Data collection method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a data collection method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first network device receiving first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is configured to instruct the first network device to execute collection of data related to artificial intelligence and / or machine learning; and on the basis of the first configuration information, the first network device executing the collection of the data related to artificial intelligence and / or machine learning. According to the embodiments of the present application, a core network device or OAM or another network device can acquire AI / ML related air interface data from a terminal device side by means of an access network device, thereby providing data support for model training, and achieving a corresponding model training function.

Description

Data collection method and device Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technologies. Background Art

[0002] The 3GPP R18 artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) project defines multiple scenarios or sub-scenario types, such as CSI enhancement (which may also include at least one sub-scenario of CSI compression and CSI predication), beam management, positioning, or other scenarios. The 3GPP R19 AI / ML-based mobility project considers new scenario types, such as normal handover, conditional handover, and layer 1 / L2 triggered mobility (LTM). Different scenarios or sub-scenarios can correspond to one or more features / feature groups. Applying AI / ML to the above feature / feature group is called an AI / ML-based / enabled feature / feature group. An AI / ML-based / enabled feature / feature group can correspond to one or more AI functions and / or one or more AI models. One AI function can correspond to one or more AI models.

[0003] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is merely intended to provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of this application and facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Simply because these solutions are described in the background technology section of this application, it should not be assumed that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inventors found that in order to obtain the corresponding AI model, it is necessary to perform model training based on data. Accordingly, the network element performing model training needs to obtain the corresponding data. In the prior art, OAM (operation administration and maintenance) / CN (core network) can adopt the MDT (Minimization of Drive-Test) mechanism to collect UE (User equipment) air interface data, such as cell measurement result information, through the base station. However, the existing MDT mechanism cannot support data collection in the RAN1 (Radio Access Network 1) AI scenario.

[0006] In response to at least one of the above problems or other similar problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a data collection method and device, so that core network equipment or OAM or other network equipment can obtain air interface data related to artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) on the terminal device side through the base station, thereby providing data support for model training and realizing the corresponding model training function.

[0007] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a data collection device is provided, configured on a first network device, wherein the device includes:

[0008] a receiving unit configured to receive first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to instruct the first network device to collect artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data;

[0009] A processing unit that performs collection of artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data based on the first configuration information.

[0010] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application is that: according to the embodiments of the present application, the core network equipment or OAM or other network equipment can obtain air interface data related to artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) on the terminal device side through the base station, thereby providing data support for model training and realizing the corresponding model training function.

[0011] With reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, indicating the manner in which the principles of the present application can be employed. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the embodiments of the present application include many variations, modifications and equivalents.

[0012] Features described and / or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0013] It should be emphasized that the term "include / comprising" when used herein refers to the presence of features, integers, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The elements and features described in one figure or one embodiment of the present application can be combined with the elements and features shown in one or more other figures or embodiments. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals represent corresponding parts in several figures and can be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one embodiment.

[0015] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a data collection method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present application;

[0016] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of information interaction of a data collection method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG3 is another schematic diagram of information interaction of the data collection method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a data collection device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The above and other features of the present application will become apparent through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description and the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, which illustrate some embodiments in which the principles of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the described embodiments. On the contrary, the present application includes all modifications, variations and equivalents that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0022] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different elements from the name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or temporal order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprising", "including", "having", etc. refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components or components.

[0023] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc. include plural forms and should be broadly understood to mean "a" or "a type" rather than being limited to "one." Furthermore, the term "said" should be understood to include both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the term "according to" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", and the term "based on" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0024] In the embodiment of the present application, a scenario including a network device (also referred to as a network element) and / or a terminal device is taken as an example.

[0025] In the above scenario, the network device may include at least one of a core network device, a third-party application device, an operation administration and maintenance (OAM), and an access network device.

[0026] The core network device may refer to a device in the core network (CN) that provides service support for the terminal device. As some examples, the core network device may be at least one of the following: a mobility and management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, a session management function (SMF) entity, a user plane function (UPF) entity, a location management function (LMF) entity, and the like, which are not listed here one by one. Among them, the AMF entity may be responsible for the access management and mobility management of the terminal, the SMF entity may be responsible for session management, such as the establishment of a user session, and the UPF entity may be a functional entity of the user plane, mainly responsible for connecting to the external network. The LMF entity may manage the overall coordination and scheduling of resources required for the location of the terminal device registered with the core network device or accessing the core network device. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the entity may also be referred to as a network element or a functional entity, such as the AMF entity may also be referred to as an AMF network element or an AMF functional entity, and so on.

