Slice information transmission method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium

Abstract

Disclosed in embodiments of the present disclosure are a slice information transmission method, an apparatus, a communication device, and a storage medium. The method is executed by a core network element, and comprises: sending one or more pieces of first information to a base station, the first information comprising second slice information, and a second slice indicated by the second slice information being used for replacing a first slice.

Description

Slice information transmission method, device, communication equipment and storage medium

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure is based on and claims the priority of Chinese patent application with application number 202410029665.9 and application date January 8, 2024. The entire content of this Chinese patent application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a slice information transmission method, apparatus, storage medium, communication equipment, and computer program. Background Art

[0004] Network slicing is one of the hallmark technologies that distinguishes 5G from 4G. Unlike the traditional 4G network's "single pipeline, best-effort" model, 5G network slicing aims to provide multiple end-to-end logical "dedicated networks" based on a unified infrastructure and network. It offers on-demand network services tailored to different scenarios, optimally adapting to the diverse business needs of industry users.

[0005] In the Xn interface switching scenario, currently only the scenario where the target base station side is congested or the target base station does not support the slice of the current serving user equipment (UE) is supported. There is currently no effective solution for the scenario where the slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the slice of the current serving UE.

[0006] Especially during handover, when the (target) core network and the target base station have inconsistent behaviors regarding the acceptance of the current slice, that is, the (target) core network does not support the slice currently serving the UE, but the target base station supports the slice currently serving the UE. Due to the lack of signaling interaction between the (target) core network and the target base station, and the target base station temporarily being unable to report the slices accepted when reporting the path switching request to the (target) core network after successfully implementing slice access control, the path switching fails, the service is interrupted, and the user experience is affected. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve existing technical problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium for transmitting slice information.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a slice information transmission method, which is performed by a core network element. The method includes:

[0009] One or more first information are sent to a base station, where the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first information also includes a reason for replacing the first slice and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0012] The first slice is congested in the core network;

[0013] The core network does not support the first slice;

[0014] The first slice is unavailable in the core network;

[0015] The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current service level agreement (SLA).

[0016] In some embodiments, before sending one or more first information to the base station, the method further includes:

[0017] Configure the priority corresponding to the second slice based on the resource utilization of the slice; or,

[0018] Configure the priority of the second slice based on the slice's guarantee of business service quality requirements.

[0019] In some embodiments, the method further includes: if the congestion of the first slice is relieved in the core network or the core network re-supports the first slice, sending second information to the base station; the second information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0021] The first slice is used to alleviate congestion in the core network;

[0022] The core network re-supports the first slice;

[0023] The first slice is available in the core network;

[0024] The network performance of the first slice meets the current SLA again.

[0025] In some embodiments, before sending one or more first information to the base station, the method further includes:

[0026] Receive third information sent by the base station, where the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is an alternative slice selected by the base station for a user equipment (UE).

[0027] In some embodiments, the method further includes: when the core network does not support the third slice, selecting one or more slices from the slices supported by the UE as the second slice.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after the first time expires, sending fourth information to the base station, the fourth information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of a protocol data unit (PDU) session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information indicating the first slice; the first time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the first slice will be relieved from congestion in the core network or the first slice will be available in the core network.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending fifth information to the base station, the fifth information including a first time, the first time being the time when the core network element predicts that the first slice is in a state of relieved congestion in the core network or the first slice is available in the core network.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving sixth information sent by the base station, the sixth information being used to inquire whether to establish or re-establish a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or to modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the sixth information being sent by the base station after the first time expires;

[0031] Send fourth information to the base station, where the fourth information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after the second time expires, sending seventh information to the base station, the seventh information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the second time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0033] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending eighth information to the base station, the eighth information including a second time, the second time being the time when the core network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method includes: receiving ninth information sent by the base station, the ninth information being used to inquire whether to establish or re-establish a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or to modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the ninth information being sent by the base station after the second time expires;

[0035] Send seventh information to the base station, where the seventh information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0036] In some embodiments, before sending one or more first information to the base station, the method also includes: preferentially selecting one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE is not reduced.

[0037] In some embodiments, before preferentially selecting one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE is not degraded, the method further includes:

[0038] Sending tenth information to the UE, where the tenth information is used to inquire whether to accept or not accept a reduction in the slice service quality level;

[0039] Receive the eleventh information sent by the UE, where the eleventh information is used to indicate or inform whether to accept or not accept the reduction of the slice quality level.

[0040] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a slice information transmission method, which is performed by a base station. The method includes:

[0041] Receive one or more first information sent by a core network network element, where the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first information also includes a reason for replacing the first slice and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

[0043] In some embodiments, the first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0044] The first slice is congested in the core network;

[0045] The core network does not support the first slice;

[0046] The first slice is unavailable in the core network;

[0047] The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current SLA.

[0048] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0049] When the congestion of the first slice in the core network is relieved or the core network re-supports the first slice serving the UE, second information sent by the core network network element is received; the second information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

[0050] In some embodiments, the second information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0051] The first slice is used to alleviate congestion in the core network;

[0052] The core network re-supports the first slice;

[0053] The first slice is available in the core network;

[0054] The network performance of the first slice meets the current SLA again.

[0055] In some embodiments, before receiving one or more first information sent by the core network element, the method further includes:

[0056] Send third information to the core network element, where the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is the alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE.

[0057] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0058] Receive the fourth information sent by the core network network element, where the fourth information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information indicating the first slice; the fourth information is sent by the core network network element after a first time expires, and the first time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the first slice will be relieved from congestion in the core network or the first slice will be available in the core network.

[0059] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving fifth information sent by the core network network element, the fifth information including a first time, the first time being the time when the core network network element predicts that the first slice is in a state of relieved congestion in the core network or the first slice is available in the core network.

[0060] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0061] After the first time expires, sending sixth information to the core network element, where the sixth information is used to inquire whether to establish or re-establish the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice;

[0062] Receive the fourth information sent by the core network network element, where the fourth information is used to request to establish or rebuild the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0063] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving seventh information sent by the core network network element, the seventh information being used to request establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, the seventh information including first slice information indicating the first slice; the seventh information is sent by the core network network element after a second time expires, the second time being the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0064] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving eighth information sent by the core network network element, the eighth information including a second time, the second time being the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0065] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0066] After the second time expires, sending ninth information to the core network element, where the ninth information is used to inquire whether to establish or re-establish the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice;

[0067] Receive the seventh information sent by the core network network element, where the seventh information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0068] In the third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a slice information transmission device, which is applied to a core network network element, and the device includes: a first communication unit, used to send one or more first information to a base station, the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0069] In the fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a slice information transmission device, which is applied to a base station, and the device includes: a second communication unit, used to receive one or more first information sent by a core network network element, the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0070] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the slice information transmission method described in the first aspect or the second aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure are implemented.

