User plane connection determination method, terminal device, and network device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a user plane connection determination method, a terminal device, and a network device. The method comprises: on the basis of a first policy, determining a first user plane connection associated with a first service, wherein the first user plane connection is one of at least two user plane connections supported by a terminal device. By means of the method, the terminal device can determine, on the basis of the first policy, one first user plane connection associated with the first service from among a plurality of user plane connections for service data transmission, thereby improving the efficiency of data transmission in multi-access scenarios.

Description

User plane connection determination method, terminal equipment, and network equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to patent application number 202410178359.1 filed on February 8, 2024, entitled “Method for determining user plane connection, terminal device and network device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method for determining a user plane connection, a terminal device, and a network device. Background Art

[0003] In the fifth generation (5G) communication system, terminal devices are supported to access the core network through the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access and non-3GPP access at the same time, and different data packets are supported to be transmitted through 3GPP access or non-3GPP access.

[0004] In the related art, a mechanism is proposed for binding application data to a user plane connection for transmission through a UE Routing Selection Policy (URSP).

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a method for determining a user plane connection, a terminal device, and a network device. The following introduces various aspects of the present application.

[0007] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a user plane connection, comprising: based on a first strategy, selecting a first user plane connection for a first service from at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device; wherein the first user plane connection is used to send the first service.

[0008] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining a user plane connection, comprising: sending a first policy to a terminal device, wherein the first policy is used to select a first user plane connection for a first service from at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device; wherein the first user plane connection is used to send the first service.

[0009] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a device for determining a user plane connection, including: a determination module for selecting a first user plane connection from at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device for a first service based on a first strategy; wherein the first user plane connection is used to send the first service.

[0010] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a device for determining a user plane connection, including: a sending module for sending a first policy to a terminal device, wherein the first policy is used to select a first user plane connection for a first service from at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device; wherein the first user plane connection is used to send the first service.

[0011] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, including: a processor and a memory, the memory is used to store a computer program, the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the above-mentioned user plane connection determination method.

[0012] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a network device, including: a processor and a memory, the memory is used to store a computer program, the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the above-mentioned user plane connection determination method.

[0013] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, including: a processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the above-mentioned method for determining a user plane connection.

[0014] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which enables a computer to execute the above-mentioned method for determining a user plane connection.

[0015] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute the above-mentioned method for determining a user plane connection.

[0016] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the above-mentioned method for determining a user plane connection.

[0017] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0018] When the terminal device supports at least two user plane connections, by introducing the first strategy, the terminal device can determine a first user plane connection associated with the first service from multiple user plane connections based on the first strategy to transmit service data, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of data transmission in multi-access scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG2 shows a flowchart of a UE policy configuration process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of a service transmission based on a multi-access mode provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a service transmission based on a multi-access mode provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG5 shows a flow chart of a method for determining a user plane connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG6 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a user plane connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG7 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a user plane connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG8 shows a structural block diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG9 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a user plane connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG10 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a user plane connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG11 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a user plane connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG12 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a user plane connection provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG13 shows a structural block diagram of a device for determining a user plane connection provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG14 shows a structural block diagram of a device for determining a user plane connection provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG15 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments will be described in detail here, and examples thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the attached claims. With respect to the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various information in this disclosure, these information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining".

[0036] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present application is applicable. As shown in FIG1 , the fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR) network architecture released by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard group includes: a terminal device, also known as a "user equipment (UE)" 101, an access network device supporting 3GPP technology 102 (including a radio access network (RAN) or an access network (AN)), a user plane function (UPF) network element 105, an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element 103, a session management function (SMF) network element 104, a policy control function (PCF) network element 106, an application function (AF) network element 109, a data network (DN) 108, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 111, an authentication service function (Authentication Server) 112, and a user plane function (UPF) network element 113. Function, AUSF) 110, unified data management function (Unified Data Management, UDM) 107.

[0037] It should be noted that the network architecture shown in Figure 1 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 1, the AN or RAN is represented in the form of (R)AN.

[0038] The terminal device 101 can be a user equipment (UE), a terminal device, a handheld terminal device, a laptop computer, a subscriber unit, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a tablet computer, a wireless modem, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone or a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal device, a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device, a processing device connected to a wireless modem, a drone, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in the Internet of Things, a virtual reality device, a terminal device in a future communication system (e.g., 6G) network, a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0039] The access network device 102 is an access device that connects the terminal device to 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. Examples include: base station NodeB, evolved base station eNodeB, base station in 5G mobile communication system or NR communication system, base station in future mobile communication system, etc.

[0040] UPF network element 105, AMF network element 103, SMF network element 104, and PCF network element 106 are network elements of the 3GPP core network (referred to as core network elements). UPF network element 105 can be called a user plane function network element, which is mainly responsible for the transmission of user data. The 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 105 (or simply "UPF") can be used to forward and receive data from terminal devices. For example, the UPF network element can receive service data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal device through the access network device. The UPF network element can also receive user data from the terminal device 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 device are managed and controlled by the SMF network element. The bearer between the terminal device and the UPF network element may include: a user plane connection between the UPF network element and the access network device, and the establishment of a channel between the access network device and the terminal device. The user plane connection is a quality of service flow that can be established between the UPF network element and the access network device to transmit data.

[0042] The AMF network element 103 (or "AMF" for short) can be used to manage the access of terminal devices to the core network, such as location update, network registration, access control, mobility management, and attachment and detachment of terminal devices. The AMF network element can also provide control plane storage resources for the session to store the session identifier, the SMF network element identifier associated with the session identifier, and the like when providing services for the session of the terminal device.

[0043] The SMF network element 104 (or "SMF" for short) can be used to select user plane network elements for terminal devices, redirect user plane network elements for terminal devices, allocate Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for terminal devices, establish bearers (also called sessions) between terminal devices and UPF network elements, modify and release sessions, and control QoS.

[0044] The PCF network element 106 (or simply "PCF") is used to provide policies, such as QoS policies, slice selection policies, UE policies, etc., to the AMF network element 103 and the SMF network element 104. In some embodiments, the PCF can manage the issuance and update of policies.

[0045] The AF network element 109 (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 108 can provide data services to users on networks such as IP Multimedia Service (IMS) and the Internet. DN 108 can contain multiple application servers (ASs) that provide different application services, such as carrier services, Internet access, or third-party services. ASs can implement the functions of AF network elements.

[0047] NSSF 111 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 (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 110 is used to receive the request from AMF 103 to authenticate the terminal device, request the key from UDM 107, and then forward the issued key to AMF 103 for authentication processing.

[0049] UDM 107 includes functions such as generation and storage of user contract data, management of authentication data, and supports interaction with external third-party servers.

[0050] It should be understood that each network element in Figure 1 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.

[0051] As introduced above, in the above-mentioned communication system, the network elements related to the UE policy may include PCF, AMF, etc. The following describes the UE policy configuration process applicable to the embodiment of the present application in combination with Figure 2.

[0052] UE policy configuration process

[0053] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a UE policy configuration process applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 2 includes steps S210 to S260.

[0054] In step S210 , the PCF determines whether to update the UE policy.

[0055] It should be noted that if the PCF does not intend to update the UE policy, step S210 may not be included in the process shown in Figure 2. If the PCF does determine that the UE policy is to be updated, step S210 will be included in the process shown in Figure 2. In addition, if the PCF determines that the UE policy is to be updated, the process shown in Figure 2 is also referred to as the "UE Configuration Update (UCU)" process.

[0056] In step S220, the PCF sends a communication service request to the AMF.

