Wireless communication methods and communication devices

Abstract

Provided are wireless communication methods and communication devices. A method comprises: a first network element sends first information to a terminal device, the first information being used for triggering a registration process of the terminal device. By means of the information for triggering the registration process of the terminal device sent by the first network element, a network triggers the registration of the terminal device.

Description

Wireless communication method and communication device Technical Field

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

[0002] In related technologies, zero-power terminals, such as Ambient IoT terminals, can access wireless networks and use their frequency resources for communication. However, since zero-power terminals lack active communication capabilities, registering them when accessing the network is a challenge.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a wireless communication method and a communication device. The following introduces various aspects of the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising: a first network element sends first information to a terminal device, where the first information is used to trigger a registration process of the terminal device.

[0006] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, including: a terminal device receives first information from a first network element, where the first information is used to trigger a registration process of the terminal device.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: an intermediate node receiving first information sent by a first network element through a network device, wherein the first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device associated with the intermediate node.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a first network element. The device includes: a first sending unit, used to send first information to a terminal device, and the first information is used to trigger a registration process of the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a terminal device. The device includes: a receiving unit, configured to receive first information from a first network element, wherein the first information is used to trigger a registration process of the terminal device.

[0010] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is an intermediate node. The device includes: a receiving unit for receiving first information sent by a first network element through a network device, and the first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device associated with the intermediate node.

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

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor, and the processor can call a program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes some or all of the steps described in the above various aspects of the method.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a communication device to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods of the various aspects described above. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0015] In the eleventh aspect, a computer program is provided, characterized in that the computer program enables a computer to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above-mentioned various aspects of the embodiments of the present application.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present application, by introducing the network, such as information (i.e., first information) sent by the first network element to trigger the registration process of the terminal device, it helps to achieve the registration of zero-power terminal devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present application is applicable.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the communication principle of an environmental IoT device.

[0019] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a method for environmental IoT devices to access the network.

[0020] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of another way for an environmental IoT device to access the network.

[0021] FIG5 is a flow chart of a wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a process of triggering terminal device registration according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of another process of triggering terminal device registration according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a process of triggering terminal device group registration according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another process of triggering terminal device group registration according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0028] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0029] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solutions in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of this application, the following first introduces the architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application, the communication processes involved, and terminology.

[0031] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present application is applicable. As shown in Figure 1, the fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR) network architecture released by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard group includes: terminal equipment (also known as "user equipment (UE)" 101, access network equipment supporting 3GPP technology 102 (including radio access network (RAN) or access network (AN)), user plane function (UPF) network element 105, access and mobility management function (AMF) network element 103, session management function (SMF) network element 104, policy control function (PCF) network element 106, application function (AF) network element 109, data network (DN) 108, network slice selection function (NSSF) 111, authentication server function (AUSF) 110, unified data management function (UDF) network element 111, and the like. management, UDM)107.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The terminal device 101 may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user apparatus. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in V2X or D2D, etc. For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and smart home devices communicate without relaying the communication signal through the base station.

[0034] Access network equipment 102 provides network access for authorized terminal devices in a specific area and can use transmission channels of varying quality based on the terminal device's level and service requirements. Access network equipment manages wireless resources, provides access services to terminal devices, and forwards control signals and data between terminal devices and the core network.

[0035] An access network device may be a device in a wireless network. An access network device may also be referred to as a radio access network (RAN) device or a network device. For example, an access network device may be a base station. The access network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. A base station can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmission point (TRP), transmission point (TP), master station MeNB, secondary station SeNB, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node or the like, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, a modem or a chip used to be set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The base station can also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device D2D, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. The base station can support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the access network device.

[0036] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0037] In some deployments, the access network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the access network device may include a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0038] The access network equipment and terminal equipment can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the access network equipment and terminal equipment are located.

[0039] AMF network element 103, SMF network element 104, UPF network element 105, 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. 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] The SMF network element 104 (or "SMF" for short) can be used to select a user plane network element for a terminal device, redirect a user plane network element for a terminal device, allocate an Internet Protocol (IP) address for a terminal device, establish a bearer (also called a session) between the terminal device and the UPF network element, modify and release the session, and control QoS.

[0042] 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. Among them, 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. Among them, the user plane connection is a quality of service (QoS) flow that can be established between the UPF network element and the access network device to transmit data.

[0043] The PCF network element 106 (or simply "PCF") is used to provide policies, such as QoS policy, slice selection policy, UE policy, etc., to the AMF network element 103 and the SMF network element 104. In some implementations, the PCF can manage the issuance and update of policies.

[0044] The UDM network element 107 (or "UDM" for short) includes functions such as generating and storing user subscription data, managing authentication data, and supporting interaction with external third-party servers. During the registration process, the UDM network element can return the subscription data after receiving the registration message sent by the AMF.

[0045] DN network element 108 can provide data services to users, such as IP Multimedia Service (IMS) networks 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.

[0046] The AF network element 109 (or simply "AF") is used to interact with 3GPP core network elements to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing some third-party services to the network side. In other words, the AF can be mainly used to convey the requirements of the application side to the network side. In some embodiments, the AF can be understood as a third-party server, such as an application server on the Internet, providing relevant service information, including providing service quality requirement information corresponding to the service to the PCF, and sending user plane data information of the service to the A-UPF. In some embodiments, the AF can also be a service provider (content provider, CP).

[0047] The AUSF network element 110 (or "AUSF" for short) 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.

[0048] NSSF network element 111 (or simply "NSSF") is used for network slice selection and supports the following functions: selecting a set of network slice instances to serve the UE; determining the allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the contracted single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI); determining the configured NSSAI and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the contracted S-NSSAI; determining the set of AMFs that may be used to query the UE, or determining a list of candidate AMFs based on the configuration.

[0049] 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.

