the second information indicates whether the SMF network element performs mapping processing on the BAT. Accordingly, the RAN receives the second information from the SMF network element and may determine whether the first BAT is a TSCAI BAT or a TSCAC BAT based on the second information.

[0144] It should be noted that, in some implementations, the RAN node reports the third information to the SMF network element only after the second information indicates that the SMF network element has not performed mapping processing on the BAT. The SMF network element confirms whether the RAN supports dynamic CN PDB based on the third information and re-determines whether to perform mapping processing on the TSCAC BAT.

[0145] It can be understood that in this step, the SMF network element first sends the first information to the AMF network element, and the AMF network element transparently transmits the first information to the RAN.

[0146] S904: The RAN determines a second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT, where the second BAT is the TSCAI BAT.

[0147] In this step, the RAN can obtain the locally configured dynamic CN PDB and determine the TSCAI BAT based on the mapping relationship between the TSCAC BAT and the TSCAI BAT.

[0148] If the first BAT is an unmapped TSCAC BAT, the RAN node may determine a second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT, and the second BAT satisfies the following mapping equation: Second BAT = First BAT + Dynamic CN PDB

[0149] If the first BAT is the TSCAI BAT after SMF network element mapping, the RAN node can determine the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB, the static CN PDB and the first BAT. The second BAT satisfies the following mapping processing formula: Second BAT = First BAT - Static CN PDB + Dynamic CN PDB

[0150] Among them, the static CN PDB can be a standardized static CN PDB determined by the SMF network element according to the 5QI in the corresponding QoS flow.

[0151] It is understandable that if the SMF network element does not indicate to the RAN through the second information whether to perform mapping processing on the BAT, the SMF network element and the RAN node may determine by default that the first BAT is TSCAC BAT or TSCAI BAT, thereby correcting the first BAT to the second BAT. As an example, if the protocol clearly states that the RAN node supports dynamic CN PDB, the SMF network element will default to abandoning the mapping processing on TSCAC BAT, and the RAN node will default to the first BAT being TSCAC BAT and perform the corresponding mapping processing.

[0152] In some implementations, if the SMF network element does not indicate to the RAN through the second information whether to map the BAT, the RAN node defaults to the first BAT being the TSCAI BAT after mapping by the SMF network element.

[0153] S905: PDU session establishment or modification subsequent process.

[0154] After the RAN node determines the second BAT, the BAT at which the TSC flow in the downlink direction reaches the RAN node entrance in the 5GS can be clearly determined. The 5GS can establish a PDU session according to the existing process or modify the subsequent process of the PDU session to achieve accurate service orchestration.

[0155] In this embodiment, the RAN node corrects the first BAT in the TSCAI sent by the SMF network element based on the locally configured dynamic CN PDB and the mapping processing relationship between the TSCAC BAT and the TSCAI BAT, establishes or modifies the PDU session, and accurately arranges time-sensitive services.

[0156] In the above embodiment, the RAN node corrects the first BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB to obtain the accurate TSCAI BAT. Therefore, when the SMF network element can obtain the dynamic CN PDB, it can map the TSCAC BAT to determine the accurate TSCAI BAT.

[0157] Figure 11 is a flow chart of a method for determining a burst arrival time according to one embodiment of the present application. The method for determining BAT proposed in this embodiment can be applied to the system architecture shown in Figure 3 or Figure 6, where the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the RAN node. As shown in Figure 11, the method specifically includes the following steps:

[0158] S1100: The UE triggers a PDU session establishment or modification process.

[0159] S1101: The AF / TSCTSF network element sends a TSCAC to the SMF network element. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the TSCAC from the AF / TSCTSF network element.

[0160] Steps S1100 to S1101 are basically the same as steps S900 to S901 and will not be repeated here.

[0161] S1102, the SMF network element maps TSCAC to TSCAI.

[0162] As an example, since the dynamic CN PDB is configured on the RAN node, the SMF network element maps the TSCAC BAT according to the static CN PDB to obtain TSCAI BAT.

[0163] S1103: The SMF network element sends the TSCAI to the RAN. Correspondingly, the RAN receives the TSCAI from the SMF network element.

[0164] Since the SMF network element maps the TSCAC BAT included in the TSCAC, the TSCAI sent by the SMF network element to the RAN includes the TSCAI BAT.

[0165] S1104: RAN sends the dynamic CN PDB to the SMF network element. Correspondingly, the SMF network element receives the dynamic CN PDB from the RAN.

[0166] When a dynamic CN PDB is configured on a RAN node, the SMF network element cannot obtain the dynamic CN PDB. Therefore, in this step, after the RAN obtains the locally configured dynamic CN PDB, it can send the dynamic CN PDB to the SMF network element. As an example, after the RAN receives the TSCAI from the SMF network element, it sends the dynamic CN PDB to the SMF network element by default.