[0057] In some embodiments, the uplink service request may carry a container, which includes relevant information of the UE policy, such as the content of the UE policy or a UE policy identifier.

[0058] The communication service request can be transmitted via N1 and N2 messages. Therefore, the communication service request can also be expressed as "Namf_Communication_N1N2 Message Transfer".

[0059] In step S230 , the network triggers a service request (network triggered service request) so that the network can communicate with the UE.

[0060] In step S240, the AMF sends the UE policy to the UE.

[0061] In some embodiments, the UE policy may be encapsulated in a container, which may be a container sent by the PCF to the AMF. Accordingly, after receiving the container, the AMF may transparently transmit the container directly to the UE. Transparent transmission may be understood as the AMF not being aware of or modifying the container.

[0062] In other implementations, the above-mentioned UE policy or container can be sent by the AMF to the UE through a NAS message (or a downlink NAS message).

[0063] In step S250, the UE sends the UE policy transmission result to the AMF.

[0064] In some embodiments, the UE policy transmission result is used to indicate whether the UE successfully receives the UE policy.

[0065] In step S260, the AMF sends an N1 message notification (expressed as "Namf_N1MessageNotify") to the PCF to inform the PCF of the above UE policy transmission result.

[0066] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned N1 message notification can be called "Manage UE policy complete message".

[0067] It should be noted that the above steps S220 and S260 may include two messages, namely a request and a response to the request. The method shown in FIG2 only shows the requests of the two steps, and does not show the two responses to the above two requests.

[0068] In addition, as described above, the PCF can send a container to the UE to transmit the UE policy. Conversely, the UE can also send a container to the PCF through the container. At this time, the container can be sent by the UE to the AMF through a non-access stratum (NAS) message (or uplink NAS message), and then transparently transmitted by the AMF to the PCF.

[0069] In the process shown in Figure 2, to convey UE policy, a "UE policy container" cause value is introduced into downlink NAS and uplink NAS messages. For example, the UE policy container cause value can be added to the payload container. Accordingly, after obtaining the UE policy container cause value, the AMF can perform a transparent transmission function to transparently transmit the container to the UE or PCF.

[0070] UE Strategy

[0071] UE policy may include UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) and Access Network Discovery and Selection Policy (ANDSP), etc. URSP is taken as an example below.

[0072] The URSP can indicate the binding relationship between application data and a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session. Furthermore, the URSP can also indicate what type of PDU session the UE needs to establish to transmit the application data. Typically, the URSP can include one or more URSP rules. The following describes the URSP rules in conjunction with Table 1.

[0073] As shown in Table 1, URSP rules may include one or more of the following information: rule precedence, traffic descriptor (TD), application descriptors, IP descriptors, domain descriptors, non-IP descriptors, data network name (DNN), connection capabilities, and route selection descriptor (RSD) list.

[0074] It should be noted that each URSP rule in a URSP has a different rule priority. In other words, different URSP rules in a URSP correspond to different rule priorities.

[0075] Typically, when the characteristics of application data match the service descriptors in the URSP rules, the PDU session established based on the RSD in the URSP rules can be used to transmit the application data. This is the binding of application data to the PDU session described above. The following describes the RSD list in the URSP rules in conjunction with Table 2. Typically, the RSD list can include one or more RSDs.

[0076] Table 1: Structure of URSP rules

[0077] As shown in Table 2, RSD may include one or more of the following information: RSD priority (Route Selection Descriptor Precedence), route selection components, session and service continuity mode selection (SSC mode selection), network slice selection, DNN selection, PDU session type selection, seamless offload indication, access type preference, route selection validation criteria, time window, and location criteria.

[0078] It should be noted that each piece of information in an RSD may be a single value or may contain multiple values. For example, the values ​​of S-NSSAI and DNN can be one or more. Therefore, each RSD can correspond to one or more parameter combinations, each parameter combination is a characteristic of a PDU session, and the service data corresponding to the service descriptor can be transmitted in the PDU session corresponding to a parameter value combination of the RSD. When an application data flow described by a service descriptor appears, the UE can select a parameter combination according to the corresponding RSD and initiate a PDU session establishment request.

[0079] Table 2: Structure of RSD

[0080] How to use URSP

[0081] The purpose of URSP is to enable terminal devices to associate different services with corresponding PDU sessions for transmission based on URSP rules. The association process can be divided into steps 1 and 2.

[0082] In step 1, the URSP corresponding to the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) is determined.

[0083] Generally, the URSP corresponding to a PLMN can be selected based on the following priority: the URSP corresponding to the registered PLMN takes precedence over the URSP corresponding to the equivalent PLMN of the registered PLMN. In addition, the URSP corresponding to the equivalent PLMN of the registered PLMN takes precedence over the URSP corresponding to the HPLMN (or non-VPLMN).

[0084] In step 2, an evaluation process is performed using URSP.

[0085] Generally, the process of finding a suitable PDU session for a service based on URSP can be called an evaluation process. In some embodiments, when a new service appears and needs to transmit data, the terminal device needs to determine which user plane connection (e.g., PDU session) to bind the data of the service to for transmission. To this end, the terminal device uses URSP to check whether the characteristics of the service match the traffic descriptor (TD) of a certain rule in the URSP, wherein the order of checking is determined by the priority (precedence) of the TD in the URSP, that is, the terminal device checks the matching situation in order based on the priority. When a URSP corresponding to a TD is matched, the RSD list in the URSP can be used to bind the PDU session.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the URSP corresponding to the TD matches the service, the terminal device searches for a suitable PDU session according to the priority order in the RSD. The RSD with a high priority can be used first. If a parameter in the RSD has one or more values, the terminal device can select a value of the parameter and combine it with other parameters to search for whether the PDU session exists.

[0087] In some embodiments, if the PDU session exists, the service can be bound to the PDU session. Conversely, if the PDU session does not exist, the terminal device triggers the establishment of the PDU session and carries the attribute parameters of the PDU session requested to be established in the PDU session establishment request message.

[0088] In some embodiments, if the PDU session is successfully established, the terminal device binds the service to the PDU session. Conversely, if the PDU session fails to be established, the terminal device searches again for the existence of the PDU session based on other values ​​of a parameter in the RSD combined with other parameters.

[0089] In some embodiments, if a suitable PDU session cannot be found for binding in the URSP, the terminal device can search the TD in the second-priority URSP according to the priority order to see whether it can match the service data flow characteristics. When the TD in the second-priority URSP matches the service, the above evaluation process is repeated.

[0090] In some scenarios, after the above evaluation process, the terminal device may re-evaluate the PDU session that matches the service. In some embodiments, the terminal device may re-evaluate the PDU session to determine whether the binding relationship between the service and the PDU session needs to be changed in one or more of the following situations.

[0091] In some embodiments, the above situations may include the PCF updating the URSP; the terminal device moving from the EPC to the 5GS; the allowed NSSAI or configured NSSAI changing; the availability of the LADN DNN changing; the terminal device registering over 3GPP access or non-3GPP access (UE registers over 3GPP or non-3GPP access); the terminal device establishing a connection with the WLAN access.

[0092] Service transmission based on multi-access mode

[0093] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of service transmission based on a multi-access mode applicable to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG3 , the current 3GPP system supports a multi-access PDU (MA-PDU) session mode based on a combination of 3GPP access and non-3GPP access. In other words, a terminal device can access the core network simultaneously through 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and transmit data packets through either 3GPP access or non-3GPP access.