[0050] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the xx functional entity or xx network element may also be directly referred to as xx. For example, the UPF entity (or UPF network element) may be referred to as UPF, and the AMF entity (or AMF network element) may be referred to as AMF. For the sake of convenience of description, xx (such as UPF, AMF, etc.) mentioned in the embodiments of this application may refer to the xx entity or xx network element, which will not be repeated hereafter.

[0051] In the network architecture shown in Figure 1, various components or functional entities can communicate with each other through interfaces. For example, a terminal device can establish an access stratum (AS) connection with the AN via the Uu interface, exchanging AS messages and wireless data transmission. A terminal device can establish a non-access stratum (NAS) connection with the AMF via the N1 interface, exchanging NAS messages. The AN can connect to the AMF via the N2 interface to transmit radio bearer control information from the core network to the AN. The UPF can transmit data with the AN via the N3 interface and with the DN via the N6 interface. The interfaces connecting other components or functional entities can be found in Figure 1 and will not be detailed here.

[0052] It should be understood that the network architecture shown above is only an exemplary illustration, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is not limited to this. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned functional entities is applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0053] It should be understood that the access network equipment, AMF, SMF, UPF, and PCF shown in Figure 1 are just names, and the names do not limit the equipment themselves. In 5G networks and other future networks, the entities corresponding to the access network equipment, AMF, SMF, UPF, and PCF may also have other names, and this embodiment of the application does not specifically limit this.

[0054] It should be understood that the interface names between the functional entities shown in Figure 1 are only an example. In the specific implementation, the interface names between the functional entities can also be other names, such as the interface names between the functional entities in the 6G network. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0055] Zero-power communication technology

[0056] With the development of wireless communication technology, there is a desire to integrate wireless communication systems with various vertical industries, such as logistics, manufacturing, transportation, and energy. For example, wireless communication systems can be integrated with industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs). Another example is the integration of wireless communication systems with smart logistics and smart warehousing. Another example is the integration of wireless communication systems with smart home networks.

[0057] However, in these industries, terminal devices are typically required to have features such as low cost, small size (such as ultra-thin), maintenance-free, and long life. Therefore, as a solution to meet these requirements, network equipment and terminal devices can use zero-power communication technology for communication. In this case, the terminal device can also be called a "zero-power communication terminal device."

[0058] In recent years, the application of zero-power devices has become increasingly widespread. A typical zero-power device is radio frequency identification (RFID), a technology that uses spatial coupling of wireless radio frequency signals to achieve contactless automatic transmission and identification of tag information. RFID tags are also known as "radio frequency tags" or "electronic tags (TAGs)."

[0059] Based on the power supply mode, electronic tags can be divided into active electronic tags, passive electronic tags and semi-passive electronic tags.

[0060] In an RFID system, a reader / writer is a device that reads or writes information from an electronic tag. During operation, the reader / writer transmits radio frequency energy within a certain area, creating an electromagnetic field. The size of this area depends on the transmission power. Electronic tags within the reader / writer's coverage area are triggered to transmit their stored data or modify it according to the reader / writer's instructions. As can be seen, the reader / writer uses wireless radio frequency technology to conduct contactless, two-way data communication with the electronic tag, reading and writing to the tag, thereby achieving target identification and data exchange.

[0061] Electronic tags generally consume little power and may not even require a power source or battery. For example, passive electronic tags can exchange information by receiving microwave signals from a reader and obtaining energy through electromagnetic induction coils to briefly power themselves. RFID transmission range is relatively short and is used for local management and communication of items, such as inventory management within warehouses, file management, access card management, and electronic highway toll payment.

[0062] Ambient IoT Terminal

[0063] Ambient IoT terminals, also known as ambient IoT tags or passive IoT tags, are a new type of zero-power terminal or electronic tag. They are suitable for short-range, low-speed wireless communications. They primarily combine RF energy harvesting, backscattering, and low-power computing technologies to achieve the advantage of not requiring a power supply for device nodes.

[0064] The core of RF energy harvesting is converting RF energy into DC. This energy can be stored in batteries or capacitors, or it can be directly used to drive logic circuits, digital chips, or sensors. This allows for the modulation and transmission of backscattered signals, as well as the collection and processing of sensor information. The following describes the communication principles of an Ambient IoT terminal, using Figure 2.

[0065] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the communication principle of an Ambient IoT device. The communication system 200 can be composed of two parts: a reader / writer 210 and an Ambient IoT tag 220.

[0066] The reader / writer 210 can not only read the information on the electronic tag, but also write the information into the electronic tag. At the same time, the reader / writer 210 can also provide the electronic tag with the energy required for communication.

[0067] Ambient IoT tags 220 can be composed of coupling components and chips. In some implementations, each electronic tag can have a unique electronic code, allowing it to be placed on a target to mark the object. Once the electronic tag enters an electromagnetic field, it can receive radio frequency signals from a reader. Passive or passive electronic tags can utilize the energy generated by the electromagnetic field in space to transmit the information stored on the electronic tag.

[0068] The Ambient IoT tag 220 may generally include an energy harvesting module 221 and a backscatter communication module 222 . In some implementations, the Ambient IoT tag 220 may further include a low-power computing module 223 .

[0069] The energy harvesting module 221 can be used to harvest energy. For example, energy can be harvested from a wireless power supply signal sent by a reader / writer. The wireless power supply signal can be a radio frequency signal sent by a network device; therefore, the energy harvesting module is also referred to as a radio frequency energy harvesting module. The backscatter communication module 222 can be used to perform backscattering communication between the terminal device and the network device. The low-power computing module 223 can be used to provide computing functions, such as data processing, for the terminal device.

[0070] Unlike RFID, Ambient IoT terminals can use the frequency resources of the 3GPP network for communication to meet the usage requirements of some scenarios, such as those with extreme environments that are not suitable for ordinary terminals; terminals that use very low power consumption and cost; and battery-free terminals.

