Communication method and related apparatus and system

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications, and provides a communication method and a related apparatus and system. The method comprises: receiving a first request from a first network element, the first request being used for requesting to subscribe to a service of a second network element; processing the first request to obtain a second request, an authorization part of a notification callback address of the second request being the address of an SCP network element, and the SCP network element being used for forwarding a message between the first network element and the second network element; and sending the second request to the second network element. Before forwarding the request of the first network element to the second network element, the SCP network element replaces the authorization part of the notification callback address with the address of the SCP network element, such that when the second network element needs to send a notification request to the first network element, the second network element can directly send the notification request to the SCP network element, and then the SCP network element sends the notification request to the first network element. In this way, an execution process is simplified for the second network element.

Description

A communication method and related device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 10, 2024, with application number 202410042424.8 and application name “A communication method and related devices and systems”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method and related devices and systems. Background Art

[0003] In a currently known communication method, a first network element (NE) and a second network element (NE) communicate indirectly via a service communication proxy (SCP) NE. When the first NE subscribes to a service of the second NE, the first NE sends a request message carrying a notification callback address, which includes the address of the first NE. Upon receiving the request message forwarded by the SCP NE from the first NE, the second NE can cache the address of the first NE carried in the request message. When the second NE notifies the first NE of the service subscribed to by the first NE, the second NE must first determine the SCP NE to assist the second NE in forwarding the notification request to the first NE.

[0004] In the above-described communication method, when the second network element sends a notification request to the first network element, it must first perceive the networking relationship between the SCP network elements, then determine the SCP network element to assist the second network element in forwarding the notification request to the first network element. Furthermore, the notification request must include relevant parameters for implementing indirect communication between the second network element and the first network element before the notification request can be forwarded to the first network element through the determined SCP network element. This process is relatively complex for the second network element. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and related devices and systems to simplify the execution process of the second network element when the second network element sends a notification request to the first network element.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be performed by an SCP network element, or by a component configured in the SCP network element (such as a chip, a chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can perform all or part of the functions of the SCP network element. This application is not limited to this.

[0007] Exemplarily, the method includes: receiving a first request from a first network element, the first request being used to request subscription to a service of a second network element; processing the first request to obtain a second request, wherein the authority part of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the SCP network element is used to forward messages between the first network element and the second network element; and sending the second request to the second network element.

[0008] The first network element is a user of the service, the second network element is a provider of the service, the first network element can subscribe to the service of the second network element, and the second network element can send a notification request to the first network element for the service subscribed by the first network element.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, before forwarding the first request from the first network element to the second network element, the SCP network element replaces the authorization portion of the notification callback address in the first request with the address of the SCP network element to obtain a second request. Therefore, when the second network element needs to send a notification request to the first network element, the second network element can directly send the notification request to the SCP network element indicated by the second request. This eliminates the need for the second network element to determine the target SCP network element for assisting in forwarding the notification request by perceiving the networking of the SCP network elements, thereby making the networking relationship between the SCP network elements in the entire network transparent to the second network element. Furthermore, the second network element is not required to include relevant parameters for implementing indirect communication between the second network element and the first network element in the notification request, thereby simplifying the execution process of the second network element.

[0010] With reference to the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request includes a notification callback address field for carrying the notification callback address.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request carries the address and / or session identifier of the first network element, where the session identifier is an identifier of a session in which the first network element subscribes to the service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, before sending the notification request to the first network element, the method further includes: determining an address of the first network element.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request carries the address of the first network element, and the notification request carries the address of the first network element; and determining the address of the first network element includes: determining the address of the first network element based on the notification request.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request carries a session identifier, and the notification request carries a session identifier; and determining the address of the first network element includes: determining the address of the first network element based on the notification request, and the correspondence between the session identifier and the service name, the address of the first network element, and the address of the second network element.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, before processing the first request to obtain the second request, the method further includes: determining a notification callback address field in the first request.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the notification callback address field is determined based on a mapping relationship, which includes a correspondence between at least one service and at least one field name, and each field name in the at least one field name identifies a field used to carry the notification callback address.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the notification callback address field is determined based on a service registration message of the second network element, the service registration message includes the name of the notification callback address field and the service provided by the second network element, and the service registration message is obtained from a network storage function (Network Repository Function, NRF) network element.

[0018] In this implementation, the SCP network element does not need to locally configure the correspondence between the service and callback address fields. The SCP network element performs unified processing logic for the service interfaces between different network elements, which has better adaptability.

[0019] On the second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be executed by a second network element, or by a component configured in the second network element (such as a chip, chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the second network element. The present application does not limit this.

[0020] Exemplarily, the method includes: receiving a second request from an SCP network element, wherein the authorization portion of a notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the second request is used to request subscription to a service provided by the second network element; and sending a notification request to the SCP network element based on the address of the SCP network element, wherein the notification request is used to notify a first network element of a service subscribed to, and the first network element is a network element that requests subscription to a service from the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0021] Based on the above technical solution, before forwarding the first request from the first network element to the second network element, the SCP network element replaces the authorization portion of the notification callback address in the first request with the address of the SCP network element, thereby obtaining a second request. Therefore, when the second network element needs to send a notification request to the first network element, it can directly send the notification request to the SCP network element indicated by the second request. This eliminates the need for the second network element to determine a target SCP network element to assist in forwarding the notification request through SCP-aware networking, thereby making the networking relationship between SCP network elements in the entire network transparent and unaware to the second network element. Furthermore, the second network element is not required to include relevant parameters for implementing indirect communication between the second network element and the first network element in the notification request, thereby simplifying the execution process of the second network element.

[0022] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request includes a notification callback address field for carrying the notification callback address.

[0023] In combination with the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request carries the address and / or session identifier of the first network element, where the session identifier is an identifier of a session in which the first network element subscribes to the service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0024] In combination with the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request carries the address of the first network element, and the notification request carries the address of the first network element.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations, the second request carries a session identifier, and the notification request carries the session identifier.

[0026] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communications device that can implement the methods described in any of the first and second aspects and any possible implementation of the first and second aspects. The device includes corresponding modules for executing the methods described above. The modules included in the device can be implemented in software and / or hardware.

[0027] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute a program in the memory to implement the method described in the first aspect, the second aspect, and any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0028] Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory.

[0029] Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0030] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, comprising an SCP network element and a second network element. The SCP network element is configured to perform the functions of the SCP network element in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the second network element is configured to perform the functions of the second network element in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0031] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a chip system comprising at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in the above-mentioned first aspect to the second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect to any possible implementation of the second aspect, for example, receiving or processing the data and / or indication information involved in the above-mentioned method.

[0032] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and data, and the memory is located inside or outside the processor.

[0033] The chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0034] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a readable storage medium on which a program (also referred to as code, or instructions) is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, the methods in the above-mentioned first aspect to the second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect to any possible implementation of the second aspect are executed.

[0035] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a program product, which includes: a program (also referred to as code, or instructions), which, when run, enables the methods in the above-mentioned first aspect to the second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect to any possible implementation of the second aspect to be executed.

