User-plane location method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are a user-plane location method and a communication apparatus, which enable a location services user plane on a terminal side to be rejected on the basis of user plane control, thereby improving the performance of the location services user plane. The method comprises: sending a first message to a location management function network element, wherein the first message is used for performing a location services user plane; and receiving a second message from the location management function network element, wherein the second message is used for rejecting the location services user plane, and the second message comprises a cause value for rejecting the location services user plane, the cause value being related to at least one piece of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user-plane location processed by the location management function network element, access type preference information used by the location management function network element for user-plane location, and the number of user plane connections of the location management function network element, or congestion information of the location management function network element on a user plane. The embodiments of the present application are used for a transmission process for uplink user plane location.

Description

User plane positioning method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on January 12, 2024, with application number 202410055272.5 and application name “A User Plane Positioning Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a user plane positioning method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] The user plane location services protocol (LCS-UPP) requires that both the terminal side and the network side support the user plane location services protocol. The terminal side reports the user plane location services protocol supported by the terminal to the network side during the registration process. The network side performs user plane positioning based on information such as the terminal side's capabilities, the terminal side's contract data, and local configuration. Among them, after the network side establishes a secure user plane connection with the terminal side, based on the secure user plane connection, the terminal side and the network side can initiate the user plane location services (LCS-UP) transmission process to transmit positioning and other supplementary service information. However, at present, for the uplink LCS-UP transmission process, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard protocol only describes the scenarios and processing of successful LCS-UP transmission, and the scenarios and processing of failed transmission are still unclear.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a user plane positioning method and a communication device, which can reject the user plane positioning service on the terminal side based on user plane control, thereby improving the performance of the user plane positioning service.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions.

[0007] In a first aspect, a user plane positioning method is provided. Optionally, the execution subject of the method may be a terminal device, or a component or device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.) applied to the terminal device, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the terminal device functions. The method includes: sending a first message to a positioning management function network element, the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service; receiving a second message from the positioning management function network element, the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; wherein the reason value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, or congestion information of the positioning management function network element on the user plane.

[0008] Among them, the positioning management function network element can be an LMF (location management function) network element. The number of terminal devices located on the user plane can be understood as the number of user equipment (UE) located on the user plane, or the number of UEs that have been performing the transmission process of user plane positioning services with the LMF network element. The number of user plane connections can be understood as the number of UEs that have established user plane connections with the LMF network element. The UEs connected on the user plane may include UEs that are performing the transmission process of user plane positioning services with the LMF network element, and also include UEs that perform other user plane transmissions other than UEs that are performing the transmission process of user plane positioning services.

[0009] Therefore, in the present application, when the terminal device initiates the transmission of the user plane positioning service through the first message, for the LMF network element on the network side, the LMF network element can refuse to provide the user plane positioning service to the UE based on at least one of the number of terminal devices located with the user plane, the access type preference information used for user plane positioning, the number of user plane connections, and the congestion information of the user plane, thereby achieving coverage of scenarios in which the LMF network element will refuse the transmission of the user plane positioning service sent by the UE. In other words, as long as the terminal device initiates the user plane positioning service, if the current network condition of the LMF network element meets the network condition corresponding to at least one of the above-mentioned cause values, the LMF network element can refuse the user plane positioning service initiated by the terminal device, and feedback a second message of the rejection of the service to the terminal device, the second message carries the cause value, so that the terminal device can make subsequent user plane positioning decisions based on the cause value. At the same time, the user plane positioning service performance on the network side can also be improved.

[0010] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed by the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element. In other words, when the number of user-plane located UEs processed in parallel by the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane located UEs processed in parallel by the LMF network element, that is, when the maximum number of user-plane located UEs supported by the LMF network element has been reached, the LMF network element refuses to provide user-plane location services to the UE. In this way, the maximum number of connections of user-plane located UEs can be controlled by the LMF network element.

[0011] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the access type preference information for user plane positioning, the cause value is used to indicate that: the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is different from the access type preference used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning; or, the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is not allowed. In other words, when the access protocol type of the first message sent by the UE is inconsistent with the access protocol type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the LMF network element refuses or does not provide user plane positioning service to the UE. In this way, the LMF network element can implement the positioning UE access preference control on the user plane.

[0012] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving a registration acceptance message from an access and mobility management function network element when initiating a registration process, the registration acceptance message includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning. That is, the network side can configure the access type preference for user plane positioning to the first terminal device when the first terminal device initiates the registration process. In this way, for the first terminal device, if it is to initiate a user plane positioning service after successfully receiving the registration acceptance message, it can determine the access type that meets the requirements of the network side according to the access type preference for user plane positioning, thereby realizing access type control when the network side controls the terminal device to perform user plane positioning, and also enabling the terminal device to successfully initiate the user plane positioning process, thereby improving the service experience of the terminal device.

[0013] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving user plane information from a positioning management function network element when initiating a user plane positioning connection management process, the user plane information includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning. That is, the network side can configure the access type preference for user plane positioning to the first terminal device when the first terminal device initiates the user plane positioning connection management process. In this way, for the first terminal device, if it is to initiate a user plane positioning service when the user plane information is successfully received, it can determine the access type that meets the requirements of the network side according to the access type preference for user plane positioning, so that the terminal device can successfully initiate the user plane positioning process and improve the service experience of the terminal device.

[0014] In one possible design, the access type preference includes one of the following access types: 3GPP access; non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access. Among them, non-3GPP access can be, for example, Wi-Fi access, or other access types. This application does not limit the non-3GPP access type. In this way, when the first terminal device supports user plane access, if the first terminal device initiates a user plane access transmission process, it can select an access type that meets the access type preference requirements of the network side according to the access type preference configured on the network side, thereby improving the success rate of the terminal device initiating the user plane positioning process.

[0015] In one possible design, the method further includes: establishing a secure user plane connection with a positioning management function network element based on the access type preference determined by the first information. That is, when the first terminal device has received the first information and determined the access type preference of the network side, the first terminal device may select an access type based on the access type preference of the network side when initiating the secure user plane connection, so that the access type of the secure user plane connection initiated by the terminal side meets the access type preference requirements of the network side, thereby improving the success rate of establishing the secure user plane connection on the terminal side and enhancing the user's service experience.

[0016] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending a third message to the positioning management function network element, the third message being used to perform a user-plane positioning service, the access type of the third message being the same as the access type preference. That is, when the first terminal device determines the access type preference of the network side, the terminal side selects an access type based on the access type preference of the network side when initiating the user-plane positioning service, so that the access type of the user-plane positioning service initiated by the terminal side meets the access type preference requirements of the network side, thereby improving the success rate of establishing a secure user-plane connection on the terminal side and enhancing the user's service experience.

[0017] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element. In other words, when the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element, the LMF network element refuses to provide user plane positioning services to the UE. In this way, the LMF network element can control the maximum number of user plane connections of the UE in the user plane.

[0018] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to congestion information of the LMF network element on the user plane, the cause value is used to indicate that the LMF network element is in a congested state on the user plane. That is, when the user plane of the LMF network element is congested, the LMF network element refuses to provide user-plane positioning services to the UE. This enables congestion control of the LMF network element on the user plane.

[0019] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving a user plane connection release message, where the user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of the secure user plane connection between the positioning management network element and the first terminal device. That is, when the network side, i.e., the LMF network element, rejects the user plane positioning service on the terminal side, the secure user plane connection with the terminal side can also be released, thereby implementing network-side control of the user plane connection on the terminal side.

[0020] In one possible design, the second message also includes timing information, and the method further includes: starting a first timer based on the timing information, and before the first timer expires, performing at least one of the following actions: not requesting the location management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; and not providing user plane location services to the location management network element. That is, in the event that the network side rejects the user plane location service on the terminal side, the timing information can be configured on the terminal side so that the terminal side does not initiate a secure user plane connection or does not initiate user plane location services within the timing duration. This can reduce resource overhead on both the terminal side and the network side, and improve the management mechanism for user plane location services.

[0021] In one possible design, the method further includes: starting a locally configured second timer; and before the second timer expires, performing at least one of the following actions: not requesting the location management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; and not providing user plane location services to the location management network element. That is, if the network side does not configure a timer, once the terminal side determines that the network side has rejected the user plane location service, the terminal side may not initiate a secure user plane connection or user plane location services within the locally configured timer duration. This can reduce resource overhead on both the terminal side and the network side, and improve the management mechanism for user plane location services.

[0022] In one possible design, the first message includes an uplink user plane positioning transmission message, and the user plane positioning service includes an uplink user plane positioning transmission. In this way, when the uplink user plane positioning service is performed on the terminal side, the network side can perform access control on the terminal side, thereby achieving coverage for scenarios in which the network side denies the uplink user plane positioning service on the terminal side.

[0023] In one possible design, the second message includes one of the following messages: an uplink user plane positioning transmission rejection message; an uplink user plane positioning transmission failure message; or a downlink user plane positioning transmission message. This application does not limit the message type of the second message.