[0071] Ambient IoT communication systems can be used in scenarios such as wireless industrial sensor networks, smart agriculture, smart warehousing and logistics, and smart homes. Based on their energy source and usage, Ambient IoT terminals can be categorized into three types: passive, semi-passive, and active. The following describes each of these three types of Ambient IoT terminals.

[0072] 1) Passive Ambient IoT Terminal

[0073] Ambient IoT terminals do not require internal batteries. When approaching a network device (such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader), the terminal is within the near field radiated by the device's antenna. Consequently, the antenna generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, which drives the terminal's low-power chip circuitry. This enables forward link signal demodulation and backward link signal modulation. For backscatter links, the terminal uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0074] It can be seen that the passive Ambient IoT terminal does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link, and is a true Ambient IoT terminal.

[0075] Passive Ambient IoT terminals do not require batteries, and their RF and baseband circuits are very simple. For example, they do not require low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), power amplifiers (PAs), crystal oscillators, or analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Therefore, they have many advantages, such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0076] Other features of this terminal device include: 1) no battery; 2) obtaining energy from the surrounding environment (such as radio waves, solar energy, wind energy, mechanical kinetic energy, etc.); and 3) no USIM card. It can also store a certain amount of energy from the surrounding environment, but the energy is very small, so the functional logic supported is much less than that of ordinary mobile phone terminals.

[0077] 2) Semi-passive Ambient IoT Terminal

[0078] Semi-passive Ambient IoT terminals do not have conventional batteries themselves, but instead use radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting modules to harvest radio wave energy and store it in an energy storage unit (such as a capacitor). This energy is then used to power the Ambient IoT terminal's low-power chip circuitry, performing tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating backward link signals. For backscatter links, Ambient IoT terminals use backscattering to transmit signals.

[0079] As can be seen, the semi-passive Ambient IoT terminal does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link. Although it uses energy stored in capacitors, the energy comes from the radio energy collected by the energy harvesting module. Therefore, it is also a true Ambient IoT terminal.

[0080] Semi-passive Ambient IoT terminals inherit many advantages of passive Ambient IoT terminals, so they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0081] 3) Active Ambient IoT Terminal

[0082] In some scenarios, Ambient IoT terminals can also be active, with built-in batteries. These batteries power the low-power chip circuitry in the Ambient IoT terminal, which performs tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating reverse link signals. However, for backscatter links, Ambient IoT terminals use backscattering to transmit signals. Therefore, the Ambient IoT nature of these terminals lies in the fact that reverse link signal transmission does not require the terminal's own power, but rather utilizes backscattering.

[0083] Active Ambient IoT terminals have built-in batteries that power RFID chips, increasing the tag's read and write range and improving communication reliability. Therefore, they are suitable for scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance and read latency. The Ambient IoT terminals mentioned here can be tags or ordinary devices.

[0084] In some embodiments, there may be multiple ways for Ambient IoT terminals to access the network. For example, the relevant technology (3GPP TR 38.848) provides different access methods for Ambient IoT terminals to access the 5G network: direct connection method (as shown in Figure 3) and indirect connection method (as shown in Figure 4). Among them, the indirect connection method is that the Ambient IoT terminal accesses the wireless network through an intermediate node. The intermediate node can be, for example, a terminal device. Compared with the direct connection method, the indirect connection method can reduce the impact on the existing 3GPP and expand the coverage.

[0085] In related technologies, electronic tags are used for local object management and communication. The distance between a passive electronic tag and a reader / writer is typically around 1 meter. The distance between an active electronic tag and a reader / writer is typically around 100 meters. Therefore, remote reading, writing, or inventory control of electronic tags is inconvenient, limiting their use cases. Zero-power terminals, such as Ambient IoT terminals, connect to wireless networks, using wireless frequency resources for communication, which helps extend the communication range of low-power or zero-power terminals.

[0086] Since zero-power terminals do not have active communication capabilities, how to register zero-power terminals is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0087] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a wireless communication method, which helps to realize network-triggered terminal device registration by introducing information (i.e., first information) that triggers the registration process of the terminal device sent by the network, such as the first network element.

[0088] The wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to Figure 5. The method shown in Figure 5 includes step S510. The method shown in Figure 5 is described below from the perspective of interaction between a terminal device and a first network element.

[0089] In step S510, the first network element sends first information to the terminal device. In other words, the terminal device receives the first information sent by the first network element.

[0090] The first information can be used to trigger the terminal device's registration process. Typically, the registration process involves the terminal device sending a registration request. Therefore, the phrase "the first information can be used to trigger the terminal device's registration process" can also be replaced with "the first information can be used to trigger the terminal device to initiate a registration request." In some embodiments, the first information can also be carried in a wake-up message, which can be used to wake the terminal device up to access the network.

[0091] The first network element can be any network element, such as the AMF mentioned above, or DN. Usually, the AMF manages the registration of terminal devices, so AMF is used as the first network element for easy implementation.

[0092] In some embodiments, the terminal device may be a zero-power terminal. For example, the terminal device includes but is not limited to the electronic tags mentioned above, such as RFID tags, passive IoT tags, and Ambient IoT tags.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first information may include a first identifier. The terminal device may determine whether to trigger the registration process based on the first identifier. If the first identifier in the first information is the same as the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information, the terminal device triggers the registration process; if the first identifier in the first information is different from the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information, the terminal device does not trigger the registration process. In other words, the first identifier can be used to identify the terminal device for which the registration process is desired to be triggered.

