Service policy determination method and apparatus, and communication system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a service policy determination method and apparatus, and a communication system. The method comprises: a first function network element acquiring user information of a first service; on the basis of the user information of the first service, determining policy information of the first service, the policy information of the first service comprising execution scope information of the first service and quality-of-service information of the first service; then the first function network element sending the policy information of the first service to a second function network element. In the method, the first function network element determines policy information of a service from the service dimension, providing not only the quality of service of the service but also the execution scope of the service; and the method is also adapted to any new services within communication networks. Therefore, the method can effectively meet and support the policy requirements of various services.

Description

A method and device for determining a business strategy and a communication system

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on December 27, 2023, with application number 202311837894.5 and application name "A method and device for determining a business strategy and a communication system", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method and device for determining a service strategy and a communication system. Background Art

[0004] The policy and charging control (PCC) architecture is used in existing communication networks to provide users with differentiated, intelligent business services and experiences, and to implement dynamic policy management and billing methods. The policy and charging rule function (PCRF) is the core of the PCC architecture of fourth-generation (4G) or long-term evolution (LTE) networks. PCRF is used to assist in service data flow detection, policy implementation, and flow-based charging, ensuring reliable monitoring of services or use cases and the costs associated with each use case. The policy control function (PCF) is the core of the PCC architecture of fifth-generation (5G) networks. PCF can be considered an evolution of PCRF. PCF adds the ability to request and monitor service quality on a per-session basis. In addition to retaining these session-based functions, PCF also adds other functions, including control of network slicing and new control mechanisms for terminal activities, such as roaming and mobility management.

[0005] In the 4G policy architecture, different quality of service (QoS) attributes are applied end-to-end across bearers. Data flows on the same bearer can receive the same QoS, while data flows on different bearer types receive different QoS. This results in coarse-grained QoS control, leading to high signaling overhead and lengthy QoS control interactions, making it difficult to handle bursty and complex services. In the 5G policy architecture, QoS flows are implemented end-to-end, and two-level mapping between 5G next-generation user plane (NG-U) tunnels and radio bearers can be performed on the access network side. This allows the radio access network a certain degree of freedom, thereby improving the flexibility and adaptability of service bearer control.

[0006] With the evolution of communication technology, in addition to providing connectivity services, communication systems will also integrate new services such as perception, computing, intelligence, and trust to provide comprehensive services. However, the existing policy architecture cannot meet or support the policy requirements of new services. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application proposes a method and device for determining a service policy and a communication system, which can meet or support the policy requirements of new services in a communication network.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a service policy. The method can be executed by a first functional network element, or by a chip, chip system, logic module, or software corresponding to the first functional network element, without limitation. Taking the first functional network element as an example, the method may include: the first functional network element obtains user information of a first service; then, based on the user information of the first service, determines policy information of the first service; the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and service quality information of the first service; and the first functional network element sends the policy information of the first service to a second functional network element.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present application, the first functional network element can be independently deployed in the communication network / communication system. The first functional network element can also be co-located with the policy control function network element. The first functional network element can also be a policy control function PDF network element. The second functional network element can be independently deployed in the core network, access network, or network management system of the communication network / communication system. The second functional network element can also be co-located with the first service network element. The first service network element can be, but is not limited to, a data controller, a perception service control function, a task anchor, or a task scheduler. This application does not limit the specific deployment, form, or number of the first functional network element and the second functional network element.

[0010] The first service may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a perception service, an artificial intelligence service, a network service, an Internet of Things service, a security service, and a sustainable service. For example, the perception service may include services such as identification, speed measurement, distance measurement, and target positioning. The artificial intelligence service may include services such as anomaly detection, intelligent services, intelligent orchestration and scheduling, and intelligent agents. The network service may include services provided by network operators, such as network optimization, maintenance, operation, and construction. The physical network service may include services such as autonomous driving or intelligent transportation systems that require analysis of data generated by sensors, machines in the Internet of Things (IoT), and connected devices or facilities in the Internet of Vehicles. The security service may include services such as security protection and privacy protection for network elements, networks, systems, etc. The sustainable service may include services for green energy saving and sustainability of the network.

[0011] In the present application, the first functional network element can determine the policy information of the first service based on the user information of the first service. The policy information of the first service includes the execution scope information of the first service and the service quality information of the first service. It can be seen that the first functional network element in the present application determines the policy information of each service from the service dimension. The first functional network element can not only provide the service quality of the service, but also provide the execution scope of the service. The first functional network element also supports one or more new services that may be introduced into the communication system. Therefore, the service policy determination method provided by the present application can meet and support the policy requirements of various services (including new services of communication network services).

[0012] In one possible implementation, the user information of the first service may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: user contract information for the first service, user account opening information for the first service, and service subscription information for the first service. With this implementation, the first functional network element can effectively determine corresponding policy information for the first service based on the user information of the first service.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first functional network element obtains user information of the first service, including: obtaining user information of the first service from a service user management network element; the service user management network element can be deployed independently in the network, or the service user management network element can be jointly established with the data storage network element, or the service user management network element is the data storage network element.

[0014] In the embodiments of the present application, a service user management network element may be used to manage or store user information for a service. For different services, the service user management network element may be the same or different, without limitation. If different services correspond to different service user management network elements, the names of the service user management network elements for each service may be the same or different, without limitation.

[0015] Through this implementation, the first functional network element can effectively obtain user information of the first service.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the quality of service information of the first service may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the bandwidth information of the first service, the priority information of the first service, the delay information of the first service, the delay variation information of the first service, the security level information of the first service, the privacy level information of the first service, the transmission rate information of the first service, the routing information of the first service, and the key information used by the first service.

[0017] Through this implementation, the first functional network element allocates corresponding bandwidth, priority, delay, delay variation, security level, privacy level, transmission rate, routing, key, etc. to the first service based on the user information of the first service to ensure the service quality of the first service.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the policy information of the first service may further include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: collection policy information of the first service, flow policy information of the first service, computing policy information of the first service, and security policy information of the first service. Through this implementation, the first functional network element can also determine other policy information required for the first service to meet the various policy requirements of the first service. The flow policy information of the first service can provide a composition strategy for implementing data carrying for the first service, which may include topological information such as source, destination, intermediate nodes, and data pipelines, as well as strategies such as bandwidth and latency required for data flow.

[0019] On the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a service policy, which can be executed by a second functional network element, or by a chip, or chip system, or logic module, or software corresponding to the second functional network element, without limitation. Taking the second functional network element as an example, the method may include: the second functional network element receives policy information of a first service from the first functional network element, the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and service quality information of the first service; obtains network status information and / or node capability information within the execution scope of the first service; the second functional network element then determines the data carrying information and data carrying service quality information of the first service based on the policy information of the first service and the network status information and / or node capability information; the data carrying information includes information of at least one data pipe within the execution scope, and the data carrying service quality information includes service quality information corresponding to the at least one data pipe.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present application, the first functional network element can be independently deployed in the communication network / communication system. The first functional network element can also be co-located with the policy control function network element. The first functional network element can also be a policy control function PDF network element. The second functional network element can be independently deployed in the core network, access network, or network management system of the communication network / communication system. The second functional network element can also be co-located with the first service network element. The first service network element can be, but is not limited to, a data controller, a perception service control function, a task anchor, or a task scheduler. This application does not limit the specific deployment, form, or number of the first functional network element and the second functional network element.

[0021] The first business may include, but is not limited to, one or more of perception business, artificial intelligence business, network business, Internet of Things business, security business, and sustainable business.

[0022] In the present application scheme, the second functional network element refines the policy of the first service based on the policy information of the first service from the first functional network element, further combining the status information of the network and / or the capability information of the node within the execution scope of the first service, that is, the second functional network element determines the data bearer and the service quality of the data bearer for the first service. The data bearer of the first service includes at least one data pipe used to transmit the data of the first service within the execution scope of the first service, and the service quality of the data bearer includes the service quality information corresponding to the at least one data pipe. In this method, the second functional network element can perceive the real-time situation of the network, and perform global planning or arrangement of the transmission and service quality of the service based on the policy information of the service from the first functional network element and combined with the real-time situation of the network.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the quality of service information of the first service may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the bandwidth information of the first service, the priority information of the first service, the delay information of the first service, the delay variation information of the first service, the security level information of the first service, the privacy level information of the first service, the transmission rate information of the first service, the routing information of the first service, and the key information used by the first service.

[0024] Through this implementation, the second functional network element can obtain the bandwidth, priority, delay, delay variation, security level, privacy level, transmission rate, routing, key, etc. corresponding to the first service provided by the first functional network element to ensure that the second functional network element can effectively and accurately plan the strategy of the first service.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the policy information for the first service may further include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: collection policy information for the first service, flow policy information for the first service, computing policy information for the first service, and security policy information for the first service. Through this implementation, the second functional network element can also obtain other policy information required by the first service to further determine a more precise policy for the first service, thereby meeting the various policy requirements of the first service.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the second functional network element determines the data carrying information of the first service and the service quality information of the data carrying based on the policy information of the first service and the status information and / or node capability information of the network, which may include: the second functional network element determines the destination node information and source node information corresponding to at least one data pipeline within the execution scope of the first service based on the execution scope information of the first service and the status information of the network and / or the node capability information; and then determines the service quality information corresponding to the at least one data pipeline based on the service quality information of the first service and the status information of the network and / or the node capability information.

[0027] In this embodiment, the second functional network element selects relatively robust and suitable nodes within the execution scope of the first service, taking into account network status information and / or capability information of each node in the network, and uses these nodes to construct at least one data pipeline for transmitting the first service data. The second functional network element may also determine a corresponding quality of service for the at least one data pipeline based on the quality of service information of the first service, in combination with the network status information and / or capability information of each node in the network. Through this embodiment, the second functional network element can effectively orchestrate a more precise layout and quality of service for the data bearer of the first service.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the information of each data pipeline includes information of at least one destination node and information of at least one source node; the method also includes: the second functional network element sends service quality information of the corresponding data pipeline to the at least one source node based on the information of the at least one source node corresponding to each data pipeline.

[0029] In this embodiment, the source node and destination node corresponding to each data pipeline are flexible, and the second functional network element can be arranged in any topology. The second functional network element can send the quality of service information of each data pipeline to the corresponding source node. Optionally, the second functional network element can also send data pipeline indication information (such as the data pipeline identifier (DPID)) to the corresponding source node. Through this embodiment, each source node can obtain the quality of service information of the data pipeline it serves.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the data pipeline information may further include information about at least one intermediate node within the execution scope of the first service. This implementation allows for flexibility in the location and type of nodes used to construct the data pipeline, as well as in their number.

[0031] The following third aspect is the steps executed by a source node (the first source node of the first data pipeline) of a data pipeline (such as the first data pipeline) corresponding to the first business. For other source nodes of the first data pipeline or source nodes of other data pipelines, the method provided in the third aspect can be referred to for execution. The embodiment of this application no longer describes all source nodes in detail one by one.

[0032] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a service policy, which can be executed by a first source node of a first data pipeline, or by a chip, or a chip system, or a logic module, or software corresponding to the first source node of the first data pipeline, without limitation. Taking the first source node of the first data pipeline as an example, the method may include: the first source node of the first data pipeline receives service quality information of the first data pipeline from the second functional network element; the first data pipeline is any one of at least one data pipeline corresponding to the first service; the first source node sends data of the first service and indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present application, the first source node can be a policy execution function network element; the policy execution function network element can be independently deployed and serve the second service network element, or the policy execution function network element can be deployed in the second service network element; the second service network element can be but is not limited to: a terminal, or a wireless access network node, or an access and mobility management function, or a session management function, or a unified data storage repository, or a user plane function, or a perception data processing function.

[0034] The indication information of the service quality of the first data pipeline may be identification information of the service quality (such as identification ID, serial number, label, name, etc.), or the indication information of the service quality of the first data pipeline may be the service quality of the first data pipeline, which is not limited to this.

[0035] In the present application scheme, the first source node of the first data pipeline receives the service quality information of the first data pipeline sent from the second functional network element, and after collecting the data of the first service, sends the data of the first service and the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline together. After the receiving end (such as the destination node of the first data pipeline) receives the data of the first service sent by the first source node and the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline, it can determine the service quality information corresponding to the data of the first service through the indication information of the service quality information, so as to allocate corresponding resources (such as delay, rate, priority, etc.) for subsequent processing / transmission of the data of the first service, thereby meeting the policy requirements of the first service. In addition, the receiving end may also use the service quality indication information (such as QoS identifier) ​​to perform corresponding communication tunnel / radio bearer mapping for the data of the first service, thereby effectively completing the data transmission of the first service.