[0071] In the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and runnable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the program, the steps of the slice information transmission method described in the first or second aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure are implemented.

[0072] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer program product, including a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the slice information transmission method described in the first aspect or the second aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure are implemented.

[0073] The slice information transmission method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure include: a core network element sending one or more first information to a base station, wherein the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice. Using the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the core network element indicates to the base station information about the second slice used to replace the first slice, thereby resolving the issue of slice switching service failure caused by inconsistent behavior between the core network and the base station regarding the acceptance of the current slice, thereby ensuring service continuity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] FIG1 is a flowchart of a method for transmitting slice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0075] FIG2 is a second flow chart of a method for transmitting slice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0076] FIG3 is a third flow chart of a method for transmitting slice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0077] FIG4 is a fourth flow chart of a method for transmitting slice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0078] FIG5 is a fifth flow chart of a method for transmitting slice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0079] FIG6 is a first schematic diagram of the structure of a slice information transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0080] FIG7 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the slice information transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0081] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] The present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0083] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems, such as the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) system, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or the 5G system. Optionally, the 5G system or 5G network may also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) system or NR network.

[0084] Exemplarily, the communication system applied in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include a network device and a terminal device (also referred to as a terminal, a communication terminal, etc.); the network device may be a device that communicates with the terminal device. Among them, the network device can provide communication coverage within a certain area and can communicate with terminals located in the area. Optionally, the network device can be a base station in each communication system, such as an evolved base station (eNB, Evolutional Node B) in an LTE system, or a base station (NG-RAN node, including gNB and ng-eNB) in a 5G system or NR system.

[0085] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, devices with communication functions in a network / system may be referred to as communication devices. Communication devices may include network devices and terminals with communication functions. The network devices and terminal devices may be the specific devices described above and will not be described in detail here. Communication devices may also include other devices in the communication system, such as network controllers, mobility management entities, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0086] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0087] The terms "first," "second," and the like in the specification and claims of the present disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequential sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein can, for example, be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, e.g., a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0088] Before describing the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, a brief description is first given of the UE switching scenario when the current core network slice is congested, the core network does not support the slice, or the slice is unavailable in the core network.

[0089] In a handover scenario, the source base station sends a handover preparation message to the target base station, the target base station performs admission control, and replies to the handover command. When the current slice resources of the target base station are congested or the target base station does not support the slice currently serving the UE, the core network element (such as the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) or the Policy Control Function (PCF)) or the Operation Administration and Maintenance (Operation Administration and Maintenance) detects that the current slice is unavailable or congested, and notifies the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). Allowed NSSAI indicates the slices that are currently available to the UE under the serving Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) within the registration area.

[0090] The UE will indicate support for the network slice replacement feature during the registration phase. For a connected UE, if there is already a protocol data unit session (PDU session) associated with the slice to be replaced in the UE context, the AMF will select the replacement slice for the UE in the Allowed NSSAI or Configured NSSAI in the UE Configuration Update message.

[0091] In the current Xn interface handover, the source eNB sends a Handover Request message to the target eNB. If the target eNB is congested or does not support the slice currently serving the UE, the target eNB responds to the source eNB with a Handover Request Reply message containing the PDU sessions that are allowed and not allowed. After the handover is executed, the target eNB sends the PDU sessions that are allowed and those that failed to establish resources to the core network element via a Path Switch Request message. The core network element responds with a Path Switch Request Reply message containing the PDU sessions that were switched and released, as well as the Allowed NSSAI.

[0092] The above solution mainly solves the scenario where the slice is congested in the target base station or the target base station does not support the slice of the current service UE, and does not solve the scenario where the slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the slice of the current service UE. Especially when switching, the (target) core network and the target base station have inconsistent behaviors for accepting the current slice, for example, the (target) core network does not support the slice of the current service UE, but the target base station supports the slice of the current service UE. Due to the lack of signaling interaction between the (target) core network and the target base station, and the target base station cannot temporarily report the slice for acceptance control when reporting the path switching request to the (target) core network after successfully implementing slice access control, the (target) core network does not have the resources to serve the slice, resulting in path switching failure, service interruption, and affecting user experience.

[0093] Based on this, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for transmitting slice information. FIG1 is a flow chart of the first method for transmitting slice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the method includes:

[0094] Step 101: A core network element sends one or more first information to a base station, where the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0095] The slice information transmission method of this embodiment is applied to the core network network element. In some optional embodiments, the core network network element may be a control plane network element of the core network, such as the session management function (SMF) and access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5G core network; in other optional embodiments, the core network element may also be other core network elements related to slicing, or core network elements related to slicing in other communication systems or even future communication systems.

[0096] In this embodiment, the first slice is a slice currently serving the UE before or when one or more first information are sent to the base station, and the second slice is a replacement slice indicated by the core network element to replace the first slice. In some optional embodiments, when the first slice is congested in the core network, or the core network does not support the first slice, or the first slice is unavailable in the core network, the core network element sends one or more first information to the base station to indicate that the second slice indicated by the second slice information in the first information is used to replace the first slice.

[0097] In this embodiment, the first information includes second slice information for indicating a second slice, where the second slice is used to replace the first slice currently serving the UE. In other optional embodiments, the first information may include a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, so as to indicate, through the mapping relationship, that the second slice is used to replace the first slice currently serving the UE. Alternatively, the first information may also include the second slice information and / or the mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

[0098] In some optional embodiments, the core network network element sends one or more first information to the base station, including: when the first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice, the core network network element sends a first message to the base station, and the first message includes the one or more first information; or, the core network network element sends multiple first messages to the base station respectively, and each first message includes one first information.

[0099] In this embodiment, the core network element may carry the one or more first information (i.e., one or more second slice information) through one message, or may carry one first information (i.e., one second slice information) through multiple messages.

[0100] In some optional embodiments, the first information element (IE) in the first message used to carry single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI, Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information) is used to carry a second slice information; or, the second information element (IE) in the first message is used to carry a second slice information, and the second information element (IE) is different from the first information element (IE).