[0094] The first identifier and / or second identifier are used to trigger the registration process of the terminal device. In some embodiments, configuration information for triggering the registration process, such as the second identifier, can be pre-configured for the terminal device. In other words, the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information is pre-stored in the terminal device. The message that triggers the registration process of the terminal device on the network, such as a wake-up message, carries the first identifier, so that the terminal device for which the registration process is to be triggered is identified by whether the first identifier and the second identifier are the same.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-configuration" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the terminal device. This application does not limit its specific implementation method. In some embodiments, the configuration information of the above-mentioned terminal device can be pre-configured by a device such as the first network element, the network device, or the third network element (such as AF) mentioned later.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first identifier or the second identifier may be a random number of multiple bits, and the random number may be associated with a terminal device in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first identifier or the second identifier may be associated with a service type of the terminal device. For example, terminal devices of different service types may be associated with different first identifiers or second identifiers.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first identifier or the second identifier may be associated with the location of the terminal device, or the first identifier or the second identifier may not be a global identifier. For example, different terminal devices in the same cell may be associated with different first identifiers or second identifiers, and different terminal devices in different cells may be associated with the same or different first identifiers, thereby helping to reduce storage overhead.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first identifier or the second identifier may be associated with a usage scenario of the terminal device. In different usage scenarios, the first identifier or the second identifier associated with the terminal device may be different. Examples of usage scenarios for the terminal device include wireless industrial sensing networks, smart agriculture, smart warehousing and logistics, and smart homes.

[0100] In some embodiments, the second identifier is time-sensitive, that is, the second identifier is valid within a certain period of time, thereby preventing the terminal device from being mistakenly awakened by other terminal devices or fake network devices, and helping to ensure communication security. For example, the second identifier is associated with the first duration, that is, within the first duration, the second identifier is valid; after the first duration, the second identifier is invalid. That is to say, in the case where the second identifier fails, even if the first identifier received by the terminal device is the same as the second identifier in the configuration information, the registration process of the terminal device cannot be triggered. As an example, the first duration can be configured at the same time as the second identifier is configured, which helps to improve flexibility. As another example, a universal first duration can be predefined or preconfigured to facilitate implementation.

[0101] In some embodiments, the second identifier may be updated when a preset condition is met. For example, the second identifier may be updated after each registration is completed, wherein the preset condition may be, for example, receiving a registration acceptance message.

[0102] The above two solutions can be used separately or simultaneously. For example, the second identifier is associated with the first duration and can also be updated when a preset condition is met. As an example, if the preset condition is met within or after the first duration, the second identifier can be updated. To save communication overhead for the terminal device, during the validity period of the second identifier, if the preset condition is met, the second identifier may not be updated; outside the validity period of the second identifier, if the preset condition is met, the second identifier can be updated.

[0103] In some embodiments, when the terminal device receives the wake-up information, if the second identifier has expired, the terminal device may send a response message to the first network element, and the response message may indicate that the second identifier has expired or is invalid.

[0104] In some embodiments, the device that manages or configures the second identifier can synchronize the second identifier with the first network element and / or the third network element. That is, when the second identifier is configured, reconfigured, or updated, the first network element and / or the third network element can be notified of the new second identifier. Furthermore, when the second identifier is time-sensitive, the validity period of the new second identifier can be notified simultaneously with the notification of the new second identifier, such as the first duration mentioned above.

[0105] As mentioned above, the registration process of the terminal device generally includes the terminal device sending a registration request. Then the method shown in FIG5 may further include step S520.

[0106] In step S520, the first network element receives a registration request message sent by the terminal device, or in other words, the terminal device sends a registration request message to the first network element.

[0107] In some embodiments, the registration request message includes a device identifier of the terminal device and / or a registration type of the terminal device. The registration type of the terminal device may be, for example, triggered by a network device.

[0108] In some embodiments, the method shown in FIG5 may further include step S530.

[0109] In step S530, the first network element sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, or in other words, the terminal device receives the registration acceptance message sent by the first network element. The registration acceptance message can be used to indicate whether the registration of the terminal device is successful.

[0110] In some embodiments, the registration accept message is used to update the first information in the terminal device configuration information. That is, the first information used to trigger the registration can be updated after each registration. For example, the registration accept message can include the updated second identifier, which is used to trigger the registration process for the terminal device in the future. This helps prevent the terminal device from being awakened by other devices, such as other terminal devices or fake network devices, to access the network.

[0111] In some embodiments, before the first network element sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, the first network element may obtain the terminal device's subscription information from the second network element. For example, the first network element may send a first request to the second network element, the first request being used to request the terminal device's subscription information; the first network element receives a response message from the second network element, the response message including the terminal device's subscription information. The second network element may be a network element that manages the terminal device's subscription information, such as the UDM mentioned above.

[0112] In some embodiments, step S510 described above may be triggered by a third network element. For example, the first network element may receive the first information sent by the third network element. After the first network element receives the first information sent by the third network element, the first network element may send the first information to the terminal device. As an implementation, the third network element may be an AF. It should be understood that step S510 described above may also be triggered by other conditions, and this application does not limit this.

[0113] The first network element can receive the first information sent by the third network element, which can be replaced by the first network element receiving the first information sent by the third network element through the fourth network element. Taking the third network element as AF as an example, the AF can send the first information to the first network element through the NEF (fourth network element).

[0114] In some embodiments, the first network element may receive first information and second information sent by the third network element, wherein the second information is used to determine the network device associated with the terminal device.

[0115] For example, the second information includes information associated with the location of the terminal device. As an example, the location-associated information includes one or more of the following: the location information of the terminal device; the cell identifier associated with the terminal device; and the tracking area identity (TAI) associated with the terminal device. The first network element can determine the cell identifier associated with the terminal device and / or the TAI associated with the terminal device based on the location information of the terminal device. The above-mentioned location-associated information can indicate the actual location of the terminal device, and can also be used to indicate the possible location of the terminal device.