[0094] For example, the terminal device can access the 3GPP access network, where the 3GPP access network and UPF1 can communicate through interface N3. Accordingly, UPF1 can communicate with the server through UPF PSA, where UPF1 and UPF PSA can communicate through interface N9, and UPF PSA and the server can communicate through interface N6.

[0095] The terminal device can access a non-3GPP access network. Accordingly, the non-3GPP access network can communicate with UPF2 through the non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF), wherein N3IWF and UPF2 can communicate through interface N3. UPF2 can communicate with the server through UPF PSA, wherein UPF2 and UPF PSA can communicate through interface N9, and UPF PSA and the server can communicate through interface N6.

[0096] In some embodiments, 3GPP access may include one or more of the following: NR terrestrial network radio access technology, Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), and NR satellite access technology. NR satellite access technology may include one or more of the following: NR Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) radio access technology, NR Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) radio access technology, and NR Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite access technology. In other implementations, non-3GPP access may include access based on Wireless Fidelity (WiFi).

[0097] In some scenarios, a terminal device can access multiple networks at the same time and use the user plane connections in multiple networks to transmit services, which is also called a multi-access scenario. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the terminal device can access 3GPP access network 1 and 3GPP access network 2 at the same time, and transmit services with user plane 1 in the core network through 3GPP access network 1, and transmit services with user plane 2 in the core network through 3GPP access network 2. However, the current technology does not specify how terminal devices use multiple networks to transmit services, resulting in low efficiency of terminal devices accessing multiple networks for service transmission. In response to the above problems, a method for determining user plane connections is proposed in an embodiment of the present application. When the terminal device supports at least two user plane connections, by introducing a first strategy, the terminal device can determine a first user plane connection associated with a first service from multiple user plane connections based on the first strategy to transmit service data, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of transmitting data in multi-access scenarios.

[0098] In some embodiments, the following describes a method for determining a user plane connection according to an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with FIG5 . The method is executed by a terminal device. The method includes:

[0099] In step S510, a first user plane connection associated with a first service is determined based on a first policy.

[0100] In some embodiments, the terminal device supports at least two user plane connections. Each of the at least two user plane connections is a user plane connection based on 3GPP access. It is worth noting that the user plane connection in the embodiments of the present application can also be understood as a PDU session. At least two user plane connections also mean at least two PDU sessions.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first strategy includes: at least one row of parameters. Each row of parameters in the at least one row of parameters includes: at least one of: a service descriptor, an access network type, a core network type, and a priority. It should be noted that the meanings of "service" and "application" described in the embodiments of the present application are consistent. Exemplarily, the first strategy is shown in Table 3 below:

[0102] Table 3

[0103] It is worth noting that the above Table 3 is only an exemplary description. The first strategy in this solution includes but is not limited to the above one form of expression.

[0104] In some embodiments, the at least one row parameter includes a target row parameter, which is a row parameter whose service descriptor matches the first service. For example, if the service descriptor corresponding to the first service is service descriptor-1, the target row parameter is a row parameter corresponding to service descriptor-1.

[0105] In some embodiments, when there are at least two rows of target row parameters corresponding to the first business, the at least two rows of target row parameters are sorted according to their corresponding priorities, and a row of parameters with the highest priority among the at least two rows of target row parameters is selected as the row of parameters matching the first business. Exemplarily, assuming that the target row parameters corresponding to the first business include a first target row parameter and a second target row parameter, the first target row parameter and the second target row parameter are sorted according to their priorities. Assuming that the priority of the first target row parameter is higher than that of the second target row parameter, the first target row parameter is selected as the row of parameters matching the first business.

[0106] In some embodiments, the access network type of the first user plane connection matches the access network type in the target line parameter, and / or the core network type of the first user plane connection matches the core network type in the target line parameter.

[0107] In the embodiment of the present application, the service type in the first policy is not limited. In some embodiments, the service type may include one or more of the following: IMS service, voice service, SMS service, video service, Internet service, FTP file transfer service, WeChat service, and Weibo service.

[0108] In some embodiments, the order of entries in the first policy has a priority, that is, when a target application appears, the UE evaluates the first policy according to the priority data, determines which entry is matched first, and uses the parameters corresponding to the entry.

[0109] In some embodiments, each service descriptor is matched with one or more applications. For example, service descriptor 1 is matched with application 1, and service descriptor 2 is matched with application 2 and application 3.

[0110] In some embodiments, each application is matched with one or more service descriptors. For example, application 1 is matched with service descriptor 1, and application 2 is matched with service descriptors 2 and 3.

[0111] In some embodiments, each service descriptor corresponds to a rule, for example, service descriptor 1 corresponds to rule 1, and service descriptor 2 corresponds to rule 2. Service descriptors and rules have a one-to-one correspondence. In some embodiments, service descriptors are sorted by priority. In some embodiments, each rule is sorted by priority.

[0112] In some embodiments, a rule corresponding to each service descriptor can also be understood as the above-mentioned row of parameters. In some embodiments, a row of parameters can also be called a group of parameters, or a parameter group.

[0113] In some embodiments, the traffic in the first policy may be represented by a traffic descriptor (TD).

[0114] Table 4

[0115] As shown in Table 4, the service descriptor may include one or more of the following parameters: IP descriptors; domain descriptors; non-IP descriptors; DNN information; connection capabilities; PIN ID; and connectivity group ID.

[0116] In some embodiments, the IP descriptor is used to indicate the destination IP triplet. For example, the destination IP triplet may include: an IP address or an IPv6 network prefix; a port number; and a protocol ID of the protocol above IP.

[0117] In some embodiments, the domain descriptor is used to describe a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or a regular expression as a domain name matching criterion.

[0118] In some embodiments, the non-IP descriptor is used to describe the purpose information of the non-IP service.

[0119] In some embodiments, the above DNN information matches the DNN information of the business.

[0120] In some embodiments, the connection capability matches information provided by a service of the terminal device when requesting a network connection with certain functions.

[0121] In some embodiments, the above PIN ID matches the PIN ID of a specific PIN configured in the PEGC.

[0122] In some embodiments, the connection group ID matches the connection group ID of a specific connection group in the 5G-RG.

[0123] In some embodiments, the RAT type is not limited. The RAT type may include one or more of the following: NR-Terrestrial, E-UTRA, NR-Satellite, NR-Geostationary Orbit (GEO), NR-Middle Earth Orbit (MEO), NR-Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In some embodiments, the access order of the RAT type represents the priority order. In some embodiments, the access order of the RAT type does not represent the priority order. In some implementations, the priorities corresponding to the multiple RAT types are different, wherein the priorities corresponding to the multiple RAT types are used to indicate the priority of access with the associated RAT type.

[0124] Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, there may be no priority distinction between the multiple RAT types associated with the first network. In this case, one of the multiple RAT types may be selected to access the network. For example, one of the multiple RAT types may be randomly selected to access the first network. For another example, the currently available RAT type may be selected from multiple RAT types to access the first network, and this embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. In the embodiments of the present application, there is no limitation on the network. In some embodiments, the network may be a wireless network. For example, the network may be a PLMN. For another example, the network may be a non-public network (NPN). For another example, the network may be a stand-alone NPN (SNPN). Of course, the above-mentioned networks may also be other networks introduced in future communication systems.

[0125] In some embodiments, the RAT type in the first policy is optional. In some embodiments, the system (core network / NAS) type in the first policy is optional.

[0126] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the above method further includes: in step S610 , obtaining a first strategy.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first policy is provided by a PCF. In some embodiments, the first policy is sent in advance by the PCF to the terminal device. In some embodiments, the first policy is sent by the PCF when the terminal device requests to select the first user plane connection from multiple user plane connections.