[0101] In this embodiment, as an implementation method, one or more second slice information may be carried through a first IE in the S-NSSAI, and the first IE may be an existing IE in the S-NSSAI. As another implementation method, without changing the existing IE in the S-NSSAI, a new IE (for example, a second IE) is defined, and the one or more second slice information is carried through one or more new IEs (such as the second IE). Optionally, the first IE or the second IE further includes description information, and the description information describes that the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0102] In this embodiment, the second slice indicated by the second slice information can be specifically reflected by a slice identifier (such as the identifier of the second slice).

[0103] In some optional embodiments, the first message is one of the following:

[0104] PDU session resource modification request message;

[0105] PDU session resource establishment request message;

[0106] Path switch request reply message.

[0107] In this embodiment, when the core network element determines that the first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice, or the first slice is unavailable in the core network, as an implementation method, if the core network element decides not to reestablish the PDU session, the core network element may send a PDU session resource modification request message (also referred to as a PDU session modification request message), which carries the one or more second slice information. As another implementation method, if the core network element decides to reestablish the PDU session, it may send a PDU session resource establishment request message (also referred to as a PDU session establishment request message), which carries the one or more second slice information. As another implementation method, in the scenario where the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to base station switching, that is, the target base station sends a path switch request message to the core network element, the core network element may send a path switch request acknowledge message, which carries the one or more second slice information. In other optional embodiments, the core network element may also carry the one or more first information (or one or more second slice information) through other messages or newly defined messages.

[0108] In some optional embodiments, when the embodiments of the present disclosure are not applied to a base station handover scenario, the base station is the base station associated with the UE, or referred to as a serving base station. In other optional embodiments, when the embodiments of the present disclosure are applied to a base station handover scenario, the base station is the source base station or the target base station associated with the UE.

[0109] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information also includes a reason for replacing the first slice and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

[0110] In some optional embodiments, the first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0111] The first slice is congested in the core network;

[0112] The core network does not support the first slice;

[0113] The first slice is unavailable in the core network;

[0114] The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current service level agreement (SLA).

[0115] In this embodiment, the core network element can determine the priority of the slice based on the resource utilization of the slice or the security configuration of the slice for the service quality (QoS) requirements, specifically determining the priority corresponding to the second slice.

[0116] In some optional embodiments, before the core network element sends one or more first information to the base station, the method also includes: the core network element configures the priority corresponding to the second slice based on the resource utilization of the slice; or, the core network element configures the priority corresponding to the second slice based on the slice's guarantee of business service quality requirements.

[0117] In this embodiment, the priority of a slice (such as the second slice) is related to the resource utilization of the slice or the guarantee of the slice for the service quality requirements of the business. Among them, as an implementation method, if the slice does not occupy a lot of resources in the core network or base station (such as the second slice), that is, the resource utilization rate of the slice (or the resource utilization rate of the slice) is not high, then the slice can be configured with a higher priority, that is, the lower the resource utilization rate of the slice in the core network or base station (or the resource utilization rate of the slice), the higher the priority corresponding to the slice, and conversely, the higher the resource utilization rate of the slice in the core network or base station (or the resource utilization rate of the slice), the lower the priority corresponding to the slice. As another implementation method, if the slice (such as the second slice) can ensure that the QoS requirements of the replaced business are not degraded, then the slice can be configured with a higher priority; if the slice (such as the second slice) does not ensure that the QoS requirements of the replaced business are not degraded, but causes the QoS requirements of the business to be degraded, then the slice can be configured with a lower priority. Among them, the priority corresponding to the above-mentioned second slice is used by the base station to select a replacement slice for the terminal.

[0118] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, when the core network network element sends multiple first information to the base station, that is, when the core network network element indicates multiple second slice information to the base station, the method also includes: the core network network element receives reply information sent by the base station, and the reply information includes relevant information of the second slice or alternative slice selected by the base station from the multiple second slice information, that is, the base station informs the core network network element of the relevant information of the selected alternative slice through the reply information.

[0119] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 2 , the method further includes:

[0120] Step 102: If the congestion of the core network of the first slice is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, the core network network element sends second information to the base station; the second information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

[0121] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, a core network element (which may be recorded as a first core network element) or a network management device may be used to detect whether a slice is congested or relieved in the core network, or to detect whether the core network supports the slice serving the UE. The first core network element may be the same as or different from the core network element that implements the technical solutions of each embodiment of the present disclosure. When the first core network element or the network management device detects that a slice (such as the first slice) is congested or relieved in the core network, or detects whether the core network supports the slice (such as the first slice), the detection result is sent to the core network element, and the core network element executes each embodiment of the present disclosure. Exemplarily, the first core network element may be a network slice selection function (NSSF) and other functions, which are not elaborated in this disclosure.

[0122] In this embodiment, the slice currently serving the UE is the second slice (the second slice may be a slice selected by the base station from one or more second slices). When the core network element learns that the first slice is in a state of relieved congestion in the core network or the core network re-supports the first slice serving the UE, second information may be sent to the base station, where the second information includes first slice information indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, and the second information is used to instruct the base station to switch back to the first slice, or to instruct the first slice to replace the second slice currently serving the UE.

[0123] In this embodiment, the first slice indicated by the first slice information may be specifically reflected by a slice identifier (such as the identifier of the first slice). The mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice may be specifically reflected by a mapping relationship corresponding to the slice identifier.

[0124] In some optional embodiments, the second information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0125] The first slice is used to alleviate congestion in the core network;

[0126] The core network re-supports the first slice;

[0127] The first slice is available in the core network;

[0128] The network performance of the first slice meets the current SLA again.

[0129] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, before the core network element sends one or more first information to the base station, the method also includes: the core network element receives third information sent by the base station, the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is the alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE.

[0130] In this embodiment, before the core network element informs the base station of one or more first information, and the current first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice currently serving the UE, or the first slice is unavailable in the core network, that is, before the core network element sends one or more first information to the base station, the base station may send third information to the core network element, where the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is the alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE. If the core network supports the third slice, the core network element may select one or more slices from one or more third slices as the second slice.

[0131] Among them, exemplarily, the above-mentioned base station is, for example, a target base station. Before the core network network element sends one or more first information to the target base station, and the current first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice currently serving the UE, in the switching process, the target base station may send a third information to the core network network element to inform the core network network element of the alternative slice (such as the third slice) selected by the target base station for the UE. The alternative slice may also be called an alternative slice.

[0132] In some optional embodiments, the core network element receiving the third information sent by the base station includes: the core network element receiving a second message sent by the base station, the second message including the third information. Exemplarily, the second message is a path switch request message. In other optional embodiments, the base station may also send the third information via other messages or newly defined messages.

[0133] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes: when the core network does not support the third slice, the core network element selects one or more slices from the slices supported by the UE as the second slice.