[0024] In a second aspect, a user plane positioning method is provided. Optionally, the execution subject of the method may be a positioning management function network element, or a component or device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.) applied to the positioning management function network element, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the positioning management function network element. The method includes: receiving a first message from a first terminal device, the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service; sending a second message to the first terminal device, the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; wherein the reason value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, or congestion information of the positioning management function network element on the user plane.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the second aspect can be found in the description of the first aspect.

[0026] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed by the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element.

[0027] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the access type preference information for user plane positioning, the cause value is used to indicate that: the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is different from the access type preference used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning; or, the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is not allowed.

[0028] In one possible design, the method also includes: receiving first configuration information from an access and mobility management function network element, the first configuration information being used to indicate an access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0029] In one possible design, the method also includes: sending user plane information to the first terminal device through the access and mobility management function network element, the user plane information includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0030] In one possible design, the access type preference includes one of the following access types: 3GPP access; non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access.

[0031] In one possible design, the method also includes: receiving a third message from the first terminal device, the third message is used to perform user plane positioning service, and the access type of the third message is the same as the access type preference.

[0032] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the positioning management function network element.

[0033] In a possible design, when the cause value is related to congestion information of the positioning management function network element on the user plane, the cause value is used to indicate that the positioning management function network element is in a congested state on the user plane.

[0034] In one possible design, the method also includes: sending a user plane connection release message to the first terminal device, where the user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of the secure user plane connection between the positioning management function network element and the first terminal device.

[0035] In one possible design, the second message also includes timing information, which is used to instruct the first terminal device to perform one of the following actions: not requesting the positioning management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; not providing user plane positioning services to the positioning management network element.

[0036] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a sending unit for sending a first message to a positioning management function network element, the first message being used to perform user plane positioning service; a receiving unit for receiving a second message from the positioning management function network element, the second message being used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message including a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; wherein the reason value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, or congestion information of the positioning management function network element on the user plane.

[0037] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed by the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element.

[0038] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the access type preference information for user plane positioning, the cause value is used to indicate: the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is different from the access type preference used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning; or, the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is not allowed.

[0039] In one possible design, the receiving unit is also used to receive a registration acceptance message from the access and mobility management function network element when initiating a registration process. The registration acceptance message includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0040] In one possible design, the receiving unit is also used to receive user plane information from the positioning management function network element when initiating a user plane positioning connection management process. The user plane information includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0041] In one possible design, the access type preference includes one of the following access types: 3GPP access; non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access.

[0042] In one possible design, a connection unit is also included, which is used to establish a secure user plane connection with the positioning management function network element based on the access type preference determined by the first information.

[0043] In one possible design, the sending unit also sends a third message to the positioning management function network element, where the third message is used to perform user plane positioning service, and the access type of the third message is the same as the access type preference.

[0044] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the positioning management function network element.

[0045] In a possible design, when the cause value is related to congestion information of the positioning management function network element on the user plane, the cause value is used to indicate that the positioning management function network element is in a congested state on the user plane.

[0046] In one possible design, the receiving unit is used to receive a user plane connection release message, where the user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of a secure user plane connection between the positioning management network element and the first terminal device.

[0047] In one possible design, the second message also includes timing information and a timing unit, which is used to start a first timer according to the timing information, and perform at least one of the following actions before the first timer expires: not requesting to establish a secure user plane connection to the positioning management network element; and not providing user plane positioning services to the positioning management network element.

[0048] In one possible design, it also includes a timing unit for starting a locally configured second timer; before the second timer expires, performing at least one of the following actions: not requesting the positioning management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; not providing user plane positioning services to the positioning management network element.

[0049] In one possible design, the first message includes an uplink user plane positioning transmission message, and the user plane positioning service includes an uplink user plane positioning transmission.

[0050] In one possible design, the second message includes one of the following messages: an uplink user plane positioning transmission rejection message; an uplink user plane positioning transmission failure message; or a downlink user plane positioning transmission message.

[0051] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a receiving unit for receiving a first message from a first terminal device, the first message being used to perform a user plane positioning service; a sending unit for sending a second message to the first terminal device, the second message being used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message including a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; wherein the reason value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, or congestion information of the positioning management function network element on the user plane.

[0052] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed by the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element.

[0053] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the access type preference information for user plane positioning, the cause value is used to indicate that: the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is different from the access type preference used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning; or, the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is not allowed.

[0054] In one possible design, the receiving unit is further used to receive first configuration information from an access and mobility management function network element, where the first configuration information is used to indicate an access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0055] In one possible design, the sending unit is also used to send user plane information to the first terminal device through the access and mobility management function network element, where the user plane information includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0056] In one possible design, the access type preference includes one of the following access types: 3GPP access; non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access.

[0057] In one possible design, the receiving unit is further used to receive a third message from the first terminal device, where the third message is used to perform user plane positioning service, and the access type of the third message is the same as the access type preference.

[0058] In one possible design, when the cause value is related to the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the positioning management function network element.

[0059] In a possible design, when the cause value is related to congestion information of the positioning management function network element on the user plane, the cause value is used to indicate that the positioning management function network element is in a congested state on the user plane.

[0060] In one possible design, the sending unit is further used to send a user plane connection release message to the first terminal device, where the user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of the secure user plane connection between the positioning management function network element and the first terminal device.

[0061] In one possible design, the second message also includes timing information, which is used to instruct the first terminal device to perform one of the following actions: not requesting the positioning management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; not providing user plane positioning services to the positioning management network element.

[0062] In a fifth aspect, a user plane positioning method is provided. Optionally, the execution subject of the method can be an access and mobility management function network element, or a component or device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.) applied to the access and mobility management function network element, or a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access and mobility management function network element. The method includes: receiving subscription information of a first terminal device from a unified data management network element, the subscription information including access type preference information of the first terminal device for user plane positioning; sending a registration acceptance message to the first terminal device, the registration acceptance message including the access type preference information of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0063] In this way, for the access and mobility management function network element, when the terminal initiates the registration process, the access and mobility management function network element can configure the access type preference information for user plane positioning to the terminal side through the registration acceptance message, thereby realizing the network side's access control of the user plane positioning service initiated by the terminal side. When the access type for initiating the user plane positioning service on the terminal side matches the access type preference information on the network side, the success rate of initiating the user plane positioning service on the terminal side can be improved, thereby improving the service experience on the terminal side.

[0064] In one possible design, the method further includes: when the first terminal device initiates establishment of a secure user plane connection, sending access type preference information of the first terminal device for user plane positioning to the positioning management function network element. In this way, when the terminal side initiates a secure user plane connection, if the access type on the terminal side matches the access type preference information stored by the positioning management function network element, the success rate of initiating user plane positioning services on the terminal side can be improved, thereby enhancing the service experience on the terminal side.

[0065] In one possible design, the method further includes: when the first terminal device initiates a user plane positioning connection management process, sending access type preference information of the first terminal device for user plane positioning to the positioning management function network element. In this way, when the user plane positioning connection management process is initiated on the terminal side, if the access type on the terminal side matches the access type preference information stored by the positioning management function network element, the success rate of initiating user plane positioning services on the terminal side can be improved, thereby enhancing the service experience on the terminal side.

[0066] In a sixth aspect, a user plane positioning method is provided. Optionally, the execution subject of the method can be a unified data management network element, or a component or device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.) applied to the unified data management network element, or a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the unified data management network element. The method includes: receiving a registration request from a first terminal device; sending subscription information of the first terminal device to an access and mobility management function network element, the subscription information including access type preference information of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0067] In this way, when the terminal initiates the registration process, the unified data management network element can send the access type preference information for user plane positioning to the access and mobility management function network element through the subscription information, thereby implementing the network side's access control of user plane positioning services initiated by the terminal side. When the access type for initiating user plane positioning services on the terminal side matches the access type preference information on the network side, the success rate of initiating user plane positioning services on the terminal side can be improved, thereby enhancing the service experience on the terminal side.

[0068] In the fifth and sixth aspects:

[0069] In one possible design, the access type preference information includes one of the following information: 3GPP access; non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access.

[0070] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a receiving unit for receiving contract information of a first terminal device from a unified data management network element, the contract information including access type preference information used by the first terminal device for user plane positioning; a sending unit for sending a registration acceptance message to the first terminal device, the registration acceptance message including access type preference information used by the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0071] In one possible design, the sending unit is further used to send access type preference information of the first terminal device for user plane positioning to the positioning management function network element when the first terminal device initiates establishment of a secure user plane connection.

[0072] In one possible design, the sending unit is further configured to send access type preference information of the first terminal device for user plane positioning to the positioning management function network element when the first terminal device initiates a user plane positioning connection management process.

[0073] In the eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a receiving unit for receiving a registration request from a first terminal device; a sending unit for sending the contract information of the first terminal device to an access and mobility management function network element, the contract information including access type preference information used by the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

[0074] In the seventh and eighth aspects:

[0075] In one possible design, the access type preference information includes one of the following information: 3GPP access; non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access.