[0036] It should be understood that the third to eighth aspects of the present application correspond to the technical solutions of the first and second aspects of the present application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation methods are similar and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG2 is a comparative diagram of four communication modes between network element functional entities;

[0039] 3 is a schematic diagram of a process in which a network element function entity consumer initiates a subscription request to a network element function entity producer in mode D;

[0040] 4 is a schematic diagram of a process of initiating a notification request from a network element function entity producer to a network element function entity consumer in mode D;

[0041] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG7 is another schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] First, in this application, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a device, system, product or apparatus comprising a series of modules, modules or units is not necessarily limited to those modules, modules or units explicitly listed, but may include other modules, modules or units that are not explicitly listed or are inherent to these devices, systems, products or apparatuses.

[0046] Second, in this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0047] Third, in this application, "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will take corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances, which does not limit the time, nor does it require that the device must perform judgment actions when it is implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0048] Fourth, in this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same function or effect. For example, the terms "first request" and "second request" are intended to distinguish between different requests and do not define their order of precedence. Those skilled in the art will understand that terms such as "first" and "second" do not define the quantity or order of execution, and that terms such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily imply differences.

[0049] Fifth, in this application, preset can be understood as predefined, defined, predefined, stored, pre-stored, or pre-configured, etc.

[0050] Sixth, in this application, "and / or" describes the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B together, or B alone. A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects, but does not exclude the possibility of indicating an "and" relationship between the associated objects. The specific meaning of the symbol should be understood in the context.

[0051] Seventh, "sending" and "receiving" in this application indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "the SCP network element sends a second request to the second network element" can be understood as the destination end of the second request is the second network element, which can include direct sending through the air interface, and also include indirect sending through the air interface by other units or modules. "The SCP network element receives a first request from the first network element" can be understood as the source end of the first request is the first network element, which can include direct receiving from the first network element through the air interface, and also include indirect receiving from the first network element through the air interface from other units or modules. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0052] In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices or within a device, for example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within the device through a bus, wiring or interface.

[0053] Eighth, in this application, indications include explicit indications (also called direct indications) and implicit indications (also called indirect indications). Specifically, explicit indication information A refers to including information A; implicit indication information A refers to indicating information A through the correspondence between information A and information B and directly indicating information B. The correspondence between information A and information B can be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured; or, it can also refer to indicating information A through information B and preset rules.

[0054] Ninth, in this application, information C is used to determine information D, which includes both information D being determined solely based on information C and information D being determined based on information C and other information. Furthermore, information C can also be used to determine information D indirectly, for example, where information D is determined based on information E, and information E is determined based on information C.

[0055] Tenth, in the present application, mapping relationships or correspondences (for example, the correspondence between at least one service and at least one field name; the correspondence between a session identifier and a service name, the address of a first network element, and the address of a second network element) can be configured or predefined. When configuring each correspondence, it is not necessarily required to configure all the correspondences illustrated in each table. For example, in the tables in the present application, the correspondences shown in certain rows may not be configured. For another example, appropriate modifications and adjustments can be made based on the tables illustrated in the present application, such as splitting, merging, etc. The names of the parameters shown in the titles of the tables can also use other names that can be understood by the communication device, and the values ​​or representations of the parameters can also use other values ​​or representations that can be understood by the communication device. When implementing the above tables, other data structures can also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0056] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly describes the network architecture applicable to the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with FIG1 .

[0057] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0058] The method of the present application can be applied to a fifth-generation (5G) communication system or a future-oriented evolution system (such as a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system).

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, the network architecture includes user equipment (UE) (also known as terminal equipment), an access network (AN), a core network (CN) (not shown in Figure 1), and a data network (DN). The AN can be used to implement wireless physical layer functions, resource scheduling and wireless resource management, wireless access control, and mobility management. The CN can include management devices and gateway devices. The management device is mainly used for device registration, security authentication, mobility management, and location management of terminal devices. The gateway device is mainly used to establish a channel with the terminal device and forward data packets between the terminal device and the external data network on this channel. The DN can include network devices (such as servers, routers, etc.). The data network is mainly used to provide various data services for terminal devices.

[0060] It is understandable that Figure 1 shows a 5G network architecture based on a service-based interface in a non-roaming scenario. The AN in this 5G network architecture can be a radio access network (RAN). The RAN may include at least one RAN node, such as a wireless relay device and / or a wireless backhaul device. The UE can be connected to the RAN node wirelessly. The RAN node is connected to the CN wirelessly or by wire. The CN device in the CN and the RAN node in the RAN can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the CN logical functions and the RAN logical functions.

[0061] The CN in the 5G network architecture may include multiple functional units such as user plane function (UPF) network element, authentication server function (AUSF) network element, access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, network slice selection function (NSSF) network element, network exposure function (NEF) network element, NRF network element, policy control function (PCF) network element, unified data management function (UDM) network element, application function (AF) network element, charging function (CHF) network element, and SCP network element (not shown in Figure 1).

[0062] Among them, the UPF network element can be responsible for data packet routing and forwarding, message filtering, and performance of quality of service (QoS) control functions for external connections to the DN and user plane. The AUSF network element can be responsible for UE authentication functions, etc. The AMF network element can be responsible for services such as mobility management and access management. The SMF network element can be responsible for session management, UE address management and allocation, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol functions, and selection and control of user plane functions. The NRF network element can be responsible for service registration and service discovery, maintaining the NF context of available network function (NF) network element instances (also called network function entities) and the services they support. The PCF network element can be responsible for providing a unified policy framework for network behavior management, providing policy rules for control plane functions, and obtaining registration information related to policy decisions. The UDM network element can support authentication credentials processing in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) authentication and key agreement mechanism, user identity processing, access authorization, registration and mobility management, subscription management, short message management, etc. The AF network element can interact with the 3GPP core network to provide services, including interactions with the NEF and the policy architecture. The CHF network element can be responsible for billing. NF consumers and NF producers can communicate through the SCP network element proxy, achieving converged connectivity and simplified connections.

[0063] It can be understood that in this application, the NF consumer can be understood as the party that uses the service, that is, the user of the service; the NF producer can be understood as the party that provides the service, that is, the provider of the service.

[0064] It should be noted that the above-mentioned functional units can work independently or be combined to implement certain control functions, such as access control and mobility management functions such as access authentication, security encryption, location registration, etc. for terminal devices, as well as session management functions such as establishment, release and modification of user plane transmission paths.

[0065] The functional units in the 5G core network can communicate with each other through the next generation network (NG) interface. For example, the UE can transmit control plane messages with the AMF network element through the NG interface 1 (N1 for short); the AN / RAN device can establish a control plane signaling connection with the AMF network element through the NG interface 2 (N2 for short); the RAN device can establish a user plane data transmission channel with the UPF network element through the NG interface 3 (N3 for short); the UPF network element can exchange information with the SMF network element through the NG interface 4 (N4 for short); the UPF network element can exchange user plane data with the DN network element through the NG interface 6 (N6 for short), and the AMF network element can exchange information with the SMF network element through the NG interface 11 (N11 for short), and so on.