[0036] For example, the first source node is a terminal device, the receiving end is an access network device, and the indication information of the service quality information corresponding to the first data pipe is a QoS identifier; after the access network device receives the data and QoS identifier of the first service sent by the terminal device, it will use the QoS identifier and service quality rules to map the data of the first service from the first data pipe to the corresponding wireless bearer.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the data of the first business and the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipe are located in the same data packet. Through this implementation, the first source node can effectively send the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipe when sending the data of the first business. In an embodiment of the present application, the data of the first business and the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipe can also be located in the same message, and the type of the message is not limited. In addition, the data of the first business and the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipe can also be located in different data packets or messages, which is not limited either. The first source node can select a suitable transmission method according to actual needs.

[0038] In one possible implementation, when the first source node is deployed in a first wireless access network node, the first source node sends data of a first service and indication information of the service quality information of a first data pipe, including: mapping the first data pipe to a corresponding first communication tunnel; and sending data of the first service and indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipe to a second wireless access network node or a core network network element through the first communication tunnel; wherein the second wireless access network node and the core network network element can be the destination node or intermediate node corresponding to the first data pipe.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present application, at least one communication tunnel (including the first communication tunnel) may be established in advance or in real time, without limitation. The first source node may match the corresponding communication tunnel according to the quality of service information of the first data pipeline.

[0040] Exemplarily, a quality of service QoS value or quality of service QoS range corresponding to at least one communication tunnel (including the first communication tunnel) is pre-set; if the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipeline is the quality of service QoS value corresponding to the first communication tunnel, or the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipeline is within the quality of service QoS range corresponding to the first communication tunnel, then it is determined that the communication tunnel matched by the first data pipeline is the first communication tunnel.

[0041] Through this implementation, in the case where the first source node is an access network node and the destination node is also an access network node or a core network node, the first source node can perform tunnel mapping, that is, determine the communication tunnel corresponding to the first data pipeline, and then effectively send the data of the first service and the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline to the destination node through the communication tunnel.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the first communication tunnel may also correspond to a second data pipeline, and the second data pipeline is used to transmit data of the second service. Thus, in the embodiment of the present application, data pipelines of different services can be matched to the same communication tunnel.

[0043] In one possible implementation, when the first source node is deployed in the terminal, the first source node sends data of the first service and indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline, including: the first source node maps the first data pipeline to the corresponding first data radio bearer; through the first data radio bearer, the data of the first service and indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline are sent to the wireless access network node; the wireless access network node can be the destination node or intermediate node corresponding to the first data pipeline.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present application, at least one data radio bearer (including the first data radio bearer) may be established in advance or in real time, without limitation. The first source node may match the corresponding data radio bearer according to the quality of service information of the first data pipeline.

[0045] Exemplarily, a quality of service QoS value or quality of service QoS range corresponding to at least one data radio bearer (including a first data radio bearer) is pre-set; if the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipe is the quality of service QoS value corresponding to the first data radio bearer, or the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipe is within the quality of service QoS range corresponding to the first data radio bearer, it is determined that the data radio bearer matched by the first data pipe is the first data radio bearer.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the first data radio bearer may also correspond to a second data pipe, and the second data pipe is used to transmit data of the second service. Thus, in the embodiment of the present application, data pipes of different services can be matched to the same data radio bearer.

[0047] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which may include: a first functional network element and a second functional network element; wherein the first functional network element is used to obtain user information of a first service; determine policy information of the first service based on the user information of the first service; the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and service quality information of the first service; then the first functional network element sends the policy information of the first service to the second functional network element; the second functional network element is used to obtain network status information and / or node capability information within the execution scope of the first service; and then determine data carrying information and data carrying service quality information of the first service based on the policy information of the first service and the network status information and / or node capability information; the data carrying information includes information of at least one data pipeline within the execution scope of the first service, and the data carrying service quality information includes service quality information corresponding to the at least one data pipeline.

[0048] In the embodiments of the present application, the first functional network element can be independently deployed in the communication network / communication system. The first functional network element can also be co-located with the policy control function network element. The first functional network element can also be a policy control function PDF network element. The second functional network element can be independently deployed in the core network, access network, or network management system of the communication network / communication system. The second functional network element can also be co-located with the first service network element. The first service network element can be, but is not limited to, a data controller, a perception service control function, a task anchor, or a task scheduler. This application does not limit the specific deployment, form, or number of the first functional network element and the second functional network element.

[0049] In one possible design, the first functional network element is also used to execute the method provided by any possible implementation method of the first aspect above; the second functional network element is also used to execute the method provided by any possible implementation method of the second aspect above.

[0050] In one possible design, the communication system may also include at least one destination node and at least one source node corresponding to each data pipeline; any one of the at least one source node executes the method provided in the above third aspect and any possible implementation method of the third aspect.

[0051] In an embodiment of the present application, the source node and / or the destination node and / or the intermediate node can be a policy execution function network element; the policy execution function network element can be deployed independently and serve the second service network element, or the policy execution function network element can be deployed in the second service network element; the second service network element can be but is not limited to: a terminal, or a wireless access network node, or an access and mobility management function, or a session management function, or a unified data storage repository, or a user plane function, or a perception data processing function.

[0052] In the fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device, which can be used to execute the method of the first aspect. The device can be a first functional network element, or the device can be a component in the first functional network element (for example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit), or the device can be a logic module or software corresponding to the first functional network element, or the device can be a device that can be used in combination with the first functional network element.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the device may include a module or unit corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect. The module or unit may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In one possible implementation, the device may include a processing unit (also referred to as a processing module) and a communication unit (also referred to as a communication module), wherein the communication unit may be used to perform the functions of receiving and / or sending, and the processing unit may be used to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0054] In the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device, which can be used to execute the method of the second aspect. The device can be a first functional network element, or the device can be a component in a second functional network element (for example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit), or the device can be a logic module or software corresponding to the second functional network element, or the device can be a device that can be used in combination with the second functional network element.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the device may include a module or unit corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect. The module or unit may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one possible implementation, the device may include a processing unit (also referred to as a processing module) and a communication unit (also referred to as a communication module), wherein the communication unit may be used to perform the functions of receiving and / or sending, and the processing unit may be used to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0056] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device, which can be used to execute the method of the third aspect. The device can be a first source node, or the device can be a component in the first source node (for example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit), or the device can be a logic module or software corresponding to the first source node, or the device can be a device that can be used in conjunction with the first source node.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the device may include a module or unit corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the third aspect. The module or unit may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one possible implementation, the device may include a processing unit (also referred to as a processing module) and a communication unit (also referred to as a communication module), wherein the communication unit may be used to perform the functions of receiving and / or sending, and the processing unit may be used to perform the method described in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, the devices of other source nodes corresponding to the first service are similar to the first source node and will not be described in detail.

[0059] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a device comprising: at least one processor and a communication interface; wherein the communication interface is used to communicate with other devices; the processor is used to run a set of programs so that the device can implement the method provided in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation manner thereof, or so that the device can implement the method provided in the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation manner thereof, or so that the device can implement the method provided in the above-mentioned third aspect or any possible implementation manner thereof.

[0060] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a computer, it can implement the method provided by the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation method thereof, or implement the method provided by the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation method thereof, or implement the method provided by the above-mentioned third aspect or any possible implementation method thereof.

[0061] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions, which, when run on a computer, enables the execution of the method provided in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or enables the execution of the method provided in the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or enables the execution of the method provided in the above-mentioned third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0062] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, which includes a processor for supporting a first functional network element to implement the functions involved in the above-mentioned first aspect; or for supporting a second functional network element to implement the functions involved in the above-mentioned second aspect; or for supporting a first source node to implement the functions involved in the above-mentioned third aspect.

[0063] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data for execution by the loading device. The chip system can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0064] It should be noted that the technical effects that can be achieved by any possible implementation method of the above-mentioned fourth to eleventh aspects or the fourth to eleventh aspects can be correspondingly described with reference to the technical effects that can be achieved by any possible implementation method of the above-mentioned first to third aspects or the first to third aspects; they will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a data plane functional architecture;

[0066] FIG2A is a schematic diagram of a mapping relationship between 4G and 5G data channels and underlying bearers;

[0067] FIG2B is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific mapping relationship between data channels and underlying bearers in a 5G PCC architecture;

[0068] FIG3 is a schematic diagram comparing the strategy architecture proposed in an embodiment of the present application with the current architecture;

[0069] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting unified policy architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the position of a DFP protocol layer in a 6G data plane protocol stack provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for determining a service policy according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of strategies for three business dimensions provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG8A is a schematic diagram of a mapping relationship between UE1, RAN1, and PEF provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG8B is a schematic diagram of a specific mapping relationship between UE1, RAN1, and PEF provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG9A is a schematic diagram of a process flow of an embodiment provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG9B is a schematic diagram of a strategy architecture of an AI training service provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG10A is a schematic diagram of a process of another embodiment provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG10B is a schematic diagram of a policy architecture of a perception service provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of another chip device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. The terms used in the following embodiments are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. As used in the specification and claims of this application, the singular expressions "one", "a kind of", "said", "above", "the" and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the embodiments of the present application, for the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, it means "singular noun or plural noun", that is, "one or more". "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 can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c means: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or plural.

[0083] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways, and the "implementation methods" in this specification are the same as above. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. Words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions, and any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. The use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0084] The multiple involved in the embodiments of the present application refers to greater than or equal to two. It should be noted that, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the words "first", "second", "1", "2", etc. are used to distinguish the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying order. In addition, the term "used for indication" mentioned in the description of the embodiments of the present application 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. In addition, the steps corresponding to the dotted boxes or dotted lines in the drawings of the specification are represented as optional steps.

[0085] This application provides a method for determining a business policy. To better understand the embodiments of this application, the following explains the relevant technical features and names involved in the embodiments of this application. It should be noted that these explanations are intended to make the embodiments of this application easier to understand and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0086] 1. Data plane functional architecture:

[0087] Building a standardized data service architecture based on the data plane can provide trusted data for intelligent services such as artificial intelligence (AI) and perception in communication networks. Figure 1 shows a data plane functional architecture. The data plane mainly includes data orchestration (DO), data agent (DA), trust anchor agent (TAA), and data storage function (DSF).

[0088] Data Orchestration (DO): Responsible for coarse-grained, non-real-time data orchestration tasks. Based on received data service requests, DO selects data agents (DAs) and orchestrates and manages DA functions. This allows DOs to dynamically establish an end-to-end (E2E) logical overlay data transmission network topology for data applications, orchestrate the flow of data between DAs within this network, and provide responses to requests back to applications.

[0089] The DO can also convert received data service requests into corresponding data pipeline construction requests and send them to the data controller DC. The DO can also be responsible for collaborating with other network services. For example, the computing power network service orchestrates computing power, while the DO orchestrates data. In some embodiments, the DO and DC can also be deployed on the same physical device.

[0090] In addition, DO has a built-in data security and privacy protection technology library, which includes differential privacy, homomorphic encryption, zero-knowledge proof and other counts, which are used to provide data security and privacy protection capabilities and empower DA with data protection technology on demand.

[0091] Data controller (DC): Responsible for fine-grained, real-time orchestration. The DC monitors and manages data access authorization (DA) in real time, assembling data pipelines based on DA capabilities and data service requirements. The collaboration between the DO and the DC enables data pipeline elasticity (the ability to quickly adapt to changing requirements) and programmability (the ability to flexibly configure the data pipeline).

[0092] Data agent (DA): Provides data collection, preprocessing, storage, and analysis. DAs can be deployed in network functions (NFs), radio access networks (RANs), transfer network (TN) nodes, terminals, and the operator's network operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) system. They can also be deployed standalone.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present application, the DO / DC can select a data agent DA based on business needs and the capabilities reported by each DA, and orchestrate the DA to establish a dynamic data bearer for providing services for the business. A data bearer has a business identifier (ID) and a data service task identifier (DSID), and a data bearer can be composed of multiple data pipelines, each of which has its own ID, such as a data pipeline identifier (DPID). Each data pipeline is composed of a series of data processing units on demand and in sequence, and the output of the previous unit is the input of the next unit. Therefore, the data stream carried by the data bearer, from data collection, preprocessing, storage to application / analysis, can be output from the DA according to business needs, and provided by the DA to external applications through the service interface.

[0094] Data storage function DSF: DSF is an extension of DA storage, supporting the storage of streaming and batch type data; and supports distributed or centralized deployment.