[0076] In the ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is connected to a memory, and the at least one processor is used to read and execute a program stored in the memory, so that the device executes the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or executes the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, or executes the method described in the fifth aspect or any possible design of the fifth aspect; or executes the method described in the sixth aspect or any possible design of the sixth aspect.

[0077] In the tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system including a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device being used to execute the method as in the third aspect and any possible design of the third aspect, and the second communication device being used to execute the method as in the fourth aspect and any possible design of the fourth aspect.

[0078] In one possible design, the communication system also includes a third communication device and a fourth communication device, the third communication device is used to execute the method as in the fifth aspect and any possible design of the fifth aspect, and the fourth communication device is used to execute the method as in the sixth aspect and any possible design of the sixth aspect.

[0079] In the eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, and / or executes the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, and / or executes the method described in the fifth aspect or any possible design of the fifth aspect, and / or executes the method described in the sixth aspect or any possible design of the sixth aspect.

[0080] In the twelfth aspect, a chip is provided, which is coupled to a memory and is used to read and execute program instructions stored in the memory to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, and / or, to execute the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, and / or, to execute the method described in the fifth aspect or any possible design of the fifth aspect, and / or, to execute the method described in the sixth aspect or any possible design of the sixth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a core network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG3 is a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0091] For ease of understanding, some examples of concepts related to the embodiments of the present application are provided for reference, as shown below.

[0092] Secure user plane connection: An end-to-end connection between the terminal and the network using the transport layer security protocol (TLS) for LCS-UPP. For example, an end-to-end connection between user equipment (UE) and the location management function (LMF) using TLS for LCS-UPP.

[0093] LMF maximum number of user plane positioning terminals: An LMF capability that represents the maximum number of UEs that LMF can process user plane positioning in parallel.

[0094] User plane positioning: For example, user plane-based positioning can follow the secure user plane location (SUPL) specification of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). It uses existing standards to transmit assistance data and positioning data on the user plane. Its purpose is to fully utilize the relevant characteristics of mobile networks to provide users with better location services.

[0095] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this article is merely a description of 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. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" means two or more than two.

[0096] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0097] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to wireless communication systems such as the fifth generation mobile communication networks (5G), the sixth generation mobile communication networks (6G), satellite communication, and possible future communication technologies, including but not limited to narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), global system for mobile communications (GSM), enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA2000), time division-synchronization code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), and three major application scenarios of 5G mobile communication systems: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and enhanced machine-type communications (EMTC). communication, eMTC), 6G mobile communication systems and possible future mobile communication systems.

[0098] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 110) and may also include at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1 ). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. Terminals and RAN nodes may be connected to each other via wired or wireless connections. Communication system 1000 may also include a core network 200. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. Core network devices in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 may be separate, distinct physical devices, or they may be a single physical device that integrates the logical functions of core network devices and RAN nodes. The communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300 .

[0099] The terminal 120 can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to the network side or receive signals from the network side. The terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0100] In the present application, the terminal 120 may also receive positioning access preference information sent by the network side and perform access based on the information.

[0101] RAN100 may be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). RAN100 may also include two or more of the aforementioned different radio access systems. RAN100 may also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0102] A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, facilitates wireless access to a communication system by a terminal. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station, an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), a relay node, or a donor node.

[0103] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU implements the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) functions, as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) functions. The DU implements the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer functions, as well as some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each of these protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, such as the baseband unit (BBU). The RU may be included in a radio frequency device, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU may be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: the CU-control plane and the CU-user plane.

[0104] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU may be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU may be called an open DU (O-DU), and a RU may be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, the RAN node may be a server loaded with the corresponding software module. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the RAN node. For ease of description, the following description takes a base station as an example of a RAN node.

[0105] Based on the architectural diagram of the communication system 1000 shown in Figure 1, Figure 2 shows an architectural diagram of a core network 200. The core network 200 may include an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, an LMF network element, a unified data management (UDM) network element, a network exposure function (NEF) network element, a network data analytics function (NWDAF) network element, a gateway mobile location center (GMLC), a location registration function (LRF) network element, and an application function (AF) network element. In addition, the communication system 1000 may also include a location service client (LCS client). Nx shown in Figure 2, such as N1, N2, and N51, are interfaces between network elements and can be used to transmit data between network elements.

[0106] Among them, the AMF network element is the main module for processing control plane messages, and its main function is to implement access and mobility management functions. In this application, the AMF can also transparently transmit access preference information to the terminal during the terminal-side registration process and the terminal-initiated user plane connection process.

[0107] The LMF network element can be used to manage the resources and time of positioning, and provide the Nlmf_location service to the AMF network element for immediate or delayed location information requests on the NL1 interface. The LMF uses the Namf_communcation service on the NL1 interface to request terminal positioning from the access network through the N2 interface, or communicates with the terminal through the N1 interface for terminal-based or terminal-assisted positioning. The LMF network element can also request estimated movement, speed and direction, or estimate the accuracy of location information when initiating a request. In this application, the LMF network element can implement user-plane positioning access control and processing, and can also provide feedback to the terminal on the reasons for rejecting user-plane positioning access and the timing.

[0108] The UDM network element can be used to manage user data. For example, it is used for user subscription data management; user authentication data management; user identification data management; 3GPP AKA authentication parameter generation; terminal access authentication, authorization, and authorization based on subscription data; registration management; mobility management; and subscription management. In this application, the UDM can also add terminal location access preference information to the terminal's subscription information and send it to the terminal.

[0109] The NEF network element (NEF) exposes network data to the public, enabling non-3GPP networks to access the 5G core network. Key functions and scenarios include supporting the external exposure of network capabilities, including monitoring, provisioning, policy / billing, and analysis and reporting. Furthermore, the NEF provides open security services for third-party applications.

[0110] The NWDAF network element can be understood as a data-aware and analytical network element. It automatically senses and analyzes the network based on network data and participates in the entire life cycle of network planning, construction, maintenance, optimization, and operation. This makes the network easier to maintain and control, improves the efficiency of network resource utilization, and enhances the user service experience.

[0111] The GMLC is the first node for external location programs to access the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) public land mobile network (PLMN). It can perform registration authorization checks and request routing information from the Home Location Register (HLR). A PLMN may have multiple GMLCs.

[0112] The LRF network element provides service logic and data functions and manages the unique mobility of wireless users. It includes LRFH and LRFV. The LRFH implements the mobility management function of the HLR, while the LRFV implements the mobility management function of the VLR.

[0113] The AF network element can interact with the core network to provide services. Its functions include accessing network exposure functions and interacting with the policy framework for policy management. The trusted AF can directly access the network element functions within the 5G core network.

[0114] 3GPP defined the scenarios and requirements of LCS-UP, as well as the functions and processes of stage 2 in Release 18. When defining the stage 3 protocol implementation of LCS-UP, 3GPP conducted evaluation and analysis and finally defined the new LCS-UPP. LCS-UPP requires that both the terminal and the network support the user plane positioning protocol. The terminal reports its support for the user plane positioning protocol to the network during the registration process. The network decides to use user plane positioning based on information such as the terminal's capabilities, the terminal's subscription data, and local configuration. Based on the terminal's request, the network actively sends user plane connection information to the terminal, which in turn triggers the terminal to initiate the establishment of a packet data unit (PDU) session connection for user plane positioning. Based on the PDU session connection, the terminal can initiate the establishment of an end-to-end secure user plane connection to the LMF network element.

[0115] Based on the secure user plane connection, the terminal and LMF network element can initiate the LCS-UP transmission process to transmit Long Term Evolution Position Protocol (LPP) messages and positioning supplementary service messages between the terminal and the LMF network element. For uplink LCS-UP transmission, the current 3GPP standard protocol only describes the scenarios and processing for successful transmission, but does not describe the scenarios and processing for transmission failure.

[0116] Among them, the LCS-UP feature is a new standard feature defined by 3GPP R18. There is no directly related user plane technology in 3GPP Phase 2 and Phase 3. The terminal can initiate the LCS-UPP process to transmit positioning and other supplementary service information. In some scenarios, the LMF network element will reject the terminal's request to initiate the process. However, in TS24.572, the scenarios in which this situation occurs and the processing mechanism are yet to be defined. For example, in the positioning function of the terminal, the terminal supports both 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the appropriate access type should be determined by the QoS policy and the operator policy. However, how the operator sends the user plane positioning access preference information to the terminal, and the processing mechanism after the terminal receives the user plane positioning access preference information sent by the operator, remain to be defined.