[0128] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the above method further includes: in step S710 , sending first capability information.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first capability information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports capabilities related to multiple user plane connections. The first capability information is used to indicate that the UE supports (requests / requires / allows) capabilities (behaviors / operations) related to multiple user plane connections, specifically including: the ability to support simultaneous or non-simultaneous data transmission in multiple 3GPP accesses. The multiple user plane connections correspond to different access networks, RAT types, and / or system types.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first capability information is sent in advance by the terminal device to the network side. In some embodiments, the first capability information is sent to the network side when the terminal device requests to select a first user plane connection from multiple user plane connections.

[0131] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving second capability information. In some embodiments, the second capability information is sent by the network side to the terminal device, and the second capability information is used to indicate that the network side allows multiple user plane connections.

[0132] In some embodiments, a terminal device and a network exchange first and second capability information to negotiate whether to support multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the terminal device first sends the first capability information to the network, and then the network feeds back negotiation information to the terminal device. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network to the terminal device is the second capability information, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered successful, indicating that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network to the terminal device indicates that the network does not allow multiple user plane connections, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered unsuccessful. In some embodiments, the network first sends the second capability information to the terminal device, and then the terminal device feeds back negotiation information to the network. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the terminal device to the network is the first capability information, negotiation between the network and the terminal device is considered successful, indicating that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the terminal device to the network indicates that the terminal device does not support multiple user plane connections, negotiation between the network and the terminal device is considered unsuccessful.

[0133] In some embodiments, the terminal device and the network negotiate whether to support multiple user plane connections through other means. In some embodiments, the terminal device first sends a first negotiation request to the network, requesting negotiation on whether to allow multiple user plane connections. The network then returns a first negotiation response to the terminal device, indicating whether the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation response returned by the network to the terminal device is a first response, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered successful, indicating that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections and that the network allows multiple user plane connections. The first response indicates that the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation response returned by the network to the terminal device is a second response, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered unsuccessful. The second response indicates that the network does not allow multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the network first sends a second negotiation request to the terminal device, requesting negotiation on whether to support multiple user plane connections. The terminal device then returns a second negotiation response to the network, indicating whether the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, when the negotiation response fed back by the terminal device to the network side is the third response, it is considered that the network side and the terminal device have successfully negotiated, the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections, and the network side allows multiple user plane connections. The third response is used to indicate that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, when the negotiation response fed back by the terminal device to the network side is the fourth response, it is considered that the network side and the terminal device have failed to negotiate. The fourth response is used to indicate that the terminal device does not support multiple user plane connections.

[0134] In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device that includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) / universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card. In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device that includes at least two SIM / USIM cards. In some embodiments, there is a one-to-one correspondence between each SIM / USIM card in the at least two SIM / USIM cards and the user plane connection. In some embodiments, the at least two SIM / USIM cards include a first SIM / USIM card and a second SIM / USIM card. In some embodiments, the at least two user plane connections include a first user plane connection and a second user plane connection. In some embodiments, the first user plane connection is associated with the first SIM / USIM card, and the second user plane connection is associated with the second SIM / USIM card. In the embodiment of the present application, an example is given in which the terminal device includes two USIM cards.

[0135] In some embodiments, different USIM cards correspond to the same terminal device.

[0136] In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device including one UE. In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device including at least two UEs. In some embodiments, there is a one-to-one correspondence between each of the at least two UEs and a user plane connection. In some embodiments, the at least two UEs include a first UE and a second UE. In some embodiments, the at least two user plane connections include a first user plane connection and a second user plane connection. In some embodiments, the first user plane connection is associated with the first UE, and the second user plane connection is associated with the second UE. In the embodiments of the present application, an example is given of a terminal device including two UEs.

[0137] In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device that includes a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI). In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device that includes at least two Subscription Permanent Identifiers (SUPI) and / or Permanent Equipment Identifiers (PEI). In the embodiments of the present application, an example is given in which the terminal device is a terminal device that includes at least two SUPIs. In some embodiments, each of the at least two SUPIs corresponds to a user plane connection. In some embodiments, the at least two SUPIs include a first SUPI and a second SUPI. In some embodiments, the at least two user plane connections include a first user plane connection and a second user plane connection. In some embodiments, the first user plane connection is associated with the first SUPI, and the second user plane connection is associated with the second SUPI.

[0138] In some embodiments, each SIM / USIM card corresponds to a SUPI and / or PEI. In some embodiments, each UE corresponds to a SUPI and / or PEI.

[0139] In some embodiments, each USIM card can execute an independent NAS process according to a UE. In some embodiments, each NAS process includes registration, session establishment, UE policy configuration, etc. In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device including a single USIM card. A single USIM card executes an independent NAS process corresponding to a single UE. In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device including multiple USIM cards. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 8, the terminal device is a terminal device including USIM-1 and USIM-2. Among them, USIM-1 independently executes NAS processes, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, service request, etc. USIM-2 independently executes NAS processes, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, service request, etc.

[0140] In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device including multiple UEs. For example, as shown in FIG8 , the terminal device includes UE-1 and UE-2. UE-1 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests. UE-2 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests.

[0141] In some embodiments, the terminal device is a terminal device that includes multiple SUPIs. For example, as shown in FIG8 , the terminal device is a terminal device that includes SUPI-1 and SUPI-2. SUPI-1 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests. SUPI-2 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests.

[0142] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, USIM-1 and USIM-2 can each use two UE protocol stacks, or share one UE protocol stack or part of the UE protocol stack. On the network side, the network side can treat USIM-1 and USIM-2 as two independent UEs and maintain corresponding subscription information and / or context for each process initiated by the USIM card.

[0143] In some embodiments, the UE behavior refers to the related UE behavior executed by the UE protocol stack corresponding to the USIM card. For example, the registration process of UE-1 is the registration process executed by the UE protocol stack corresponding to USIM-1.

[0144] In some embodiments, a process of a terminal device including multiple USIM cards / UEs / SUPIs using a first policy is shown in FIG9 .

[0145] Step 20: USIM-1 / UE-1 / SUPI-1 performs a registration procedure and / or PDU session establishment via RAT-1.

[0146] Step 21: USIM-2 / UE-2 / SUPI-2 performs a registration procedure and / or PDU session establishment via RAT-2.

[0147] Step 22: The PCF configures the first policy to the terminal device;

[0148] Step 23: The PCF configures the URSP policy to the USIM-1 / UE-1 / SUPI-1 and USIM-2 / UE-2 / SUPI-2 in the terminal device;

[0149] The PCF configures a first URSP policy to the USIM-1 / UE-1 / SUPI-1 in the terminal device; the PCF configures a second URSP policy to the USIM-2 / UE-2 / SUPI-2 in the terminal device.

[0150] Step 24: The terminal device performs an evaluation based on the first policy.

[0151] In some embodiments, the process of the terminal device performing the evaluation based on the first policy is shown in FIG10 .

[0152] Step 30: A new application data flow appears. For example, when an application-1 data flow appears or is activated for the first time or is about to send data, the UE first checks the first strategy.

[0153] Step 31: Use the first policy to perform evaluation and select a rule corresponding to a matching priority (a row of parameters). In some embodiments, the UE determines the rule corresponding to the priority of the application-1 data flow based on the priority corresponding to each application identifier.