[0095] Trusted Anchor Agent (TAA): Provides trusted services such as authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA). It can store immutable data, such as public keys for terminals or network devices, short transactions, indexes, or critical data that cannot be tampered with. This data service architecture uses the trusted anchor agent to enable users to control their data, ensuring data reliability, auditability, and traceability, meeting compliance requirements such as the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

[0096] 2. Policy and Charging Control (PCC) Architecture

[0097] The PCC architecture is a commonly used policy architecture in current mobile communication networks. The PCC architecture of 4G or LTE networks is centered around the PCRF, which assists with service data flow detection, policy implementation, and flow-based charging, ensuring reliable monitoring of services or use cases and the costs associated with each use case. The PCF is the core of the PCC architecture of 5G networks. It is an evolution of the 4G Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), adding the ability to request and monitor service quality on a per-session basis. In addition to retaining session-based functionality, the PCF adds additional capabilities, including control of network slicing and new control mechanisms for terminal activities, such as roaming and mobility management.

[0098] The differences between the 4G and 5G policy architectures are as follows:

[0099] (1) The mapping relationship between data channels and underlying bearers is different: 4G has end-to-end (E2E) bearers, such as the evolved packet system (EPS) bearer, which implements end-to-end QoS. 5G's end-to-end E2E transmission is through QoS flows, and the transmission involves two levels of mapping, such as the mapping of the 5G next-generation user plane function tunnel (NG-U Tunnel) and the mapping of the radio bearer (RB).

[0100] 4G first-level mapping: There is a one-to-one correspondence between the underlying bearers of 4G. The sending end completes the mapping of data packets to the evolved packet system EPS bearers, that is, the association of data packets to bearers can be achieved. As shown in (1) in Figure 2A, for the mapping of uplink EPS bearers, between the user equipment UE and the base station eNode, the physical transmission channel of the EPS bearer is the radio bearer RB. The UE can map an uplink service (such as APP1) data to an RB through the uplink (UL) traffic flow template (TFT) (TFT is a set of packet filters (PF)) and send it to the base station eNodeB. The UE can also aggregate and map multiple uplink services (such as APP2 and APP3) data to an RB through the UL TFT (a set of multiple PFs) and send it to the base station eNodeB. Between the eNodeB and the serving gateway (S-GW), the physical transmission channel of the EPS bearer can be a dedicated bearer (a type of S1 bearer). The eNode can map the RBs one by one to the dedicated bearer and transmit them to the S-GW through the dedicated bearer. Between the S-GW and the packet gateway (PDN) The physical transmission channel for EPS bearers between the service provider gateway (P-GW) and the service provider gateway (S-GW) is the S5 / S8 bearer (GTP tunnel). The S-GW can map dedicated bearers one by one to S5 / S8 bearers and transmit them to the P-GW via the S5 / S8 bearer. For downlink EPS bearer mapping, the P-GW can use the downlink (DL) transport flow template (TFT) to map the data of a service (such as application APP1) to an S5 / S8 bearer. It can also use the DL TFT to aggregate and map the data of multiple services (such as APP2 and APP3) to an S5 / S8 bearer and send it to the S-GW. The S-GW then maps the S5 / S8 bearers one by one to dedicated bearers and sends them to the eNodeB. The eNodeB then maps the dedicated bearers one by one to RBs and sends them to the terminal.

[0101] Secondary mapping of 5G: The data packet transmitter maps the data packet to the QoS flow, and the QoS flow on the air interface side to the radio bearer; it can achieve end-to-end association between the data packet and the QoS flow; the mapping relationship between the data packet and the QoS flow, as well as the mapping relationship between the QoS flow and the radio bearer, are both N:1, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. As shown in (2) in Figure 2A, the mapping between the UE and the access network (AN) is the mapping between the QoS flow and the radio bearer, and the mapping between the access network AN and the user plane function (UPF) in the core network is the mapping between the radio bearer and the next generation user plane function tunnel (NG-U tunnel). The mapping relationship between the radio bearer and the next generation user plane function tunnel (NG-U tunnel) is M:1, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0102] Figure 2B illustrates the specific policy mapping relationships for 5G. As shown in Figure 2B, the first-level mapping maps data packets to QoS flows, while the second-level mapping maps QoS flows on the air interface to data radio bearers (DRBs). The mapping between QoS rules and QoS flows on the UE, and between packet description rules (PDRs) and QoS flows on the user plane function (UPF), is an N:1 relationship (N is an integer greater than or equal to 1). A QoS flow identifier (QFI) can be added to the user plane protocol stacks of the UE and gNB. The receiver can read the value of this identifier to perform the mapping between QoS flows and DRBs.

[0103] (2) The service offloading mechanisms of 4G and 5G are different: a PDU session has only one N3 / N9 tunnel. The N3 / N9 interface uses the general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) and only uses one tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID). If different QFIs are to be identified, a new field is required. The GTP tunnel of the user plane message of the N3 interface encapsulates the QFI parameter in the message header. The padding in the signaling file is divided into four bits, the first two bits are used to identify the uplink or downlink, and the last two bits are used to identify the QFI.

[0104] In the 4G strategy architecture, all data flows on the same bearer receive the same QoS guarantees (e.g., scheduling policy, buffer queue management, link layer configuration, etc.). Different QoS guarantees utilize different EPS bearer types. The 4G QoS architecture suffers from coarse QoS control granularity, high signaling overhead, and lengthy QoS control interaction processes, making it unsuitable for bursty or integrated services.

[0105] The 5G QoS architecture, with its fundamental granularity refined to QoS flows, offers a two-level mapping approach that allows the RAN a degree of freedom compared to 4G QoS control. The 5G QoS architecture enhances the flexibility and adaptability of service bearer control.

[0106] With the evolution of communication technologies, communication systems will not only provide connectivity services but also integrate new services such as perception, computing, intelligence, and trust to provide comprehensive services. However, the existing policy architecture cannot meet or support the policy requirements of these new services. For example, the following reasons may exist:

[0107] (1) New services such as perception and AI have more flexible source and destination nodes, rather than being anchored at the UE or UPF. They may terminate at the RAN node, which poses challenges to service classification and policy execution. The existing PCC architecture does not support this. Security and sustainability require a unified network-wide strategy.

[0108] (2) The current policy architecture is not service-aware. It adds QoS tags based on information such as 5-tuples from the uplink and downlink sources and performs traffic diversion from the UE perspective. However, for services with multiple UEs or multiple sources (such as AI and perception), there is a lack of a global policy orchestration mechanism.

[0109] (3) The current policy architecture lacks the ability to perceive and update policies in real time, especially on the RAN side. In 5G networks, QoS requirements are determined by the core network. Since the core network cannot obtain real-time information such as resource conditions and air interface changes on the access network side in a timely manner, the core network only formulates QoS policies and parameters based on user contract information and service requirements. This will lead to a mismatch between the service QoS requirements and the network's QoS capabilities, resulting in poor service experience and inefficient network operation.

[0110] In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a policy architecture and technical solutions that can support or meet the policy requirements of various services (including new services introduced in the communication network). The policy architecture and technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems that have evolved after 5G, such as 6G communication systems. Similarly, a policy architecture and technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to 4G communication systems, such as long-term evolution LTE communication systems, and can also be applied to 5G communication systems, such as 5G new radio (NR) communication systems, without limitation. In addition, the policy architecture and technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to satellite communication systems, wherein the satellite communication system can be integrated with the above-mentioned communication system. Of course, the policy architecture and technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other communication systems, as long as the communication system has a policy formulation requirement. In addition, the communication system can be applicable to future-oriented communication technologies. The system described in the embodiments of the present application is to more clearly illustrate the policy architecture and technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the policy architecture and technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. It is known to those skilled in the art that with the evolution of network architecture, the policy architecture and technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0111] The following is an introduction to the policy architecture provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0112] A policy architecture proposed in an embodiment of the present application adds policy services for security, data, sustainability and other businesses in addition to the existing connection policies. These policy services can be called policy services beyond connection or other names, which are not limited.

[0113] Figure 3 shows a policy architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application and several existing policy architectures. Figure 3 (1) shows the 3G policy architecture, and Figure 3 (2) shows the 4G policy architecture. It can be seen that the 3G and 4G policy architectures provide quality of service (QoS) management and billing. Figure 3 (3) shows the 5G policy architecture. It can be seen that the 5G policy architecture has added access management (AM) and UE access policy management. In short, 3G to 5G is mainly a policy architecture for connection, that is, a strategy for establishing a communication channel between the UE and the network anchor point (such as the public data network (PDN) gateway (GW) of 4G and the UPF of 5G).

[0114] (4) in Figure 3 shows a policy architecture that supports policy services beyond connections proposed in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in (4) in Figure 3, this policy architecture is a policy architecture that adds a policy architecture beyond connections on the basis of the connection policy architecture. The policy architecture beyond connections mainly includes functions such as policy control function (PCF), policy delivery function (PDF) and policy enforcement function (PEF). The original policy architecture including PCF, session management function (SMF) / access and mobility management function (AMF) and user plane function (UPF) can still be used to serve connection policies.

[0115] Figure 4 shows a possible, non-restrictive unified policy architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the policy architecture includes unified data management (UDM), policy control function PCF, network data analytics function (NWDAF), access and mobility management function AMF, session management function SMF, user equipment (UE), (radio) access network (R)AN), and user plane function UPF.

[0116] In addition, new functions / network elements for providing policy services beyond the connection are added to this policy architecture, including: a policy decision function beyond the connection, a policy transmission function beyond the connection (such as the PDF in Figure 4), a policy execution function beyond the connection (such as the PEF in Figure 4), and a management function beyond the connection (such as the service subscriber management (xSSM) in Figure 4).

[0117] Among them, the policy decision-making function beyond the connection can obtain the user contract information of the service (the service beyond the connection) from the management function beyond the connection, and then formulate the service policy based on the user contract information of the service, and then send the service policy to the policy transmission function beyond the connection; the policy transmission function beyond the connection can generate policy parameters of specific business dimensions based on the service policy and combined with the actual needs of the service, network status and other information, and then send the policy parameters of specific business dimensions to the policy execution function beyond the connection for execution.

[0118] In the above description, the policy decision-making function beyond connectivity can be integrated or built into the PCF in Figure 4, or it can be a separate NF or network element, without limitation. If the policy decision-making function beyond connectivity is integrated or built into the PCF, it is equivalent to adding policy decision-making functions for new services (such as security, data, and sustainability) on top of the existing PCF functions.

[0119] The following is a detailed introduction to each network element / function / device in the policy architecture shown in Figure 4.

[0120] The functions of UDM include: user subscription context management, responsible for managing UE subscription data, and notifying the corresponding network elements when the subscription data is modified.

[0121] The functions of NWDAF include: collecting data from NFs (such as SMF, UPF, AMF, etc.), application functions (AF), and the operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) system of the operator network, analyzing the collected data, and feeding the analysis results back to NFs and AFs for subsequent processing.

[0122] The functions of AMF include: UE access management and mobility management, responsible for UE status maintenance, UE reachability management, mobility management (MM) non-access-stratum (NAS) message forwarding, session management (SM) N2 message forwarding, etc.

[0123] The SMF's functions include allocating and releasing resources for UE sessions. These resources include session quality of service (QoS), session paths, and forwarding rules. The SMF is responsible for selecting or reselecting UPFs, allocating Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and establishing, modifying, and releasing bearers.

[0124] User equipment UE: User equipment can refer to a terminal device that can communicate with the core network through the access network AN. The terminal device can include an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The access terminal can be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal in various communication networks evolved after 5G (such as a 6G communication network), etc.

[0125] The functions of (R)AN include: providing wireless connections for terminal devices and ensuring reliable transmission of uplink and downlink data of terminal devices.

[0126] In one possible scenario, an access network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, a satellite, an access point (AP) in a WiFi system, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a mobile switching center, or a network device in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system, i.e., it can be deployed on a high-altitude platform or satellite. The access network device can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. The access network device can also be a device that functions as a base station in device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, drone communication, or machine communication. Optionally, the access network device may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device, etc. For example, the access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU).

[0127] In another possible scenario, multiple access network devices collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different access network devices respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the access network device can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). It can be understood that the access network device can be a CU node, a DU node, or a device including a CU node and a DU node. In addition, the CU can be divided into a device in the radio access network RAN, or the CU can be divided into a device in the core network (CN), without limitation here.

[0128] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (open RAN, ORAN) 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 takes 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.