[0066] In the scenario based on service-oriented interfaces, some network elements in the 5G core network can be connected through a bus. As shown in Figure 1, AUSF network elements, AMF network elements, SMF network elements, NSSF network elements, NEF network elements, NRF network elements, PCF network elements, UDM network elements, AF network elements and CHF network elements are interconnected through a bus. When the network elements are interconnected through a bus, they use a service-oriented interface. For example, the AUSF network element is connected to the bus through the Nausf interface, the AMF network element is connected to the bus through the Namf interface, the SMF network element is connected to the bus through the Nsmf interface, the NSSF network element is connected to the bus through the Nnssf interface, the NEF network element is connected to the bus through the Nnef interface, the NRF network element is connected to the bus through the Nnrf interface, the PCF network element is connected to the bus through the Npcf interface, the UDM network element is connected to the bus through the Nudm interface, the AF network element is connected to the bus through the Naf interface, and the CHF network element is connected to the bus through the Nchf interface.

[0067] It should be noted that FIG1 is only an exemplary architecture diagram. In addition to the functional units shown in FIG1 , the network architecture may also include other functional units, which is not limited in this application.

[0068] FIG2 is a schematic diagram comparing four communication modes between network element functional entities.

[0069] In the current 3GPP service-based architecture (SBA), there are four communication modes between network element functional entities. 3GPP Release 15 defines two direct communication modes, Model A and Model B, and 3GPP Release 16 defines two indirect communication modes, Model C and Model D. Figure 2(a) shows Model A, Figure 2(b) shows Model B, Figure 2(c) shows Model C, and Figure 2(d) shows Model D. The following briefly describes Model A, Model B, Model C, and Model D, respectively, with reference to Figure 2.

[0070] Mode A: There is neither dynamic NF discovery nor indirect routing. More specifically, the NF consumer can directly configure the address information of the NF producer. The NF consumer does not need to dynamically discover the NF producer through the NRF network element. In other words, the NF consumer and producer can interact directly.

[0071] Mode B: Unlike Mode A, NF consumers need to dynamically discover NF producers through the NRF network element. Similar to Mode A, there is no indirect routing between NF consumers and NF producers. In other words, after NF consumers dynamically discover NF producers through the NRF network element, they can interact directly with each other.

[0072] Mode C: Similar to Mode B, NF consumers need to dynamically discover NF producers through NRF network elements. Unlike Mode B, NF consumers and NF producers are indirectly routed through SCP network elements. More specifically, in this mode, NF consumers can query services through NRF network elements for service discovery and select a target NF producer based on the query results. Subsequently, the NF consumer sends a request containing the query results (i.e., a subscription request for subscribing to the services provided by the NF producer) to the SCP network element, which then forwards it to the target NF producer.

[0073] Mode D: Similar to Mode C, the NF consumer and the NF producer are indirectly routed through the SCP network element; different from Mode C, the NF consumer dynamically discovers the NF producer through the SCP network element. More specifically, in this mode, the NF consumer does not need to perform service discovery and select the target NF producer through the NRF network element. Instead, the NF consumer carries the necessary service discovery parameters in the subscription request (for example, it may include the NF consumer's number, the service requested by the NF consumer, etc.), and sends the subscription request to the SCP network element. The SCP network element queries the service through the NRF network element, performs service discovery, selects the target NF producer based on the query results, and routes the subscription request to the target NF producer. In other words, in the scenario of Mode D, the SCP network element supports the function of requesting subscription services from the NF producer, without the need for each NF consumer to subscribe one by one, which can simplify the connection relationship between NF entities.

[0074] FIG3 is a flow chart showing a process in which a network element function entity consumer initiates a subscription request to a network element function entity producer in mode D. ...

[0075] 3 , the process of initiating a subscription request from the network element function entity consumer to the network element function entity producer in mode D is described in detail below.

[0076] In Figure 3, PCF is used as an example of an NF consumer, and CHF network element is used as an example of an NF producer.

[0077] In step 301, the PCF network element starts the mode D mechanism with the CHF network element and selects the SCP network element according to the local configuration.

[0078] As shown in Figure 3, for example, the PCF network element with the address "10.10.10.10:8080" enables the Mode D mechanism for the "Nchf-SpendingLimitControl" interface (also known as the N28 interface). The PCF network element can select a high-priority SCP network element as a communication agent based on its local configuration to assist the PCF network element in indirect communication with the CHF network element. For example, the PCF network element determines the SCP network element with the address "30.30.30.30:8080" (for ease of description, this SCP network element is referred to as SCP1 network element) as the target SCP network element.

[0079] In step 302, the PCF network element sends a subscription request to the SCP network element. Correspondingly, the SCP network element receives the subscription request from the PCF network element.

[0080] Illustratively, after determining that the SCP1 network element is the target SCP network element, the PCF network element may send a subscription request to the SCP1 network element. The subscription request carries a service discovery parameter, so that the SCP network element performs service discovery based on the service discovery parameter.

[0081] For example, the subscription request is "Nchf-SpendingLimitControl_Subscribe Request", which is used to subscribe to the bandwidth limit control service provided by the CHF network element. The subscription request may include the following information: "apiroot:SCP IP+Port 3GPP-Sbi-Discovery-gpsi:msisdn 3GPP-Sbi-Discovery-requester-nf-type:PCF 3GPP-Sbi-Discovery-target-nf-type:CHF......notifiUrl:http: / / pcf_ip:pcf_port / nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / v1 / {pcf-sessionid}".

[0082] Among them, the field "apiroot" can indicate the destination address of the subscription request. For example, the value of the "apiroot" is "SCP IP+Port", which can represent the Internet Protocol (IP) address + port (port) of the target SCP network element (i.e., SCP1 network element) of the subscription request, i.e., "30.30.30.30:8080". The "apiroot" field can indicate that the destination end of the subscription request is the target SCP network element; the message header parameter "3GPP-Sbi-Discover-*" is a required item and can carry multiple parameters (i.e., service discovery parameters), such as the number "gpsi" (e.g., the user's mobile phone number) required for service discovery, the network element type "nf-type" and other information; the "notifUri" field in the message body represents the notification callback address, and the value of the notification callback address is "http: / / pcf_ip:pcf_port / nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / The "pcf_ip:pcf_port" in v1 / {pcf-sessionid} is the authorization part, which indicates the IP address + port of the PCF network element. That is, when the CHF network element subsequently sends a notification request, it can send a notification request to the PCF network element indicated by the authorization part. For example, the address of the PCF network element shown in Figure 3 is "10.10.10.10:8080"; in addition, the "nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / v1 / {pcf-sessionid}" in the value of the callback address is the session information of the session established by the PCF network element for subscribing to the service of the CHF network element, where "pcf-sessionid" is the session identifier.

[0083] It should be understood that in subscription requests for different services, the field (or field name) used to represent the notification callback address may be different. For example, in the subscription request for the above-mentioned bandwidth limit control service, the field name used to represent the notification callback address is "notifUri", while in the subscription request for the converged billing service "Nchf-ConvergedCharging_Subscribe Request", the field name used to represent the notification callback address is "notifyUri". In subscription requests for other services, the field name used to represent the notification callback address may be "Notify".

[0084] In step 303, the SCP network element performs service discovery through the NRF network element based on the service discovery parameters in the subscription request to determine the corresponding CHF network element.