[0134] In this embodiment, if the core network does not support all slices selected by the base station, one or more slices may be selected from the slices supported by the UE as the second slices. Exemplarily, the core network may select one or more slices from the allowed NSSAI as the second slices for the UE.

[0135] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG3 , the method further includes:

[0136] Step 103: After the first time expires, the core network element sends fourth information to the base station, where the fourth information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information indicating the first slice; the first time is the time when the core network element predicts that the first slice will be relieved from congestion in the core network or the first slice will be available in the core network.

[0137] In this embodiment, the core network element predicts the first time when the congestion of the core network of the first slice is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, that is, the core network element predicts that the congestion of the core network of the first slice is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again after the first time (for example, it can be a period of time from the time of sending one or more first information (the period of time is the first time)) or a certain time in the future, and stores or maintains the first time. Exemplarily, the core network element may start a timer after sending one or more first information, and the timing time of the timer is the first time. Then, after the first time expires or the timing time of the timer is reached, the core network element sends the fourth information to the base station.

[0138] The fourth information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (or to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or to request the modification of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice). The fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE; in other optional embodiments, the fourth information may also include a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, so as to indicate through the mapping relationship that the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE.

[0139] In some other optional embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG4 , the method further includes:

[0140] Step 104: The core network element sends fifth information to the base station, where the fifth information includes a first time, where the first time is a time when the core network element predicts that congestion of the first slice in the core network is relieved or the first slice is available in the core network.

[0141] Step 105: The core network element receives sixth information sent by the base station, where the sixth information is used to inquire whether to establish or re-establish the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the sixth information is sent by the base station after the first time expires;

[0142] Step 106: The core network element sends fourth information to the base station, where the fourth information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0143] In this embodiment, the core network element predicts the first time when the core network congestion of the first slice is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, that is, the core network element predicts that after the first time (for example, it can be a period of time starting from the time of sending one or more first information (the period of time is the first time)) or a certain time in the future, at which time the congestion of the first slice in the core network is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, and sends the first time to the base station through the fifth information. The base station can determine, based on the first time, that after the first time or a certain time in the future, the congestion of the first slice in the core network is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, and send the sixth information to the core network element after the first time expires. Then, after receiving the sixth information, the core network element sends the fourth information to the base station.

[0144] The fourth information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (or to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or to request the modification of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice). The fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE; in other optional embodiments, the fourth information may also include a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, so as to indicate through the mapping relationship that the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE.

[0145] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: the core network network element sends seventh information to the base station after the second time expires, the seventh information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the second time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0146] In this embodiment, the slice currently serving the UE is the second slice. The core network device predicts that the second slice will be available at a second time when the core network is congested or unavailable in the core network, that is, the core network element predicts that the second slice will be available after the second time (for example, it may be after a period of time starting from the moment when one or more first information is sent (the period of time is the second time), or it may be after a period of time starting from the moment when the core network element receives feedback from the base station that a second slice is selected to replace the first slice (the period of time is the second time)), or the core network element predicts that at a certain moment in the future, the second slice will be congested or unavailable in the core network, and stores or maintains the second time. Exemplarily, the core network element may start a timer according to the second time after sending one or more first information, or after receiving feedback from the base station that a second slice is selected to replace the first slice, and the timing time of the timer is the second time. Then, after the second time expires, or when the timing time of the timer is up, the core network element sends the seventh information to the base station.

[0147] The seventh information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (or to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or to request the modification of the PDU session resources corresponding to the current slice). The current slice refers to the second slice.

[0148] As an optional implementation, this embodiment may be applicable to a scenario where the base station has selected a second slice from one or more second slices to replace the first slice, that is, the slice currently serving the UE is the second slice. The second time represents the time when the second slice currently serving the UE is congested or unavailable in the core network. In other optional embodiments, the second slice corresponding to the second time may also be any slice or a specific slice among the second slices corresponding to the one or more second slice information.

[0149] In some other optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method also includes: the core network network element sends eighth information to the base station, the eighth information includes a second time, and the second time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0150] In some optional embodiments, the method also includes: the core network network element receives the ninth information sent by the base station, and the ninth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the ninth information is sent by the base station after the second time expires; the core network network element sends the seventh information to the base station, and the seventh information is used to request to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes the first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0151] In this embodiment, the slice currently serving the UE is the second slice. The core network device predicts that the second slice will be available at the second time when the core network is congested or unavailable in the core network, that is, the core network element predicts that the second slice will be available after the second time (for example, it may be after a period of time starting from the moment when one or more first information is sent (the period of time is the second time), or it may be after a period of time starting from the moment when the core network element receives feedback from the base station that a second slice is selected to replace the first slice (the period of time is the second time)), or the core network element predicts that at a certain moment in the future, the second slice will be congested or unavailable in the core network at that moment, and sends the second time to the base station through the eighth information. The base station can determine that the second slice will be congested or unavailable in the core network after the second time or at a certain moment in the future based on the second time, and send the ninth information to the core network element after the second time expires. Then, after receiving the ninth information, the core network element sends the seventh information to the base station.

[0152] The seventh information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (or to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or to request the modification of the PDU session resources corresponding to the current slice). The current slice refers to the second slice.

[0153] As an optional implementation, this embodiment may be applicable to a scenario where the base station has selected a second slice from one or more second slices to replace the first slice, that is, the slice currently serving the UE is the second slice. The second time represents the time when the second slice currently serving the UE is congested or unavailable in the core network. In other optional embodiments, the second slice corresponding to the second time may also be any slice or a specific slice among the second slices corresponding to the one or more second slice information.

[0154] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, before the core network element sends one or more first information to the base station, the method also includes: the core network element preferentially selects one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE is not reduced.

[0155] In this embodiment, when the first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice, the core network element may preferentially select one or more second slices that can ensure that the UE's slice QoS level is not reduced.

[0156] In some optional embodiments, before the core network element preferentially selects one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE is not reduced, the method also includes: the core network element sends a tenth message to the UE, and the tenth message is used to inquire (UE) whether to accept or not accept the reduction in the slice service quality level; the core network element receives an eleventh message sent by the UE, and the eleventh message is used to instruct or inform (UE) whether to accept or not accept the reduction in the slice service quality level.

[0157] In this embodiment, before the core network element preferentially selects one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE is not reduced, the core network element may inquire the UE whether it accepts the reduction of the slice QoS level through interaction with the UE; the UE may reply to the inquiry of the core network element through an eleventh message, and the eleventh message is used to indicate or inform (UE) whether to accept or not accept the reduction of the slice service quality level. If the eleventh message indicates that the reduction of the slice service quality level is not accepted, the core network element needs to select one or more second slices that ensure that the slice QoS level is not reduced.