[0027] The third-party application device can be an OTT service (over the top server) or other third-party device.

[0028] OAM is a network device that performs operations, management, and maintenance on the network according to the actual needs of the operator's network operations.

[0029] The access network device is an access device that the terminal device uses to access the communication system wirelessly. The access network device can be a base station (BS), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station (next generation NodeB, gNB) in the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, a base station in the sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The access network device can also be a module or unit that completes part of the functions of the base station. For example, it can be at least one of the following modules or units: a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a centralized unit control plane (CU control plane, CU-CP), a centralized unit user plane (CU user plane, CU-CP), an integrated access backhaul (IAB) or other modules or units. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and / or specific device form adopted by the access network device. The access network equipment can be deployed on land, including indoors / outdoors, and can be handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water, on an airplane, on a balloon or on a satellite; the access network equipment can be deployed in a fixed location or on a mobile carrier, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0030] In the above scenarios, a terminal device can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to and / or receive signals from an access network device. A terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal, mobile station, or mobile terminal. A terminal device can be a mobile phone, tablet, or other device with wireless intelligent transceiver capabilities. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, and various smart scenarios.

[0031] In the above scenarios, access network devices and terminal devices, and terminal devices and terminal devices can communicate via licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communications.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present application, to obtain a corresponding model, model training is required based on data. Accordingly, the network element performing model training needs to obtain the corresponding data. For the above scenario, the network element performing model training needs to collect corresponding L1 and / or L3 data. The L1 and / or L3 data can be at least one of L1 and / or L3 measurement result information and ground truth. The measurement result information includes at least one of the following information: reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), reference signal strength indicator (RSSI), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), CSI-RS resource indicator (CSI Reference Signal Resource Indicator, CRI, CSI reference information resource indicator), SS / PBCH block resource indicator (SSBRI), layer indicator (LI), rank indicator (RI), precoding matrix (Precoding matrix), raw channel matrix, right singular vectors of the channel matrix, scalar quantization information (Scalar quantization information), quantization), codebook-based quantization, or other signal quality information. A true value refers to a measured value that can serve as a benchmark. Generally speaking, a true value is a relative concept, meaning it is a value obtained using a relatively reliable measurement method.

[0033] Taking the CSI enhancement scenario as an example, the network element performing model training needs to collect at least one of the following data: channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), CSI-RS resource indicator (CSI Reference Signal Resource Indicator, CRI, CSI reference information number resource indicator), SS / PBCH block resource indicator (SS / PBCH Block Resource Indicator, SSBRI), layer indicator (LI), channel matrix (channel matrix), right singular vectors of the channel matrix (right singular vectors of the channel matrix), rank indicator (RI), L1-RSRP, true value, L1-SINR or other L1 measurement result information.

[0034] Taking beam management as an example, the network element performing model training needs to collect at least one of the following data: precoding matrix, original channel matrix, scalar quantization information, codebook-based quantization information, true value, beam measurement result information, or other measurement result information.

[0035] Currently, RAN2#123bis has agreed on a mechanism for OAM to collect data related to AI model training, namely OAM-centric data collection. Furthermore, the standard is also discussing CN-centric data collection. The specific data collection mechanism needs further design. As a possible implementation approach, Minimization of Drive-Test (MDT) can be used as a baseline, with consideration given to possible enhancements to support OAM-centric data collection.

[0036] In addition, in the existing technology, OAM / CN can use the MDT mechanism to collect UE air interface data, such as cell measurement results, through the base station. Taking OAM using the MDT mechanism as an example, the possible process is as follows:

[0037] 1. The core network device AMF sends the UE's MDT willingness information to the base station;

[0038] 2. The base station stores the UE's MDT willingness information;

[0039] 3. OAM sends MDT activation information to the base station to instruct the base station to activate the corresponding MDT function;

[0040] 4. The base station selects an appropriate UE to perform MDT based on the MDT activation information sent by OAM and the stored UE MDT willingness information.

[0041] 5. The base station sends MDT configuration information to the UE to configure the UE to perform the MDT function;

[0042] 6. The base station receives an MDT report sent by the UE. The MDT report may include at least one of the following information: cell measurement result information, power headroom measurement information, data transmission delay measurement information, data packet capacity measurement information, UE throughput measurement information, packet loss rate measurement information, or other measurement information.

[0043] It can be seen that the existing MDT mechanism cannot support data collection in AI scenarios.

[0044] The following describes embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. For ease of description, the following description uses a base station as an access network device as an example. In the following description, "if," "under the circumstances," and "when" can be used interchangeably to avoid confusion.