[0117] Therefore, the present application proposes a user plane positioning method, which describes the scenario in which the LMF network element rejects the terminal from initiating the LCS-UPP process during the terminal-initiated LCS-UPP process, as well as the processing mechanism of the LMF network element and the terminal side in the rejection situation. In addition, in the present application, the network side can implement the network side's sending of terminal side access preference control information based on the terminal side's registration process and the terminal side's initiation of the user plane connection process. The terminal side can receive the access type preference information sent by the network side, and perform a corresponding processing mechanism based on the access preference information. If the access type of the terminal side does not meet the requirements of the access type preference, the LMF network element can reject access management for the terminal side located on the user plane.

[0118] As shown in FIG3 , a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The method includes the following flow.

[0119] 301. A first terminal device sends a first message to a positioning management function network element, where the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service.

[0120] In some embodiments, the positioning management function network element may be an LMF network element. For example, when the first terminal device is a UE, the UE may establish a secure user plane connection with the LMF network element, and the UE may send a first message to the LMF network element to trigger the LMF to provide a user plane positioning service for the UE. This can also be understood as the UE initiating a process for transmitting the user plane positioning service.

[0121] Correspondingly, the positioning management function network element can receive the first message from the first terminal device.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first message includes an uplink user plane location transfer message, and the user plane location service includes an uplink user plane location transfer. Exemplarily, the uplink user plane location transfer message is a "UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT" (uplink location services user plane transport) message, which may also be referred to as an uplink user plane location service transfer message. The user plane location service includes an uplink user plane location transfer (UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT), or in other words, the user plane location service includes an uplink user plane location service transfer.

[0123] 302. The first terminal device receives a second message from the location management function network element, where the second message is used to deny the user plane location service, and the second message includes a reason value for denying the user plane location service. The reason value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane location processing by the location management function network element, access type preference information used by the location management function network element for user plane location processing, the number of user plane connections of the location management function network element, or congestion information of the location management function network element on the user plane.

[0124] Correspondingly, the positioning management function network element sends a second message to the first terminal device. For example, the LMF network element sends the second message to the UE.

[0125] In some embodiments, when the cause value is related to the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed by the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane located terminal devices processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element.

[0126] That is, if the number of user-plane positioning UEs processed in parallel by the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane positioning UEs processed in parallel by the LMF network element, that is, if the maximum number of user-plane positioning UEs supported by the LMF network element has been reached, the LMF network element will refuse to provide user-plane positioning services to the UE. In this way, the maximum number of user-plane positioning UE connections supported by the LMF network element can be controlled.

[0127] In some embodiments, when the cause value is related to the access type preference information for user plane positioning, the cause value is used to indicate that the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is different from the access type preference used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, or that the access type for user plane positioning of the first terminal device is not allowed.

[0128] In other words, when the access protocol type of the first message sent by the UE is inconsistent with the access protocol type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the LMF network element refuses or does not provide user plane positioning services to the UE. In this way, the LMF network element can implement the positioning UE access preference control on the user plane.

[0129] In some embodiments, the network side may notify the UE of the access type preference of the core network side for user plane positioning during the UE's registration process with the core network, so that the UE can determine the access type for initiating a user plane positioning service request to the LMF based on the access type preference for user plane positioning. In some embodiments, the first terminal device receives a registration acceptance message from the access and mobility management function network element when initiating the registration process, and the registration acceptance message includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning. The first terminal device may save the first information, and the first terminal device may also save the first information in the context of the first terminal device.

[0130] In some embodiments, the network side may notify the UE of the access type preference of the core network side for user plane positioning in the user plane positioning connection management process from the UE to the core network, so that the UE can determine the access type for initiating a user plane positioning service request to the LMF based on the access type preference for user plane positioning. In some embodiments, when initiating the user plane positioning connection management process, the first terminal device receives user plane information from the positioning management function network element, and the user plane information includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning. The first terminal device may save the first information, and the first terminal device may also save the first information in the context of the first terminal device.

[0131] In some embodiments, when the cause value is related to the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the positioning management function network element.

[0132] In other words, when the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element, the LMF network element refuses to provide user plane positioning services to the UE. In this way, the number of connections of the LMF network element in the user plane can be controlled.

[0133] In some embodiments, when the cause value is related to congestion information of the LMF network element on the user plane, the cause value is used to indicate that the LMF network element is in a congested state on the user plane.

[0134] In other words, when the LMF network element indicates that the user plane of the LMF network element is in a congested state, the LMF network element refuses to provide the user plane positioning service to the UE. Through this cause value, congestion control of the LMF network element in the user plane can be achieved.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first terminal device may also receive a user plane connection release message from the LMF network element. The user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of the secure user plane connection between the LMF network element and the first terminal device. This is because the LMF network element is temporarily unable to provide user plane positioning services to the first terminal device. If the secure user plane connection between the LMF network element and the first terminal device is released, the resource overhead of the LMF network element and the first terminal device can also be reduced.

[0136] In some embodiments, the location management function network element may further carry timing information in the second message. The first terminal device starts a first timer based on the timing information and, before the first timer expires, performs at least one of the following actions: not requesting the location management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; and not providing user plane positioning services to the location management network element.

[0137] Alternatively, when the first terminal device does not receive timing information from the LMF network element, the first terminal device can also start a locally configured second timer and perform at least one of the following actions before the second timer expires: not requesting the positioning management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; not providing user plane positioning services to the positioning management network element.

[0138] When the first timer times out or the second timer times out, the first terminal device may also try to send the first request again to perform user plane positioning service.

[0139] Therefore, as long as the first terminal device initiates the user plane positioning service process, if the current network condition of the LMF network element meets the network condition corresponding to at least one of the above-mentioned reason values, the LMF network element can reject the user plane positioning service process initiated by the first terminal device, and feedback the second message of rejection of service to the first terminal device. For the network side, if the network side does not feedback the rejection of service in the above-mentioned multiple situations, when the LMF network element accepts the user plane positioning service on the terminal side, but cannot provide the user plane positioning service due to insufficient resource allocation on the network side, the user plane positioning service performance on the terminal side cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, when the terminal device initiates the user plane positioning service process, if the network side rejects the user plane positioning service request according to the preset multiple rejection conditions and provides a reason value, the user plane positioning service performance can be improved. For example, the terminal side can try to initiate the user plane positioning service process again after waiting for a period of time.

[0140] This application does not limit the reasons for the LMF network element to reject the user plane positioning service to the above examples. It can also be other reason values, which are not limited in this application.

[0141] Based on the various cause values ​​provided in the above embodiments, the following exemplifies a method flow for refusing to provide user plane positioning services under various cause values.

[0142] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application. In this method, in the LCS-UPP process, the UE can initiate an uplink LCS-UP transmission process by sending a UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message to the LMF network element. If the number of user plane positioning UEs processed in parallel by the LMF network element reaches or exceeds the maximum number of user plane positioning UEs of the LMF network element at this time, the LMF network element will reject the uplink LCS-UP transmission process and return the cause value to the UE. Optionally, the LMF network element can send a timer value to the UE. Optionally, the LMF network element can send the information received from the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message back to the UE. The UE performs UE-side processing on the information sent by the LMF network element based on the cause value. The method includes the following processes.

[0143] 401. The UE establishes a secure user plane connection (secured user plane connection) for LCS-UPP with the LMF network element.

[0144] For example, the UE can establish a secure user plane connection with the LMF network element, and the UE can transmit user plane data between the LMF network element.

[0145] 402. The UE sends a first message to the LMF network element, where the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service.

[0146] For example, based on a secure user plane connection established with an LMF network element, the UE may initiate an LCS-UP transmission process to the LMF network element to enable transmission of LPP messages and location supplementary services messages between the UE and the LMF network element. The LMF network element may establish secure user plane connections with multiple UEs.

[0147] Among them, LPP is used point-to-point between a positioning server (such as an enhanced serving mobile location center (E-SMLC), an LMF network element or a service location protocol (SLP)) and a target device (UE or SET) to locate the target device using location-related measurements obtained by one or more reference sources. Each LPP transaction involves the exchange of one or more LPP messages between the location server and the target device. LPP messages can be used to identify whether the current message belongs to the same transaction and when the current transaction ends. LPP messages may include: identifying messages belonging to the same transaction; indicating when a transaction (for example, a transaction with a periodic response) ends; enabling duplicate LPP message detection at the receiving end; and allowing confirmation to be requested and / or returned for any LPP message. Positioning supplementary service messages may include: an event reporting allowed location list (eventReportAllowedArea); a reporting PLMN list (reportingPLMNList); periodic location (periodicLocation); and mapped QoS information (mappedQoS).

[0148] In some embodiments, the first message is an uplink user plane location service transfer (UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT) message, which may also be referred to as an uplink LCS-UP transfer message. That is, when the UE initiates an LCS-UP transfer procedure to the LMF network element, the UE may initiate the uplink LCS-UP transfer procedure via the uplink LCS-UP transfer message.

[0149] Exemplarily, the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message may include at least one of a user plane location service payload type (LCS-UP payload type), a user plane location service payload (LCS-UP payload), or an LPP message (LPP message).

[0150] 403. If the number of user-plane positioning terminal devices processed in parallel by the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane positioning terminal devices processed in parallel by the LMF network element, the LMF network element determines to refuse to process the first message.