[0158] Based on the above embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for transmitting slice information. FIG5 is a flowchart of the method for transmitting slice information according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the method includes:

[0159] Step 201: The base station receives one or more first information sent by a core network element, where the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0160] In this embodiment, the first slice is a slice currently serving the UE before or when the base station receives one or more first messages sent by the core network element, and the second slice is a replacement slice indicated by the core network element to replace the first slice. In some optional embodiments, when the first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice, the base station receives one or more first messages sent by the core network element to instruct the base station to replace the first slice with a second slice indicated by the second slice information in the first message.

[0161] In this embodiment, the first information includes second slice information for indicating a second slice, and the second slice is used to replace the first slice currently serving the UE; in other optional embodiments, the first information may include a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, so as to indicate through the mapping relationship that the second slice is used to replace the first slice currently serving the UE.

[0162] In some optional embodiments, the base station receives one or more first information sent by the core network, including: when the first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice, the base station receives a first message sent by the core network network element, and the first message includes the one or more first information; or, the base station receives multiple first messages sent by the core network network element, and each first message includes one first information.

[0163] In this embodiment, the core network element may carry the one or more first information (i.e., one or more second slice information) through one message, or may carry one first information (i.e., one second slice information) through multiple messages.

[0164] In some optional embodiments, the first information element (IE) in the first message used to carry S-NSSAI is used to carry a second slice information; or, the second information element (IE) in the first message is used to carry a second slice information, and the second information element (IE) is different from the first information element (IE).

[0165] In this embodiment, as an implementation method, one or more second slice information may be carried through a first IE in the S-NSSAI, and the first IE may be an existing IE in the S-NSSAI. As another implementation method, without changing the existing IE in the S-NSSAI, a new IE (for example, a second IE) is defined, and the one or more second slice information is carried through one or more new IEs (such as the second IE). Optionally, the first IE or the second IE further includes description information, and the description information describes that the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0166] In this embodiment, the second slice indicated by the second slice information can be specifically reflected by a slice identifier (such as the identifier of the second slice).

[0167] In some optional embodiments, the first message is one of the following:

[0168] PDU session resource modification request message;

[0169] PDU session resource establishment request message;

[0170] Path switch request reply message.

[0171] In this embodiment, when the core network element determines that the first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice, as an implementation method, if the core network element decides not to reestablish the PDU session, the core network element may send a PDU session resource modification request message (also referred to as a PDU session modification request message) to the base station, that is, the base station receives the PDU session resource modification request message (also referred to as a PDU session modification request message) sent by the core network element, and the message carries the one or more second slice information. As another implementation method, if the core network element decides to reestablish the PDU session, it may send a PDU session resource establishment request message (also referred to as a PDU session establishment request message), that is, the base station receives the PDU session resource establishment request message (also referred to as a PDU session establishment request message) sent by the core network element, and the message carries the one or more second slice information. As another implementation method, in a scenario where the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to base station switching, that is, the target base station sends a path switch request message to the core network element, then the core network element may send a path switch request acknowledge message, that is, the base station receives the path switch request acknowledge message sent by the core network, and the message carries the one or more second slice information. In other optional embodiments, the one or more first information (or one or more second slice information) may also be carried through other messages or newly defined messages.

[0172] In some optional embodiments, when the embodiments of the present disclosure are not applied to a base station handover scenario, the base station is the base station associated with the UE, or referred to as a serving base station. In other optional embodiments, when the embodiments of the present disclosure are applied to a base station handover scenario, the base station is the source base station or the target base station associated with the UE.

[0173] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information also includes a reason for replacing the first slice and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

[0174] In some optional embodiments, the first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0175] The first slice is congested in the core network;

[0176] The core network does not support the first slice;

[0177] The first slice is unavailable in the core network;

[0178] The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current SLA.

[0179] Among them, the priority corresponding to the second slice is determined by the core network element based on the resource utilization of the slice or the guarantee configuration of the slice for the service QoS requirements.

[0180] In this embodiment, after receiving the one or more first information, the base station may select one or more second slices to replace the first slice currently serving the UE, establish a PDU session corresponding to the selected second slice, or modify the PDU session currently serving the UE so that the PDU session currently serving the UE is associated with the selected second slice. In other words, the selected second slice is switched to the slice currently serving the UE.

[0181] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method also includes: when the congestion of the first slice in the core network is relieved or the core network re-supports the first slice, the base station receives second information sent by the core network network element; the second information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

[0182] In this embodiment, the slice currently serving the UE is the second slice (the second slice may be a slice selected by the base station from one or more second slices). When the core network element learns that the first slice is relieved of congestion in the core network or the core network re-supports the first slice serving the UE, it may send second information to the base station, wherein the second information includes first slice information indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, and the second information is used to instruct the base station to switch back to the first slice, or to indicate that the first slice replaces the second slice currently serving the UE. After receiving the second information, the base station may establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice, or modify the PDU session currently serving the UE so that the PDU session currently serving the UE is associated with the first slice. That is, the first slice is switched back to the slice currently serving the UE.

[0183] In this embodiment, the first slice indicated by the first slice information may be specifically reflected by a slice identifier (such as the identifier of the first slice). The mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice may be specifically reflected by a mapping relationship corresponding to the slice identifier.

[0184] In some optional embodiments, the second information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0185] The first slice is used to alleviate congestion in the core network;

[0186] The core network re-supports the first slice;

[0187] The first slice is available in the core network;

[0188] The network performance of the first slice meets the current SLA again.

[0189] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, before the base station receives one or more first information sent by the core network network element, the method also includes: the base station sends third information to the core network network element, the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is the alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE.

[0190] In this embodiment, before the core network element sends one or more first information to the base station, and the current first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice currently serving the UE, that is, before the base station receives the one or more first information sent by the core network element, the base station may send third information to the core network element, where the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is the alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE. If the core network supports the third slice, the core network element may select one or more slices from the one or more third slices as the second slice.

[0191] Exemplarily, if the above-mentioned base station is a target base station, then before the core network element sends one or more first information to the target base station, and the current first slice is congested in the core network or the core network does not support the first slice currently serving the UE, in the switching process, the target base station may send a third information to the core network element to inform the core network element of the alternative slice (such as the third slice) selected by the target base station for the UE. The alternative slice may also be called an alternative slice.