[0085] It should be understood that the CHF network element can pre-register the services that the CHF network element can provide with the NRF network element. That is, the NRF network element knows which CHF network element can provide which services. Thus, the SCP network element can perform service discovery through the NRF network element based on the service discovery parameters in the subscription request to select the target CHF network element.

[0086] For example, taking the bandwidth quota control service as an example, the service registration message from the CHF network element to the NRF network element may include the following information:

[0087] Among them, the field "serviceInstanceId" can be used to indicate the identifier of the service that the CHF network element can provide or the index of the service, for example, the identifier of the service or the index of the service is "Nchf-SpendingLimitControl110.125.176.178"; the field "serviceName" can be used to indicate the name of the service, for example, the name of the service can be "Nchf-SpendingLimitControl"; the field "versions" can be used to indicate the version of the service, and the "[]" after "versions" can specifically indicate the detailed information of the service version. For the sake of brevity, detailed description is not given here.

[0088] For example, the SCP network element determines the CHF network element with the address "50.50.50.50:8080" as the target CHF network element.

[0089] In step 304, the SCP network element sends a subscription request to the CHF network element. Correspondingly, the CHF network element receives the subscription request from the SCP network element.

[0090] After determining the target CHF NE, the SCP NE forwards the subscription request received from the PCF NE to the target CHF NE. Before forwarding the subscription request to the target CHF NE, the SCP NE processes the subscription request and obtains a subscription request containing the following information: "apiroot:CHF IP+Port via:SCP IP+Port ... notifiUrl:http: / / pcf_ip:pcf_port / nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / v1 / {pcf-sessionid}".

[0091] The SCP replaces the "apiroot" value ("SCP IP+Port") in the subscription request from the PCF with the "CHF IP+Port." For example, "30.30.30.30:8080" is replaced with "50.50.50.50:8080." The CHF network element then becomes the destination of the subscription request. The SCP also adds a "via" field to the message header with the value "SCP IP+Port" to indicate that the subscription request was forwarded by the SCP. Furthermore, the subscription request from the SCP to the CHF does not need to include service discovery parameters, specifically the "3GPP-Sbi-Discover-*" parameters.

[0092] After the CHF network element receives the subscription request from the SCP network element, the CHF network element may cache information such as the notification callback address.

[0093] In step 305, the CHF network element sends a response to the subscription request to the SCP network element. Correspondingly, the SCP network element receives the response to the subscription request from the CHF network element.

[0094] Taking a subscription request for a bandwidth limit control service as an example, after the CHF network element receives the subscription request from the SCP network element, the CHF network element can also create a bandwidth limit control session and generate a response to the subscription request. The response message to the subscription request carries the address information of the CHF network element, such as "Location: CHF IP+Port", which is the uniform resource identifier (URI) address of the bandwidth limit control session created by the CHF network element. For example, the response to the subscription request is "Nchf_SpendingLimitControl_Subscribe Response". Furthermore, the CHF network element can send the response message to the SCP network element.

[0095] In step 306, the SCP network element sends a response to the subscription request to the PCF network element. Correspondingly, the PCF network element receives the response to the subscription request from the SCP network element.

[0096] Before the SCP network element sends a response to the subscription request to the PCF network element, the SCP network element needs to process the response to the subscription request. For example, a "via" field is added to the message header of the response message to the subscription request, with a value of "SCP IP+Port" to indicate that the response message to the subscription request has been forwarded by the SCP network element.

[0097] In the process shown in Figure 3, the CHF network element needs to use the "via" field to determine whether the request message has been forwarded by the SCP network element. If it has been forwarded by the SCP network element, it is in indirect communication mode. In indirect communication mode, the processing logic of the CHF network element when sending a notification request to the PCF network element is different from the processing logic when sending a notification request to the PCF network element in direct communication mode (that is, without forwarding the request by the SCP network element). Simply put, in indirect communication mode, the CHF network element needs to send the notification request to the SCP network element, which then forwards it to the PCF network element. In direct communication mode, the CHF network element can send the notification request directly to the PCF network element.

[0098] 4 , the process of initiating a notification request from a network element function entity producer to a network element function entity consumer in mode D is described in detail below.

[0099] FIG4 is a flow chart showing a process in which a network element function entity producer initiates a notification request to a network element function entity consumer in mode D. ...

[0100] 4 , the process of initiating a notification request (ie, a notification message) from a network element function entity producer to a network element function entity consumer in mode D will be described in detail below.

[0101] In step 401, the CHF network element determines an SCP network element for forwarding a notification request.

[0102] Taking the bandwidth quota control service as an example, when the user (i.e., PCF network element) uses the service, for example, when the traffic usage exceeds the quota, the CHF network element needs to notify the PCF network element to make bandwidth changes, and the CHF needs to notify the PCF network element through a notification request.

[0103] In mode D, before sending a notification request to the PCF network element, the CHF network element must first determine the SCP network element to assist the CHF network element in forwarding the notification request. The CHF network element needs to be aware of the SCP networking and, based on local configuration or through the NRF network element, obtain an SCP network element that can assist the CHF network element in forwarding the notification request to the PCF network element. If there are multiple SCP network elements that can assist the CHF network element in forwarding the notification request to the PCF network element, the CHF network element can determine the target SCP network element based on the priority of the SCP network elements and send the notification request to the PCF network element through the target SCP network element. For example, the CHF network element determines the SCP network element with the address "40.40.40.40:8080" (for ease of description, this SCP network element is referred to as SCP2 network element) as the target SCP network element.

[0104] In step 402, the CHF network element sends a notification request to the SCP network element. Correspondingly, the SCP network element receives the notification request from the CHF network element.

[0105] For example, after determining the target SCP network element (ie, SCP2 network element), the CHF network element may send a notification request to the target SCP network element. Correspondingly, the target SCP network element may receive the notification request from the CHF network element.

[0106] Taking the bandwidth limit control service as an example, the notification request is “Nchf-SpendingLimitControl_Notify Request”, which may include the following information: “apiroot: SCP IP+Port 3GPP-Sbi-target-apiroot: PCF IP+Port 3GPP-Sbi-callback: *** ......”.

[0107] The "apiroot" field can indicate the destination address of the notification request. For example, the value of "apiroot" is "SCP IP+Port," representing the IP address and port of the target SCP network element (i.e., SCP2 network element), i.e., "40.40.40.40:8080." This field can indicate that the destination of the notification request is the target SCP network element. The value of the "3GPP-Sbi-target-apiroot" field is the authorized portion of the notification callback address, i.e., the IP address and port of the PCF. The value of the "3GPP-Sbi-callback" field is the message type of the service corresponding to the notification request. It is understood that different services, different interfaces, and different message types will have different values. It is understood that the "apiroot," "3GPP-Sbi-target-apiroot," and "3GPP-Sbi-callback" fields are related parameters used to implement indirect communication between the CHF network element and the PCF network element.

[0108] In step 403, the SCP network element sends a notification request to the PCF network element. Correspondingly, the PCF network element receives the notification request from the SCP network element.