[0151] In some embodiments, the LMF network element may be configured with an indication of the maximum number of user-plane located UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel. When the LMF network element receives the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message from the UE, it may determine, based on the indication, whether the number of user-plane located UEs that the LMF network element is currently processing in parallel has reached or exceeded the maximum number of user-plane located UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel. If the LMF network element determines that the number of user-plane located UEs that the LMF network element is currently processing in parallel has not reached the maximum number of user-plane located UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel, it can be understood that the LMF network element still has resources to allocate for uplink LCS-UP transmission with the UE. If the LMF network element determines that the number of user-plane located UEs that the LMF network element is currently processing in parallel has reached or exceeded the maximum number of user-plane located UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel, it can be understood that the LMF network element does not have enough resources to allocate for uplink LCS-UP transmission with the UE. At this time, the LMF network element determines to reject the uplink user-plane location service transmission of the UE.

[0152] In some embodiments, the LMF network element may also determine to refuse to process the uplink user plane positioning service transmission message sent by the UE when the number of user plane positioning terminal devices processed in parallel by the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the number of first user plane positioning UEs processed in parallel by the LMF network element. The number of first user plane positioning UEs is less than the maximum number of user plane positioning UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel. This situation can be understood as, when the number of user plane positioning UEs processed in parallel by the LMF network element is about to reach or approach the maximum number of user plane positioning UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel, but has not yet reached the maximum number of user plane positioning UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel, the LMF network element may also determine to refuse to process the uplink user plane positioning service transmission initiated by the UE. In this way, the performance of the LMF network element in providing user plane positioning services to UEs that have successfully initiated user plane positioning service transmission can be guaranteed.

[0153] 404. The LMF network element sends a second message to the UE, where the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service, where the reason value is used to indicate that the number of user plane positioning terminal devices processed in parallel by the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane positioning terminal devices processed in parallel by the LMF network element.

[0154] Correspondingly, the UE receives a second message from the LMF network element.

[0155] In some embodiments, the second message is a rejection response message for the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message. That is, the LMF network element may carry a cause value for rejecting the uplink user plane location service in the rejection response message. The cause value may also be referred to as a cause indication, cause information, or cause value information.

[0156] For example, when the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user-plane positioning terminal devices processed in parallel by the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user-plane positioning terminal devices processed in parallel by the LMF network element, the cause value in the second message may be "maximum number of UE for LCS-UPP reached".

[0157] In some embodiments, the second message may be one of the following messages: an uplink user plane location service transmission reject (UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT REJECT) message; an uplink user plane location service transmission failure message; or a downlink user plane location service transmission (DL LCS-UP TRANSPORT) message. This application does not limit the specific type of the second message.

[0158] For example, the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT REJECT may include a user plane location service payload type information element (LCS-UP payload type information element) and a user plane location service payload element (LCS-UP payload information element). The LCS-UP payload IE may include: LCS-UP payload content; the number of LPP messages; the length of a particular LPP message; and the content of the LPP message.

[0159] In some embodiments, the LMF network element may also send a user plane connection release message to the UE. The user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of the secure user plane connection between the LMF network element and the UE. Accordingly, the UE may receive the user plane connection release message from the LMF network element. In other words, the LMF network element may also initiate a user plane connection release procedure with the UE to release the secure user plane connection between the UE and the LMF network element, thereby saving resource overhead between the UE and the LMF network element.

[0160] In some embodiments, the second message also includes timing information, which is used to instruct the UE to perform one of the following tasks before the timing duration indicated by the timing information expires: not requesting the positioning management network element to establish a secure user plane connection; not providing user plane positioning services to the positioning management network element.

[0161] For the UE, if the second message also includes timing information, the method may further include: the UE starting a first timer according to the timing information, and before the first timer expires, performing one of the following actions: the UE does not request to establish a secure user plane connection from the positioning management network element; the UE does not provide user plane positioning services to the positioning management network element. That is, the UE may not initiate user plane positioning services to the LMF network element before the first timer expires.

[0162] Exemplarily, the second message carries a timer value, and the timing duration of the timer value is the timing duration indicated by the timing information.

[0163] For example, the LMF network element may determine the timing duration based on the number of user plane positioning UEs currently processed in parallel by the LMF network element or the current resource scheduling situation of the LMF network element, so that when the end time of the timing duration is reached, if the UE requests the user plane positioning service again, the probability of the UE successfully initiating the uplink LCS-UP transmission process is higher.

[0164] In some embodiments, the second message includes information received by the LMF network element from the first message. In other words, the LMF network element may send the information received from the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message back to the UE in the second message.

[0165] 405. The UE processes the second message based on the cause value.

[0166] In some embodiments, based on the cause value in the second message, when the UE learns that the number of user-plane positioned UEs currently being processed in parallel by the current LMF network element reaches or exceeds the maximum number of user-plane positioned UEs that can be processed in parallel by the LMF network element, the UE may transmit information indicating the cause value to the UE's upper-layer positioning application so that the upper-layer positioning application no longer requests the UE to initiate a UL LCS-UP transmission process.

[0167] In some embodiments, the second message further includes at least one of the user plane positioning transmission protocol information or the positioning supplementary service information carried in the first message. Based on this, the method further includes: the UE performing user plane positioning processing based on at least one of the user plane positioning transmission protocol information or the positioning supplementary service information in an upper layer positioning application.

[0168] For example, the UE's upper-layer positioning application may select another user plane access method to initiate the UL LCS-UP transmission process. Alternatively, the upper-layer positioning application may decide not to initiate the UL LCS-UP transmission process for the time being. In short, the upper-layer positioning application may implement the next user plane positioning strategy based on the information carried in the received response message.

[0169] In some embodiments, when the second message received by the UE carries a timer value, the UE may start a back-off timer based on the timer value, and the timing duration is the timing duration indicated in the second message. Before the back-off timer expires, the UE does not initiate the user plane positioning service transmission, or in other words, the UE does not actively initiate the UL LCS-UP transmission process, that is, it does not send the first message. If the LMF network element initiates the release process of the secure user plane connection, that is, the UE receives the user plane connection release message, the UE does not request the LMF network element to establish a secure user plane connection before the back-off timer expires, or in other words, before the timing duration expires, the UE does not request the LMF network element to establish a secure user plane connection, or the UE no longer actively initiates the secure user plane connection establishment process. After the back-off timer expires, the UE may also try to initiate the secure user plane connection establishment process again, and initiate the UL LCS-UP transmission process based on the successful connection establishment.

[0170] If the second message does not carry a timer value, in some embodiments, the UE may start a second timer configured locally by the UE, and before the timing duration of the second timer expires, perform one of the following actions: the UE does not request the LMF network element to establish a secure user plane connection; the UE does not provide user plane positioning services to the LMF network element. Exemplarily, when the UE receives the second message rejecting the user plane positioning service, the UE may start a backoff timer based on the local configuration, and the timing duration may be the same as or different from the timing duration indicated by the second message. Similarly, before the backoff timer expires, the UE may actively initiate the UL LCS-UP transmission process again. If the LMF network element initiates the release process of the secure user plane connection, the UE may not request the LMF network element to establish a secure user plane connection before the backoff timer expires.

[0171] Thus, in this application, when the UE initiates the UL LCS-UP transmission process, if the number of user-plane positioned UEs currently processed in parallel by the LMF network element reaches or exceeds the maximum number of user-plane positioned UEs that the LMF network element can process in parallel, the LMF network element may send a second message to the UE to reject the user-plane positioning service and provide a cause value so that the UE's upper-layer positioning application can proceed to the next step based on the cause value.

[0172] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this method, during the registration process of the UE to the core network, the network side sends user plane positioning access preference information to the UE. In the LCS-UPP process initiated by the UE, if the UE does not comply with the user plane positioning access preference information sent by the LMF, the LMF will reject the UP LCS-UP transport message. The LMF will reject the request to initiate the process and return the reason value and timing information. The UE will also perform UE-side processing based on the information sent by the LMF network element. The method includes the following processes.

[0173] 501. When the UE initiates the registration process, the UDM network element sends the UE's subscription information to the AMF network element. The subscription information includes the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning.

[0174] When the UE registers with the core network, if the UDM network element determines that the UE supports user plane positioning based on the UE's capabilities, the UDM network element can send the UE's subscription information to the UE through the AMF network element. The subscription information carries the access type preference information configured by the core network side to the UE for user plane positioning.

[0175] The subscription information may also be referred to as subscription data. The access type preference information for user plane positioning configured in the UDM network element may be configured by the operator in the UDM according to configuration rules. For example, the operator may determine the access type preference information for user plane positioning of the UE based on current resource scheduling on the core network side.

[0176] Exemplarily, the subscription information may also include authentication information (whether the UE has the authority to register to the current network), user plane security policy, service gap time, and subscription slices.

