Wireless communication method, terminal device, and core network device

Abstract

Provided are a wireless communication method, a terminal device, and a core network device. The method comprises: a first terminal device receives a first message sent by a first network element of a core network, the first message comprising first policy information, and the first policy information being used for determining one or more of the following pieces of information: access network information of the first terminal device; and access network information of a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device. In embodiments of the present application, the first terminal device and the second terminal device can select an access network on the basis of the first policy information and perform registration.

Description

Wireless communication method, terminal device and core network device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method, terminal equipment, and core network equipment. Background Art

[0002] In some scenarios, devices need to access multiple 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) networks simultaneously to ensure service continuity. To support multi-access technology, a dual registration mechanism was introduced. However, this dual registration mechanism only works in specific scenarios and cannot support more general scenarios, such as devices accessing two networks simultaneously.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a wireless communication method, terminal equipment, and core network equipment. The following introduces various aspects involved in the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, including: a first terminal device receives a first message sent by a first network element of a core network, the first message includes first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0006] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, including: a first network element of a core network sends a first message to a first terminal device, the first message includes first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, including: a second network element of a core network receives a third message sent by a first network element of the core network, the third message is used to request first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of a first terminal device; access network information of a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a terminal device is provided, wherein the terminal device includes a first terminal device, and the terminal device includes: a receiving unit, used to receive a first message sent by a first network element of a core network, the first message containing first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0009] In the fifth aspect, a core network device is provided, which is the first network element of the core network, and the core network device includes: a first sending unit, used to send a first message to a first terminal device, the first message includes first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0010] In the sixth aspect, a core network device is provided, which is the second network element of the core network, and the core network device includes: a first receiving unit, used to receive a third message sent by the first network element of the core network, the third message is used to request first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0011] In the seventh aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the terminal device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the first aspect.

[0012] In the eighth aspect, a core network device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the network device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the above-mentioned terminal device and / or core network device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the terminal device or core network device in the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0014] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a communication device (for example, a terminal device or a core network device) to execute some or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a core network device) to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in each of the above aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0016] In the twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, which includes a memory and a processor. The processor can call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the above aspects.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present application, a first terminal device may receive a first message sent by a first network element of a core network, so as to determine access network information corresponding to the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device based on first policy information in the first message. Thus, when a device associated with the first terminal device supports multiple access technologies, the device may determine access networks corresponding to multiple associated terminal devices based on the first policy information, thereby helping to improve the gain of multiple access. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system architecture of a wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present application may be applied.

[0019] FIG2 is a system architecture diagram of a fifth generation (5G) communication system.

[0020] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the dual registration process.

[0021] FIG4 is a flow chart of a wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG5 is a flowchart of a possible implementation of the method shown in FIG4 .

[0023] FIG6 is a flowchart of another possible implementation of the method shown in FIG4 .

[0024] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a core network device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of another core network device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Wireless communication system

[0030] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the system architecture of a wireless communication system 100 to which an embodiment of the present application may be applied. The wireless communication system 100 may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120. The network device 110 may provide network coverage for a specific geographical area and may communicate with the terminal device 120 located within the coverage area. The terminal device 120 may access a network (e.g., a wireless network) through the network device 110. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may also include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0031] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system, satellite communication system, etc.

[0032] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the terminal device can be used to act as a base station. For example, the terminal device can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between terminal devices in vehicle to everything (V2X) or device to device (D2D). For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and smart home devices communicate without relaying the communication signal through a base station.

[0033] The network device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device. The network device may be, for example, an access network device or a wireless access network device. For example, the network device may be a base station. The base station may broadly cover the following various names, or be replaced with the following names: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmission point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The base station may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node or the like, or a combination thereof.

[0034] Terminal devices can communicate with each other via sidelinks. Sidelink communication can also be called proximity services (ProSe) communication, unilateral communication, sidelink communication, or D2D communication.

[0035] 5G network system architecture

[0036] Figure 2 is a system architecture diagram of a 5G network applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the 5G system or NR network architecture released by the 3GPP standard group includes: a terminal device (also known as a UE) 201, an access network device 202 supporting 3GPP technology (including a radio access network (RAN) or access network (AN)), an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element 203, a session management function (SMF) network element 204, a user plane function (UPF) network element 205, a policy control function (PCF) network element 206, an application function (AF) network element 209, a data network (DN) 208, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 211, an authentication server function (AUSF) 210, and a unified data management function (UDM) 207.

[0037] It should be noted that the network architecture shown in Figure 2 does not constitute a limitation on the 5G network architecture. In specific implementations, the 5G network architecture may include more or fewer network elements than shown, or may combine certain network elements. In addition, in Figure 2, the AN or RAN is represented in the form of (R)AN.

[0038] The terminal device 201 can be any terminal device in FIG1 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0039] The access network device 202 is an access device that the terminal device uses to access the network architecture wirelessly. It is mainly responsible for radio resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, etc. on the air interface side. For example: NodeB, eNodeB, base station in 5G mobile communication system or NR communication system, base station in future mobile communication system, etc.

[0040] UPF network element 205, AMF network element 203, SMF network element 204, and PCF network element 206 are network elements of the 3GPP core network (referred to as core network elements). UPF network element 205 can be called a user plane function network element, which is mainly responsible for the transmission of user data. Other network elements can be called control plane function network elements, which are mainly responsible for authentication, authorization, registration management, session management, mobility management, and policy control to ensure reliable and stable transmission of user data.

[0041] The UPF network element 205 (or simply "UPF") can be used to forward and receive data from the terminal. For example, the UPF network element can receive service data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal through the access network device. The UPF network element can also receive user data from the terminal through the access network device and forward it to the data network. The transmission resources allocated and scheduled by the UPF network element for the terminal are managed and controlled by the SMF network element. The bearer between the terminal and the UPF network element may include: a user plane connection between the UPF network element and the access network device, and a channel established between the access network device and the terminal. The user plane connection is a quality of service (QoS) flow that can be established between the UPF network element and the access network device to transmit data.

[0042] The AMF network element 203 (or "AMF" for short) can be used to manage terminal access to the core network, such as terminal location update, network registration, access control, terminal mobility management, terminal attachment and detachment, etc. The AMF network element can also provide control plane storage resources for the session when providing services for the terminal session to store the session identifier, the SMF network element identifier associated with the session identifier, etc.

[0043] The SMF network element 204 (or "SMF" for short) can be used to select a user plane network element for the terminal, redirect the user plane network element for the terminal, allocate an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the terminal, establish a bearer (also called a session) between the terminal and the UPF network element, modify and release the session, and control QoS.

[0044] The PCF network element 206 (or simply "PCF") is used to provide policies, such as QoS policy and slice selection policy, to the AMF network element 203 and the SMF network element 204. The PCF is responsible for formulating policies related to mobility management, session management, and billing for terminal devices.