[0192] In some optional embodiments, the base station sending the third information to the core network element includes: the base station sending a second message to the core network element, where the second message includes the third information. Exemplarily, the second message is a path switch request message. In other optional embodiments, the base station may also send the third information via other messages or newly defined messages.

[0193] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: the base station receiving fourth information sent by the core network element, the fourth information being used to request establishment or re-establishment of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, the fourth information including first slice information indicating the first slice; the fourth information being sent by the core network element after a first time expires, the first time being a time when the core network element predicts that congestion of the first slice will be relieved or the first slice will be available in the core network. The fourth information is sent by the core network element after the predicted first time expires.

[0194] In this embodiment, the core network element predicts the first time when the congestion of the core network of the first slice is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, that is, the core network element predicts that after the first time (for example, it can be a period of time from the time of sending one or more first information (the period of time is the first time)) or a certain time in the future, at this time, the congestion of the core network of the first slice is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, and stores or maintains the first time information. Exemplarily, the core network element can start a timer after sending one or more first information, and the timing of the timer is the first time. After the first time expires, or the timing of the timer expires, the core network element sends the fourth information to the base station. After receiving the fourth information, the base station establishes or reconstructs the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modifies the PDU session corresponding to the current slice.

[0195] The fourth information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (or to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or to request the modification of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice). The fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE; in other optional embodiments, the fourth information may also include a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, so as to indicate through the mapping relationship that the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE.

[0196] In some other optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method also includes: the base station receives fifth information sent by the core network network element, the fifth information includes a first time, and the first time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the first slice is in a state of relieved congestion in the core network or the first slice is available in the core network.

[0197] In some optional embodiments, the method also includes: after the first time expires, the base station sends sixth information to the core network network element, and the sixth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the base station receives fourth information sent by the core network network element, and the fourth information is used to request to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0198] In this embodiment, the core network element predicts the first time when the core network congestion of the first slice is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, that is, the core network element predicts that after the first time (for example, it can be a period of time from the time of sending one or more first information (the period of time is the first time)) or a certain time in the future, at which time the first slice congestion in the core network is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, and sends the first time to the base station through the fifth information. The base station can determine, based on the first time, that after the first time or at a certain time in the future, the first slice congestion in the core network is relieved or the core network supports the first slice again, and send the sixth information to the core network element. After receiving the sixth information, the core network element sends the fourth information to the base station. After receiving the fourth information, the base station establishes or re-establishes the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modifies the PDU session corresponding to the current slice.

[0199] Among them, after receiving the fifth information, the base station can start the timer, and the timing time of the timer is the first time; then after the first time expires, or the timing time of the timer is reached, the base station sends the sixth information to the core network network element.

[0200] The fourth information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (or to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or to request the modification of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice). The fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE; in other optional embodiments, the fourth information may also include a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice, so as to indicate through the mapping relationship that the first slice is used to replace the second slice currently serving the UE.

[0201] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method also includes: the base station receives the seventh information sent by the core network network element, the seventh information is used to request to establish or rebuild the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the seventh information is sent by the core network network element after the expiration of a second time, and the second time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0202] In this embodiment, the slice currently serving the UE is the second slice. The core network device predicts that the second slice will be available at a second time when the core network is congested or unavailable. That is, the core network element predicts that the second slice will be available after the second time (for example, after a period of time starting from the time when the core network element sends one or more first messages (the period of time is the second time), or after a period of time starting from the time when the core network element receives feedback from the base station that a second slice is selected to replace the first slice (the period of time is the second time)), or the core network element predicts that the second slice will be congested or unavailable in the core network at a certain time in the future, and stores or maintains the second time. Exemplarily, the core network element may start a timer according to the second time after sending one or more first messages or after receiving feedback from the base station that a second slice is selected to replace the first slice, and the timer is set to the second time. After the second time expires, or when the timer expires, the core network element sends seventh information to the base station. After receiving the seventh information, the base station establishes or re-establishes the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modifies the PDU session corresponding to the current slice.

[0203] The seventh information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or request to modify the PDU session resources corresponding to the current slice). The current slice refers to the second slice.

[0204] In some other optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the method also includes: the base station receives the eighth information sent by the core network network element, the eighth information includes a second time, and the second time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0205] In some optional embodiments, the method also includes: after the second time expires, the base station sends ninth information to the core network network element, and the ninth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the base station receives seventh information sent by the core network network element, and the seventh information is used to request to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0206] In this embodiment, the core network device predicts that the second slice will be congested in the core network or unsupported in the core network in the future at a second time, that is, the core network network element predicts that after the second time (for example, it can be after a period of time starting from the moment of sending one or more first information (this period of time is the second time), or it can be after a period of time starting from the moment the core network network element receives feedback from the base station that a second slice is selected to replace the first slice (this period of time is the second time)), or the core network network element predicts a certain moment in the future at which the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network, and sends the second time to the base station through the eighth information. The base station can determine, based on the second time, that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network after the second time or at a certain moment in the future, and send the ninth information to the core network network element. Then, after receiving the ninth information, the core network network element sends the seventh information to the base station. After receiving the seventh information, the base station establishes or reconstructs the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modifies the PDU session corresponding to the current slice.

[0207] Among them, after receiving the eighth information, the base station can start the timer, and the timing time of the timer is the second time; then after the second time expires, or the timing time of the timer is up, the base station sends the ninth information to the core network network element.

[0208] The seventh information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session corresponding to the first slice (or to request the establishment or reconstruction of the PDU session resources corresponding to the first slice) or to modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice (or to request the modification of the PDU session resources corresponding to the current slice). The current slice refers to the second slice.

[0209] Based on the above method embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a slice information transmission device, which is applied to a core network element. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the slice information transmission device according to the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the device includes: a first communication unit 31, configured to send one or more first information to a base station, wherein the first information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

[0210] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information also includes a reason for replacing the first slice and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

[0211] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0212] The first slice is congested in the core network;

[0213] The core network does not support the first slice;

[0214] The first slice is unavailable in the core network;

[0215] The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current SLA.

[0216] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the device also includes a first processing unit 32, which is used to configure the priority corresponding to the second slice based on the resource utilization of the slice before the first communication unit 31 sends one or more first information to the base station; or, configure the priority corresponding to the second slice based on the slice's guarantee of business service quality requirements.

[0217] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to send second information to the base station if the congestion of the first slice is relieved in the core network or the core network re-supports the first slice; the second information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

[0218] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0219] The first slice is used to alleviate congestion in the core network;

[0220] The core network re-supports the first slice;

[0221] The first slice is available in the core network;

[0222] The network performance of the first slice meets the current SLA again.