[0129] The functions of UPF include: a functional network element of the user plane of the terminal device, whose main functions include packet routing and forwarding, quality of service (QoS) processing of user plane data, etc. In a possible implementation, it can support the insertion of multiple session anchor points UPF on the user plane path of a protocol data unit (PDU) session to support the connection to the local data network (DN), so that the terminal device can access the application in the local DN nearby. Specifically, multiple UPFs can be included between the terminal device and the DN, of which some UPFs can serve as uplink classifiers (ULCL) or branching points (BP); some UPFs can serve as PDU session anchors (PSA).

[0130] xSSM's functions include storing and managing user contract information, new user account opening requests, and service subscriptions.

[0131] x can be used to represent the corresponding service. x can be the service name or code, such as "Sensing," "AI," or "Data." When xSSM is "Sensing SSM," it indicates user management for the sensing service. When xSSM is "AI SSM," it indicates user management for the artificial intelligence service.

[0132] In the embodiment of the present application, the xSSM can be combined with the unified data management function UDM, or the xSSM can be combined with other storage / management network elements, or the xSSM can be deployed independently, without limitation.

[0133] The functions of PDF include: generating policy parameters corresponding to specific business dimensions (such as each data pipeline) based on the business policy from PCF and combining the actual business needs, network status and other information, and sending them to PEF for execution.

[0134] Exemplarily, the functions of PDF may include: 1. If PDF is set in DO / DC, DO / DC selects to establish data bearer and determines source node and destination node according to the business and PCF policy, and PDF sends the establishment strategy of the DPID pipe to be built to the PEF of the source node and destination node (uplink and downlink) respectively; 2. Generates data transmission strategy, billing method, access strategy when user arrears, incentive policy, etc. (the business dimension strategy is decided by PCF, PDF determines the management / strategy specific to each data pipeline DP, and sends it to PEF for execution); 3. PDF determines the service quality value of the business and sends it to the PEF of the source node and destination node corresponding to the data bearer of the business.

[0135] In an embodiment of the present application, PDF can be deployed separately or inside any one of a data controller (DC), a sensing service control function (SSCF), a task anchor / task scheduler (TA / TS), etc. It can also be combined with any one of a data controller (DC), a sensing service control function (SSCF), a task anchor / task scheduler (TA / TS), etc. in the same device, without limitation.

[0136] In the above description, the DC (or DO), as a function in the data plane architecture, can be used to collect the capabilities reported by the underlying data agent (DA). Then, based on the service requirements and the reported capabilities of the DA, it selects the appropriate DA and orchestrates the data bearer, including the topology structure and node functions, to complete the service. In one possible implementation, the DC can be deployed in the access network (which can be called the data controller of the radio access network, RAN-DC) or in the core network (which can be called the data controller of the core network, CN-DC), without limitation.

[0137] The SSCF is a function within the perception architecture. Its responsibilities include receiving capability registrations from perception entities and implementing control and orchestration of perception services. The SSCF can communicate with other network functions (NFs) via a service-based interface (SBI). In one possible implementation, when building a perception data service architecture based on the data plane functional architecture shown in Figure 1 to provide data services for perception services, the SSCF can be considered the DO / DC within the data plane functional architecture.

[0138] TA / TS is a core function in the task architecture, which uses tasks as the central mechanism. Tasks can be defined and completed collaboratively through four elements: computing power, algorithms, data, and connections. TA / TS is used to decompose tasks into one or more subtasks and orchestrate and schedule the resources of these four elements to complete the task.

[0139] Exemplarily, after receiving the decision rules from the PCF, the PDF directly generates specific parameters for the business dimension policy according to the decision rules of the PCF, or the PDF generates specific parameters for the business dimension policy according to the decision rules of the PCF and in combination with the orchestration and control requirements of the DC, SSCF, TA / TS, etc., and then sends it to the PEF. In addition, the PDF can be directly sent to an independent PEF, or transparently transmitted to a built-in PEF via a network element, for example, the PDF is transparently transmitted to the PEF built-in to the UPF via the SMF, the PDF is transparently transmitted to the PEF built-in to the RAN via the AMF, and the PDF is transparently transmitted to the built-in PEF such as the UE via the non-access layer NAS message, without limitation. Among them, the PDF can be a RAN-DC or a CN-DC, so that the PDF can sense resource changes in combination with the real-time reporting information of the DA and perform real-time policy updates, thereby realizing the integration and dynamic adaptation of the communication network and services, and the QoS supports cross-layer and cross-domain connectivity.

[0140] The functions of PEF include: PEF receives policy parameters issued by PDF, and performs business data collection and processing, etc.

[0141] In the embodiments of the present application, the PEF may be independently deployed or built into the UE, RAN node, UPF, etc., without limitation.

[0142] For example, in the perception architecture, the sensing data processing function (SDPF) is used to implement the data plane functions of the perception service. For example, the SDPF is used to process the perception data of the perception service to obtain the perception results of the perception service. Therefore, the PEF can also be built into or integrated into the SDPF. In one possible implementation, when building a perception data service architecture based on the data plane functional architecture shown in Figure 1 to provide data services for perception services, the SDPF can be equivalent to the DA in the data plane functional architecture.

[0143] PEF is executed on a service-by-service basis. A service is provided by a data bearer, which is identified by a data service task identifier (DSID). A data bearer can consist of one or more data pipes, each identified by a data pipeline identifier (DPID). The minimum granularity of PEF execution policy is the data pipe (or, in other words, the data pipe is the basic unit of PEF execution policy).

[0144] The minimum granularity for QoS processing is the data pipes (with the same DPID) between the source and destination nodes that have the same QoS requirements and belong to the same service. QoS for data pipes can be controlled by a PDF, pre-configured, or determined or established during the establishment or modification of the data pipe IP address (DPIP). This is not specifically limited.

[0145] In the embodiment of the present application, there are ground side mapping and air interface bearer mapping on the PEF side, as shown below:

[0146] 1. Ground-side mapping: Mapping of data pipelines to tunnels (at both ends of the ground). 2. Air interface bearer mapping: Mapping of data pipelines to data radio bearers (DRBs) (i.e., mapping between both ends of the air interface).

[0147] In an embodiment of the present application, when establishing a tunnel, the source end can add a QoS identifier / label to the corresponding protocol layer of the data based on the transport protocol. In addition, a terminal can have multiple DRBs to the air interface, and the correspondence between DRBs and services (or data pipes) can be 1:N.

[0148] Figure 5 shows the location of a data forwarding protocol (DFP) layer in the data plane protocol stack. As shown in Figure 5, the data plane protocol stack may include the data forwarding protocol (DFP) layer, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, the radio link control (RLC) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, and the physical (PHY) layer. The DFP layer includes the following two functions:

[0149] Function 1: The DFP layer at the transmitting (or source) end can add a QoS identifier / label, such as a QoS ID, to an uplink or downlink data packet. Correspondingly, the DFP layer at the receiving (or destination) end can read the QoS identifier / label from the uplink or downlink data packet. Function 2: Map one or more data pipelines to a data radio bearer (DRB).

[0150] Exemplarily, for a downlink data packet, the source-side PEF sends the downlink data packet to the destination-side UE, or the source-side RAN1 node sends the downlink data packet to the destination-side RAN2 node, or the source-side NF1 node sends the downlink data packet to the destination-side NF2 node. The source-side PEF, the RAN1 node, or the DFP layer of NF1 adds a QoS identifier / label to the downlink data packet and sends the downlink data packet carrying the QoS identifier / label.

[0151] In addition, if the intermediate end to which the downlink data packet carrying the QoS identifier / label reaches is a RAN node, then secondary mapping (ie, ground-side mapping and air interface bearer mapping) is performed on the RAN side.

[0152] For uplink data packets, when the source UE sends an uplink data packet to the destination PEF, the UE adds a QoS identifier / label to the uplink data packet (or the header of the uplink data packet). When the source RAN node sends an uplink data packet to the PEF, the RAN node adds a QoS label / label to the uplink data packet (or the header of the uplink data packet).

[0153] In addition, if the intermediate end to which the uplink data packet carrying the QoS identifier / label arrives is a RAN node, then secondary mapping (ie, ground-side mapping and air interface bearer mapping) is performed on the RAN side.

[0154] In the embodiments of the present application, the data radio bearer may also be referred to as a data air interface bearer, or other names, without limitation. The above-mentioned ground-side mapping and air interface bearer mapping may also be named by other names, for example, air interface bearer mapping may be referred to as air interface mapping, etc., without limitation, and may be replaced accordingly depending on the application scenario, as long as the substantive content is expressed in the same way.

[0155] PCF: Provides user policy management, generates and manages user, session, and QoS flow processing policies, and makes policy decisions for new services (security, data, sustainability, etc.).

[0156] Specifically, PCF not only has the policy decision-making functions for connection, billing, and access (such as AM access management and UE access policy management), but also adds policy decision-making functions for data (such as perception, AI, network, IoT, machine data), security, and sustainability.

[0157] For example, as shown in Table 1, the policies that PCF can formulate / determine include not only connection, billing, and access policies, but also data, security, and sustainability policies. Each policy has a corresponding input source and output. For each policy, PCF obtains the policy input information from the corresponding input source, performs policy calculations based on the policy input information, and determines the corresponding policy output.

[0158] For connection policies (such as connection + billing + access policy): The PCF can obtain user subscription information from the UDM, calculate the quality assurance of the user's Internet access, and match "rules". The "rules" will carry the QoS parameters of the user's access service determined by the PCF. The PCF can also dynamically adjust policy parameters based on the real-time analysis of the network status by the NWDAF and send them to the SMF / AMF, UPF, or UE.

[0159] For policies beyond connectivity (i.e., policies other than connection, billing, and access policies, such as data, security, and sustainability policies): PCF can obtain the service user's contract information from xSSM, calculate the service quality indicators for the service, and send it to PDF. PDF then generates specific service-dimensional policy parameters based on the actual needs of the service and sends them to each PEF. For example, PDF sends service-dimensional policy parameters along with the match and action (M&A) mechanism. PCF can also dynamically adjust policy parameters from the service dimension based on the real-time analysis results of the network status by NWDAF, and send them to each PEF. In this application, the M&A mechanism refers to setting at least one collection / filtering condition in the data orchestration DO or data controller DC, as well as the corresponding actions for each collection / filtering condition, sending the M&A to the data processing node, and executing the corresponding action when the data packet matches a certain collection / filtering condition.

[0160] Table 1

[0161] The above Table 1 is only shown as an example of part of the policy content. In fact, the policy architecture proposed in the embodiment of the present application may support more or less policy content, which will not be listed in detail here.

[0162] The above Figure 4 is only an example of a policy architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. Compared with the policy architecture shown in Figure 4, the policy architecture provided by the embodiment of the present application may actually include more or fewer functional network elements, etc., and there is no limitation on this. The policy architecture provided by the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to other communication networks / systems / scenarios. If applied in other communication networks / systems / scenarios, all or part of the functional network elements shown in Figure 4 can be replaced accordingly. In addition, the functional network elements in the policy architecture of the embodiment of the present application can also be represented by other names, and there is no limitation on this.

[0163] The above is a detailed introduction to the policy architecture proposed in the embodiment of the present application. The description of the policy architecture and business scenarios in the embodiment of the present application is to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiment of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiment of the present application. It is known to those skilled in the art that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the policy architecture provided in the embodiment of the present application is also applicable.

[0164] Some scenarios in the embodiments of the present application are illustrated using the scenarios of 5G / 6G communication networks in wireless communication networks as examples. It should be noted that the solutions in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other wireless communication networks, and the corresponding names can also be replaced by the names of corresponding functions in other wireless communication networks.

[0165] The technical solution of this application is introduced below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0166] The embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a business policy, which is applicable to but not limited to the policy architecture shown in Figure 4. The method can be executed by a first functional network element, a second functional network element, and an execution node (for example, a first source node); or the method can be executed by components (modules, chips, etc.) corresponding to the first functional network element, the second functional network element, and the execution node; or the method can be executed by a device that matches and uses the first functional network element, the second functional network element, and the execution node; it can be understood that the present application does not make specific restrictions on the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application and the number of each execution subject. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the interaction between the first functional network element, the second functional network element, and the first source node will be used as an example for explanation below. The order of steps in the following processes is only an example. In actual applications, the execution order of the steps in each process can be adjusted.

[0167] Please refer to Figure 6, the specific process of this method is as follows:

[0168] S601: A first functional network element obtains user information of a first service.

[0169] In the embodiment of the present application, the first functional network element can be deployed independently in the network, or the first functional network element can be co-located with the policy control functional network element in the network, or the first functional network element can be a policy control functional network element, which is not limited.

[0170] In addition, the first business may be, but is not limited to, one or more of, a perception business, an artificial intelligence business, a network business, an Internet of Things business, a security business, and a sustainable business.