[0167] In some implementations, before the SMF network element sends the TSCAI to the RAN in step S1103, the RAN may proactively send the dynamic CN PDB to the SMF network element. It is understood that if the RAN proactively sends the dynamic CN PDB to the SMF network element before step S1103, step S1103 is no longer executed, and the process in this embodiment jumps directly to step S1105.

[0168] S1105, the SMF network element determines the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT.

[0169] In this step, the value of the first BAT is equal to the value of the TSCAC BAT, or the value of the first BAT is equal to the corrected value of the TSCAC BAT after the time offset measurement value is corrected. According to the mapping relationship between the TSCAC BAT and the TSCAI BAT, the SMF network element can map the first BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB sent by the RAN to determine the second BAT. The second BAT satisfies the following mapping formula: Second BAT = First BAT + Dynamic CN PDB

[0170] Compared with step S1102, this step is equivalent to the SMF network element remapping the TSCAC BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB, and correcting the second BAT to the accurate TSCAI BAT.

[0171] S1106: The SMF network element sends fourth information to the RAN, where the fourth information includes the second BAT. Correspondingly, the RAN receives the fourth information from the SMF network element.

[0172] Among them, the fourth information is equivalent to the revised TSCAI, and the RAN node can reserve resources in advance according to the second BAT.

[0173] S1107, PDU session establishment or modification subsequent process.

[0174] Consistent with step S905 shown in Figure 9, after the RAN node determines the second BAT, the 5GS establishes a PDU session or modifies the subsequent process of the PDU session according to the existing process.

[0175] In this embodiment, the RAN node reports the dynamic CN PDB to the SMF network element. When the dynamic CN PDB is obtained, the SMF network element can directly use the dynamic CN PDB to map the TSCAC BAT according to the mapping processing relationship between the TSCAC BAT and the TSCAI BAT, determine the accurate TSCAI BAT, and send it to the RAN node.

[0176] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus for determining a burst arrival time according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 12, apparatus 1200 of this embodiment may include a receiving module 1201, a sending module 1202, and a processing module 1203. Apparatus 1200 may be used to implement the operations performed by an access network device in the method shown in any of the flowcharts in Figures 7 through 11.

[0177] For example, the receiving module 1201 may be configured to receive first information from a core network element, where the first information includes a first BAT.

[0178] In some implementations, the receiving module 1201 may also be configured to receive second information from a core network element, where the second information indicates that the core network element has not performed BAT mapping processing.

[0179] In some implementations, the receiving module 1201 may also be configured to receive second information from a core network element, where the second information indicates that the core network element has performed BAT mapping processing.

[0180] The processing module 1203 may be configured to determine a second BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT, where the second BAT is the TSCAI BAT, and the access network device supports the dynamic CN PDB.

[0181] In some implementations, the second BAT is determined based on the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT. The processing module 1203 may be configured to determine the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB, the first BAT, and the static CN PDB.

[0182] The sending module 1202 may be configured to send a dynamic CN PDB to a core network element.

[0183] In some implementations, the sending module 1202 may also be configured to send third information to the core network element, where the third information indicates that the access network device supports dynamic CN PDB.

[0184] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus for determining a burst arrival time according to another embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 13, apparatus 130 of this embodiment may include a receiving module 1301, a sending module 1302, and a processing module 1303. Apparatus 1300 may be used to implement the operations performed by core network elements in the methods shown in any of the flowcharts in Figures 7 through 11.

[0185] For example, the receiving module 1301 may be configured to receive third information from an access network device, where the third information indicates whether the access network device supports a dynamic CN PDB.

[0186] In some implementations, the receiving module 1301 may also be configured to receive a dynamic CN PDB from an access network device.

[0187] The sending module 1302 may be configured to send second information to the access network device, where the second information indicates that the core network element has not performed BAT mapping processing.

[0188] In some implementations, the sending module 1302 may also be configured to send second information to the access network device, where the second information indicates that the core network element has performed BAT mapping processing.

[0189] The processing module 1303 may be configured to determine a second BAT according to the dynamic CN PDB and the first BAT, where the first BAT is the TSCAC BAT and the second BAT is the TSCAI BAT.

[0190] In some implementations, the sending module 1302 may also be configured to send fourth information to the access network device, where the fourth information includes the second BAT.

[0191] It should be understood that apparatus 1200 and apparatus 1300 are embodied in the form of functional modules. The term "module" may refer to a software module, or may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit, electronic circuit, processor (e.g., a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuits, and / or other suitable components that support the described functionality.