[0116] A terminal device, such as an Ambient IoT terminal device, may not be able to communicate directly with the first network element. Therefore, the first network element may send the first information to the terminal device through another device. How the first network element sends the first information to the terminal device may be determined based on how the terminal device accesses the network.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first information can be forwarded by the first network element to the terminal device via the network device. In other words, the first network element can send the first information to the network device, and the network device forwards the received first information to the terminal device. The first information can be carried in a broadcast message from the network device, i.e., the network device can broadcast the first information. This solution is applicable to terminal devices that access the network through the network device, such as the Ambient IoT terminal devices mentioned above that access the network using a direct connection.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first information can be forwarded by the first network element to the intermediate node via the network device, which can then forward it to the terminal device. In other words, the first network element can send the first information to the network device, which then forwards the received first information to the intermediate node, which then forwards the first information to the terminal device. This solution can be applied to terminal devices that access the network device via the intermediate node, and thus the network, such as the aforementioned Ambient IoT terminal devices that access the network using an indirect connection.

[0119] For example, the network device may send the first information to the intermediate node via proprietary signaling or a broadcast message. In another example, the first network element may send the first information via non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, that is, the first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node may be carried in the NAS signaling.

[0120] For example, the first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device may be carried in a broadcast message, that is, the intermediate node may broadcast the first information.

[0121] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the intermediate node. As an example, the intermediate node can be a terminal device.

[0122] It should be noted that before the first network element sends the first information to the network device, the network device associated with the terminal device can be determined based on the location-associated information mentioned above.

[0123] In some embodiments, the first information can be used to trigger the registration process of multiple terminal devices, or the first information is used to trigger the registration process of a terminal device group. In this case, multiple terminal devices can be awakened at the same time, or triggered to register. As an implementation method, the first information can include first identifiers associated with multiple terminal devices, thereby triggering the registration process of multiple terminal devices. In this case, when the terminal device receives the first information, it can query whether the multiple first identifiers included in the first information include the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information. If the above-mentioned multiple first identifiers include the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information, the registration process of the terminal device is triggered. If the above-mentioned multiple first identifiers do not include the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information, the registration process of the terminal device is not triggered.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first information may include a first identifier associated with a terminal device group. In this case, the first identifier is associated with multiple terminal devices, and the registration process of multiple terminal devices can be triggered simultaneously through the first identifier, thereby saving system overhead.

[0125] The present embodiment does not limit the type of the first identifier, as long as the first identifier can represent the category information of the terminal device group. For example, the first identifier can be one or more of the following: a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, and a service provider (SP) identifier. Correspondingly, the second identifier can be a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, an SP identifier, etc.

[0126] In some embodiments, terminal devices may be grouped, with different terminal device groups being associated with different first identifiers and second identifiers. For example, terminal devices may be grouped based on their locations, serving network devices, and application scenarios.

[0127] In some embodiments, terminal devices associated with different applications may have different associated first and second identifiers. For example, terminal devices associated with different applications may have different associated first and second identifiers. Alternatively, terminal devices managed by different applications may have different associated first and second identifiers.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first identifier and the second identifier associated with the terminal device may be different for different service providers, so that the terminal devices associated with the same service provider can be managed in a unified manner.

[0129] It should be understood that the embodiment of the present application can also determine the second identifier associated with the terminal device group through other methods, and the present application does not limit this.

[0130] It should be understood that the method of the embodiment of the present application may also include more steps, such as steps associated with the authentication process.

[0131] For ease of understanding, the following takes the terminal device as an Ambient IoT terminal device (or it can be called AIoT Device), the first network element as AMF, the second network element as UDM, the third network element as AF, and the intermediate node as a terminal device as an example, and combines Examples 1 to 4 to introduce the method of the embodiments of the present application.

[0132] Example 1

[0133] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a process for triggering terminal device registration according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 6 is used to trigger the registration process of a single terminal device, and the terminal device uses a direct connection mode to access the network. The method shown in Figure 6 may include steps 0 to 7.

[0134] In step 0, the AIoT Device pre-configures information for triggering the registration process by the network. This information can be an identifier that triggers registration, that is, the first information mentioned above.

[0135] In step 1, the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF, or the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF through the NEF. The wake-up message may carry first information, which is information pre-configured by the AIoT Device to trigger the registration process, such as a first identifier. The wake-up message may also carry second information, such as the possible location information of the AIoT Device and / or the actual location information of the AIoT Device. The location information may be a specific address location, or a TAI or cell identifier. The AMF may map the specific address location to the TAI or cell identifier information.

[0136] In step 2, the AMF sends a wake-up message to a network device related to the terminal device, such as a gNB, according to the TAI or cell identifier in step 1, and the wake-up message carries the first information.

[0137] In step 3, the gNB broadcasts a wake-up message, which carries the first information.

[0138] In step 4, if the first information is consistent with the information configured by the AIoT Device (the configuration information in step 0), such as the first identifier in the first information is the same as the first identifier configured for the terminal device, the AIoT Device initiates the registration process with the AMF, and the message carries the AIoT identifier information and the registration type. Among them, the registration type can be set to registration triggered by the network.

[0139] In step 5, after receiving the registration request, AMF obtains the contract data of the AIoT Device from the UDM or service provider's database.

[0140] In step 6, the UDM or service provider returns the AIoT Device's contract data to the AMF.

[0141] In step 7, the AMF returns a registration acceptance message to the AIoT device. The registration acceptance message includes the first information for the next wakeup, or the updated first information. The purpose of updating the first information is to prevent the AIoT device from being mistakenly woken up by other UEs or fake gNBs and accessing the network.

[0142] Example 2

[0143] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another process for triggering terminal device registration according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 7 is used to trigger the registration process of a single terminal device, and the terminal device accesses the network in a non-direct connection mode. The method shown in Figure 7 may include steps 0 to 8.

[0144] In step 0, the AIoT Device pre-configures information for triggering the registration process by the network. This information can be an identifier that triggers registration, that is, the first information mentioned above.