[0045] The AF network element 209 (or simply "AF") is used to interact with the 3GPP core network elements to support application-affected data routing, access network exposure functions, and interact with the PCF network elements for policy control.

[0046] DN 208 can provide data services to users on networks such as IP Multimedia Service (IMS) and the Internet. DN 208 can contain multiple application servers (ASs) that provide different application services, such as carrier services, Internet access, or third-party services. Application servers can implement the functions of AF network elements.

[0047] NSSF 211 is used for network slice selection and supports the following functions: selecting a set of network slice instances to serve the UE; determining the allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the contracted single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI); determining the configured NSSAI and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the contracted S-NSSAI; determining the set of AMFs that may be used to query the UE, or determining a list of candidate AMFs based on the configuration.

[0048] AUSF 210 is used to receive the request from AMF 203 to authenticate the terminal, request a key from UDM 207, and then forward the issued key to AMF 203 for authentication processing.

[0049] UDM 207 includes functions such as generation and storage of user contract data, management of authentication data, and supports interaction with external third-party servers.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, a terminal device establishes an access layer connection with the AN via the Uu interface, exchanging access layer messages and wireless data transmission. The terminal device also establishes a non-access stratum (NAS) connection with the AMF network element via the N1 interface, exchanging NAS messages. In addition to managing terminal device mobility, the AMF network element is also responsible for forwarding session management-related messages between the terminal device and the SMF network element. The UPF network element communicates with the external data network via the N6 interface and with the AN via the N3 interface.

[0051] It should be understood that each network element in Figure 2 can be a network element in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). It should be noted that the network architecture shown in the above figure is only an example of the network elements included in the entire network architecture. In the embodiments of the present application, the network elements included in the entire network architecture are not limited.

[0052] Dual Registration

[0053] To ensure service coverage and continuity, increase capacity, and other requirements, a terminal device may need to access multiple 3GPP networks simultaneously and perform traffic switching and traffic diversion between the two access networks. For example, a terminal device can access both a 4G network and a 5G network simultaneously. For example, a terminal device can access two 5G networks of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) simultaneously.

[0054] Taking the example of a terminal device accessing two networks at the same time, the basic requirement in this scenario is to allow the terminal device to register in the two access networks at the same time and maintain a dual registration state.

[0055] To implement dual registration, 5G and LTE system compatibility technologies provide support. Specifically, a single terminal device can be registered in both 5G and LTE access networks simultaneously, allowing for mobility-induced network switching. The dual registration process is schematically illustrated below with reference to Figure 3.

[0056] Figure 3 illustrates the interaction between multiple devices. In addition to some of the devices shown in Figure 2, these devices also include the evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN), the next generation RAN (NG-RAN), the evolved packet core (EPC), the packet data network gateway-control plane (PGW-C), and the home subscriber server (HSS).

[0057] Referring to Figure 3, in step S301, the UE attaches and registers to the EPC (LTE) access network. The EPC assigns the UE a 4G globally unique temporary UE identity (GUTI), or 4G-GUTI. This is a temporary UE ID assigned by the MME and can be used to identify the MME and UE.

[0058] In step S302, the UE sends a registration request to the NG-RAN.

[0059] In step S303, the NG-RAN performs AMF selection.

[0060] In step S304, the NG-RAN sends a registration request to the new AMF.

[0061] In step S305, a registration procedure is performed.

[0062] Through steps S302 to S305, the UE accesses the 5G network and sends a registration request to the 5G core network. The UE uses the 5G-GUTI converted from the 4G-GUTI as its temporary identifier and reports it to the 5G core network.

[0063] In step S306, the AMF registers the UE information with the UDM+HSS and notifies the network element not to cancel the UE's LTE registration. The UE's LTE registration is implemented through the MME.

[0064] Through steps S307 to S309, the UE completes the registration process on the 5G access network. In step S380, the UE receives the registration accept message sent by the new AMF; in step S390, the UE sends a registration complete message to the AMF.

[0065] In step S310, the UE requests a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment procedure (UE requested PDU session establishment procedure) to establish a PDU session (5G access network).

[0066] In step S311, the PGW-C+SMF network element initiates release of transferred packet data network (PDN) connection to release the PDN connection (LTE access network).

[0067] As can be seen above, the process shown in Figure 3 applies to dual registration mode for a single UE, and the core network requires the UE to report associated access network information during registration to interact with other network elements. For example, the GUTI information reported by the UE can include relevant information about the MME. The network element that receives the registration information can simultaneously obtain information about both access networks when interacting with the unified management network element (UDM+HSS). This technology relies on the same UE, and the GUTI information can be associated between the two access networks, which requires that the two access networks be operated by the same operator.

[0068] In some embodiments, in order to reduce the impact on the existing network, some operators recommend using two subscriber identity modules (SIM) cards to access two networks, which can also be regarded as two associated UEs accessing the two networks simultaneously.

[0069] For example, with the introduction of Multi-Universal Subscriber Identity Module (Multi-USIM) technology, a single mobile terminal can be equipped with multiple (usually two) USIM cards. The two USIM cards can independently register with the access network, establish corresponding sessions, and conduct their own independent services. It should be noted that there is no association between the two USIM cards; from the network's perspective, they appear to be two independent UEs.

[0070] The main process of the dual registration mode is described above in conjunction with Figure 3. This dual registration mode has many restrictions and is only applicable to specific scenarios, resulting in poor flexibility. For example, the dual registration mode related to Figure 3 cannot support scenarios where two UEs are simultaneously accessing two networks.

[0071] It should be understood that the dual UE in the embodiments of the present application refers to two UEs corresponding to the same device, and may also be referred to as two UEs of a dual steer device. For example, when the same device has two USIM cards, the device may also be referred to as a dual USIM card UE. Similarly, the USIM card may also be replaced by a SIM card or a dual subscription permanent identifier (SUPI).

[0072] In the aforementioned dual registration mode, when two UEs access two networks, two UE identities (IDs) are generated. However, the two UE IDs are not directly associated, and information such as the GUTI, which contains network element (AMF / MME) information, cannot be shared between the two networks. Therefore, a new association mechanism is needed to associate the two USIM cards of the dual UE.

[0073] Furthermore, in most scenarios, in order to obtain the benefits of dual access, it is generally necessary for the access networks of the two USIM cards to be different. Optionally, the two USIM cards can access the same PLMN but with different access technologies. For example, one of the two USIM cards uses a 4G network and the other uses a 5G network. For another example, one of the two USIM cards uses a ground station for access and the other uses a satellite for access. Optionally, the access methods of the two USIM cards are the same (for example, both use 5G network access), but they are accessed through different PLMNs. For example, both USIM cards access a 5G base station, but one uses a mobile network and the other uses a Unicom network.