[0171] For example, perception services may include identification, speed measurement, distance measurement, and target positioning. Artificial intelligence services may include anomaly detection, intelligent services, intelligent orchestration and scheduling, and intelligent agents. Network services may include network operator services, such as network optimization, maintenance, operation, and construction. Physical network services may include services such as autonomous driving or intelligent transportation systems that require analysis of data generated by sensors, IoT machines, and connected devices or facilities in the Internet of Vehicles. Security services may include security and privacy protection services for network elements, networks, and systems. Sustainable services may include services focused on green energy conservation and sustainability.

[0172] In a possible implementation, the user information of the first service may include, but is not limited to, one or more of: user contract information of the first service, user account opening information of the first service, and service subscription information of the first service.

[0173] In one possible implementation, the first functional network element obtains user information of the first service, including: the first functional network element obtains user information of the first service from the service user management network element; wherein, the service user management network element can be independently deployed in the network, or the service user management network element and the data storage network element can be jointly established, or the service user management network element is a data storage network element, for example, the data storage network element can be a unified data management UDM network element.

[0174] Exemplarily, service user management (or service user management network element) can be expressed as xSSM, where x can represent the corresponding service, for example, user management of sensing services is expressed as sensing SSM, user management of AI services is expressed as AI SSM, and user management of data services is expressed as data SSM.

[0175] S602: The first functional network element determines policy information of the first service according to user information of the first service; the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and service quality information of the first service.

[0176] For example, the user information of the first service may be equivalent to the input information of the policy provided by the policy input source in Table 1. The policy information of the first service may be equivalent to the output of the policy in Table 1.

[0177] In an embodiment of the present application, the execution scope of the first service may be the network area where the first service is executed, or the candidate node corresponding to the first service, or the candidate data pipeline corresponding to the first service, and no specific limitation is made to this. Furthermore, there is no limitation on the number of network areas where the first service is executed, the number of candidate nodes corresponding to the first service, and the number of candidate pipelines corresponding to the first service. In addition, the execution scope information of the first service may include one or more of the information of the network area of ​​the first service, the information of the candidate node, and the information of the candidate data pipeline. The specific form of the execution scope information of the first service may be information, a list, and the like.

[0178] Exemplarily, the execution scope information of the first service is a list of network areas where the first service is executed, and the list may include one or more areas.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the quality of service of the first service may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the bandwidth information of the first service, the priority information of the first service, the delay information of the first service, the delay variation information of the first service, the security level information of the first service, the privacy level information of the first service, the transmission rate information of the first service, the routing information of the first service, and the key information used by the first service (such as the length and type of the key, etc.).

[0180] Exemplarily, the bandwidth information of the first service may include the type of bandwidth occupied by the first service (e.g., uplink bandwidth, downlink bandwidth), bandwidth size, etc. The delay information of the first service may include: the maximum or minimum transmission delay (or calculation delay, or collection delay, etc.) supported for the first service data / information. The delay variation information of the first service may include: the offset of the supported transmission delay (or calculation delay offset, or collection delay offset, etc.) for the first service data / information. The transmission rate information of the first service may include the maximum or minimum rate for transmitting the data / information of the first service. The routing information of the first service may include the path information for transmitting the data of the first service (e.g., the addresses of the nodes and interfaces involved), etc. The key information used by the first service may include the key type and key length used to encrypt or decrypt the data / information of the first service. The priority information of the first service may include the priority of transmitting or processing the data / information of the first service. The privacy level information of the first service may include the privacy security level or privacy risk level of the data / information of the first service.

[0181] In a possible implementation, the policy information of the first service may further include one or more of the following: collection policy information of the first service, flow policy information of the first service, calculation policy information of the first service, and security policy information of the first service, which is not limited to this.

[0182] For example, the collection policy information for the first service may include the data collection channels and methods for the first service. The flow policy information for the first service may provide a data carrying structure strategy for implementing the first service, which may include topological information such as the source, destination, intermediate nodes, and data pipelines, as well as policies such as the bandwidth and latency required for data flow. The computation policy information for the first service may include the algorithm or method used for computation, the participating nodes, and the computation time. The security policy information for the first service may include the integrity of the first service and whether the data / information of the first service is privacy-protected.

[0183] S603: The first functional network element sends the policy information of the first service to the second functional network element. Correspondingly, the second functional network element receives the policy information of the first service.

[0184] In the embodiment of the present application, the second function network element can be independently deployed in the core network, access network, or network management system, or the second function network element can be co-located with the first service network element; wherein the first service network element can be, but is not limited to, any of the following:

[0185] Data controller DC (such as DC of access network or DC of core network), perception service control function, task anchor point, and task scheduling.

[0186] S604: The second functional network element obtains network status information and / or node capability information within the execution scope of the first service.

[0187] Exemplarily, the network status information within the execution scope of the first service may include status information of each node, each link, etc. within the execution scope. For example, the node / link status information may include the node / link address, the node / link load, whether the node / link is occupied, whether the node / link is stable / healthy, etc. The node capability information may include the node's service capability, computing capability, etc., without limitation.

[0188] In an embodiment of the present application, in the case where the execution scope of the first service includes the network area where the first service is executed, the second functional network element obtains the network status information (such as network load, link load, etc.) in the network area and / or the capability information of each node in the network area (such as the business service capability, computing capability, etc. of the node). In the case where the execution scope of the first service includes the candidate nodes corresponding to the first service, the second functional network element can obtain the status information of these candidate nodes (such as the load of the node, whether the node is robust, etc.) and / or the capability information of these candidate nodes (such as the business service capability, computing capability of the node). In the case where the execution scope of the first service includes the candidate pipelines corresponding to the first service, the second functional network element can obtain the status information and / or capability information of each node (such as one or more of the source node, intermediate node, and destination node) corresponding to these candidate data pipelines, and can also obtain the status information of these candidate data pipelines (such as the load of the data pipeline, whether it is robust, etc.). The second functional network element can flexibly obtain the network status information and / or capability information within the execution scope of the first service according to the actual policy information of the first service, and there is no specific limitation on this.

[0189] S605: The second functional network element determines data bearer information and service quality information of the data bearer of the first service according to the policy information of the first service and the network status information and / or node capability information.

[0190] The data bearer information may include information about at least one data pipeline within the execution scope of the first service, and the data bearer quality of service information may include quality of service information corresponding to the at least one data pipeline. The at least one data pipeline may be used to carry / transmit data of the first service.

[0191] In one possible implementation, the second functional network element executing S605 may include: determining the destination node information and source node information corresponding to at least one data pipeline within the execution scope of the first service based on the execution scope information of the first service, the status information of the network and / or the node capability information; and then determining the service quality information corresponding to the at least one data pipeline based on the service quality information of the first service, the status information of the network and / or the node capability information.

[0192] In an embodiment of the present application, the information of each data pipeline includes information of at least one destination node and information of at least one source node. Optionally, the information of any one or more of the at least one data pipeline also includes information of at least one intermediate node.

[0193] Exemplarily, the information of each node may be address information of the node, identification information of the node, and the like.

[0194] In an embodiment of the present application, the source node, the destination node or the intermediate node can be regarded as a policy execution function network element; the policy execution function network element can be independently deployed in the network and serve the second service network element, or the policy execution function network element can be deployed in the second service network element; wherein, the second service network element can be but is not limited to: a terminal, a wireless access network node, an access and mobility management function, a session management function, a unified data storage repository, a user plane function, and a perception data processing function.

[0195] In an embodiment of the present application, the quality of service information corresponding to each data pipeline may include, but is not limited to: bandwidth information of the data pipeline, priority information of the data pipeline, latency information of the data pipeline, latency variation information of the data pipeline (e.g., latency variation, latency jitter), security level information of the data pipeline, privacy level information of the data pipeline, transmission rate information of the data pipeline, routing information of the data pipeline, and key information used by the data pipeline. In one possible implementation, the second functional network element may further determine one or more of the following: collection policy information, flow policy information, calculation policy information, and security policy information corresponding to the data pipeline.

[0196] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the second functional network element sending, based on information about at least one source node corresponding to each data pipeline, quality of service information of the corresponding data pipeline to the at least one source node. The source node information may be, without limitation, node address information or a node identifier.

[0197] The following S606-S607 is described using the first source node of the first data pipeline corresponding to the first service as an example. For other source nodes of the first data pipeline or source nodes of other data pipelines, the steps performed by the first source node can be implemented with reference to the steps performed by the first source node. This embodiment of the application does not further describe all source nodes in detail.

[0198] S606: The second functional network element sends the service quality information of the first data pipeline to the first source node of the first data pipeline, where the first data pipeline is any one of the at least one data pipeline corresponding to the first service.

[0199] Exemplarily, the second functional network element sends the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipeline to the first source node according to the address information of the first source node of the first data pipeline.

[0200] S607: The first source node sends data of the first service and indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline.

[0201] In the embodiment of the present application, the first source node may send the data of the first service and the indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipeline including but not limited to the following implementations:

[0202] Implementation method 1: When a first source node is deployed in a first radio access network node, the first source node sending data of a first service and indication information of service quality information of a first data pipeline may include: the first source node first mapping the first data pipeline to a corresponding first communication tunnel; and then sending the data of the first service and indication information of service quality information of the first data pipeline to a second radio access network node or a core network element through the first communication tunnel. The second radio access network node (or core network element) may be a destination node or an intermediate node corresponding to the first data pipeline.

[0203] In the embodiment of the present application, at least one communication tunnel (including the first communication tunnel) may be established in advance or in real time, without limitation. The first source node may match the corresponding communication tunnel according to the quality of service information of the first data pipeline.

[0204] Exemplarily, a quality of service QoS value or quality of service QoS range corresponding to at least one communication tunnel (including the first communication tunnel) is pre-set; if the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipeline is the quality of service QoS value corresponding to the first communication tunnel, or the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipeline is within the quality of service QoS range corresponding to the first communication tunnel, it is determined that the communication tunnel matched by the first data pipeline is the first communication tunnel.

[0205] In a possible implementation, the first communication tunnel may further correspond to a second data pipeline, and the second data pipeline is used to carry / transmit data of the second service.

[0206] In an embodiment of the present application, the data pipeline of the same service may correspond to the same communication tunnel or to different communication tunnels, and the data pipelines of different services may correspond to different communication tunnels or to the same communication tunnel, which is not limited to this.

[0207] Implementation method 2: When the first source node is deployed in a terminal, the first source node sending data of a first service and indication information of service quality information of a first data pipe may include: the first source node first mapping the first data pipe to a corresponding first data radio bearer; and then sending the data of the first service and indication information of service quality information of the first data pipe to a radio access network node via the first data radio bearer. The radio access network node may be a destination node or an intermediate node corresponding to the first data pipe.

[0208] In the embodiment of the present application, at least one data radio bearer (including the first data radio bearer) may be established in advance or in real time, without limitation. The first source node may match the corresponding data radio bearer based on the quality of service information of the first data pipeline.

[0209] Exemplarily, a quality of service QoS value or quality of service QoS range corresponding to at least one data radio bearer (including a first data radio bearer) is pre-set; if the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipe is the quality of service QoS value corresponding to the first data radio bearer, or the quality of service QoS value of the first data pipe is within the quality of service QoS range corresponding to the first data radio bearer, it is determined that the data radio bearer matched by the first data pipe is the first data radio bearer.

[0210] In a possible implementation, the first data radio bearer may also correspond to a second data pipe, and the second data pipe is used to carry / transmit data of the second service.

[0211] In the embodiment of the present application, the data pipe of the same service may correspond to the same data radio bearer or to different data radio bearers, and the data pipes of different services may correspond to different data radio bearers or to the same data radio bearer, which is not limited to this.

[0212] In the embodiments of the present application, the data of the first service and the indication information of the quality of service information of the first data pipe (e.g., an identifier, label, name, etc. of the quality of service information) may be sent in the same data packet or message, or in different data packets / messages, without limitation. Furthermore, the indication information of the quality of service information of the first data pipe may be a value corresponding to the quality of service information of the first data pipe, or may be identification information (e.g., an identifier ID, label, name, etc.) used to identify the quality of service information of the first data pipe, without specific limitation.

[0213] In summary, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a service policy, the method comprising: a first functional network element obtains user information of a first service; based on the user information of the first service, determines the policy information of the first service; the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and service quality information of the first service; the first functional network element then sends the policy information of the first service to a second functional network element. It can be seen that in this method, the first functional network element determines the policy information of each service (including service quality information of the service and execution scope of the service) from the service dimension, and therefore can support providing policies for various services (including new services of communication network services), and can meet the policy requirements of various services (including new services of communication network services).