[0109] After receiving the above notification request, the SCP network element can know that the notification request needs to be sent to the PCF network element based on the "3GPP-Sbi-target-apiroot: PCF IP+Port" in the above notification request. Then, the SCP network element can process the notification request and obtain a subscription request including the following information: "apiroot: PCF IP+Port via: SCP IP+Port ......".

[0110] The SCP replaces the "SCP IP+Port" value of the "apiroot" in the notification request from the CHF with the "PCF IP+Port" value. For example, "40.40.40.40:8080" is replaced with "10.10.10.10:8080." This makes the destination of the notification request the PCF. The SCP also adds a "via" field to the message header with the value "SCP IP+Port" to indicate that the notification request was forwarded by the SCP. The SCP then sends the notification request to the PCF.

[0111] In step 404, the PCF network element sends a response to the notification request to the SCP network element. Correspondingly, the SCP network element receives the response to the notification request from the PCF network element.

[0112] After the PCF network element receives the notification request from the SCP2 network element, the PCF network element may send a response to the notification request to the SCP network element, informing the SCP2 network element that the notification request has been received.

[0113] In step 405, the SCP network element sends a response to the notification request to the CHF network element. Correspondingly, the CHF network element receives the response to the notification request from the SCP network element.

[0114] After the SCP2 network element receives the notification request from the PCF network element, the SCP2 network element may forward a response to the notification request to the CHF network element, informing the CHF network element that the PCF network element has received the notification request.

[0115] Taking Figure 4 as an example, but without loss of generality, in the process of initiating a notification request from the network element function entity producer to the network element function entity consumer in mode D, the network element function entity producer (for example, the CHF network element shown in Figure 4) needs to first perceive the networking relationship between the SCP network elements when sending a notification request to the network element function entity consumer (for example, the PCF network element shown in Figure 4), and then determine the SCP network element (such as the SCP2 network element shown in Figure 4) used to assist the network element function entity producer in forwarding the notification request to the network element function entity consumer. It is also necessary to carry relevant parameters for realizing indirect communication between the network element function entity producer and the network element function entity consumer in the notification request before forwarding the notification request to the network element function entity consumer through the SCP network element. For the network element function entity producer, this process is relatively complicated.

[0116] For the convenience of description, the network element function entity consumers are collectively referred to as first network elements, and the network element function entity producers are collectively referred to as second network elements.

[0117] To address the above technical issues, the present application provides a communication method in which, before forwarding a request from a first network element to a second network element, an SCP network element replaces the authorization portion of a notification callback address with the address of the SCP network element. Consequently, when the second network element needs to send a notification request to the first network element, it can directly send the notification request to the SCP network element, which then forwards the notification request to the first network element. This eliminates the need for the second network element to determine the SCP network element to assist in forwarding the notification request by sensing the SCP network element's networking. Furthermore, the second network element is not required to include relevant parameters for enabling indirect communication between the second network element and the first network element in the notification request, thereby simplifying the execution process of the second network element.

[0118] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0119] As shown in Figure 5, the method 500 may include steps 510 to 550. Each step in Figure 5 is described in detail below.

[0120] In step 510, the first network element sends a first request to the SCP network element. Correspondingly, the SCP network element receives the first request from the first network element.

[0121] The first request is used to request to subscribe to a service of the second network element. The SCP network element is used to forward messages between the first network element and the second network element.

[0122] The first network element is a service user, and the second network element is a service provider. The first network element can subscribe to the second network element's service, and the second network element can send a notification request to the first network element for the service subscribed by the first network element. As an example and not a limitation, in actual application scenarios, the first network element can be a PCF network element and the second network element can be a CHF network element; or the first network element can be an SMF network element and the second network element can be a CHF network element; or the first network element can be a PCF network element and the second network element can be a CHF network element.

[0123] Optionally, the first network element sending the first request to the SCP network element includes: the first network element determining a target SCP network element; and the first network element sending the first request to the target SCP network element.

[0124] The first network element may select a target SCP network element according to local configuration, and send a request message (eg, a first request) to the second network element through the target SCP network element. The request message is used to request subscription to the service of the second network element.

[0125] The description of "the first network element determines the target SCP network element" is similar to the description of step 301 in FIG. 3 above. For detailed description, please refer to the description of step 301 in FIG. 3 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0126] The subscription request "Nchf-SpendingLimitControl_Subscribe Request" can be an example of a first request. The description of "the first network element sending the first request to the target SCP network element" is similar to the description of step 302 in Figure 3 above. For relevant detailed descriptions, please refer to the description of step 302 in Figure 3 above. For the sake of brevity, it is not repeated here.

[0127] In step 520, the SCP network element processes the first request to obtain a second request, in which the authorization portion of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element.

[0128] After the SCP network element receives the first request from the first network element, the SCP network element may process the first request to obtain a second request.

[0129] Optionally, the second request includes a notification callback address field for carrying the notification callback address.

[0130] It is understandable that the first request and the second request may include a notification callback field for carrying the notification callback address, such as the “notifUri” field mentioned in step 302 above.

[0131] After the SCP network element receives the first request from the first network element, the SCP network element may replace the authorization portion of the notification callback address in the first request with the address of the SCP network element from the address of the first network element. For example, the notification callback address in the first request is "notifiUri:http: / / pcf_ip:pcf_port / nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / v1 / {pcf-sessionid}", where "pcf_ip:pcf_port" is the authorization portion. The SCP network element may replace the authorization portion with "scp_ip:scp_port". The notification callback address after replacing the authorization portion may be "http: / / scp_ip:scp_port / nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / v1 / {pcf-sessionid}", so that the authorization portion of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element.

[0132] Optionally, before the SCP network element processes the first request to obtain the second request, the method 500 further includes: the SCP network element determining a notification callback address field in the first request.

[0133] It is understandable that before the SCP network element replaces the authorization part of the notification callback address in the first request from the address of the first network element to the address of the SCP network element, the SCP network element needs to determine the notification callback address field in the first request, that is, it needs to first determine which field is used to carry or indicate the notification callback address, that is, it needs to first determine the position or name of the notification callback address field.

[0134] In one possible implementation, the notification callback address field is determined based on a mapping relationship, which includes a correspondence between at least one service and at least one field name, and each field name in the at least one field name identifies a field for carrying the notification callback address.

[0135] The SCP network element may pre-configure and store the corresponding relationship between at least one service and at least one field name (ie, the name of the notification callback address field) in the local. The following is a brief description of the mapping relationship in table form as an example in conjunction with Table 1.

[0136] Table 1 is an example of the mapping relationship provided in this application.

[0137] Table 1

[0138] In the above mapping relationship, different services can be distinguished by the service name or service interface name, but in actual application scenarios, different services can also be distinguished by the service index or service identifier, and this application does not limit this. It is understandable that the field names corresponding to different services can be the same or different, and this application does not limit this.

[0139] Based on the mapping relationship shown in Table 1, after the SCP network element receives the first request, the SCP network element can determine the notification callback address field from the mapping relationship based on the service involved in the first request. In other words, determining the name of the notification callback address field is equivalent to finding the location of the notification callback address field.

[0140] In another possible implementation, the notification callback address field is determined based on a service registration message of the second network element, the service registration message includes the name of the notification callback address field and the service provided by the second network element, and the service registration message is obtained from the NRF network element.