[0154] Step 32: Determine whether one or more UEs in the terminal device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule. In some embodiments, determine whether one or more UEs in the terminal device meet the corresponding RAT type, such as determining whether the RAT type of the network currently registered by the UE is consistent with the conditions in the rule. In some embodiments, the corresponding RAT type refers to the RAT type corresponding to the rule to be matched. In some embodiments, determine whether one or more UEs in the terminal device meet the NAS type, such as determining whether the NAS type corresponding to the network currently registered by the UE is consistent with the conditions in the rule. In some embodiments, determine whether one or more UEs in the terminal device meet the corresponding RAT type and NAS type.

[0155] In addition, the NAS type is associated with the core network type. For example, the 4G core network generally corresponds to 4G NAS (EPS NAS), and the 5G core network generally corresponds to 5G NAS (5GS NAS).

[0156] In some embodiments, when there are multiple UEs in the terminal device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rules, one UE is selected from the multiple UEs.

[0157] In some embodiments, if one or more UEs in the terminal device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rules, step 33 is continued.

[0158] In some embodiments, if there is no UE in the terminal device that meets the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 31 is repeated.

[0159] In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the terminal device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the terminal device meet the corresponding RAT type. In some embodiments, the corresponding RAT type refers to the RAT type corresponding to the rule to be matched. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the terminal device meet the NAS type. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the terminal device meet the corresponding RAT type and NAS type.

[0160] In some embodiments, when there are multiple SIM / USIM cards in the terminal device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, one SIM / USIM card is selected from the multiple SIM / USIM cards.

[0161] In some embodiments, if there are one or more SIM / USIM cards in the terminal device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 33 is continued.

[0162] In some embodiments, if there is no SIM / USIM card in the terminal device that meets the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 31 is repeated.

[0163] In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SUPIs in the terminal device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SUPIs in the terminal device meet the corresponding RAT type. In some embodiments, the corresponding RAT type refers to the RAT type corresponding to the rule to be matched. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SUPIs in the terminal device meet the NAS type. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SUPIs in the terminal device meet the corresponding RAT type and NAS type.

[0164] In some embodiments, when there are multiple SUPIs in the terminal device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, one SUPI is selected from the multiple SUPIs.

[0165] In some embodiments, if one or more SUPIs in the terminal device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 33 is continued.

[0166] In some embodiments, if no SUPI in the terminal device satisfies the condition corresponding to the matching rule, step 31 is repeated.

[0167] Step 33: Evaluate the URSP policy of the UE that meets the matching conditions, determine the PDU session parameters, and perform binding.

[0168] In some embodiments, the URSP policy of the SIM / USIM card that meets the matching conditions is evaluated, the PDU session parameters are determined, and binding is performed.

[0169] In some embodiments, the URSP policy of the SUPI that meets the matching conditions is evaluated, the PDU session parameters are determined, and binding is performed.

[0170] Step 34: If the binding is successful, the application data is transmitted on the corresponding PDU session.

[0171] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines a first user plane connection associated with a first service based on a first policy. That is, the terminal device determines a first UE associated with the first service based on the first policy. Alternatively, the terminal device determines a first SIM / USIM card associated with the first service based on the first policy. Alternatively, the terminal device determines a first SUPI associated with the first service based on the first policy.

[0172] In some embodiments, the following describes a method for determining a user plane connection according to an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with FIG11 . The method is executed by a network device. The method includes: in step S810 , receiving first capability information.

[0173] In some embodiments, the first capability information is used to indicate the terminal device's ability to support multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the first capability information is pre-sent by the terminal device to the network. In some embodiments, the first capability information is sent to the network when the terminal device requests selection of a first user plane connection from multiple user plane connections.

[0174] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending second capability information. In some embodiments, the second capability information is sent by the network side to the terminal device, and the second capability information is used to indicate that the network side allows multiple user plane connections.

[0175] In some embodiments, a terminal device and a network exchange first and second capability information to negotiate whether to support multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the terminal device first sends the first capability information to the network, and then the network feeds back negotiation information to the terminal device. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network to the terminal device is the second capability information, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered successful, indicating that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network to the terminal device indicates that the network does not allow multiple user plane connections, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered unsuccessful. In some embodiments, the network first sends the second capability information to the terminal device, and then the terminal device feeds back negotiation information to the network. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the terminal device to the network is the first capability information, negotiation between the network and the terminal device is considered successful, indicating that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the terminal device to the network indicates that the terminal device does not support multiple user plane connections, negotiation between the network and the terminal device is considered unsuccessful.

[0176] In some embodiments, the following describes a method for determining a user plane connection according to an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with FIG12 . The method is performed by a network device. In some embodiments, the network device is a PFC. The method includes: in step S910, sending a first policy.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first policy is used to determine a first user plane connection associated with the first service, wherein the first user plane connection is one of at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device.

[0178] In some embodiments, the terminal device supports at least two user plane connections. Each user plane connection of the at least two user plane connections is a user plane connection based on 3GPP access.

[0179] In some embodiments, the first strategy includes: at least one row of parameters. Each row of parameters in the at least one row of parameters includes: at least one of a service descriptor, an access network type, a core network type, and a priority. It should be noted that the meanings of "service" and "application" described in the embodiments of the present application are consistent. Exemplarily, the first strategy is shown in Table 3 above. It is worth noting that Table 3 above is only an exemplary description. The first strategy in this solution includes but is not limited to the above-mentioned form of expression.

[0180] In some embodiments, the at least one row parameter includes a target row parameter, which is a row parameter whose service descriptor matches the first service. For example, if the service descriptor corresponding to the first service is service descriptor-1, the target row parameter is a row parameter corresponding to service descriptor-1.

[0181] In some embodiments, the access network type of the first user plane connection matches the access network type in the target line parameter, and / or the core network type of the first user plane connection matches the core network type in the target line parameter.

[0182] In the embodiment of the present application, the service type in the first policy is not limited. In some embodiments, the service type may include one or more of the following: IMS service, voice service, SMS service, video service, Internet service, FTP file transfer service, WeChat service, and Weibo service.

[0183] In some embodiments, the order of entries in the first policy has a priority, that is, when a target application appears, the UE evaluates the first policy according to the priority data, determines which entry is matched first, and uses the parameters corresponding to the entry.

[0184] In some embodiments, each service descriptor is matched with one or more applications. For example, service descriptor 1 is matched with application 1, and service descriptor 2 is matched with application 2 and application 3.

[0185] In some embodiments, each application is matched with one or more service descriptors. For example, application 1 is matched with service descriptor 1, and application 2 is matched with service descriptors 2 and 3.

[0186] In some embodiments, each service descriptor corresponds to a rule, for example, service descriptor 1 corresponds to rule 1, and service descriptor 2 corresponds to rule 2. Service descriptors and rules have a one-to-one correspondence. In some embodiments, service descriptors are sorted by priority. In some embodiments, each rule is sorted by priority.

[0187] In some embodiments, the services in the first policy may be represented by traffic descriptors (TDs), as shown in Table 4 above.

[0188] FIG13 shows a block diagram of a device for determining a user plane connection according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The device includes:

[0189] The determining module 1310 is configured to determine a first user plane connection associated with a first service based on a first policy.

[0190] In some embodiments, the apparatus supports at least two user plane connections. Each of the at least two user plane connections is a user plane connection based on 3GPP access.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first strategy includes: at least one row of parameters. Each row of parameters in the at least one row of parameters includes: at least one of a service descriptor, an access network type, a core network type, and a priority. It should be noted that the meanings of "service" and "application" described in the embodiments of the present application are consistent. Exemplarily, the first strategy is shown in Table 3 above. It is worth noting that Table 3 above is only an exemplary description. The first strategy in this solution includes but is not limited to the above-mentioned one form of expression.