[0214] Based on the method for determining the service policy described in FIG6 , several specific implementations are further described below.

[0215] Implementation method one:

[0216] In the first embodiment, the policy architecture of 5G is mainly compared to introduce the policy and mapping of the service in the embodiment of the present application in detail. Taking three services as an example, FIG7 shows a policy example diagram of three service dimensions. As shown in FIG7 (1), the ID of service 1 is DSID1, and service 1 corresponds to two data pipes (DSID1 / DPID1 and DSID1 / DPID2) for carrying or transmitting. The IDs of these two data pipes are DPID1 and DPID2 respectively; wherein UE1 and UE2 are source nodes (PEF is deployed in each UE), and PEF1 is the destination node. The service quality value of service 1 can be set according to the needs of service 1, and the service quality values ​​of these two pipes (DPID1 and DPID2) can be set to be consistent or the same. Alternatively, the service quality values ​​of these two data pipes (DPID1 and DPID2) can be set to be different according to the actual network conditions. There is no limitation on this.

[0217] As shown in (2) of Figure 7 , the ID of service 2 is DSID2. Service 2 corresponds to three bearer / transmission data pipes (DSID2 / DPID1, DSID2 / DPID2, and DSID2 / DPID3). The IDs of these three data pipes are DPID1, DPID2, and DPID3, respectively. UE1, UE2, and RAN3 are the source nodes (PEFs are deployed in each UE and RAN3), and PEF2 is the destination node.

[0218] As shown in (3) of Figure 7 , the ID of service 3 is DSID3. Service 3 corresponds to two bearer / transmission data pipes (DSID3 / DPID1 and DSID3 / DPID2). The IDs of these two data pipes are DPID1 and DPID2, respectively. UE1 and UE2 are source nodes (each UE has a PEF deployed), and RAN1 is the destination node (a PEF is deployed in RAN1).

[0219] As can be seen from Figure 7, these three services correspond to multiple source nodes respectively, that is, there is no fixed anchor point, and the RAN (such as a base station) can be used as the source node of the service, and each service can also correspond to multiple destination nodes respectively, which is not shown in Figure 7, but can be seen from Figure 9B below. In addition, it can be seen from Figure 7 that one service corresponds to multiple data pipes (or multiple data pipes constitute one service). Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the data of one service can be transmitted or carried through one or more data pipes. For example, the quality of service QoS flow in the 5G policy architecture is regarded as a data pipe in the service 1 shown in Figure 7 (1), while the service 1 shown in Figure 7 (1) is composed of two data pipes. As can be seen from the above, compared with the transmission of the quality of service QoS flow of 5G, the policy architecture shown in the embodiment of the present application not only has higher flexibility in the nodes for transmitting service data, but also has a finer granularity in transmitting service data.

[0220] In addition, the service quality value of each service can be sent to the corresponding source node by PDF (an example of the second functional network element in the solution described in Figure 6 above) based on a preset transmission mechanism (such as an M&A mechanism). For example, for service 2, as shown in (2) in Figure 7, PDF determines the service quality QoS values ​​of the three data pipes respectively, that is, DPID1 corresponds to QoS value 1, DPID2 corresponds to QoS value 2, and DPID3 corresponds to QoS value 3; then, PDF sends QoS value 1 to the source node UE1, PDF sends QoS value 2 to the source node UE2, and PDF sends QoS value 3 to the source node RAN3; after UE1 collects the data of service 2, it adds QoS value 1 to data packet 1 of service 2, performs air interface mapping, and sends data packet 1 to RAN1 through the corresponding air interface bearer (such as DRB1). RAN1 then performs tunnel mapping and sends data packet 1 to the destination node PEF through the corresponding tunnel. The source node UE2 is similar to UE1 and can perform mapping transmission with reference to UE1. Since the source node RAN3 does not involve air interface transmission, after collecting the data of service 2, RAN3 adds QoS value 1 to data packet 2 of service 2. RAN3 only needs to perform tunnel mapping and then send data packet 2 to the destination node PEF through the corresponding tunnel.

[0221] As shown in Figure 7 above, UE1 participates in three services. The following takes the mapping relationship between UE1, RAN1, and PEF as an example for detailed description.

[0222] Figure 8A shows the mapping relationship between UE1, RAN1, and PEF. As shown in Figure 8A, a primary mapping is performed between the PEF and RAN1, and a secondary mapping is performed between the RAN1 node and the UE. If the service quality values ​​corresponding to data pipe 1 (DSID1 / DPID1) of service 1, data pipe 1 (DSID2 / DPID1) of service 2, and data pipe 1 (DSID3 / DPID1) of service 3 are the same, or different but close (for example, within the same range), they can be mapped to the same radio bearer. If the service quality values ​​of the data pipes of different services differ significantly, they can be mapped to different radio bearers.

[0223] For example, taking UE1 that participates in three perception services as an example, FIG8B shows the specific mapping relationship between UE1, RAN1, and PEF in the policy architecture. As shown in FIG8B , starting from the left, PDF sends a NAS message carrying the QoS value corresponding to each service data pipe to the source node UE1, and sends the QoS value corresponding to each service data pipe to the destination node (i.e., RAN1, perception data processing function SDPF1). In addition, SSCF also sends the quality of service rule QoS rule to UE1. The UE1 side identifies and diverts the data of the three perception services collected according to the quality of service rule QoS rule (equivalent to a data packet filter), and adds 6QI (QoS value). The data flow of each service is transmitted through the corresponding data pipe. Air interface bearer mapping is performed on the UE1 side, that is, the data pipes of the three perception services are mapped to the corresponding two wireless bearers Radio On the bearer, for example, the data pipeline of perception service 1 and the data pipeline of perception service 2 are mapped to the same wireless bearer DRB1, and the data pipeline of perception service 3 is mapped to another wireless bearer DRB2. The data of these three perception services are transmitted to RAN1 through these two wireless air interfaces (also called DRB1 and DRB2). Since the destination node of perception service 3 is RAN1, the data of perception service 3 will no longer be transmitted subsequently. For DRB1 carrying the data of perception service 1 and perception service 2, RAN1 will configure the data according to the service quality file Qos Profiles (Qos Profiles). Profiles (including various quality of service parameters, used by the RAN to perform air interface processing) are separated into two flows, namely the flows corresponding to perception service 1 and perception service 2. These two flows are mapped to the tunnels corresponding to the data pipes and sent to SDPF1 (equivalent to the destination nodes PEF1 and PEF2 of perception service 2 being deployed in SDPF1). SDPF1 then uses the QoS value corresponding to the data pipe of perception service 1 to allocate transmission resources (such as bandwidth, latency, priority, etc.) to the flow of perception service 1, and uses the QoS value corresponding to the data pipe of perception service 2 to allocate transmission resources (such as bandwidth, latency, priority, etc.) to the flow of perception service 2.

[0224] 8A and 8B above take UE1 participating in three services as an example to introduce the mapping relationship between UE1, RAN1, and PEF. For other source nodes and destination nodes transmitting service data, the mapping relationships implemented can refer to the above implementation and will not be described one by one.

[0225] For example, referring to the 5G policy architecture shown in Figure 2B and the policy architecture proposed in the present application shown in Figure 8B, in the following Table 2, the differences between the policy architecture of the embodiment of the present application and the current 5G policy architecture are shown in terms of policy content, QoS granularity, policy issuance point, policy execution point, policy input, service diversion / QoS labeling, default bearer, and session.

[0226] As shown in Table 2, compared to the 5G policy architecture, the proposed policy architecture adds security, data, and sustainability policy content. Regarding QoS granularity, compared to 5G QoS flows, the proposed policy architecture implements service data transmission through data pipelines. Regarding policy issuance points, the proposed policy architecture adds a PDF for services beyond connections. Regarding policy execution points, the proposed policy architecture uses non-anchor, multi-source, and multi-destination nodes for secondary mapping execution beyond connections, providing greater mapping flexibility. Regarding policy input sources, the proposed policy architecture adds xSSM, and NWDAF adds network status, security, and sustainability analysis capabilities. Regarding service offloading / QoS tagging, the proposed policy architecture performs offloading based on service dimensions (for collaborative services involving multiple UEs, base stations, and NFs). Furthermore, due to its global view, quality of service (QoS) information can be added during M&A matching of data source transmission mechanisms (M&A), and QoS information can be included in the DFP data forwarding protocol. Compared to the 5G PCC architecture, the proposed policy architecture does not include a default bearer. Regarding sessions, the proposed policy architecture is not limited to UE-RAN-UPF but can be divided into UE-RAN, RAN-RAN, RAN-CN, NF-NF, etc., providing more flexible transmission.

[0227] Table 2

[0228] Implementation method 2:

[0229] Based on the method described in FIG6 , in the second embodiment, the process of determining the strategy of the AI ​​training service is described in detail by taking the AI ​​training service as a specific example of the first service. Referring to FIG9A , the process of determining the strategy of the AI ​​training service is as follows:

[0230] S901A: The service requester (user) and the xSSM perform user contract signing and registration.

[0231] S901A is the initial stage, where the user registers with xSSM and signs a contract.

[0232] Exemplarily, the process of a service requester (user) registering with xSSM and subscribing to a service may include the following steps:

[0233] Step 1: The service requester (user) sends a user account opening request message to xSSM;

[0234] Step 2: xSSM verifies user credentials and creates a customer.

[0235] Through this step 2, xSSM can generate user level information.

[0236] Step 3: xSSM sends confirmation information of the account opening request to the service requester (user);

[0237] Step 4: The service requester (user) sends an AI service subscription request to the xSSM.

[0238] Step 5: Based on the AI ​​service subscription request information, the xSSM generates the AI ​​service ID (or the ID of the AI ​​training service), service type, region, and AI-related service policies. The AI-related service policies may include the amount of entity data providing the AI ​​service, the network function (NF) providing the AI ​​service, the model type, the model accuracy, the time limit of the AI ​​service, the bandwidth, the time period, and the incentive policy.

[0239] Step 6: xSSM sends confirmation information of the AI ​​service subscription request to the service requester (user) to inform the service requester (user) that the AI ​​service subscription is successful.

[0240] S902A: The service requester (user) instructs the AF to activate the AI ​​service.

[0241] S903A: The AF sends a request for an AI training service to the DO / DC. In response, the DO / DC receives the request for the AI ​​training service.

[0242] The request information of the AI ​​training service (an example of the first service in the solution described in FIG. 6 ) carries the ID of the AI ​​training service.

[0243] In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG9B , PDF is integrated into DC or DO.

[0244] Through S903A, users can request AI training services from DO / DC.

[0245] S904A: DO / DC sends a request message for user contract information to xSSM. Correspondingly, xSSM receives the request message for user contract information.

[0246] Optionally, the request information of the user contract information carries the ID of the AI ​​training service.

[0247] For example, the x in xSSM represents the AI ​​training service.

[0248] S905A: The xSSM sends the user subscription information to the DO / DC. In response, the DO / DC receives the user subscription information.

[0249] The user's subscription information (an example of the user information for the first service in the solution described in FIG6 ) may include AI-related service policies, user level information, etc. After obtaining the user's subscription information, the DO / DC may also obtain the location information carried by the service requester (user) when going online (for example, the location information of the cell where the service requester is located when accessing the network).

[0250] S906A: DO / DC sends user information to PCF. Correspondingly, PCF receives the user information (an example of user information of the first service in the solution described in FIG6 ).

[0251] User information includes user contract information and location information carried by the user (requester) when going online.

[0252] S907A: The PCF generates a policy for the AI ​​training service based on the user information (an example of the policy information for the first service in the solution described in FIG. 6 ).

[0253] The strategy of the AI ​​training business includes: execution scope information of the AI ​​training business, service quality information, etc.

[0254] S908A: The PCF sends the AI ​​training service policy to the DO / DC. In response, the DO / DC receives the AI ​​training service policy.

[0255] S909A: DO / DC selects a suitable client and server according to the strategy of the AI ​​training service, and determines the data carrying information (an example of the execution scope information of the first service in the scheme described in FIG6 above) and the corresponding QoS value (an example of the service quality information of the first service in the scheme described in FIG6 above).

[0256] In one possible implementation, the DO / DC selects a suitable client (which can be considered as the source node for collecting AI data) based on the capability information reported by each NF within the execution scope, and designs the data carrier, that is, designs at least one pipeline. The PDF determines the source node and destination node corresponding to each pipeline and the QoS value of each pipeline.

[0257] For example, as shown in Figure 9B, PDF is deployed in DO / DC, and DO / DC selects AMF, SMF, unified data repository (UDR), and UPF as clients (which can be regarded as the source node of the pipeline), and dNWDAF as the server (which can be regarded as the destination node of the pipeline).