[0145] In step 1, the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF, or the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF through the NEF. The wake-up message may carry first information, which is information pre-configured by the AIoT Device to trigger the registration process, such as a first identifier. The wake-up message may also carry second information, such as the possible location information of the AIoT Device and / or the actual location information of the AIoT Device. The location information may be a specific address location, or a TAI or cell identifier. The AMF may map the specific address location to the TAI or cell identifier information.

[0146] In step 2, the AMF sends a wake-up message to a network device related to the terminal device, such as a gNB, according to the TAI or cell identifier in step 1, and the wake-up message carries the first information.

[0147] In step 3, the gNB sends a wake-up message through dedicated signaling or a broadcast message, where the wake-up message carries the first information; or the AMF may also send a wake-up message through NAS signaling of the UE (intermediate node), where the wake-up message carries the first group of information.

[0148] In step 4, the UE broadcasts a wake-up message, where the wake-up message carries the first information.

[0149] In step 5, if the first information is consistent with the information configured by the AIoT Device (the configuration information in step 0), such as the first identifier in the first information is the same as the first identifier configured for the terminal device, the AIoT Device initiates the registration process with the AMF, and the message carries the AIoT identifier information and the registration type. Among them, the registration type can be set to registration triggered by the network.

[0150] In step 6, after receiving the registration request, AMF obtains the contract data of the AIoT Device from the UDM or service provider's database.

[0151] In step 7, the UDM or service provider returns the AIoT Device's contract data to the AMF.

[0152] In step 8, the AMF returns a registration acceptance message to the AIoT device. The registration acceptance message includes the first information for the next wakeup, or the updated first information. The purpose of updating the first information is to prevent the AIoT device from being mistakenly woken up by other UEs or fake gNBs and accessing the network.

[0153] Example 3

[0154] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a process for triggering the registration of a terminal device group according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 8 is used to trigger the registration process of a terminal device group, and the terminal device group uses a direct connection mode to access the network. The method shown in Figure 8 may include steps 0 to 7.

[0155] In step 0, the AIoT Device pre-configures information for triggering the registration process by the network. This information can be the identifier that triggers the registration, that is, the first information mentioned above. The first information can also be called the first group of information, which includes the first identifier mentioned above. The first identifier can be a group ID, an application ID, a service ID, an SP ID, or other information that can represent the device category.

[0156] In step 1, the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF, or the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF through the NEF. The wake-up message may carry a first set of information, which is information pre-configured by the AIoT Device to trigger the registration process, such as a first identifier. The wake-up message may also carry second information, such as the possible location information of the AIoT Device and / or the actual location information of the AIoT Device. The location information may be a specific address location, or a TAI or cell identifier. The AMF may map the specific address location to the TAI or cell identifier information.

[0157] In step 2, the AMF sends a wake-up message to a network device related to the terminal device, such as a gNB, according to the TAI or cell identifier in step 1. The wake-up message carries the first group of information.

[0158] In step 3, the gNB broadcasts a wake-up message carrying the first set of information.

[0159] In step 4, if the first set of information is consistent with the information configured by the AIoT Device (configuration information in step 0), such as the first identifier in the first set of information is the same as the first identifier configured for the terminal device, the AIoT Device initiates the registration process with the AMF, and the message carries the AIoT identifier information and the registration type. Among them, the registration type can be set to registration triggered by the network.

[0160] In step 5, after receiving the registration request, AMF obtains the contract data of the AIoT Device from the UDM or service provider's database.

[0161] In step 6, the UDM or service provider returns the AIoT Device's contract data to the AMF.

[0162] In step 7, the AMF returns a registration acceptance message to the AIoT device. This registration acceptance message includes the first set of information for the next wakeup, or the updated first set of information. This update prevents the AIoT device from being mistakenly woken up by another UE or a fake gNB and accessing the network.

[0163] Example 4

[0164] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another process for triggering the registration of a terminal device group according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 9 is used to trigger the registration process of a terminal device group, and the terminal device group accesses the network in a non-direct connection mode. The method shown in Figure 9 may include steps 0 to 8.

[0165] In step 0, the AIoT Device pre-configures information for triggering the registration process by the network. This information can be the identifier that triggers the registration, that is, the first information mentioned above. The first information can also be called the first group of information, which includes the first identifier mentioned above. The first identifier can be a group ID, an application ID, a service ID, an SP ID, or other information that can represent the device category.

[0166] In step 1, the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF, or the AF sends a wake-up message to the AMF through the NEF. The wake-up message may carry a first set of information, which is information pre-configured by the AIoT Device to trigger the registration process, such as a first identifier. The wake-up message may also carry second information, such as the possible location information of the AIoT Device and / or the actual location information of the AIoT Device. The location information may be a specific address location, or a TAI or cell identifier. The AMF may map the specific address location to the TAI or cell identifier information.

[0167] In step 2, the AMF sends a wake-up message to a network device related to the terminal device, such as a gNB, according to the TAI or cell identifier in step 1. The wake-up message carries the first group of information.

[0168] In step 3, the gNB sends a wake-up message through dedicated signaling or a broadcast message, and the wake-up message carries the first group of information; or the AMF may also send a wake-up message through NAS signaling of the UE (intermediate node), and the wake-up message carries the first group of information.

[0169] In step 4, the UE broadcasts a wake-up message, which carries the first set of information.

[0170] In step 5, if the first set of information is consistent with the information configured by the AIoT Device (configuration information in step 0), such as the first identifier in the first set of information is the same as the first identifier configured for the terminal device, the AIoT Device initiates the registration process with the AMF, and the message carries the AIoT identifier information and the registration type. Among them, the registration type can be set to registration triggered by the network.

[0171] In step 6, after receiving the registration request, AMF obtains the contract data of the AIoT Device from the UDM or service provider's database.

[0172] In step 7, the UDM or service provider returns the AIoT Device's contract data to the AMF.