[0045] Embodiments of the first aspect

[0046] The embodiment of the present application provides a data collection method, which is described from the perspective of a first network device. The first network device may be an access network device.

[0047] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a data collection method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , the method includes:

[0048] 110: The first network device receives first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to instruct the first network device to collect artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data;

[0049] 120: The first network device performs collection of artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data according to the first configuration information.

[0050] It is worth noting that FIG1 above only schematically illustrates an embodiment of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, other operations may be added or some operations may be reduced. Those skilled in the art may make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description of FIG1 above.

[0051] According to the above embodiment, the core network device or OAM or other network devices can obtain AI / ML-related air interface data on the terminal device side through the base station (first network device), thereby providing data support for model training and realizing the corresponding model training function.

[0052] In an embodiment of the present application, the first network device can receive the above-mentioned first configuration information from the core network device, or can receive the above-mentioned first configuration information from the OAM. The present application is not limited to this. The first network device can also receive the above-mentioned first configuration information from other network devices.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first configuration information includes at least one of the following: data collection configuration information; identification information of the terminal device; and data source indication information.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the data collection configuration information is used to indicate configuration information for the first network device or the first network device to configure the terminal device to collect the above data. For example, the data collection configuration information may include at least one of the following: data collection mode information, data collection area information, data collection type information, data collection operation information, data collection amount information, and data collection quality information.

[0055] The data collection mode information is used to indicate the data collection mode corresponding to the data collection configuration. For example, the data collection mode may include at least one of the following: immediate collection, connected state recording collection (e.g., logging MDT), disconnected state recording collection (e.g., logged MDT), tracking collection, or other data collection modes. The connected state recording collection mode may be a mechanism that attempts to collect multiple measurement result information when the terminal device is in a connected state, based on the configuration of the network device, and reports the collected measurement result information.

[0056] The data collection area information may be used to indicate an area where data collection may be performed. For example, the data collection area information may include at least one of the following: at least one beam information of at least one cell, at least one cell information, at least one tracking area code information, at least one PLMN (public land mobile network) information, and at least one tracking area identifier information.

[0057] The beam information may include beam type information, beam index information, beam identification information, or other beam information. The beam type information may include at least one of SSB and CSI-RS.

[0058] Optionally, at least one beam information of at least one cell may include beam information, or beam information and cell information. As an example, if at least one beam information of at least one cell includes beam information, the data collection area information may be considered to be the beam information of the UE's current serving cell.

[0059] The cell information includes at least one of the following information: a cell global identifier (CGI), a physical cell identifier (PCI) and frequency information, a cell identifier (cell ID), a non-public network identifier (NPN ID), a non-terrestrial network identifier (NTN ID), or at least one of other cell identifiers. The CGI may include a public land mobile network (PLMN ID) and a cell ID. Optionally, the cell information may also include a tracking area code (TAC) and / or identification information of a network device to which the cell belongs, such as a global network device identifier.

[0060] It can be understood that the data collection area information can be at the data collection type level, the data collection mode level, or public.

[0061] The data collection type information may be used to indicate the data information and / or measurement result information to be collected. As an example, the data collection type may correspond to an AI / ML scenario or sub-scenario, such as CSI prediction, CSI compression, beam management, positioning, normal handover, conditional handover, bottom-layer triggered mobility, or other types.

[0062] The data collection operation information may be used to indicate a recording method for data collection. As an example, the data collection operation information may include at least one of recording interval information and recording duration information.

[0063] The data collection amount information may be used to indicate the size of the data to be collected. As an example, the data collection amount information may indicate the size of the collected data, or the number of items of the collected data.

[0064] The data collection quality information can be used to indicate the quality requirements of the data to be collected. As an example, the data collection quality information can indicate the threshold information of the difference between the measured data and the true value. Alternatively, the data collection quality information can indicate the distribution information of the data to be collected.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the identification information of the terminal device can be used to indicate the terminal device on which data collection needs to be performed. For example, the identification information of the terminal device may include at least one of the following information: identification information of the core network device side of the terminal device at the interface between the access network and the core network device (for example, AMF UE NGAP ID), identification information of the access network device side of the terminal device at the interface between the access network and the core network device (for example, RAN UE NGAP ID), a global unique temporary UE identity (GUTI), an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI), or other identification information.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the data source indication information can be used to indicate whether the first network device can accept the data that meets the requirements and has been stored or collected. For example, if the access network device has already stored the data required by the OAM, the OAM can indicate whether the access network device can send this data to the OAM. Furthermore, the access network device may not trigger data collection on the terminal device.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present application, the first configuration information is, for example, an information element (IE) MDT configuration-NR, which defines the MDT configuration parameters of NR, such as the aforementioned data collection configuration information, identification information of the terminal device, data source indication information, etc. The details are as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present application, the first configuration information can be sent through a terminal device context establishment request message, or through a switching request message, or through a tracking start message, or through other messages for data collection, and the present application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the method further includes:

[0070] 100: A first network device receives a first message, where the first message is used to indicate artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection authorization information of a terminal device;

[0071] 105: The first network device stores the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the first network device may receive the first message from a core network device or from an OAM. However, the present application is not limited thereto. The first network device may also receive the first message from other access network devices or an OTT server. The present application does not limit the manner in which the first message is sent or received.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the first message may be a terminal device context establishment request message or a handover request message, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the first message and the message used to send the first configuration information may be the same message or different messages. For example, the first network device receives the first configuration information and the first message sent by the core network device. The first configuration information may be carried in the first message, or the first configuration information may be carried in a message different from the first message.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the data collection authorization information may be used to indicate information related to data collection that the terminal device is willing to support, and may include, for example, at least one of the following: data collection type information, data collection mode information, and data collection area information.

[0076] The data collection type information is used to indicate the collected data information and / or measurement result information that the terminal device is willing to support. The description of the data collection type information can refer to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0077] The data collection mode information is used to indicate the data collection mode corresponding to the data collection configuration that the terminal device is willing to support. The details have been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0078] The data collection area information is used to indicate the area that the terminal device is willing to support for data collection. The details have been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0079] As an example, the correspondence between the data collection type and the data collection area in the data collection authorization information can be referred to in Table 1 below:

[0080] Table 1

[0081] As another example, the correspondence between the data collection type and the data collection area in the data collection authorization information can refer to the following Table 2:

[0082] Table 2

[0083] In some embodiments, optionally, the first network device may also receive artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device, and store the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the first network device may receive the above data collection capability information from the terminal device. The present application is not limited thereto. The first network device may also receive the above data collection capability information from the core network device or other access network devices.

[0085] In an embodiment of the present application, in operation 120, the first network device may perform collection of AI-related and / or ML-related data according to the received first configuration information.

[0086] For example, the first network device directly collects the above data. For another example, the first network device selects or configures the terminal device to execute the above data collection.

[0087] In a possible example, the first network device selects or configures the terminal device to perform the above-mentioned data collection according to the above-mentioned first configuration information and the above-mentioned first message.

[0088] In another possible example, the first network device also receives the above-mentioned data collection capability information, whereby the first network device selects or configures the terminal device to perform the above-mentioned data collection based on the above-mentioned first configuration information, the above-mentioned first message and the above-mentioned data collection capability information.

[0089] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the method further includes:

[0090] 130: The first network device sends the collected data to the core network device or the OAM entity or other network device (referred to as the second network device).

[0091] In the above embodiment, optionally, the first network device may also receive the identification information and / or address information of the other network device, and correspondingly, the first network device sends the collected data to the other network device based on the above identification information and / or address information. The identification information may be the identification of the other network device, and / or the interface type information for accessing the other network device; for example, the interface type information may be the control plane interface (NG-C) between the core network device and the access network device, the control plane interface (Xn-C) between the access network devices, the air interface (Uu), the control plane interface (F1-C) between the CU and the DU, the interface (E1) between the CU-CP and the CU-UP, or other interface type information. In addition, the address information may be a transport layer address. For example, the first network device receives the identification information and / or address information of the other network device sent by the core network device or the OAM entity.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present application, the collected data may include at least one of L1 measurement result information, L3 measurement result information, and true value. The relevant contents of the measurement result information and true value have been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0093] The data collection method of the embodiment of the present application is described below through two specific examples.

[0094] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of information interaction of a data collection method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the information interaction process includes:

[0095] 210: The access network device receives a first message sent by the core network device, where the first message is used to indicate AI / ML-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device.

[0096] 220: The access network device stores the AI / ML-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device;

[0097] 230: The access network device receives a second message sent by the OAM, where the second message is used to instruct the access network device to perform data collection.

[0098] 240: Access network equipment performs data collection;

[0099] 250: The access network device sends the collected data to the OAM or other network devices.

[0100] It is worth noting that FIG2 above only schematically illustrates an embodiment of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, other operations may be added or some operations may be reduced. Those skilled in the art may make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description of FIG2 above.