[0141] As mentioned in step 303 above, the CHF network element can pre-register the services that the CHF network element can provide with the NRF network element. In this implementation, when registering the services that the CHF network element can provide with the NRF network element, the CHF network element can add a field "notifyPath" to the service registration message. This field can be used to indicate the name of the notification callback address field. Taking the bandwidth limit control service as an example, the name of the notification callback address field can be "notifUri". In other words, unlike the service registration message shown in step 303 above, the service registration message in this implementation also includes "notifyPath: notifUri". Therefore, when the SCP network element performs service discovery, it can learn based on the service registration message that the name of the notification callback address field of the service "Nchf-SpendingLimitControl" is "notifUri".

[0142] In this implementation, the SCP network element does not need to locally configure the correspondence between the service and callback address fields. The SCP network element performs unified processing logic for the service interfaces between different network elements, which has better adaptability.

[0143] In addition to replacing the authorization part of the notification callback address in the first request from the address of the first network element to the address of the SCP network element, the SCP network element can also replace the value of "apiroot" in the first request from the first network element from "SCP IP+Port" to "second network element IP+Port", such as "CHF IP+Port"; and the SCP network element can add a "via" field to the message header with a value of "SCP IP+Port" to indicate that the second request is forwarded through the SCP network element. In addition, the second request does not need to include service discovery parameters, that is, it does not need to include "3GPP-Sbi-Discover-*" parameter information. For detailed descriptions, please refer to the description in step 304 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0144] In step 530, the SCP network element sends a second request to the second network element. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the second request from the SCP network element.

[0145] After processing the first request to obtain the second request, the SCP network element may send the second request to the second network element. Correspondingly, the second network element may receive the second request from the SCP network element.

[0146] Optionally, after step 530, method 500 may further include: the second network element sending a response (message) to the second request to the SCP network element; accordingly, the SCP network element receiving the response (message) to the second request from the second network element. Furthermore, the SCP network element sending a response (message) to the second request to the first network element; accordingly, the first network element receiving the response (message) to the second request from the SCP network element. For a detailed description, please refer to the relevant descriptions of steps 305 and 306 above; for the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0147] In step 540, the second network element sends a notification request to the SCP network element based on the address of the SCP network element indicated in the second request. Correspondingly, the SCP network element receives the notification request from the second network element.

[0148] The notification request is used to notify the first network element of the service it subscribes to. Taking the bandwidth quota control service as an example, after the first network element subscribes to the bandwidth quota control service provided by the second network element, and after the second network element increases or decreases the bandwidth of the first network element, the second network element can notify the first network element via a notification request. It is understood that the notification request is generated by the second network element when it is necessary to notify the first network element of the service it subscribes to.

[0149] It can be understood that the second request message received by the second network element indicates that the notification callback address is the address of the SCP network element. Therefore, after receiving the second request, the second network element can send a notification request to the SCP network element based on the address of the SCP network element indicated in the second request.

[0150] It can be understood that, unlike the process of initiating a notification request from the network element function entity producer to the network element function entity consumer in mode D shown in Figure 4, when the second network element needs to send a notification request to the first network element, it can directly send the notification request to the SCP network element indicated by the second request. In this way, the SCP network element used to assist the second network element in forwarding the notification request to the first network element is the same network element as the SCP network element used to assist the first network element in forwarding the first request (for example, the subscription request shown in Figure 3). The second network element does not need to perceive the SCP network element networking and determine a target SCP network element for assisting the second network element in forwarding the notification request, thereby simplifying the execution process of the second network element.

[0151] In step 550, the SCP network element sends a notification request to the first network element. Correspondingly, the first network element receives the notification request from the SCP network element.

[0152] After the SCP network element receives the notification request from the second network element, the SCP network element may send the notification request to the first network element.

[0153] Optionally, before the SCP network element sends the notification request to the first network element, the method further includes: the SCP network element determining an address of the first network element.

[0154] It is understandable that after the SCP network element receives the notification request from the second network element, the SCP network element needs to first determine the address of the first network element so as to send the notification request to the first network element.

[0155] Optionally, the second request carries the address of the first network element and / or a session identifier, where the session identifier is an identifier of a session in which the first network element subscribes to a service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0156] In one possible implementation, the session identifier carried in the second request may be an identifier of a session established by the SCP network element (for ease of description, the session identifier is referred to as the first session identifier). That is, after the SCP network element receives the first request from the first network element, the SCP network element may establish a session in which the first network element subscribes to the service of the second network element through the SCP network element. Thus, the SCP network element may cache information related to the session, including but not limited to the correspondence between the session identifier and the service name involved in the first request, the address of the first network element, and the address of the second network element.

[0157] In one possible implementation, the session identifier carried in the second request may be an identifier of a session established by the first network element (for ease of description, the session identifier is referred to as the second session identifier), such as the "pcf-sessionid" mentioned in step 302 in FIG. 3 above. The first session identifier may be associated with the first session identifier, so that the SCP network element determines the corresponding second session identifier based on the second session identifier, and then finds the corresponding session information stored by the SCP network element based on the second session identifier.

[0158] The second request may carry the address of the first network element and / or the session identifier. Thus, after receiving the notification request from the second network element, the SCP network element may determine the address of the first network element based on the address of the first network element or the session identifier.

[0159] In a possible implementation, the second request carries the address of the first network element, the notification request carries the address of the first network element; and the SCP network element determines the address of the first network element, including: the SCP network element determines the address of the first network element based on the notification request.

[0160] That is to say, in the case where the second request carries the address of the first network element, after the second network element receives the second request from the SCP network element, the second network element can obtain the address of the first network element through the second request. When the second network element generates a notification request, the second network element can directly bring back the address of the first network element in the second request to the notification request.

[0161] By way of example and not limitation, the address of the first network element may be included in the notification callback address field of the second request, for example, "notifiUri:http: / / pcf_ip:pcf_port / nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / v1 / {pcf-sessionid}?target=pcf_ip:pcf_port," where "target" is a URI parameter that conforms to the "key=value" format. For example, "?target=pcf_ip:pcf_port" may be used to indicate the address of the first network element. In this way, the value of "3GPP-Sbi-target-apiroot" in the notification request may be http: / / pcf_ip:pcf_port / nchf-spendinglimitcontrol / v1 / {pcf-sessionid}?target=pcf_ip:pcf_port. Consequently, after the SCP network element receives the notification request from the second network element, it can directly determine the address of the first network element based on "?target=pcf_ip:pcf_port."

[0162] It is understood that in actual application scenarios, other parameters besides the "target" parameter (also in the "key=value" format) may be used to indicate the address of the first network element, and this application does not limit this. In addition, in actual application scenarios, other parameters may also be used in the second request to carry other information that needs to be transmitted, and this application does not limit this.