[0192] In some embodiments, the at least one row parameter includes a target row parameter, which is a row parameter whose service descriptor matches the first service. For example, if the service descriptor corresponding to the first service is service descriptor-1, the target row parameter is a row parameter corresponding to service descriptor-1.

[0193] In some embodiments, the access network type of the first user plane connection matches the access network type in the target line parameter, and / or the core network type of the first user plane connection matches the core network type in the target line parameter.

[0194] In the embodiment of the present application, the service type in the first policy is not limited. In some embodiments, the service type may include one or more of the following: IMS service, voice service, SMS service, video service, Internet service, FTP file transfer service, WeChat service, and Weibo service.

[0195] In some embodiments, the order of entries in the first policy has a priority, that is, when a target application appears, the UE evaluates the first policy according to the priority data, determines which entry is matched first, and uses the parameters corresponding to the entry.

[0196] In some embodiments, each service descriptor is matched with one or more applications. For example, service descriptor 1 is matched with application 1, and service descriptor 2 is matched with application 2 and application 3.

[0197] In some embodiments, each application is matched with one or more service descriptors. For example, application 1 is matched with service descriptor 1, and application 2 is matched with service descriptors 2 and 3.

[0198] In some embodiments, each service descriptor corresponds to a rule, for example, service descriptor 1 corresponds to rule 1, and service descriptor 2 corresponds to rule 2. Service descriptors and rules have a one-to-one correspondence. In some embodiments, service descriptors are sorted by priority. In some embodiments, each rule is sorted by priority.

[0199] In some embodiments, the services in the first policy may be represented by traffic descriptors (TDs). For example, as shown in Table 4 above, the traffic descriptors may include one or more of the following parameters: IP descriptors; domain descriptors; non-IP descriptors; DNN information; connection capabilities; PIN ID; and connectivity group ID.

[0200] In some embodiments, the IP descriptor is used to indicate the destination IP triplet. For example, the destination IP triplet may include: an IP address or an IPv6 network prefix; a port number; and a protocol ID of the protocol above IP.

[0201] In some embodiments, the domain descriptor is used to describe a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or a regular expression as a domain name matching criterion.

[0202] In some embodiments, the non-IP descriptor is used to describe the purpose information of the non-IP service.

[0203] In some embodiments, the above DNN information matches the DNN information of the business.

[0204] In some embodiments, the connection capabilities match information provided by the service of the device when requesting a network connection with certain functions.

[0205] In some embodiments, the above PIN ID matches the PIN ID of a specific PIN configured in the PEGC.

[0206] In some embodiments, the connection group ID matches the connection group ID of a specific connection group in the 5G-RG.

[0207] In some embodiments, the RAT type is not limited. The RAT type may include one or more of the following: NR-Terrestrial, E-UTRA, NR-Satellite, NR-Geostationary Orbit (GEO), NR-Middle Earth Orbit (MEO), NR-Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In some embodiments, the access order of the RAT type represents the priority order. In some embodiments, the access order of the RAT type does not represent the priority order. In some implementations, the priorities corresponding to the multiple RAT types are different, wherein the priorities corresponding to the multiple RAT types are used to indicate the priority of access with the associated RAT type.

[0208] Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, there may be no priority distinction between the multiple RAT types associated with the first network. In this case, one of the multiple RAT types may be selected to access the network. For example, one of the multiple RAT types may be randomly selected to access the first network. For another example, the currently available RAT type may be selected from multiple RAT types to access the first network, and this embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. In the embodiments of the present application, there is no limitation on the network. In some embodiments, the network may be a wireless network. For example, the network may be a PLMN. For another example, the network may be a non-public network (NPN). For another example, the network may be a stand-alone NPN (SNPN). Of course, the above-mentioned networks may also be other networks introduced in future communication systems.

[0209] In some embodiments, the RAT type in the first policy is optional. In some embodiments, the system (core network / NAS) type in the first policy is optional.

[0210] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0211] The receiving module 1320 is configured to obtain a first strategy.

[0212] In some embodiments, the first policy is provided by a PCF. In some embodiments, the first policy is sent in advance by the PCF to the device. In some embodiments, the first policy is sent by the PCF when the device requests to select a first user plane connection from a plurality of user plane connections.

[0213] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0214] The sending module 1330 is configured to send the first capability information.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first capability information is used to indicate the device's ability to support multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the first capability information is pre-sent by the device to the network. In some embodiments, the first capability information is sent by the device to the network when the device requests selection of a first user plane connection from multiple user plane connections.

[0216] The receiving module 1320 is further configured to receive second capability information. In some embodiments, the second capability information is sent by the network side to the apparatus, and the second capability information is used to indicate that the network side allows multiple user plane connections.

[0217] In some embodiments, the device and the network exchange first and second capability information to negotiate whether to support multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the device first sends the first capability information to the network, and the network then feeds back negotiation information to the device. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network to the device is the second capability information, the negotiation between the device and the network is considered successful, indicating that the device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network indicates that the network does not allow multiple user plane connections, the negotiation between the device and the network is considered unsuccessful. In some embodiments, the network first sends the second capability information to the device, and the device then feeds back negotiation information to the network. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the device to the network is the first capability information, the negotiation between the network and the device is considered successful, indicating that the device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the device to the network indicates that the device does not support multiple user plane connections, the negotiation between the network and the device is considered unsuccessful.

[0218] In some embodiments, the device and the network negotiate whether to support multiple user plane connections through other means. In some embodiments, the device first sends a first negotiation request to the network, requesting negotiation on whether to allow multiple user plane connections. The network then returns a first negotiation response to the device, indicating whether the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation response returned by the network to the device is the first response, the device is deemed to have successfully negotiated with the network, indicating that the device supports multiple user plane connections and that the network allows multiple user plane connections. The first response indicates that the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation response returned by the network to the device is the second response, the device is deemed to have failed negotiation with the network, indicating that the network does not allow multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the network first sends a second negotiation request to the device, requesting negotiation on whether to support multiple user plane connections. The device then returns a second negotiation response to the network, indicating whether the device supports multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation response fed back by the device to the network is the third response, it is considered that the network and the device have successfully negotiated, the device supports multiple user plane connections, and the network allows multiple user plane connections. The third response is used to indicate that the device supports multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation response fed back by the device to the network is the fourth response, it is considered that the network and the device have failed to negotiate. The fourth response is used to indicate that the device does not support multiple user plane connections.

[0219] In some embodiments, the device is a device that includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) / universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card. In some embodiments, the device is a device that includes at least two SIM / USIM cards. In some embodiments, there is a one-to-one correspondence between each SIM / USIM card in the at least two SIM / USIM cards and the user plane connection. In some embodiments, the at least two SIM / USIM cards include a first SIM / USIM card and a second SIM / USIM card. In some embodiments, the at least two user plane connections include a first user plane connection and a second user plane connection. In some embodiments, the first user plane connection is associated with the first SIM / USIM card, and the second user plane connection is associated with the second SIM / USIM card. In the embodiment of the present application, the device is illustrated by taking the example of including two USIM cards.

[0220] In some embodiments, different USIM cards correspond to the same device.

[0221] In some embodiments, the device is a device that includes one UE. In some embodiments, the device is a device that includes at least two UEs. In some embodiments, there is a one-to-one correspondence between each of the at least two UEs and a user plane connection. In some embodiments, the at least two UEs include a first UE and a second UE. In some embodiments, the at least two user plane connections include a first user plane connection and a second user plane connection. In some embodiments, the first user plane connection is associated with the first UE, and the second user plane connection is associated with the second UE. In the embodiments of the present application, an example is given in which the device includes two UEs.