[0101] In operation 210, taking the access network device (that is, the aforementioned first network device) receiving the first message sent by the core network device as an example, the present application is not limited to this. The access network device can also receive the above-mentioned first message from other network devices, such as OAM, other access network devices, OTT servers, etc.

[0102] In the above example, the first message may be a terminal device context establishment request message, a handover request message, or the like.

[0103] In the above example, the first message may include data collection authorization information. The relevant content of the data collection authorization information has been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0104] In operation 220, the access network device may optionally further store the AI / ML-related data collection capability information of the terminal device. For example, the access network device may receive the AI / ML-related data collection capability information of the terminal device sent by the terminal device, core network device, or other access network device, and store the received AI / ML-related data collection capability information of the terminal device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method thereof.

[0105] In operation 230, the second message includes the aforementioned first configuration information, which includes data collection configuration information. The relevant content of this data collection configuration information has been previously described and will not be repeated here. Optionally, the first configuration information may also include data source indication information. The relevant content of this data source indication information has been previously described and will not be repeated here.

[0106] In the above example, the access network device receives the second message sent by the OAM as an example, but the present application is not limited to this. The access network device can also receive the above second message from the core network device or other network devices.

[0107] If the access network device receives the above-mentioned first message and the above-mentioned second message from the same network device, for example, the access network device receives the above-mentioned first message and the above-mentioned second message from the core network device, as a possible implementation method, operation 210 and operation 230 can be combined into one step, and the first message and the second message can be the same message, or different messages.

[0108] In operation 240, as a possible implementation method, the access network device may perform data collection or select a terminal device to perform data collection based on the second message, or the access network device may also select a terminal device to perform data collection based on the first message and the second message, or based on the first message, the second message and the AI / ML-related data collection capability information of the terminal device.

[0109] For example, the access network device collects data within the scope indicated by the first configuration information contained in the second message or selects a terminal device to collect data; for another example, the access network device selects a terminal device to collect data based on the AI / ML-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device indicated by the first message, the scope indicated by the second message, and the AI / ML-related data collection capability information of the terminal device.

[0110] In operation 240, as another possible implementation method, the access network device can determine, based on the first message and / or the second message, that the stored or collected data meets the requirements of the data to be collected in the second message, and the access network device can send the above data to the OAM or other network devices, or the access network device can determine whether to send the above data to the OAM or other network devices based on the data source indication information.

[0111] In operation 250, the access network device sends the collected data to the OAM as an example, and this application does not limit this. It is understandable that the access network device can also send the collected data to other network devices.

[0112] As a possible implementation, the access network device receives the identification information and / or address information of the other network device and sends the collected data to the other network device based on the identification information and / or address information. The relevant content of the collected data has been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0113] In some examples, the access network device may receive identification information and / or address information of the other network device from the OAM, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0114] FIG3 is another schematic diagram of information interaction of the data collection method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG3 , the information interaction process includes:

[0115] 310: The access network device receives a first message sent by the core network device, where the first message is used to indicate AI / ML-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device.

[0116] 320: Access network devices store AI / ML-related data collection authorization information for terminal devices;

[0117] 330: The access network device receives a third message sent by the core network device, where the third message is used to instruct the access network device to perform data collection.

[0118] 340: Access network equipment performs data collection;

[0119] 350: The access network device sends the collected data to the core network device or other network devices.

[0120] It is worth noting that FIG3 above only schematically illustrates an embodiment of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, other operations may be added or some operations may be reduced. Those skilled in the art may make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description of FIG3 above.

[0121] In the above example, the core network device can be AMF or other network devices or entities.

[0122] In the above example, the relevant contents of operation 310 and operation 320 are the same as those of operation 210 and operation 220 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , and are not described again here.

[0123] In operation 330 , the third message may be a terminal device context establishment request message, a handover request message, a trace start message, or other messages used for data collection.

[0124] In the above example, the third message includes the aforementioned first configuration information, which includes data collection configuration information. Optionally, the first configuration information may also include data source indication information. The relevant content of the data collection configuration information and data source indication information has been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0125] It is understandable that the first configuration information may also include identification information of the terminal device. The relevant content of the identification information of the terminal device has been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0126] It is understandable that the first message and the third message may be the same message or different messages. If they are different messages, the first message and the third message may be combined into one message, that is, executed in the same step.

[0127] In operation 340, the access network device may perform data collection based on the third message. For a detailed description, refer to the description of operation 240 and are not repeated here. In operation 340, optionally, if the first configuration information included in the third message includes identification information of the terminal device, the access network device may also configure the corresponding terminal device to perform data collection based on the identification information of the terminal device according to the third message.