[0074] However, how to configure the terminal device and network so that two associated USIM cards on the same device select different access networks to meet business needs is also a problem that needs to be solved.

[0075] It should be noted that the above-mentioned question of how to associate and configure the two cards in the dual UE is only an example. The embodiment of the present application can be applied to the scenario of how to associate and configure the same device with any multiple USIM cards or similar identifiers.

[0076] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a wireless communication method. In this method, the first terminal device can determine the access network information of the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device based on the first policy information sent by the first network element of the core network, which helps the first terminal device and the second terminal device to determine the corresponding access networks respectively for network selection and registration. The following describes the wireless communication method of the embodiment of the present application in conjunction with Figure 4. Figure 4 is introduced from the perspective of the interaction between the first terminal device and the first network element of the core network.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 4 , in step S410 , the first terminal device receives a first message sent by a first network element of the core network.

[0078] The first terminal device may be one of the multiple terminal devices associated with the terminal device. The terminal device may be the dual UE device mentioned above, or a multi-card device with two or more USIM cards or similar identifiers.

[0079] In some implementations, the first terminal device may be one of multiple mutually associated terminal devices. Optionally, multiple terminal devices associated with the same device may each have different identifiers, and the first terminal device is one of the multiple terminal devices. For example, if the terminal device has multiple SIM cards, the first terminal device is a terminal device represented by one of the SIM cards.

[0080] In some scenarios, the terminal device including the first terminal device is a dual SIM card device, one of the dual SIM cards corresponds to the first terminal device, and the other card corresponds to the second terminal device. The first terminal device is associated with the second terminal device.

[0081] In some scenarios, a terminal device including a first terminal device may be provided with multiple USIM cards, and the terminal device may access multiple access networks through different USIM cards in the multiple USIM cards. For example, the terminal device may be provided with USIM1 and USIM2, and accordingly, access the first access network through USIM1 and access the second access network through USIM2.

[0082] In some implementations, the first network element of the core network is a registration management network element or a mobility management network element in the core network. As an example, the first network element may be an AMF or MME. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the first network element may also be another core network element in a future communication system with similar functions to the AMF or MME.

[0083] In some implementations, the first message is a message sent by the first network element to the first terminal device via a corresponding interface. For example, when the first network element is an AMF, the first message can be sent to the first terminal device via an N1 interface.

[0084] The first message includes first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0085] In some implementations, the first policy information is used to determine the access network information of the first terminal device. That is, the first policy information is used to indicate information about multiple access networks that the first terminal device can select. In this scenario, a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device can receive corresponding policy information directly issued by the core network, and this policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

[0086] In some implementations, the first policy information is used to determine access network information for the first and second terminal devices. In other words, the first policy information indicates information about multiple access networks that the first and second terminal devices can select. In this scenario, after receiving the first policy information, the first terminal device can synchronize and update its policy with the second terminal device.

[0087] As an example, after receiving the first policy information, the first terminal device locally synchronizes and updates the policy with the second terminal device, and synchronizes the policy related to the second terminal device to the second terminal device.

[0088] As an example, after receiving the first policy information, the first terminal device synchronizes and updates the policy locally with the second terminal device, and synchronizes all policies to the second terminal device so that the second terminal device selects a different network from the first terminal device.

[0089] In some implementations, the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device may be a terminal device corresponding to another SIM card or USIM card on the terminal device where the SIM card or USIM card corresponding to the first terminal device is located. In other words, the first terminal device and the second terminal device may be terminal devices corresponding to different SIM cards or USIM cards on the same terminal device.

[0090] It should be understood that the second terminal device can be one or more terminal devices. For example, in a dual UE device, the second terminal device is one terminal device. For another example, for a device with more than two SIM cards, the second terminal device is multiple terminal devices.

[0091] In some implementations, the first policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device. In other words, the first policy information indicates information about multiple access networks available to the second terminal device. In this scenario, the first terminal device also needs to synchronize and update policies with the second terminal device. Alternatively, the first terminal device can continue to use the access network currently used to send the first message, while the second terminal device selects and registers among the multiple available access networks.

[0092] In some implementations, a separate management function network element of a terminal device can use and manage the policies of the first and second terminal devices, without requiring specific synchronization to each terminal device. In other words, the management function network element corresponding to the terminal device can centrally manage the network selection of the first and second terminal devices. Furthermore, this function can be implemented by specific devices.

[0093] In some implementations, the access network information of the first terminal device or the second terminal device refers to information related to one or more access networks that the first terminal device or the second terminal device can select for network access. The first terminal device and the second terminal device can each correspond to one or more access networks.

[0094] As an example, the multiple access networks may be multiple access networks currently selectable by the first terminal device or the second terminal device, or may be multiple access networks currently or subsequently selectable by the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

[0095] As an example, the one or more access networks may be one or more access networks that can be searched in a certain area.

[0096] As an example, among the multiple access networks corresponding to the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively, at least some of the access networks are different, so that the first terminal device and the second terminal device can respectively select different access networks and register.

[0097] In some implementations, the access network information may include one or more of the following information: access network type (AN type), radio access technology (RAT type), and PLMN information. In the embodiments of the present application, the access network may also be referred to as an access network.

[0098] In some implementations, the access network type may include a 3GPP access network and a non-3GPP (non-3GPP) access network, which is not limited herein. 3GPP access networks may include access networks in 4G networks, access networks in 5G networks, and access networks in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). Non-3GPP access networks are, for example, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi).

[0099] As an example, in NTN, the access network can be related to geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites and ground networks. For example, a terminal device can access the 3GPP network based on the NR-GEO access method. Of course, the terminal device can also access the 3GPP network based on the NR-low earth orbit (LEO) access method or the NR-medium earth orbit (MEO) access method.

[0100] In some implementations, the type of radio access technology may include one or more of the following: satellite-based RAT, NR RAT, Wi-Fi RAT, E-UTRAN RAT. Satellite-based RAT is, for example, NR-GEO RAT.

[0101] In some implementations, the PLMN information may include a PLMN ID, such as PLMN A, PLMN B, or PLMN C.

[0102] In some implementations, the first policy information may directly specify the access networks of the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0103] In some implementations, the first policy information is used to indicate a correspondence between access network information and priority information, so that the first terminal device and the second terminal device can each select an appropriate access network based on the priority information, thereby improving multi-access gain. Therefore, the policy in the first policy information can also be referred to as a "multi-access policy" or a "dual steer policy."

[0104] In some implementations, the priority information includes a priority level corresponding to the access network or information associated with the priority. As an example, the priority level corresponding to the access network may be a priority among multiple currently selectable access networks, a priority among multiple currently or subsequently selectable access networks, or a priority among all currently selectable access networks.