[0258] In the above description, PCF is an example of the first functional network element in the solution described in Figure 6. DO / DC is an example of the second functional network element in the solution described in Figure 6.

[0259] S910A: DO / DC sends the QoS value of the corresponding pipeline to dNWDAF, AMF, SMF, UDR, and UPF respectively.

[0260] For example, as shown in Figure 9B, the AMF can establish a pipe 1 (corresponding to QoS value 1) with the dNWDAF, the SMF can establish a pipe 2 (corresponding to QoS value 2) with the dNWDAF, the UDR can establish a pipe 3 (corresponding to QoS value 3) with the dNWDAF, and the UPF can establish a pipe 4 (corresponding to QoS value 4) with the dNWDAF. The DO / DC sends QoS value 1 to the AMF, QoS value 2 to the SMF, QoS value 3 to the UDR, and QoS value 4 to the UPF. The DO / DC can also send the QoS values ​​of these pipes to the dNWDAF.

[0261] Optionally, the DO / DC also sends the AI ​​service ID or the ID of pipe 1 to the AMF, the AI ​​service ID or the ID of pipe 2 to the SMF, the AI ​​service ID or the ID of pipe 3 to the UDR, and the AI ​​service ID or the ID of pipe 4 to the UPF. Optionally, the DO / DC may also send the IDs of these pipes to the dNWDAF. This may form the data bearer consisting of DSID1 / DPID1 to 4 shown in Figure 9B.

[0262] For example, in the above, DO / DC can send the corresponding QoS value, service ID or pipe ID to AMF, SMF, UDR, dNWDAF through the M&A mechanism.

[0263] S911A: The client AMF, SMF, UDR, and UPF respectively send corresponding model data packets carrying QoS value labels to the server dNWDAF.

[0264] As shown in Figure 9B, after the local model training is completed, AMF, SMF, UDR, and UPF obtain the corresponding model data packet, add the corresponding QoS value identifier / label to the packet header of the model data packet, and then upload it to the server dNWDAF based on DSID / DPID.

[0265] For example, after local training, the AMF obtains model data packet 1 and adds an ID with a QoS value of 1 to the header of model data packet 1. After local training, the SMF obtains model data packet 2 and adds an ID with a QoS value of 2 to the header of model data packet 2. After local training, the UDR obtains model data packet 3 and adds an ID with a QoS value of 3 to the header of model data packet 3. After local training, the UPF obtains model data packet 4 and adds an ID with a QoS value of 4 to the header of model data packet 4.

[0266] Furthermore, AMF sends model data packet 1 (carrying an ID with QoS value 1) to server dNWDAF based on the ID of pipe 1. SMF sends model data packet 2 (carrying an ID with QoS value 2) to server dNWDAF based on the ID of pipe 2. UDR sends model data 3 (carrying an ID with QoS value 3) to server dNWDAF based on the ID of pipe 3. AMF sends model data 4 (carrying an ID with QoS value 4) to server dNWDAF based on the ID of pipe 4.

[0267] S912A: After the server dNWDAF performs model aggregation, it obtains an aggregated model data package and then distributes the aggregated model data package to each client.

[0268] For example, the server dNWDAF performs model aggregation based on model data packets 1, 2, 3, and 4 to obtain an aggregated model data packet. The dNWDAF adds an ID with a QoS value of 1 to the header of the aggregated model data packet and sends it to the AMF. The dNWDAF adds an ID with a QoS value of 2 to the header of the aggregated model data packet and sends it to the SMF. The dNWDAF adds an ID with a QoS value of 3 to the header of the aggregated model data packet and sends it to the UDR. The dNWDAF adds an ID with a QoS value of 4 to the header of the aggregated model data packet and sends it to the UPF.

[0269] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, applying a policy architecture proposed in an embodiment of the present application to the network scenario of the AI ​​training business can effectively formulate policies for the AI ​​training business and effectively implement the policies of the AI ​​training business.

[0270] Implementation method three:

[0271] Based on the method described in FIG6 , in the third embodiment, the process of determining the policy of the perception service is described in detail by taking the perception service as a specific example of the first service. Referring to FIG10A , the process of determining the policy of the perception service is as follows:

[0272] S1001A: The data consumer (eg, APP) and the xSSM perform user registration and service subscription.

[0273] S1001A is the initial stage, where the data consumer (APP) registers with xSSM and signs a contract.

[0274] Exemplarily, the x in xSSM represents the perception service, and the xSSM is a function or network element that provides user management services for the perception service.

[0275] Exemplarily, the process of a data consumer (APP) registering with xSSM and subscribing to services may include the following steps:

[0276] Step 1: The data consumer (APP) sends a user account opening request to xSSM;

[0277] Step 2: xSSM verifies user credentials and creates a customer.

[0278] Through this step 2, xSSM can generate user level information.

[0279] Step 3: xSSM sends confirmation information of the account opening request to the data consumer (APP);

[0280] Step 4: The data consumer (APP) sends a sensing service subscription request message to the xSSM;

[0281] Step 5: Based on the request information for the perception service subscription, the xSSM generates a perception service ID (or perception service ID), perception service type, region, etc., as well as a perception service policy. The perception service policy may include: regional information on the perception service execution (e.g., the region where the entity that can provide the perception service is located), transmission policy (e.g., maximum bandwidth, guaranteed bandwidth, maximum repetition period, minimum delay, etc.), collection policy (e.g., number of measured perception signals, maximum time interval, real-time / non-real-time), and flow policy (e.g., topological information such as source, destination, intermediate nodes, and data pipelines, as well as the bandwidth and delay required for data to flow therein).

[0282] Step 6: xSSM sends confirmation information of the perception service subscription request to the data consumer (APP) to inform the data consumer (APP) that the perception service subscription is successful.

[0283] S1002A: The data consumer (APP) indicates to the AF that the sensing service is activated.

[0284] S1003A: The AF sends a request message for sensing the service to the SSCF. Correspondingly, the SSCF receives the request message for sensing the service.

[0285] Optionally, the request information for the perception service may include the ID of the perception service.

[0286] As shown in Figure 10B, the SSCF is equivalent to the DO / DC in the data plane functional architecture. The PDF can be integrated into the SSCF, and the PEF can be integrated into the SDPF, RAN nodes, and UEs. The SDPF can collect perception data from other nodes (such as RAN nodes and UEs), process it to obtain perception results, and then report them uniformly.

[0287] S1004A: SSCF sends a request for user contract information to xSSM. Correspondingly, xSSM receives the request for user contract information.

[0288] Optionally, the request information for the user contract information may include the ID of the perception service.

[0289] S1005A: xSSM sends the user subscription information to SSCF. Correspondingly, SSCF receives the user subscription information.

[0290] SSCF obtains user contract information and can also obtain location information carried by data consumers (APP) when they go online.

[0291] S1006A: The SSCF sends user information (an example of user information of the first service in the solution described in FIG. 6 ) to the PCF.

[0292] User information includes user contract information and location information carried by the data consumer (APP) when it goes online.

[0293] S1007A: The PCF generates a policy for the perception service based on the user information (an example of the policy information for the first service in the solution described in FIG. 6 ).

[0294] The strategies for the perception services may include: regional information on the execution of the perception services (e.g., the region where the entity that can provide the perception services is located), transmission strategies (e.g., maximum bandwidth, guaranteed bandwidth, maximum repetition period, minimum delay, etc.), collection strategies (e.g., the number of measured perception signals, maximum time interval, real-time / non-real-time), and flow strategies (e.g., topological information such as source nodes, destination nodes, intermediate nodes, and data pipelines, as well as the bandwidth and delay required for data to flow therein).

[0295] S1008A: The PCF sends the policy of the sensing service to the SSCF. Correspondingly, the SSCF receives the policy of the sensing service.

[0296] S1009A: SSCF selects the source node RAN, UE and destination node SDPF according to the policy of the perceived service, and determines the data carrying information (an example of the execution scope information of the first service in the scheme described in Figure 6 above) and the corresponding QoS value (an example of the service quality information of the first service in the scheme described in Figure 6 above).

[0297] In one possible implementation, the SSCF (with PDF integrated) selects appropriate source nodes (such as RAN, UE) and destination nodes (SDPF) based on the capability information reported by each node within the execution scope of the perceived service, and designs data bearer, that is, designs at least one pipeline, determines the source node and destination node corresponding to each pipeline, and the QoS value of each pipeline.

[0298] For example, the SSCF determines that the RAN and the SDPF are constructed as a pipe 1, and the UE and the SDPF are constructed as a pipe 2. The SSCF also determines the QoS value 1 of the pipe 1 and the QoS value 2 of the pipe 2.

[0299] Among them, PCF is an example of the first functional network element in the solution described in Figure 6 above, and SSCF is an example of the second functional network element in the solution described in Figure 6 above.

[0300] S1010A: The SSCF sends the QoS values ​​of the corresponding pipes to the RAN, UE, and SDPF respectively.

[0301] For example, the SSCF determines that the RAN and SDPF form a pipe 1, and the UE and SDPF form a pipe 2. The SSCF also determines a QoS value of 1 for pipe 1 and a QoS value of 2 for pipe 2. The SSCF sends the QoS value of 1 for pipe 1 to the RAN, and optionally, the ID of pipe 1. The SSCF sends the QoS value of 2 for pipe 2 to the UE, and optionally, the ID of pipe 2. Here, the SSCF sends the QoS values ​​1 and 2 to the SDPF, and optionally, the ID of pipe 1 and pipe 2 to the SDPF.

[0302] In this implementation, there is no specific limitation on the order in which the SSCF sends the QoS value of the corresponding pipe and / or the ID of the corresponding pipe to the RAN, the UE, and the SDPF respectively.

[0303] S1011A: After executing the sensing reception task, the RAN obtains the sensing data packet 1 and adds an ID or a label of a QoS value to the packet header of the sensing data packet 1.

[0304] S1012A: After performing the perception reception task, the UE obtains the perception data packet 2 and adds an ID or label of the QoS value to the packet header of the perception data packet 2.

[0305] S1011A and S1012A can be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and there is no restriction on the order of execution.

[0306] S1013A: RAN performs tunnel mapping and sends the sensing data packet 1 (carrying the ID or label of the QoS value) to the SDPF through the corresponding tunnel.

[0307] S1014A: The UE performs DRB mapping and sends the sensing data packet 2 (carrying the ID or label of the QoS value) to the RAN through the corresponding DRB.

[0308] S1013A and S1014A may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and there is no specific restriction on the order of execution.

[0309] S1015A: RAN performs tunnel mapping and sends the sensing data packet 2 (carrying the ID or label of the QoS value) to the SDPF through the corresponding tunnel.

[0310] S1016A: The SDPF processes the sensing data according to the sensing data packet 1 and the sensing data packet 2, and obtains a sensing result.

[0311] The SDPF sends the sensing results (or measurement data, or raw data, etc.) to the AF, which then forwards them to the user (i.e., data consumer).

[0312] In addition, after confirming that the sensing task is completed, the SSCF deletes the data carrying information.

[0313] In the above-mentioned third embodiment, a policy architecture proposed in an embodiment of the present application is applied to a network scenario of a perception service, which can effectively formulate a policy for the perception service and effectively implement the policy of the perception service.

[0314] In the embodiments provided in the present application above, the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application are introduced from the perspective of interaction between various devices. In order to implement the various functions in the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application above, the first functional network element or the second functional network element or the first source node may include a hardware structure and / or a software module, and implement the above functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. Whether one of the above functions is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0315] The division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative and is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processor, or may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0316] Similar to the above concept, as shown in FIG11 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1100 for implementing the functions of the first functional network element, the second functional network element, or the first source node in the above method. For example, the communication device 1100 may be a software module or a chip system. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices. The communication device 1100 may include: a communication unit 1101 and a processing unit 1102.

[0317] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication unit 1101 may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, and may include a sending unit and / or a receiving unit, respectively configured to execute the steps of sending and receiving by the first functional network element, the second functional network element, or the first source node in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 1102 may be configured to read instructions and / or data from the storage module to enable the communication device 1100 to implement the above method embodiments.

[0318] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a storage unit 1103 , which is equivalent to a storage module and may be used to store instructions and / or data.