[0173] In step 8, the AMF returns a Registration Accept message to the AIoT Device. This message includes the first set of information for the next wakeup, or the updated first set of information. This update prevents the AIoT Device from being mistakenly woken up by another UE or a fake gNB and accessing the network.

[0174] It should be noted that Figures 8 and 9 only show the registration process of one terminal device in the terminal device group. It should be understood that the registration process of other terminal devices in the terminal device group is similar to the registration process of the terminal device.

[0175] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the communication device is a first network element. The communication device 1000 shown in Figure 10 includes a first sending unit 1010, configured to send first information to a terminal device, wherein the first information is used to trigger a registration process of the terminal device.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first information includes a first identifier, and the first identifier in the first information is the same as the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information.

[0177] In some embodiments, the registration process of the terminal device includes the first network element receiving a registration request message sent by the terminal device, the registration request message including the device identification of the terminal device and / or the registration type of the terminal device, wherein the registration type is triggered by the network device.

[0178] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second sending unit, configured to send a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, wherein the registration acceptance message is used to update the first information in the terminal device configuration information.

[0179] In some embodiments, before the first network element sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, the device also includes: a third sending unit, used to send a first request to the second network element, the first request is used to request the contract information of the terminal device; a first receiving unit, used to receive a response message sent by the second network element, the response message including the contract information of the terminal device.

[0180] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second receiving unit, used to receive the first information sent by a third network element, or to receive the first information and second information sent by the third network element, wherein the second information is used to determine the network device associated with the terminal device.

[0181] In some embodiments, the second information includes information associated with the location of the terminal device, and the location associated information includes one or more of the following: location information of the terminal device; a cell identifier associated with the terminal device; and a tracking area identifier associated with the terminal device.

[0182] In some embodiments, the first information is forwarded by the first network element to the terminal device via a network device.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first information is carried in a broadcast message of the network device.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first information is forwarded by the first network element to an intermediate node via a network device, and then forwarded by the intermediate node to the terminal device.

[0185] In some embodiments, the first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, a broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

[0186] In some embodiments, the first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

[0187] In some embodiments, the first information is used to trigger a registration process for a terminal device group, and the terminal device group includes the terminal device.

[0188] In some embodiments, the first information includes a first identifier, the first identifier is associated with the terminal device group, and the first identifier is one or more of the following: a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, and a service provider identifier.

[0189] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the communication device is a terminal device. The communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 includes a first receiving unit 1110, configured to receive first information from a first network element, wherein the first information is used to trigger a registration process of the terminal device.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first information includes a first identifier, and the first identifier in the first information is the same as the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information.

[0191] In some embodiments, the registration process of the terminal device includes the terminal device sending a registration request message to the first network element, the registration request message including the identification information of the terminal device and / or the registration type of the terminal device, wherein the registration type is triggered by the network device.

[0192] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second receiving unit, configured to receive a registration acceptance message sent by the first network element, wherein the registration acceptance message is used to update the first information in the terminal device configuration information.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first information is forwarded by the first network element to the terminal device via a network device.

[0194] In some embodiments, the first information is carried in a broadcast message of the network device.

[0195] In some embodiments, the first information is forwarded by the first network element to an intermediate node via a network device, and then forwarded by the intermediate node to the terminal device.

[0196] In some embodiments, the first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, a broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first information is used to trigger a registration process for a terminal device group, and the terminal device group includes the terminal device.

[0199] In some embodiments, the first information includes a first identifier, the first identifier is associated with the terminal device group, and the first identifier is one or more of the following: a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, and a service provider identifier.

[0200] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the communication device is an intermediate node. The communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 includes a receiving unit 1210, configured to receive first information sent by a first network element via a network device, wherein the first information is used to trigger a registration process for a terminal device associated with the intermediate node.

[0201] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a sending unit, configured to send first information to the terminal device.

[0202] In some embodiments, the first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

[0203] In some embodiments, the first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling or non-access layer signaling.

[0204] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 13 indicate that the unit or module is optional. The device 1300 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The device 1300 may be a chip, a terminal, or a network device.

[0205] The device 1300 may include one or more processors 1310. The processor 1310 may support the device 1300 to implement the method described in the method embodiment above. The processor 1310 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0206] The apparatus 1300 may further include one or more memories 1320. The memories 1320 store programs that can be executed by the processor 1310, causing the processor 1310 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 1320 may be independent of the processor 1310 or integrated into the processor 1310.

[0207] The apparatus 1300 may further include a transceiver 1330. The processor 1310 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1330. For example, the processor 1310 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1330.

[0208] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0209] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0210] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the terminal or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0211] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0212] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0213] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0214] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0215] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0216] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0217] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0218] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0219] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0220] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0221] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0222] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0223] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The first network element sends first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to trigger a registration process for the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first information includes a first identifier, and the first identifier in the first information is the same as the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The registration process of the terminal device includes the first network element receiving a registration request message sent by the terminal device, wherein the registration request message includes the device identifier of the terminal device and / or the registration type of the terminal device, wherein the registration type is triggered by a network device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, where the registration acceptance message is used to update the first information in the terminal device configuration information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that Before the first network element sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, the method further includes: The first network element sends a first request to the second network element, where the first request is used to request the subscription information of the terminal device; The first network element receives a response message sent by the second network element, where the response message includes the subscription information of the terminal device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network element receives the first information sent by the third network element, or receives the first information and second information sent by the third network element, where the second information is used to determine the network device associated with the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The second information includes information associated with the location of the terminal device, and the information associated with the location includes one or more of the following: location information of the terminal device; a cell identifier associated with the terminal device; and the tracking area identifier associated with the terminal device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to the terminal device via a network device.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The first information is carried in a broadcast message of the network device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to an intermediate node via a network device, and then forwarded by the intermediate node to the terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device group, and the terminal device group includes the terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first information includes a first identifier, which is associated with the terminal device group. The first identifier is one or more of the following: a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, and a service provider identifier.

15. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The terminal device receives first information from a first network element, where the first information is used to trigger a registration process for the terminal device.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first information includes a first identifier, and the first identifier in the first information is the same as the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The registration process of the terminal device includes the terminal device sending a registration request message to the first network element, the registration request message includes the identification information of the terminal device and / or the registration type of the terminal device, wherein the registration type is triggered by the network device.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal device receives a registration acceptance message sent by the first network element, where the registration acceptance message is used to update the first information in the terminal device configuration information.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to the terminal device via a network device.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first information is carried in a broadcast message of the network device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to an intermediate node via a network device, and then forwarded by the intermediate node to the terminal device.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, characterized in that The first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device group, and the terminal device group includes the terminal device.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The first information includes a first identifier, which is associated with the terminal device group. The first identifier is one or more of the following: a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, and a service provider identifier.

26. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The intermediate node receives first information sent by the first network element through the network device, where the first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device associated with the intermediate node.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The method further includes: the intermediate node sending first information to the terminal device.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that The first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

29. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 28, characterized in that The first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, a broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

30. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is a first network element, and the device includes: The first sending unit is used to send first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to trigger a registration process of the terminal device.

31. The device according to claim 30, characterized in that The first information includes a first identifier, and the first identifier in the first information is the same as the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30 or 31, characterized in that The registration process of the terminal device includes the first network element receiving a registration request message sent by the terminal device, wherein the registration request message includes the device identifier of the terminal device and / or the registration type of the terminal device, wherein the registration type is triggered by a network device.

33. The device according to claim 32, characterized in that The device further comprises: The second sending unit is used to send a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, where the registration acceptance message is used to update the first information in the terminal device configuration information.

34. The device according to claim 33, characterized in that Before the first network element sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device, the device further includes: A third sending unit is configured to send a first request to the second network element, where the first request is used to request the subscription information of the terminal device; The first receiving unit is used to receive a response message sent by the second network element, where the response message includes the contract information of the terminal device.

35. The apparatus according to any one of claims 30 to 34, characterized in that The device further comprises: The second receiving unit is used to receive the first information sent by the third network element, or to receive the first information and second information sent by the third network element, where the second information is used to determine the network device associated with the terminal device.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein The second information includes information associated with the location of the terminal device, and the information associated with the location includes one or more of the following: location information of the terminal device; a cell identifier associated with the terminal device; and the tracking area identifier associated with the terminal device.

37. The apparatus according to any one of claims 30 to 36, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to the terminal device via a network device.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein The first information is carried in a broadcast message of the network device.

39. The apparatus according to any one of claims 30 to 36, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to an intermediate node via a network device, and then forwarded by the intermediate node to the terminal device.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein The first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39 or 40, characterized in that The first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

42. The apparatus according to any one of claims 30 to 41, characterized in that The first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device group, and the terminal device group includes the terminal device.

43. The device according to claim 42, characterized in that The first information includes a first identifier, which is associated with the terminal device group. The first identifier is one or more of the following: a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, and a service provider identifier.

44. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device is a terminal device, and the device includes: The first receiving unit is used to receive first information from a first network element, where the first information is used to trigger the registration process of the terminal device.

45. The apparatus according to claim 44, wherein The first information includes a first identifier, and the first identifier in the first information is the same as the second identifier in the terminal device configuration information.

46. ​​The apparatus according to claim 44 or 45, characterized in that The registration process of the terminal device includes the terminal device sending a registration request message to the first network element, the registration request message includes the identification information of the terminal device and / or the registration type of the terminal device, wherein the registration type is triggered by the network device.

47. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein The device further comprises: The second receiving unit is used to receive a registration acceptance message sent by the first network element, where the registration acceptance message is used to update the first information in the terminal device configuration information.

48. The apparatus according to any one of claims 44 to 47, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to the terminal device via a network device.

49. The apparatus according to claim 48, wherein The first information is carried in a broadcast message of the network device.

50. The apparatus according to any one of claims 44 to 49, characterized in that The first information is forwarded by the first network element to an intermediate node via a network device, and then forwarded by the intermediate node to the terminal device.

51. The apparatus according to claim 50, wherein The first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

52. The apparatus according to claim 50 or 51, characterized in that The first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

53. The apparatus according to any one of claims 44 to 52, characterized in that The first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device group, and the terminal device group includes the terminal device.

54. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein The first information includes a first identifier, which is associated with the terminal device group. The first identifier is one or more of the following: a group identifier, an application identifier, a service identifier, and a service provider identifier.

55. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device is an intermediate node, and the device includes: A receiving unit is used to receive first information sent by a first network element through a network device, where the first information is used to trigger a registration process of a terminal device associated with the intermediate node.

56. The apparatus according to claim 55, wherein The device further includes: a sending unit, configured to send first information to the terminal device.

57. The apparatus according to claim 56, wherein The first information sent by the intermediate node to the terminal device is carried in a broadcast message.

58. The apparatus according to any one of claims 55 to 57, characterized in that The first information sent by the network device to the intermediate node is carried in dedicated signaling, a broadcast message or non-access layer signaling.

59. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device comprises a transceiver, a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send a signal so that the communication device performs one of the following: the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, and the method according to any one of claims 26 to 29.

60. A chip, characterized in that: It includes a processor for calling a program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes one of the following: a method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, a method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, or a method according to any one of claims 26 to 29.

61. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A program is stored thereon, and the program enables the computer to execute one of the following: the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, and the method according to any one of claims 26 to 29.

62. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises a program, wherein the program causes a computer to execute one of the following: the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, or the method according to any one of claims 26 to 29.

63. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program enables a computer to execute one of the following: the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, or the method according to any one of claims 26 to 29.

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