[0163] It is understandable that in actual application scenarios, the address of the first network element can also be carried in other fields in the second request except the notification callback address field. In this way, the address of the first network element can be carried in the corresponding field in the notification request, and the second network element directly returns the address of the first network element to the SCP network element through the notification request. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0164] In this way, after the SCP network element receives the notification request from the second network element, the SCP network element can directly obtain the address of the first network element. In this implementation, the SCP network element does not need to save the session information of the first network element subscribing to the service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0165] In another possible implementation, the second request carries a session identifier, the notification request carries a session identifier; and the SCP network element determines the address of the first network element, including: the SCP network element determines the address of the first network element based on the notification request and the correspondence between the session identifier and the service name, the address of the first network element, and the address of the second network element.

[0166] That is to say, in the case where the second request carries the above-mentioned session identifier, after the second network element receives the second request from the SCP network element, the second network element can obtain the session identifier (for example, the first session identifier or the second session identifier) ​​through the second request, and when the second network element generates a notification request, the second network element can directly bring the session identifier in the second request back to the notification request. As an example and not a limitation, in an actual application scenario, the session identifier can be carried in the notification callback address field of the second request, or can be carried in other fields other than the notification callback address field in the second request. Accordingly, the session identifier can be carried in the corresponding field in the notification request, and the second network element directly returns the session identifier to the SCP network element through the notification request. The detailed description is similar to the above description about the address of the first network element being carried in the second request and the notification request. For related descriptions, please refer to the above description about the address of the first network element being carried in the second request and the notification request. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0167] As mentioned above, after the SCP network element receives the first request from the first network element, the SCP network element can establish a session in which the first network element subscribes to the service of the second network element through the SCP network element. As a result, the SCP network element can cache information related to the session, including but not limited to the correspondence between the session identifier and the service name involved in the first request, the address of the first network element, and the address of the second network element. In this implementation, after receiving the notification request, the SCP network element can determine the address of the first network element based on the session identifier carried in the notification request and the correspondence between the session identifier and the service name, the address of the first network element, and the address of the second network element locally cached by the SCP network element, and thus determine the corresponding address of the first network element. It is understood that, if the second request carries the first session identifier, the SCP network element, upon receiving the notification request, can directly find the corresponding session information based on the first session identifier, thereby determining the address of the first network element. If the second request carries the second session identifier, the SCP network element, upon receiving the notification request, can directly determine the associated second session identifier based on the second session identifier, and then find the corresponding session information based on the second session identifier, thereby determining the address of the first network element. This application is not limited to this. It is understood that, in actual application scenarios, the SCP network element that directly receives the first request from the first network element and the SCP network element that processes the first request to obtain the second request may be the same network element, or may not be the same SCP network element. For example, if the next hop of the SCP network element that directly receives the first request from the first network element is the second network element (i.e., if there is a single-hop SCP network element between the first network element and the second network element), the SCP network element can process the first request to obtain the second request.

[0168] For another example, if the next hop of the SCP network element that directly receives the first request from the first network element is not the second network element, but another SCP network element (i.e., in a scenario where there are multiple SCP network elements between the first network element and the second network element), the SCP network element may not process the first request to obtain the second request, but may instead have the SCP network element at the last hop in the SCP network element's network process the second request. In this case, the SCP network element needs to determine whether the next hop is the second network element. If the next hop is the second network element, the first request is processed to obtain the second request; if the next hop is not the second network element, the first request is not processed to obtain the second request. It is understandable that the SCP network element itself is aware of the connection relationships between the various SCP network elements in its entire SCP network element network. In this implementation, the multiple SCP network elements that assist the first network element in forwarding the request message (e.g., the first request or subscription request) to the second network element may be different from the multiple network elements that assist the second network element in forwarding the notification request to the first network element.

[0169] Of course, in actual application scenarios, in some possible implementations, when there are multiple SCP network elements between the first network element and the second network element, each SCP network element between the first network element and the second network element may replace the notification callback address with its own address. In this way, the notification callback address in the request message received by the second network element is the address of the last-hop SCP network element. When the second network element needs to send a notification request to the first network element, the second network element may directly send the notification request to the last-hop SCP network element. The notification request will then be forwarded to the first network element in turn by the multiple SCP network elements that forward the request message between the second network element and the first network element. In other words, in this implementation, the multiple SCP network elements that assist the first network element in forwarding the request message (e.g., the first request or subscription request) to the second network element are the same as the multiple network elements that assist the second network element in forwarding the notification request to the first network element.

[0170] Based on the above technical solution, before forwarding the first request from the first network element to the second network element, the SCP network element replaces the authorization portion of the notification callback address in the first request with the address of the SCP network element, thereby obtaining a second request. Therefore, when the second network element needs to send a notification request to the first network element, it can directly send the notification request to the SCP network element indicated by the second request. This eliminates the need for the second network element to determine the target SCP network element to assist in forwarding the notification request by perceiving the networking of the SCP network elements, thereby making the networking relationship between the SCP network elements in the entire network transparent to the second network element. Furthermore, the second network element is not required to include relevant parameters for implementing indirect communication between the second network element and the first network element in the notification request, thereby simplifying the execution process of the second network element.

[0171] Furthermore, based on the above technical solution, when switching from Mode B to Mode D, the second network element can adapt to support Mode D without requiring major network modifications. Furthermore, when the same network is connected to multiple core networks simultaneously, adaptation can be achieved effectively. For example, if one vendor's PCF network element communicates using Mode D, another vendor's PCF network element communicates using Mode B, without requiring major network modifications.

[0172] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0173] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 600 may include a processing module 610 and a transceiver module 620. The communication device 600 may be used to execute the steps executed by the first network element, the SCP network element, or the second network element in the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0174] Exemplarily, when the communication device 600 is used to execute the steps performed by the SCP network element in method 500, the transceiver module 620 can be used to receive a first request from a first network element, where the first request is used to request subscription to the service of a second network element; the processing module 610 can be used to process the first request to obtain a second request, where the authorization part of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the SCP network element is used to forward messages between the first network element and the second network element; the transceiver module 620 can also be used to send the second request to the second network element.

[0175] Optionally, the second request includes a notification callback address field for carrying the notification callback address.

[0176] Optionally, the second request carries the address of the first network element and / or a session identifier, where the session identifier is an identifier of a session in which the first network element subscribes to a service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0177] Optionally, the processing module 610 may also be used to determine the address of the first network element.

[0178] Optionally, the second request carries the address of the first network element, and the notification request carries the address of the first network element; and the processing module 610 can be specifically used to: determine the address of the first network element based on the notification request.

[0179] Optionally, the second request carries a session identifier, and the notification request carries a session identifier; and the processing module 610 can be specifically used to: determine the address of the first network element based on the notification request, and the correspondence between the session identifier and the service name, the address of the first network element and the address of the second network element.

[0180] Optionally, the processing module 610 may also be configured to: determine a notification callback address field in the first request.

[0181] Optionally, the notification callback address field is determined based on a mapping relationship, where the mapping relationship includes a correspondence between at least one service and at least one field name, and each field name in the at least one field name identifies a field for carrying the notification callback address.

[0182] Optionally, the notification callback address field is determined based on a service registration message of the second network element, the service registration message includes the name of the notification callback address field and the service provided by the second network element, and the service registration message is obtained from the NRF network element.