[0319] The communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 11 and 12. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, reference can be made to the method embodiments described in Figures 6, 9A, and 10A above. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0320] Communication unit 1101 may also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver, or transceiver device. A processing unit may also be referred to as a processor, processing board, processing module, or processing device. Alternatively, the device in communication unit 1101 that implements the receiving function may be considered a receiving unit, and the device in communication unit 1101 that implements the transmitting function may be considered a transmitting unit. That is, communication unit 1101 includes both a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. A communication unit may also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver, or transceiver circuit. A receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, or receiving circuit. A transmitting unit may also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0321] When the communication device 1100 executes the first functional network element in the process shown in Figure 6 of the above embodiment: the communication unit 1101 is used to obtain user information of the first service; the processing unit 1102 is used to determine the policy information of the first service based on the user information of the first service; the policy information of the first service includes the execution scope information of the first service and the service quality information of the first service; the communication unit 1101 is also used to send the policy information of the first service to the second functional network element.

[0322] When the communication device 1100 executes the second functional network element in the process shown in Figure 6 of the above embodiment: the communication unit 1101 is used to receive policy information of the first service from the first functional network element, and the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and service quality information of the first service; the communication unit 1101 is also used to obtain status information and / or node capability information of the network within the execution scope; the processing unit 1102 is used to determine the data carrying information of the first service and the service quality information of the data carrying based on the policy information of the first service and the status information and / or node capability information of the network; the data carrying information includes information of at least one data pipe within the execution scope, and the service quality information of the data carrying includes service quality information corresponding to the at least one data pipe respectively.

[0323] When the communication device 1100 executes the first source node in the process shown in FIG. 6 of the above embodiment: the communication unit 1101 is configured to receive the service quality information of the first data pipe from the second functional network element; the first data pipe is any one of the at least one data pipe corresponding to the first service; the communication unit 1101 is further configured to send data of the first service and indication information of the service quality information of the first data pipe. The processing unit 1102 is configured to control / instruct the communication unit 1101 to perform sending and / or receiving functions and processing of data and / or information.

[0324] The above are just examples. The processing unit 1102 and the communication unit 1101 can also perform other functions. For more detailed descriptions, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 9A and 10A, which are not repeated here.

[0325] FIG12 shows a communication device 1200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device shown in FIG12 may be a hardware circuit implementation of the communication device shown in FIG11 . The communication device 1200 may be applicable to the flowchart shown above, performing the functions of the first functional network element, the second functional network element, or the first source node in the above-described method embodiment. For ease of illustration, FIG12 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0326] As shown in Figure 12, communication device 1200 includes a communication interface 1201 and a processor 1202. Communication interface 1201 and processor 1202 are coupled to each other. It is understood that communication interface 1201 can be a transceiver or input / output interface, or an interface circuit such as a transceiver circuit. Optionally, communication device 1200 can also include a memory 1203 for storing instructions executed by processor 1202, input data required by processor 1202 to execute instructions, or data generated by processor 1202 after executing instructions.

[0327] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the methods shown in FIG. 6 , FIG. 9A , and FIG. 10A , the communication interface 1201 is used to implement the functions of the communication unit 1101 , and the processor 1202 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1102 .

[0328] The specific connection medium between the communication interface 1201, the processor 1202, and the memory 1203 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 12, the embodiment of the present application shows that the memory 1203, the processor 1202, and the communication interface 1201 are connected via a communication bus 1204. The communication bus 1204 is represented by a bold line in Figure 12. The connection method between other components is only for schematic illustration and is not intended to be limiting. The communication bus 1204 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one bold line is used in Figure 12, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0329] When the communication device is a chip, FIG13 shows a simplified schematic diagram of the chip structure, wherein the chip 1300 includes an interface circuit 1301 and one or more processors 1302. Optionally, the chip 1300 may further include a bus.

[0330] The processor 1302 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During the implementation process, each step of the above-mentioned method for determining the perception service strategy can be completed by the hardware integrated logic circuit in the processor 1302 or the instructions in the form of software. The above-mentioned processor 1302 can 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 devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The various methods and steps disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0331] The interface circuit 1301 can be used to send or receive data, instructions or information. The processor 1302 can use the data, instructions or other information received by the interface circuit 1301 to process it, and can send the processing completion information through the interface circuit 1301.

[0332] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory 1303, which may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provides operating instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory 1303 may also include a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM).

[0333] Optionally, the memory stores an executable software module or a data structure, and the processor can perform corresponding operations by calling an operation instruction stored in the memory (the operation instruction may be stored in an operating system).

[0334] Optionally, the chip can be used in the first functional network element, the second functional network element, or the first source node involved in the embodiments of the present application. Optionally, the interface circuit 1301 can be used to output the execution result of the processor 1302. Regarding the method for determining the perception service policy provided by one or more embodiments of the present application, reference can be made to the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0335] It should be noted that the corresponding functions of the interface circuit 1301 and the processor 1302 can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software, and there is no limitation here.

[0336] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the method executed by the first functional network element, the second functional network element, or the first source node in the above method embodiment.

[0337] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the method executed by the first functional network element or the second functional network element or the first source node in the above method embodiment.

[0338] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to implement the method executed by the first functional network element, the second functional network element, or the first source node in the above method embodiment.

[0339] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip, including a processor, for calling the computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory so that the processor executes the method for determining the perception business strategy of the embodiments shown in Figures 6, 9A and 10A above.

[0340] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip corresponds to the receiving operation in the embodiments shown in FIG. 6 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10A , and the output of the chip corresponds to the sending operation in the embodiments shown in FIG. 6 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10A .

[0341] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0342] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory in which computer programs or computer instructions are stored.

[0343] The processor mentioned in any of the above may be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of a program for determining a perception service policy in the embodiments shown in FIG6 , FIG9A , and FIG10A . The memory mentioned in any of the above may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0344] It should be noted that, for the sake of convenience and brevity of description, the explanation and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the communication devices provided above may refer to the corresponding policy determination method embodiment of the perception service provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0345] In the present application, the communication devices may further include a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on top of the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. The hardware layer may include hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory (also known as main memory). The operating system of the operating system layer may be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as the Linux operating system, Unix operating system, Android operating system, iOS operating system, or Windows operating system. The application layer may include applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software.

[0346] The division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative and is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processor, or may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0347] Through the description of the above embodiments, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, the above functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein the communication media include any medium that facilitates the transmission of a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. For example, but not limited to: a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store a desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, any connection can be appropriately a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of the medium. As used in the embodiments of the present application, disk and disc include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically and discs use lasers to reproduce data optically. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of protection of computer-readable media.

[0348] In short, the above description is only an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made based on the disclosure of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for determining a business strategy, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first functional network element and includes: Obtaining user information of a first service; Determining policy information of the first service according to the user information of the first service; the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and quality of service information of the first service; Sending the policy information of the first service to a second functional network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The user information of the first service includes one or more of the following: User subscription information of the first service, user account opening information of the first service, service subscription information of the first service.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The obtaining of the user information of the first service includes: obtaining the user information of the first service from a service user management network element; The service user management network element is independently deployed in the network, or the service user management network element is co-located with a data storage network element, or the service user management network element is the data storage network element.

4. A method for determining a business strategy, characterized in that The method is applied to a second functional network element and includes: Receiving the policy information of the first service from the first functional network element, where the policy information of the first service includes execution scope information of the first service and quality of service information of the first service; Obtaining status information of the network within the execution scope and / or node capability information; Determining data bearer information of the first service and quality of service information of the data bearer according to the policy information of the first service and the status information of the network and / or the node capability information; the information of the data bearer includes information of at least one data pipeline within the execution scope, and the quality of service information of the data bearer includes quality of service information corresponding to each of the at least one data pipeline.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The determining of the data bearer information of the first service and the quality of service information of the data bearer according to the policy information of the first service and the status information of the network and / or the node capability information includes: Determining information of destination nodes and source nodes corresponding to each of the at least one data pipeline within the execution scope according to the execution scope information of the first service, the status information of the network and / or the node capability information; Determining quality of service information corresponding to each of the at least one data pipeline according to the quality of service information of the first service, the status information of the network and / or the node capability information.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The information of each data pipeline includes information of at least one destination node and information of at least one source node; the method further includes: Sending, according to the information of at least one source node corresponding to each data pipeline, quality of service information corresponding to the data pipeline to the at least one source node.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein The information of the data pipeline further includes information of at least one intermediate node within the execution scope.

8. A method for determining a business strategy, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first source node of a first data pipeline and includes: Receiving the quality of service information of the first data pipeline from the second functional network element; the first data pipeline is any one of at least one data pipeline corresponding to the first service; Sending an indication message of the data of the first service and the quality of service information of the first data pipeline.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The indication information of the data of the first service and the quality of service information of the first data pipeline is located in the same data packet.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, When the first source node is deployed in the first radio access network node, the sending of the indication information of the data of the first service and the quality of service information of the first data pipeline includes: Mapping the first data pipeline to a corresponding first communication tunnel; Sending, through the first communication tunnel, the indication information of the data of the first service and the quality of service information of the first data pipeline to a second radio access network node or a core network element; Wherein, the second radio access network node and the core network element are destination nodes or intermediate nodes corresponding to the first data pipeline.

11. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that When the first source node is deployed in a terminal, the sending of the indication information of the data of the first service and the quality of service information of the first data pipeline includes: Mapping the first data pipeline to a corresponding first data radio bearer; Sending, through the first data radio bearer, the indication information of the data of the first service and the quality of service information of the first data pipeline to a radio access network node; the radio access network node is a destination node or an intermediate node corresponding to the first data pipeline.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein The first communication tunnel also corresponds to a second data pipeline, and the second data pipeline is used to transmit data of a second service.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first data radio bearer also corresponds to a second data pipeline, and the second data pipeline is used to transmit data of a second service.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The quality of service information of the first service includes one or more of the following: Bandwidth information of the first service, priority information of the first service, delay information of the first service, delay variation information of the first service, security level information of the first service, privacy level information of the first service, transmission rate information of the first service, routing information of the first service, key information used by the first service.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and 14, characterized in that, The policy information of the first service further includes one or more of the following: Collection policy information of the first service, flow policy information of the first service, calculation policy information of the first service, security policy information of the first service.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, 14, and 15, characterized in that The first functional network element is independently deployed, or the first functional network element is co-located with a policy control functional network element, or the first functional network element is a policy control functional network element.

17. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 13, characterized in that, The node is a policy enforcement functional network element; The policy enforcement functional network element is independently deployed and serves a second service network element, or the policy enforcement functional network element is deployed in the second service network element; the second service network element is any one of the following: Terminal, radio access network node, access and mobility management function, session management function, unified data repository, user plane function, perception data processing function.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that, The second functional network element is independently deployed in the core network or the access network or the network management system, or the second functional network element is co-located with a first service network element; the first service network element is any one of the following: Data controller, perception service control function, task anchor, task scheduling.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that, The first service includes one or more of the following: Perception services, artificial intelligence services, network services, Internet of Things services, security services, sustainable services.

20. A communication system, characterized in that, Including: A first functional network element and a second functional network element; The first functional network element is used to obtain user information of a first service; According to the user information of the first service, determine the policy information of the first service; the policy information of the first service includes the execution scope information of the first service and the quality of service information of the first service; Send the policy information of the first service to the second functional network element; The second functional network element is used to obtain the status information of the network within the execution scope and / or node capability information; According to the policy information of the first service and the status information of the network and / or node capability information, determine the data bearer information of the first service and the quality of service information of the data bearer; the data bearer information includes information of at least one data pipeline within the execution scope, and the quality of service information of the data bearer includes the quality of service information corresponding to each of the at least one data pipeline.

21. The communication system according to claim 20, characterized in that, The first functional network element is further used to execute the method described in any one of claims 2-3 and 14-16, 18-19; the second functional network element is further used to execute the method described in any one of claims 5-7 and 14-19.

22. The communication system according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, It further includes at least one destination node and at least one source node corresponding to each data pipeline; any one of the at least one source nodes executes the method described in any one of claims 8-13, 17-19.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a module for executing the method described in any one of claims 1-3 and 14-16, 18-19; or includes a module for executing the method described in any one of claims 4-7 and 14-19; or includes a module for executing the method described in any one of claims 8-13, 17-19.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Stores a computer program or instruction, and the computer program or instruction is used to implement the method described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program, and when the computer program runs on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor and a communication interface; the communication interface is used to communicate with other devices, and the at least one processor is used to execute the method described in any one of claims 1-3 and 14-16, 18-19, or execute the method described in any one of claims 4-7 and 14-19, or execute the method described in any one of claims 8-13, 17-19.

27. The communication device according to claim 26, wherein It further includes a memory, and the memory is used to store computer instructions. When the processor runs the computer instructions, it causes the method described in any one of claims 1-3 and 14-16, 18-19 to be executed, or causes the method described in any one of claims 4-7 and 14-19 to be executed, or causes the method described in any one of claims 8-13, 17-19 to be executed.

Images