[0177] 502. The AMF network element sends a registration acceptance message to the UE, where the registration acceptance message includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning.

[0178] Accordingly, the UE receives a registration acceptance message from the AMF network element, where the registration acceptance message includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning.

[0179] In some embodiments, in the registration process of the UE, if the first information in the registration acceptance message sent by the AMF network element to the UE comes from the UDM network element, the AMF network element is equivalent to transparently transmitting the first information to the UE.

[0180] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the first information in the registration accept message sent by the AMF network element to the UE may not come from the UDM network element, but the AMF network element may be locally configured with the first information. That is, when the AMF is locally configured with the first information, if the UE initiates the registration procedure, the registration accept message sent by the AMF to the UE may include the first information.

[0181] 503. The UE saves the first information in the context of the UE.

[0182] In some embodiments, the UE may store the first information, i.e., the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning, in the context of the UE. When the UE performs mobility management cell handover / reselection, the UE may also perform a user plane positioning service process according to the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning indicated by the first information.

[0183] In some embodiments, the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning includes one of the following access types:

[0184] 3GPP access; non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, with 3GPP access taking a higher priority than non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, with non-3GPP access taking a higher priority than 3GPP access.

[0185] Among them, if the access type preference is 3GPP access, the first information (access type preference information used by UE for user plane positioning) can be understood as "user plane positioning only through 3GPP access (LCS-UPP over 3GPP access only)". If the access type preference is non-3GPP access, the first information can be understood as "user plane positioning only through non-3GPP access (LCS-UPP over non-3GPP access only)". If the access type preference is 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access, the first information can be understood as "user plane positioning is preferentially performed through 3GPP access (LCS-UPP over 3GPP access preferred)". If the access type preference is 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access, the first information can be understood as "user plane positioning is preferentially performed through non-3GPP access (LCS-UPP over non-3GPP access preferred)".

[0186] This application does not limit the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning. Non-3GPP access may be, for example, wireless fidelity (WiFi) access.

[0187] In some embodiments, for operators, when configuring the UE's access type preference for user plane positioning in the UDM network element or the AMF network element, the UE's access type preference for user plane positioning may be determined based on the resource scheduling situation on the network side. For example, when the proportion of 3GPP resources on the network side reaches a certain threshold, the UE's access type preference for user plane positioning may be configured as non-3GPP access. Alternatively, the operator may also determine the UE's access type preference for user plane positioning based on the UE's user payment situation.

[0188] 504. The UE establishes a secure user plane connection for LCS-UPP with the LMF network element.

[0189] The implementation of step 504 can refer to the description of step 401.

[0190] The difference is that if the AMF network element does not carry the first information when sending a registration acceptance message to the UE, during the process of establishing a secure user plane connection for LCS-UPP between the UE and the LMF network element, the AMF network element can also send the first information in the UE subscription information obtained from the UDM network element or the first information locally configured by the AMF network element to the UE.

[0191] When the LMF network element establishes a secure user plane connection with multiple UEs, the LMF network element can send first information corresponding to each UE to each UE, that is, configure the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning for each UE.

[0192] In some embodiments, when the UE establishes a secure user plane connection for LCS-UPP with the LMF network element, the UE establishes a secure user plane connection with the LMF network element based on the access type preference determined by the first information. That is, the UE may initiate a full user plane connection process to the network side using the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning indicated by the first information.

[0193] 505. The UE sends a first message to the LMF network element, where the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service.

[0194] Correspondingly, the LMF network element receives the first message from the UE.

[0195] The implementation of step 505 can refer to the description of step 402.

[0196] In some embodiments, if the UE has received the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning configured by the network side before sending the first message, that is, the UE has received the first information, the access type of the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message sent by the UE to the LMF network element may be the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning indicated by the first information.

[0197] For example, the access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning indicated by the first information is 3GPP access, and the access type of the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message is 3GPP access.

[0198] The access type preference of the UE for user plane positioning indicated by the first information is non-3GPP access, and the access type of the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message is non-3GPP access.

[0199] The first information indicates that the UE's access type preference for user plane positioning is: 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of 3GPP access is higher than the priority of non-3GPP access. At this time, when the UE supports 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, the access type of the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message is 3GPP access.

[0200] The first information indicates that the UE's access type preference for user plane positioning is: 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of non-3GPP access is higher than the priority of 3GPP access. At this time, when the UE supports 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, the access type of the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message is non-3GPP access.

[0201] 506. If the access type used by the UE for user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the LMF network element determines to refuse to process the first message.

[0202] In some embodiments, if the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message currently initiated by the UE does not meet the user plane location access preference information requirements of the UE configured on the network side, the LMF network element refuses to process the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message. For the LMF network element, the LMF network element will not receive and save the information carried in the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message.

[0203] In some embodiments, there may be multiple reasons why the access type used by the UE for user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning. For example, the first information is not sent down on the network side, that is, the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning has not been sent to the UE, or the UE has not received the first information sent down by the network side, or the UE has not received the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning sent by the network side from the registration acceptance message. In this case, it may happen that the uplink LCS-UP transmission process initiated by the UE does not meet the user plane positioning access preference information requirements of the UE configured on the network side.

[0204] Alternatively, on the network side, the first information or the access type preference information used by the UE for user plane positioning changes, but is not updated to the UE in a timely manner through the registration acceptance message. In this case, the uplink LCS-UP transmission process initiated by the UE may not meet the user plane positioning access preference information requirements of the UE configured on the network side.

[0205] 507. The LMF network element sends a second message to the UE, where the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service, where the reason value is used to indicate that the access type for the UE to perform user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning.

[0206] The message type of the second message can refer to the description in step 404 .

[0207] The difference is that the cause value in the second message is different. Exemplarily, when the cause value is used to indicate that the access type for the UE to perform user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the cause value in the second message may be "access type not allowed".

[0208] 508. The UE processes the second message based on the cause value.

[0209] The implementation of step 508 can refer to the description of step 405.

[0210] The difference is that if the cause value in the second message is used to indicate that the access type for the UE to perform user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, when the UE reports the information carried in the second message (including the cause value) to the upper-layer positioning application, the upper-layer positioning application may perform the next step of user plane positioning processing that is the same as or different from the strategy in step 405.

[0211] It can be understood that if the UE has received the first information from the registration process, when the UE initiates the user plane positioning service transmission, the UE may send a third message to the LMF network element, the third message is used to perform the user plane positioning service, and the access type of the third message is the same as the access type preference indicated by the first information. The message type of the third message can refer to the description of the first message.

[0212] Thus, in this application, when the UE initiates the UL LCS-UP transmission process, if the access type for user plane positioning of the UE is the same as the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the LMF network element may send a second message to the UE to reject the user plane positioning service and provide a cause value so that the upper-layer positioning application of the UE can proceed to the next step according to the cause value.

[0213] In some scenarios, when the UE supports user plane positioning, the network side can configure the UE with the access type preference information for user plane positioning during the registration process, or the network side can configure the UE with the access type preference information for user plane positioning during the user plane positioning connection management process initiated by the UE after the UE successfully registers.

[0214] Among them, the user plane positioning connection management process can be understood as the process of selecting a suitable LMF network element for the user plane positioning process of the UE on the network side, so as to provide the UE with user plane positioning services through the selected LMF network element.

[0215] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application. In this method, in the user plane positioning connection management process between the UE and the core network, the network side sends user plane positioning access preference information to the UE. In the LCS-UPP process initiated by the UE, if the UE does not comply with the user plane positioning access preference information sent by the LMF network element, the LMF network element will reject the Uplink LCS-UP transport message. The LMF network element will reject the request to initiate the process and return the reason value and timer. The UE will also perform UE-side processing based on the information sent by the LMF network element. The method includes the following processes.

[0216] 601a. ​​When the UE initiates the user plane positioning connection management process, the AMF network element selects the LMF network element for the UE.

[0217] 601b. The AMF network element sends the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning to the LMF network element.

[0218] In some embodiments, if the AMF network element has obtained the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning from the UDM network element during the UE registration process, when the UE initiates the user plane positioning connection management process, the AMF network element may carry the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning in the Nlmf_Location_UPConfig Request when sending an uplink positioning information request (Nlmf_Location_UPConfig Request) to the LMF network element in the process (or called the LMF network element selection process).

[0219] Optionally, the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning carried in the Nlmf_Location_UPConfig Request sent by the AMF network element may also be locally configured by the AMF.

[0220] Exemplarily, the Nlmf_Location_UPConfig Request may also include the address information of the UE and the LMF network element and the UE identifier, such as a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI) or a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI).

[0221] 602. The LMF network element sends user plane information to the AMF network element. The user plane information includes the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning.

[0222] In some embodiments, when the UE initiates a user plane positioning connection management procedure, the LMF network element may send user plane information (user plane information) to the UE through the AMF network element. The user plane information may include the IP address and security-related information of the LMF network element. When the LMF network element obtains the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning from the AMF network element, the LMF network element may add the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning to the user plane information sent to the UE through the AMF network element.