[0183] Exemplarily, when the communication device 600 is used to execute the steps performed by the second network element in method 500, the transceiver module 620 can be used to receive a second request from the SCP network element, the authorization part of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the second request is used to request subscription to the service provided by the second network element; based on the address of the SCP network element, a notification request is sent to the SCP network element, and the notification request is used to notify the service subscribed by the first network element, and the first network element is the network element that requests subscription to the service from the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0184] Optionally, the second request includes a notification callback address field for carrying the notification callback address.

[0185] Optionally, the second request carries the address of the first network element and / or a session identifier, where the session identifier is an identifier of a session in which the first network element subscribes to a service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

[0186] Optionally, the second request carries the address of the first network element, and the notification request carries the address of the first network element.

[0187] Optionally, the second request carries a session identifier, and the notification request carries a session identifier.

[0188] FIG7 is another schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0189] The communication device 700 can be used to implement the functions of the first network element, the SCP network element, or the second network element in the above method 500. The communication device 700 can be a chip system. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0190] As shown in FIG7 , the communication device 700 may include at least one processor 710, configured to implement the functions of the first network element, the SCP network element, or the second network element in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0191] For example, when the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the SCP network element in the method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 710 can be used to receive a first request from a first network element, the first request being used to request subscription to a service of a second network element; process the first request to obtain a second request, wherein the authorization portion of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the SCP network element is used to forward messages between the first network element and the second network element; and send the second request to the second network element. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the method example, which is not repeated here.

[0192] For example, when the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the second network element in the method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 710 can be used to receive a second request from the SCP network element, where the authorization portion of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the second request is used to request subscription to the service provided by the second network element; based on the address of the SCP network element, a notification request is sent to the SCP network element, where the notification request is used to notify the first network element of the service subscribed to, and the first network element is the network element that requests subscription to the service from the second network element through the SCP network element. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the method example, which is not repeated here.

[0193] The communication device 700 may also include at least one memory 720 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 720 is coupled to the processor 710. Coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 710 may operate in conjunction with the memory 720. The processor 710 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 720. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.

[0194] The communication device 700 may also include a communication interface 730 for communicating with other devices via a transmission medium, so that the communication device 700 can communicate with other devices. For example, when the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the first network element in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the other device may be an SCP network element; when the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the SCP network element in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the other device may be a first network element or a second network element; when the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the second network element in the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the other device may be an SCP network element. The communication interface 730 may be, for example, a transceiver, an interface, a bus, a circuit, or a device capable of implementing transceiver functions. The processor 710 may use the communication interface 730 to send and receive data and / or information, and is used to implement the method performed by the first network element, the SCP network element, or the second network element described in the corresponding embodiment of Figure 5.

[0195] The specific connection medium between the processor 710, memory 720, and communication interface 730 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 7, the processor 710, memory 720, and communication interface 730 are connected via a bus 740. Bus 740 is represented by a bold line in Figure 7, and the connection methods between other components are only for schematic illustration and are not limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one bold line is used in Figure 7, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0196] The present application provides a communication system, which includes an SCP network element and a second network element. The SCP network element is used to perform the functions of the SCP network element in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5, and the second network element is used to perform the functions of the second network element in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5.

[0197] The present application also provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for implementing the functions involved in the method performed by the first network element, the SCP network element, or the second network element in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, for example, receiving or processing the data and / or information involved in the above method.

[0198] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and data, and the memory is located inside or outside the processor.

[0199] The chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0200] An embodiment of the present application further provides a readable storage medium having a program stored thereon. When the program is executed, the method executed by the first network element in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is executed, or the method executed by the SCP network element is executed, or the method executed by the second network element is executed.

[0201] An embodiment of the present application further provides a program product, including a program. When the program is run, the method executed by the first network element in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 is executed, or the method executed by the SCP network element is executed, or the method executed by the second network element is executed.

[0202] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or by software instructions. The above-mentioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. The various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly implemented and executed by a hardware decoding processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium well-known in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above-mentioned method.

[0203] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0204] The terms "unit", "module", etc. used in this specification may be used to represent an entity related to a device or apparatus, hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution.

[0205] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, or a combination of software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application. In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices, equipment, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the module division is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0206] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules may be selected to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment according to actual needs.

[0207] In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing module, or each module may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one module.

[0208] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional module can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a program product. The program product includes one or more instructions (programs). When the program instructions (program) are loaded and executed on a device or apparatus, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The instructions can be stored in a readable storage medium or transmitted from one readable storage medium to another readable storage medium. For example, the instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a device or apparatus or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state drive (SSD)).

[0209] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a device or apparatus (which can be a personal computer, server, or network equipment, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0210] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) network element, the method includes: Receiving a first request from a first network element, where the first request is used to request to subscribe to a service of a second network element; Processing the first request to obtain a second request, where the authorized part of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the SCP network element is used to forward messages between the first network element and the second network element; Sending the second request to the second network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second request includes a notification callback address field for carrying the notification callback address.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second request carries the address of the first network element and / or a session identifier, and the session identifier is the identifier of the session in which the first network element subscribes to the service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a notification request from the second network element, where the notification request is used to notify the service subscribed by the first network element; Determining the address of the first network element; Sending the notification request to the first network element.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The second request carries the address of the first network element, and the notification request carries the address of the first network element; And, determining the address of the first network element includes: Based on the notification request, determining the address of the first network element.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein The second request carries a session identifier, and the notification request carries the session identifier; And, determining the address of the first network element includes: Based on the notification request, and the correspondence between the session identifier, the service name, the address of the first network element, and the address of the second network element, determining the address of the first network element.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Before processing the first request to obtain a second request, the method further includes: Determining the notification callback address field in the first request.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The notification callback address field is determined based on a mapping relationship, and the mapping relationship includes the correspondence between at least one service and at least one field name, and each of the at least one field names identifies a field for carrying the notification callback address.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein The notification callback address field is determined based on the service registration message of the second network element, and the service registration message includes the name of the notification callback address field and the service provided by the second network element, and the service registration message is obtained from a Network Storage Function (NSF) network element.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second network element, the method includes: Receiving a second request from a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) network element, where the authorized part of the notification callback address of the second request is the address of the SCP network element, and the second request is used to request to subscribe to the service provided by the second network element; Based on the address of the SCP network element, sending a notification request to the SCP network element, where the notification request is used to notify the service subscribed by a first network element, and the first network element is the network element that requests to subscribe to the service from the second network element through the SCP network element.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The second request includes a notification callback address field for carrying the notification callback address.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The second request carries the address and / or session identifier of the first network element, and the session identifier is an identifier of a session in which the first network element subscribes to the service of the second network element through the SCP network element.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein The second request carries the address of the first network element, and the notification request carries the address of the first network element.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein The second request carries the session identifier, and the notification request carries the session identifier.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or the communication device includes a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The memory is used for storing programs; The processor is used for calling the program to enable the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or to enable the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14.

17. A communication system, characterized in that, Comprising an SCP network element and a second network element, wherein, The SCP network element is used for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The second network element is used for executing the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14.

18. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, A program or instruction is stored in the storage medium, and when the program or instruction is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14 is implemented.

19. A program product, characterized in that, The program product includes instructions, and when the instructions are run, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 10 to 14 is implemented.

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