[0222] In some embodiments, the device includes a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI). In some embodiments, the device includes at least two SUPIs and / or Permanent Equipment Identifiers (PEI). In the embodiments of the present application, an example is given in which the device includes at least two SUPIs. In some embodiments, each of the at least two SUPIs corresponds to a user plane connection. In some embodiments, the at least two SUPIs include a first SUPI and a second SUPI. In some embodiments, the at least two user plane connections include a first user plane connection and a second user plane connection. In some embodiments, the first user plane connection is associated with the first SUPI, and the second user plane connection is associated with the second SUPI.

[0223] In some embodiments, each SIM / USIM card corresponds to a SUPI and / or PEI. In some embodiments, each UE corresponds to a SUPI and / or PEI.

[0224] In some embodiments, each USIM card can execute an independent NAS process according to a UE. In some embodiments, each NAS process includes registration, session establishment, UE policy configuration, etc. In some embodiments, the device is a device that includes a single USIM card. A single USIM card executes an independent NAS process corresponding to a single UE. In some embodiments, the device is a device that includes multiple USIM cards. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 8, the device is a device that includes USIM-1 and USIM-2. Among them, USIM-1 independently executes NAS processes, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, service request, etc. USIM-2 independently executes NAS processes, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, service request, etc.

[0225] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes multiple UEs. For example, as shown in FIG8 , the apparatus includes UE-1 and UE-2. UE-1 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests. UE-2 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests.

[0226] In some embodiments, the device includes multiple SUPIs. For example, as shown in FIG8 , the device includes SUPI-1 and SUPI-2. SUPI-1 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests. SUPI-2 independently performs NAS procedures, including but not limited to registration, session establishment, and service requests.

[0227] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, USIM-1 and USIM-2 can each use two UE protocol stacks, or share one UE protocol stack or part of the UE protocol stack. On the network side, the network side can treat USIM-1 and USIM-2 as two independent UEs and maintain corresponding subscription information and / or context for each process initiated by the USIM card.

[0228] In some embodiments, the UE behavior refers to the related UE behavior executed by the UE protocol stack corresponding to the USIM card. For example, the registration process of UE-1 is the registration process executed by the UE protocol stack corresponding to USIM-1.

[0229] In some embodiments, the process of the device including multiple USIM cards / UEs / SUPIs using the first strategy is shown in FIG9 .

[0230] Step 20: USIM-1 / UE-1 / SUPI-1 performs a registration procedure and / or PDU session establishment via RAT-1.

[0231] Step 21: USIM-2 / UE-2 / SUPI-2 performs a registration procedure and / or PDU session establishment via RAT-2.

[0232] Step 22: The PCF configures the first policy to the device;

[0233] Step 23: The PCF configures the URSP policy to USIM-1 / UE-1 / SUPI-1 and USIM-2 / UE-2 / SUPI-2 in the device.

[0234] The PCF configures a first URSP policy to USIM-1 / UE-1 / SUPI-1 in the device; and the PCF configures a second URSP policy to USIM-2 / UE-2 / SUPI-2 in the device.

[0235] Step 24: The device performs an evaluation based on the first policy.

[0236] In some embodiments, the process of the device performing the evaluation based on the first policy is shown in FIG10 .

[0237] Step 30: A new application data flow appears. For example, when an application-1 data flow appears or is activated for the first time or is about to send data, the UE first checks the first strategy.

[0238] Step 31: Use the first policy to perform evaluation and select a rule corresponding to a matching priority (a row of parameters). In some embodiments, the UE determines the rule corresponding to the priority of the application-1 data flow based on the priority corresponding to each application identifier.

[0239] Step 32: Determine whether one or more UEs in the device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule. In some embodiments, determining whether one or more UEs in the device meet the corresponding RAT type includes, for example, determining whether the RAT type of the network currently registered by the UE is consistent with the conditions in the rule. In some embodiments, the corresponding RAT type refers to the RAT type corresponding to the rule to be matched. In some embodiments, determining whether one or more UEs in the device meet the NAS type includes, for example, determining whether the NAS type corresponding to the network currently registered by the UE is consistent with the conditions in the rule. In some embodiments, determining whether one or more UEs in the device meet the corresponding RAT type and NAS type.

[0240] In addition, the NAS type is associated with the core network type. For example, the 4G core network generally corresponds to 4G NAS (EPS NAS), and the 5G core network generally corresponds to 5G NAS (5GS NAS).

[0241] In some embodiments, when there are multiple UEs in the device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, one UE is selected from the multiple UEs.

[0242] In some embodiments, if one or more UEs in the device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 33 is continued.

[0243] In some embodiments, if there is no UE in the device that meets the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 31 is repeated.

[0244] In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the device meet the corresponding RAT type. In some embodiments, the corresponding RAT type refers to the RAT type corresponding to the rule to be matched. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the device meet the NAS type. In some embodiments, it is determined whether one or more SIM / USIM cards in the device meet the corresponding RAT type and NAS type.

[0245] In some embodiments, when there are multiple SIM / USIM cards in the device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, one SIM / USIM card is selected from the multiple SIM / USIM cards.

[0246] In some embodiments, if there are one or more SIM / USIM cards in the device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 33 is continued.

[0247] In some embodiments, if there is no SIM / USIM card in the device that meets the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 31 is repeated.

[0248] In some embodiments, determining whether one or more SUPIs in the device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule. In some embodiments, determining whether one or more SUPIs in the device meet the corresponding RAT type. In some embodiments, the corresponding RAT type refers to the RAT type corresponding to the rule to be matched. In some embodiments, determining whether one or more SUPIs in the device meet the NAS type. In some embodiments, determining whether one or more SUPIs in the device meet the corresponding RAT type and NAS type.

[0249] In some embodiments, when there are multiple SUPIs in the device that meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, one SUPI is selected from the multiple SUPIs.

[0250] In some embodiments, if one or more SUPIs in the device meet the conditions corresponding to the matching rule, step 33 is continued.

[0251] In some embodiments, if no SUPI in the device satisfies the condition corresponding to the matching rule, step 31 is repeated.

[0252] Step 33: Evaluate the URSP policy of the UE that meets the matching conditions, determine the PDU session parameters, and perform binding.

[0253] In some embodiments, the URSP policy of the SIM / USIM card that meets the matching conditions is evaluated, the PDU session parameters are determined, and binding is performed.

[0254] In some embodiments, the URSP policy of the SUPI that meets the matching conditions is evaluated, the PDU session parameters are determined, and binding is performed.

[0255] Step 34: If the binding is successful, the application data is transmitted on the corresponding PDU session.

[0256] In some embodiments, the apparatus determines a first user plane connection associated with a first service based on a first policy. That is, the apparatus determines a first UE associated with the first service based on the first policy. Alternatively, the apparatus determines a first SIM / USIM card associated with the first service based on the first policy. Alternatively, the apparatus determines a first SUPI associated with the first service based on the first policy.

[0257] FIG14 shows a block diagram of a device for determining a user plane connection according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The device includes:

[0258] The receiving module 1410 is configured to receive first capability information.

[0259] In some embodiments, the first capability information is used to indicate the terminal device's ability to support multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the first capability information is pre-sent by the terminal device to the network. In some embodiments, the first capability information is sent to the network when the terminal device requests selection of a first user plane connection from multiple user plane connections.