[0223] Optionally, the LMF network element may also locally configure the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning.

[0224] 603. The AMF network element sends user plane information to the UE.

[0225] That is, the AMF network element can be understood as transparently transmitting the user plane information received from the LMF network element to the UE. The access type preference information received by the UE for user plane positioning can come from the AMF network element or from the LMF network element.

[0226] 604. The UE saves the first information in the context of the UE.

[0227] The implementation of step 604 can refer to the description of step 503 .

[0228] 605. The UE establishes a secure user plane connection for LCS-UPP with the LMF network element.

[0229] The implementation of step 605 can refer to the description of step 401 .

[0230] The difference is that if the AMF network element does not carry the access type preference information of the UE for user plane positioning when sending user plane information to the UE, during the process of establishing a secure user plane connection for LCS-UPP between the UE and the LMF network element, the AMF network element can also send the first information in the UE subscription information obtained from the UDM network element or the first information locally configured by the AMF network element to the UE.

[0231] 606. The UE sends a first message to the LMF network element, where the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service.

[0232] The implementation of step 606 can refer to the description of step 402, that is, the UE initiates the LCS-UPP process.

[0233] 607. If the access type used by the UE for user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the LMF network element determines to refuse to process the first message.

[0234] The implementation of step 607 can refer to the description of step 402.

[0235] Similar to step 506, if the network side has not yet sent the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning to the UE in the user plane positioning connection management process between the UE and the core network, or the UE has not received the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning sent by the network side, or the UE has not received the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning sent by the network side from the user plane information sent by the AMF network element. In this case, the uplink LCS-UP transmission process initiated by the UE may not meet the user plane positioning access preference information requirements of the UE configured by the network side.

[0236] Alternatively, on the network side, the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning changes, but is not updated to the UE in a timely manner through user plane information. In this case, the uplink LCS-UP transmission process initiated by the UE may not meet the user plane positioning access preference information requirements of the UE configured on the network side.

[0237] 608. The LMF network element sends a second message to the UE, where the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service, where the reason value is used to indicate that the access type for the UE to perform user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning.

[0238] The message type of the second message can refer to the description in step 404 .

[0239] The difference is that the cause value in the second message is different. Exemplarily, when the cause value is used to indicate that the access type for the UE to perform user plane positioning is different from the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the cause value in the second message may be "access type not allowed".

[0240] 609. The UE processes the second message based on the cause value.

[0241] The implementation of step 609 can refer to the description of step 405.

[0242] Thus, in this application, when the UE initiates the UL LCS-UP transmission process, if the access type for user plane positioning of the UE is the same as the access type preference used by the LMF network element for user plane positioning, the LMF network element may send a second message to the UE to reject the user plane positioning service and provide a cause value so that the upper-layer positioning application of the UE can proceed to the next step according to the cause value.

[0243] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application. In this method, in the LCS-UPP process, the UE initiates the uplink LCS-UP transmission process by sending a UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message to the LMF network element. If the LMF network element reaches or exceeds the maximum number of user plane connections at this time, the LMF network element will reject the uplink LCS-UP transmission process and return the cause value to the UE. Optionally, the LMF network element can send a timer value to the UE. Optionally, the LMF network element can send the information received from the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message back to the UE. The UE processes the information sent by the LMF network element on the UE side based on the cause value. The method includes the following process.

[0244] 701. The UE establishes a secure user plane connection for LCS-UPP with the LMF network element.

[0245] 702. The UE sends a first message to the LMF network element, where the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service.

[0246] The implementation of step 702 may refer to the description of step 402 .

[0247] 703. If the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element, the LMF network element determines to refuse to process the first message.

[0248] In some embodiments, the LMF network element may be configured with an indication of the maximum number of user plane connections of the LMF network element. When the LMF network element receives the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message from the UE, it may determine, based on the indication, whether the current number of user plane connections of the LMF network element has reached or exceeded the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element. If the LMF network element determines that the current number of user plane connections of the LMF network element has not reached the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element, it may be understood that the LMF network element still has resources to allocate for uplink LCS-UP transmission with the UE. If the LMF network element determines that the current number of user plane connections of the LMF network element has reached or exceeded the maximum number of user plane connections of the LMF network element, it may be understood that the LMF network element does not have enough resources to allocate for uplink LCS-UP transmission with the UE. At this point, the LMF network element determines to reject the uplink user plane positioning service transmission of the UE.

[0249] In some embodiments, the LMF network element may determine to refuse to process the uplink user plane positioning service transmission message sent by the UE when the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the first user plane connection number of the LMF network element. The first user plane connection number is less than the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element. This situation can be understood as, when the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is about to reach or is close to the maximum number of user plane connections that the LMF network element can support, but has not yet reached the maximum number of user plane connections of the LMF network element, the LMF network element may also determine to refuse to process the uplink user plane positioning service transmission initiated by the UE. In this way, the performance of the LMF network element in providing user plane positioning services to the UE that has successfully initiated user plane positioning service transmission can be guaranteed.

[0250] 704. The LMF network element sends a second message to the UE. The second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service. The reason value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element.

[0251] The implementation of step 704 may refer to the description of step 404 .

[0252] The difference is that when the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element, the cause value in the second message may be "reaching the maximum number of user plane connections (maximum number of connection)".

[0253] The number of user plane connections can be understood as the number of UEs that have established secure user plane connections with the LMF network element. This number of UEs includes UEs that require user plane positioning services, as well as UEs that require services other than user plane positioning services. In some possible scenarios, a UE may establish multiple user plane connections with the LMF network element, including connections for user plane positioning.

[0254] 705. The UE processes the second message based on the cause value.

[0255] The implementation of step 705 can refer to the description of step 405.

[0256] The difference is that if the cause value in the second message is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element, when the UE reports the information carried in the second message (including the cause value) to the upper-layer positioning application, the upper-layer positioning application performs the next user plane positioning processing, which may be the same as or different from the strategy in step 405.

[0257] Thus, in this application, when the UE initiates the UL LCS-UP transmission process, if the number of user plane connections of the LMF network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the LMF network element, the LMF network element may send a second message to the UE to reject the user plane positioning service and provide a cause value so that the UE's upper-layer positioning application can proceed to the next step based on the cause value.

[0258] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a user plane positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application. In this method, in the LCS-UPP process, the UE initiates the uplink LCS-UP transmission process by sending a UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message to the LMF network element. If the LMF network element is in a congested state at this time, the LMF network element will reject the uplink LCS-UP transmission process and return the cause value to the UE. Optionally, the LMF network element can send a timer value to the UE. Optionally, the LMF network element can send the information received from the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message back to the UE. The UE processes the information sent by the LMF network element on the UE side based on the cause value. The method includes the following process.

[0259] 801. The UE establishes a secure user plane connection for LCS-UPP with the LMF network element.

[0260] 802. The UE sends a first message to the LMF network element, where the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service.

[0261] The implementation of step 802 may refer to the description of step 402 .

[0262] 803. If the LMF network element is in a congested state on the user plane, the LMF network element determines to refuse to process the first message.

[0263] In some embodiments, the LMF network element may be configured with the congestion information of the LMF network element. When the LMF network element receives the UL LCS-UP TRANSPORT message from the UE, it may determine whether the LMF network element is in a congested state on the user plane based on the congestion information. If the LMF network element determines that it is not in a congested state on the user plane, it may be understood that the LMF network element still has resources to allocate for uplink LCS-UP transmission with the UE. If the LMF network element determines that the LMF network element is in a congested state on the user plane, it may be understood that the LMF network element does not have enough resources to allocate for uplink LCS-UP transmission with the UE. At this point, the LMF network element determines to reject the uplink user plane positioning service transmission of the UE.

[0264] For example, congestion information can be understood as one or more conditions indicating a congested state. As long as the current network status of the LMF network element meets one or more of these conditions, the LMF network element can be determined to be in a congested state on the user plane. For example, congestion may be caused by: a sudden surge of requests / traffic on the LMF network element side, causing congestion; high-priority services occupying resources in an emergency situation; or network delays causing the accumulation of messages to be sent locally in the LMF network element's send buffer.

[0265] 804. The LMF network element sends a second message to the UE. The second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a reason value for rejecting the user plane positioning service. The reason value is used to indicate that the user plane of the LMF network element is in a congested state.

[0266] The implementation of step 804 may refer to the description of step 404 .

[0267] The difference is that, when the cause value is used to indicate that the user plane of the LMF network element is in a congested state, the cause value in the second message may be "congestion." This application does not limit the field content of the cause value indicating that the user plane of the LMF network element is in a congested state.

[0268] 805. The UE processes the second message based on the cause value.

[0269] The implementation of step 805 can refer to the description of step 405.