[0128] In operation 350, the access network device sends the collected data to the core network device as an example. This application does not limit this. It can be understood that the access network device can also send the collected data to other network devices.

[0129] As a possible implementation, the access network device receives the identification information and / or address information of the other network device and sends the collected data to the other network device based on the identification information and / or address information. The relevant content of the collected data has been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0130] In some examples, the access network device may receive identification information and / or address information of the other network device from the core network device, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0131] The above embodiments are merely exemplary descriptions of the methods of the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used individually, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0132] According to the method of the embodiment of the present application, the core network device or OAM or other network equipment can obtain AI / ML-related air interface data on the terminal device side through the base station (access network device), thereby providing data support for model training and realizing the corresponding model training function.

[0133] Embodiments of the second aspect

[0134] The embodiments of the present application provide a data collection device. The device may be, for example, a network device, or one or more components or assemblies configured on the network device. The network device may be, for example, the first network device of the embodiment of the first aspect, taking an access network device as an example. Since the principle of solving the problem of the device is the same as the method of the embodiment of the first aspect, its specific implementation can refer to the implementation of the method of the embodiment of the first aspect, and the same content will not be repeated here.

[0135] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a data collection device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG4 , the device 400 includes:

[0136] A receiving unit 410 receives first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to instruct a first network device to collect artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data;

[0137] The processing unit 420 performs collection of artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data according to the first configuration information.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0139] Data collection configuration information, used to instruct the first network device or the first network device to configure the terminal device to collect the data;

[0140] Identification information of the terminal device, used to indicate the terminal device on which data collection is required;

[0141] The data source indication information is used to indicate whether the data that meets the requirements and has been stored or collected by the first network device can be accepted.

[0142] In the above embodiment, the data collection configuration information may include at least one of the following:

[0143] Data collection mode information, used to indicate the data collection mode corresponding to the data collection configuration;

[0144] Data collection area information, used to indicate the area where data collection can be performed;

[0145] Data collection type information, used to indicate the data information and / or measurement result information that needs to be collected;

[0146] Data collection operation information, which indicates how the data collection is recorded;

[0147] Data collection volume information, used to indicate the size of the data to be collected;

[0148] Data collection quality information is used to indicate the quality requirements that need to be collected.

[0149] The data collection mode may include, for example, at least one of the following: immediate collection, connection state record collection, disconnection state record collection, and tracking collection.

[0150] The data collection area information may include, for example, at least one of the following: at least one beam information of at least one cell, at least one cell information, at least one tracking area code information, at least one PLMN information, and at least one tracking area identification information.

[0151] Among them, the beam information can be at least one of the following: beam type information, beam index information, and beam identification information; the beam type information is, for example, at least one of SSB and CSI-RS; at least one beam information of at least one cell can, for example, include beam information, or include beam information and cell information; the cell information can, for example, include at least one of the following: cell global identification, physical cell identification and frequency information, cell identification, non-public network identification, non-terrestrial network identification, tracking area code, and identification information of the network equipment to which the cell belongs.

[0152] The data collection area information may be at a data collection type level, a data collection mode level, or public.

[0153] The data collection type may include, for example, at least one of the following: CSI prediction, CSI compression, beam management, positioning, normal handover, conditional handover, and bottom-layer triggered mobility.

[0154] The data collection operation information may include, for example, at least one of the following: recording interval information, and recording duration information.

[0155] The data collection amount information may include, for example, at least one of the following: the size of the collected data, and the number of items of the collected data.

[0156] In the above embodiment, the identification information of the terminal device may include at least one of the following:

[0157] The identification information of the terminal device on the core network device side at the interface between the access network and the core network device;

[0158] Identification information of the terminal device on the access network device side at the interface between the access network and the core network device;

[0159] Globally unique temporary UE identity;

[0160] International Mobile Subscriber Identity;

[0161] Temporary mobile user identification code.

[0162] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4 , the apparatus 400 further includes: a storage unit 430 .

[0163] In the above embodiment, the receiving unit 410 also receives a first message, which is used to indicate the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device; the storage unit 430 stores the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device.

[0164] In the above embodiment, the data collection authorization information is used to indicate information related to data collection that the terminal device is willing to support, and may include at least one of the following:

[0165] Data collection type information, which is used to indicate the collected data information and / or measurement result information that the terminal device is willing to support;

[0166] Data collection mode information, which is used to indicate the data collection mode corresponding to the data collection configuration that the terminal device is willing to support;

[0167] The data collection area information is used to indicate the area where the terminal device is willing to support data collection.