[0105] As an example, the correspondence between the access network information and the priority information is one-to-one.

[0106] As an example, the correspondence between access network information and priority information is not one-to-one. For example, one priority may correspond to multiple access networks. For another example, one access network may correspond to different priorities under different conditions.

[0107] As an example, the correspondence between the access network information indicated by the first policy information and the priority information can be indicated by a table. Table 1 is a possible implementation. It should be understood that the table in the embodiment of the present application is only an example and does not constitute a limitation.

[0108] Table 1

[0109] In some implementations, the correspondence between the access network information and the priority information is a correspondence under a first condition. That is, the correspondence between the access network information and the priority information is determined based on a certain condition. When the information under the first condition changes, the correspondence between the access network information and the priority information may also change.

[0110] In some implementations, the first policy information is further used to indicate a first condition, so that the first terminal device or the second terminal device selects an access network with a higher priority based on the current conditions. For example, if the first terminal device determines based on the first policy information that the network to be accessed under the current conditions is not the network with the highest priority, the first terminal device may disconnect from the current network and then access the network with the highest priority.

[0111] In some implementations, the first condition is associated with area information (location) and / or access network information.

[0112] In some implementations, the first policy information may indicate priority information corresponding to different area information conditions. The area information may be specific area information or associated information of area information. The specific area information may be, for example, specific geographic location information, tracking area (TA) information, or cell information.

[0113] As an example, when the first condition is associated with the area information, possible implementations of the first policy information are shown in Table 2.

[0114] Table 2

[0115] In some implementations, the first policy information may indicate priority information corresponding to different access network information conditions. The access network information may include information about the current access network of the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device, and may also include information about an access network different from the current access network of the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device.

[0116] As an example, in the first policy information, the first condition in the multi-access policy corresponding to the first terminal device is related to the current access network of the first terminal device. When the first terminal device is in the current access network, a network can be selected according to the priority of other networks.

[0117] As an example, in the first policy information or the second policy information, the first condition in the multi-access policy corresponding to the second terminal device is related to the current access network of the second terminal device.

[0118] In some implementations, the first policy information may indicate priority information corresponding to the current other access network (other AN). In other words, the access network information may also include information about the current other access network to facilitate the terminal device's selection of a different access network. The current other access network may be the current access network of another terminal device associated with the terminal device selecting the network, or may be information about another access network different from the current or subsequent network of the terminal device selecting the network.

[0119] As an example, the first condition in the multi-access policy corresponding to the first terminal device is related to the current access network of the second terminal device. Correspondingly, the first condition in the multi-access policy corresponding to the second terminal device is related to the current access network of the first terminal device. Exemplarily, when the access network of the first terminal device has been selected, the second terminal device can select and register an access network based on the priority information under the selected network conditions.

[0120] As an example, when the first condition includes a condition of another current access network, the first policy information is associated with information of the other access network. In this scenario, possible implementations of the first policy information are shown in Table 3.

[0121] Table 3

[0122] In some implementations, the first policy information in the first message can be used to determine the initial policy or to update the policy, which is not limited here. Accordingly, the second policy information that the second terminal device may receive can also be used to determine the initial policy or to update the policy. In other words, the first policy information received by the first terminal device or the second terminal device can be the initial policy information or the policy information updated by the policy management network element.

[0123] In some implementations, the first network element may send the first message based on a request message from the first terminal device. The request message may be a second message. For example, the first terminal device sends the second message to the first network element before receiving the first message. That is, the first network element receives the second message from the first terminal device before sending the first message to the first terminal device. The second message is used by the first terminal device to send a request for a multi-access service to the first network element.

[0124] In some implementations, the second message includes first information, where the first information is used to request service transmission through multiple access networks.

[0125] As an example, the second message may be a registration request message. For example, the first terminal device may send a registration request to the first network element via the second message. The registration request may include the first information to request a multi-access service.

[0126] As an example, the second message may be a multi-access service request message, for subscribing to a multi-access policy from the policy management network element through the first network element. The first message may be indication information requesting a multi-access service, and thus may also be referred to as multi-access indication information or "dual steer" indication information, for requesting a multi-access service.

[0127] In the embodiment of the present application, the first information may be displayed indication information, or may be indicated in an implicit form.

[0128] In some implementations, when the first message includes information about a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device, it may indicate a request for a multi-access service. As an example, the first message may include the identifier of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device. When the first message includes the identifier of the second terminal device, the first network element may deem that the first terminal device is sending multi-access indication information. For example, the first message may include the ID information of the second terminal device to provide an implicit indication.

[0129] In some implementations, after the first terminal device sends the second message, the first network element may use the first information to perform an authorization check. As an example, the first network element may query the UDM or HSS for corresponding multi-access subscription information. As an example, the first network element may also obtain the ID information of the second terminal device from the subscription information of the UDM or HSS.

[0130] In some implementations, when the first network element sends the first policy information to the first terminal device, it can be sent through the feedback message of the second message, or through a special downlink message. For example, the first network element can send the first message to the first terminal device by feedback registration / service request response. For another example, the first network element can send the first message through a special downlink message. Exemplarily, the AMF (first network element) can obtain policy information from the PCF in the form of a subscription notification, and then the AMF can use a special message, such as a downlink non-access layer transfer (DL NAS Transfer) message to send the first message to the first terminal device.

[0131] As described above, after receiving the first policy information, the first terminal device can synchronize and update the multi-access policy with the second terminal device. In some implementations, the first terminal device can send second policy information to the second terminal device, and the second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

[0132] In some implementations, the second policy information may also be directly sent by the core network to the second terminal device.

[0133] In an embodiment of the present application, the second policy information may be exactly the same as the content in the first policy information (including policy information of the first terminal device and the second terminal device), or it may only include policy information related to the second terminal device.

[0134] As an example, the second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device. Similar to the first policy information, the second policy information can also indicate the correspondence between the access network information and the priority information and the first condition, which will not be repeated here.

[0135] In some implementations, after the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively receive corresponding policy information, they can select and register a network according to the relevant policy. For example, the first terminal device or the second terminal device may need to disconnect from the current access network.

[0136] As an example, the first terminal device may select and register to an access network according to the first policy information. Exemplarily, the first terminal device may select a network according to the first policy information and re-access (register) to the selected access network.

[0137] As an example, the second terminal device may select and register to the access network according to the second policy information. Exemplarily, the second terminal device may select a network according to the second policy information and re-access (register) to the selected access network.

[0138] As an example, the first terminal device and the second terminal device select a network and register according to the issued multi-access policy. If the current access network needs to be disconnected, the first terminal device and the second terminal device can reselect and access a new network according to the policy.