[0192] The aforementioned apparatuses 1200 and 1300 have the function of implementing the corresponding processes and / or steps in any of the aforementioned method embodiments; the aforementioned functions may be implemented by software or by hardware executing the corresponding software. The hardware or software may include one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0193] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device for determining a burst arrival time according to another embodiment of the present application. The device 1400 shown in Figure 14 can be used to execute any of the aforementioned methods performed by the device for determining a burst arrival time.

[0194] As shown in Figure 14 , the apparatus 1400 of this embodiment includes a memory 1401, a processor 1402, a communication interface 1403, and a bus 1404. The memory 1401, the processor 1402, and the communication interface 1403 are connected to each other via the bus 1404.

[0195] The memory 1401 may be a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, or a random access memory (RAM). The memory 1401 may store a program. When the program stored in the memory 1401 is executed by the processor 1402, the processor 1402 is configured to execute any of the aforementioned methods.

[0196] The processor 1402 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit, or one or more integrated circuits to execute related programs.

[0197] The processor 1402 may also be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, the various related steps in the embodiment of the present application may be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor 1402 or software instructions.

[0198] The processor 1402 may also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component. The processor 1402 may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0199] The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or can be implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in memory 1401, and processor 1402 reads the information in memory 1401 and, in combination with its hardware, completes the functions required to be performed by the units included in the device of the present application.

[0200] The communication interface 1403 may use, but is not limited to, a transceiver or other transceiver device to implement communication between the apparatus 1400 and other devices or apparatuses.

[0201] The bus 1404 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the device 1400 (eg, the memory 1401 , the processor 1402 , and the communication interface 1403 ).

[0202] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer instructions are stored. When a processor executes the computer instructions, each step of the method in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0203] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the various steps of the method in the above embodiment.

[0204] It should be noted that the modules or components shown in the above embodiments may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits, or one or more microprocessors, or one or more field programmable gate arrays. For another example, when a module is implemented by a processing element calling program code, the processing element may be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit or other processor that can call program code, such as a controller. For another example, these modules may be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0205] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, software modules or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)).

[0206] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the contents disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are indicated by the following claims.

[0207] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the exact structure described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for determining the burst arrival time, characterized in that, Applied to an access network device, the method includes: Receiving first information from a core network element, the first information including a first Burst Arrival Time (BAT); Determining a second BAT based on a dynamic Core Network Packet Delay Budget (CN PDB) and the first BAT, the second BAT being the BAT of Time-Sensitive Communication Auxiliary Information (TSCAI), and the access network device supporting the dynamic CN PDB.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first BAT is the BAT of a Time-Sensitive Communication Auxiliary Container (TSCAC).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The method further includes: Receiving second information from the core network element, the second information indicating that the core network element has not performed BAT mapping processing.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that Before receiving the first information from the core network element, the method further includes: Sending third information to the core network element, the third information indicating that the access network device supports the dynamic CN PDB.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first BAT is the TSCAI BAT; Wherein, determining the second BAT based on the dynamic Core Network Packet Delay Budget (CN PDB) and the first BAT includes: Determining the second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB, the first BAT, and a static CN PDB.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The method further includes: Receiving second information from the core network element, the second information indicating that the core network element has performed BAT mapping processing.

7. A method for determining the burst arrival time, characterized in that, Applied to a core network element, the method includes: Receiving third information from an access network device, the third information indicating whether the access network device supports the dynamic CN PDB; Sending first information to the access network device according to the third information, the first information indicating a first BAT.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third information indicates that the access network device supports the dynamic CN PDB, wherein the first BAT is the TSCAC BAT.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The method further includes: Sending second information to the access network device, the second information indicating that the core network element has not performed BAT mapping processing.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein The first BAT is the TSCAI BAT.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The method further includes: Sending second information to the access network device, the second information indicating that the core network element has performed BAT mapping processing.

12. A method for determining the burst arrival time, characterized in that, Applied to a core network element, the method includes: Receiving the dynamic CN PDB from an access network device; Determining a second BAT based on the dynamic CN PDB and a first BAT, the first BAT being the TSCAC BAT, and the second BAT being the TSCAI BAT; Sending fourth information to the access network device, the fourth information including the second BAT.

13. An apparatus for determining the burst arrival time, characterized in that, The apparatus for determining the burst arrival time includes a functional module for implementing the method for determining the burst arrival time according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or includes a functional module for implementing the method for determining the burst arrival time according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

14. An apparatus for determining the arrival time of a burst, characterized in that, Includes: A processor and a memory; The memory stores computer execution instructions; The processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, so that the device for determining the burst arrival time executes the method for determining the burst arrival time according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or the method for determining the burst arrival time according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which are used to implement the method for determining the burst arrival time according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or any one of claims 7 to 12 when being executed by a processor.

16. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program, which implements the method for determining the burst arrival time according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or any one of claims 7 to 12 when being executed by a processor.

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