[0168] In some embodiments, the receiving unit 410 also receives artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device; the storage unit 430 stores the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device.

[0169] In some embodiments, the processing unit 420 selects a terminal device to perform the above-mentioned data collection based on the first configuration information and the above-mentioned first message, or based on the first configuration information, the above-mentioned first message and the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device.

[0170] In some embodiments, the receiving unit 410 receives the first configuration information from an Operation, Maintenance and Management (OAM) entity.

[0171] In some embodiments, the receiving unit 410 receives the first configuration information from a core network.

[0172] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the apparatus 400 further includes: a sending unit 440 .

[0173] In the above embodiment, the sending unit 440 sends the collected data to the core network device or the OAM entity or the second network device.

[0174] In the above embodiment, if the sending unit 440 sends the collected data to the second network device, in a possible example, the receiving unit 410 can also receive the identification information and / or address information of the second network device sent by the core network device or OAM entity.

[0175] In the embodiment of the present application, the collected data includes L1 measurement result information.

[0176] The above embodiments of the present application are illustrative, but the present application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0177] It is worth noting that the above description only describes the components or modules related to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The above-mentioned device may also include other components or modules. For the specific content of these components or modules, please refer to the relevant art. In addition, the above-mentioned components or modules can be implemented by hardware facilities such as processors, memories, transmitters, and receivers; the implementation of this application is not limited to this.

[0178] According to the apparatus of the embodiment of the present application, the core network device or OAM or other network device can obtain AI / ML-related air interface data on the terminal device side through the base station (access network device), thereby providing data support for model training and realizing the corresponding model training function.

[0179] Embodiments of the third aspect

[0180] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including a network device and a terminal device.

[0181] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application, schematically illustrating a situation using a terminal device and a network device as an example. As shown in FIG5 , a communication system 500 may include a network device 501 and terminal devices 502 and 503. For simplicity, FIG5 illustrates only two terminal devices and one network device as an example, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0182] In the embodiment of the present application, existing services or future services can be transmitted between the network device 501 and the terminal devices 502 and 503. For example, these services may include but are not limited to: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communication (mMTC), and ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), etc.

[0183] It is worth noting that FIG5 shows that both terminal devices 502 and 503 are within the coverage range of the network device 501, but the present application is not limited thereto. Both terminal devices 502 and 503 may not be within the coverage range of the network device 501, or one terminal device 502 may be within the coverage range of the network device 501 while the other terminal device 503 is outside the coverage range of the network device 501.

[0184] In some embodiments, the network device includes the apparatus 400 described in the embodiment of the second aspect, and is configured to execute the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect. Since the method has been described in detail in the embodiment of the second aspect, its content is incorporated herein and will not be repeated.

[0185] An embodiment of the present application further provides a network device, which may be, for example, a base station, but the present application is not limited thereto and may also be other network devices.

[0186] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6 , network device 600 may include a processor 601 and a memory 602 ; the memory 602 is coupled to the processor 601 . The memory 602 may store various data and information processing programs, which are executed under the control of the processor 601 .

[0187] In some embodiments, the functions of the device 400 of the embodiment of the second aspect can be integrated into the processor 601, wherein the processor 601 can be configured to execute a program to implement the method of the embodiment of the first aspect, the content of which is incorporated herein and will not be repeated here.

[0188] In other embodiments, the device 400 of the embodiment of the second aspect can be configured separately from the processor 601. For example, the device 400 of the embodiment of the second aspect can be configured as a chip connected to the processor 601, and the functions of the device 400 of the embodiment of the second aspect can be realized through the control of the processor 601.

[0189] Furthermore, as shown in FIG6 , network device 600 may further include transceivers 603 and 604. The functions of these components are similar to those in the prior art and are not described in detail here. It is worth noting that network device 600 does not necessarily include all of the components shown in FIG6 ; furthermore, network device 600 may also include components not shown in FIG6 , for which reference may be made to the prior art.

[0190] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in a network device, the program causes the network device to execute the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0191] An embodiment of the present application further provides a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program enables a network device to execute the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0192] The above devices and methods of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software. The present application relates to such a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the devices or components described above, or enables the logic component to implement the various methods or steps described above. The present application also relates to a storage medium for storing the above program, such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, etc.