[0139] As an example, the first terminal device and the second terminal device can select based on the priority of the access network under current conditions and the access network that can be currently searched. For example, for the first terminal device, the current condition can be the access network and / or current location information of the second terminal device.

[0140] As mentioned above, the first network element can interact with the policy management network element in the core network to obtain the first policy information. In other words, the first network element can determine the first policy information through information sent by the policy management network element.

[0141] In some implementations, the policy management network element may be represented as a second network element in the core network. For example, the second network element may be a PCF. In embodiments of the present application, the second network element may also be another core network element in a future communication system with similar functionality to the PCF.

[0142] In some implementations, the first network element sends a third message to the second network element, where the third message is used to request the first policy information. The third message is used to send a policy acquisition request to the second network element and, therefore, may also be referred to as a subscription request. After receiving the third message, the second network element sends a fourth message to the first network element, where the fourth message includes the first policy information.

[0143] In some implementations, the third message includes access network information of the first terminal device. As an example, the access network information of the first terminal device may include an access network type, a RAT type, and / or a current serving PLMN.

[0144] In some implementations, the third message may further include information about a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device. As an example, the information about the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device may include ID information of the second terminal device.

[0145] In some implementations, the policy information sent by the second network element to the first network element may be determined based on the access network information and / or location information of the first terminal device. For example, the first policy information may be determined based on the access network information and location information of the first terminal device.

[0146] As an example, the access network information and location information of the first terminal device can be carried in the third message.

[0147] As an example, the second network element may obtain the access network information of the first terminal device from other network elements of the core network.

[0148] The above describes a method for determining a multi-access policy by a first terminal device and a second terminal device in conjunction with Figure 4. As can be seen from the above, there are multiple ways to send policy information to the second terminal device. An exemplary description is given below in conjunction with two embodiments.

[0149] In the first embodiment, the policy information is sent to the requesting party, that is, the first terminal device sending the request. The multi-access policy of the second terminal device needs to be determined by synchronization with the first terminal device. In this scenario, multi-access policy synchronization is required within the terminal device. For example, the terminal device side needs to support interaction or information sharing between two local USIM cards.

[0150] As an example, when a first terminal device registers or initiates a multi-access service request, the core network determines the network selection policy / rules for the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device, i.e., the first policy information, based on the terminal device's subscription information and current access network information. The core network sends the first policy information to the first terminal device, which synchronizes it to the second terminal device, thereby triggering the registration of the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device in the designated access network or the selected access network.

[0151] As an example, the terminal device sends multi-access indication information to the core network, and the core network feeds back policy information related to multi-access to the terminal device. The policy information is used to instruct multiple terminal devices associated with the multi-access service to select and register for access networks. Furthermore, the policy information may include information such as the access network type, PLMN, RAT, and the corresponding priority of the selected network, and may also include priority information when another access network has been selected at a different location. In the core network, after the registration management network element receives the multi-access indication information of the terminal device, it requests the policy management network element to obtain relevant policies. The policy management network element can determine the multi-access policy based on the current terminal device's location information and the current access network information, and feed back the policy information of the two associated terminal devices to the registration management network element.

[0152] In the above embodiment, the first terminal device can be supported to send an indication to the network to indicate that it currently supports multi-access services or requests multi-access services, thereby triggering policy delivery. Furthermore, the first terminal device and the second terminal device can select and register access networks based on corresponding policies and conditions.

[0153] In the second embodiment, policy information is delivered to the executors, namely the first and second terminal devices performing network selection / registration. The multi-access policy for the second terminal device is delivered directly by the core network, eliminating the need for internal policy synchronization on the terminal device side, resulting in minimal changes. However, in this scenario, the core network's processing logic needs to be enhanced to deliver the two policies separately to the corresponding terminal devices.

[0154] As an example, when the first terminal device registers or initiates a multi-access service request, the core network determines the network selection policy / rules of the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device based on the contract information of the terminal device and the current access network information, and sends it to the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device, thereby triggering the registration of the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device in the designated or selected access network.

[0155] As an example, the first terminal device sends multi-access indication information to the core network, and the core network feeds back policy information related to multi-access to the first terminal device and the second terminal device respectively. Different from the first embodiment, after receiving the request from the first terminal device, the registration management network element requests the policy information of the second terminal device from the policy management network element based on the information of the first terminal device and the associated second terminal device. After receiving the request, the policy management network element determines the policy information of the second terminal device and sends it to the second terminal device through the mobility management network element.

[0156] In the above embodiment, after receiving the request information of the first terminal device, the core network side can trigger the policy information of the second terminal device through various implementation methods. The following describes in detail various policy request and delivery methods.

[0157] In the embodiment of the present application, the registration management network element or mobility management network element corresponding to the first terminal device and the second terminal device may be the same or different. When the registration management network element or mobility management network element is the same, the network element is the first network element. When the registration management network element or mobility management network element is different, the first terminal device corresponds to the first network element, and the second terminal device corresponds to the third network element in the core network.

[0158] As an example, the third network element may be an AMF or MME, or may be another core network element with similar functions to the AMF or MME in a future communication system. For example, the first network element is AMF1 and the third network element is AMF2.

[0159] In an embodiment of the present application, the policy management network element that formulates a multi-access policy for the first terminal device and the second terminal device can be the same or different. When the policy management network element is the same, the network element that formulates the policy is the second network element. When the policy management network element is different, the first terminal device corresponds to the second network element, and the second terminal device corresponds to a fourth network element in the core network.

[0160] As an example, the fourth network element may be a PCF, or may be another core network element with similar functions to the PCF in a future communication system.

[0161] In some implementations, the first network element may send the fifth message to the third network element. As an example, when the third network element and the first network element are the same, sending the fifth message may be implemented within the network element.

[0162] As an example, the fifth message may also be called a multiple access request message. The fifth message may include one or more of the following: first information for requesting service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; and an identifier of the second terminal device.

[0163] As an example, the fifth message may include ID information of the second terminal device and multi-access indication information.

[0164] As a possible implementation, the third network element may send a sixth message to the second network element. The sixth message is used to request the second policy information and may therefore also be referred to as a subscription request. The second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

[0165] As an example, the sixth message may include access network information of the second terminal device. The access network information of the second terminal device may include access network type, RAT type and / or current serving PLMN.

[0166] It should be noted that the access network information of the first terminal device in the third message and the access network information of the second terminal device in the sixth message are both the current access network information of the terminal devices. When the first terminal device or the second terminal device receives the policy information, it can determine the information of one or more selectable access networks based on the relevant policy information, select and register them.

[0167] As another possible implementation method, when the first network element and the third network element are the same, after receiving the registration request or multi-access request of the first terminal device, the first network element not only requests the policy of the first terminal device from the second network element, but also requests the policy of the second terminal device from the second network element or the fourth network element.