[0270] The difference is that if the cause value in the second message is used to indicate that the user plane of the LMF network element is in a congested state, when the UE reports the information carried in the second message (including the cause value) to the upper-layer positioning application, the upper-layer positioning application performs the next user plane positioning processing, which may be the same as or different from the strategy in step 405.

[0271] Thus, in this application, when the UE initiates the UL LCS-UP transmission process, if the user plane of the LMF network element is in a congested state, the LMF network element may send a second message to the UE to reject the user plane positioning service and provide a cause value so that the UE's upper-layer positioning application can proceed to the next step based on the cause value.

[0272] It is understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the network devices and terminal devices include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a manner driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0273] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided by the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the network device or terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above-mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be the terminal device 120 as shown in Figure 1 or the UE shown in Figure 2 that is connected to the LMF network element on the user plane, or it can be the network device as shown in Figure 2, such as an LMF network element or a UDM network element or an AMF network element, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to a terminal device or a network device.

[0274] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 includes a processing unit 9110 and a transceiver unit 9120. The communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 8 above.

[0275] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device / UE in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 8: the transceiver unit 9120 is used to send a first message, the first message being used to perform user plane positioning services; receive a second message carrying a cause value for rejecting user plane positioning services; receive a registration acceptance message carrying access type preference information for user plane positioning sent by the AMF network element; receive user plane information carrying access type preference information for user plane positioning sent by the AMF network element; and receive timing information sent by the LMF network element. The processing unit 9110 is used to establish a security plane user plane connection for LCS-UPP with the LMF network element; process the second message based on the cause value; store the access type preference information for user plane positioning in the UE context; not establish a security plane user plane connection based on the timing information; and not initiate user plane positioning service transmission based on the timing information.

[0276] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the LMF network element in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 8: the transceiver unit 9120 is configured to receive a first message for user plane location service, send a second message carrying a cause value for denying user plane location service, and send timing information. The processing unit 9110 is configured to establish a user plane connection for the LCS-UPP security plane with the UE and determine the cause value for denying processing of the first message.

[0277] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the AMF network element in the method embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6: the transceiver unit 9120 is configured to receive the UE's subscription information sent by the UDM network element, the subscription information carrying the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning; send a registration acceptance message carrying the access type preference information for user plane positioning to the UE; send the UE's access type preference information for user plane positioning to the LMF network element; receive user plane information sent by the LMF network element; and send the user plane information to the UE. The processing unit 9110 is configured to select an LMF network element for the UE; and establish an LCS-UPP security plane user plane connection with the UE.

[0278] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the UDM network element in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5: the transceiver unit 9120 is used to send subscription information carrying access type preference information for user plane positioning to the UE; the processing unit 9110 is used to establish a LCS-UPP security plane user plane connection with the UE.

[0279] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 9120 and the transceiver unit 9120 , reference may be made to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 8 .

[0280] As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 10 includes a processor 1010 and a transceiver 1020. The processor 1010 and the transceiver 1020 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the transceiver 1020 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 10 may also include a memory 1030 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1010, input data required by the processor 1010 to execute instructions, or data generated by the processor 1010 after executing instructions.

[0281] When the communication device 10 is used to implement the methods shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 8 , the processor 1010 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 9110 , and the transceiver 1020 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 9120 .

[0282] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the terminal chip receives information from the base station, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. When the terminal chip sends information to the base station, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0283] When the communication device is a chip used in a network device, the network device chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. When the network device chip receives information from a terminal, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the network device chip by these modules. When the network device chip sends information to a terminal, it can be understood that the information is sent to other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0284] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be done directly from A to B or indirectly through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be done directly from entity B or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B herein can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a terminal chip and other modules in the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules within the base station.

[0285] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0286] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0287] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0288] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0289] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0290] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A user plane positioning method, characterized in that, The method includes: Sending a first message to a positioning management function network element, where the first message is used for user plane positioning service; Receiving a second message from the positioning management function network element, where the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a cause value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; Wherein, the cause value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information for user plane positioning used by the positioning management function network element, the user plane connection number of the positioning management function network element, or the congestion information of the positioning management function network element in the user plane.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the cause value is related to the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that When the cause value is related to the access type preference information for user plane positioning, the cause value is used to indicate: The access type for the first terminal device to perform user plane positioning is different from the access type preference for user plane positioning used by the positioning management function network element; or, the access type for the first terminal device to perform user plane positioning is not allowed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The method further includes: When initiating a registration process, receiving a registration acceptance message from an access and mobility management function network element, where the registration acceptance message includes first information used to indicate the access type preference for user plane positioning of the first terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein The method further includes: When initiating a user plane positioning connection management process, receiving user plane information from the positioning management function network element, where the user plane information includes first information used to indicate the access type preference for user plane positioning of the first terminal device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that The access type preference includes one of the following access types: Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access; Non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of the 3GPP access is higher than that of the non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of the non-3GPP access is higher than that of the 3GPP access.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that The method further includes: Establishing a secure user plane connection with the positioning management function network element based on the access type preference determined by the first information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a third message to the positioning management function network element, where the third message is used for the user plane positioning service, and the access type of the third message is the same as the access type preference.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the cause value is related to the user plane connection number of the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the user plane connection number of the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum user plane connection number supported by the positioning management function network element.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that When the cause value is related to the congestion information of the positioning management function network element in the user plane, the cause value is used to indicate that the positioning management function network element is in a congested state in the user plane.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a user plane connection release message, where the user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of the secure user plane connection between the positioning management network element and the first terminal device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The second message further includes timing information, and the method further includes: Starting a first timer according to the timing information, and before the first timer times out, performing at least one of the following actions: Not requesting to establish a secure user plane connection with the positioning management network element; Not performing the user plane positioning service for the positioning management network element.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The method further includes: Starting a second timer configured locally; Before the second timer times out, performing at least one of the following actions: Not requesting to establish a secure user plane connection with the positioning management network element; Not performing the user plane positioning service for the positioning management network element.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The first message includes an uplink user plane positioning transmission message, and the user plane positioning service includes uplink user plane positioning transmission.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, The second message includes one of the following messages: An uplink user plane positioning transmission rejection message; an uplink user plane positioning transmission failure message; or, a downlink user plane positioning transmission message.

16. A user plane positioning method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receiving a first message from a first terminal device, where the first message is used to perform a user plane positioning service; Sending a second message to the first terminal device, where the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a cause value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; Wherein, the cause value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information of the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, or the congestion information of the positioning management function network element in the user plane.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, When the cause value is related to the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed in parallel by the positioning management function network element.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein When the cause value is related to the access type preference information of the user plane positioning, the cause value is used to indicate that: the access type for the first terminal device to perform user plane positioning is different from the access type preference of the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning; or, the access type for the first terminal device to perform user plane positioning is not allowed.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving first configuration information from an access and mobility management function network element, where the first configuration information is used to indicate the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein The method further includes: Send user plane information to the first terminal device through the access and mobility management function network element, where the user plane information includes first information for indicating the access type preference of the first terminal device for user plane positioning.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 - 20, characterized in that, The access type preference includes one of the following access types: 3GPP access of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of the 3GPP access is higher than that of the non-3GPP access; 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and the priority of the non-3GPP access is higher than that of the 3GPP access.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a third message from the first terminal device for performing the user plane positioning service, where the access type of the third message is the same as the access type preference.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein When the cause value is related to the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, the cause value is used to indicate that the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element is greater than or equal to the maximum number of user plane connections supported by the positioning management function network element.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein When the cause value is related to the congestion information of the positioning management function network element in the user plane, the cause value is used to indicate that the positioning management function network element is in a congested state in the user plane.

25. The method according to any one of claims 16-24, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a user plane connection release message to the first terminal device, where the user plane connection release message is used to indicate the release of the secure user plane connection between the positioning management function network element and the first terminal device.

26. The method according to any one of claims 16 - 25, characterized in that, The second message further includes timing information for indicating the first terminal device to perform one of the following actions: not requesting to establish a secure user plane connection with the positioning management network element; not performing the user plane positioning service with the positioning management network element.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: A sending unit for sending a first message to a positioning management function network element, where the first message is used for performing a user plane positioning service; A receiving unit for receiving a second message from the positioning management function network element, where the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a cause value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; Wherein, the cause value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information of the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, the number of user plane connections of the positioning management function network element, or the congestion information of the positioning management function network element in the user plane.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: A receiving unit for receiving a first message from a first terminal device, where the first message is used for performing a user plane positioning service; A sending unit for sending a second message to the first terminal device, where the second message is used to reject the user plane positioning service, and the second message includes a cause value for rejecting the user plane positioning service; Among them, the cause value is related to at least one of the following information: the number of terminal devices for user plane positioning processed by the positioning management function network element, the access type preference information used by the positioning management function network element for user plane positioning, the user plane connection number of the positioning management function network element, or the congestion information of the positioning management function network element in the user plane.

29. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first communication device for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-15, and a second communication device for performing the method according to any one of claims 16-26.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Computer instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer instructions run on the communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-26.

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