[0260] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0261] The sending module 1420 is configured to send the second capability information. In some embodiments, the second capability information is sent by the network side to the terminal device, and the second capability information is used to indicate that the network side allows multiple user plane connections.

[0262] In some embodiments, a terminal device and a network exchange first and second capability information to negotiate whether to support multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, the terminal device first sends the first capability information to the network, and then the network feeds back negotiation information to the terminal device. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network to the terminal device is the second capability information, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered successful, indicating that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the network to the terminal device indicates that the network does not allow multiple user plane connections, negotiation between the terminal device and the network is considered unsuccessful. In some embodiments, the network first sends the second capability information to the terminal device, and then the terminal device feeds back negotiation information to the network. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the terminal device to the network is the first capability information, negotiation between the network and the terminal device is considered successful, indicating that the terminal device supports multiple user plane connections and the network allows multiple user plane connections. In some embodiments, if the negotiation information fed back by the terminal device to the network indicates that the terminal device does not support multiple user plane connections, negotiation between the network and the terminal device is considered unsuccessful.

[0263] The sending module 1420 is further configured to send a first policy. In some embodiments, the first policy is used to determine a first user plane connection associated with the first service. The first user plane connection is one of at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device.

[0264] In some embodiments, the terminal device supports at least two user plane connections. Each user plane connection of the at least two user plane connections is a user plane connection based on 3GPP access.

[0265] In some embodiments, the first strategy includes: at least one row of parameters. Each row of parameters in the at least one row of parameters includes: at least one of a service descriptor, an access network type, a core network type, and a priority. It should be noted that the meanings of "service" and "application" described in the embodiments of the present application are consistent. Exemplarily, the first strategy is shown in Table 3 above. It is worth noting that Table 3 above is only an exemplary description. The first strategy in this solution includes but is not limited to the above-mentioned form of expression.

[0266] In some embodiments, the at least one row parameter includes a target row parameter, which is a row parameter whose service descriptor matches the first service. For example, if the service descriptor corresponding to the first service is service descriptor-1, the target row parameter is a row parameter corresponding to service descriptor-1.

[0267] In some embodiments, the access network type of the first user plane connection matches the access network type in the target line parameter, and / or the core network type of the first user plane connection matches the core network type in the target line parameter.

[0268] In the embodiment of the present application, the service type in the first policy is not limited. In some embodiments, the service type may include one or more of the following: IMS service, voice service, SMS service, video service, Internet service, FTP file transfer service, WeChat service, and Weibo service.

[0269] In some embodiments, the order of entries in the first policy has a priority, that is, when a target application appears, the UE evaluates the first policy according to the priority data, determines which entry is matched first, and uses the parameters corresponding to the entry.

[0270] In some embodiments, each service descriptor is matched with one or more applications. For example, service descriptor 1 is matched with application 1, and service descriptor 2 is matched with application 2 and application 3.

[0271] In some embodiments, each application is matched with one or more service descriptors. For example, application 1 is matched with service descriptor 1, and application 2 is matched with service descriptors 2 and 3.

[0272] In some embodiments, each service descriptor corresponds to a rule, for example, service descriptor 1 corresponds to rule 1, and service descriptor 2 corresponds to rule 2. Service descriptors and rules have a one-to-one correspondence. In some embodiments, service descriptors are sorted by priority. In some embodiments, each rule is sorted by priority.

[0273] In some embodiments, the services in the first policy may be represented by traffic descriptors (TDs), as shown in Table 4 above.

[0274] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above-mentioned functional modules as an example to implement its functions. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0275] FIG15 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication device may include: a processor 1501 , a receiver 1502 , a transmitter 1503 , a memory 1504 , and a bus 1505 .

[0276] The processor 1501 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 1501 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0277] The receiver 1502 and the transmitter 1503 may be implemented as a transceiver 1506 , which may be a communication chip.

[0278] The memory 1504 is connected to the processor 1501 via a bus 1505. The memory 1504 can be used to store computer programs, and the processor 1501 is used to execute the computer programs to implement the various steps performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiment.

[0279] In addition, the memory 1504 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: RAM (Random-Access Memory) and ROM (Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory or other solid-state storage technology, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Video Disc) or other optical storage, tape cassettes, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices.

[0280] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored, and the computer program is used in a processor of a terminal device or a network device to implement the various steps in the above-mentioned method for determining the user plane connection. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may include: ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random-Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drives) or an optical disk, etc. Among them, the random access memory may include ReRAM (Resistance Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0281] An embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip runs on a terminal device or a network device, it is used to implement each step in the above-mentioned method for determining the user plane connection.

[0282] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product or computer program, which includes computer instructions, and the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of the terminal device or network device reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the various steps in the above-mentioned method for determining the user plane connection.

[0283] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0284] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for determining a user plane connection, characterized in that: The method is executed by a terminal device, and includes: Determining, based on the first policy, a first user plane connection associated with the first service; The first user plane connection is one of at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least two user plane connections are user plane connections based on 3GPP access.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first strategy includes: at least one line of parameters, and each line of parameters in the at least one line of parameters includes: at least one of: a service descriptor, an access network type, a core network type, and a priority.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The at least one row of parameters includes: a target row parameter; the target row parameter is a row of parameters that matches the service descriptor with the first service.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The access network type of the first user plane connection matches the access network type in the target row parameter, and / or the core network type of the first user plane connection matches the core network type in the target row parameter.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The service descriptor includes at least one of the following: Internet Protocol IP descriptor; domain descriptor; Non-IP descriptors; Data network name DNN; Connectivity Personal identification number; Connection group ID.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The access network type includes at least one of the following: New Radio NR - Non-Terrestrial Network NTN; Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN); NR-terrestrial network TN; NR - geostationary orbit GEO; NR-Medium Earth Orbit MEO; NR - Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: The core network type includes at least one of the following: Fifth-generation communication system 5GS; Evolved Packet System EPS.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Obtain the first strategy.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first strategy is provided by PCF.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Sending first capability information, where the first capability information is used to indicate the capability of the terminal device to support multiple user plane connections.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The terminal device is a terminal device including one SIM / USIM card, or the terminal device is a terminal device including at least two SIM / USIM cards.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: The at least two user plane connections further include a second user plane connection; The first user plane connection is associated with a first SIM / USIM card, and the second user plane connection is associated with a second SIM / USIM card; and / or, The first user plane connection is associated with a first SUPI, and the second user plane connection is associated with a second SUPI.

14. A method for determining a user plane connection, characterized in that: The method is performed by a network device, and includes: Sending a first policy to a terminal device, where the first policy is used to determine a first user plane connection associated with a first service; The first user plane connection is one of at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: First capability information is received, where the first capability information is used to indicate a capability of the terminal device to support multiple user plane connections.

16. A device for determining a user plane connection, characterized in that: The device comprises: a determining module, configured to determine, based on a first policy, a first user plane connection associated with a first service; The first user plane connection is one of at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device.

17. A device for determining a user plane connection, characterized in that: The device comprises: A sending module, configured to send a first policy to a terminal device, where the first policy is used to determine a first user plane connection associated with a first service; The first user plane connection is one of at least two user plane connections supported by the terminal device.

18. A terminal device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the method for determining a user plane connection according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

19. A network device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the method for determining a user plane connection as claimed in claims 14 and 15.

20. A chip, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method for determining a user plane connection according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that Used to store a computer program, wherein the computer program enables a computer to execute the method for determining a user plane connection according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute the method for determining a user plane connection according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

23. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program enables a computer to execute the method for determining a user plane connection according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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