[0168] As an example, the first network element may send a sixth message to the fourth network element. Detailed description of the sixth message is omitted here.

[0169] As an example, after receiving the sixth message, the second network element or the fourth network element may send a seventh message to the first network element or the third network element. The seventh message includes the second policy information. For example, the second network element may send the seventh message to the first network element or the third network element. For another example, the first network element may receive the seventh message sent by the fourth network element.

[0170] As a possible implementation, when the first network element and the third network element are different, and the second network element and the fourth network element are different, the second network element receives the third message from the first network element and feeds back the first policy information to the first network element; the fourth network element receives the sixth message from the third network element and feeds back the second policy information to the third network element. In this scenario, the first network element sends the first policy information to the first terminal device. The third network element sends the second policy information to the second terminal device. The third network element can send the second policy information via a dedicated downlink message.

[0171] As an example, after the first network element or the third network element receives the seventh message, it may send an eighth message to the second terminal device. The eighth message includes the second policy information. For example, when the first network element and the third network element are the same, the first network element sends the eighth message.

[0172] In some implementations, the second network element may send a multiple access request to the fourth network element. As an example, the second network element sends the ninth message to the fourth network element. When the fourth network element and the second network element are the same, the fifth message may be sent internally within the network element.

[0173] As an example, the ninth message may also be called a multiple access request message. The ninth message includes one or more of the following information: first information for requesting service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; and second information indicating an identifier of the terminal device.

[0174] In summary, the second policy information can be triggered in a variety of ways. Method 1: triggered by the ninth message, that is, the second network element sends a request message to the fourth network element or is triggered by the internal implementation of the PCF, thereby triggering the fourth network element to send the second policy information to the third network element. Method 2: triggered by the fifth and sixth messages, thereby triggering the fourth network element to send the second policy information to the third network element. Method 3: The first network element is the same as the third network element, and is triggered by the sixth message, thereby triggering the fourth network element to send the second policy information to the third network element.

[0175] The following describes the embodiments of the present application in more detail with reference to the specific examples of Figures 5 and 6. It should be noted that the example of Figure 4 is merely to help those skilled in the art understand the embodiments of the present application, and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application to the specific numerical values ​​or specific scenarios illustrated. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or changes based on the example of Figure 4, and such modifications or changes also fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0176] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a possible implementation of an embodiment of the present application. In the example of Figure 5 , the first terminal device is UE1, the second terminal device is UE2, the first network element of the core network is AMF1, the second network element is PCF1, and the third network element is AMF2. UE1 and UE2 are associated with each other. RAN1 and RAN2 are the access networks corresponding to UE1 and UE2, respectively.

[0177] 5 , in step S510 , UE1 sends a registration request / multi-access service request, i.e., a second message, to AMF1 . The second message may include multi-access indication information.

[0178] In step S520, AMF1 interacts with UDM to complete the authorization / contract check.

[0179] In step S530, AMF1 sends a multi-access policy acquisition request to PCF1, that is, a third message including UE1 access network information.

[0180] In step S540, PCF1 feeds back a multi-access policy, i.e., a fourth message, to AMF1. The multi-access policy includes the first policy information of UE1 and the second policy information of UE2. In some scenarios, the multi-access policy information may also be referred to as the first policy information.

[0181] In step S550, AMF1 sends a registration response / multi-access service response to UE1, that is, a first message including a multi-access policy.

[0182] In step S560, UE1 and UE2 perform multi-access policy synchronization.

[0183] In step S570a, UE1 performs a network selection and registration process.

[0184] In step S570b, UE2 performs a network selection and registration process.

[0185] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating another possible implementation of an embodiment of the present application. In the example of Figure 6 , the first terminal device is UE1, the second terminal device is UE2, the first network element of the core network is AMF1, the second network element is PCF1, the third network element is AMF2, and the fourth network element is PCF2. UE1 and UE2 are associated with each other. RAN1 and RAN2 are the access networks corresponding to UE1 and UE2, respectively.

[0186] 6 , in step S601, UE1 sends a registration request / multi-access service request, i.e., a second message, to AMF1. The second message may include multi-access indication information.

[0187] In step S602, AMF1 interacts with UDM to complete the authorization / contract check.

[0188] In step S603, AMF1 sends a multi-access policy acquisition request to PCF1, that is, a third message including UE1 access network information.

[0189] In step S604, PCF1 sends a multiple access request to PCF2, that is, a ninth message including UE2 ID and multiple access indication information.

[0190] In step S605, PCF1 feeds back the multi-access policy to AMF1, that is, the fourth message including the UE1 policy (first policy information).

[0191] In step S606, AMF1 sends a registration response / multi-access service response to UE1, that is, a first message including the first policy information.

[0192] In step S607, AMF1 sends a multiple access request to AMF2, that is, a fifth message including UE2ID and multiple access indication information.

[0193] In step S608, AMF2 sends a multi-access policy acquisition request to PCF2, that is, a sixth message including UE2 access network information.

[0194] In step S609, PCF2 feeds back the multi-access policy to AMF2, that is, the seventh message including the UE2 policy (second policy information).

[0195] In step S610, AMF2 sends a registration response / multi-access service response to UE2, that is, an eighth message including the second policy information.

[0196] In step S611a, UE1 performs a network selection and registration process.

[0197] In step S611b, UE2 performs a network selection and registration process.

[0198] The method embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 6 . The device embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 7 to 10 . It should be understood that the description of the method embodiment corresponds to the description of the device embodiment. Therefore, for parts not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiment.

[0199] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 700 shown in FIG7 includes a first terminal device. As shown in FIG7 , the terminal device 700 includes a receiving unit 710 .

[0200] The receiving unit 710 can be used to receive a first message sent by a first network element of the core network, where the first message contains first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0201] Optionally, the first policy information is used to indicate a correspondence between access network information and priority information.

[0202] Optionally, the corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

[0203] Optionally, the access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

[0204] Optionally, the terminal device 700 also includes a first sending unit, which can be used to send a second message to the first network element before receiving the first message sent by the first network element, where the second message includes first information, and the first information is used to request service transmission through multiple access networks.

[0205] Optionally, the first information includes an identifier of the second terminal device.

[0206] Optionally, the second message is a registration request message.

[0207] Optionally, the terminal device 700 further includes a second sending unit, which can be used to send second policy information to the second terminal device, where the second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

[0208] Optionally, the terminal device 700 further includes a processing unit, configured to select and register to an access network according to the first policy information.

[0209] Optionally, the first network element is AMF or MME.

[0210] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a core network device according to an embodiment of the present application. The core network device 800 shown in Figure 8 is a first network element of the core network. As shown in Figure 8 , the core network device 800 includes a first sending unit 810 .