[0193] The method / device described in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. For example, one or more of the functional block diagrams shown in the figure and / or one or more combinations of functional block diagrams can correspond to various software modules of the computer program flow or to various hardware modules. These software modules can respectively correspond to the various steps shown in the figure. These hardware modules can be implemented by solidifying these software modules, for example, using a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0194] The software module may be located in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium may be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. The software module may be stored in the memory of the mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a large-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a large-capacity flash memory device, the software module may be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the large-capacity flash memory device.

[0195] One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any appropriate combination thereof for performing the functions described in this application. One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0196] The present application has been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application based on the spirit and principles of the present application, and such modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0197] Regarding the above implementation methods disclosed in this embodiment, the following additional notes are also disclosed:

[0198] 1. A data collection method, wherein the method comprises:

[0199] The first network device receives first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to instruct the first network device to collect artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data;

[0200] The first network device performs collection of artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data according to the first configuration information.

[0201] 2. A network device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method described in Note 1.

[0202] 3. A communication system comprising a terminal device and a network device, wherein the network device is configured to execute the method described in Note 1.

Claims

1. A data collection device, configured in a first network device, wherein, The device includes: a receiving unit that receives first configuration information for instructing the first network device to collect artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data; a processing unit that collects artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data according to the first configuration information.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The first configuration information includes at least one of the following: data collection configuration information for instructing the first network device or the first network device to configure a terminal device to collect the data; identification information of a terminal device for indicating a terminal device that needs to perform data collection; data source indication information for indicating whether the first network device can accept the compliant data that has been stored or collected.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The data collection configuration information includes at least one of the following: data collection mode information for indicating a data collection mode corresponding to the data collection configuration; data collection area information for indicating an area where data collection can be performed; data collection type information for indicating data information and / or measurement result information that needs to be collected; data collection operation information for indicating a recording method of data collection; data collection amount information for indicating the size of the data that needs to be collected; data collection quality information for indicating a quality requirement that needs to be collected.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the data collection mode includes at least one of the following: immediate collection, connected state recording collection, non-connected state recording collection, tracking collection.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the data collection area information includes at least one of the following: at least one beam information of at least one cell, at least one cell information, at least one tracking area code information, at least one PLMN information, at least one tracking area identification information.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the beam information includes at least one of the following: beam type information, index information of a beam, identification information of a beam, and the beam type information is at least one of SSB and CSI-RS; the at least one beam information of the at least one cell includes beam information, or includes beam information and cell information; the cell information includes at least one of the following: cell global identification, physical cell identification and frequency point information, cell identification, non-public network identification, non-terrestrial network identification, tracking area code, identification information of a network device to which the cell belongs.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein the data collection area information is at the data collection type level, or at the data collection mode level, or is public.

8. The device according to claim 3, wherein the data collection type includes at least one of the following: CSI prediction, CSI compression, beam management, positioning, normal handover, conditional handover, mobility triggered by the lower layer.

9. The device according to claim 3, wherein the data collection operation information includes at least one of the following: recording interval information, recording duration information.

10. The device according to claim 3, wherein ​ The data collection amount information includes at least one of the following: the size of the collected data, the number of entries of the collected data.

11. The device according to claim 2, wherein, The identification information of the terminal device includes at least one of the following: the identification information on the core network device side at the interface between the access network and the core network device of the terminal device; the identification information on the access network device side at the interface between the access network and the core network device of the terminal device; a globally unique temporary UE identifier; an international mobile subscriber identification number; a temporary mobile subscriber identification number.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The device further includes: a storage unit, The receiving unit further receives a first message, where the first message is used to indicate the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device; The storage unit stores the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection authorization information of the terminal device.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The device further includes: a storage unit, The receiving unit further receives the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device; The storage unit stores the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein, The data collection authorization information is used to indicate the information related to data collection that the terminal device is willing to support, including at least one of the following: data collection type information, which is used to indicate the collected data information and / or measurement result information that the terminal device is willing to support; data collection mode information, which is used to indicate the data collection mode corresponding to the data collection configuration that the terminal device is willing to support; data collection area information, which is used to indicate the area where the terminal device is willing to support data collection.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein, The processing unit selects the terminal device to perform the collection of the data according to the first configuration information and the first message, or according to the first configuration information, the first message, and the artificial intelligence-related and / or machine learning-related data collection capability information of the terminal device.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The receiving unit receives the first configuration information from an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) entity.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The receiving unit receives the first configuration information from the core network.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The device further includes: a sending unit, which sends the collected data to the core network device, or the OAM entity, or a second network device.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein, The receiving unit further receives the identification information and / or address information of the second network device sent by the core network device or the OAM entity.

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The collected data includes L1 measurement result information.

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