[0223] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to receive third information sent by the base station before sending one or more first information to the base station, where the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is the alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE.

[0224] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the device further includes a first processing unit 32, configured to select one or more slices from the slices supported by the UE as the second slice when the core network does not support the third slice.

[0225] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to send fourth information to the base station after the first time expires, and the fourth information is used to request to establish or rebuild the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the first time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the first slice is relieved from congestion in the core network or the first slice is available in the core network.

[0226] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to send fifth information to the base station, where the fifth information includes a first time, and the first time is the time when the core network element predicts that the first slice is in a state of relieved congestion in the core network or the first slice is available in the core network.

[0227] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to receive sixth information sent by the base station, and the sixth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the sixth information is sent by the base station after the first time expires; and is also used to send fourth information to the base station, and the fourth information is used to request to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0228] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to send seventh information to the base station based on the expiration of the second time, where the seventh information is used to request to establish or re-establish the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information indicating the first slice; the second time is the time when the core network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0229] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to send eighth information to the base station, where the eighth information includes a second time, and the second time is the time when the core network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0230] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to receive ninth information sent by the base station, and the ninth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the ninth information is sent by the base station after the second time expires; and is also used to send seventh information to the base station, and the seventh information is used to request to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0231] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the device also includes a first processing unit 32, which is used to preferentially select one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE is not reduced before the first communication unit 31 sends one or more first information to the base station.

[0232] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 31 is further used to send tenth information to the UE before the first processing unit 32 preferentially selects one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE is not reduced, and the tenth information is used to inquire (UE) whether to accept or not accept the reduction in slice service quality level; and receive eleventh information sent by the UE, and the eleventh information is used to instruct or inform (UE) whether to accept or not accept the reduction in slice service quality level.

[0233] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processing unit 32 in the device can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a programmable gate array (FPGA) in actual applications; the first communication unit 31 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in actual applications.

[0234] The present disclosure also provides a slice information transmission device, which is applied to a base station. Figure 7 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the slice information transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the device includes: a second communication unit 41, configured to receive one or more first information sent by a core network element, the first information including second slice information, the second slice information indicating a second slice being used to replace the first slice.

[0235] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information also includes a reason for replacing the first slice and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

[0236] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0237] The first slice is congested in the core network;

[0238] The core network does not support the first slice;

[0239] The first slice is unavailable in the core network;

[0240] The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current SLA.

[0241] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further used to receive second information sent by the core network network element when the congestion of the first slice in the core network is relieved or the core network re-supports the first slice serving the UE; the second information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or the second information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

[0242] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following:

[0243] The first slice is used to alleviate congestion in the core network;

[0244] The core network re-supports the first slice;

[0245] The first slice is available in the core network;

[0246] The network performance of the first slice meets the current SLA again.

[0247] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further used to send third information to the core network network element before receiving one or more first information sent by the core network network element, where the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is the alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE.

[0248] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further used to receive fourth information sent by the core network network element, where the fourth information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information indicating the first slice; the fourth information is sent by the core network network element after a first time expires, and the first time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the first slice will be relieved from congestion in the core network or the first slice will be available in the core network.

[0249] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further used to receive fifth information sent by the core network network element, where the fifth information includes a first time, and the first time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the first slice will be available in the core network after congestion is relieved.

[0250] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further used to send sixth information to the core network network element after the first time expires, and the sixth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; and is also used to receive fourth information sent by the core network network element; the fourth information is used to request to establish or reconstruct the PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

[0251] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further used to receive seventh information sent by the core network network element, where the seventh information is used to request establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information indicating the first slice; the seventh information is sent by the core network network element after a second time expires, and the second time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0252] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further used to receive eighth information sent by the core network network element, where the eighth information includes a second time, and the second time is the time when the core network network element predicts that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

[0253] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 is further configured to send ninth information to the core network element after the second time expires, the ninth information being used to inquire whether to establish or reestablish a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or to modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice; and further configured to receive seventh information sent by the core network element; the seventh information being used to request establishment or reestablishment of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, the seventh information including first slice information indicating the first slice;

[0254] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 41 in the device can be implemented in actual applications through a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna.

[0255] It should be noted that the slice information transmission device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the aforementioned program modules as an example to illustrate slice information transmission. In actual applications, the aforementioned processing can be assigned to different program modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different program modules to complete all or part of the aforementioned processing. In addition, the slice information transmission device provided in the above embodiment and the slice information transmission method embodiment are based on the same concept. The specific implementation process is detailed in the method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0256] The present disclosure also provides a communication device, which may be a core network element or a base station. FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the communication device according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the communication device includes a memory 52, a processor 51, and a computer program stored in the memory 52 and executable on the processor 51. When the processor 51 executes the program, the steps of the slice information transmission method applied to the core network element or base station are implemented.

[0257] Optionally, the communication device also includes at least one network interface 53. The various components in the communication device are coupled together via a bus system 54. It will be appreciated that bus system 54 is used to enable connectivity and communication between these components. In addition to a data bus, bus system 54 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, in FIG8 , all of these buses are labeled as bus system 54.

[0258] It is understood that the memory 52 can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can 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), a magnetic random access memory (FRAM), a flash memory, a magnetic surface memory, an optical disk, or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); the magnetic surface memory can be a magnetic disk or a magnetic tape. The volatile memory can 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 random access memory (SRAM), synchronous static random access memory (SSRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus random access memory (DRRAM).The memory 52 described in the embodiments of the present disclosure is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0259] The methods disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to or implemented by the processor 51. The processor 51 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above-mentioned method can be completed by the hardware integrated logic circuit in the processor 51 or by instructions in the form of software. The above-mentioned processor 51 can be a general-purpose processor, a DSP, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The processor 51 can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium, which is located in the memory 52. ​​The processor 51 reads the information in the memory 52 and completes the steps of the above-mentioned method in combination with its hardware.

[0260] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), FPGAs, general-purpose processors, controllers, MCUs, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the aforementioned method.

[0261] In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory 52 including a computer program. The computer program can be executed by the processor 51 of the communication device to perform the steps of the aforementioned method. The computer-readable storage medium can be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface mount storage, optical disk, or CD-ROM; or various devices including any one or any combination of the aforementioned memories.

[0262] The computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure stores a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the slice information transmission method applied to a core network element or a base station by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0263] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0264] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided in this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0265] The features disclosed in several method or device embodiments provided in this disclosure may be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments or device embodiments.