[0211] The first sending unit 810 can be used to send a first message to a first terminal device, where the first message includes first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of a second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0212] Optionally, the first policy information is used to indicate a correspondence between access network information and priority information.

[0213] Optionally, the corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

[0214] Optionally, the access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

[0215] Optionally, the core network device 800 also includes a first receiving unit, which can be used to receive a second message sent by the first terminal device before sending the first message to the first terminal device, where the second message contains first information, and the first information is used to request service transmission through multiple access networks.

[0216] Optionally, the first information includes an identifier of the second terminal device.

[0217] Optionally, the second message is a registration request message.

[0218] Optionally, the core network device 800 further includes a second sending unit, which is configured to send a third message to the second network element, where the third message is used to request the first policy information.

[0219] Optionally, the core network device 800 further includes a second receiving unit, configured to receive a fourth message sent by the second network element, where the fourth message includes the first policy information.

[0220] Optionally, the third message includes access network information of the first terminal device.

[0221] Optionally, the second network element is a PCF.

[0222] Optionally, the core network device 800 also includes a third sending unit, which can be used to send a fifth message to the third network element, and the fifth message includes one or more of the following: first information for requesting service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; an identifier of the second terminal device.

[0223] Optionally, the third network element is AMF or MME.

[0224] Optionally, the core network device 800 also includes a fourth sending unit, which can be used to send a sixth message to the fourth network element, where the sixth message is used to request second policy information, and the second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

[0225] Optionally, the core network device 800 further includes a third receiving unit, which is configured to receive a seventh message sent by the fourth network element, where the seventh message includes the second policy information.

[0226] Optionally, the core network device 800 further includes a fifth sending unit, which can be used to send an eighth message to the second terminal device, where the eighth message includes the second policy information.

[0227] Optionally, the sixth message includes access network information of the second terminal device.

[0228] Optionally, the fourth network element is a PCF.

[0229] Optionally, the first network element is AMF or MME.

[0230] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another core network device according to an embodiment of the present application. The core network device 900 shown in Figure 9 is a second network element of the core network. As shown in Figure 9 , the core network device 900 includes a first receiving unit 910 .

[0231] The first receiving unit 910 can be used to receive a third message sent by the first network element of the core network, where the third message is used to request first policy information, and the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

[0232] Optionally, the core network device 900 further includes a first sending unit, which can be used to send a fourth message to the first network element, where the fourth message includes the first policy information.

[0233] Optionally, the first policy information is used to indicate a correspondence between access network information and priority information.

[0234] Optionally, the corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

[0235] Optionally, the access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

[0236] Optionally, the core network device 900 also includes a second receiving unit, which can be used to receive a sixth message sent by the first network element or the third network element, where the sixth message is used to request second policy information, and the second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

[0237] Optionally, the core network device 900 further includes a second sending unit, which can be used to send a seventh message to the first network element or the third network element, where the seventh message includes the second policy information.

[0238] Optionally, the sixth message includes access network information of the second terminal device.

[0239] Optionally, the third network element is AMF or MME.

[0240] Optionally, the core network device 900 also includes a third sending unit, which can be used to send a ninth message to the fourth network element, and the ninth message includes one or more of the following information: first information for requesting service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; an identifier of the second terminal device.

[0241] Optionally, the fourth network element is a PCF.

[0242] Optionally, the first network element is AMF or MME.

[0243] Optionally, the second network element is a PCF.

[0244] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 10 indicate that the unit or module is optional. The device 1000 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The device 1000 may be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0245] The device 1000 may include one or more processors 1010. The processor 1010 may support the device 1000 to implement the method described in the method embodiment above. The processor 1010 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0246] The apparatus 1000 may further include one or more memories 1020. The memories 1020 store programs that can be executed by the processor 1010, causing the processor 1010 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 1020 may be independent of the processor 1010 or integrated into the processor 1010.

[0247] The apparatus 1000 may further include a transceiver 1030. The processor 1010 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030. For example, the processor 1010 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030.

[0248] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0249] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0250] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the terminal or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0251] It should be understood that the terms used in this application are intended only to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first," "second," and so on in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish between different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "including," "having," and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0252] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0253] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0254] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0255] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0256] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0257] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0258] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0259] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, 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 integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0260] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0261] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0262] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0263] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: A first terminal device receives a first message sent by a first network element of a core network, where the first message includes first policy information, where the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; Access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first policy information is used to indicate the correspondence between access network information and priority information.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that Before the first terminal device receives the first message sent by the first network element of the core network, the method further includes: The first terminal device sends a second message to the first network element, where the second message includes first information, and the first information is used to request service transmission through multiple access networks.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first information includes the identification of the second terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The second message is a registration request message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first terminal device sends second policy information to the second terminal device, where the second policy information is used to determine access network information of the second terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first terminal device selects and registers to an access network according to the first policy information.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The first network element is AMF or MME.

11. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: A first network element of a core network sends a first message to a first terminal device, where the first message includes first policy information, where the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; Access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first policy information is used to indicate the correspondence between access network information and priority information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that The access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that Before the first network element of the core network sends the first message to the first terminal device, the method further includes: The first network element receives a second message sent by the first terminal device, where the second message includes first information, and the first information is used to request service transmission through multiple access networks.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first information includes the identification of the second terminal device.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The second message is a registration request message.

18. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element sends a third message to the second network element, where the third message is used to request the first policy information.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element receives a fourth message sent by the second network element, where the fourth message includes the first policy information.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that The third message includes access network information of the first terminal device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that The second network element is a PCF.

22. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element sends a fifth message to the third network element, where the fifth message includes one or more of the following: The first information is used to request service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; The identifier of the second terminal device.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The third network element is AMF or MME.

24. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 23, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element sends a sixth message to the fourth network element, where the sixth message is used to request second policy information, and the second policy information is used to determine access network information of the second terminal device.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element receives a seventh message sent by the fourth network element, where the seventh message includes the second policy information.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element sends an eighth message to the second terminal device, where the eighth message includes the second policy information.

27. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that The sixth message includes access network information of the second terminal device.

28. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, characterized in that The fourth network element is PCF.

29. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 28, characterized in that The first network element is AMF or MME.

30. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The second network element of the core network receives a third message sent by the first network element of the core network, where the third message is used to request first policy information, where the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: Access network information of the first terminal device; Access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein The method further comprises: The second network element sends a fourth message to the first network element, where the fourth message includes the first policy information.

32. The method according to claim 30 or 31, characterized in that The first policy information is used to indicate the correspondence between access network information and priority information.

33. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that The corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

34. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 33, characterized in that The access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

35. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 34, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network element receives a sixth message sent by the first network element or the third network element, where the sixth message is used to request second policy information, and the second policy information is used to determine access network information of a second terminal device.

36. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network element sends a seventh message to the first network element or the third network element, where the seventh message includes the second policy information.

37. The method according to claim 35 or 36, characterized in that The sixth message includes access network information of the second terminal device.

38. The method according to any one of claims 35 to 37, characterized in that The third network element is AMF or MME.

39. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 34, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network element sends a ninth message to the fourth network element, where the ninth message includes one or more of the following information: The first information is used to request service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; The identifier of the second terminal device.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein The fourth network element is PCF.

41. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 40, characterized in that The first network element is AMF or MME.

42. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 41, characterized in that The second network element is a PCF.

43. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device includes a first terminal device, and the terminal device includes: A receiving unit is configured to receive a first message sent by a first network element of a core network, where the first message includes first policy information, where the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; Access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

44. The terminal device according to claim 43, characterized in that The first policy information is used to indicate the correspondence between access network information and priority information.

45. The terminal device according to claim 44, characterized in that The corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

46. The terminal device according to any one of claims 43 to 45, characterized in that: The access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

47. The terminal device according to any one of claims 43 to 46, characterized in that: The terminal device further includes: The first sending unit is used to send a second message to the first network element before receiving the first message sent by the first network element, where the second message includes first information, and the first information is used to request service transmission through multiple access networks.

48. The terminal device according to claim 47, characterized in that The first information includes the identification of the second terminal device.

49. The terminal device according to claim 47 or 48, characterized in that The second message is a registration request message.

50. The terminal device according to any one of claims 43 to 49, characterized in that: The terminal device further includes: The second sending unit is used to send second policy information to the second terminal device, where the second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

51. The terminal device according to any one of claims 43 to 50, characterized in that: The terminal device further includes: A processing unit is configured to select and register to an access network according to the first policy information.

52. The terminal device according to any one of claims 43 to 51, characterized in that: The first network element is AMF or MME.

53. A core network device, characterized in that: The core network device is a first network element of the core network, and the core network device includes: A first sending unit is configured to send a first message to a first terminal device, where the first message includes first policy information, where the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: access network information of the first terminal device; Access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

54. The core network device according to claim 53, characterized in that: The first policy information is used to indicate the correspondence between access network information and priority information.

55. The core network device according to claim 54, characterized in that: The corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

56. The core network device according to any one of claims 53 to 55, characterized in that: The access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

57. The core network device according to any one of claims 53 to 56, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The first receiving unit is used to receive a second message sent by the first terminal device before sending the first message to the first terminal device, where the second message includes first information, and the first information is used to request service transmission through multiple access networks.

58. The core network device according to claim 57, characterized in that: The first information includes the identification of the second terminal device.

59. The core network device according to claim 57 or 58, characterized in that: The second message is a registration request message.

60. The core network device according to any one of claims 53 to 59, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The second sending unit is used to send a third message to the second network element, where the third message is used to request the first policy information.

61. The core network device according to claim 60, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The second receiving unit is configured to receive a fourth message sent by the second network element, where the fourth message includes the first policy information.

62. The core network device according to claim 60 or 61, characterized in that: The third message includes access network information of the first terminal device.

63. The core network device according to any one of claims 60 to 62, characterized in that: The second network element is a PCF.

64. The core network device according to any one of claims 53 to 63, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The third sending unit is configured to send a fifth message to the third network element, where the fifth message includes one or more of the following: The first information is used to request service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; The identifier of the second terminal device.

65. The core network device according to claim 64, characterized in that: The third network element is AMF or MME.

66. The core network device according to any one of claims 53 to 65, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The fourth sending unit is used to send a sixth message to the fourth network element, where the sixth message is used to request second policy information, and the second policy information is used to determine the access network information of the second terminal device.

67. The core network device according to claim 66, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The third receiving unit is configured to receive a seventh message sent by the fourth network element, where the seventh message includes the second policy information.

68. The core network device according to claim 67, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The fifth sending unit is used to send an eighth message to the second terminal device, where the eighth message includes the second policy information.

69. The core network device according to any one of claims 66 to 68, characterized in that: The sixth message includes access network information of the second terminal device.

70. The core network device according to any one of claims 66 to 69, characterized in that: The fourth network element is PCF.

71. The core network device according to any one of claims 53 to 70, characterized in that: The first network element is AMF or MME.

72. A core network device, characterized in that: The core network device is a second network element of the core network, and the core network device includes: The first receiving unit is configured to receive a third message sent by a first network element of the core network, where the third message is used to request first policy information, where the first policy information is used to determine one or more of the following information: Access network information of the first terminal device; Access network information of the second terminal device associated with the first terminal device.

73. The core network device according to claim 72, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The first sending unit is configured to send a fourth message to the first network element, where the fourth message includes the first policy information.

74. The core network device according to claim 72 or 73, characterized in that: The first policy information is used to indicate the correspondence between access network information and priority information.

75. The core network device according to claim 74, characterized in that: The corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship under a first condition, and the first policy information is further used to indicate the first condition, and the first condition is associated with area information and / or access network information.

76. The core network device according to any one of claims 72 to 75, characterized in that: The access network information includes one or more of the following information: access network type, type of wireless access technology, and PLMN information.

77. The core network device according to any one of claims 72 to 76, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The second receiving unit is used to receive a sixth message sent by the first network element or the third network element, where the sixth message is used to request second policy information, and the second policy information is used to determine access network information of the second terminal device.

78. The core network device according to claim 77, characterized in that The core network equipment further includes: The second sending unit is configured to send a seventh message to the first network element or the third network element, where the seventh message includes the second policy information.

79. The core network device according to claim 77 or 78, characterized in that: The sixth message includes access network information of the second terminal device.

80. The core network device according to any one of claims 77 to 79, characterized in that: The third network element is AMF or MME.

81. The core network device according to any one of claims 72 to 76, characterized in that: The core network equipment further includes: The third sending unit is configured to send a ninth message to the fourth network element, where the ninth message includes one or more of the following information: The first information is used to request service transmission to the terminal device through multiple access networks; The identifier of the second terminal device.

82. The core network device according to claim 81, characterized in that: The fourth network element is PCF.

83. The core network device according to any one of claims 72 to 82, characterized in that: The first network element is AMF or MME.

84. The core network device according to any one of claims 72 to 83, characterized in that: The second network element is a PCF.

85. A terminal device, characterized in that The terminal device comprises a transceiver, a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send a signal so that the terminal device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

86. A core network device, characterized in that: It includes a transceiver, a memory and a processor, the memory is used to store programs, the processor is used to call the programs in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send signals so that the core network device executes the method as described in any one of claims 11-42.

87. A device, characterized in that The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so as to cause the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 42.

88. A chip, characterized in that The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 42.

89. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A program is stored thereon, the program causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 42.

90. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 42.

91. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 42.

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