[0266] In the several embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple units or components can be combined, or can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the devices or units can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0267] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units; some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0268] In addition, all functional units in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may be separately used as a unit, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit; the above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0269] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware related to program instructions, and the aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiment; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, disks or optical disks, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0270] Alternatively, if the above-mentioned integrated unit of the present disclosure is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in each embodiment of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks or optical disks.

[0271] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure 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 disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A slice information transmission method, which is executed by a core network element, includes: Sending one or more first pieces of information to a base station, where the first piece of information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace a first slice.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first piece of information further includes a first slice replacement reason and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following: The first slice is congested in the core network; The core network does not support the first slice; The first slice is unavailable in the core network; The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current service level agreement (SLA).

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Before sending the one or more first pieces of information to the base station, the method further includes: Configuring the priority corresponding to the second slice based on the resource utilization situation of the slice; or, Configuring the priority corresponding to the second slice based on the guarantee situation of the slice for the service quality of service requirements.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method further includes: If the congestion of the first slice in the core network is alleviated or the core network supports the first slice again, sending a second piece of information to the base station; the second piece of information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or, the second piece of information includes the mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The second piece of information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following: The congestion of the first slice in the core network is alleviated; The core network supports the first slice again; The first slice is available in the core network; The network performance of the first slice meets the current SLA again.

7. According to the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, Before sending the one or more first pieces of information to the base station, the method further includes: Receiving a third piece of information sent by the base station, where the third piece of information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is an alternative slice selected by the base station for a user equipment (UE).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The method further includes: In the case where the core network does not support the third slice, selecting one or more slices from the slices supported by the UE as the second slice.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method further includes: After a first time expires, sending a fourth piece of information to the base station, where the fourth piece of information is used to request to establish or re - establish a protocol data unit (PDU) session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth piece of information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the first time is the time predicted by the core network element when the congestion of the first slice in the core network is alleviated or the first slice is available in the core network.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method further includes: Sending a fifth piece of information to the base station, where the fifth piece of information includes the first time, and the first time is the time predicted by the core network element when the congestion of the first slice in the core network is alleviated or the first slice is available in the core network.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The method further includes: Receiving a sixth piece of information sent by the base station, where the sixth piece of information is used to inquire whether to establish or re - establish a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify the PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the sixth piece of information is sent by the base station after the first time expires; Send a fourth piece of information to the base station, where the fourth piece of information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth piece of information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

12. According to the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method further includes: After a second time expires, send a seventh piece of information to the base station, where the seventh piece of information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh piece of information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the second time is the time predicted by the core network element that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method further includes: Send an eighth piece of information to the base station, where the eighth piece of information includes a second time, and the second time is the time predicted by the core network element that the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The method includes: Receive a ninth piece of information sent by the base station, where the ninth piece of information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice; the ninth piece of information is sent by the base station after the second time expires; Send a seventh piece of information to the base station, where the seventh piece of information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh piece of information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein Before sending one or more first pieces of information to the base station, the method further includes: Preferentially select one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE does not decrease.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, Before preferentially selecting one or more second slices whose slice service quality level of the UE does not decrease, the method further includes: Send a tenth piece of information to the UE, where the tenth piece of information is used to inquire whether to accept or not accept a decrease in slice service quality level; Receive an eleventh piece of information sent by the UE, where the eleventh piece of information is used to indicate or inform whether to accept or not accept a decrease in slice quality level.

17. A slice information transmission method, performed by a base station, includes: Receive one or more first pieces of information sent by a core network element, where the first piece of information includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace the first slice.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The first piece of information further includes a first slice replacement reason and / or a priority corresponding to the second slice.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The first slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following: The first slice is congested in the core network; The core network does not support the first slice; The first slice is unavailable in the core network; The network performance of the first slice cannot meet the current SLA.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein The method further includes: When the congestion of the first slice in the core network is alleviated or the core network supports the first slice serving the UE again, receive a second piece of information sent by the core network element; the second piece of information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice, and / or, the second piece of information includes a mapping relationship between the first slice and the second slice.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The second piece of information further includes a second slice replacement reason, and the second slice replacement reason includes at least one of the following: The first slice is congestion alleviated in the core network; The core network resumes supporting the first slice; The first slice is available in the core network; The network performance of the first slice resumes meeting the current SLA.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein Before receiving one or more first pieces of information sent by a core network element, the method further includes: Sending third information to the core network element, where the third information includes one or more third slice information, and the third slice indicated by the third slice information is an alternative slice selected by the base station for the UE.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein, The method further includes: Receiving fourth information sent by the core network element, where the fourth information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or the modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the fourth information is sent by the core network element after a first time expires, and the first time is the time predicted by the core network element when the first slice is congestion alleviated in the core network or when the first slice is available in the core network.

24. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein The method further includes: Receiving fifth information sent by the core network element, where the fifth information includes a first time, and the first time is the time predicted by the core network element when the first slice is congestion alleviated in the core network or when the first slice is available in the core network.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The method further includes: After the first time expires, sending sixth information to the core network element, where the sixth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice; Receiving fourth information sent by the core network element, where the fourth information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or the modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the fourth information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

26. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein, The method further includes: Receiving seventh information sent by the core network element, where the seventh information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or the modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice; the seventh information is sent by the core network element after a second time expires, and the second time is the time predicted by the core network element when the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

27. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein, The method further includes: Receiving eighth information sent by the core network element, where the eighth information includes a second time, and the second time is the time predicted by the core network element when the second slice is congested in the core network or unavailable in the core network.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein, The method further includes: After the second time expires, sending ninth information to the core network element, where the ninth information is used to inquire whether to establish or reconstruct a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or modify a PDU session corresponding to the current slice; Receiving the seventh information sent by the core network element, where the seventh information is used to request the establishment or reconstruction of a PDU session corresponding to the first slice or the modification of a PDU session corresponding to the current slice, and the seventh information includes first slice information for indicating the first slice.

29. A slicing information transmission device, wherein, The device is applied to a core network element and includes: a first communication unit configured to send one or more first messages to a base station, where the first message includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace a first slice.

30. A slicing information transmission device, wherein, The device is applied to a base station and includes: a second communication unit configured to receive one or more first messages sent by a core network element, where the first message includes second slice information, and the second slice indicated by the second slice information is used to replace a first slice.

31. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein, When the program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16; or, When the program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 17 to 28.

32. A communication device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, wherein, When the processor executes the program, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16; or, When the processor executes the program, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 17 to 28.

33. A computer program, including a computer program, wherein, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16; or, when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 17 to 28.

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